“Are you locked onto them?” Samara asked.
“Yes.”
No sooner had the words left my lips than the energy inside our bond shifted. It was as if the guardians were looking back at me, peering into my soul. Their energy spun around me, warming my body beyond a level of comfort. Desire sprang to life, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as it normally was. They were holding back.
My heart splintered at the thought.
“No, Katarina. Don’t think about the pain. Focus on distinguishing their energy. Then find the one that doesn’t match theirs.”
I listened to her words, allowing them to guide me through the frustration and regret, the love and the lust, the compassion and resistance, and even the pain. Yet the more I connected those emotions to Quinn, Roark, and Jax, the more anguish I felt. They had pain in their energy as well, but this was different. It was agonizing, and it wasn’t like anything I had felt before.
“I think I feel him,” I whispered.
“Call to him,” Samara instructed.
“Slade? Can you hear me?”
Nothing happened. The energy I felt still thrummed around me, twisting me inside and out. It made my fragile heart shatter further. I grabbed my chest, struggling to breathe.
“I sense him, Katarina. Keep trying,” Samara urged me.
“Slade, please. Answer me. Let me help you.”
The painful vibrations reverberated. I sucked in another breath as tears escaped my eyelids. They trailed down my face, but I didn’t bother to wipe them away.
“I feel you, Slade. I feel your pain. Reach out to me. Let me help you.”
My shoulders slumped. It felt as though grief and despair were clinging to my body, dragging it to the ground. Just when I thought my knees would give, warm arms curled around my waist. The heat surrounding me brought me a level of comfort that I basked in.
“I’ve got you, Katarina,” Quinn whispered in my ear.
Rubbing his hands with mine, I rested them atop his and focused on Slade’s energy. I had to get him to hear me, but I wasn’t sure if this would work.
Slade’s energy shifted. Desperation consumed me, but I sensed an incline of hope. The darkness in my mind gave way to a dim light. It flickered a few times before steadying. Then I saw a man’s face. It was battered and bruised. Blood had dried around his mouth and eyes. And those eyes… Their violet hue spoke to me, making my insides tremble. He peered at me through his tangled blond hair.
“Slade?” I asked.
When he nodded and reached his hand toward me, all the energy around me combusted. My heart felt like it could explode.
In as calm a voice as I could manage, I said, “Tell me where you are.”
Despite how much I surveyed the room, nothing looked familiar. It was dark, dreary, and reminded me of a dungeon. I could even hear water dripping somewhere in the distance. Yet the most frightening thing I saw were his wrists, how they were bound by chains attached to the wall.
Once I refocused on him, I saw his lips moving but nothing came out. I could sense how weak his energy was, and it made my heart race. We were running out of time to save him.
“Hang on, Slade,” I told him as his image began to fade. “We’re coming for you.”
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Enlightened by Magic:
Guardians of Magic Book 2
About the Authors
Elena Gray has always had a vivid imagination. It took entering a writing contest to finally put her stories to paper, and that is how her first novel was born. She’s always coming up with new story ideas and she has pages and pages ready to be written.
She loves staying up late, and sipping vanilla lattes while devouring as many books as she can.
Read more from Elena Gray
www.ElenaGray.com
Kelli McCracken is an author of rock star-themed contemporary and paranormal romance. She loves penning a good, sexy story that stirs emotions and tantalizes the senses.
Most days you’ll find Kelli knee-deep in chocolate bars, coffee, and kooky characters. She is a connoisseur of chocolate, professional percolator, and a master in the art of procrastination. When she’s not writing, chatting with readers, or plotting her next story, Kelli loves to read, listen to music, and most of all, spend time with her family. She resides in Northeast Kentucky, is the mother of four, and is happily married to her husband, James.
Find more by Kelli McCracken
www.kellimccracken.com
Abducted by Magic Page 19
