by Bianca D’Arc
Urse strode into the center of her circle and turned her back on the thrashing in the cove. The leviathan was getting closer, testing the strength of her wards. Urse’s goal was to gather as much of the power and magic of sunrise into her circle before she could release it against the creature. She would use the magic of the earth, and the Light, to lay the strongest protections possible on the cove. If this worked, within the hour, at least part of the cove would be a no-go zone for anything with evil intent.
She raised her hands, facing the mountains in the east, over which the sun would rise, and began to chant. She alternated the chanting with spoken prayers to the Lady, and she could feel the power begin to coalesce around her, filling the circle with pure magic.
Soon, the sun would rise, and the power would be at its apex. That would be her moment to strike.
John felt the most incredible energy gathering around them. He had a front row seat to the most amazing magic show he’d ever seen. And that was saying something.
Bears were among the most magical of shifters. They got used to seeing a lot of strange things. As leader of the Alpha Team, John had seen, and done, a lot more than most. But this was something new in his experience. Something good and pure.
Something he knew he could help with.
John stood back to back with Ursula. She faced the mountains. He faced the writhing waters of the cove, alive with not just the giant leviathan, but what looked like an army of its offspring.
He added his own silent prayers to the ones Ursula was speaking, and possibly for the first time in his life, he felt magic in a new way. Shifter magic was of the earth, and of the Mother Goddess. Human magic had a different flavor. But Ursula’s magic was somewhere in between. Close to his own, with a distinct tinge of bear—probably from the shifter way back in her bloodline—but unique in its own right.
The human magic John had witnessed in the past called upon the Goddess as well, but this strega magic called much more directly upon Her Light. It was hard to describe, but it felt like Ursula’s magic was closer to the core. Closer to the Mother of All in some indefinable way. John was gaining a new understanding of the slight variations that made each race’s magic a little different.
Urusla’s chant ended while she seemed to take a moment to regroup her energy. They were standing at the center of a swirling maelstrom of golden energy that she had already gathered into her circle. John could see it now, and feel it crackling in the air around them. It was a heady feeling. So much magical energy gathered in one place.
He hoped it would be enough to deter the swarm of sea monsters that were violently churning the waters of the cove.
“John?” Ursula’s voice came to him, filled with power but also somewhat hesitant.
“I’m here, honey,” he was quick to assure her.
“When the dawn breaks in a few seconds, I’m going to turn around to face the cove. You’ll have to get behind me.”
“Which way do we turn? Clockwise?” he asked, watching the buildup of power with a good bit of awe. He had no idea she could call up such intense energy.
“Sounds good. Hold your hands out to the side, and I’ll push lightly when it’s time to go. We have to get the timing right, and I have to face the creature.”
She sounded nervous. He knew it was up to him to help her through this test.
“You’re not alone, Ursula. I’m right behind you, and if you agree, I can add a bit more power to what you’ve collected here. I’m connected to the forest and the earth—and as Alpha, to my people. I can give you access to at least some of that energy.”
“Every little bit will help. Thank you, John.” She sounded relieved, and he felt a moment of satisfaction, but they weren’t out of the woods yet. “Almost time. Give me your hands.”
Back to back, they clasped hands as Urse ticked off the seconds until she would unleash her spell. At the same time, John called on the magic that rested in his soul. It wasn’t something he did often, but most bear shifters could do rudimentary magic. It wasn’t formal, by any means, but John knew how to tap into the power when he needed it. He did so now and fed it into the circle—and into the connection between himself and Ursula.
“John…” She sounded breathless, but in a good way. “Is that you doing that?”
“Roger that. I’m giving you what I can. We need every weapon in our arsenal against this monster. Is it okay?”
He needed to know if she could handle what he was dishing out. It was a hell of a time to experiment, but they’d been thrown into this, and he hadn’t really realized what her spellwork would look like until he was in the middle of it.
“It’s…” She seemed a little stunned for a moment, but he didn’t think it was a bad thing. “It’s fine. More than fine, actually. Your power feels…”
But her words halted as the sun’s very first ray bled over the top of the mountains. He squeezed her hands.
“Show time,” he whispered, even as he felt the pressure on his hand that told her it was time to reverse their positions.
They moved in a clockwise dance so that they traded positions. She let go of his hands as soon as she was facing the cove, and he turned around, standing right behind her. She was short enough that he could see right over the top of her head, which was just about perfect. If something bad happened, he could grab her and pull her back, out of the way.
She raised her hands and began to chant, the power inside the circle swirling and combining into a single entity that was larger than either of them. A bolt of pure Light and magic that she could launch out of the circle and into the cove.
Shouting a prayer to the Goddess over the roar of the power she’d gathered and the raucous splashing of the leviathan and its friends, she did just that. A magical wind swirled around them, lifting the long locks of her dark hair. She was the center of the storm that would rain down on the cove.
The bolt rose up into the sky, touching the first rays of dawn and then hammering down to strike at the water’s edge and ripple outward.
It was like the sun itself was shining with the intensity of a laser, hitting from the point where she’d aimed, just on the edge of the shore, outward in a circular, rippling pattern.
The little monsters in the water tumbled back away from it, the smaller creatures in full retreat. The larger leviathan—the big daddy of them all—tried to fight it, but after a few moments, it too was pushed away, straining every bit of the way. It didn’t go too far, but it was clear after a few minutes, while the sun rose and Ursula channeled its Light into the spell she had woven, that the leviathan had been successfully banished from at least a third of the cove.
For now.
John had no idea if it would last, but at least for now, this stretch of beach looked like the no-go zone he’d hoped would be created for that hideous animal. The leviathan clearly wasn’t happy. It continued to rage in the waters beyond Ursula’s influence for a few more minutes, but when the sun rose fully, it sank beneath the waves, as if in momentary defeat.
Or perhaps, strategic retreat.
John didn’t like the implications of that. He knew the creature would come back even harder at them next time they tried to intervene like this. It knew what they were capable of now, and it would come prepared next time.
John stood behind Ursula as her chant wound down, ending with a prayer of thanks to the Mother of All for Her bounty and aid. He heard her words begin to slur a bit and realized that casting this spell had taken a toll on the strega. Ursula was trembling so much he could actually see her shoulders shaking.
And as the last words of her prayer left her mouth, she sagged.
She would have hit the ground, but John caught her, his hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. She was depleted but still conscious, her eyelids heavy, but she still watched the sun’s light hit the waters of the cove.
“It’s done,” she whispered. “That’s all I can do for today.”
“You did gre
at, honey,” he said quietly, next to her ear. “You’ve created a safe swath of beach and pushed the leviathan and its mini-me’s out away from the shore. It’s more than I thought would happen, and I’m very grateful.”
He placed a small kiss on her temple, unable to resist the gesture of care. She was literally limp in his arms. She had given her all for the spell—and for the town and people he loved. She’d put herself out in a way he hadn’t quite expected, and for that, she had earned a large portion of his respect and thanks.
“How long do you think this will last?” he asked, the thought occurring to him as he tucked her more tightly against his chest and they both watched the peaceful waters lapping at the protected section of rocky beach.
“As long as the sun rises in the east,” she said, surprising him. “This sort of work is meant to stand the test of time. It is a sacred spell, known only to a few of us. It is my one true talent that sets me apart from other strega. Only a few of us can do permanent wards—or so Nonna insists.” She chuckled weakly. “I really need to sleep now, John. Will you help me get back to bed?”
He was a little in awe of her now that he’d seen her power and realized just how strong and pure of heart she was to do this amazing thing for his town and people. If he wasn’t much mistaken, he had just fallen a little bit in love with her.
“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, sweetheart, but tell me, is there any special ritual to getting out of this circle? Or can I just carry you over the salt line and be done with it?”
“Oh.” She shook her head a little, and it lolled against his shoulder in the most endearing way. She looked a cross between drunk and exhausted, which made her seem a little loopy. He had to smile at the combination. “It needs to be broken from the inside,” she said after a moment. “If you take me over to the edge, we can break it and collapse the barrier. Then everybody can come and go as they please. Somebody may want to scoop up whatever bits of the salt we can save for next time.”
“I’ll get my guys on it,” he said, lifting her into his arms.
A little zing of satisfaction zapped through him as he scooped her up. She was light as a feather to him, and warm and womanly. Perfect. He liked the way she felt against him, and he liked it even better when her arm went around his shoulders and her face snuggled into the crook of his neck, like she’d been made just for him.
Dangerous thoughts, but after what he’d just seen, he was beyond caring for the moment.
He walked slowly, enjoying the feel of her in his arms, toward the edge of the circle closest to town. His men were stationed all around, some even creeping closer to the beach to check things over.
Zak, the deputy sheriff and highly trained sniper, was mirroring John’s moves, a strange look on his face as he met them on the other side of the circle. It was only then that John realized that the barrier was very real. He couldn’t really hear his men talking outside the line of salt. They all sounded muffled and indistinct. Like they were behind a wall.
That was some powerful magic, as far as John was concerned.
John stopped at the edge of the circle, looking down at Ursula. Her eyes were closed, but he knew she wasn’t quite asleep yet.
“We’re here, honey,” he said softly. “What do I do to break the circle?”
“Oh.” Her eyes blinked open. “Let me down, and I’ll do it. This one is pretty strong, so I’m not sure it would respond well to you trying this. Only the caster should uncast something this big, I think.”
John lowered her legs so that her feet touched the ground, but her knees were wobbly. He kept his arm around her shoulders, and his other hand steadied her at her waist.
“I need to reach down there,” she said, pointing to the ground where the rock salt formed the base of the barrier.
John didn’t want to let her go, so he lowered them both to the ground. Her knees folded neatly beneath her as he crouched, keeping his arm around her back for support.
“Is this okay?” he asked, his mouth near her ear.
They were so close together, his inner bear was getting a little drunk on the delicious scent of her skin. Like flower nectar and the first breath of spring, her scent enticed his wild side.
She reached down and spoke a prayer of thanks to the Goddess for lending Her strength to this circle of protection, then swept away a few inches of the salt, breaking the line. John actually felt the barrier collapse around them, the energy of it seeming to dissipate happily into the earth below as if going home.
And just like that, the sounds of the world came back to him. He could hear his men speaking in low voices to one another, and hear the wind in the trees and the splash of water on the rocky shore. It was as if the world had been unwrapped—or maybe his senses had—and everything was fresh and new, crisp and colorful.
John rose, lifting Ursula with him until they were both standing, facing Zak Flambeau.
“Tell me what you saw,” John demanded, knowing that of all his men, Zak was the one who most often saw magic. He’d been raised in the bayous of Louisiana and knew more about human magic and voodoo than any of them.
“Helluva light show,” Zak drawled. “Lit up the beach and water for a good long way. That wasn’t a simple ward. That was something special, John. Something profound.”
“Yeah,” John agreed. “Apparently, Ms. Ricoletti is something a little different. She can cast permanent wards.”
Zak whistled between his teeth, looking at Ursula with new respect. He even tipped his imaginary hat to the lady.
“We’re blessed to have you here, ma’am,” Zak said to her with all seriousness. John was impressed.
Ursula seemed to blush, if John wasn’t mistaken. “I’m glad I could help,” was all she said.
“I’m going to take her back to her place. Post a watch and keep me informed of any developments,” John ordered the small group of men who’d gathered closest.
He knew they’d keep him posted if there were any changes. Every last one of them were men he’d fought and bled alongside. They were brothers. Comrades in arms—and in their fur.
That they let him lead never failed to humble him. Bears weren’t easily led. Highly magical and highly volatile, most bear shifters liked to roam alone, but this group—this special group of men tested in the crucible of battle many times over—was something very special. As was the woman in his arms, he was coming to understand.
John had picked her up when she’d stumbled and wasn’t about to put her down again until there was a soft place to lay her. She was beat. He could see the fatigue written in her half-closed eyes and limp muscles. She was drained both physically and magically, and John grew concerned about the fact that they were supposed to do this all again just a bit over twenty-four hours from now.
The next ceremony was supposed to take place at high noon the following day. Judging by the way she looked and how much this dawn ceremony had taken out of her, John worried that she wouldn’t be ready.
He wouldn’t push her either. If she had to rest, she would rest. This could wait. No matter what her granny had said. He wasn’t about to watch Ursula work herself to the bone—and possibly put her own life in more danger than she should. The whole project was inherently dangerous. Going into battle when you were already depleted was foolhardy at best. He wouldn’t let her do it. She was too precious.
Chapter Six
Amelia was at the door of the shop when John arrived with Ursula in his arms. She opened the door and held it for them while he carried her older sister inside. She was hopping from one foot to the other, looking worriedly at Ursula.
“Would you mind carrying her upstairs?” she asked John, cringing with anxiety.
Did she think he was going to say no? He’d have to teach her that he was one of the good guys. He wouldn’t leave a lady, who was unconscious at this point, in the lurch.
“Lead the way,” he told her, trying to sound as gentle as possible even though he knew a bit of a growl came through in his
tone. He couldn’t help it. All his protective instincts were in play now, and the idea that Amelia thought he wouldn’t see her sister safely upstairs irked him.
She’d learn, though. John decided at that moment that he was going to stick around until both of the Ricoletti sisters learned what he was made of. Ursula, most of all.
Her opinion mattered to him…and to his bear. Now that was something different.
Never before had the bear really registered an opinion about a female—shifter or human. Suddenly, his furry half was sitting up and taking notice of every little move this magic woman made. Strange.
John, with his delicate burden, followed Amelia up the stairs and down the hall. He took only a cursory look around the apartment. He’d seen it unfurnished, of course. He’d been part of the building crew for this structure and had approved the blueprints, of course. He knew the layout, but he hadn’t seen what the girls had done to the place since they moved in just a few short days ago.
He got the impression of color and light. Comfortable furniture and dainty knickknacks. A feminine, cozy space that invited rather than repulsed him.
But Amelia was leading him down the hall to the front bedroom. That must be the one Ursula had claimed. It was only slightly larger than the bedroom that sat next to it, but it was right on the street, overlooking the cove. It had the best view.
Sure enough, she opened the door and led him into the room. Amelia pulled back the covers on Ursula’s bed before John set her down on the pale lilac sheets. The faint scent of flowers and fresh linen hit his nose, making him want to smile. It was an innocent smell that reminded him of fresh meadows and clothes drying on the line when he was a cub. It was a happy scent that brought back good memories.
John laid Ursula down and stepped back, allowing Amelia room to check on her sister. She looked worried as she put one hand over her sister’s forehead and closed her own eyes, seeming to mutter a bit just under her breath, so low that not even John’s shifter-sharp hearing could hear what she said.