by Tena Stetler
“I see it didn’t take long for the pup to make herself at home.”
She jumped, letting out a low squeal and whirled around looking for the person belonging to the intruding voice. She relaxed at seeing Gavin standing here. “I didn’t hear you come out.”
“I didn’t. After putting all your stuff in the house, I went back to the truck to make sure it was locked up and walked around here from the front. Didn’t mean to frighten you. It’s such a beautiful night.” He grabbed a couple chairs from the patio and moved them to where she stood. “We can sit here and watch the pup wear herself out. Then we can all get a good night’s sleep.”
“I hope so. Won’t your neighbors complain about the noise Storm is making?” She craned her neck and noticed there weren’t any other houses around. A barn type structure stood off in the distance, washed in silver from the moonlight, but that was all. “Don’t you think the half-moon looks like a canned half peach?”
“What?” Gavin peered at her, an incredulous expression spreading over his face.
She giggled. “Well?”
“Never thought about it.” He tilted his head back to get a better look. “Aye, it kinda does.” Reaching over he cupped her chin in his hand gazing into her eyes. “Tough day.”
She nodded leaning into him. “There were good parts to the day also.”
He bent closer to her, brushing his lips over hers almost as if asking for her approval. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Not wanting it to ever end. Feeling safe and secure was a luxury she’d rarely experienced since childhood.
Gavin slipped his arms around her and scooped her into his lap without breaking the kiss. His excitement was obvious as she settled into his lap. She didn’t care. Turning she straddled him, pressing her breasts against his chest while her center felt the heat of his arousal through her jeans. Reaching between them, she undid the button of his jeans and pulled the zipper as far down as their position allowed.
His tongue traced the outside of her lips before slipping inside to tease in a sinuous dance with hers. His flavor spun into her as he kissed and licked down the side of her neck to the juncture of her shoulder. He breathed a kiss at the hollow of her throat before moving to the neckline of her sweater. He snaked his tongue as low as her shirt would permit, his breathing increased. “Stand for a second.” He braced his hand on one side of the chair, raised himself up, yanked his jeans below his knees, and settled back on the chair.
“You have too many clothes on,” he rasped, pulling her down on him, stretching the neck of her top so he could nuzzle and lick between her breasts. His hand burrowed under the shirt, flipped open the back of her bra, allowing her firm mounds to spill out. Lifting her top, he buried his face in her breasts. “Much better,” he murmured, sucking first one nipple then the other, the vibration of his words sending jolts of lust though her.
She arched against his mouth. A soft moan escaped her lips. He tugged at the waistband of her jeans, unbuttoned them, pulled the zipper down, and slid his hand inside. “Too tight.” He grasped her around the waist and lifted her up. “Take them off,” he ordered.
She kicked her shoes off, pulled her knees to her chest, and pulled the pants off one leg. Before she could get the other off, he positioned her over him, moved her underwear aside, slid a long, thick finger inside, and curled it to her sweet spot. She muffled a scream, writhing against him, while waves of ecstasy crashed over her. When she stilled, he ripped her panties off. He groaned as he pushed inside her, burying himself to the hilt. She rested her feet on the ground, easing off him and slamming back down.
If he’d not enjoyed the pleasures of other women, he won’t last long. And she knew in her heart that he hadn’t. Her lips curved into a wicked smile. She lifted up and ground down on him. He groaned her name and grabbed her around the waist with both hands holding her down on him until his climax subsided. Putting a hand on both sides of her face, he brought her lips to his, kissing her hungrily before moving back to her breasts. He scraped each nipple with his teeth before soothing with his tongue and then sucking.
“You always were a breast man.” She snickered.
“You got that right.” He hummed against her nipple. “But I’m not through with you until I’ve tasted every inch of you.” He licked his lips as his gaze slid downward.
Desire ignited inside her. She wasn’t sure if he’d ever gone completely limp. But he was filling her again. She spread wider for him, reveling in the sensation. She’d miss the intimacy, his touch, and his masculine scent. If things were going to go south, she was going to ride him without any thought of consequences. If things didn’t, she’d face the music when the time came.
Storm barked and growled somewhere in the back of the yard. Gavin turned his head to where the sound was coming from and cursed. She followed his gaze. “You little shit!” Sometime during their interlude, Storm had stolen her jeans. The pup had them in her mouth shaking her head from side to side, her paws placed on the material she was tugging and ripping the clothing.
“So much for play time.” She attempted to get to her feet.
He held her thighs securely. “Oh, no you don’t. I’ll buy you a new pair of jeans.”
Chapter Fifteen
Will the Magic Find a Way or Who will Pay the Price?
The next few days passed without incident. The pub was busy. Synn worked her shift and met Tristian daily for practice shielding her mind. Thursday didn’t work with Gale’s schedule, so their meeting was put off until the following week. Tristian relayed the potential dangers of Baltizar’s dark magic being released during the healing process.
When she arrived at Pixie Magic, she paused to watch the multifaceted crystals hanging in the window sway in the breeze casting rainbows on the walls of the shop. At the opening of the door, a melodic chime sounded. Inside the pleasant aroma of sandalwood, pine, cloves, cinnamon, and a few scents she didn’t recognize wafted through the air creating a calm atmosphere.
It was a quaint store with books shelved on light oak. Comfy chairs were scattered in the book nook. Glass cases lined in red velvet with mirror backing held assorted stones and crystals that shimmered in the light.
With a black, amber, and blood red stone shimmering in her hand, Gale turned and grinned. “Finally, our schedules allowed a meeting. What can I do you for? Lotions? Fragrances?” She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “A love potion? As if.” She snickered. “I see the way Gavin looks at you.”
She had spent most of the walk here trying to decide how to broach the subject with Gale. All plans went out the window when she blurted, “No. Erin sent me.” So much for using a tactful touch.
“Erin who?” Gale asked, confusion clear on her face.
“Erin the witch who walks the cliffs with Tiarnan, King of the Faeries.”
“Ohhhh, that Erin.” Gale gently returned the stone to its place in the glass case and wiped her hands on the cloth she’d been cleaning the glass with. “So is it potions, then?”
She sighed. “Let me tell you a story.” She began with meeting Erin and Tiarnan on the cliffs and ended detailing her encounter with Baltizar in which he chastised her for loosing track of Brandy and Stefan. Then he lobbed a powerful fireball at her which caused debilitating injuries. She included the fact that she turned to the Overlord of the Western Hemisphere, Bruce for protection, relaying all information she had on Baltizar, and his search for the three Books of Shadows.
Gale nodded. “I’m aware of a lot of the history with Bruce, Stefan, and Tristian. Erin relayed the information to me when the curse was broken. I detected a magic signature when we had our girl’s day out. That was great fun, by the way. Glad you could join us. I knew you weren’t a witch, but your ability to cloak your power and scramble your magic signature was creative. Let me see if I’ve got everything straight. You’re a demon that got crosswise with a more powerful demon who nearly killed you. But in the process, we suspect that some of his black—uh—dar
k magic transferred to you. Your injuries left you with a limp and constant pain that you’d like me to heal if possible.”
“Yep, that’s about it in a nutshell.” Heat crept across her cheeks as she paused for a moment. “Oh, except, I’m not of pure demon blood, apparently my mother came from a family of powerful Fae warriors. It’s the reason Baltizar killed my family and took me to serve him. I only recently learned that piece of information from the overlord.” She looked at her feet for a beat then brought her gaze back up to Gale. “I wouldn’t ask, except—well—it’s possible Baltizar may become a problem. Bruce and Tristian would like me to be able—” Shifting from foot to foot, she paused again. How much information is too much? Don’t want to scare her or…our friendship is probably a moot point now anyway.
Gale put her hand on her shoulder. “Wow, you’ve had a rough go of it. I believe I can help you out.” She gave her a reassuring smile. “Couple things. If the dark magic was encapsulated in the muscles and bones at the time of the injury, it’s possible that when I heal the bones and repair the muscles with magic, it will release the dark magic as you said. Are you able to control it? I sense your magic is not as strong as it once was.” She shook her head. “This procedure could be dangerous for both of us.”
“I’m not positive. If I can bind it to my magic, I can control it that way. If you’d rather, I can have Tristian accompany me next time. He wanted me to do this on my own, but if it’s too dangerous… He knows I’m here and will come if needed.”
“No, that would only complicate things by adding another type of power for the dark power to connect to. Not what we want. Well, let’s get started. Walk toward me without trying to compensate for your limp. I need to see what muscles and bones are involved.”
She stood and walked forward. Her limp more pronounced today due to being on her feet several days in a row at the pub. Gale motioned for her to turn, walk back, and stop.
“Okay, hop up on my table.” Gale snapped her fingers. An exam table with flowers spread over the padded cover materialized in the back of the store. She walked to the window, flipped the sign to “Closed,” and locked the door, then pulled the shades. “Need a little privacy.” Gale murmured a few words and passed her hand over the door before walking to where she waited.
Gale held her hands over Synn’s leg and hip. A glow of rainbow colors passed from the witch’s hands to Synn’s body. After a few minutes, a bead of sweat appeared on Gale’s forehead and trickled down her temple.
“Oh, boy, this is going to hurt. I’ve no way to lessen the pain. You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” She gritted her teeth. When the excruciating pain zinged through her body, she let out a blood curdling scream. The pain was gone as quickly as it came leaving an odd sensation of power bouncing inside her body. It exited in small bursts of red and black sparks from fingertips and burnt holes though her shoes where her toes emitted the same strange sparks. She squinted her eyes shut concentrating on controlling the wayward magic.
“I can help you bind the new power to your Fae magic. Would you like me to try?” Gale tilted her head to one side. “I don’t think it wise to attach it to your demon magic, which doesn’t seem as strong.”
“Agreed,” she said through clenched teeth. Opening one eye, she was surprised to find herself and Gale inside a translucent purple bubble. Thin jagged bolts of what appeared to be electricity zinged around the walls of the bubble but never penetrated the interior.
The sparks emitting from her fingertips and toes subsided. Gale held her hands up. “I believe you’ve got complete control.” She backed away farther. “Oops, your eyes are still red.”
“Probably because I’m so tired. Not getting much sleep lately,” Synn answered
“Nope. Not bloodshot. They’re glowing red. My guess, dark demon magic is still spiking. Concentrate, you gotta close it down lass. Can’t walk around town glowing.” Gale reached up and touched the bubble slowing the electricity flowing through the skin of the protective enclosure.
“I’m trying. I don’t feel out of control.” She blinked her eyes and mumbled a few words.
“Good. But… That’s better, still a tinge of light rose specs in your aqua eyes, but not too noticeable.”
A sudden burst of sparks flew across the bubble and bounced back. “Shit!” Gale ducked. “Fist your hands.”
She reached out and slapped the remaining sparks. They turned to black ash and drifted to the ground. With her hands closed, she glanced at Gale in warning and slowly opened them spreading her fingers. To her relief, nothing happened. She sat up and slid off the table. Her still smoking shoes touched the ground and she sighed.
Gale sucked in a breath and grinned. “You’re going to need a new pair of shoes. Okay, I’m going to dissolve the bubble. Any damage to my shop will be your financial responsibility.” She snickered at her patient’s aghast expression. “Only kidding. Hearing any voices? Any urges to do harm?”
“Nope, I feel normal. Scratch that, I’ve never been normal. Probably won’t start now.” A slight giggle escaped her lips. “A little nervous since I didn’t feel that last burst coming. Otherwise…”
“Okay, here it goes.” Gale touched the bubble. It drew in around them, then released her from its boundaries. Gale remained inside the protection. “How do you feel now?”
“A little strange, like my body is humming—vibrating, but I’m not.” She held out her hands and did a couple slow squats.
“It’ll stop. Or should soon. Effects of all the pent-up power you released inside the bubble.” Gale waved her hand. The protective shield disappeared. “Smells like burning embers.” She peered around, walked to the window, flipped the sign around, and opened the door letting in a cool breeze in. It was heavy with brine. She sniffed. “Summer storm blowing in.” Uncovering several colorful pots, she waved her hand over each pot and the pleasant aroma that greeted Synn when she had opened the door returned.
“Sashay across the floor for me.”
Synn straightened then walked down and back the length of the store. Her gait was a little unsteady the first time, but when she made the trek again, it was smoother.
“Oh come on. Let’s see sway to those hips, lass. Make believe you’re passing a group of good looking lads.”
She tilted her head. “I don’t normally try to attract attention. Not in my best interest.”
“Okay, pretend you are walking by that handsome hunk of yours.”
“He’s not mine.” But she felt her cheeks heat then the memory of their last time together came flooding back. Her whole face felt like it was on fire. She did her best come hither walk.
“That’s what I’m talking about.” Gale’s head flew back, and she roared with laughter. “So the boyo is off the market.”
“It’s not that—I mean—We’re only fr—”
Gale waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I’m a mortal. Your mouth is saying one thing, and your reactions are saying another. Mark my words. You can’t keep it hidden forever. Why would you want to?”
Her shoulders drooped. “It’s that obvious?”
“Only when you two are in the same room, or someone mentions his name.” Gale wiped her eyes, still chuckling. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“You don’t understand… Brandy hates me. Hannah is cautious around me. Mary and Tim are great. But I don’t want to cause a problem.”
“Oh, as far as Brandy is concerned, believe me, no one is good enough for her baby brother. If she’d only seen the skanks he dated while she was across the pond.” Gale snickered and patted her arm. “Don’t worry about it. She’ll come around.”
“Our recent history is—well let’s say—tainted.” She settled into a chair near the bookshelves reviewing the titles. She’d like to look around. But she was too exhausted. Gale bounced from task to task like she did this kind of thing every day.
“Okay, one more test. Sit on the floor and cross your legs.�
� Gale watched as she followed her instructions. “Not bad. Now skip the length of the store.”
She did as instructed, then wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead.
“Looks good. You’ll be sore for a bit. Later today, I want you to squat, jump up from that position, and land in a squat again on the balls of your feet not flat footed. Muscles are somewhat atrophied from not being used. Need to build them up slowly. It’s best done with physical activity not magic.”
Gale walked over to her. “Speaking of the handsome devil, I think it wise to have him come get you. I don’t think you’ll have a meltdown, but I’d rather have one of those powerful gryphons escorting you home. Whether or not Baltizar or his magic could influence your decisions is yet to be seen.” At her crestfallen expression Gale added, “The ancient Fae magic should keep it in check.”
She patted her pockets for the phone. It wasn’t there. After Gavin had warned her not to leave the house without it, she was sure she’d had it when she arrived.
“I’ll just ring him up.” Gale picked up her phone, tapped the screen, and put the phone to her ear.
Pulse racing as panic set in, her gaze swept the shop. I know I didn’t leave it at home. Not after… Her gaze settled on the glass counter—and her phone. She blew out a breath and closed her eyes. Baltizar’s image popped into her mind. Her eyes flew open, and she jumped to her feet. Her gaze darted from corner to corner all around the shop.
“He’ll be here shortly.” Gale paused. “You okay?”
“Who?” At her wide-eyed stare, Gale spun around to see what had alarmed her.
Chapter Sixteen
Will the Dark Magic Control or be Controlled?