This had the potential to ruin the SpellMaker family. Stiff penalties were placed on contracts such as these to prevent families from doing exactly what he was trying to do now.
Dale’s voice was laced with concern. “To break a marriage contract could set a very dangerous precedent. I don’t understand…I thought magic was supposed to ensure the kids fell in love with each other.”
Grant nodded. “It is.” He almost growled. “I don’t have any idea what went wrong here. There have been rumors that the Firedrakes might dabble in black magic. I don’t know if it’s true, and I don’t want to start any unsubstantiated rumors, but maybe there is some truth to it. Maybe they’ve upset the balance or have screwed with magic somehow. I don’t know.”
He drew a deep breath to calm the anger rumbling through him. “All I really know right now is that I would be very concerned for Quayk’s safety if she were to live in their household. And having Hollister in mine would be the equivalent to inviting the devil to sit at my dinner table. I need to find a way out of this, now.”
“Okay, I’ll get on it tonight. But if there is a way out, I assure you it will be very costly.”
Grant swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. “How much is the life of my daughter worth, Dale?”
“I hear ya.” Dale took an audible breath. “My mother-in-law is here for dinner. So I can’t get to it for a couple of hours, but I promise I’ll start on it right after she leaves tonight.”
“Thanks, Dale. I appreciate it.” He hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair.
Could the Oracle have been wrong when it selected Hollister as Quayk’s intended? He’d never heard of an Oracle being wrong before, but if there had been some sort of shift in magic, perhaps the ceremony could be repeated somehow to confirm this was still the right move.
He picked up the phone again, and dialed the number for the town Oracle. The old one had passed a few years ago and S’Mone was new, but he liked her a lot better than her predecessor—a cranky old man that was a cross between a witchdoctor and a televangelist. There had been rumors of corruption with the previous Oracle. But so far, there had been nothing but good spoken of the new one.
She picked up on the third ring. “S’Mone. How can I help you?”
“Good evening. This is Grant SpellMaker, and I need to run something by you. Do you have a few minutes to talk in private? Could I come over now and have maybe a half hour of your time?”
“Of course. I just finished my dinner and will put the dishes in the sink to soak. Meet me out back at my office in about ten minutes.”
“Wonderful. Thank you. I’ll be there in ten.” He didn’t wait for a response before he dropped the phone into the cradle.
Gran sat a moment, grateful for the ray of hope that had wormed its way into his mind. Perhaps she would agree to repeat the ceremony.
Maybe we’ll get lucky and it’ll yield a different result.
He pushed back from his desk, picked up his car keys, and headed into the house to see how his family was doing before he left.
Inside he found Quayk and her sisters at the dining room table. Quayk ate her dinner like a starving waif, as her siblings all chatted at her at once. Their sugar gliders were all piled up in the corner behind their toys, napping. His kids all looked up as he entered.
He crossed to the table and put his hand on Quayk’s shoulder. “You okay? Need anything?”
She shook her head as she met his gaze. “No, daddy. I’m fine.” She picked up her half-empty plate and started to rise. “Did you want to talk now?”
“No.” He held her in place. “Don’t get up. I have to go out for a little bit. Just wanted to be sure you were okay before I left. Slicer and Garcia are both posted outside. They will be here all night, keeping an eye on the house. The rest of McCall’s team will get some shut-eye, and be back to keep an eye on the perimeter of the ranch later tonight.”
He looked around the table. “If any of you need anything, or anything happens, you tell one of them and they’ll handle it.”
They all nodded.
“I won’t be gone long.” He turned and headed for the garage.
As he pulled his car out of the garage and turned down the driveway, he saw light glint off of a vehicle at the end of his drive. His pulse quickened and he went on alert as he accelerated. At the end of the drive, he recognized Alex’s black Ford truck, so he stopped and rolled his window down.
“Don’t you ever sleep?” he asked. “I thought you guys were gonna grab some shut-eye and come back later.”
Alex walked over to the car and put one hand on the lower frame of the car window. “I got plenty of sleep last night with a storm howling outside, and me trapped inside that cave.” His expression turned serious. “Besides, I don’t trust those two.”
Grant watched as a car drove by on the highway. “Yeah, they make me uneasy too. Listen, if you have the bandwidth, I’d like to hire you as Quayk’s personal bodyguard for a few weeks, or however long it takes for this thing to get resolved.”
Alex’s brows rose. “Me? Jerry will be back with his guys by tomorrow night. Shouldn’t they handle it?”
Grant shook his head. “No. I’d prefer to have you, if you can take on the job. My wife has another event about a week after she returns, and I have a business trip to China possibly as early as next week. Normally there would be no concerns with Jerry’s staff covering all of us. But with everything that’s happened in the last twenty-four hours, I’d feel better if you and your team could take on security here at the ranch, while Jerry’s team covers my wife and I.”
Grant evaluated the young man’s expression as he seemed to consider the job offer.
Finally, Alex shrugged. “Okay, sure. We can take it on. I may have to bring a couple of other guys in from the ranch. But I guarantee every one of ‘em is as good as the guys on the case now.”
Grant nodded. “That’s good enough for me. Thank you.” He put the car in drive, “Well, I’d better get going. I have about three minutes to get to town for a meeting. I shouldn’t be more than a half hour to an hour.”
Alex straightened and stepped back from the car. “Okay. I’ll keep an eye out here. The rest of the team should be here by the time you get back.”
Grant nodded and waved as he hit the gas and rolled up the window. He pulled out onto the highway toward town, anxious to hear what the Oracle might think of his concerns.
One thing was for sure…this wouldn’t be easy or cheap to resolve. How badly did the Firedrakes want the SpellMaker power? Did they want it badly enough to do something stupid? Badly enough to kill for it?
It certainly wouldn’t be the first time in history that had happened.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Grant lifted his hand to knock on the outside door to S’Mone’s office, but the door opened before he could.
S’Mone nodded and her long marble-white hair floated on the breeze as it blew past her, into the house, from outside. Her golden eyes with the upright slits had always unnerved him. “Hello, Mr. SpellMaker. Do come in.”
He slipped past the tall, thin woman, dressed in wide-leg pants and a light cotton blouse, and looked around her waiting room, which had changed significantly since she’d taken over after the previous Oracle’s death.
He smiled appreciatively. “I love what you’ve done with the place. Much more warm and inviting.”
She returned his smile, her full lips curving up slightly as her golden eyes softened. “Yeah, I’m afraid my predecessor enjoyed a style much more stark than my tastes. Fortunately, most of my clients seem to enjoy the changes.” She motioned for him to sit as she locked the door to ensure their meeting would be private.
S’Mone sat across from him and leaned forward with one arm braced across her knee. “What can I do for you, Mr. SpellMaker? I seldom hear from you, so I surmise you must have tremendous need to contact me after hours and on short notice.”
He nodded. “Yes, and I’m sorry for the
hour of the intrusion. But my need is, in fact, great. And I wished to keep our meeting private from the prying eyes of the town.”
She inclined her head. “I understand. Continue.”
He cleared his throat as he thought about where to start. How could he tactfully ask her if magic had screwed up? Finally, he decided to address it head-on.
“S’Mone, I have a big issue in my household. My daughter is contracted to marry Hollister Firedrake, but she hates the man. The previous Oracle said he was the chosen intended, and magic would ensure they came to love each other.”
S’Mone’s eyes stretched round, but she did not interrupt.
“My daughter ran away from home yesterday because she is determined not to marry a man she despises.”
S’Mone gasped slightly as she raised one hand to cover her mouth.
Grant pushed forward. “While I was in the midst of the search for my daughter, the Firedrakes showed up at my house insisting she was Hollister’s property and, as such, he should head the investigation. They threatened me with a media circus if I did not comply.”
S’Mone lifted her head and stared at the ceiling. When she looked back, she commented, “That does not sound like the actions of a man in love. Or, perhaps he was so distraught over her disappearance that…”
Grant shook his head. “No. I’m certain he cares not a whit for my daughter. This was not about Quayk. This was about the SpellMaker power. Of that I am positive.”
“So what is it you want of me, Grant SpellMaker?” She leaned back in her chair and waited.
“I want to know if it is possible the previous Oracle could have been wrong, or if a shift in magic could have changed things. Perhaps Hollister is no longer the intended?”
S’Mone pursed her lips as she seemed to consider his request. After a moment, she leaned forward again and lowered her voice. “I suppose it is possible this is no longer the correct match. But there would be only one way to know.”
Grant’s heartbeat kicked up a notch and he scooted forward to the edge of his seat. “What’s that?”
S’Mone watched him for a moment. “To repeat the Destiny Determination Ceremony.”
He stared at the woman as he tried to get his mind around what she’d said.
She added, “But there are some dangers in repeating the ceremony. Should it be confirmed he is no longer the intended, you still have a contract. The law could force you to pay the penalties outlined in the contract even if magic has changed its mind.”
He nodded. “I understand. I expected as much.”
“Also, the eligible pool of men has changed since her first ceremony. It is possible the man who is now her intended could be married or engaged to another.”
Grant considered it for a moment. “What would happen if that were the case?”
S’Mone leaned forward to underscore her point. “Once the magic has selected an intended, it will not be denied. There are two choices.”
She held up one finger as her golden eyes narrowed. “First, we could limit the men in attendance to only those within her original marriage pool, who are not committed in any way to another. The danger here is if her intended is now committed to another, we will not find him, and she could be relegated to remain single and without love forever.”
S’Mone held up two fingers. “Second, we invite everyone in her original marriage pool, regardless of current circumstances. The danger here is if we find magic has selected a new mate for her, that man will fall in love with her, regardless of his previous circumstances. In this method, we could tear apart a family if the man has a wife and children.”
She leaned back in her seat. “I recommend you think very carefully about this, Grant SpellMaker, and perhaps consult with your daughter. She will be the one who must live with the outcome.”
She watched him for a moment before she reiterated by holding up one finger, “Risk being alone and unloved an entire lifetime.” She held up the second finger, “Or risk ruining the lives of others.”
“And what if we choose to terminate the contract and pay the penalty?”
S’Mone raised both brows. She knew how steep the penalties were to terminate a marriage contract. “The result would most likely be the same as option two. Magic chose this man once. If she terminates the contract, you will pay the penalties and she will never find love.”
S’Mone’s eyes softened as she added, “There is no easy choice here.”
The next morning, Grant called his daughter into his office. As Quayk entered, he pulled the door shut behind her and motioned for her to sit.
She took a seat and watched him, knowing full-well she was in for the lecture of her life. But she had done a lot of soul-searching last night and had decided to do whatever was expected of her. It was the only way to hold onto her family and, in turn, who she was. She was a SpellMaker, and she would make her father proud.
So before her father could speak, she started, “Daddy, I’m sorry about what I did. I understand now that I was wrong, and I promise it won’t happen again.” Her heart sagged as if someone had hung a hundred-pound weight on it. “I will follow through with the marriage contract.”
Her father’s expression never changed. He simply stared at her.
After a few moments, she began to squirm. “Daddy, did you hear me? I said I would marry Hollister.”
He nodded. “I heard you.” He watched her for another moment before he continued. “But I might have another choice for you…if you will accept it.”
Quayk’s heart soared for a moment. Maybe her father had found a way out, perhaps a loophole in the contract. “Anything. I’ll do whatever you ask of me.”
Her father shook his head. “No, this is not something I could ever ask of you, and let me be clear. As far as I’m concerned, you are no longer obligated to marry Hollister Firedrake.”
She stared to speak, but her father held up one hand to stop her.
“Let me finish first. Then you will have the freedom to speak your mind.”
She nodded and scooted back in her chair.
“Understand that I do have a contract with Hollister’s father, and it does have a provision for cancellation. I had Dale Benson up all night to confirm the terms of the contract. It can be terminated, but at great cost.”
He paused a moment. “The terms of the contract entitle the Firedrake family to name their settlement terms, with a cap. Meaning they have the right to claim whatever they want from our estates, as long as those items do not exceed fifty percent of the total value of the estate.”
Quayk gasped. “But that’s so harsh. How can they do that?”
Her father nodded. “It is harsh, but there were reasons they structured the marriage contracts in such a fashion. They didn’t believe it to be unfair because magic would ensure love grew between the engaged couple—but it could do nothing about the parents who were the primary parties to the contract. So those terms and conditions were applied equally to both families in order to prevent greed from interfering with true love.”
“Then why don’t I love Hollister? How could this happen? Daddy, I swear, I didn’t intend any of this to—.” The lump in her throat choked off the rest of her sentence as tears began to stream down her cheeks. Her stomach felt like it was tied in a knot and she struggled not to vomit.
Her father leaned forward. “Calm yourself, Quayk, there might be another way.”
She pulled in a ragged breath and willed herself not to start sobbing. Fear clutched at her throat like a skeletal hand, ready to choke the life out of her as she waited for the other shoe to fall.
He continued, “I spoke with the Oracle last night and asked how this could happen, why magic did not ensure love grew here. She said she had never heard of it happening before, but she suggested there might be one way out—to repeat your Destiny Determination Ceremony. Then, if it were determined you were no longer expected to marry Hollister, there could be grounds to fight the case in court and, potentially, the court could
order the penalties be dropped.”
Before he even finished his sentence, she was on the edge of her chair, nodding her head furiously. “Yes. Yes, I will do it. Let’s repeat the ceremony.” She hesitated a moment and drew in a deep breath, “Then if it still says I must marry Hollister, I…I will.” Tears streamed down her face again at the thought magic might again sentence her to a life in hell.
Her father held up a hand. “First, it’s not a guarantee any penalties will be removed. There is a chance the courts would view the contract differently. However, it’s only a chance. But there’s a risk here for you, and I want to know you fully understand the risk before I agree to take this step.”
She nodded as she struggled to hold back sobs.
“There are two ways the ceremony can happen. First, we could repeat the ceremony with the entire original marriage pool. This means everyone on the list who was invited to the first ceremony would also be present at this one. The danger here is that some of these men might already be married with families. If magic chooses and the man is married, magic will ensure the man falls in love with you. Which would leave his family torn apart.”
Quayk began to sob. “Oh, God, no. I couldn’t do that! Isn’t there another way?”
Her father nodded. “Yes, there is. We could eliminate from the list any man with a commitment of any kind to another woman…married, engaged, or with children. This narrows the pool for magic to choose from and it’s possible the right man would no longer be in the pool. In this case, with the man not present, magic could not force him to love, so no family is torn apart. But there is danger here. If your obligation to Hollister is broken and you have failed to find a mate, you could spend the rest of your life alone, and without a family of your own.”
She breathed deep and struggled to gain composure. “Well that’s a hell of a choice…destroy a family or remain alone the rest of my life.”
Her father inclined his head. “Or we can accept the penalties and buy out the contract.”
BodyGuard (Butterscotch Martini Shots Book 2) Page 34