Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

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 your upper

I stop walking. "Embedded?"

stone in your arm would draw power directly from your blood's magic and feed it to

charger," I

"A what?"

thing. "What exactly

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

it would work

regularly—those at the highest ranks would have jewels embedded within their bodies. The most skilled gnome artisans would create

so great, why isn't it common

expression turns sheepish. "Very few possess the necessary skills to create such

my eyes at him.

straightens his tiny shoulders. "I've studied

Oh, hell no.

man figure out all his little research. I've shot fire at trees and nearly murdered my own guards—on accident, of course. The brace he's given me has literally saved

will not be a part of some experimental body-modifying surgery.

a screeching halt. "No. Nope. I'm not getting some

I actually feel like I'm

thought this would be a great experiment. It would make

the line at putting anything inside my body.

"Quartz, actually."

work. It still gives me the heebie jeebies that it can see inside my head. So, no.

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

issue. My arm itches under the brace—probably psychosomatic after all that talk

pauses, his white beard swaying as he turns his head. He does this twice more before we

"Something wrong?"

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

"And yet what?"

one in the

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

frown deepens. "It's

the snow from my boots. "So who are we

at his beard. "I haven't actually set up a meeting.

this lack of organization on his part is very him. He seems fastidious and well put-together, but

dragged me out in the cold without even..." I press my fingers to my temples. "Never mind. Let me see what