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..."

be embedded in

I stop walking. "Embedded?"

and the other in the brace. The stone in your arm would draw power directly from your blood's magic

charger," I mutter,

"A what?"

important thing. "What exactly do you mean by embedded in my

"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

work

ranks would have jewels embedded within their bodies. The most skilled gnome artisans would create

was so great, why isn't it common

to create such a

my eyes at

shoulders. "I've studied the old texts

Oh, hell no.

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

will not be a part of some experimental body-modifying surgery. No,

Nope. I'm not

a moment I actually feel

experiment. It would

drawing the line at putting anything inside my body. It's already weird enough

"Quartz, actually."

this thing work. It still gives me the heebie jeebies that it can see inside my head. So,

a heavy sigh. "Very well. I will not pressure you into any

not pushing the issue. My

Grand Sage pauses, his white beard swaying as he turns his head.

"Something wrong?"

He squints at the sky. "It doesn't appear as if a storm approaches,

"And yet what?"

in the

sits. "What, do you have some kind of built-in weather app

deepens. "It's

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

"I haven't actually set up a meeting. I don't know

organization on his part is very him. He seems fastidious and well

I press my fingers to my temples. "Never mind. Let me see what

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