Destined Magic Read Online Free PDF Page B

Gabriella figured she would see if the whispers were true.
    “Hello?” Gabriella called out.
    “Back here,” a voice drifted out from the rear of the shop.
    She walked around the counter and through a double door. Heat blasted her as she came into the room. The man standing shirtless pounded on a piece of red-hot iron. His muscles bulged in his arms and chest with each strike of the hammer. Gabriella gulped and stood staring.
    He plunged the metal into a bucket of water and stea m hissed into the air. Turning, he put down the hammer and wiped his hands on the apron tied around his waist. His eyes glowed with red flames before changing to a warm chocolate brown. Gabriella realized she was in the presence of a Fire Master.
    “What ca n I do for you?” he asked, looking her up and down.
    Gabriella cleared her throat. “Um, I have a little problem , and I heard you might be able to help me.”
    “Well, that wou ld depend on the problem.” The Blacksmith ran his hand over his shorn head.
    “I need you to take this off.” Gabriella extended her wrist toward the man.
    He stepped forward , peering at the metal bracelet on her wrist. “May I?” he asked, reaching for her wrist. She gulped and nodded. He held her hand and turned the bracelet so the magic symbols could easily be seen in the light. Then, he looked from her to the bracelet and back.
    “Why did they put this on you? Your aura is clear.”
    “You can see my aura?”
    “The aura is energy , and fire witches can control energy. Now, answer the question.”
    “My sister is practicing blood magic. They want me to turn her in. When I refused , they put this on me.” That wasn’t exactly the way it happened. Garrett put the bracelet on her first and then asked her to turn in her sister.
    “Damn hypocrites, cuffing an innocent and trying to force her to rat out her family. They tell us they are here to protect the innocent.” He shook his head. “Come over here. I’ll have to cut it off. Don’t worry. I mean the bracelet, not the hand.”
    “Will it hurt?” Gabriella followed him over to a worktable.
    “Not if we’re careful. You know that you have to run, right? You can’t stay here if the council is after you.”
    Gabriella nodded. She wasn’t sure how she would manage it. But she knew she needed to put as much distance as possible between her and the Guardians.
    “Al l right, hold still now.” The Blacksmith picked up a pair of large metal shears. “Too bad. This is going to ruin the bracelet. It looks like a fine piece. But after I put the metal in the fire, any remaining magic will go up in smoke.”
    He muttered a spell under his breath as t he metal shears cut through the bracelet. Sparks flew from the place where the metal was cut. But then the bracelet fell open and landed on the table. Gabriella shuddered as she felt her magic flow through her, igniting her blood and warming her.
    “There, I bet you feel a lo t better now.” The Blacksmith picked up a pair of metal tongs and grasped the pieces of the bracelet before walking over and putting them in a crucible. Next, he lifted the crucible and put it in the coals of the fire. Sparks flew from the bracelet as the metal began to melt and became liquid. “Now, no one will know that this liquid metal was formerly a nullifying bracelet. But you need to get out of here, in case someone followed you. Here, use the back door.”
    Gabriella pulled the remaining pound notes out of her pocket and offered them to the man. He pushed her hand away.
    “Keep them. No one should cuff an innocent. Goddess keep you.” He turned and picked up the iron rod from the bucket and put it back in the fire.
    Gabriella hurried out the back door and down the alley. She peeked around the corner but didn’t see anyone suspicious. Dashing across th e street, she began to make her way back to the metro.
     
    §
     
    “Garrett, wake up. Come on, man. I can’t carry you out of here. Garrett.”
    Garrett heard a voice