Suddenly Spellbound

by Erica Lucke Dean

  Liam choked, and his already flushed face went up in flames.

  “Oh, my God!” I jumped up to pat him on the back. “Are you okay?”

  “Uh, yeah.” He coughed a few more times, giving me strange looks before his breathing returned to normal. “I think I may have swallowed my tongue.”

  I laughed. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know. My saliva went down the wrong pipe?”

  “Wow. That’s…” Weird? “Unusual.”

  “You caught me by surprise.”

  “Me? What did I do?”

  “I guess I expected you to be more prepared.”

  “Oh.” I fell into the sofa. “Dad explained a few things to me about the traditions, but he didn’t get into the actual ceremony, and I didn’t ask. It’s not painful, is it? They won’t tie us down and brand us with red-hot pokers, with they?”

  That made him laugh. “No, it won’t be painful. No red-hot pokers or even tattoos. The ceremony is much like a traditional wedding where rings and vows are exchanged—but with a twist.”

  “A twist?”

  “Like the spell in the lab but more intense.”

  “Ah.” I couldn’t imagine anything more intense than windows blowing inward and lights exploding.

  “After that, the clan witnesses—are you sure you wouldn’t rather talk with your mum? This is typically one of those mum conversations.”

  “You’re referring to the wedding night?”

  He chuckled. “I guess so.”

  “I’m not a virgin, Liam. I don’t need my mother to explain how things—” A nervous giggle bubbled up my throat, and I swallowed it down. “You know, maybe you’re right. This is definitely a mom conversation.”

  “Your parents are due here in a few hours. I’ll make sure she stops in to see you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I know this isn’t what you wanted, Ivie, but—”

  “You don’t have to say anything. I understand.”

  At precisely six o’clock, after several clothing changes, I followed Liam in his dress kilt, paired with a crisp white shirt and jacket, into the Presidential Suite, wearing a black silk sheath that Chloe would’ve killed for. I personally thought it was a tad on the tight side, but Liam had been the one to select it, and he said it made me look very Audrey Hepburn-esque, even if my hair had gone back to a vibrant shade of fire-engine red.

  Marion greeted us at the door with a painted-on smile and a bottle of pale-pink champagne.

  “Right on time,” she cooed then turned and handed the bottle to someone standing to her right. I did a double take, averting my eyes from the rippling chest muscles of the half-naked man in a kilt. I had no idea how I’d missed him when we’d come in. “Now, Duncan.”

  Duncan opened the champagne with a loud pop and a splash then scurried off to the banquet-sized table where several glasses were already lined up.

  Marion took the first glass and held it up in a toast. “Today is cause for celebration. Finally, after far too many years of waiting, the wrongs of the past will be righted with the hopes and dreams of the future.” She waited until Liam and I had our glasses to bring hers to her lips. “Cheers!” She downed her glass and held it out to Duncan for a refill.

  “Not so fast, mum. You aren’t as young as you used to be,” Liam cautioned her, but she waved him off.

  “Youth is wasted on the young.” This time, she sipped more slowly.

  “Oh, look.” Marion grabbed my hand and hauled it up to her face to inspect the ring. Her eyes filled with tears. “You’re wearing it! This ring belonged to my mother and her mother before her. It looks lovely on you, Ivie. And the diamonds were a nice touch, Liam. You have magnificent taste.” She beamed at him over her shoulder. “You get that from me.”

  Liam’s cheeks pinked. “Thank you, Mum.”

  “Now, back to business.” Marion’s tears evaporated instantly, and she dropped my hand to bring hers together in a loud clap. “I’ve already seen to the arrangements. The ceremony will begin at the stroke of midnight. The grand ballroom has been reserved, and our guests are scheduled to arrive at eleven. As I’m sure you know, the head of the McKie family would traditionally perform the ceremony, but under the circumstances…” She slid her eyes in my direction. “I’ll be performing the spell myself.”

  I didn’t understand the break with tradition, but I was afraid to ask questions. I stole a peek at the half-naked clansman standing guard in the corner and wondered where my parents were. Liam had said they were supposed to be there.

  “Are your rooms satisfactory? I would have preferred you stay in the room adjoining my suite, but Liam felt you might be self-conscious.”

  I swallowed the knot in my throat and reminded myself to thank Liam later. “It’s fine. Beyond fine, actually. I would have been perfectly happy with less.”

  She made a sound in the back of her throat. “You need to get used to the finer things. A McDougall is never satisfied with less.”

  In a stroke of brilliant timing, someone knocked at the door, and Duncan let my father in. I stopped myself before I asked him where my mother was.

  “Marion.” Dad greeted Marion with caution, approaching her as if he half expected her to whip out a dagger and plunge it into his chest. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew there was more to their history than I’d been told.

  “Angus.” Marion’s lips curved into a stiff smile. She eyed his wrinkled shirt and worn blue-and-green kilt before focusing her attention on the manila folder in his hands. “Is this the paperwork we discussed?”

  My father’s eyes traveled from her face to mine then back again. “Yes. I’ve brought everything you requested.” Dad held out the packet, and Marion nodded to Duncan, who took it.

  “For a man who’s dedicated much of his life to flying beneath my radar, I find it almost comical that you weren’t able to elude mere mortals.”

  “Well, the FBI—”

  “Are not sorcerers. But not to worry. As per our agreement, once the binding is complete, I’ll take care of your little predicament. It shouldn’t be too difficult.” She snickered, and I felt the sting of Dad’s embarrassment.

  Dad gave a little bow. “I would be in your debt.”

  Marion wheeled on my father, all traces of amusement stripped from her face. As the tension in the room climbed, the temperature dipped. I felt the chill all the way across the room. “Make no mistake about it, Angus. You’ve been in my debt for the better part of four decades.” My father flinched back, and Marion cackled. “What’s wrong, Angus? Afraid I might follow through on my father’s threat?”

  My father coughed up a nervous laugh. “It may have crossed my mind.”

  “Not to worry.” She patted his shoulder as if he were the family pet. Ironic. “In a few hours, my father’s dream will finally be realized, and you will finally be able to rest easily.”

  I had no idea what they were talking about, but my suspicion that my father knew Marion better than he’d let on was confirmed.

  “Duncan, I believe I’ve worked up quite the appetite—and just in time for dinner.” She glanced at her bodyguard, and he gave a subtle nod. “I’ve arranged for a feast in the ballroom. If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to change first. Callum will see to it you don’t get lost on your way there.”

  At the mention of his name, Callum entered the suite from the adjoining room. “If you’ll come with me…”

  We followed Callum through the sitting room and exited the way we’d come in. He led us to the elevators and pressed the down button. I don’t know why that made me giggle, but it did.

  “Private joke?” Liam whispered in my ear, giving me tingles.

  “It just seems so ridiculously normal to take the elevator once you’ve disapparated.”

/>   Liam smirked as the doors slid open, and we joined an older couple on their way down. “Yes, well, aside from the block, most of us do try to blend in whenever possible.”

  I stole a glance at Callum’s exposed physique and had to suppress another giggle. “I don’t think he’s blending in all that well.”

  Liam joined me in snickering.

  I’d almost forgotten my father until he cleared his throat. “Your mother is waiting for me in the lobby. I’ll collect her and meet you there.”

  I nodded. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  We both eyed Callum, who stared straight ahead as if he hadn’t heard a word. I wrapped my arms around my dad’s waist and pulled him in for a quick hug. A feeling of dread hung over me as if I’d never see him again, and it was all I could do to keep from begging him not to disappear. Too soon, the elevator stopped on the mezzanine, and Liam took my hand, leading me through the open doors. I watched Dad’s guilty expression over my shoulder until the doors closed again.

  As we entered the ballroom, a cacophony of voices and boisterous laughter greeted us. At least a hundred people sat around a long banquet table in what reminded me of a scene straight out of a Harry Potter movie. Baskets of bread floated through the air as greedy hands reached up to grab the rolls before they were gone. Glasses of dark-red wine refilled themselves as fast as they were emptied. Giant platters of roasted meat appeared and disappeared as the hungry crowd descended on them like ants at a picnic.

  A bear of a man leaped out of his seat near the head of the table with a mug of what looked like dark beer in his hand. Foam spilled over the side as he staggered into a new seat at the opposite end and sandwiched himself between two curvaceous brunettes.

  My eyes widened as the man grasped a breast in each hand—one from each woman. “Did he just…?”

  Liam groaned. “One of the drawbacks of having magic in the ballroom: it takes some getting used to.”

  Getting used to? I hadn’t been to as rowdy a gathering since my college days, and instinct had me melting into Liam’s side.

  “You’re shivering.” Liam rubbed warmth into my bare arms.

  I continued to watch the mayhem from a safe distance. “Are they always so…”

  “Spirited? I’m afraid so. But not to worry. They won’t get out of hand.” He nodded to the burly men in kilts lining the room like soldiers. “Mother never travels without the full guard.”

  “Are all these people here for the ceremony?” I tore my eyes from the festivities long enough to watch Liam’s expression.

  He sighed and squeezed my hand. “I suppose I should’ve warned you. Talk of our binding reached legendary status before I was old enough to understand the ramifications.”

  “But why?” I tried to think back to anything my father had said that would explain the fascination with our wedding. “Dad said arranged marriages are standard practice. What’s so special about ours?”

  Liam’s mouth fell open, but he closed it just as fast.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” My suspicions grew with every moment he stayed quiet. I searched the room for my parents, but neither they nor Marion had arrived. I reached for my cell phone to text my mother before remembering I’d left it with the rest of my things in our suite. “I’ll find out eventually, you know. You may as well tell me.”

  He reached up and scratched the back of his neck. “It’s a long story.”

  I crossed my arms and leveled a death glare in his direction. “I guess you’d better start talking.”

  Liam licked his lips, but before he could spill his guts, one of the revelers, a red-bearded giant, noticed us standing there and rose to his feet with gusto.

  “Ah! The happy couple has arrived!” He raised his pint over his head, sloshing dark ale down his bare arm. “This occasion demands a toast!”

  “Toasts!” A chorus of voices thundered their approval as the clan went berserk. Buttered rolls flew into the air like confetti, and the sound of popping corks reminded me of fireworks on the Fourth of July. All around the room, the clinking of glasses sounded, and mugs rose in the air.

  Redbeard turned to face Liam. “May your mattress be soft and your knob—”

  “Hey now, there’s a lady present!” The man who’d been groping the two brunettes shoved Redbeard out of the way and raised his glass to me. “To your continued fertility and Liam’s ability to knock you up on the first try!” He barely got the words out before roaring with laughter.

  The entire clan focused on me as my face went up in flames. Liam—the coward—kept his eyes trained forward, probably studying some imaginary spot on the opposite wall.

  “Now you’ve gone and embarrassed the girl.” An older woman in a sparkly red gown, probably Liam’s grandmother, shoved her way through the throng and patted my arm. “Don’t mind them, lassie. They’re all jaked on ale.”

  A groan came from somewhere in the back. “Aww, come on, Agnes. We don’ get to attend a binding every day! Let us have our fun.”

  “Ha! Fun my arse.” Agnes shook her head. “You louts are gonna give the poor girl performance anxiety.”

  Redbeard barked out another laugh and nudged Liam’s shoulder. “She’s not the one who needs to worry about performance.”

  “That’s right!” The big bear guffawed. “And don’t forget we’ll be awarding points for style.”

  Another hairy-chested sorcerer pushed his way from behind and circled his kilt-clad hips twice before jutting them forward with a grunt. “And extra points for deep penetration.”

  I whirled on Liam and my words tumbled out in a frantic jumble. “You’re supposed to give them a play by play after…?”

  The crowd got conspicuously quiet, and Liam’s mouth fell open, but Marion walked into the room before he had a chance to answer.

  After what seemed like a century of silence, a loud bellow came from the crowd, and a beast of a man with legs the size of tree trunks and braids in his beard hurled himself toward Marion with a battle cry worthy of Mel Gibson in Braveheart. Before he’d even covered half the distance, two members of the guard tackled him to the floor, where the three of them wrestled until they were in hysterics. Marion seemed to eat up the attention, cheering them on from the sidelines.

  I hadn’t seen anything that insane since Chloe dragged me to the Black Friday sale at Neiman’s, and they only had one pair of the studded black velvet Louboutins in her size, and two other women wanted them. Chloe took down the underwear model pretty easily, but I thought for sure the circuit court judge would press charges after Chloe threatened to shove the business end of her stiletto up her—

  “Where did you go?” Liam put his lips up to my ear, and I jumped.

  I kept my eyes on Marion as she made her way through the crowd. “What are you talking about? I’m right here.”

  “In body maybe.” The longing in his voice got my attention, and I glanced his way long enough to catch his gaze lingering over my curves. “But in spirit…”

  I turned back to where Marion danced a jig with the bearded giant while people threw rose petals at them. I had no idea where the rose petals had come from. “I was just watching the show.”

  “Yes, well… My mother never disappoints,” Liam grumbled as he dragged me away from the entertainment and toward the now-vacant table. “Come on. Let’s eat while they’re distracted.”

  Chapter 20

  Almost two hours with the clan exhausted me. Unlike the treatment they gave Marion, the guard had no problem allowing burly drunken men in kilts to manhandle me, jostling me around the room like a basket of hot bread. Even Liam seemed to get a kick out of the attention I’d gotten, though he never let it go too far before stepping in.

  As I feared, my parents never showed up. Both Liam and Marion swore they had no idea where they’d gone or why they wou
ld have left without seeing me. I didn’t know whether to believe them or not. I didn’t think Marion would ever gain my trust, and despite the unnatural draw I felt toward Liam, he was still a virtual stranger.

  As soon as we’d finished eating but before I had more than a few superficial bruises, I fled the banquet hall with Liam and Callum close on my heels.

  When we reached the suite, I whirled on Liam, my index finger pointed at him like a loaded wand. “You’re either going to tell me exactly what’s going on, or you’re going to make yourself scarce for a while. We have three hours before the ceremony, and I have a lot of questions.”

  Liam blanched and backed away from the open door. “Those are really questions best directed at your—”

  “Parents. I know.” I finished his thought and gave him the best approximation of a smile I could manage. “So if you see them while you’re wandering around the hotel, how about you send them on up?”

  His head bobbed up and down in a frantic nod. Then Liam turned on his heel and power-walked down the hall toward the elevators.

  “How about you, Callum?” I crossed my arms and arched a brow in challenge. “Feel like answering some questions for me?”

  Callum threw his head back and barked out a hearty laugh. “I’m afraid that’s above my pay grade, lass.”

  “Well then, it’s been nice, but I think I’ll head in and take a nap or something.” I waited for him to follow Liam, but instead he stood toe to toe with me, mirroring my position with his massive arms crossed in front of his sash-covered chest. “That’s your cue to leave.”

  “I’m afraid I won’t be leaving.”

  “What?” My arms dropped to my sides, and I took an involuntary step into the room. “You’re coming in to watch me sleep?”

  He laughed again. “No. I’ll be standing out here, guarding your door to make sure no one gets in. For your protection, of course.” He didn’t mention the fact that no one—namely me—could get out either, but the unspoken promise was written in his stony expression.