by Vella Day
“You can go through the living room and then down the hallway. The door at the end leads to the shop.”
“Thanks.”
As soon as Josh disappeared, Magnolia relaxed. It was time to clean up the kitchen. She carried the dishes over to the sink, and once she loaded them into the dishwasher, she put away the food. All the while, her mind kept spinning. Was it a coincidence that Josh happened to be flying overhead when her shop caught fire? Or had Fate had a hand in this?
After much deliberation, she decided Josh was at the right place at the right time. He might be amazingly nice, but there was no room in her life for a man, especially one who could distract her. She didn’t even want to think what her sisters would say if they came home to find her dating someone. They would probably suggest she seek help from a powerful white lighter.
Magnolia pulled out a drawer for a cloth to use to wipe down the table when something fell to the floor. Magnolia whipped around to find the saltshaker that had been on the table had been what crashed. She had no explanation for how that had happened. She was the only one in the room. Or was she?
“Mother? Is that you?” She wouldn’t put it past her goddess mom to teleport to Edendale to check up on her.
No one answered. Her mom couldn’t remain invisible, so it must have been the wind or something. It didn’t matter no windows were open. Magnolia set about wiping down the table. Just as she finished, she had a coughing fit. Her chest hurt. Darn. The smoke must have had more of an effect than she’d first thought.
She pulled a glass from the cabinet, filled it with water, and drank it. Once calm, she wiped down the counters. Halfway through the cleaning process, a scraping noise sounded behind her. Again she turned around, searching for the source. The bag of flour somehow had moved from one end of the counter to the other. She might have believed she’d moved it before they ate, but Magnolia was positive she hadn’t done that, nor had she used her powers of telekinesis. Since she was certain there weren’t any ghosts in the house, some dark magic must be here—or else being around Josh was messing with her head.
Magnolia looked at the floor. Yup. The saltshaker was still there. She picked it up and placed it back on the table. She was not losing her mind. Being in control was part of her genetic makeup.
Inhaling several deep, calming breaths, she went back to cleaning up. Thankfully, she finished her chore without any more mishaps. Right now, she needed to find out what had caused the fire in her workshop more than she needed to figure out what kind of magic was messing with her.
Josh had yet to return, so she went in search of him. As soon as she pushed open the door connecting their house to the workshop, she spotted him squatting down in front of the kiln. She was immediately assaulted with the stench of smoke, causing another coughing fit, while Josh seemed fine breathing the heavy air.
He looked up and then rushed over to her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I was just wondering what was taking you so long.”
“You shouldn’t be in here. The air is bad.”
“You shouldn’t be exposed to this either. You’re not even wearing a mask.”
“True, but I didn’t have a lot of exposure before. I’m not making much progress though, so let’s go back inside.”
Josh probably thought she’d move out of the way when he tried to enter, but his mere presence had her frozen to the spot. When he placed his hands on her shoulders to scoot by her, her pulse spiked, jerking Magnolia out of her daze. She closed the door to minimize the smell from entering the house.
“You didn’t learn anything?” she asked as she followed him back to the kitchen.
He grabbed a glass and then filled it with tepid water from the faucet. “Nothing. The cord to the kiln wasn’t frayed, so I don’t think the kiln caused it, and nothing nearby started it either. It is the darnedest thing.”
That made no sense. “Fires don’t start by themselves.”
He guzzled down the drink and then set the glass on the counter next to the sink as if he planned to use it again. He faced her. “I know. That’s why I was in there so long. After concluding the kiln hadn’t malfunctioned, I looked around for some flammable items that might have caught fire but found nothing. If the kiln hadn’t been so hot, I would have checked inside.”
She sucked in a breath. “I need to turn it off.”
Josh held out a hand. “Don’t worry. I did.”
“Thank you. Is it possible some dragon shifter or otherworldly being swooped in and created flames without my knowledge?”
“I’ve never known of a dragon shifter who could walk through walls. He didn’t come through the kitchen since you were here, and the door to the showroom was locked. I’m stumped. I thought the source would be obvious, but it’s not.”
A rush of anger assaulted her at the injustice of it all. A second later, the plastic glass that Josh had used to take a drink from shot off the counter and bounced on the floor. They both froze.
“Magnolia? Did you do that?”
“No.”
“Well, I didn’t do it either.” Josh looked around. “Unless some being is invisible, no one else is here.”
“Just because you can’t see someone, doesn’t mean some entity isn’t here.” An entity like Fate.
Josh chuckled. “Okay. Calm down. Let’s sit at the table and try to figure this out.”
Only because she was still a little weak did she allow him to lead her to the table. He pulled out a chair for her. She sat down, and he sat across from her.
“I know what you’re going to say,” she said.
“What am I going to say?” Josh asked.
“That either it’s a ghost, or that I used my powers to do this.”
“Did you?”
She’d always been able to sense dark as well as white lighters, but she sensed nothing now. “If I did move the items, it wasn’t consciously.”
“You are capable of telekinesis then?”
She inhaled, not sure how much she wanted him to know. But if he happened to be her mate—and the verdict was out on that—she needed to trust him. “Yes.” Magnolia inhaled and then coughed. “Sorry.”
“Maybe I should have you checked out by a doctor.”
“I’m fine. Trust me. I’ll prove it.” With concentration, she focused on the ceramic bowl containing the sugar. Without even needing any kind of chant or spell, she moved it across the table. She was disgusted with herself for breaking her promise not to use magic for two weeks, but since she’d teleported before, she figured she’d already ruined the streak.
“Impressive. Can you move things without focusing?” he asked.
“Not that I know of, but just before I went to look for you, there were two incidents.” She explained about the saltshaker flying off the table and then the bag of flour moving.
“Maybe you should rest,” he said. “The stress from the fire and the smoke could have messed with your chi.”
“My chi?”
“Your abilities.”
What did he know about abilities? Sure, he was a dragon shifter, but she didn’t sense he was a white lighter. “I’m not tired, but maybe you’re right.”
Before she could push back her chair, someone knocked on her door. Josh stood. “That must be the clean-up crew. I’ll take care of it,” he said.
It was her shop. “I can speak with them.”
“Magnolia, please. It’s what I do. Go rest. I’ll stay here until they are done. I won’t let them mess with anything.”
Her need for control warred with her need to rest. Her body won. “Thank you.”
As Magnolia headed back through the living room to her bedroom, her mind spun as she tried to decide if he was the one.
“Yes, he is,” came a voice in her head that she’d heard but a few times before.
“Is that you, Fate?”
To her dismay, the goddess she was born to serve didn’t answer. Somehow, Magnolia wasn’t ready to consider what it would mean if Josh
were meant for her. Her life as she knew it would never be the same.
Chapter Four
Josh was concerned about Magnolia. Her coloring didn’t look good, but she was too stubborn to get help. More upsetting was her losing control. She might believe she hadn’t moved those objects, but he remembered watching one out-of-control white lighter have the same issue, and it hadn’t been pretty. If he didn’t fear her learning about his capabilities, he might have interfered.
The biggest problem he faced right now was how to convince Magnolia that she was his mate. He was pretty sure she wouldn’t be very receptive to the idea.
Right after she’d headed to her room to rest, Josh showed the clean-up crew what needed to be done. Thankfully, the foreman claimed it looked like a fairly easy job, telling him that once they cleaned up the water and dried out the place, the painters and outside wall repair could begin.
It had been pure luck that the shop was closed for two weeks. By the time her sisters returned, things would be almost back to normal.
Because he’d promised Magnolia he’d keep watch on the workers, he borrowed a spare mask and sat in the corner to make sure they did their magic. Three hours later, the men called it quits, promising to return tomorrow. That worked for him. Josh needed a shower bad—and a good strong drink.
Before they left, he asked them to board up the hole to prevent any animals or looters from entering. As soon as they were gone, Josh headed back inside. He could only imagine what he smelled like. Thankfully, Magnolia wasn’t in the kitchen or in the living room. He assumed she was asleep. Good. She needed the rest. Maybe that would help reset her erratic powers. As much as he wanted to look in on her, he didn’t want to disturb her—or chance inciting his libido even more.
After locating a piece of paper, he wrote a note to tell her he’d be back in the morning to supervise the crew once more. Josh also jotted down his cell number in case she needed him. Once he placed the note in a prominent place, he teleported home. He just wasn’t in the mood to fly. While he’d miss spending time in his cabin on the lake, cell service there was sketchy, and he couldn’t afford for her not to be able to reach him should she need help.
At home, he contacted his old friend Kronan from Hearndon Province—an expert in the abilities of white lighters. Josh needed to know everything he could about the reasons for this sudden urge to use telekinesis.
“Josh, my friend. I hope you are well!”
He missed talking to his friend, but one too many times, Kronan had almost let it slip about Josh being the water dragon or that he had supernatural powers. This chance exposure was one reason why Josh left Hearndon. “I am. I need a favor though.”
“Of course. Anything at all. Shall I visit you, or do you want to come here? Face to face is so much easier. You know how much I hate phones.”
Josh chuckled. Kronan was ancient. Teleporting to Hearndon would only take seconds. “I’ll come to you.”
“Excellent.”
One second Josh was at home, and then the next he was in Hearndon. He wrapped his arms around his body, having forgotten that Hearndon’s climate was a lot colder than Avonbelle Province. Just as Josh raised his hand to knock, the door opened.
“Josh, my boy.” The bear hug nearly eliminated the air from his lungs. “Come in. Beer?”
He wanted to be hospitable. “Sure. Thanks.”
Kronan made a very good living telling fortunes and performing love spells. Whether any of it worked, he had no idea. Josh had met this other being when Kronan’s first office had burned to the ground. To this day, Josh was convinced Kronan had set it himself so he would have a good reason to move. At least he hadn’t asked for any insurance money.
“Here.” Kronan passed him a bottle. “Have a seat and tell me what you need.”
Josh sat in a high back leather chair across from the white leather sofa. “I met a woman.”
Kronan laughed. “Don’t tell me you need one of my love spells?”
“Hardly.” Josh wanted to come by Magnolia’s love honestly. He explained how he’d spotted the fire at her shop, put it out, and then rescued her.
“Does she know you’re the water dragon?”
“Hell no. You’re the only one who knows my secret.”
“What do you need from me then?”
Josh blew out a breath. “Advice.”
Kronan waved his beer bottle and leaned back. “About?”
“Magnolia is my mate.” Saying it out loud made it so much more real.
His friend’s eyes practically glowed. “I’ll be damned. About time, my boy. If you need advice on how to turn on a woman, I’m your man.”
“Fuck no. I have no problem getting it up either. That’s the least of my problems.”
“Then what do you need?”
“Magnolia is a white lighter whose powers have suddenly gone berserk.”
“Explain.”
Josh detailed about how the drinking glass he’d set on the kitchen counter moved without any provocation and landed on the floor. “Magnolia said something like that had happened two other times that day.”
“It could be a reaction to the stress of the fire.” He held up a hand, and then a slow smile spread across his face. “Or, she could be having unfamiliar feelings of overwhelming lust coursing through her body that has upset her abilities.”
“You have an overactive imagination, my friend. Just so you know, she is not a shifter, so let’s go with the stress theory. What I need to know is what happens if her condition worsens?”
Kronan tossed back his beer. “There’s only one way to stop her powers from going haywire.”
Josh leaned forward. “What’s that?”
“Use a bottle spell.”
“A what?”
Kronan waved a hand. “It’s when one puts a protective field around her.”
Shit. He’d used it once before, though he didn’t call it that. “She’ll know something’s up when her magic doesn’t work as usual. Trust me, she’ll freak.”
“Hmm. Do you know the extent of her white lighter abilities?”
“No. It’s not like I want to have a you-show-me-yours and I’ll-show-you-mine kind of thing. She thinks I’m an ordinary dragon shifter, and I want to keep it that way.”
Kronan’s forehead furrowed. “Do you really want to start a relationship off with a lie?”
He had worried about that. He’d already told her his parents were dead, which they most certainly were not. “Of course not, but there won’t be a relationship if she knows who I really am.”
Kronan lifted a shoulder. “I wouldn’t be so sure, but if that’s the way you want to play it, my advice is to move cautiously but quickly. Does she know you are mates?”
Josh shook his head. “No, and I’m not sure how to bring it up either. To say she appears to be sheltered would be an understatement.”
“Then I suggest you need to warm her up to the idea of you two being together—forever. That should be up your alley, seeing how you are a dragon shifter. Get it? Warm her up?” Kronan guffawed.
In the past, Josh would have joined in the joke but not today. “I wish it were that simple.”
Kronan set his bottle on the coffee table between them and sobered. “Trust me when I tell you she’ll fall hard if she sees the real you.”
His friend wasn’t thinking straight. “Do you actually expect me to change from a fire breathing dragon into a water dragon right in front of her when I’ve spent my life protecting my true identity?”
“If she is your mate, she has the right to know. I’m not saying it has to be today. Take her on a date first and show her some fun. Loosen her up and charm her.”
“Before or after I do your so-called bottle spell?”
“I’m hoping you won’t have to resort to that unless crazy things happen around her. You might tell her you’re some kind of white lighter and can perform a spell to help calm her down.” Kronan lifted a finger. “Better yet, fly her here and I’ll do
it.”
That had possibilities. “I’ll consider it.” Not wanting to overstay his visit, Josh stood. “I appreciate the advice, old man.”
As expected, Kronan stuck out his chest. “Watch who you call an old man. You’re no youngster yourself.”
Josh laughed. “Very true.”
“If you need someplace to take her, we’re having a good old fashioned county fair in town. Apparently, a group went to Earth last year and found this fair thing fun. They’ve been working on recreating it for a while.”
“A county fair, as in having rides, a circus, and a lot of junk food?” Josh had read about Earth’s activities and vowed to visit someday.
“I’ve not been, but so I’ve heard.”
“The junk food wouldn’t go over well with either of us, but the rides might be fun.” As would a quiet rowboat ride on his lake followed by…
Tell me more, his dragon panted.
Damn, he needed to pay attention to his thoughts.
After Josh tossed back the rest of his drink and gave his friend a farewell hug, he teleported back home, thankful Magnolia hadn’t called saying she needed his help.
Magnolia awoke covered in sweat. She’d had nightmares about moving objects without her consent and then not being able to use any of her other powers at all. All of it had been horribly scary stuff. She sat up and looked over at the clock on the nightstand. It was nine a.m. Oh, my. She must have been quite ill if she’d slept that much.
For a moment, she wondered if the whole fire had been a nightmare. Then she inhaled and smelled the smoke on her skin and in her hair. Ugh.
A shower was a must. Magnolia crawled out of bed and went into one of two bathrooms she and her sisters shared. When she glanced in the mirror, she groaned. No wonder Josh was worried about her. Not only had her braid come undone, her face was smudged with black streaks. He should have said something. Perhaps it was because he was too much of a gentleman. To be honest, she hadn’t mentioned the soot on his arms and face either.
After the water warmed in the shower, she stepped in and moaned at the wonderful heat sluicing over her body. The steam billowed in the small enclosure, soothing her throat and lungs. While she could stay in there for an hour, the workers would return sometime this morning, and she wanted to be ready to meet them.