Lisette glanced around, her pulse pounding in her ears. “Who?”
“I don’t know.” The gypsy frowned and turned another card. “A false face beneath a mask.” Giselle closed her eyes, shaking her head. “You must complete the bond as soon as possible.”
“How?”
“Once the protective tattoo is completed, you must…you know…complete the bond between you.”
“You mean…have sex with Michael?” Heat flooded her face. “He’s refused me before.” Humiliated by her confession, she couldn’t meet Giselle’s eyes, especially when the woman said nothing. “Fine. What makes you think I can seduce him, now?”
“He refused because he is an honorable man.” The beautiful gypsy took Lisette’s hand. “He refused me because we are friends, but he refused you because he cares for you.”
“He refused you?” The snort was impossible to contain.
Giselle smiled a small sad smile. “I’d hoped…” She sighed.
“It’s impossible to believe any man could refuse you.”
“Thank you. You’re kind to say so. But the heart knows what the heart wants.” And then she laughed.
The gypsy’s allure was obvious, but the concept boosted Lisette’s self-esteem. “Maybe Michael was being truthful when he claimed he was just being chivalrous.”
“I think so. The cards don’t lie, and neither will his heart. Trust yours.” She pushed the first card at Lisette. “Here, take the card.”
The tall gypsy queen stood and handed her the Tarot card. “Go, give this to Marie. She will create the witch’s tattoo specifically for you.”
Chapter Eight
Michael opened the door as Lisette approached.
“Change into this, over there.” He indicated a privacy screen and gave her a very skimpy top and a thong—if she could call the strings in her hand a thong.
“No robe?” She glanced at Isaiah in the shadows.
Michael turned to see what see was looking at. He shook his head. “Get used to it. You’ll be sky clad with the coven in the future.”
“So Isaiah is in the coven?”
“No, but he and Marie are close friends.” He explained.
“And Desmond?”
“Protection.”
“Makes sense. Desmond’s the man if you’re looking for protection.” She handed Marie the Tarot card. “Giselle said to give this to you.”
“Excellent.” The voodoo queen held the card up, inspecting it carefully. “Once the tattoo is placed over your witch’s mark, it will enhance your power. Michael’s complementing one will merge the power in the pendants.”
Behind the screen, Lisette removed her clothing and put on the next to nothing top and bottom, and took a deep breath before she rejoined the others.
When she emerged, she could no longer see details in the bedroom filled with smoky incense. Suddenly groggy, she called out, “M-Michael?”
“Right here, cher.” His strong presence supported her as her knees gave way. He placed her on the bed and everything turned fuzzy. Marie gave Michael instructions as he arranged Lisette face down on the bed.
“The wards are in place?” Marie asked. Michael nodded. “Then we will prepare the special ink. Isaiah, please help with the blood.”
Michael gently made a cut and took blood from Lisette’s wrist. He allowed it to drip freely into the bowl Isaiah held until the quiet man said, “Enough.” Michael cut himself and added his blood to Lisette’s in the bowl. He handed the athame to Isaiah and puzzled over the way the man’s hand trembled when the knife touched Marie’s skin. She added her own blood to the mix before adding the ink.
Then the voodoo priestess filled in Lisette’s birthmark with the spirit animals, and the pentagram became a magical masterpiece. As Michael chanted the protection spell, the power filled the room. Then something changed. His power left him, merged with Lisette’s outside their bodies, split, and returned, a blended magic. Part of her magic slammed into him and filled him with joy.
Once they completed the ceremony, he escorted his guests to the door, thanking each of them as they left.
Giselle turned and added, “The Tarot warned of a false face. You are in immediate danger. Convince her to complete the ceremony before the night is over for her own sake.”
Marie’s eyes rolled back in her head as she warned, “There is more to the bond than merging your bodies and your power. You must give of yourself.”
Desmond whispered so only Michael could hear him, “I’ll stay nearby. I sensed demon power nearby. There’s something strange about Isaiah tonight.” Then he stepped outside and the others disappeared into the night.
Chapter Nine
Barely conscious through the tattooing process, Lisette’s visions came later. Isaiah morphed into the evil warlock who’d killed her parents—then he became a bear.
The bear-man leaned over Michael, and his clawed hands gripped his neck, choking him. She sought the power to banish the evil one and protect Michael. Dragging it from the air around her and the earth beneath her feet, she reached out for Michael, sent the power into him, and banished the evil.
“Mi-i-i-chael! Isaiah. No, the b-bear,” she screamed, and jumped up.
“Lisette!” Michael crashed through the door and tumbled into the room. Lisette shivered in fear, naked and alone in the bed. He pulled up the sheet, covered her, and sat down beside her. She clutched the sheet like a shield.
“It’s okay, cher.” He took her in his embrace and wrapped himself around her shivering shoulders.
Her fingers dug into Michael’s back, clutching him to her, and holding him as if her very life depended on the contact.
“He isn’t…Isaiah. He’s the warlock who killed my parents. Ugly. The bear in your vision, Michael. He was here. Here in my mind.” She tapped her temple.
Desmond came charging through the door with Marisa close behind him. “What happened?”
“Artemis Shade!” Michael gasped. “How did he get through the wards?”
“If Artemis possessed Isaiah. Maybe he forced him to use a concealment spell,” Marisa suggested.
“He intends to kill you and take me for the power, Michael.” Lisette shivered.
“Desmond?” Michael swore beneath his breath.
“Right. I’ll see what I can find out.”
Desmond turned to leave with Marisa but Lisette stopped them. “Desmond, Marisa? Thank you.”
The big man winked, and Marisa returned to hug her. “I love you, sweetie. Michael, be careful with my bestie.”
“No problem.” Then he whispered in Lisette’s ear, “I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
“But, you didn’t want this...me.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Did you?”
He cocked a dark brow at her and then kissed his way to her neck and up to her ear. Nibbling, he murmured, “Yes, more than anything.”
Without waiting for her response, his lips claimed hers, and when she opened her eyes, something magical passed between them.
“I accepted my destiny, but I dreaded losing you.” The sadness in his voice was unmistakable. “I thought I’d blown it this time.”
“You certainly had me fooled.”
“Lisette, you were the one I envisioned when I dreamed of my power. You are my life, my destiny, and my…love.”
“Love? I hope you’re right, for both our sakes.”
Michael ran his fingers over her new tattoo and held a mirror for her to see. “It’s already healed.”
“It’s beautiful, unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
Lisette couldn’t deny her connection with Michael. “Once Marie imbedded the magic into the tattoo on my witch’s mark, I felt a closer link to you.”
“I felt it, too. Once we reunite the Pentacle of Power, we’ll hold the power, but we won’t be able to transform into our spirit animals—at least not yet. There will be a full moon tomorrow night.”
“You’ll guide me
through my first transition?”
“We’ll guide each other. Outside my vision, I’ve never done this before, either.” His forehead furrowed. “There’s something more you should know.”
She ran her hand over his cheek. “I know we have to physically join to merge the pendants.”
“We’ll need to do much more before night becomes day.”
“I’m okay with this, Michael.”
“Really? Do your feelings for me go beyond sexual attraction?”
“At one time, yes, they did.”
“Lisette, before we…you know. You have to believe I’ve loved you all along. Will you give yourself a chance to love me again?”
She sat up straighter. “I don’t know. Love isn’t the issue. Trust is.”
“That will come. I’m willing to earn it as long as I know you can love me.”
Michael wrapped her in her sheet, picked her up, and carried her to his room. His lips whispered words in old Gaelic she didn’t understand, but she heard his vow clearly in her mind.
“Now and forever, through this life and all others, my love is yours.”
Lisette felt the same way, but after the way Michael went hot and cold on her, she was afraid to trust her heart to him, not when everything was at stake.
****
“I’ll be a moment,” he said as she waited in his bed.
Waiting increased the fluttering in her stomach. Anticipation heated her in ways his touch never had. The room went dark, then five candles, hanging from each point on the pentagram embedded in the ceiling over the bed, lit, and she saw Michael in all his naked glory.
Power and masculine beauty surrounded by his aura. The aura reached out, touching and blending, essence and emotions, weaving his with hers, baring his soul and his heart for her to claim or discard, trust or reject.
Before Michael physically touched her, he had offered is soul, becoming one with her. She could never deny the man who’d sacrifice his pride for her.
“Michael.” Lisette dropped the sheet and made room on the bed. “I accept you in this life and all others, now and forever, my love is yours.”
His lips quirked into a satisfied grin and fireworks lit the sky outside.
“Show off,” she said.
“You haven’t seen anything yet, cher.” He pushed her back on the bed, and said, “Relax. Take what I give you.”
Michael spread her hair out on the pillow. “So beautiful.”
“Come to me. Kiss me.” She needed him touching her. “I want to taste you.”
He moved her knees apart with his and settled between her hips holding her hands over her head. “I’ve wanted the feel of you beneath me, around me, for so long.”
The weight of him thrilled her. The scattered hair on his chest stimulated her nipples before he even touched them. “Let me touch you.”
He shook his head. “This time is all for you. Let me ready you. The sound of my name on your lips when you come is all I need. I want your pleasure first then I want it all.”
Lisette closed her eyes and succumbed to his magic. Over and over, he took her to the screaming edge of orgasm then drew her back. Each trip to the brink increased her desire and elevated the longing to dive into the pleasure. Frustration made her tremble with anticipation, impatient and eager for his next touch.
“Michael, please.” Begging and thrashing her head from side to side, she panted, “I need...”
“What, cher? What do you need?” His fingers skimmed her sensitive nipples, and she gasped when he continued tormenting her with his magic feather-light touch. “This?” he asked, thrusting his fingers inside her.
Goddess, yes…but more.
She couldn’t take the desperate need any longer. His talented hands and tongue found erotic places within her where she’d never been touched.
“Y-you,” she gasped. “All of you, Michael.”
His next touch reduced her to particles of energy. The world-shattering explosion sent her flying apart. Pure energy. Pure pleasure.
She arched back and screamed out his name, giving him what he’d asked for, as waves of sweet magic engulfed her until she was too weak to speak.
“Open your eyes and your heart, my love. Watch as I make love to you, and trust my love will cause you no pain.”
The virgin mating spell. Lisette recognized it from the Grimoire. Originally, curiosity made her read it. Noting his size—she hoped it worked.
Michael entered her slowly, and she stretched easily to accommodate him. The spell worked as he penetrated her, burying himself completely within her. She suddenly felt eager to have him fill the emptiness she just now realized had been a part of her forever.
“Cher, stay with me. This is where we belong. Can you feel it? The oneness?”
He was right; his presence within her was magic. Power. Heat. Energy. The elements merged their souls as he rocked into her.
“Say the words with me, Lisette. Say the words that will forge the pendant back together.” He held himself over her with one arm, bicep straining, and gripped his pendant and hers in his other hand, sliding in and deliberately out of her.
“Now. I can’t hold back much longer.” His voice sounded ragged and guttural with desire as he thrust.
Her own climax threatened again, as she began the vow. His words joined hers.
“In this life and in all others, now and forever, my love is yours.”
The power within the pendants flashed, and as Michael and Lisette came together as one, the Pentacle of Power fused.
Michael, breathing hard and ragged, collapsed to Lisette’s side. She lay splayed and spent, unable and unwilling to move after the perfect moment.
“Are you all right, cher?” He turned on his side, propped one arm under his head, and threw a leg across her hips.
She turned to him. “I couldn’t be any more all right…unless you were inside me again.”
“Ah, give me a minute.”
Michael laughed as she rolled into his embrace and kissed his chest. Her whispered breath heated his skin. “You filled a void I didn’t know existed in my life and in my heart.”
He tilted her chin up to meet her eye to eye. “From the moment we met, you filled my own emptiness. I should have known.” Brushing her hair from her face, he gently smoothed his thumb across her cheek. “I should have trusted my feelings.”
“Maybe I’ll forgive you,” she paused and ran her fingers down his abdomen, “if you could just do that little hip move again. You know that thrust and twist thingy…”
Lisette giggled and burst into fits of laughter when he tossed her to her back then began tickling her.
“Oh, cher, I have a few more moves you haven’t seen. I’m sure they’ll eventually earn my forgiveness.” Michael’s eyes finally smiled, and her laughter stopped when he took her breath with a soul sealing kiss.
Chapter Ten
The next night at the coven party, even members who wanted to ignore her accepted Lisette once they saw her wearing the Pentacle of Power.
“We lost the ability to shift seventy-five years ago.” Michael clasped her against him. “They’re excited. We’re about to gift them with the ability to use their spirit animals.”
“Have you heard anything about Isaiah?”
“Desmond hasn’t spotted him. But we want to find him soon and release him from Artemis Shade’s spell.”
“You never told me about Desmond. If Artemis is a demon and Isaiah is Marie’s descendent, what’s Desmond?” Lisette asked.
Michael’s laugh rumbled in his chest.
“Tell me!” she insisted.
“Think about Desmond. What he’s like. Now imagine a being known to be exactly the opposite. What comes to mind?” Michael teased.
“Uh devilish. Opposite…an angel. An angel? You’re kidding.” The laughter bubbled up within her. “That’s choice.”
“Now let’s dance, cher.” Michael swept her to the dance floor, and while they danced, he hummed softly in h
er ear.
The timbre of his voice sent heat soaring through her, and especially now, after the marathon love fest last night. The words he murmured to the tune didn’t match the lyrics, and he inserted her name. “Marry me. I’ve always loved you, Lisette.”
Had she heard him correctly? Or was this new, light hearted Michael teasing her?
She paused to look into his face. “Those aren’t the words.” She frowned at him.
He grinned. “Sure they are. Listen...” and he sang it again his way with the refrain. “Well, what do you say?”
“Yes, Michael, yes. Now when do we get to shift?”
“Tomorrow night, cher. Patience.” They danced on, and he kissed her to seal the deal.
What should have been a sad song, would never be to her. To Lisette, it represented the instant when their two hearts were finally bound for eternity.
Chapter Eleven
The next night in the clearing in the woods, with the circle and the altar completed, Michael and Lisette prepared to shift.
When Michael removed his ceremonial robe, the effect of him naked in the woods and the magic, made her breathless. She waited as he approached, naked and virile beneath the light of the waning full moon.
With a firm touch, he slipped her robe from one shoulder. Exposing her skin to his lips, he heatedly murmured, deep and husky, “I can’t get beyond knowing you’re finally mine.”
Lisette released a long sigh. “The feeling’s mutual, big guy.”
She dropped her robe, pressed herself against him, skin to skin, then wrapped him in her arms and stroked his tattoo. “Turn around. I want to see the magic at work.”
The five animals in the design on his back began to move, responding to her touch.
“These are your spirit animals, right?” Lisette asked fascinated.
“They are our spirit animals. Yours, mine, the coven’s.”
Lisette felt her witch’s tattoo come to life, the movement on her back encouraging her magic. “We have control over the animals?”
“Over their spirits, yes. Once joined with our animal spirit, we obtain their power.”
Hauntings in the Garden, Volume One Page 5