Hot Magic

by Holli Bertram

  When Luc and Marguerite left, only Bas, Harry and Julie remained in the room.

  “Where is Ashakarin, Bas?” Julie rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

  “In Lobolo, raising hell, no doubt.”

  At Julie’s steady glare, he grinned. “You demons are excellent targets for bad jokes. I can’t help it.”

  “You owls are just a hoot,” she shot back.

  Bas stared at her blankly and then started laughing. Julie had a feeling that he laughed more than the joke called for. He’d been under tension, too.

  Harry didn’t laugh. “Bas, leave.”

  Bas controlled himself. “Okay. But this isn’t over yet, Harrison. There are still issues to settle.”

  “Later.” The word left no room for negotiation.

  Bas didn’t say another word. He walked to the office door, opened it and walked through. When he closed the door, the lock snicked into place.

  Harry turned to her with a look that made her nervous and excited. His eyes travelled from the top of her head down the length of her body to her shiny, red shoes. “Let’s discuss irony.”

  “I’m sorry that I bonded with you against your will. Bas said it was the only way and….” The flow of words dribbled to a stop when Harry moved closer to her.

  “You risked your soul for me.” He watched her closely. “Why?”

  “I had to.” The words whispered past her closed throat.

  “Why? Because I’m important to the Triad? Because you wouldn’t have let anyone lose their soul to Ashakarin?”

  The vulnerability behind the words pierced her. She reached out and touched his cheek. “Those sound like noble reasons and are probably true.”

  “But?”

  “If Ashakarin took your soul, I would have spent my life finding a way to get it back.” She didn’t need blood to bond her to this man. He’d already seeped into her system and become a part of her.

  “Say it straight out, Julie.”

  “I thought I did. I love you, Harrison Chevalier. You’re mine, to cherish and to protect.”

  He grabbed her upper arms, pulling her tight against him. His head buried in her neck. “Julie,” he whispered, his breath warm against her skin. Then his lips moved, finding the curve between her neck and shoulder. She stretched her neck, shivers of fire igniting her blood stream.

  He lifted his head and stared at her, his possessive gaze roaming her face like a touch. He reached out and threaded the strands of her hair through his fingers. “I love your hair.”

  She smiled, feeling a little wobbly. “You’re crazy.”

  “Yes.” His lips took hers, thrilling her with their intensity. Her head arched back, only to be cradled in his large palm. Their clothes were gone, and she had no idea who had gotten rid of them. She didn’t care. She felt his strength, his firm muscles, flexing beneath her touch.

  Then she was on the floor, the smooth wood cool against her back. Before she had time to shiver, a soft, furry rug cushioned her.

  “You’re getting good at that,” Harry murmured against her lips.

  “Practice makes perfect,” she gasped as his hand slid up her side and framed her breast.

  “You’re perfect without practice.”

  The words were so awfully corny, and he said them with such sincerity that her heart melted. “Harry.”

  She spread her legs and pulled him more firmly against her. Every inch of him touched her, skin to skin. His penis, a hot, hard length, slid against her lower belly. She closed her eyes, lost in pleasure and sensation.

  He groaned. “Open your mind to me.”

  She slowly raised her eyelids. “It is.”

  With the next breath, she felt his familiar presence in her head. Then, his eyes steady on hers, he brushed his palm firmly over her nipple. She drew in her breath, feeling the pleasure of his touch. Feeling his pleasure in the touch.

  “Harry.” He moved against her, a slow, rhythmic rock. His mouth replaced his hand, and his teeth played with her, tugging gently. Her fingers curled into the soft rug. On the surface of her skin, running beneath her skin, warm bubbles of sensation tumbled and caressed her.

  He lifted his head. “Your breast is amazing.” He bent to her other breast, his tongue circling her nipple while his hand began exploring the curve of her bottom. “I dream about touching you, tasting you.”

  She laughed, really more of a moan, then arched her pelvis and sucked in her breath at the burst of pleasure as he rubbed against her. Her hands slid down his back, cupping his firm behind. “I was so scared I’d lost you.”

  “Shhh,” he commanded, then took her nipple firmly into his mouth. She moaned and moved her hand around to grasp him. As she touched him, she felt the biting edge of his passion, the aftertaste of the fear he’d felt for her, the savage need to drive himself into her, to take her, own her.

  “Condom.” He ground the word out.

  Condom? She tried to concentrate. Suddenly the thin sheath formed beneath her hand. Okay, that was seriously cool. No pausing, no fumbling. Safe sex with minimal hassles. Then she didn’t think any more. He raised himself, arms firmly planted on either side of her shoulders, and with one smooth thrust of his hips, slid inside her.

  She felt filled, utterly possessed. Hot bolts of lightning ripped through her, and she thought sparks might be coming from her fingertips. She caught the faint scent of burning fur but ignored it. She couldn’t separate what she felt from what he felt. Pulsing, pounding, she spiraled, twirling into a circle tighter and tighter, until she thought she’d explode.

  “You’re mine.” The thought roared through her head, a triumphant shout. Then she screamed as she splintered into a thousand shards of intense pleasure.

  She couldn’t open her eyes. Her lids were too heavy to lift. “How come it’s raining inside your office?”

  “Don’t know,” Harry mumbled. He rolled off her onto his back. “Oh, bloody hell. It’s the sprinkler system. We set the carpet on fire.”

  “That would explain the irritating beeping noise.” She pushed herself up on one elbow, finally opening her eyes. “The fire alarm.”

  Harry waved a hand, and the fire alarm and water stopped. Which allowed them to hear the loud banging on his office door.

  “Mom! Are you okay? Mom! Let me in.” Tasha’s voice.

  Julie’s muscles suddenly sprang into action, and she jumped to her feet. “Tell me I didn’t just scream at the top of my lungs during love-making while my daughter was in the next room.”

  “Julie, calm down.”

  “Tell me I’m not standing naked in the middle of your office!”

  “I rather like it,” Harry offered.

  “Tell me there’s not a body outline singed into the white carpet.” She took a closer look. “I’m not really that fat, am I?”

  Harry actually laughed, his hair hanging in wet strands around his face, his chest glistening with water. She’d never seen him look so carefree and happy.

  She grinned, until the banging on the door started again. Clothes, clothes, clothes. Julie turned her back on Harrison, which really wasn’t a better position because she’d never gotten around to doing those glute-tightening exercises Dorie had told her about. She thought jeans and a sweatshirt and relaxed slightly as she felt the cloth slide over her body.

  “Mom!” Tash’s voice held a note of panic.

  Julie glanced backward only long enough to see that Harry wore black pants and a white shirt and then ran toward the door. She unlocked it and swung it open. Tash halted with her fist in the air.

  “Mom. What’s wrong? You were screaming. Is there a fire? We heard the alarm but couldn’t get in.” She shot Bas an accusing look. “Bas wouldn’t help.”

  Julie felt her cheeks redden. “No, no. I’m fine. I just got—frustrated—with Harry and…screamed. What are you doing here?”

  Harry stepped behind her and wrapped a hand around the back of her neck. Julie shivered at his touch, every nerve still attuned to him. />
  “We hopped on the first plane we could when Linda told Grandma you were under arrest in London. We called Linda when we arrived at Heathrow, and she told us to take a taxi here.” Tasha paused. “Why was the fire alarm going off?”

  “A small fire started in Harry’s office. The reason I got so frustrated with him—you know, when I screamed—was that he wouldn’t help put it out,” Julie improvised. Okay. She lied.

  “The fire was not small, and I did a lot to help put it out.” There was definitely laughter in Harry’s voice.

  Dorie and her mother stood slightly behind Tash, both giving her a curious look. They each held long sticks with cardboard attached to the ends. The cardboard rested against the floor.

  Linda leaned against one wall, shocked amazement on her face. Obviously she had a good idea of what had been happening in Harry’s office. Heidi sat at her desk oblivious to everyone but Bas, who lounged on top of it, idly swinging one leg. He winked at Julie. “Fire department’s on their way up.”

  Julie glared at him. “Stop them.”

  Bas got slowly to his feet, a resigned look on his face. The elevator doors opened at that moment, and five firefighters in full regalia with hatchets and helmets rushed out.

  Bas held up a hand and the group halted. “There is no fire,” he said.

  “There is no fire,” repeated the lead fire fighter.

  “Go back and reset the alarm. It was set off by accident.” Bas waved his hand, in the exact way Obi Wan Kenobi did when he was redirecting Empire soldiers in the first—which was really the fourth—Star Wars movie.

  Everyone watched in silence as the firefighters crowded back into the elevator and headed down to the lobby. Julie made a mental note to ask Bas if he knew George Lucas.

  Jean broke the silence. “So what exactly has been going on here?”

  “We’ve broken the curse.” Julie didn’t feel the need to talk about what had happened after that. “Harry is free of Marguerite.”

  Some of the confusion left Tash’s face to be replaced with relief. “That’s great! Does that mean this jail thing is all cleared up, too?”

  The jail thing. She’d forgotten all about that, what with fighting Ashakarin and having wild sex. Harry’s sudden stillness told her that it wasn’t all cleared up.

  Linda straightened from the wall and walked over to the small group. “That’s why I’m here. I’ve come to take you back to your holding room until the Balance is ready to judge you.”

  “This is ridiculous!” Jean turned to her. “I won’t stand for having my daughter brought to judgment because she wanted to rescue her daughter.”

  Linda shrugged. “Sorry, Jean. I don’t make the rules. I don’t even enforce them. I’m a guard, and I’m guarding the Dancer until I’m told not to.”

  The room grew silent again, and all eyes turned to Harry. He was the only one who could tell Linda not to. Harry dropped his hand from Julie’s neck and stepped away from her.

  “Guard her well, Linda.” He sounded cool and professional.

  Julie must have misunderstood. She turned toward him. “You want Linda to take me back to the holding room? You’re going to pass judgment on me?”

  “I’m the Balance.” His face looked remote, but she felt his mind touch. Julie. The aching tenderness and regret in the word caused a knot in her chest.

  And being Balance is more important than us? She touched his arm, trying to understand.

  “I’m the Balance,” Harrison repeated.

  “You may be the Balance, but you’re also a jerk.” Jean stuck her chin out, ignoring the gasps from Linda and Heidi. “Julie didn’t do anything that any good mother wouldn’t do. We won’t let you convict her.” She tugged Julie away from Harrison and stepped between them. The sign in her hand flew up, almost hitting Harrison in the nose.

  Written in bold letters were the words FREE JULIE. “I’ll camp outside the Council door with my sign until my daughter is released. Won’t that bring some unwanted attention to your sham company, whatever it’s called?”

  “Bright Promise Energy,” Heidi piped in, pointing to a sign on the wall. “It’s quite legit. We have a thriving research and development group.”

  Everyone ignored her. Dorie raised her sign, identical to Jean’s. “I’ll be camping out, too. Though I can just stay a week, because Jim can only get off work for that long and someone has to watch the kids.”

  “Me three.” Tash stood shoulder to shoulder with Jean and Dorie.

  Julie tapped Dorie on the shoulder. All three women did an about-face. Suddenly she didn’t feel so empty and alone anymore. “Dorie, thank you, but go home. You need that vacation time for your family trip out West this summer.”

  Dorie shook her head. “Like I want to spend my vacation keeping the twins from falling into the Grand Canyon anyway. You’re my best friend. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Julie tried to frown at her daughter, though her lips trembled. “Tasha. School.”

  “Mom.” Tasha smiled slightly. “Forget it. I love you. I’m fighting for you. I’m in your corner all the way.”

  Julie turned to Jean and just looked at her.

  “I know, baby. We’ll straighten this out. It will be okay.”

  With those words, the three of them surrounded her and hugged her, their arms wrapped firmly around her like a warm cocoon. Her eyes met Harry’s, standing stiff and aloof outside the circle.

  Linda sniffed and swiped at her cheek. “We’re all going to be bawling if you don’t cut this out now. Let’s go off to the torture chamber, and we’ll be back before the Council in no time.”

  “Torture chamber?” Tash tightened her hold on Julie.

  “It’s a bedroom,” Julie assured her. “Very comfortable.”

  “Oh, I’m so glad you like it!” Heidi clapped her hands.

  Before she could say thank you and goodbye to everyone in the room, and most of all before she could yell at Harry or get on her knees and beg him to love her, Linda reached into the circle and grabbed her arm. A quick swirl of stomach and she was laying flat on her back on the red bedspread in her prison room.

  Linda loomed over her, a serious expression on her face. “You hurt the Balance and I’ll have something to say about it,” she warned. With that, she turned on her heel, walked out the door and slammed it shut.

  Julie didn’t even bother to sit up. She just stared up at the ceiling, pain permeating every cell of her body. Hours might have passed before she shifted and a sharp edge nudged her ribs. She lifted herself on one elbow and saw the leather-bound book Bas had given her to read. Words of Wisdom. She curled her fingers around the binding and lifted it. Propping herself up on two white bolster pillows, she began to read.

  “You’re quiet,” Bas commented as Harrison adjusted the black ceremonial robe worn on Judgment days. They stood in Harrison’s office, adjacent to the Council chamber.

  “I’m always quiet. You’re the one who comments on everything.”

  “Part of my duties as ancient wise man.” Bas wore a black T-shirt and jeans today, in total disregard of the formality of the Council proceedings.

  “Any words of wisdom on how to handle my current situation?” Harrison glanced at his watch, then at the wall clock, to check its accuracy. The hands on the dial hardly seemed to move.

  “My wisdom doesn’t extend to matters of the heart. Nobody’s does.”

  “You performed the blood-bond ceremony on Julie and me,” Harrison pointed out.

  “I wasn’t concerned with your heart when I did that. I was concerned with your soul. Are you sorry I did?”

  “No. However, the bond will make my decision on Julie’s judgment more closely scrutinized than most. The Council is meeting after this case to decide if I will remain Balance.” Harry gave a small smile. “The only reason they’re still letting me hear this case is because no one else wants to touch it. It’s political suicide almost any way you look at it. Put Julie in Lobolo, and you piss off a powerful demon, no
t to mention Jean, which is almost as bad. We don’t even know if Lobolo will hold Julie. She can skip in and out of Gehenna like she’s going next door. On the other hand, let Julie go free, and you’ve set a very poor precedent for future wild powers. Julie can’t fully control her energy and there’s the real possibility that she’ll expose us to humans.”

  “You’re balancing between a rock and a hard place.”

  Harrison walked to his desk and stared down at the empty surface. “The law is very clear on wild powers.”

  “The letter of the law or the spirit of the law?” Bas perched on the edge of Harrison’s desk. His face held none of the amusement with which he usually regarded the foibles of the rest of the world. “You have trained to be Balance your entire life. What will you do if they remove you?”

  “I don’t know.” He had never imagined a future that didn’t include his work, his service, as Balance. “This is a particularly bad time for a change in leadership. We’re just starting to build trust, appoint regional Lions and get the Threes back into action.” He shut his eyes, seeing nothing but black until an image of a woman with brown hair and brown eyes formed behind his lids. He opened his eyes and met Bas’s gaze with a small smile. “But no one is irreplaceable. As you know, we’ve been carefully monitoring the boarding school assessments since I took office. No clear candidate has emerged as the next Balance, which is unprecedented. No one since Lia has been marked as a future Balance.”

  Lia Chevalier, a distant cousin of his, had tested through the roof on all of the measures of intelligence, leadership and power used to choose a new Balance. She was ten years younger than him, but had unfortunately died in an accident when she was nineteen. Each year, several children who reached puberty were chosen to go through a modified form of the Balance training. As they grew to adulthood, they formed a pool from which an interim Balance could be chosen if no chosen Balance was available to lead. Because they were seldom required in that role, those who were thus trained usually became the Lions of their respective regions. “The Council will choose someone from the interim pool, and I will likely be chasing after my mate, making sure that she doesn’t blast open the Gates of Gehenna or something similar.”