General panic spells were interesting in how they affected the unwary and unaware. They caused the victim’s mind to supply the reason for the panic by elevating their own phobias and fears.

Yes, that would do. After the woman had shut her door, Josiah tossed out the casting.

Sullivan had started walking to the next door, toward Josiah. When the spell hit, he slowed to a stop and glanced around. One corner of Josiah’s mouth tilted up in a hard smile as the other man frowned and the conscious charm in his handsome expression transformed into anxiety.

Maybe Sullivan was recalculating the risk of drawing attention to himself by knocking on doors. Maybe he would think about what trouble he might get in if a guest complained. Or maybe he had an irrational fear of carpet. Josiah didn’t fucking care as long as the spell drove him to leave the hotel as quickly as possible.

Sullivan paused, clearly struggling with himself. Then one of the hotel doors opened and a couple stepped out, giving him a curious glance as they walked past, and he broke. He pushed past them and headed for the elevators.

Leisurely, Josiah stepped out of his way and remained flattened against the wall until the couple had left. Then he thrust the other people out of his mind and headed toward Molly’s room.

He located her chaotic Power at the third door from the end of the hallway, opposite where Sullivan had talked with the woman. Logic said Sullivan wouldn’t have been heading back toward the bank of elevators if he hadn’t already gone down the other side of the hall first.

So he had to have already knocked on Molly’s door. Josiah imagined her looking out the peephole to find her ex-husband standing outside. No wonder she was stressed.

She hadn’t picked up when he had called, so he knew she wouldn’t welcome him standing at her door either. He placed a hand on the door’s smooth surface and scanned the interior. Her distress beat at his senses.

Okay. He didn’t dare cast a calming spell in her direction. As subtle as they could be, she had already picked up on the other subtle influence spells he had cast, and she wouldn’t welcome another one right now.

He only had one real option. Digging deep for his own Power, he cast a wider cloaking spell—one big enough to encompass Molly’s space on the other side of the door and also conceal him from other guests. Carefully, he built the spell around them so that none of his magic brushed against Molly’s.

As the giant bubble formed, he held his breath.