It was hard being different. That was the reason he stayed cloaked from the world in Magic. Now his universe had shrunk to the woman beside him who feared animals. Fate sure had a crappy sense of humor.
If only he had been born as the being that Magic’s shield presented to the world. A human. He would no longer have to deal with the moon’s monthly cycles. Locking himself in the basement each full moon would no longer be necessary.
The beginning of a plan germinated in his mind. He needed to speak to Topper. Although he didn’t want to leave Harmony, Chase was hesitant to delay implementing his plan. Time would bring a logical light to his impulsive decision and stop him from taking action.
“I’ll walk you to the sheriff’s office,” Chase said as he jumped from the ship’s hull.
Harmony gave him a questioning look, but didn’t comment. She probably felt there had been enough honesty for one day. He didn’t want there to be any lies between them. Omissions were a different matter. What Harmony didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. The path he was about to take was for her benefit.
When they reached Theo’s office, Chase took Harmony into his arms and kissed the crown of her head. The shampoo she used had a floral scent. Holding her was as natural as breathing.
“I won’t be long,” Chase said. “Stay near Dreyden and Prue while I’m gone.”
Harmony’s eyebrow rose and she patted her blaster. Fortunately, there was humor in her eyes. He didn’t have a morsel of a doubt that under normal circumstances, Harmony could take care of herself.
“You are in Magic, New Mexico,” Chase replied to her unspoken response. “Our motto is the unusual is usual here. The norms that apply across the universe are different. Between spells and our supernatural community, you never quite know what is coming at you.”
Harmony grabbed his forearms and demanded his attention. “I will listen to what the sheriff has to say and take my orders from Dreyden. It’s my job, after all.”
Chase debated giving Harmony a goodbye kiss, but decided against it. He couldn’t leave if he had any further physical contact with her. Her touch was addictive. Reluctantly, Chase backed away from Harmony and started on his way to Topper’s house.
During the four block walk to Topper’s, Chase rehearsed in his mind what he was going to ask the witch. It was a request he never imagined he’d ever make. He wasn’t even sure it was possible.
Topper’s home was adobe architecture, like many homes in New Mexico. It blended into the desert around the town. Her garden was landscaped with drought resistant local plants. He had planted most of them for her. Like the desert, the garden was in full bloom. There was nothing like the desert in the spring.
Chase was about to knock, when the door opened. No one was present to greet him. Topper no doubt knew he was coming before he did.
As soon as he entered, a spell cleaned his shoes. He wouldn’t be tracking the red soil into her home. If he had been wearing dress shoes rather than the sneakers he currently wore, a beautiful polish would make his shoes shine.
He followed a wonderful aroma into the kitchen. Topper stood over a large pot, a wooden spoon exiting her mouth. Her lips smacked several times as she judged what she just tasted.
For a woman in her sixties, Topper had a youthful appearance. Her hair was always a flamboyant color and her clothing was a mishmash of bright hues. Today, she was a subdued brunette, but her clothing would be perfect for a crossing guard to wear. Her dress was a mixture of hot pink, dazzling yellow, and neon orange. It almost hurt his eyes to look at her.
“Clean,” Topper commanded and then snapped her fingers. She proceeded to put the spoon in the pot and withdrew some sauce. “Does this need more salt? I put a half-teaspoon as the recipe asked, but I think it needs more.”
Chase blew on the sauce and then tasted what remained on the spoon. He nearly choked on the overwhelming taste of brandy and salt. She must have doubled the amount of Cognac the recipe called for and overdid it with the bacon and the salt.
“I am of the philosophy your guests can always add salt,” Chase diplomatically replied.
“Do you know that true Coq Au Vin is made with rooster?” Topper took another spoon full of the sauce. “Rooster is too gamey in my opinion. Besides, my nieces would complain bitterly if I used anything other than chicken. Those girls don’t have adventurous palates.”
Topper could use magic and produce the Coq Au Vin served in the best French restaurant in the world. Instead, she slaved over a hot range. It never made sense when Magic’s witches used their craft or manually performed a task. He gave up guessing where Pati was concerned years ago.
“I want you to change me into a human,” Chase blurted out.
Rather than reacting, Topper stirred her French ruin. She added a pinch of Kosher salt and tasted the sauce again. Chase tried not to cringe.
“Julia Child’s cookbook still contains the quintessential French recipes,” Topper claimed. She covered the pot and lowered the flame. “I don’t know why I used a recipe off the Internet. But I would like to know why you wish to be human.”
“Harmony is terrified of animals.” Chase couldn’t lie to Topper. She’d know the truth regardless.
Topper pulled out a deck of cards. Rather than being a Tarot set, it was an ordinary deck. She dealt out two hands, seven cards apiece, and pushed one pile in front of Chase. When he was a child, he played rummy with the witch.
Chase picked up his cards and grabbed the ace of clubs, Topper had turned over. He would play her games until he got what he needed. Harmony had become his world. He discarded a queen of hearts.
“The wolf is part of you,” Topper said as she picked up a card from the deck.
After years of playing cards with her, he never knew if she cheated using witchcraft. They tended to split winning hands, so he doubted it. Topper discarded a jack of clubs and Chase picked it up. He then placed a club royal flush on the table. She was obviously not paying attention.
“I am her Chosen One and she is my true mate,” Chase responded.
“Humans don’t use the term ‘mate’,” Topper pointed out. “Soul mates, yes. Mates refer to shifter and werewolf partners. Your wolf recognized who she truly was. You lose your wolf; you lose the connection.”
Chase tossed his remaining cards on the table and then ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Topper had realized something he had missed. Maybe he just needed time. The full moon was quickly approaching.
“How about making me immune to the pull of the moon this month?” Chase asked. His desperation brought him into bargaining mode.
“You underestimate your mate.” Topper shook her finger at him like an elementary school teacher.
“Topper, there is nothing rational about her fears. I have lived and worked in this town my whole life, never asking for anything. Well, now I’m asking for help.” Chase’s voice had cracked several times he was so overwhelmed with anguish.
The witch let out a loud sigh. It was the first sign he was wearing her down. “Why didn’t you ask Pati? She is your best friend, after all.”
“For two reasons.” Chase wanted to give the impression he had thoroughly thought out his plan, not acting impulsively. “First off, she’d say no. She met Harmony and likes her. Hell, even her jaguar likes her.”
“And secondly?” Topper inquired.
“You are one of the most powerful witches in town,” Chase reasoned. “I can’t afford the spell failing the night of the full moon.”
He had heard too many horror stories over the years about werewolves killing humans because of the uncontrollable hunger they experienced. Even before his first shift, Chase locked himself in his father’s basement each full moon. It was a practice he continued to religiously observe.
Topper shook her head. “Your wolf would never harm its mate.”
“I can’t take that chance,” Chase countered. “Particularly during the first full moon of our relationship.”
After a long sile
nce, where Topper just stared at him, she finally got up and headed for her grimoire. He doubted she knew a spell to quiet a werewolf off the top of her head. Chase joined her, looking over her shoulder.
The grimoire was centuries old. Topper was the keeper of her family’s spells. Each one was handwritten and beautifully illustrated. She turned each page with great care and love.
Somewhere in the massive book was the spell Topper search for. It was the prescription to his future happiness. After going through half the book, as each page was turned, Chase was weighed down with disappointment.
“Yes, yes,” Topper muttered. She continued to run her finger underneath the words on the page. “This will do quite nicely. It is a dampening spell. No external stimulant will impact you, including the moon.”
Chase considered her words. He was not sure what type of spell he was expecting. Would a generic spell be powerful enough to stop his conversion?
Topper began to chant the words for the spell. He was not sure what language she spoke. The longer she chanted, the louder her voice became. Finally, she snapped her fingers to activate the magic she cast.
If he was supposed to feel any different, he didn’t. Maybe he wouldn’t know until the night of the full moon if the spell worked. Chase wouldn’t put Harmony’s life in peril. He would lock himself up in his basement as he always did.
“The spell will last a week, long enough to get you through the full moon and the two subsequent nights.” Topper closed the grimoire.
“Thank you, Topper.” Somehow the words seemed inadequate compared to the gift he was given.
“Next time you visit I need the smoke alarm batteries changed.”
Yet again, Chase marveled at when Topper chose to use her magic. He could only hope when the moon rose in five nights, he wouldn’t feel the pull of the big rock. Only then would he have the confidence to see Harmony.
***
Harmony found it difficult to concentrate on the conversation taking place in the sheriff’s office. Where had Chase gone? When had any man’s movements become so important to her?
“I don’t like it!” Sheriff Theo’s booming voice drew Harmony out of her wandering thoughts. “A helicopter took off from Holloman Air Force Base with an undisclosed destination. A low flying bird could have easily destroyed any tread marks made in the desert.”
“Were there any reports of a helicopter seen so close to Magic?” Danyal inquired. “Did your equipment pick up anything, Dreyden?”
Dreyden rubbed his forehead. “Our system is activated when a craft enters the exosphere. I never dreamed we would have to monitor Earth vessels. It will be easy to modify the program to pick up any flying objects near Magic. We can also enter parameters to ignore planes communicating with your nation’s traffic control system. That will prevent us from chasing after passenger jets and your air force’s regularly scheduled maneuvers penetrating Magic’s air space.”
In the short time Dreyden had been on Earth, he had learned a lot about the comings and goings of the planet’s population. Harmony needed to focus on her job and stop obsessing over Chase. At this point, she hadn’t shared the true nature of her relationship with him to anyone. Their concentration needed to be laser focused on the external threat. It was disturbing she had to continually remind herself of that fact.
“Where is Chase?” Prue asked. So much for keeping him out of her thoughts.
Harmony liked the fact it was unusual to see Dreyden without Prue and Danyal without Pati. It had not occurred since her first day on the planet when everyone was looking for the missing teenagers. Would the same be ultimately true between her and Chase?
“I have no idea,” Harmony admitted. “He didn’t volunteer the information and I didn’t ask.” Now she wished she had.
Pati frowned at her response. “What is that wolf up to?”
Earthlings had a strange habit of asking questions they didn’t expect answered. Harmony merely shrugged her shoulders. She wasn’t going to even venture a guess. That was how little she knew about her Chosen One.
As if conjured by magic, Chase entered the sheriff’s office. He immediately came to stand beside her. A now familiar warmth spread through her body at his proximity.
“Where were you?” Pati asked her best friend.
A charming smile crossed Chase’s face. “Why do you always have to know my business? Isn’t the pussy cat satisfying you?”
Harmony instinctively stepped in front of Chase when Danyal growled. The need to protect her Chosen One overshadowed her fear of what Danyal’s jaguar could do. Her reaction startled her. No one seemed the wiser related to her behavior, all eyes were on Danyal and Chase.
“A dog needs to be kept on a leash,” Danyal countered. “There is no telling what mess you will leave behind.”
“Enough!” Sheriff Theo screamed. “I know you both like to banter back and forth, but we don’t have time for that nonsense. The ground around the old government facility has been disturbed, but there is no evidence they have taken up residence again.”
“There may be another facility we are not familiar with or sections of the original complex we are unaware exists,” Dreyden said. “Frost and Lacey are familiar with the place. I suggest Prue and I accompany them to the old lab and see if we can discover anything more. Harmony, can you modify our monitoring system based on our earlier conversation?”
“That won’t be a problem,” Harmony answered.
“I’d like to observe what you do,” Chase said. “Computer programming is my bread and butter. Another set of eyes monitoring our skies will also be helpful. My learning your technology will help protect Magic beyond whatever spells Topper and the other witches have in place.”
“Danyal and I better get back to the store,” Pati said. “Chase is a computer wiz. I wouldn’t have passed a couple classes in high school if he hadn’t helped me.”
The meeting ended and they all went their separate ways. Harmony and Chase walked to the spaceport in silence. She wanted to touch him, but Chase kept his distance. Her curiosity finally got the better of her.
“So, where were you?” Harmony finally asked. “You evaded answering Pati’s question by riling up Danyal. I won’t be so easily sidetracked.”
Harmony honestly didn’t know if Chase was going to take exception to her demands or willingly tell her what he had been up to. She felt uneasy waiting for an answer. The next few moments were pivotal in what direction their relationship was going to take. She stopped dead in her tracks, wanting an answer.
“Tell me,” Harmony demanded. Her voice shook with anxiety and anger.
“I asked Topper to quiet my wolf,” Chase admitted. He took ahold of her hands, demanding her full attention. “The moon’s pull will not impact me this month. It will give us a chance to get to know each other before my wolf is released. We won’t have to travel into deep space to make that happen.”
Harmony would be a liar if she claimed she wasn’t relieved. It just proved how much of a coward she was. Would she ever have the courage to face what Chase was during a full moon? She knew it was critical to their future how she responded to what he had done.
Chapter 11
Harmony leaned her body into Chase’s and kissed him. They were in the middle of a busy sidewalk and people walked around them as if people kissing passionately on the walkway was a regular occurrence. It certainly wasn’t where she was from.
Chase reacted by pulling her in closer and deepening the kiss. Their physical contact bought her an extra couple precious moments to think of a response to what he had done for her. It wasn’t what he did that was paramount, but why he did it. That was what she responded to.
She placed her hands on the sides of his face and released her lips from his. “Your selfless act is the most precious gift I have ever received. I am humbled by your actions. How can I ever reciprocate the love behind what you have sacrificed? I love you.”
Had she just mentioned the L-word? It had not been her int
ention, but she suddenly realized she truly loved this man. He was her Chosen One, but her feelings toward him were so much more than the legendary connection. Her body’s reaction to his, the way he looked at her, putting her fears before his own needs, were just some of the reasons she came to the realization she loved him.
“You love me?” Chase asked in bewilderment. There was a new vitalization about him. He almost glowed with happiness.
She ran her fingers through his coarse hair and kissed him before she answered. “I know it has been only a matter of days, but I can’t imagine life without you. At first, I was angry about this assignment. I want to meet Topper since she is responsible for me being here.”
Chase nodded, confirming her suspicions about the witch were true. “And I’m sure she will want to meet you. But first, we must modify your scanning program. Afterwards, I believe we need time alone so I can properly show you how much I have come to care for and love you.”
Her heart fluttered at his statement. She blushed for the umpteenth time since arriving in Magic. This quaint little town full of magical beings had been her destiny from the beginning. No wonder it was here she found her Chosen One.
They continued their journey to the spaceport and Harmony did her best to explain how the space monitoring software worked. Chase asked a number of questions she readily answered. She was surprised how quickly he adapted to Coalition technology. Maybe his future was to leave Earth and travel across the universe by her side.
“I have an uncanny ability to learn different computer languages,” Chase informed her. “As soon as I took my first computer class, I knew what I would do for a career. My programming abilities have allowed me to make a good living and stay in Magic.”
“Did you ever want to live anywhere else?” Harmony asked.
“The people of Earth in the past have not responded well to creatures different from themselves,” Chase admitted. “Their literature is full of what most believe folktales about beings such as myself. Most are considered horror tales. For centuries, Magic has been a haven for us. We welcome anyone different, including aliens. When Frost first arrived, there was no panic or experiments performed on him. That didn’t happen until that quasi-government agency discovered him. It’s why it is important we successfully modify your monitoring program.”
Magic, New Mexico: A Touch of Harmony (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 7