Unleashed: The Cursed Trilogy, Book Two by Betty Legend (little bear else holmelund minarik .TXT) 📗

don’t have anything, they’ll be willing to make something.”

“Let’s do that.”

Rachel’s jaw is gaping. When I look at her, the others do as well, and they chuckle.

Killian taps her leg. “You all right?”

“I feel like we’ve missed out, Selene. There’s so much cool shit with magic.”

“I know. Every day I discover something new.”

Emeric and Cyrus fill the blue fabric sitting chairs across from us.

“How about you show Rachel some of the things you can do,” Cyrus suggests.

“Hell yeah.” Rachel wiggles her toes under the blanket as a cheeky grin splits her lips. “Show me.”

“All right.” Scooting off Griffin’s lap, I sit on the edge of the couch between Killian and Griffin. “What would you like to see first? Air, fire, or water magic?”

“What does water magic do?”

“I can move and control objects.”

“Can you move this whole couch with all of us on it?”

Surprised by her request, I stand up and face the couch.

“I honestly don’t know, but I’ll try.”

Putting my hands out, I focus on willing the magic out of me. It escapes my palms, the ethereal essence moving toward the couch. The three of them watch with interest as my magic surrounds the couch. Slowly, just an inch at first, the couch lifts off the floor. I push my magic harder, and the couch lifts higher, a foot or so off the floor. The energy it takes wears on me, my arms become weighted, and my chest tightens as I carefully try to lower it. The couch sits back down just as I drop my arms and exhale a tired breath.

“That took a lot of energy.”

Griffin nods in understanding. “The larger the task, the greater energy it takes to use your magic. Just like with anything else, if you practice, the larger tasks will become easier.”

Grimacing, I drop onto his lap. “I have a long way to go.”

“You’ll be surprised.” He brushes a hair behind my ear. “Try using another element. Your magic will restore quickly.”

Glancing at Emeric, I grin. “Can you catch my fireball?”

Emeric snickers. “Give it to me, baby.”

Setting the blade next to him on the floor, he leans back in his chair, prepared. Igniting a ball of fiery essence in my palm, I shove my hand out toward him. He catches it in his palms and expands his hands out, extinguishing it.

“Let’s try something.” Griffin nudges me to stand. Putting me in front of him, he takes one hand and puts his other around my back as if we’re going to dance. An electric blue glow forms around us and easily lifts us off our feet. Adding my magic, we rise another foot. Together, we dance, twirling above the floor, our magic swirling around us.

Rachel adjusts, sitting more upright on the couch as she watches.

“Wow! It’s so beautiful.”

Griffin dips me, and Emeric is behind me, stealing the kiss. Taking me in his arms, he outstretches his wings, a swirl of crimson glowing around us. With one flap of his wings, he has us off the ground, hovering a foot or so from the floor. Claiming my lips, he encircles me in his wings and eases us to the floor. Cyrus takes my hips as Emeric’s wings open, pulls me to his chest, and with a flick of his wrist, we’re through a portal, emerging on the other side of the living room. Waving his hand again, he kisses me as we step through the second portal back to the side of the living room where we started.

Killian’s wolf form pushes Cyrus back and leans his shoulder into me. I climb atop his back, and he heads for the back door, everyone following behind us. With a running start, he clears the privacy fence and walks us out into the darkness. With a pound of his paw on the ground, mist emerges, swallowing us in its veil. The others have opened the gate, and Emeric lifts his fiery hand in the air to add light as they search for us.

“Where are they?” Rachel asks.

Emerging from the fog, Killian slams a paw to the ground, and a light vibration travels across the dirt and rock, disrupting their balance.

Climbing off his back, I scratch behind his ears, and his wolf form leans into me. A moment later, he shifts, and Griffin tosses his jeans back to him.

“That was fun.” My cheeks are nearing my ears, my joy ready to burst out of me. Taking Rachel’s hand, I attempt Griffin’s trick and let my magic out, lifting us as we swirl around together.

The guys add whistling and clapping as the two of us lose ourselves to the excitement. Rachel’s hands warm, and I stare down at them, then immediately lower us, extinguishing my magic. She stares at her palms as they glow a pale blue, then she waves them as if she’s trying to get the magic off her.

“What’s going on? Why is it sticking to me?”

Grabbing her hands, I rub my thumbs over them.

“That’s not me. That’s your magic.”

“Shit!” She pulls her hands back and stares at them, wide-eyed. The magic disappears, and her gaze snaps to me.

“How do I get it back?”

“What did you feel?”

“Excitement.”

“That’s similar to how my magic came out.” I look at Griffin. “Do you think all of our magic awoke hers?”

Griffin shrugs. “It’s possible. That’s the logical explanation. When you were dancing with your magic, you might have awoken hers.”

She looks to me for guidance.

“Remember the feeling you just had or when you found out you were pregnant. Now, focus on it.”

Rachel closes her eyes, and a moment later, her hands glow a pale blue.

“Open your eyes, Rachel.”

She does, and her face lights up with excitement.

“This is amazing. What do I do now?”

“Try to move that.” I point to a rock in the dirt. “Think about what you want your magic to do, then it will do it.”

Emeric releases the fiery ball from his hand, and it floats in the air, giving more light to our surroundings. Rachel points her hand at the rock,