He stopped just as his fingers touched her arm. Remembering her instructions, he pulled his hands back. She threw back her head and uttered another loud cry that tore at his restraint. Her hands moved in the thick mist, pulling out something invisible. If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought she was drawing the wound and the pain away from Raymond, and deep into her.
Was it possible? How could that be?
Seeing her in the throes of such terrible pain, it took considerable willpower to stop himself from pulling her away from the man on the bed. The fear that he would hurt her more in the process was the only thing that kept him from performing that action. He gulped, his fingers inches away from her, ready to yank her to safety the moment he felt she was too far gone.
And gone she was, into the world of spirits and the dead.
There was simply no other explanation for it.
Her brow was lined with sweat. Her body jerked as if she was being punched by an invisible force. Deep, shuddering gasps escaped her lips but her hands didn’t leave the mist, nor did she step back from that which was causing her relentless suffering.
Slowly, the mist subsided, and as it did so, Aerilyn relaxed. Her eyes opened, and she stepped away. Cole held her as she nearly collapsed.
“Damn it! Did you have to do that?” Carrying her, he took her to the couch that was lined against the wall under the window. She was unconscious, but her breathing was even. He debated what to do. Calling upon the dead took its toll; he remembered she’d fainted after calling Thomas. And what she’d done today was much more than anything he’d ever seen before.
He rubbed her hands, hoping to bring some warmth to her icy body, but there was no response. Deeply worried now, he decided to take her to the hospital – but first he needed to check on the patient. He would have to take them both.
Cole walked over to Raymond. To his surprise, he looked much better. His color was improved and his breathing was deep and even. This man wasn’t on the verge of death as he had been mere moments ago. Aerilyn had pulled him back from the jaws of death. And the evidence of it was the watermelon sized wound that had been a blistering, deep lesion minutes ago. It was now a circle no bigger than the palm of his hand. Red and raw, it oozed a white, sticky material that frizzled and popped. With each pop, the circle diminished in size. The rest of wound that had already healed was a bright shade of red but there was no other indication that it had been burned mere moments ago.
Cole’s face paled. If this wasn’t magic, what was?
He poked at the edge of the wound, not sure if what he was seeing was an illusion or reality.
“Bloody hell!” The man sat up with a loud cry.
Cole jumped back a full step. “What the hell?”
Raymond rubbed his belly. After looking down at his wound that was now the size of a large coin, he glanced at Cole. “Who are you?”
“I’m…a friend of Aerilyn.” Cole pointed at Aerilyn who was still sleeping on the couch.
“Is she alright?” Raymond swung his legs off the bed and stood. Walking over to Aerilyn, he put his hand on her forehead. “Exhausted. She needs rest.”
Anger roiled in his heart. “No thanks to you.”
Raymond stood. He scratched the red skin on his belly. “Yes, I can see how you would see it like that. We need to make a medicine for her. She’ll need it when she wakes up. I’ll go down and make it.”
As Raymond stepped towards the door, Cole grabbed his arm. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to believe this man who seemed all too careless about Aerilyn’s wellbeing. “Is she going to be alright?”
Raymond surveyed him, his eyes bright and curious. “What she needs is sleep. And you…you’re not a wizard?”
“No. I am just an ordinary mortal.”
Raymond laughed. “Son, we’re all mortals. Didn’t I just prove it by nearly dying?”
“What should we do for her? Should I try to wake her up?” He hated to ask this imbecile for help, but there was no one else around. Fear licked his insides.
“It’s going to be a while before she wakes up. All she needs is some sleep.”
Cole debated taking her to the doctor, but what would he say? How could he – how could anyone explain what he had seen. “I’ll put her on the bed.”
“You do that.” Raymond went downstairs.
After walking over to Aerilyn, he smoothed her hair. Her skin was ice-cold. He put her on the bed and covered her with a duvet. Although he hated to leave her alone, Cole wanted some answers. And he was going to get them out of Raymond. As he climbed down, Cole took a good look at the house. It was massive, beautifully decorated with rich, wooden furniture and paintings by famous artists. In the living space was a huge, copper sculpture of a man and woman entwined together in the act of love. Cole knew the Japanese artist who had created this; it was a highly expensive piece of art.
Raymond was in the open kitchen next to the living room. A green box with the logo of Witch Central on it stood open on the counter. It was filled with small vials, some of which contained pills and others contained liquid. Raymond had a booklet open in front of it. Consulting it periodically, he was adding things from the box to the two pans that were sitting on the stove, half filled with water. The water in one of the pans was a light hue of blue.
“What are you doing?”
“Making a medicine for Aerilyn. And for myself. I’ve never used this before. Shhh!” Raymond shushed him as he delicately tipped a vial into one of the pots. Four drops of pale brown liquid fell into the water which instantly changed the color to green. “And that should do it.”
He switched off the stove and put the vial back into the box which he shoved in a cabinet under the counter.
“How did you get hurt?”
Raymond glanced at him, a flustered, slightly embarrassed look on his face. “A spell gone wrong. It was rather unfortunate. I thought I had it under control. Was quite sure actually, but it slipped away from me.”
“What slipped away?” Cole watched as Raymond poured the green liquid into a white, ceramic cup.
“The fire.” Raymond handed him the cup. “Why don’t you go put it on the bedside table beside Aerilyn. She’s going to need it when she wakes up.”
The liquid had no discernible smell. Cole carried it gingerly up the stairs. After putting it on the bedside table, he sat beside Aerilyn. There were dark shadows under her eyes, and her skin was looking pale – but otherwise it looked as if she were sleeping. He ran a hand over her hair, but she didn’t even move. If it wasn’t for her even breathing, he might have thought she was dead – so still and pale she was.
Goddamn it! He’d ended up with a real, bona fide witch. A month ago he would have scoffed at the idea. Two weeks ago he would have been determined to unravel the lies behind her work. But today, he believed. If he hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, no one could have convinced him that such a thing was possible. That man had been on the brink of death. Even if they had taken him to the hospital, he might not have survived. And if he had lived to tell the tale, it would have been after weeks of medical attention and therapy.
What else could he do but believe what he saw.
Everything she’d said and done was real – as real as it could get. He’d known she was special – but now he knew she was extraordinary beyond measure.
For what seemed like half the night, he sat by her side or paced the room. Once, she moved. After straightening, she fell back into deep sleep. Cole sat on the couch, and weaved in and out of a dreamless sleep. Finally, tired and exhausted, he stood and opened the curtain to peek outside. Dawn was just breaking on the far horizon. Orange and red streaks speckled across the sky, lending an eerie, soft light to the forest that was spread out over the wall of the house. As he watched, a deer walked out from behind a tree and stood silent for a moment before disappearing back into the forested depths.
At the sound of footsteps, he turned.
“How is she?” Raymond came inside.
<
br /> “I can’t tell.” Frustration gnawed at him. He turned to the man who was responsible for her condition. “Downstairs. Right now.”
Without looking to see if Raymond was following orders, Cole stomped down the staircase. He whirled around to see the man who had the nerve to look amused. Temper that had been flickering at the limit of his control snapped. Cole grabbed the man’s collar and hauled him up. “Tell me why I should not drag you to the police right this instant.”
“And what will you tell them?”
Cole’s eyes narrowed at the sardonic lilt in his voice. “If she doesn’t wake up soon, I am going to beat you black and bloody.”
“Cole, put him down.”
Raymond nearly fell as Cole let him go. He rushed to Aerilyn and gathered her in his arms. Relief, warm and fuzzy, coursed through him. “You’re up.”
Letting her go, he took her chin in his hand and looked at her. Her eyes were still glazed over and there were dark shadows under them, but otherwise she looked fine.
“I’m alright.” She ran a hand over his arm as if reassuring him. Her gaze slid to Raymond. “And you’re alive, Raymond.”
“Thanks to you, my dear.” He came over, took her hand in his, and planted a kiss on it. “We were worried about you.”
“A spell gone bad? Fire, I presume?”
He grimaced. “An accident.”
“Lucky for you I was nearby, Raymond. Any later and no one could have saved you.”
“I know, my dear. I give you my solemn oath to be more careful in the future.”
Aerilyn pulled her hand away. “You’ve given me the same promise before, Raymond. And yet you can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Thanks for the medicine.”
“I’m glad I could help you. Why don’t you sit down?”
“I think I will do that.” She walked over to the off-white couch and sat. Cole sat beside her, seemingly unable to pull himself away from her now that she had rejoined the living. “You will live, Raymond. But you came close. Too close. What did you do?”
“It was an experiment. I lit a candle, tried to raise the flame, and bring it over to me. Just a tiny spark. It grew too big for me to control and hit me. It sizzled through my shield as knife does through butter…and bam.”
“Fire is not your element. If you’re going to experiment, you need a buddy, someone who can keep you safe.” Aerilyn shifted her legs. “You scared the hell out of me this time.”
He stood. “Me too. Come on, I will cook you something. A breakfast fit for a king. It’s the least I can do.”
Raymond went into the kitchen. While he took out eggs and switched on his humongous coffee maker, Cole stepped outside. The garden outside the front entrance was just coming to life as the first rays of the sun trickled down. Rose bushes lined the tall, stone wall that stretched far. The grass was neatly cut and well-maintained.
Cole sat on the steps to the entrance, reveling in the beauty of a new day. He heard steps come up behind him as Aerilyn came out. She handed him a cup of hot, steaming coffee. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” His voice was gruff. “And you? What you did last night…it took its toll on you?”
She sat beside him. “It was difficult. Raymond’s burn was deep and affected his organs. Normally, I don’t…use the spirits’ power to heal because it’s a very risky endeavor.”
He didn’t think he would ever be able to understand what she did, and how she did it. It was beyond his comprehension – but he knew she had pushed herself too hard. “It was dangerous for you.”
“I knew what I was doing, but yet, it could have been dangerous. Stalking death always is.”
“No doctor could have done what you did. If he’d gone to the hospital, it would have taken him weeks, if not months, to recover,” he stated as he gazed into her fatigued eyes. “Can you replicate what you did in a hospital? With your talent, you could save countless lives.”
“Raymond is an illusionist, but sometimes he mixes his magic in to create new acts. He shouldn’t have done it. Fire is not an easy element to control. Once it is born, it takes on a life of its own. A fire mage could handle it, but for an air mage, it takes years of practice to master even the simplest task.”
Cole shifted slightly. “You have not answered my question?”
She met his gaze, a flush appearing in her cheeks. “I wish I could use my gift to heal people, but it’s not easy. The magic takes its toll. If I was to do it again now, the sheer effort would likely kill me. Doing it on a regular basis would be next to impossible.”
He wanted to…needed to understand. “So the gift has its limits?”
“Yes. Witches and wizards have to be careful. The power can turn back on the user within a heartbeat.”
For a moment, they were both quiet. A trio of birds landed on the birdhouse that was installed in one corner of the garden. One of them dove into the water fountain that stood alongside. It flew out, chirping.
“You scared the hell out of me,” he admitted. “I didn’t know what to do to help you when you…slept.”
“I’m sorry. There was no time for explanations before. If I had waited, Raymond would have died.”
He nodded. “Right. It’s fine. I understand.” He winced as the image of her lying motionless on the bed crossed his mind. He hoped to never see her in such a state again. “I’ll be prepared next time.”
“Next time?” She choked back a laugh. “Cole, we’ve to be honest with each other. This…everything I do is not in your comfort zone. I am a witch. This is what I do. If you want to walk away after last night, I will understand. No hard feelings.”
He stared at her, his mind blank. What was she talking about? How could she even say something like this? It was hard to ignore the lance of pain that stabbed his heart at her clear mistrust. “Are you nuts? Who is walking away? You can’t just spring a surprise on me and not expect me to have a reaction.”
“But…aren’t you repulsed?”
He stared at her, his expression incredulous. How could she even think like that? “Repulsed? Are you crazy? It was amazing. Of course, I wish you hadn’t risked your life, but the sheer power, the gift…it is astonishing. I was blown away.”
“You…” She took a deep breath. A shadow danced in her eyes, and she looked away. For a long moment she stared at the birds that were dipping in and out of the fountain. A soft breeze ruffled through her hair. “My father walked away when he found out that both my brother and I had magic. It was one thing to be married to someone who claimed to be a witch, and another to have children who could do things he had never imagined. He couldn’t handle it. If you were going to walk way, I would prefer if you did it now…rather than later.”
Cole put his coffee cup down. He held her hand in his and with the other lifted her chin, staring into her blue eyes. “I’m not walking away. Not now. Not ever. Get that through your head once and for all. I accept your gift, your power as a part of you, a wonderful, amazing part…but it’s not the whole you. And I love the whole you.”
“Love?” She drew back, a look of profound terror in her eyes.
He laughed. “Yes, Love. I love you. You’re an amazing, beautiful, strong, and capable woman who scared the crap out of me with your hocus-pocus, but it’s as much a part of you as your generous heart and your willful spirit. Perhaps it’s too early. I don’t know…” He paused. “But we will take each day as it comes. I just want you to understand that I am in this for the long haul. I am not going to walk way or disappear. We will work it out each day as it comes.”
He kissed her, her lips soft and sweet under his. His breath caught in his throat as he savored the taste of her. A quick rush of heat snaked right to the tip of his toes.
“This is the part where you tell me that you love me back,” he said when they separated. The glazed look in her eyes massaged his ego that had taken a nosedive when she didn’t immediately return his declaration of love. But he was a patient man.
Now that he had
set his eyes on her, she didn’t stand a chance.
Aerilyn gulped. “It’s…big. Love, I mean. I don’t know…”
He rolled his eyes and picked up his cup of coffee. “It’s fine. I can wait. Neither one of us is getting out of each other’s life. Now go on, scoot. Tell Raymond to light a fire under those pancakes. I am starving.”
She got up, looking befuddled at his easy tone. Good. He intended to keep her off-balance. It was all he had – and he intended to use everything at his disposal to woo her. And then when she was good and ready to fall, he would be there to catch her. For one thing was as clear to him as the coming day – he was never letting her go.
Chapter Thirteen
The next day was as routine as it could it be. But the gears in Aerilyn’s mind were clicking as she wrapped up her paperwork, shot off emails for new orders, and contacted the suppliers she had short-listed. She turned the idea in her head over and over again. It was bold, it was risky – but if it paid off, they would be able to get this investigation on Thomas’s death behind them.
Knight walked in, looked at her, and jumped up on her desk. She ran a hand through his soft fur. “We’re doing well for ourselves, aren’t we, buddy?” He yawned, plopped down, and began to lick himself.
Selina walked in. Today, she had dressed in a flamboyant gold top and paired it with narrow, black pants. The three-inch heel not only elevated her height, but also gave a classy, sexy look to her outfit. She was positively blooming. “Sold. The new pewter fountain.”
“The leprechaun?” Aerilyn wailed. “I just got it two days ago. What do we put in the display window now?”
Selina grinned as she sat at the edge of Aerilyn’s desk. “If that’s your biggest problem then we have nothing to worry about. Business is doing well. You should be happy.”
“I’m happy. Of course, I am. But we can’t leave the display window empty. Another fountain?”
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