Free Absolutely Captivated by Kristine Grayson Page B

didn’t dare use his magic, since the Fates had forbidden it, but
he knew of a purebred puppy mill in which the animals were being
mistreated. He just didn’t know what to do about it. His old method
would have been to fly in and rescue the animals, but he couldn’t
anymore. The Fates had forbidden his interference in mortal
affairs. So he had come to Zoe, asking for help.
    She had taken photographs, documented
proof of the abuse, and had reported the mill’s owners to the
state. The state shut the mill down, and Zoe had used her own magic
to heal a lot of the injured and sick animals, just so that they
could be adopted by caring people.
    Travers was watching her. “You believe
this Superman crap?”
    “Honest,” Kyle said. “My dad doesn’t
know about any of it. I wish you could feel what I
know….”
    His voice was barely above a whisper,
and this time, Zoe knew that Travers couldn’t hear his
son.
    Zoe raised a hand and sealed her door
shut. Then she boosted the air-conditioning because the room had
gotten stiflingly warm.
    “Mr. Kinneally,” she said,
“you have been out-voted by your son and his friends. You’re
staying until I understand exactly what’s going on
here.”
    “Sorry,” Travers said. “Kyle and I are
going. And if Kyle doesn’t want to leave, then I guess he can stay
here without me.”
    The parental bluff. Only
Travers Kinneally gave it enough of an edge to make it seem real.
He walked to the door and turned the knob. But of course the door
didn’t move. The knob didn’t even make its normal clicking
sound.
    “I wasn’t kidding,” Zoe said. “You’re
staying.”
    “Open this door.” He grabbed the door
knob with both hands and pulled. The muscles in his well-shaped
arms strained, but the door didn’t budge.
    “Dad,” Kyle said.
    “Open it!” Travers braced
a foot against the doorjamb and pulled. Still nothing
happened.
    Zoe raised her eyebrows and leaned
back in her chair. This man was putting on an excellent
performance.
    “Travers,” said the redhead with a bit
of a sigh, “the door won’t open.”
    “Open the door, dammit, or
I will come over to your desk, find the remote locking mechanism,
and smash it.” As he said that last, he turned toward Zoe. His
hands were still on the knob, one foot still rested against the
doorjamb, and Zoe was tempted—ever so tempted—to release the
binding spell she had put on the door.
    Then Travers would have tumbled
backward and maybe even fallen into the so-called Fates. But then,
of course, he’d leave, and Zoe wouldn’t find out exactly what was
going on.
    “I didn’t use a mechanism,” Zoe said.
“I spelled the door. It’s blocked until I open it.”
    Travers let go of the knob, turned,
and put his hands on his hips. He looked exasperated. His cheeks
were red, and perspiration dotted his forehead.
    “Spelled,” he said.
    Zoe nodded.
    “That’s impossible.”
    Zoe sighed. She didn’t like games. She
was about to say so when Kyle touched her arm.
    “Really,” the boy said. “He doesn’t
get this.”
    “He was abominably trained,” the
brunette said.
    “If we were still in charge,” said the
blonde, “we would take his mentor—”
    “— and punish him for
dereliction of duties,” finished the redhead, just like the Fates
used to do. They always finished each other’s thoughts.
    Travers glared at the women, but for
once, Zoe ignored him.
    “What do you mean, still
in charge?” Zoe asked, wishing that she hadn’t. She didn’t want to
get involved, she didn’t want to be sucked deeper into this scam,
and yet something compelled her. The honesty of the kid and, if she
were truthful, the beauty of the man before her.
    And the strangeness of the three
women.
    “That’s why we asked you if you were
aware of the politics of Mount Olympus,” the brunette
asked.
    “Things have gotten worse in the
last—decade? Century? I’m never sure how mortals tell time.” The
blonde looked to her