Page 55 of Curse of the Wolf
“I… am not well versed enough in paranormal equipment to be certain. He was too far away for me to tell if it… had a vibe.”
“A vibe? Like an aura?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe you should chat up our ghost-hunting tenants to learn how to identify paranormal devices by more than vibes.”
“I attempted tochat upone of them when they first arrived. We discovered we had few common interests.”
I took that to mean they’d ignored his attempts to flirt. After making sure the inspector couldn’t see us, I grabbed the case out of my truck.
Duncan had taken my advice and had his eyes closed. Napping, I assumed. Not fainting.
“How’s Jasmine doing?” Bolin asked when I returned. “She didn’t mention if she found the networking event fruitful. I was hoping she would call.”
And that they could chat for hours about their common interests? I gave him a sympathetic smile.
“She did speak with me for a whileduringthe event,” he continued. “Before you, uhm, before all those fight sounds came from MacGregor’s bedroom. She said her mocktail was a little weird and gave me a sip. I agreed. I should have suggested an espresso martini, though I don’t know how one without alcohol might be made. Was she not drinking because she was the driver or because she prefers not to?”
“I’m not sure. Touch this, will you?”
Bolin reached out a finger. Judging by the bracing grimace he wore, he expected it to zap him. But when he touched the case, he didn’t immediately pull back.
“Oh, it’s not trying to electrocute people anymore?”
“It is if you’re a werewolf.”
“Before, it gave me a zinger every time I moved it without insulation.”
“And it’s not now?” I arched my eyebrows.
“Nope. What changed? The fact that you’ve used the artifact inside a couple of times?”
“I don’t know. Nothing has changed about its relationship with me.”
Bolin poked the case on a couple of different sides. “It doesn’t seem to mind me anymore.”
“Maybeyou’vechanged. The case was made by druids, right? Maybe you’re getting more druidly.”
He started to snort but paused, raising a finger. “Ihavebeen practicing spells and more frequently making magical items.”
“The bath bombs.” I nodded.
“The Orbs of Entanglement.” Bolin scowled at me. “When Jasmine and I charged into the back of that cabin, I threw one, bumped my elbow, and it rolled uselessly under a sofa. But then I thought about it expanding its reach and tried towillmy power to make it do so. Surprisingly, it did. It swept out from under the couch, and one of the thugs got stuck in it.” He shrugged. “It was a small use of power, but it seemed… like it meant something. Like if I kept practicing, maybe I could actually be a decent druid.”
“Of course you could. I’m surprised Jasmine hasn’t been more wowed by your powerful aura.” I smiled, only partially sarcastic. He wasn’t the stuff of most women’s fantasies, but he was a good guy.
“By then, she was already a wolf. I’m not sure she saw me applying my power. Also, I tripped over a boot warmer as we charged in. It wasn’t my fault—I was really startled when Jasmine turned into a wolf right in front of me. I’d known she could, but I’d never seen someone do that. Anyway, I almost landed face-first on the floor.” Bolin sighed. “I’d been hopingthat we would bond through fighting together, but… I almost stepped on her tail as I was flailing for balance.”
“Maybe you need another battle to better show off your abilities and find your teamwork groove.”
“I’m more of a lover than a fighter.”
“Don’t forget violinist.”
“Oh, I haven’t. I have many non-martial skills.” Bolin tapped his chin. “I bet I could find a recipe and make her a non-alcoholic espresso martini.”
“Of course you could. That’s a lot easier than mastering a violin piece. I’m sure of it.”
