30 No Way... (1/2)
Ash tried to think of what had been different between the successful attempt and the unsuccessful ones. The only thing he could think of was that he had been sitting on the bed.
He tried it again that way but only saw the barrier go up partway again. He squinted out the window in defeat until a small fist pressed up against his lower back. He swiveled his head around and looked down at the snoozing fairy behind him. No way…
This would be his last attempt for the night in case he drew too much human attention. Ash tried the barrier spell one more time and made sure he was still touching Ruby somehow as he got up to look out the window. He had one fingertip on her ankle.
It worked. There was actually a full dome!
Ash let it drop and eyed the fairy with new interest. How in the world did she manage to amplify his magic so he could complete the spell?! In all his years of existence he had never heard of a member of another race being able to affect a vampire's magic.
He hadn't heard of that sort of thing happening among any other races either. He would have to talk to Blair about this when he got back. Maybe she had heard of this phenomenon before. Or maybe she hadn't, like with Ruby's glamour.
Who was she? Earth fairies were a dime a dozen—arguably one of the most common types of fae—but she was different. Special.
Ash was beginning to suspect that she knew that too and it factored into why she had run away from home. If anyone else knew what she was capable of…
At best, an innovator like Blair would want to study her and see if her powers were able to replicated. At worst, they might force her to do things she didn't want for their own gain. Magic amplification was no joke and that didn't even account for whatever it was that made her so rich.
In the time Ruby had been recuperating at his castle she had made nearly $200,000. That was nothing to sneeze at. It took most fae years if not decades to earn that much.
Ash felt oddly protective of this girl who had a lot going for her but simply wanted to be free. To live without fear, she said. He was beginning to understand what there was for her to be afraid of.
A free spirit would never be happy in a cage. If people only saw her for her abilities and wanted to use them for their own advantage it would crush her.
He was weighed down with guilt. Hadn't he been the same? He wanted her to help fund his revenge but he never asked her to. She had been the one who offered. He was different from those who would use her…wasn't he?
Ash would never make Ruby do anything against her will. They were allies. On the same team. They were both helping each other out; he wasn't using her unilaterally!
He sighed. What was he supposed to do with this girl? She was savvy and self-reliant but had this air of vulnerability about her at times that made her seem like someone to be protected. And she had ended up with him; the last person on earth who should be protecting anyone.