Fiery Magic

by Caryn Moya Block

  Fiery Magic

  Book Three of the Witch Guardian Romance Series

  By

  Caryn Moya Block

  Published by Caryn M. Block

  Copyright © 2016 Caryn M. Block

  Smashwords Edition

  Cover Design by Cora Graphics

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  To my grandmothers, Connie Moya, who taught me a woman can do anything she puts her mind to, and Helen Anderson Peronteau, who taught me love should be unconditional.

  Acknowledgements

  As always, I want to thank my family and friends for their encouragement and support. Tina Winograd, my editor, I value your advice and expertise.

  Fiery Magic

  Book Three of the Witch Guardian Romance Series

  Haytham Luften is an Air Witch Guardian supporting his team members while fighting Blood Cult members and the Marwolaeth possessed. He never expected to be gifted with a Destined One, or to hear his uncle, head of the Air House, threaten to renounce him if he dared claim the one woman who could share his magic.

  Candace Kindle grew up on stories of “destined love” and sharing her magic with one special person. But with the Marwolaeth attacking, true love will have to wait for another day. Following her brother’s advice she walks through a dimensional portal to take shelter with her mother and finds herself a slave in a land ruled by Dragons. There’s only one person who can save her, the Destined One she walked away from.

  The Guardians

  Royal Avery:

  Mabel Avery

  Owen Avery

  Earth – Amhurst House:

  Garrett Amhurst, III

  Josiah Terren

  Damek Terren

  Air – Luften House:

  Elise Delaire

  Haytham Luften

  Water – Ainsworth House:

  Calder Ainsworth

  Kendria Ainsworth

  Fire – Brandreth House:

  Safara Pyralis

  Vahni Brenton

  Lycan – Siberian Volkov:

  Anatoly “Tolya” Mikhailov

  Seth MacDonald

  Witches Council

  Royal Avery:

  Mabel Avery

  Owen Avery

  Earth - Amhurst:

  Garrett “Rodric” Amhurst, Jr. – Speaker of Council, Head of Amhurst House, (Father of Garrett)

  Adam Terren (Older brother of Josiah and Damek)

  Fire - Brandreth:

  Collin Brandreth – Head of Brandreth House.

  Curtis Brant – Librarian of Magic Items and Artifacts.

  Air - Luften:

  Finley Luften –Head of Luften House, (Haytham’s Uncle)

  Clara Delaire –Head of Air House Healing Center, (Elise’s mother, possessed by a Marwolaeth).

  Water - Ainsworth:

  Sevan Ainsworth –Head of Ainsworth House, (Sister of Venetia, Calder and Kendra’s mother)

  Kuval Trevain – (Brother of Arethusa, Garrett’s deceased mother).

  Other Characters:

  Blacksmith - Aiden Kindle, Fire Witch

  Candace Kindle, Fire Witch, (Aiden’s younger sister).

  Chelsea and Eileen Amhurst, Earth Witches ( Twins, Youngest daughters of Garrett Amhurst II and half-sisters to Garrett Amhurst III)

  Gabriella Ross, Water Witch, (Destined One to Garrett Amhurst III)

  Brenna Ross, Water Witch, (Gabriella’s younger sister, possessed by a Marwolaeth)

  Angeline Penwick: Air Witch, Office Manager for Guardians, (Mate to Tolya)

  Arethusa Trevain Amhurst (Garrett’s deceased mother)

  Marwolaeth Undone

  Destined One full of love

  Strength of two hearts connected

  Love embodied magic makes.

  Upon the journey your destiny claim

  Four love unconditional-strength tested

  Only the pure of heart the mark will bear.

  In the East stands spring eternal

  Fairy's Breath whispers upon the skin

  Healing arms hold the wisp.

  In the South summer’s heat rises

  Dragon’s heart dances in flames

  Firelight transmuting into purity.

  In the West autumn dreams flow

  Living water quenches thirst for reprisal

  Peace drowning bitterness.

  North winter blankets fertile soil

  Renewing sand rests in crystal hands

  Order transformed to normal.

  The married elements, their purpose clear

  Celestial light shine on what is inflicted

  Magic undone, breaks the chains.

  As it is commanded, so it is done.

  Chapter One

  Destined One full of love

  Strength of two hearts connected

  Love embodied magic makes.

  Garrett and Gabriella’s Destined One Ceremony

  Haytham Luften picked at his napkin, never comfortable in crowds. Witch-kind from all over England had ported in to witness the ceremony of the son of the Speaker of the Witches Council. People around him laughed and talked. Lycans Seth and Tolya, the two newest members of their force, sat next to him at the table reserved for the Guardians during the reception.

  “Do you think you’ll ever find your Destined One?” Seth asked. He was the youngest ever chosen by magic to be a Guardian and looked little more than a boy with his light blond hair and hazel eyes.

  “Everyone hopes they will,” Hay replied. “My parents were Destined Ones and loved each other dearly. Still, it doesn’t happen for all of us.”

  “I walked into a shop thinking I had all the time in the world before I’d mate,” Tolya said, watching his fiancée speak to another guest at the bar. “Then ‘wham!’ One look and I knew Angeline was my mate. The lycan mating bond appeared as a thin thread. I was so surprised and terrified I’d mess it up. It took her almost being killed by the blood cult members and me rescuing her before I made a move to claim her.” They all chuckled knowing the outcome of that event. He had met and mated Angeline Penwick, the office manager for the Guardians.

  Tolya with his cobalt blue eyes framed by long inky eyelashes and black hair falling in soft waves appeared too pretty to be a Guardian. “You’re a handsome guy, Hay,” Tolya said. “I’m sure girls will line up to be your Destined One.”

  “If only it were that simple. And just so you know, I haven’t dated since my last year in Magic school.” Haytham shook his head.

  He liked the two men who were also wolves and thought of them as friends. However, his uncle, Finley Luften, head of the Air House and Councilmember, had nothing good to say about lycans being Guardians. Still, the magic chose the lycans, marking them with the magic tattoo of the sword, and there was nothing his uncle could do about it.

  “Here comes Chelsea,” Seth said eagerly. Something in his tone made Haytham think of an excited puppy.

  Chelsea and Eileen Amhurst, Garrett’s younger twin sisters, hurried toward their table through the many attendees with a look of expectation upon their faces. Hay smiled in spite of the crowd.
He didn’t know the girls well, but had enjoyed time spent with them.

  Chelsea wore a purple dress that highlighted her Amhurst amethyst eyes and blonde hair, and Eileen, always in her sister’s shadow, wore lavender.

  “You gentleman have been sitting long enough,” Chelsea said, tugging on Seth’s hand. “Come on, time for a dance.” Chelsea dragged Seth through the gathering.

  Eileen, not as forward as her sister, hesitated. Haytham stood, feeling sorry for the girl. “I would love a dance.” He reached for Eileen’s hand.

  Eileen grabbed his arm with a thankful smile and they walked toward the dance floor. As they walked around one of the tables, Elise Delaire, the Guardian’s healer and an Air Witch like himself, led a man into the shadows. Haytham followed them with his gaze, even as Eileen tugged him forward. Suddenly, he struck something.

  “Oomph,” someone muttered.

  “I’m so terribly sorry,” Haytham said, turning to see who he bumped into. He reached out to steady a young woman wearing a green dress. The minute his hand touched her, electricity shot up his arm and into his chest. His heart ached. He froze, looking into a pair of emerald eyes. He took in her fiery red hair and curvy form. They both glanced at their magic house tattoos to see Haytham’s gryphon taking on color, as well as the young lady’s dragon tattoo tingeing red around the edges.

  “Hey, get your hands off my sister!” Aiden Kindle said, yanking the woman out of Haytham’s grasp and marching her away. It took a moment for Haytham to find his voice.

  “Wait,” he called. He took a step to follow when a warm hand landed on his arm.

  “Haytham, the dance is almost over,” Eileen pointed out.

  Hay watched his Destined One disappear into the crowd. She was Aiden Kindle’s sister and a Fire Witch. Would she tell her brother she had bumped into her Destined One?

  He turned to look at Eileen. He couldn’t embarrass the girl by abandoning her.

  “Do you know her?” Haytham asked as he led Eileen onto the dance floor. He’d give Eileen her dance before he hunted down the woman he would marry.

  “Candace Kindle. She and Chelsea were on the same compass squad in school.”

  “Candace…” Haytham said, testing her name on his tongue. His Destined One.

  §

  “I forbid it!” Finley Luften said, his tone rising. His uncle paced behind Haytham’s father’s old desk in the Luften Air House library. The older man glared at Haytham, his bushy white eyebrows contrasting with his dark brown eyes. “You will not bind your magic to the sister of that grassroots hooligan. Talk about a political nightmare. That man gets the populace all riled up when they should be listening to the wisdom of the council.”

  Shorter and rounder than Haytham or what his father had been, his uncle’s anger gifted him with nervous energy that propelled him around the room. Tomes of magic lined the walls along with history books of the Air Witches.

  “Uncle,” Haytham tried to interrupt before the tirade got too far along, but as usual, his uncle ignored him. He hid his hands in the pockets of his suit slacks so his uncle wouldn’t see his fists. The blessing of the head of your magic house on finding your Destined One was only a formality. Haytham tried to do the right thing, but his uncle’s objections couldn’t legally stop him from claiming Candace. The law stated a Destined Pair couldn’t be kept apart.

  Finley Luften wore a lightweight wool suit and insisted that Haytham wear a suit at all times. His uncle believed members of the Air House should project a wealthy appearance. No one in the Luften House went against the House leader, but Hay wouldn’t give up his Destined One. Something his uncle never experienced.

  “No, do you hear me? Absolutely not, I don’t care if the girl is your Destined One, you’ll marry a girl of my choosing, when I tell you. A nice Air Witch of good breeding. I could have let you go to the orphanage when your parents died, instead I brought you up, sparing no expense. I sent you to the best schools, hired tutors to train you in the proper magic. Is this how you repay me? I’ve said it before, Haytham, you are a disappointment to the Luften name. Thank goodness your father died before he could see what you’ve become. Look at you. Why have you let your hair get so long? You know it’s untidy to let it touch your collar like that.”

  Haytham fingered his blond hair, pushing it back while feeling the familiar pain in his chest. What would his parents think of him? He tried hard to excel at everything he did, from school, to being a Guardian--the Witch-kind police force. But it was never enough for his uncle.

  Haytham clenched his jaw and stared at his father’s portrait over the fireplace. He remembered his father as a kind man, who always made time for his young son, showing him a small piece of magic before going back to the responsibility of managing the witches affiliated with the Air House.

  “I’ve tried my best to show you the proper way to behave. I really don’t understand why you can’t do as I ask without causing me so much grief,” his uncle continued.

  The door opened and the butler walked in, doing what Haytham could not, stop his uncle’s tirade.

  “Yes, what is it?” his uncle asked, a scowl on his face.

  “A man is here to see you, sir. He is wearing fantastically bright, uh, clothes. He insisted on seeing you immediately.”

  A look of guilt crossed his uncle’s face as he glanced Haytham’s way, and then it was gone. “Yes, I’ll be right out. Show the man into the parlor. Haytham, run along and do your Guardian duty. We don’t want panic in the streets over this Marwolaeth problem. Wouldn’t look good for the council to lose control. We’ll discuss your Destined One at a more opportune time.”

  Haytham nodded and hurried from the room, thankful that business for his uncle took precedence over berating his nephew. He paused as he exited the room when he caught a swirl of crimson entering the parlor down the hall. His uncle’s butler emerged and stared expectantly at him after closing the door to the room.

  If he hung around, the butler would inform his uncle and there would be another lecture and guilt trip in the offing. Sighing, Haytham pictured the lounge of the Guardian Headquarters in London and ported the distance in seconds.

  He materialized in the far corner of the room. The plain institutional building gave him a sense of peace he never got at the Luften House. You’d think the opposite would be true since healing was one of the main gifts of the Air witches.

  Aiden Kindle marched out of one of the rooms across the hall. Haytham opened his mouth to call the large man back when Garrett Amhurst III stepped in front of him.

  “I wouldn’t. He’s not too happy with you right now, Hay.” Garrett’s amethyst eyes looked troubled. “Said you accosted his sister on the dance floor at my Destined One Ceremony.” Haytham opened his mouth to protest. “No, you don’t have to say it. I know it was an accident. I saw the whole thing. I wish I knew how Aiden finds out his information. Do you know that he asked me about the Marwolaeth? How did he even know about them?” Garrett walked over, picked up a bottle of water, then handed it to Haytham.

  “What did you tell him?” Haytham asked the Guardian leader and son of the head of the council.

  “I told him we didn’t want panic in the streets and that information was classified. He wasn’t too happy with me, either.”

  “What do you think he’ll do? He could start a riot.” Haytham’s uncle would love that, another reason to complain about his Destined One’s family.

  “He won’t. Aiden cares for the people as much as my father does. He just goes about it differently. He’ll keep it quiet, for now. He’s a good man underneath all that bluster.” Garrett patted Haytham’s shoulder.

  “They say his mother committed suicide after the council sentenced her for misconduct and used nullifying cuffs on her.”

  “Yeah, that’s what they say,” Garrett said, unscrewing the lid on his water and drinking. “Aiden and I were in our first year of magic school when it happened. He went home for a while, and when he came back, he had chang
ed. No one ever saw his mother after that and he never spoke of her. His father lived only a few more years, leaving Aiden to raise his little sister alone. He never forgave the council for its treatment of his mother. I know it seems like he goes out of his way to chastise the council, but we need people like him to keep the council honest. Politics can make some power hungry.”

  Haytham nodded in agreement. His uncle showed him what politics could do.

  “My uncle forbids me to seek out my Destined One. He said he would choose someone more suitable. Between my uncle and Candace’s brother, I’m not sure what we’re going to do.”

  Garrett laughed. “There’s something I’ve learned being the son of the Council Speaker, you have to follow your heart, even when doing so goes against your family’s wishes. My father wasn’t happy with my Destined One being related to a known blood cult member and murderer. Still, I wouldn’t give up my Destined One if you offered me a million pounds. Having Gabrielle in my life has made it worth living. No one has the right to stop you from claiming your Destined One. No one.”

  Haytham nodded. Once they finished the mission to capture the Red Wizard, Haytham would find his Destined One, and it didn’t matter what his uncle or her brother thought. He would claim Candace Kindle for his own.

  Garrett headed down the hall and Haytham turned the other way. He’d have to ask for leave. Courting a Destined One would take time, not to mention that he wouldn’t live under his uncle’s roof after the ceremony and submit the lovely Candace to his uncle’s cynicism. He wandered to the administration office and filled out the needed paperwork. Then he delivered it to Mabel Avery’s office, the captain of the Guardians and also a council member.