by Sage Young
“I heard you, ten minutes.” She moved away.
They headed off in opposite directions in search of James.
Chapter 21
Colleen gazed at her image in the mirror and smiled, she was finally going to have him and everything she deserved. She used her hands to smooth down the satin and lace material when she felt a different force in the house. “No, it can't be you.” She seethed as she spun around in her wedding gown and headed towards the door. The wedding was about to start and she needed to marry James before that witch could interfere. She directed her attention to her wedding coordinator. “Let's get the ceremony started,” she said harshly as she darted her eyes all around.
“Yes, ma'am. I'll make sure that everyone is in place.” The woman walked towards the office where Aedan and James were waiting. She knocked on the door. “The ceremony is about to start, gentleman. I need you to take your place.
Aedan gave her a puzzled look as he noticed the clock on the wall, but did not comment. He knew it was too early.
James just smiled as he turned to walk towards the altar.
Colleen called for the head of security. “There is an intruder in the house. The picture of the female you were given is here. We need to make sure she is removed with the least amount of disruption as possible, but if you have to remove her by force, do so.” She turned in a huff and rushed towards the ballroom that had been set up for their ceremony.
Charlotte and Robert met back up, neither had been able to locate James. As they discussed their next steps, a group of men approached them. It was at that point that Charlotte heard music from the large ballroom. “The wedding is starting,” she yelled to Robert.
The men grabbed them and began to escort them out the door.
“No!” Charlotte yelled as the two men holding on to her flew against the wall.
Robert immediately punched one guy and then swung at the second man holding on to him. “Go Charlotte, I got this,” he shouted as he continued to fight.
Charlotte took off towards the ballroom. She used her abilities to swing the doors of the ballroom open, just as Colleen approached the altar. “James!” Charlotte yelled as the wedding guests turned to look in her direction.
Colleen kept her concentration on James. She put all her energy into keeping him focused on the ceremony as she blocked what was going on from his vision.
“James!” Charlotte yelled again, as other members of security tried to grab her.
Everyone in the audience gasped with surprise as Colleen looked at the minister and told him to finish the ceremony.
The more men that gathered around Charlotte, the angrier she got. She concentrated on the people in the room. She altered the perceptions of everyone not under Colleen’s control making them all walk out. She then focused her attention on the men around her. As she honed in on her powers, she not only moved the security guards off of her, but their bodies catapulted against the wall. Now, all the empty chairs began to fly in a circular motion in the air as she ran towards James.
Aedan rushed down the aisle in hopes of grabbing Charlotte.
His sudden flurry of movement caused James to look towards Charlotte. “Who is this person disrupting our wedding?” he asked in an angry tone.
“I don’t know my love, but just focus, and soon we will be married,” Colleen said as she used her hand to turn James’ face towards her again.
“James!” Charlotte shouted at him again.
Blinking his eyes, he just glanced at her then turned back to Colleen.
“Don't do this Charlotte. He doesn't love you. He loves Colleen,” Aedan said.
“He doesn't love her, she cast a spell on him, and I think you already know that,” Charlotte said. Then with a wave of a hand, Charlotte lifted Aedan and slammed him against the wall, while running towards the altar.
Colleen gave James a knife that he put to his own throat as he got down on his knees. “If you come near him, I will instruct him to slit his own throat, and neither one of us will have him.” Colleen’s lips curled into a smile. “Make a decision Charlotte. Do you let him live and be with me or will you let him die?”
“Don’t do this. You won’t be able to hold the spell over him for an eternity,” Charlotte pleaded.
“You stole him from me once before, I will not allow you to do it again.” Colleen’s voice boomed as she glared at Charlotte.
This bitch is crazy, Charlotte thought as she focused her attention on both Colleen and James. “I know that he would rather die than be with you,” Charlotte said as she looked directly at James as more men began to grab her again.
Robert ran into the ballroom and started pulling men off of Charlotte when she closed her eyes and stood.
Everyone around her except Robert was now airborne and moved in slow motion away from her.
Charlotte took the book out of her purse and used her powers to send it through the air, slamming into James’ chest.
James’ reflexes caused him to smack the book away. It opened as it hit the floor. He paused then dropped the knife and grabbed the book.
“No!” Colleen shouted as she reached for the book, but quickly yanked them away as her hands began to burn.
James raised it up then turned to look at Charlotte.
Charlotte fell to her knees as everyone and everything swirling in the air hit the floor with a loud crashing sound. Her body felt weak.
James quickly moved towards her.
Colleen ran to him and grabbed his arm. “James, you love me! You are about to marry me.” She tried to control his thoughts. “She is using magic to manipulate you,” Colleen accused as she pointed at Charlotte in a last-ditch effort to keep him.
James pulled from her touch, knelt in front of Charlotte, and scooped her into his arms.
“James,” Charlotte whispered.
“Yes, my love. I’m here,” James responded. He remembered everything.
“I love you,” Charlotte said before collapsing.
James looked up and saw Aedan and Robert staring at them.
Aedan pulled out a gun and pointed it at Charlotte’s head.
“Do it, pull the trigger!” Colleen yelled.
“Don’t do this Aedan. You won’t be able to walk away from it,” James warned.
“I have to, my family’s bloodline depends on you marrying my sister,” Aedan confessed.
James gave him a confused look. “What are you talking about? She isn’t your sister Aedan. Think about it, you just met her a few years ago. She’s controlling your mind. We have been friends for years. I know all of your family members and she isn’t one of them,” James said while pointing to Colleen.
Robert paid close attention to Aedan’s movement as he spoke with James. He noticed when he slightly lowered his hands as he tried to understand what James was saying to him. Robert rushed towards Aedan, grabbed the gun, then landed a solid punch on Aedan’s chin causing him to hit the floor. Robert now had the gun pointed at Aedan.
Charlotte’s eyes fluttered open as she sat up. “Colleen is using mind control over him,” she told James about Aedan.
James looked into Charlotte’s eyes, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but we have unfinished business,” she said as she pointed to Colleen who was trying to walk out of the ballroom. Charlotte waved her hand to stop Colleen’s movement. “Get the book James, we need to finish this today.” She then used her powers to erase the memories of all the security men in the room. They all left the ballroom and with a nod, she shut the double doors behind them.
James retrieved the book and flipped through some of the pages before slamming it shut. It was as if the words flew off the pages and were instantly embedded in his mind. He knew what he had to do to rid them of the spirit of Mary Plauché who was now reincarnated as Colleen. James began to speak in another language, before speaking English. “Mary Plauché your wickedness has infected too many lives,” he declared as he pointed at Colleen.
Colleen gl
ared at James as her eyes glowed with anger. “My wickedness? I have loved you for over two hundred years. You put this entire sequence into motion. You chose not to honor our contract. I loved you and together, we could have ruled our world,” she spat out as she looked at Charlotte. “But instead, you chose her.”
“I never loved you, and you should have respected that and let me go. In the end, you chose revenge over all else and for that, you must pay the price.” Anger roiled in him as the images from two hundred years ago of his dead love on the floor of the cabin was resurrected from his memory. Mary’s hateful face gloated over the demise of the woman he loved more than life itself. James glared at Colleen; the anger was evident in his eyes.
Colleen rolled her shoulders back and stood tall. “As long as I exist, you will have no peace in your life. I am who you are supposed to be with and I will make that happen no matter how many lifetimes it takes.”
James’ rage began to rise. He knew now that she wasn’t remorseful. She would always be there hateful, causing misery.
Charlotte placed her hand on his face causing him to look at her. “If you allow revenge to govern your thoughts and actions you’ll be no better than her. We need to make sure she will never interfere with our love again but don’t allow your anger to fuel your decision.” She kissed him softly. “Let the punishment fit the crime.”
James held Charlotte’s hand against his face and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath before deciding what to do. He walked over to Colleen. “You will no longer possess the ability to poison the happiness of true love ever again. I hereby repute and banish you, Mary Plauché, and all your descendants from the world of sorcery. You will no longer remember that world or have access to any powers for all eternity.” He pointed all of his fingers at Colleen.
Sparks filled the room and circled Colleen’s body.
“No, you can’t do this!” Colleen screamed as her body levitated a few feet then hit the floor.
James moved back over to Charlotte and held her tight. “I love you so much. Thank you for coming for me.”
Colleen stood and gazed around in apparent confusion. “Mr. Donavan, what’s going on? Why are we here?” She looked and saw the decorated ballroom with scattered chairs. “Did someone get married today? Why can’t I remember?” She peered down at her clothes. “Why am I wearing a wedding dress?”
“You were trying on the dress as a joke. We were looking for a venue for our wedding,” he said as he pulled Charlotte into a tight embrace.
Charlotte extended her hand. “Hi Colleen, my name is Charlotte Trudeau, James’ fiancée.” As she touched her, she replaced the missing memories with pleasant ones. “And this is my best friend, Robert.”
Robert nodded in response.
Colleen stared at Charlotte for a moment. “Oh Ms. Trudeau, it’s so nice to meet you. Mr. Donavan has told me such good things about you.” She turned to Robert. “It’s also nice to meet you Robert, how are you two enjoying Ireland?” she asked.
Robert smiled as he shrugged seeming to go along with the game. “It’s a beautiful country. I hope to be back really soon to spend more time,” he responded.
Charlotte felt pleased with being able to alter her thoughts successfully. She wasn’t comfortable with her powers yet but hoped that she wouldn’t have to use them too often.
“Mr. Donavan, I’m not feeling too well. Do you mind if I take the rest of the day off?” Colleen asked as she began to rub her head.
“It’s Saturday Colleen, we were here to look at the castle for a possible wedding site. So, you don’t need to worry.”
“I’m sorry, it must have slipped my mind. I can stay if you need me, but first I need to get out of this silly dress,” she said looking embarrassed.
“No, go home and get some rest. I’ll need you to be healthy next week; there are going to be some major changes, like my move to America.”
Charlotte warmed at hearing James’ words. They were going to be married soon. She smiled at the thought of being Mrs. James Donavan.
“Are we done here? I need to go into the office to prepare for your big move?” Aedan asked. He looked around the room while smiling slightly. “This would be a beautiful venue for the wedding if you decided to get married in Ireland.” Colleen’s mind control was erased and only positive memories remained.
James, Charlotte and Robert were the only ones who still had memories of everything that just happened.
Robert walked over and stood next to Charlotte. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m freaked out and I'm going to need several drinks to sort this out.” He looked around at all the scattered chairs.
James nodded. I know just the place. He took them out to an exclusive club where they were able to drink and talk about what happened today.
“I’m still trying to process everything I witnessed today,” Robert said as he shook his head. “Sorcerers, powers and souls walking the earth for two hundred years? I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around all of it. How did you know how to get rid of that spirit that was in Colleen?” he asked James.
James was having a hard time with it himself. He took a sip of his drink before responding, “I don’t know how to explain it but when I touched the book, everything was clear to me. It was like I instantly knew what to do to get rid of Mary’s spirit forever and allow Colleen to live a normal life without the memories of her family’s legacy.”
“Mimi said everything you needed to know was going to be in that book, but I thought you would have to read it. I didn’t know once you touched it, that you would absorb all of its information,” Charlotte spoke looking stunned herself.
After several drinks, they went back to the hotel.
“I’m going to leave you two alone. I need to get some rest,” Robert said as he kissed Charlotte on the forehead and shook James’ hand before heading to his room.
James pulled Charlotte into an embrace. “So do I get an invitation to your room?”
“Mr. Donavan what type of woman do you think I am?” she asked jokingly.
“You’re the type of woman I plan to make my wife.” He kissed her. “I’ve missed you,” he said as he opened the door to her suite. “And in a few seconds, you will know just how much.”
ABOUT SAGE YOUNG
I’m an avid reader of all things, but sensual romance novels in particular. I use every spare moment to indulge in one of my favorite passions, writing. My favorite saying is “Always explore the possibilities.” I hope you enjoy my novels and I look forward to your feedback.
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Also by Sage Young
Hi all, I’m Sage Young, a bestselling author of sensual romance novels. I entered the self-publishing arena in the fall of 2013. To date I have published the following novels:
DELUSIONAL LOVE – The Quinn Family Series
DEFINED LOVE – The Quinn Family Series
RENEWED LOVE – The Quinn Family Series
FANTASY NIGHT
CHOOSING LOVE