No Quest for the Wicked (34 page)

“So, that’s why he didn’t join the party,” I said.

“I’m sure we can work something out,” Owen said. “Come with us. Merlin will want to talk to you.” He paused and smiled. “He may even want to listen to you. He’ll want more information about what Sylvester’s been up to.”

It was probably a good thing I was too tired to think much about what had just happened to me or I’d have been like a kid on Christmas morning with a complicated new electronic toy that had come without instructions. I’d have wanted to play with my new powers, but I wouldn’t have had the slightest idea how to use them or what to do with them.

I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me, and I didn’t know what Owen having his powers back meant for him, since it would make people even more suspicious of him and it would stop his research on the
Ephemera
. But I figured we could worry about all that the next morning. Make that next week. It was already very early Friday morning, and we deserved a break. I suspected even Owen would take the whole weekend off.

It was too bad my grandmother had come to stay. It was the first time in ages when Owen didn’t have any pressing problem to work on and would likely be under orders to stay home and rest. We were both too tired to get up to anything interesting, but it would have been a great time for a good, long cuddle and some privacy. The glance we exchanged on the way to the car told me he felt the same way. A warm tingle flowed upward from our joined hands as he laced his fingers through mine.

If this was what was possible when we shared a magical connection, then it appeared that I had a lot to look forward to—whenever my grandmother finally left town.

About The Author

Shanna Swendson is the author of the Enchanted Inc. series of humorous contemporary fantasy novels, including
Enchanted, Inc.
,
Once Upon Stilettos
,
Damsel Under Stress, Don’t Hex with Texas
, and
Much Ado About Magic
. She’s also contributed essays to a number of books on pop culture topics, including
Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl, I Learned from Judy Blume
,
Serenity Found
,
Perfectly Plum
and
So Say We All
. When she’s not writing, she’s usually discussing books and television on the Internet, singing in or directing choirs, taking ballet classes or attempting to learn Italian cooking. She lives in Irving, Texas, with several hardy houseplants and a lot of books.

Visit her Website at
www.shannaswendson.com
.