The door behind her blew open and banged against the side of the walls, startling everyone. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at the grand show Xam, her black magic book, put on as it floated toward her. It expanded and opened in front of everyone. “Do you really believe I would let you perform such a spell without me?” Xam, her magical friend, puffed and she smiled.
“Of course not, but you are not the only one here. Lizzie, Mary, Rhonda, Susan, Opal, Pearl, and Trish are here, too.” She spread her hands out and the images of her sisters appeared next to her. People gasped and whispered behind her, as she turned to stare at Dietrich.
“I won’t be able to heal anyone other than the little girl today. She can’t wait and she will take most of my strength. My sisters will help me from wherever they are, but what concerns me is that when I do this, it will draw my enemies. They will come for me Dietrich, be prepared.” She warned him and turned to stare at the child again.
She heard his steps behind her. “Then do not do it.”
She smiled. “As you protect everyone which comes into your haven, I to must use my gift to help those, too. The three of you have been wondering what my gift is? Now you will witness part of it firsthand.” Blair glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. “It’s who I am.”
Xam snorted. “But what you are trying to do will take everything out of you. These people are sick, but the one you go to cure is cursed with the death spell.”
“That’s true, but could you let a child die knowing you could save her? I cannot Xam, and you know this.” Blair ignored Dietrich’s hiss and moved forward to the small girl’s bed, near the large window.
She had dark black hair, blue eyes almost…Blair spun around to glance up at Dietrich, who stood behind her. “Yes, she’s my daughter. Betsy, this is my wife, Blair, and now your mom.” Blair knew the small child heard what her father said, but couldn’t move. Her gaze never changed as she sat on the bed.
“Betsy has been like this now for over six months. A child never to grow, never to laugh, or to see what is around her. Her mother died giving birth to her. I’m afraid my curse is now hers.”
Blair shook her head. “No, this was not aimed at you. Your child was picked for a reason, I don’t know why yet. The person that did this, did it to destroy you. When I remove the spell, your daughter will now carry part of me, and in that, she will also carry our lifespan.” Blair did not elaborate on that issue, which would come soon enough.
* * * *
Dietrich heard the ghostly images gasp behind them and whispered “no,” but before he knew what was happening, Blair had moved him away from his daughter. Her spell book floated and hovered over Betsy’s bed as she circled the bed with salt and magic. Her jogging suit disappeared. Her hair, now free of its knot, flowed around her as if it had a life of its own, as she moved naked around his daughter. Her body glistened with sweat as ancient words flowed out of her mouth, her hands weaving patterns which formed around Betsy.
“Blair!” He stepped forward, but Gray grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
“No, right now we need you to cover her magic Dietrich. We’ll help. Maybe with all of us, we can protect the house.” Gray and his men surrounded them, their magic floated up and out of the room, it surrounded the huge estate, masking what was going on inside the mansion.
“Thank you.” He nodded to everyone as the magic held all the while everyone watched. Blair was beautiful. If he didn’t know better he would have sworn she was fae, the way she floated around her daughter’s bed, whispering her spell.
The images of her sisters swayed in front of him and moved closer to Blair, as all of them sang. Their power flowed freely around the room and into Blair, as her magic formed words above her as she sang each line of her spell.
“I take what was not mine, I release what is good, I embrace what has been brought upon this child.”
Dietrich stumbled, his own part of the cover spell faltered as he heard Blair’s words. She was taking the spell into herself, to free his child. “No!” He tried to break the circle, but her sisters shook their heads and circled Blair, protectively.
“She has already started. You cannot stop her now. Cover her magic. We will take care of our sister, as we have before.” The sister name Lizzie said to him.
His daughter turned her head, tears streamed down her face, and her body rose off the bed. She screamed as she fell back down. Blair laid her body over his daughter’s to hold her down.
“Oh goddess of the ground hear me. Ggoddess of the skie, hear my cry. Oh green man hear my plea. This child has done no harm to anyone, but yet she has suffered at the hand of an evil one. Bring it into me if you must, but release this spell; send it back to that which had cast it. He is no child of yours if he would do this to one of your small ones.” Blair gasped and was flung off his daughter; a black cloud filled the circle.
At first he could have sworn a face appeared in the smoke and then he heard the voice. “I will kill all that you hold dear. Remember that wizard.”
The smoke slammed into Blair seeping into every pore in her body. Sweat covered her, her eyes rolled back into her head, and slashes appeared on her arms, face and stomach. Dietrich watched in horror as invisible punches landed on her stomach and face. He could hear her bones crack with the force of the blows.
Next to him, Jax shifted, the beast inside him snarled and paced back and forth, wanting to get to its mate. All the while, the only thing he heard come out of Blair’s mouth were the words of her magical song. Never once did she falter.
Tears filled his eyes, his hands in fists, his anger now released in the power of the shield that protected them. One day soon he would find the man that did this and make sure he suffered twice as much as his mate was suffering.
“I am just a servant. You are my protector, my teacher, my family. I follow you everywhere, I embrace you, I worship you, dear green man. Only you can save me, only you can have my soul. I know no love as of yet, just your words of a promise it would come. If it is your wish for me to come to you, so be it. I open my heart and body to you.”
She had saved his daughter, but at a high price. He had hidden her power from the outside world, the ghostly images of her sisters wavered. Once more Lizzie turned to him. “She has done it, the spell has been broken, but Dietrich, she will need time to rest and heal. We all will. I will see you soon.” Lizzie’s image disappeared, with the rest of her sisters. Her book shrank and disappeared once more, as the circle around his daughter’s bed disappeared and Blair sank to the floor.
Jax rushed forward. Carefully he picked her bruised and cut body up in his arms. He whispered words of love to her. “Take her to her room. I’ll bring Betsy down in a few minutes.” He sat down on his daughter’s bed, and brushed her tears away. “How do you feel, little girl?”
Her big, blue eyes, now filled with life, glanced up at him. She threw herself into his arms, her body tiny frail from being in bed for so long. He carefully wrapped his arms around her, afraid to squeeze. “I heard everything you said to me Daddy, but I couldn’t talk or move. I was so scared.” Her voice a whisper, rough from not speaking for so long.
Gray handed him a cup of apple juice, her favorite. “Drink this Betsy. Then I’ll take you down to your own room. We’ll get you all cleaned up and in your pajamas.”
“Why don’t you let me take her? We can get a nice warm bath, maybe something small to eat?” Gray’s mom smiled down at Betsy and held out her arms, but Betsy wouldn’t release him.
“Thank you Bethany, but I think right now she needs her Daddy.” He stood her grip around his neck tightened. “Easy Betsy, I’ve got you. No one is going to hurt you again.” Moving through the room, he could see the tears in everyone’s face knowing that they too had given up hope of his daughter ever talking to him again.
“Who is she Daddy? The woman with the red hair. She talked to me the whole time that she pushed that bad man away from me. She was so brave.”
He m
oved slowly towards their personal quarters. “She is my wife Betsy and your mother now. I’m afraid I have a lot to explain to her and to you, but first we need to get you and her healthy again.” The spell to his domain disappeared as he and Gray entered the main room, followed by Gray’s and Jax’s parents.
Jax greeted him as soon as he heard them. “She has locked herself in the bathroom and won’t come out. Something about needing some “alone time”. How can I see to her wounds when she won’t let me?” Jax snapped as he tried to keep his temper glancing at Dietrich’s daughter.
“Jax, sweetie are you sure she’s your mate? I mean she’s being so rude, she’s small and…” The woman didn’t get another word out of her mouth. Duct tape covered her mouth.
Betsy lifted her head and glared at the woman. “That’s my new mommy, so be nice.”
Dietrich glanced at Jax, and he too was trying to hold back the laugh. “Betsy what were you told about your magic? Please remove the tape from the lady’s mouth.”
“Fine, but she better not say anything else about her. None of you know what it did to her.” Fresh tears slipped down her small cheeks, her magic words a whisper as the tape disappeared, and she lay her head back down on his chest.
“Thank you, we all know Blair has cuts on her body, they will heal Betsy.” He turned to go to her room, but she shook her head.
“No Daddy, I want to see Blair. He hurt her more, and you couldn’t see what he did. I can’t say what he said, it was bad.” Betsy’s little fingers clasped his shirt. “Please let me see her. I want to thank her, and give her a hug.”
Dietrich stopped and stared down at his little girl. Something was not right. He turned and headed toward Blair’s room. Sure enough the door to the bathroom was shut and locked. “Blair can we come in? Betsy would like to give you a hug.”
Then he would be able to take a closer look at his mate. The door slowly opened, healing candles were lit around the room, the smell of sage burned in the air, and a towel was wrapped around her body as she tried get to her feet.
He grabbed onto her arm and helped her stand. She looked up and he sucked in his breath. Blair had dark circles under her eyes, small cuts all over her face, hands, arms and down her neck. Her skin was pale white and her grip on his arm tight as if it took everything in her to stand.
Somehow Blair managed to smile at Betsy. “Are you okay?” Blair’s voice was scratchy and weak.
Jax slipped room behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’ve got you.” He held her up and Dietrich watched her release her breath and her shoulders sagged.
Blair released her grip on his arm and let hers fall down to her side. Betsy leaned over and held out her arms to Blair. She smiled and reached out again hugging her. “You still need to rest Betsy, we both do. Why don’t you take a nice hot bath in your room and then your Daddy can bring you in here with me. We can get to know each other while we rest.”
Betsy pulled back and smiled at him. “Can we Daddy?”
Dietrich nodded. “Yes, for a couple of hours, but tonight I want you in your own bed. Now come on, let’s get you cleaned up, then we can come back.” Dietrich brushed a strand of Blair’s hair back and cupped her cheek.
“I can’t thank you enough for what you did. I love you Blair.” He saw the surprise in her gaze and vowed to prove to her each day how much he loved her, beginning with bringing Tony here. He turned to leave, when Betsy yelled.
“Wait!” Betsy turned with a scared look on her face to Blair. “I’m sorry he hurt you. He knew you would come, he told me. Thank you.” Dietrich lowered his gaze and sucked in his breath. Her legs bled, but also blood seeped through the towel near her pussy.
“Blair?” He reached down and placed two fingers under her chin. “Did he?”
She smiled and tried to pull away. “I’ll be fine, now go. I’d like to finish my bath please.”
“We will talk about this later, Blair. Come Betsy, let’s get you cleaned up, then we’ll pamper the both of you while you two rest.” Dietrich moved out of the bathroom hearing Blair try to get Jax and Gray to leave as well, but she was failing.
He smiled and moved into his daughter’s room. The curtains had been opened, the bed had new sheets, and all her favorite toys had been dusted and cleaned. “See, just like you left it.” Dietrich sat down on her bed. “I’m sorry Betsy, I gave up.” Tears slipped down his face not afraid for her to see them.
“It’s okay, don’t cry Daddy.” Dietrich laughed when Betsy tried to tickle him. “See, made you laugh.”
“I love you Betsy and I promise no one will hurt you again. Now. let’s get you in the tub, I believe your Grandma Bethany has your water all ready for you.”
Dietrich stripped his little girl and cringed at how skinny she was. “We are going to have to put some fat on you.” He picked her up and moved into the bathroom. The tub was filled with bubbles and toys floated in the water.
Betsy squealed, grabbing the small dolls and started to play as soon as he sat her down in the water. He grabbed the washcloth and slowly started to wash her skin, as her long dark hair floated on the water behind her.
“You know he’ll be back Daddy.” Betsy glanced at him as he grabbed the shampoo.
Chapter Six
Totally drained and sore, Blair pulled the blanket up over her and watched as Jax and Gray moved around the room. Each man paced back and forth in front of the large oversized king bed. “You can’t do that again, Blair. It takes too much out of you, and that thing touched you, down there.” Gray snapped and glared at her.
She tried not to smile, but Blair couldn’t help it. “Down there? You mean my pussy, don’t you?” She sighed. “Gray, Jax sit, we need to talk.” She patted the sides of the bed next to her and both men joined her on the bed.
“I know you’re both worried, but this is my gift. I was given this gift to help people, and you can’t forbid me from helping our people. Gray, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I hadn’t healed Betsy. She’s Dietrich’s daughter, how could I not? So this man’s magic touched me, it wasn’t him touching me. He just pushed through me, that’s all.” Blair shook as a small chill rode up her arms.
Jax’s eyes glowed and fur started to sprout out of his skin. She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek. “Jax, you are my mate, but this is just a shell. What matters is in here.” She placed her other hand on his chest, above his heart.
He leaned in and nipped at her bottom lip. “We need to talk, but not now, after you rest.” The fur disappeared and his eyes returned to normal.
“Tomorrow, you and I will talk. Now, don’t you three have a meeting this afternoon, with a certain cat gang? Don’t you think you should be concentrating on that? Plus, Betsy and I are just going to veg out here and watch some TV together.” She glanced over as Dietrich brought in Betsy all dressed in her little princess pajamas and laid her down on the bed. He covered her up and kissed her nose.
“The both of you will not leave this bed. If you need anything you will call one of us, Blair.” He turned his dark blue eyes on her and she grinned.
“I am perfectly able to take care of the both of us, I did raise fourteen children. Now off with the three of you, and let us girls get to know each other. Oh and Dietrich, I will be down there for the football party tonight.” Blair wasn’t about to let the three of them show up without her there. They needed their bonding partner with them.
Dietrich leaned over the bed, his face inches from hers. “We will see, but for now Gray’s mom is making the both of you breakfast, and I expect all of your food to be eaten.” He kissed her lips softly and stood up.
“As far as our meeting this afternoon, it’s our business. There is no need for you to worry about it.” He nodded to Jax and Gray, moving to the door.
“Good. Then there is no reason why I can’t take a walk this afternoon if I’m up to it, now, is there?”
Blair watched the play of Dietrich’s muscles across his back ripple as h
e stretched his neck and slowly turned to stare at her. “Are you purposely pushing me, Blair?”
Betsy giggled under the covers, her gaze flew to Blair’s then to her fathers’. “Who me? I would never dream of pushing you…” She tapped Betsy’s nose. “Of course I haven’t yet seen the whole grounds, and the weather is supposed to be sunny today. It would be great to get some sun.” She tapped her finger to her lips.
“Maybe a stroll around noon, plus I do have to pick up my car at work. Oh crap!” Using her magic, her cell phone flew into her hand. “I forgot to call my boss.” She punched the numbers, but the phone flew out of her hand to Dietrich’s, who now stood next to her.
“How did you…” She closed her mouth and laid back down on her pillow as Dietrich leaned over her, his eyes twirled with mirth. “Did you know I just love a challenge, and I do believe you challenged me?” His chest hovered over hers, his warm breath at her ear. “That will be ten smacks when you are up to it, and if you even go anywhere near outside this afternoon…” He bit her ear lobe.
Bound by Witchcraft: Charmed by My Masters Page 6