by Tena Stetler
Gavin pushed the door open to Pixie Magic and sauntered in. “Hi, Gale.” A tawny streak thundered through his legs and over the hardwood floor. Storm skidded to a stop at Gale’s feet, sniffed, looked up, snorted, and raced toward the bookshelves and Synn.
Gale narrowed her eyes letting out a melodic laugh as the pup sped across the floor. “Quite a ball of energy you got there. Yours?”
“No…well, yes. It’s Synn’s puppy, Storm. She rescued it from sure death on the street outside the pub a few nights ago.”
“Good thing Mary didn’t set eyes on it first, or she’d have had a fight on her hands for the little scoundrel.” Gale glanced once more at the ball of fur now bouncing at Synn’s feet, then returned her attention to the paper work on the counter.
“Don’t I know it. She dotes on the little nipper every chance she gets.” He paused glancing at the paper work. “Business good?”
“Oh aye. Trying to get the inventory put away before the late afternoon rush.” She checked off something on her clipboard, looked toward Synn, and frowned.
“Good to hear.” Following Gale’s gaze, he spied Synn standing still as a statute, even as the pup raced circles around her feet in the book nook. At the look of alarm on her face, he strode over to her. Leaning over, he kissed her check. “Anything wrong?”
“Nooo. Gale thought I should have an escort home. That’s all.” Synn gave herself a little shake, took a deep breath, and picked up Storm. She snuggled her face into the pup’s fur.
He narrowed his eyes, assessing the situation. “And so you should.” If there was something bothering her, it was obvious she didn’t want to discuss it there.
Gale slapped her hand on the counter and cackled. “Rumors confirmed.”
Startled by the thwack on the counter, Gavin jerked around to stare at Gale. “What the bloody hell? Rumors, what are you talking about?” His eyebrows knitted together in question.
She fisted her hands at her hips. “Come on, boyo. I’m not blind, and neither are the people of this town. I’m talking about speculation that you are officially off the market. Rob who owns the barber shop down the street is taking wagers. So far the ayes have it.”
Surprised, he gathered himself and winked at her. “Only time will tell.” Taking Synn’s hand, he rested it in the crook of his arm and walked toward the door. “See you later.”
Once they were outside the shop and out of ear shot of Gale, he stopped and turned Synn to face him. “What happened in there before I came in?”
She waved her hand dismissively. “Well, first she knitted the bones and muscles together with magic. The procedure was quite painful. As expected, the healing released the magic Baltizar shared. I had little trouble controlling the burst of dark magic at first. But we fused it with my Fae magic and it was easier…”
“You know that’s not what I meant.” He gave her shoulders a little shake.
Tendrils of red electrical sparks snaked out and zapped his hands. He yelped and let go. Storm looked up at them and whined. “There was that little thing where I closed my eyes to rest for moment after everything… Baltizar appeared in my mind. I jerked to my feet, but it must have been my mind playing tricks on me.”
His eyes rounded, and he reached for her. “What? When?”
She backed out of reach then touched his arm. “Now don’t go all protective. Let me finish. There were no whispers. No feeling of any kind. Except I scared myself. It was merely a thought I unconsciously conjured up.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets, pulled them out, then paced in front of her. “How can you be sure?”
She shrugged. “Did you feel anything from me? A vibe? Like the dreams? No. That’s how I can tell. The memory of our battle will always be a part of me. I think that’s where his image came from.”
Gavin’s shoulders slumped a bit as he came to a halt in front of her. “Okay, I understand, but…”
“If problems arise, you’ll be the first to know. And on that matter, I’m not sure I want the whole town knowing about our relationship. If there is one. What if things go bad—between us—with Baltizar? I’ll be run out of town.” She paused for a beat, scrubbed her hand over her face.
He shook his head. “It’s not like that. The town will stand with you.”
Sadness flicked over her face for a moment then was gone. “This is the only place I’ve ever had friends, had a girl’s night out, and real people trust me. I don’t want to give that up.” She paused, reached out, and tipped his chin down so she could look into his eyes. “If we don’t work, I don’t want to lose what I’ve gained here. Understand?”
Throwing his hands up in an “I give up” gesture, he groaned. “There are no guarantees in life. We’ll do the best we can. I promise if we don’t work, I’ll never taint anyone against you. But I’m sure things will eventually meld, and it will be forever.” He leaned down and kissed the tip of the nose. If not, I’ll spend the rest of my life alone. Not an option.
“See that’s what I mean,” she mumbled.
“Aww hell, I kiss my sisters like that. I could give you a real kiss that will curl your toes.” A devilish grin spread across his face. “Like the other night.”
Reluctantly, she ducked her head away from him and surveyed the surrounding area. “Don’t you dare.” Giving a mild jerk on the leash, she got Storm’s attention and walked toward the truck.
When they arrived at the vehicle, he held the door open for her as she climbed inside. He took the leash from her and closed the door. Sauntering to the driver’s side, he put the pup in the crate, closed the door, and hopped in the seat.
Running her fingers along the dashboard and over the upholstery, she smiled. “Had the truck detailed. Now you’ll have Storm’s fur all over it again.”
“Nope. Had Gale cast a spell banishing dog fur.” His lips twitched as her eyes went wide.
“You can’t—magic can’t be used—”
He snorted a laugh. “Only kidding.”
She slapped at him then folded her hands over her chest for a beat. Turning back, she slung her arm over the seat to check on Storm, then shifted to watch out the window.
“Tristian is waiting for you. Otherwise, I’d whisk you off to more ruins and steal a kiss, maybe more.” He rolled the window down and rested his arm on the frame. Fresh ocean breeze whipped through the vehicle. Warmer than expected. The horizon filled with clouds as the tires whined on the pavement. “Could be in for a storm later. Will be a busy night at the pub.”
“I’m not scheduled to come in until late. Want me to push that up a couple hours?”
“See how you feel after working with Tristian. There’s been a lot of magic swirling around and through you today, not to mention your upcoming training session.”
“I can handle it.”
“Didn’t say you couldn’t, but let’s not push it. Oh, by the way, Ma and Hannah are planning a trip to Dublin next week to make a decision on Brandy’s dress. They want you to come along. We’ll revise the schedule. Either Da or myself may accompany you lasses. Whoever pulls the short straw.”
“I don’t have to go. Hannah and Mary—”
“I don’t think you have a say in the matter. Ma said to fix the schedule. You’re going. They want to video chat with Brandy.”
“Hannah can handle that.”
He shrugged. “You don’t argue with Ma when she sets her mind to something. You’re free to discuss the matter with her. Be prepared to lose. I’ve already revised the schedule. Oh, and Bridget had me schedule you both off on the same day in a couple weeks. She said something about a girl’s night in and that you two wouldn’t be fit to work the next day.”
“Really?” Synn raised an eyebrow. “She didn’t mention anything to me about it.”
“Don’t know. Just relaying the message. Be it far from me to meddle in the affairs of the female persuasion.” Gravel crunched under the tires as he slowed and pulled up in front of his house. Tristian was sitting on the porch
, feet propped on the railing, and head back against the chair. Long blades of grass waved in the breeze at the bottom corner of the stairs.
As the vehicle door squeaked open, Tristian got to his feet. “It’s about time. How’d it go this morning? Any problems I should know about before we begin?”
Synn filled him in on the morning’s events. “I haven’t used magic since the healing. But I gotta tell you it feels so good to walk normally. The muscles are still a bit sore, but wow.” For the next hour, Tristian invaded her mind, taught her evasive mind games, and in the end, gave her a nod of approval.
“Doing much better than when we started. Your ordeal today didn’t put you off your game. Good job.”
Watching the practice made him tired. He’d stayed at Tristian’s request, presenting another distraction. But Synn never wavered. Pride swelled within him. “So are you done for the day?”
“I believe so. We’ll skip a couple days. Hannah’s schedule is clear, and we’re going to spend time together.” He waggled his eyebrows with a devilish grin. “She’s going to show me the insider’s guide to Ireland.”
“I bet she is,” he teased, tilting his head as Tristian strode down the path to his sports car, stopping once to turn and wave. The man, scratch that, warlock, brother-in-law had sure changed since the last time he was here. He glanced at his watch. “I gotta get ready for work. Are you going to come in early or rest up a bit?” Leaving her alone wasn’t advisable right now.
Tristian’s warnings still rang in his head. They didn’t have any idea how Synn would react to the additional dark magic’s influence once she let down her guard. Not that she had ever been all sunshine and rainbows. She had a dark side, no doubt about it. But his ability to sense people’s true being, told him she wanted to be good, make acceptable decisions, and leave her past behind. Still the dreams they’d shared worried him.
****
Synn was tired, but the last thing she wanted was to sit alone and think. Take a nap, nope. In her frame of mind, she could conjure the unwanted demon. She didn’t even want to think his name. Hard to tell what effect the new magic would have. Truth be told, she was a little worried about going to sleep. Letting her subconscious run wild, even with the lessons Tristian had taught her, it could be a crap shoot. “I’m fine. If you need me, I’ll come in,” she said absently, picking at the hem of her shirt. What would be perfect was to sleep under the watchful eye of Tristian. No way would she ask such a thing of the Overlord’s right-hand man. She sighed. “Storm seems to be worn out so she should be fine for an extended shift. What did you two do this morning?”
He eyed her speculatively. “Took the path to the cliffs then down to the beach—a couple times. She chased anything that moved and wore herself out. I suspect she was looking for you.”
“No sign of Erin or Tiarnan?” She bit the side of her cheek to keep from smiling. Intuition told her he was a little jealous that she’d seen and conversed with the pair. Maybe they were keeping tabs on her too unsure of her true intentions. She didn’t like that thought—at all.
An amused voice floated through her mind. Synn don’t over think your situation. I’m the only one monitoring you and only to help control the dark magic released into your body, if necessary. I don’t think that will be the case.
She answered him in kind. What the hell are you doing in my head?
Price you pay for the talents you possess or will possess.
She stamped her foot. You can’t just waltz into…but Tristian was gone from her mind. She looked around sheepishly heat creeping into her cheeks. Though she was angry at the invasion, it was reassuring that she wasn’t being left alone to cope with whatever was to come. For some reason, that irritated her also.
Gavin’s eyebrows shot up nearly to his hairline. He tilted his head to one side, crossed his arms over his chest, and stared at her. “No. I wasn’t looking for them. Only wanting to wear your little critter out so I could get a few things done without her under foot and getting into trouble the minute my back was turned.”
“Oh—sorry. Thanks for taking care of her while I visited Gale. I appreciate it.”
Yanking the shirt over his head, he balled it up, took aim, and tossed it across the room into the laundry basket. “Going to take a quick shower. Wanna join me?” His eyebrows waggled, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a seductive grin.
She gave his offer serious consideration, tapping her finger to her lips. “No foolin’ around?”
“No guarantees.” He chuckled and swaggered into the bathroom.
Chapter Seventeen
All’s Well Until the Magic Teaches a Lesson
When Gavin tugged at the pub door nothing happened. “The door must be swollen with all of this moisture.” He tugged at the door again this time it made a sound like nails on a chalk board as it gave a little. One final yank and the door came open sending him a couple of steps backward. Synn moved out of the way just in time, then walked in ahead of him. Hannah’s voice wafted through the pub. But she was nowhere to be seen. Tristian sat on a stool at the end of the bar deep in conversation with Tim.
“Da, you know the damn door is swollen again? Nearly dislocated my shoulder trying to get it open.”
“Aye. Your ma and I had the same problem an hour ago when we arrived. I hired a handyman a few weeks ago to sand and seal it. Whatever he did didn’t solve the problem. It made it worse.”
Gavin examined the wood while she waited. “The edges of the door are still down to the bare wood. He didn’t seal them and did a poor job sanding ’em. Got his name and number? I’ll call him and get the job done right. We don’t need to throw good money after bad when he should have completed the job right the first time.”
“He can’t do anything about it now. Too wet.” After rifling through the records drawer, Tim ducked under the pass through and handed Gavin the handyman’s card.
“Our customers will have to use the back door. This one will never open again if we shut it.” Gavin moved the door back and forth, pushed it to the door frame, but didn’t force it closed. He huffed out a breath.
She searched the area for Mary, Hannah or—she hesitated as the warlock got up.
Tristian moved from the end bar stool to where Gavin stood examining the door frame. He glanced around at the empty pub, passed his hand over the wooden door. “Don’t believe you’ll have any more problems.” Tristian gave the door a shove. It closed without even a groan. He swaggered back to his seat.
“Show off.” Gavin grunted handing the card back to his da.
“I’m going to the back room. Too much testosterone in here for my likes.” She sashayed across the room and pushed the swinging door to the kitchen open. Hannah and Mary were leaning over the counter looking at the laptop screen. When she heard Brandy’s voice, she backpedaled toward the kitchen door.
“Synn, glad you’re here. Ma and I were discussing when would be the best time to take a trip to Dublin. Sis found THE dress for her wedding. A bridal shop in Dublin has that particular one in stock, but we want to see it before forking out that kind of money. What days are you off this week?”
“I work all week. Besides, you know how to video chat. So you don’t need me.” She shoved the door open with her backside. Before she could scoot out the door, Hannah grabbed her arm, pulled her into the kitchen, and motioned to the computer monitor. “Brandy hold up the magazine picture again so Synn can see your dress.”
Brandy mumbled something unintelligible and held up a page. A one shoulder, formfitting, cream gown, with Irish lace overlay came into view. The dress was split nearly to the thigh, sported an uneven hem, and tiny peach rosebuds embroidered on the bodice. At the bottom of the page was a picture inset of a scalloped sequin lace bolero the same color as the rosebuds.
“That’s beautiful.” She examined the dress on the screen, then Brandy took the page down. “It’ll look great on you. I can see why you want to see it in person. That type of lace could be elegant and drap
e perfectly or stiff and look terrible.” Her hand flew to her mouth, she grimaced.
Surprise in her voice, Brandy agreed. “My thoughts exactly. Ma, Hannah when can you make the trip to Dublin?”
Mary narrowed her eyes at the computer screen effectively cowing her daughter.
“And Synn,” Brandy conceded. “Didn’t mean to leave her—out. I, um, figured she’d have to hold down the fort while you and Hannah were gone.”
“We have more than enough employees to cover while we have a day off. If we leave early enough, we’ll be back for the evening shift.” Mary cut her gaze to her and smiled.
“On that note, I gotta get back to work. Let me know which day you decide. Weekends work best for me. Thursday is my day for paperwork, so I could be available then unless something unforeseen comes up.”
“Weekends don’t work for us,” Mary said. “Thursday it is.”
Bridget burst into the kitchen. “Is that Brandy I hear?”
“Aye.” Brandy smiled from the computer screen. “Bridg, how are you doing? Married Quinn yet?”
Bridget threw the towel she was carrying at the laptop screen. “Nope. But if people don’t quit asking me, we’re going to elope and never tell a soul.” Bridget stuck her tongue out at Brandy.
Hannah’s face turned bright red.
“Oh no, you didn’t tell her, did you? I mean—”
Mary, patted Bridget’s arm.” No, hon. We’re discussing Brandy’s wedding. She has weddings on the brain. Eloping is a touchy subject around here. Since that’s exactly what Hannah did, and didn’t tell anyone for nearly a year. Thus the red face. As it should be.” She winked at Hannah. “But it’s all good now.”
“Tell me what?” Brandy repeated above the din around the computer.
Mary kissed her fingers and touched them to the screen. “Talk to you later.” She closed the laptop and sent a warning glance in Bridget’s direction.
She watched the interaction with interest. “Is there something I should know?” She sent a pointed look in Bridget’s direction.