Read Magic's Design for Free Online Page B

she reached out and grabbed Sela’s ankle with both hands and pulled, struggled to keep Sela from being abducted. It was as though her sudden help spurred Sela on, because she began to fight in earnest—kicked and scratched and screamed nonsensical words at her attacker.
    The door burst open, slamming against the wall so hard that the old patterned knob embedded in the plaster. Mila caught her breath as two men raced in with Candy and Baba Nadia at their heels. The blond man … he was the same one who had been in her dream.
    “Alexy! Help her!” Mila’s eyes locked on those of the dark-haired man who’d shouted. She didn’t recognize him … not at all, but she felt like she should. His movements, his energy, felt so familiar that it was almost like he was a lover she’d forgotten she had. But then, when the blond moved forward to help, the name the man had called him finally struck home in her mind. Yes. He is Alexy. Time seemed to still as Mila took in the implications. Even a woman’s scream nearby seemed distant within the buzzing in her head as she stared at the blond and felt a surge of deep friendship … comradery that had no romantic ties, but was equally as strong.
    “Oh, my God! Is that Sela? What’s happening to her?” Candy’s words from the doorway drew Mila’s gaze away from the men. Vegre had disappeared through the passage, and only Sela’s lower torso remained in the room, stretched painfully—her pant leg taut over a twitching leg. She was halfway between here and … wherever, held only by Mila’s fierce grip on her booted ankle. The next scream made her realize that holding her like this was hurting her. Even Alexy hesitated and looked to the other man for guidance.
    “Think it’ll come off if I help pull?” It took a second for Mila to realize that it was Sela’s leg.
    The dark-haired man looked stricken at the thought and seemed to struggle within himself for an answer. He opened his mouth finally, but it was her baba’s calm, gentle voice that broke the silence.
    “Yes. Too much of her is on the other side. Mila. You must let go.”
    She felt her eyes welling as she stared at the crackling green hole of energy. “But I can’t. He’ll kill her. She said so, and I’ve seen what he’s capable of.”
    “He? Who took her?” The dark-haired man moved across the room and knelt down beside her. His dark eyes were intense, flickering with an internal fire that seemed to warm her toes. “Did you hear a name?”
    “Vegre. His name is Vegre.” The name made three of the four others in the room flinch and her grandmother reached instantly for the cross under her shirt. She kissed it and closed her eyes. “Then she is doomed. But please, Mila … don’t help him by prolonging her torture. Let go.” Another scream punctuated the air, lending credence to her baba’s words.
    “Wait!” cried the dark-haired man suddenly. “Not yet.” He ripped off a leather driving glove with a large chunk of green glass over his palm. He held it for a second and then with a look of determination, made a throwing motion into the flickering void. He turned his head and nodded. “You can let go now. We’ll find her.”
    Something made her comply. But she’d been holding on so tight that it was hard to open her fingers. The man had to help her pry them open against the constant tug from the other side of the sparkling goo. At last she felt Sela’s leg slip away. The moment the last bit of spiked heel disappeared, so did the sparkling.
    It was suddenly still in the room until Alexy let out a frustrated sound. “Tal, what in bloody hell were you thinking? He’ll spot your glove in a second and we’ll wind up dead from a soul-sucking spell before we can make it back to base.”
    The dark-haired man, Tal, looked at him calmly and then smiled. “Cloaked it first and put on an attachment spell.”
    The frustration slipped away from Alexy’s face, to be replaced by a brilliant smile that was