Browsing through used bookstores was one of her favorite hobbies. This was her first time in this one and she had already found several books that could prove useful. Stepping back from a shelf with a book in her hands, she inadvertently bumped right into him. She was always bumping into things while reading. She mumbled an apology as she closed the book.

“It’s ok” he replied. She stopped, electrified. She recognized that voice! Looking up she saw him. The square cut of his jaw, the blue of his eyes, the shock of dark hair falling in his face. He smiled and she knew she’d been caught.

Sighing, she set the book down on a shelf and began preparing a spell, but it was too late. He murmured a spell of his own as he placed a thin silver cuff on her left wrist. A dampener, great. She was just going to have to get out of this the old fashioned way.

With a roundhouse kick to his face, she knocked him off balance and ran for the door. She didn’t make it far, he had brought back up. She looked around at the team of five magic users that had been sent to capture her and knew there was no escape. At least not today.

At long last, she would have to face the high council. That is, unless she could convince him to let her go. She had three days to prove her innocence.

“Lucas!” she demanded indignantly, “Is this really necessary?”

“Oh Gretchen,” he replied, “Of course it is. Did you think I had forgotten how powerful you are?”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.”

“Oh, but it did before.” He gave her a dazzling smile.

She squirmed uncomfortably. Well, yes, that was true. But in her defense, he was ridiculously hot. She was human after all. Well, mostly human anyway. Whatever.