Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 410

LISA

Lately, the Grand Sage has been buried deep in his magic energy flux capacitor thingamajig research, insisting there has to be a way to create a renewable energy source. Which is why he's the last person I expect to see when a knock raps against the door of Kellan's cabin.

Our cabin now, I guess.

"Grand Sage?" A little flummoxed, I open the door wider. "Did you need something?"

"Yes, actually."

"Bring your brace and come with me." The Grand Sage bounces on his toes, his eyes bright with that manic gleam he gets when he's made a breakthrough. "I've had an idea."

"Right now?" I glance at the clock, despite already knowing what time it is. "I haven't had breakfast yet."

"Indeed, now would be preferable."

"It's freezing outside."

He stops bouncing, looking at me over the rim of his glasses as if I'm a recalcitrant child. "It has been well below freezing for months, child."

He has a point.

I grab my heavy coat and boots, knowing better than to argue when he's this excited. The brace is easy to find; it sits on my bedside table. "Should I be worried?"

"No, no. Well. Perhaps a little. It's somewhat unorthodox."

Those words from the Grand Sage have the uncanny ability to send chlls down my spine. I'm incredibly fond of this short little man and his eccentricities, but there are definitely things I've come to understand about gnomes.

Like, they don't understand the limitations of a human body.

And sometimes they don't really think of humans like people. Not in a bad way, but in like… I don't know. A sciencey way.

"Define unorthodox," I say, with a lot of foreboding.

He trudges along the worn-down paths in the snow, slipping on occasion. The gnomes don't have anything that really fit them; his coat is too large, even though it's sized for children. He looks funny as he walks. Like a kid, but with white hair and a long beard.

"I believe I've found a way to increase the efficiency of your brace. It involves quartz stones—a matched pair. A linked pair, to be precise."

So far, it doesn't sound terrible. "Okay..."

embedded in

I stop walking. "Embedded?"

arm would draw power directly from your blood's magic and feed it to its twin

I mutter,

"A what?"

mind." My brain returns to the most important thing. "What exactly do you mean

his beard. "That's actually why we're heading to the hospital. I need to consult with someone who understands human physiology better than I do. I'm not entirely certain it would work with a human body." He ushers me forward, and I follow blankly, not

it would work with someone

used to do this quite regularly—those at the highest ranks would have jewels embedded

great,

skills to create

narrow my eyes at him.

tiny shoulders. "I've studied

Oh, hell no.

trees and nearly murdered my own guards—on accident, of course. The

a part of some

come to a screeching halt. "No. Nope. I'm not getting some bizarre rock put in my body over this

so devastated that for a moment I actually feel

be a great experiment.

you to talk to whoever you want to talk to, but I'm drawing the

"Quartz, actually."

to make this thing work. It still gives me the heebie jeebies that it can see inside

slump, and he lets out a heavy sigh. "Very well. I will not pressure

floods through me. I follow him back along the path, grateful he's not pushing the issue. My arm itches under the brace—probably psychosomatic after all that talk

his head. He does this twice more before we reach the hospital

"Something wrong?"

squints at the sky. "It doesn't appear

"And yet what?"

in the

rub my wrist where the brace sits. "What, do you have some kind of built-in

deepens. "It's

I shake off the snow from my boots. "So who are

actually set up a meeting. I don't know

his part is very him. He seems fastidious and well put-together, but he's used

the cold without even..." I press my fingers to my temples. "Never mind. Let

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255