Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 366 Lisa: Improvements

LISA

I am a precision instrument.

Or, well, my wrist brace is.

Okay—the word precision might be stretching it a bit. If I'm within fifty yards of my target, I might be able to get a single hit off in a real fight.

But the real point here is, if I hit my target, their head is going to explode. The power I hold in a single wrist brace might be getting to my head a little.

"Timber!" I shout cheerfully, though no one's near the tree now falling.

The Grand Sage's pen scratches across his notepad with manic energy. His white hair sticks up in every direction, like he's been electrocuted. Which, knowing him, is entirely possible.

"Excellent work today, Lisa. The trajectory calculations are spot on." He peers at me over his glasses. "Your aim has improved significantly, and we've even increased the economy of power consumption."

Pride swells in my chest. "Thanks to your adjustments on the brace." I flex my wrist, admiring how the metal catches the weak winter sunlight. "Though I still need to work on my stamina."

"Nonsense." He waves his pen at me. "The amount of magical energy required to power these devices is substantial. Your body needs time to adjust."

"But what if I need to use it in an emergency?" The tree I felled lies in the snow, its branches spread like fallen soldiers. "I can't ask the bad guys to wait while I catch my breath."

"Which is precisely why we're developing alternative power sources." He flips through his notes. "The blood activation is merely temporary. I have some promising theories about crystalline batteries."

eyebrows shoot up. "Crystals? Like the

under his breath. "We could potentially store

I wouldn't need to use

gleam I've come to both love and fear. "Think of it as a magical battery pack. Pre-charged and ready for deployment. It would allow more than just a

my arms, trying to warm up. The cold has seeped through my workout clothes, and my sweat is starting

"In a sense, yes."

slump at my mention of Ava. "That girl works herself to exhaustion. No concept of

throat tightens. The memories of that party flash through my mind—blood and screams and death. Bodies of wolves who died protecting us. Protecting me. "She blames herself for every injury, every death. She takes

though no one's said a word to me about the lives Westwood lost at that

The Grand

doing something useful now. These weapons you're creating could save

your burdens." He shuffles through his papers with renewed vigor. "I've been developing a theory about creating a magic siphon that would require minimal

"How would that work?"

the air, sketching invisible diagrams. "Once initiated with a small spark of power, it would generate its own energy through a continuous feedback loop. The applications would be revolutionary! We could power entire cities, create defensive barriers that never falter, develop weapons that—" He stops

concept of unlimited magical power makes my head spin. "Like something out of science

ability to harness and perpetuate magical energy was commonplace. But like so many other wonders of the past, that

Grimoire knows anything

ancient cities." Entertaining myself by puffing out clouds of my breath, I keep pace with the trudging elderly gnome as we head back to Wolf's Landing. My bodyguards follow behind, as usual. "Where were they supposed to

shuffles through the snow. "According to legend, they existed in a space between realms. Neither fully in our world nor in the Fae realm. The stories

wrinkles.

that floated in the sky." He

"What do you mean?"