Messing Up Magic

by Winnie Winkle

  “Touch me,” he whispered. “Touch me like you touched the others, intending to teach. Learn what you need to know.”

  The shaking lessened, and she looked up into his eyes. He nodded and her hand slid up along his chest to his face, and her finger tapped his forehead. Zayn’s life, of petty behaviors, of stirring humans up and increasing their misery, rolled through their minds. His love grew, pushing the past to the side, and lighting his mind, showing the places he became, grew better, kinder, and lived beyond himself. Haseya saw him in the darkness of the beginning, the move to Magic, becoming part of a community, finding her, befriending Theo. It rolled out in a continuous thread. Zayn felt no pain. The sensation faded, and he saw Haseya’s eyes, looking at him with love.

  “I thought that would hurt.”

  “Only if your heart wanders in darkness.”

  “I told you, you changed me.”

  “No. You were shifting within yourself. You grew and became more.”

  “Where did you go?”

  “I went to an elder of the Nation and asked for a release from my vow. Her blessing healed me.”

  “I am glad you have that. You deserve happiness.”

  Something in his tone caught at her. “There will be no happiness unless you are with me. I sent you away because I felt torn within my mind. You were right, Zayn. My pride was driving the wedge between us. I held up an ideal as more important, and because of that, I don’t deserve your love. But, I am asking for it. The need to complete our connection calls me to you.”

  22

  Zayn looked down at Haseya. I could teach her a lesson, could rain pain and sorrow upon her, destroy her forever, leave her bleak, dark and broken, raging across the earth. Her pain would cause damage and destruction to millions of humans. This is the way of the Djinn. I would fulfill my original destiny in glorious horror.

  “I’m not that Djinn. Not anymore.”

  Surprised, he watched the golden lightning race across her skin. I’m not even touching her. Why can I see this? He traced the patterns across her throat and over her collarbones as her full lips parted slightly. It’s not my touch that ignites her, it’s me. I create the connection that fires this light. She is more with me, and I am complete with her; we are a loop that illuminates the universe.

  Zayn caught her lower lip in his, watching the lightning steak across her face and into her hair, making it glow. Releasing her lip, he kissed her, tasting her as their tongues danced, moving his mouth to taste her skin, kiss her eyelids, curling his breath into her ears as he murmured her name. Haseya’s fingertips crackled along his spine, the light touch of fire sending shock waves down his central nervous system and filling his cock in an instant.

  Zayn opened her dress, pulling her from it in one fluid motion and tossing it on the floorboards. He groaned in delight as Haseya’s fingertips tapped his nipples, snapping electric lust across his brain.

  Catching her hands as they wandered towards his cock, Zayn flipped them both so she straddled him. Beneath her, sliding down until his mouth reached her flower, he licked her wetness, tasting her heat. Holding her wrists, he sucked gently on her clitoris, then closing his lips firmly on the base in a sensual squeeze while fluttering his tongue across her swollen bud. Her cries as she came filled him. Zayn released her hand, wet a finger within her and slipped it into her butt, sliding in and out of the tight opening as her body throbbed in orgasm.

  Pulling her from the swing bed, Zayn pressed Haseya up against the porch rail, facing the moon, and entered roughly from behind. Protecting her hips from the railing with his hands, he exulted as she reached behind to spread her cheeks, taking the deepening thrusts against her G spot with little cries that spurred Zayn to grab her thigh, prop her knee up on the railing, grip her hips and drive deeper. Her skin exploded in gold, streaks shimmering from her spine and traveling across her skin.

  Gripping her breasts, Zayn pinched her nipples hard as he thrust, releasing them only to pinch again. Her pussy gripped him, swollen with lust, and Zayn threw his head back in a howl at the moon. Haseya joined him, their combined need creating a rhythm that flowed to the moon, called the tides, moved the planet.

  Twisting her, Zayn propped her butt on the railing, holding Haseya by the small of her back and his cock as she wrapped her legs around him, trusting his strength, taking his stiff cock deep within her.

  Reaching down, her fingertips found his balls, and she squeezed firmly, tiny pops of electric excitement jolting him past the point of no return, balls contracting, tingling in her grip, exploding his seed into her.

  Slick with sweat, they leaned into each other, sated in the moon’s light. One.

  Theo walked around on Topper’s kitchen table, flapping his wings in annoyance.

  “In my defense, Theo, I’ve been a little busy. And, I had to find your jeans. The whole town fought a battle on them, remember? It’s been quite a day.”

  Theo’s little puff of smoke was cute, but it seemed disagreeable.

  “You act like my pillows were uncomfortable, Theo. I gave you the best seat in the house!”

  “It’s not that, Topper,” Theo squeaked.

  Topper laughed, picked him up, and took him outside. “Ready?”

  Little dragon feet stamped in her palm. “Alrighty then.”

  Topper waved her hand and Theo grew. Soon Topper was standing in the shade of a full-sized, irritated dragon.

  “Where’s my jeans, Topper?”

  “They’re on the porch, Lawman,” Topper said, turning back toward the porch. “Along with lunch. When did you eat last?”

  Theo passed her in a trot, and Topper took in the view as he snatched the jeans, and yanked them up. He pulled his shirt over well-muscled arms, and grabbed a sandwich. Plopping into a chair, he tried giving Topper his trademark icy look.

  “That won’t work on me,” she laughed. “In fact, I kinda like it.”

  “What am I going to do about you, Topper?”

  Hair turning pink, her eyes sparkled, “What do you want to do about me, Lawman?”

  An audible pop announced Elthera’s arrival.

  “Join us for lunch, dear? There’s plenty.”

  “Well, I might have just a smidge. It’s been too busy for a proper tea for days.”

  Elthera sat down, settling her skirts, as Topper handed her a plate with a chicken salad sandwich. “I popped over to remind you of the plan to reopen the portal in an hour. It’s time to bring the children back home.”

  “And get rid of the rest of these orbs. I’m ready to put this adventure to bed.”

  “Do you think they will leave us alone now?”

  “If I were them,” Theo replied. “I wouldn’t. We are still of interest and unprotected. I think Magic needs to have a talk with the Coalition. They dumped this on us after they sent Frost on a mission here a couple of years ago. That put us on the radar of other worlds. I intend to ask for concrete plans on how to stop that from mushrooming into a larger problem for us.”

  Topper nodded. “We can handle ourselves, for in a general sense, but the question is, do we want to? I mean, are we intending to live our life here on a constant war footing? That’s never been what Magic is about. I don’t think we should give up the life we created here without making a stand for it.”

  “I agree,” a deep, familiar voice came from the front yard.

  “Frost! Where did you come from?”

  “Lacey, the twins and I landed the transport back at her place and she popped me over.” Frost shifted his feet. “Theo, a word?”

  Theo nodded, crammed the last of his sandwich in his mouth, and grabbed one to munch on the walk. Topper floated a sandwich to Frost, and the two men headed back towards the center of town.

  Theo brought Frost, a retired Coalition Star Ranger, up to speed on the initial contact and subsequent invasion by two species, and unlocked the jail. Frost inspected the remaining orbs, picking up the one containing Slodoon.

  “He is of the Glagnon rac
e. Glagna is a Coalition planet that is a center of scientific research and discovery. Glagna does sanctioned scientific exploration of outer world planets, such as yours, Theo, but their presence here was not that.”

  “These,” Frost continued, picking up a different orb, containing a scaly soldier waving angry fists, “are Morducks. They are outlaws and are working to overthrow the Coalition. When you passed the Morducks through the portal, you got everyone’s attention. Star Central radioed immediately, since we were on the return flight home, requesting I provide an update. Topper’s note made it sound like things were well in hand, but Morducks are violent. I’m glad to see Magic prevailed.”

  Frost held Theo’s eyes. “This time.”

  “That’s my conclusion. They will keep coming. That’s not the life Magic wants, Frost.”

  “Lacey said the same thing, Theo. She also said that running isn’t in Magic’s cards.”

  “This is a Coalition problem, Frost. They put us on a map with your first visit. Now the Universe wants to have a party on our porch and break our nice things. We’re not amused.”

  Frost sighed, easing into the chair across from Theo’s desk. “What are you planning to do next?”

  “In half an hour, we will open the portal, send these dregs back to Glacier, and get our kids back. After that, Magic will talk about what we, our town, want to do.”

  “Fair enough.”

  The children ran from the portal to happy calls from eager parents, showing off their new toys, gifts from the Glacians.

  Two Star Rangers stepped through, each carrying a large case. “Permission to visit?”

  Theo nodded. Topper flung the last of the orbs into the portal. Catching Theo’s eye, she wiggled her fingers in a sassy little wave and followed the orbs.

  Theo watched, caring more than he should. Don’t close that portal, ladies. Elthera eyed Theo with an amused look on her face as she and the older witches held the portal open. After a few minutes, to Theo’s poorly masked relief, Topper reappeared. The portal shrank and disappeared.

  “All prisoners restored to full size, and you know what, Theo? I think that teaching thing of Haseya’s works.” Topper smoothed her slim black dress and stepped off the platform in her little black ankle boots. “A good number of the aliens were remorseful. The others, whom I guess she did not touch, were raging. Haseya is an interesting witch. I’m glad she found us.”

  23

  Theo looked at the two Rangers, Frost, and his now empty jail. Three pairs of ice-blue eyes, mirroring his own, stared back. Theo rubbed his forehead. Has it really been only six days? My butt is dragging like I’ve aged six years.

  “The Morducks are a problem,” the Ranger named Arbuk began. “Their planet signed a Coalition agreement in order to get information about other worlds. They used that information to plunder and steal technology they can weaponize. It took a while for the Coalition to catch on, but when they did, they exiled them with heavy sanctions. I won’t mince words, it hasn’t had a significant effect. The Morducks intend to mine low-tech worlds for skills and unusual beings like the ones found here. Magic is a ripe target.”

  Egan, the second Ranger, spoke. “Morducks attack, withdraw, wait for the furor to die down, then wage a heavy assault. We’ve seen this pattern against other worlds the Morducks are interested in harvesting.”

  “I don’t like how that sounds,” Theo said, flicking his eyes to Frost’s stony face and back to Egan’s.

  “From the Coalition’s standpoint, if the Morducks were successful in weaponizing any of the skills that Magic citizens are capable of, it would be a serious tactical advantage for them,” Egan continued.

  “So, this is about helping you,” Theo said, his tone flat.

  “That’s the surface of it, Theo,” Frost said, his tall frame leaning against the doorjamb, “but, you know it’s deeper. Keeping Magic folks out of the hands of the Morducks saves this entire planet from them. Non-magical people here on Earth would endure terrible treatment. The loss of life, in a Morduck invasion, is significant. If the Morducks are successful here, other planets will fall. It will never be enough.”

  “I assume you are here with a proposal," Theo said, his chair creaking as he leaned back and looked at Egan and Arbuk.

  “A request,” Arbuk replied. “It’s unusual to have a low-tech planet that also holds beings evolved beyond technology. The Coalition would like to station Egan and me here as permanent residents of Magic. Our mission is to protect you from outer world intrusions. Anything beyond is none of our concern. You handle that, and we deal with the off-planet snooping.”

  “They asked me to re-commission, Theo, for work on Earth only,” Frost added. “I’m your third.”

  Theo slapped his big hands down on the wooden desk and rose. “All I can do is ask the town, Rangers. It’s up to them.”

  Zayn woke and looked into a pair of sad eyes.

  “Why the sorrow, my love?”

  “I killed yesterday. When I pulled Jonah from one of the scaly aliens, I touched him, Zayn.”

  “Do you know for certain he succumbed? No? Let’s take the Indian, roll to town and ask. Topper or Theo will tell us what happened to him.”

  Zayn lifted her chin with a long finger, and kissed her nose, then her cheeks and down her neck, watching the light dance within her skin.

  “After?”

  “After.”

  Topper, Theo, Frost, Egan, and Arbuk stood next to the pancaked ship.

  “How did you do this?” Arbuk wondered.

  “I didn’t, this is Zayn’s work," Theo replied cryptically. I really don’t want to get into the physics of Djinn heartbreak at a thousand feet.

  “It’s not a problem," Topper assured Arbuk, her eyes crinkling in the corners.

  “It is,” Egan told her. “We need to remove these ships, and this one won’t fly. This can’t stay here, and moving it will draw attention on a planet that thinks they’re alone in the galaxy .”

  The corners of Theo’s mouth upturned. Topper let her violet eyes twinkle at him as she hit the ship with a reduction spell, then lifted the toy-sized ship and floated it over, plucking it from the air.

  “The children can play with them. Oh, unless you need them?”

  “No, not really, but how? Never mind.” Egan and Arbuk traded looks and climbed back up into the bed of Theo’s pickup, struggling to keep their faces straight as they stopped at the upside-down ship. Four toy spaceships later, Theo turned the truck back to town.

  The unchanging desert resumed its job as a place for pronghorn antelopes, tumbleweeds, and dust.

  Theo parked by the jail to the sound of Zayn’s Indian rumbling through town. Topper smiled at the sight of Haseya’s and Zayn’s long black hair streaming behind them, leather fringe flowing as the bike cruised up. Theo made introductions.

  “Zayn, Haseya, this is Egan, and this is Arbuk, visiting from Glacier to follow up on our little skirmish with the aliens.”

  Haseya motioned Topper aside. “I must ask, the scaly alien I touched when I took Jonah – is he dead?”

  “No, but there was one in rough shape, Haseya, I think he’s the one you mean. I did what I could. He will recover. It impressed me how that healing changed the demeanors of the ones you touched. I would love to sit together and talk about your magic sometime.”

  Haseya’s teeth flashed in an uncharacteristic smile. “I’d like that very much, Topper.”

  The women laughed, looking up to see the men watching them.

  “Did I miss something?” Topper asked, glancing from face to face.

  “We need to talk to the town, Topper. Just asking if you plan to come along,” Theo said.

  His look says more. Careful Lawman, I will take you up on that.

  “I do, Theo. Let’s go!”

  Theo looked at the assembled group, taking in the vibe of unity. It had always been there but now felt tenfold stronger.

  “So, those are the options. We can welcome Arbuk and Egan as f
ellow citizens of Magic. They and Frost become part of the Sheriff’s office. Those three handle anything that comes back at us from the outer worlds, and for everything else, you’re stuck with me.”

  The crowd laughed. “Works for us," a voice called from the back.

  “Or,” Theo continued, “We can fend for ourselves. Based on the previous behavior of the Morducks, they will come back, and it will be in force. I don’t doubt we can put up a credible fight, but I need to know whether being on constant lookout and battle-ready at all times is what you want?”

  Simon stepped forward. “Are you saying that if Egan, Arbuk, and Frost are here, they’ll be able to tell if the Morduck’s ship, or any others, are coming?”

  “That’s correct,” Egan said. “We have a scanning system and other equipment that will let us see with enough warning to sound the alarm and give you time to be ready or to leave. We’ll be the alien version of your hurricane warning system.”

  The crowd murmured, and Theo sensed their agreement.

  “Welcome to Magic, gentlemen," Simon said, ruffling Jonah and Joseph’s hair.

  “Did you find out? Is that alien alive?” Zayn’s hand ran down Haseya’s sleek hair and came to rest on the top of her hip.

  “He lived! I’m surprised and also grateful. Their darkness felt complete, Zayn. This was not the news I expected.”

  “Not everything that’s dark is irredeemable, Haseya.”

  Her eyes smiled up at him, and she tipped up to kiss him. “Another thing I’ve learned from you. But, I know one thing you don’t.”

  Zayn raised an eyebrow and laughed. “Really? I’ve been around a few thousand more years than you, my love. What secret knowledge do you possess?”

  “This,” she said, placing his hand on her belly and smiling at Zayn’s look of incredulity.