“This is quite the hike to be doing in the dark,” Kin commented quietly as he helped me through a particularly treacherous set of makeshift stepping stones. "Poor kid.”
“It’s this way, we’re almost there.” I led Kin a bit further, following the sound of voices punctuating the night.
“...Because I’m sick of you fighting, that’s why.” Anyone with ears could recognize the frustration in Hannah’s shrill response. “I came here because it’s the last place I remember being happy, and now you’ve ruined this for me, too.”
“Come on, Lexi. She’s been found, this isn’t your problem anymore.” Kin whispered and tugged on my arm, but I didn’t budge.
“I think it might be. I made a mistake with Emily, and I think I'm the only one who can fix this for Hannah.” How exactly to do that was still a mystery, and I didn’t like the idea of invading their privacy, but I had to do something. My conscience wouldn’t let me walk away.
I’m pretty sure the bow wouldn’t either. Chiming like a chattering magpie, it berated me soundly. With sound. Hah, not funny.
“What do you need me to do?”
“Do you have any idea how much I love you? Not just because you’re ready to jump in and help me help some girl you’ve never even met. Not just because I can admit I’ve screwed up epically and you don’t judge. You shine.”
I put everything I felt for him into a kiss that ended way too soon.
“I'm going to try something, can you just hold me?”
His arms tightened, “Forever.”
I carried that word and traveled deep inside to where the goddess lived, and let her lead me into the cave. My first out-of-body experience.
Like three points of a triangle, the Aarons family faced off. One look at Emily showed me the enormity of what I’d done. Hannah hadn’t described the problem strongly enough. Everything about her was locked down tight. Her face, her emotions, her muscles clenched.
She and Matthew both carried the glowing symbol, but where his was bright and shining, Emily’s looked tarnished and dark. The marks were the keys to this whole problem, I knew that with every morsel of my instinct. And yet, I had no idea how to interpret them.
If my arrow had taken something from Emily, though, maybe it was the only thing that could give it back. Oh, the bow liked that idea well enough to almost knock me out with sound.
All righty, then. Let’s do this.
But on my terms.
I slid into the Goddess like a hand into a glove. Everything went pink. And bright. And I finally saw the symbols for what they were. Kissing lip emblems.
How dumb had I been? They were the symbol of true love’s kiss. The verification of a match made that could not be broken from the outside. Stephanie’s voice floated through my memory.
True love’s kiss is not a guarantee. It’s a promise that can be broken but only by the kissers. My interference had only caused more problems. This hadn't been a job for Lexi 2.0.
It wasn’t Hannah’s desire or my actions that would bring this couple together, it was their own choices. And now it was time to undo the damage I had done by trying to force the issue.
I fired the arrow this time. Me, Lexi. Not the Goddess, not the witch. Just me.
I cleaned up my mess and stayed a minute longer to see if I’d done the right thing.
Bit by bit, Emily changed. She relaxed, the pinched look went away. The symbol brightened, and she softened. Shadows cleared and she looked at her husband. Saw the tears in his eyes, the pain, the sorrow, and the love laid bare.
“You’re crying.”
“I thought we’d lost her, Em. I’d die if that happened. I already lost you, and I’m still not sure I’ll survive it.”
Emily turned her face away.
“No, Em. Look at me. I need you to see me. See my heart.” Matthew closed the short distance while Hannah watched with hope. He took Emily’s hand and pressed it to his chest. “Can’t you feel it beating? It’s for you, always you.”
When Emily’s other hand lifted to cover his, I knew Hannah would get her wish. It might take time, but my work here was done. Hannah’s beaming smile was the last thing I saw as I let myself return to Kin’s waiting arms.
Chapter Twenty-Five
AN EMOTIONAL HANGOVER followed me the entire next day, and I couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that something frustrating was coming down the pike. You’d think I’d have learned to trust that gut feeling, considering I used it as a compass every day of my life when it came to being a Fate Weaver.
Alas, I was as surprised as anyone else when things took a turn for the worse, but what was bothering me now had nothing whatsoever to do with witches, the Balefire, or the balance of light and dark energy in the world.
It had to do with one thing: boy trouble.
I’d never put a family back together before. I’d been there for the beginnings of plenty of relationships, but fixing something that had been thought either lost or broken beyond repair was more fulfilling than a handful of newly-minted couples. Hannah wasn’t some nebulous little person who would one day come into the world—she was already here, and for the first time, I could see the immediate effects of my power on a future generation. It was humbling and made me realize I had more work ahead of me than I’d ever imagined.
The problem is, that's not the only thing I was destined for. I was Keeper of the Balefire flame. It was part of my name. It was part of my history; my heritage, and it was my destiny. I spent so much time concerning myself with other people's fates, I’d almost forgotten I had one of my own. I wanted to tend the flame, wanted to host the Beltane celebration each year and follow in my family line.
But then there was Kin. I loved him, and it hurt my heart to think about him being away from me for an extended period of time. Would he wait for me? It was pretty clear that misunderstandings, anger, and resentment could throw even a fated couple off the rails. What if that happened to us? What if I looked back and wished I’d followed him to the edges of the earth—or at least to Chicago or Nashville? What if he got a record deal and never came back? There were too many what-ifs to think about, and none of them, in my heightened emotional state, ended well for LexiKin.
In the heat of the moment, I’d chosen to act as Keeper—and it seemed as though the Balefire itself was happy to now have only one master. And since I had taken the responsibility back from my grandmother, it was mine now. For keeps.
No extended vacations, no following my man to the ends of the earth. Now, I had to tell him I might be able to come along for a visit, but not the whole tour while making sure he made the life choices that were right for him. Even if that meant leaving me behind.
This adulting thing? Totally sucks.
When I finally arrived on Kin’s front porch, I’d walked until my feet ached as much as my head did. I found him in an upstairs room lined with foam panels designed to muffle the thump of drums and bass. He had a pair of headphones strapped over his ears, and his eyes were closed as he lost himself in the rhythm and allowed his hands to move over the strings of his beloved guitar with an automatic ease.
I hung back and watched until he finished the song, a slow, lilting tune that conjured images of a country field on a warm summer’s day. Tears welled in the corners of my eyes, and when he finally turned to face me, they’d begun to stream down my face leaving black mascara tracks and red blotches I’m sure were less than flattering.
“Babe, what’s wrong?” He asked, striding over to wrap his arms around my shoulders and wiping the tears away from my cheek. It felt like the millionth time he’d had to ask me that same question during our short time together.
“It’s the tour,” I blubbered, crushing my face into his chest, “I’m sorry, but I can’t come with you, at least not full time.”
I could hear his lungs deflate in a sigh as he pulled me closer. “Come sit down, dry your eyes, and let’s talk.” Kin led me downstairs and made a cup of tea while I cleaned myself up enough to spea
k coherently.
“Part of me would be happy to go. I could do my work—my Fate Weaving—while you’re rehearsing; I could help more people, and I know we would have an amazing time together. But there’s another part of me—the little orphan girl inside—that can’t bear to leave my home now that it’s finally filled with family. I made a commitment to be the Keeper of the Flame in the truest sense when we were trying to save the Balefire, and I can’t go back on that now.”
I’m pretty sure that last bit came out in fractured gibberish, now that the tears had begun to flow again. “Gran can hold down the fort for a few days, maybe a week, but no longer. I understand if you don’t want to be tied down while you’re away. I know long distance isn’t what you had in mind, and I won’t ask you to stay here for someone who might not ever be able to take the next step. Not for a tour and not to move in with you.”
Kin sighed again and pulled me close. “Lexi Balefire, Daughter of Cupid, Keeper of the Flame, Fate Weaver Extraordinaire, you are my girl, and I’m not so crazy as to let you get away that easily. I’ve played clubs before; I’ve traveled this country, and never have I found another woman as beautiful and interesting and infuriating as you. You’ll have to do a lot more than refuse to leave your home if you want to get rid of me."
On top of raccoon eyes, I gave him fish face. Eyes bugged out and mouth open in shock.
And he didn't run away. Wonder of wonders.
"Did you think this was some kind of ultimatum? Because it never was. It was an offer, and you’re entitled to refuse it. You’ll come for a week, and we’ll figure out the living arrangements when I get back. And I will be back, you can count on it.”
My heart slowly went back to its natural rhythm.
Chapter Twenty-Six
KIN HADN’T BEEN GONE two hours when Aunt Mag marched into the kitchen and announced she was leaving for Myrtle Beach.
“Come with me, Clarie. It’ll be fun.”
“Now? Lexi might need me.”
“Clarabelle Doireann Neasa Balefire, that girl is a full grown adult, and there are four faeries living in the house, plus her familiar. I think she’ll be fine if you take a week at the beach.”
“Go, I’ll be fine, just be back for Samhain because I’m flying to Nashville the day after. Unless I can talk Salem into teaching me to skim from place to place.” I tossed him a look that was part question, part challenge. “Or maybe you could leave Pyewacket here, and she could show me.” Putting his ego on the line almost ensured I’d be zipping like a big witch by the time I was supposed to board the flying metal tube of death.
After that, it didn’t take much to convince Clara to pack a bag and go.
“I’ll be gone for the next few weeks as well,” Vaeta piped up. “Rhys has IMA business in Peru, and I said I’d go with him.”
By the end of the day, we were down to five counting Salem. All the party planning boxes and bins marched—compliments of a nifty spell Mag taught me—out to the garage, and the house felt like it had doubled in size all of a sudden.
With little else to occupy my time over the next couple of weeks, I decided to dig in at FootSwept and get my business back in shape. I might have been using it as an excuse to try and learn more about how to use the bow, but I didn’t see anything wrong with that plan.
Keeping myself busy filled the empty hours, and I threw myself into work with abandon.
When I ran into Mona Katz, and she had to wave a hand six inches from my face before I noticed her standing in front of me, I decided I’d better start trying to find that elusive balance again.
“Lexi, I haven’t seen you in weeks. How are you doing?” Mona was a former client turned friend, not that I had been treating her like one lately.
I squeezed her shoulder as she wrapped me in an enthusiastic hug, and hoped she’d forgive me, “I’m so sorry, Mona. I’ve had some serious family drama to deal with, and now I’m trying to get back into the swing of things with work. How is Mark?”
“We’re right in the middle of a debate about what size television I’ll allow in our future living room—I’m merely suggesting it be smaller than one entire wall, but since I still have ten more months on my lease, he’s got time to wear me down.” Mona smiled that smile all women have when they think about the man they’re hopelessly in love with, and I patted myself on the back for about the tenth time that week.
“Cave on the TV and then demand a gigantic whirlpool tub in the bathroom as compensation.” I winked at Mona, and we dissolved into a fit of giggles that had more to do with missing one another’s company than the actual conversation.
“I’ve got to get back to the shop. Your aunts have commissioned a giant Yoda-shaped groom’s cake for a Star Wars theme wedding this weekend—it’s not my first, believe it or not—and the ears are giving me trouble again. But let’s get together after Kin gets back for a double date.”
I agreed, watched Mona bustle off toward Crumb, where she had made a name for herself as one of the most creative pastry chefs in the city, and made a mental note to tell Kin I’d made us a couples date.
I recalled the details of Mona’s journey to find Mark. I’d known from the second she walked into my office that this woman had a lot of love to give and that her mate was within a stone’s throw from where we sat.
But rather than walking her down the street and introducing the two of them immediately, I’d done what I do best—prepared her for the big life change she was about to undergo. That’s how I’d always operated. I’d get to know my clients, understand what it was they were looking for, and match them to the right person.
In my head, the happily ever after was a given. I mean, you put two soulmates together, and they stay that way, right? Stephanie had to be the exception to the rule, but her story had me curious, and I’d begun obsessing about checking in with all my former matches.
With that thought in mind, I decided to get Flix to show me how to access the database of clients he’d set up on the notebook computer. We’d made up a couple of days before and were still in our post-blowout honeymoon phase.
As I turned the corner onto State Street, I stopped short at the sight of a looming highway billboard framed in purple glitter and featuring a striking woman with a head of flowing auburn hair and a toothpaste-commercial smile.
“Let us find your diamond in the rough” read the tagline, right above a scrawled signature and a phone number. With the advent of online dating sites, traditional matchmakers were thin on the ground, except for me, that is.
Competition didn’t scare me, especially considering I had the blessing of the gods on my side, but Diana Diamond’s face lacked the sincerity I knew contributed to my own success. Too flashy for my tastes, but then again, some people are attracted to shiny things.
And some things are only shiny on the outside, but pure evil on the inside.
The End
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Also by ReGina Welling and Erin Lynn
The Fate Weaver series:
Featuring Lexi Balefire, a matchmaking witch with a certain something extra. Her story is full of magic, romance, zany family antics, and intrigue.
A Match Made in Spell
All Spell is Breaking Loose
To Spell & Back
No Chance in Spell
Spell Hath No Fury
Elder Witch Cozy Mystery Series:
Featuring Mag and Clara Balefire. Sassy sisters, witches, detectives.
Murder Above the Fold
Murder on the Backswing
Murder Below the Waterline
Haunted by Murder
Ponderosa Pines Mysteries
Nothing bad ever happens in the weird little town of Ponderosa Pines...until someone dies.
Cat Killed A Rat
Crafting Disorder
Caught in the Frame
Bait and Snitch
Also by ReGina Welling
The Psychic Seasons Series
A little mystery, a little romance, and a paranormal twist hit Julie Hayward when the ghost of her grandmother shows up with some interesting news.
Rings on Her Fingers
Bells on Her Toes
She Shall Have Music
Wherever She goes
Earthbound Bones
Earthbound Wings
EXCERPT FROM SPELL Hath No Fury
“Are you all right?” Someone shook my shoulder. “Miss, are you all right?” The strange man’s garlic-and-onion breath made an effective substitute for smelling salts.
“What happened?” My head pounded to the beat of my heart, and when I sat up, the world spun once, then twice. My questing fingers probed the throbbing spot and settled on a lump near my temple.
“You slammed right into that trash bin. You were just walking right along and then bam! Next time, you should look where you’re going.”
But I like a good concussion, Captain Obvious. I summoned the retort but was too dazed to bother saying it out loud. His good deed done for the day, my Samaritan heaved himself to standing. He patted the sparse hairs of his up-and-over style back into place and left me to my misery.
No Chance in Spell Page 21