by Regan Black
Yes. She was his. She always had been.
Always would be.
~*~
Wayne couldn’t fall back to sleep, though Tara dozed, satisfied and content, in the shelter of his arm. The moment was easily the most perfect of his life. He’d never put much stock in those who proposed the truest magic in the world was love, but the woman tucked into his embrace was the finest proof.
At last Wayne had done something absolutely right. Following the intuition and instinct of his magic had resulted in a resounding success. She was alive. More than that, she’d given him a new perspective on his life, present and past.
The way their bodies mated amazed him. He’d never known such complete, consuming acceptance. He’d never felt safe enough to take that chance, to leave himself open the way he’d done with Tara. It was as though she’d made love to his soul rather than merely his body.
She stirred and as her lips skimmed the scar left from the fire nymph’s touch he was tempted to forget that today was the solstice and they had an overwhelming task ahead of them.
“We need to talk,” he said, scooting up to lean against the headboard and bringing her along.
She pushed her hair behind her ear. “Don’t we have better things to do?”
No. He wanted to follow the sultry suggestion underscoring that question. He laced his fingers with hers, smoothing his thumb over the soft skin on the back of her hand. “You were out for two days,” he said. “Today is the solstice.”
Her lips parted but the words didn’t come. Leaning back, her eyes went wide, then narrowed to slits. “You’re not kidding.”
“No. Somehow,” he didn’t want to tell her exactly how, “Collette hit you. I carried you in and, umm, Nick handled the rest.”
Her cheeks turned rosy. “Nick changed my clothes.”
He nodded.
“And then he put you in my bed?”
Leave it to this woman to make him laugh on what could easily be the last day of his life. “No. Not even close. Two days, Tara. You’ve never seen two men read so much, so fast. We weren’t sure we’d get you back.”
He stopped and kissed her, needing the affirmation for both of them.
“When you did come around, you asked me to stay with you.”
“I’m sure I did.” That rosy color returned in a rush. Her palm came to rest lightly on his cheek as her green eyes held his gaze. “Thank you for saving my life.”
“I didn’t -”
“You did,” she cut him off, leaving no room to argue. “I’m sure of it.”
“You remember something about those days?”
“No.” Her soft smile was a benediction, scattering the disappointments that littered his past like fallen leaves in a forest. “I remember you. In dreams or in the flesh, in my heart I know you. You’re a hero, Wayne. My hero.”
She straddled his outstretched legs, the juncture of her thighs hot against his hard shaft. Her hands were gentle on his shoulders as she leaned in to kiss him again and again.
He lifted her hips and eased her body inch by precious inch over his aching erection. The solstice and the battle ahead could wait while he loved the one woman who loved him unconditionally.
Chapter Fourteen
Collette had locked herself in her private suite since returning from that dreadful encounter in the subway. This city was filthy. It would be one of the first things she changed when she had control of Morgana’s power.
She’d spent her days studying the journals of her predecessors and the dagger’s reaction to blood. Her blood did nothing, while samples Darius provided revealed various runes she’d yet to decipher completely. It made sense that O’Malley blood would make bigger changes yet. Time was short and there was no time to test her theory.
It couldn’t matter. She felt Morgana’s power surging up, seeking release, seeking to join her. She felt confident all would go as planned, with or without the stubborn little barmaid.
Collette’s strengths were enhanced by the dagger and her ultimate intentions were in order.
She’d purified herself and prepared her chamber so all would go as planned. She’d fine-tuned her spell, leaving no source untapped and no room for error.
Now it was merely a matter of waiting for what would surely be her finest moment. She was setting the countdown clock in her mind when she heard the uproar outside her private suite. Darius knocked on her door a moment later and she invited him in. He wouldn’t interrupt unless the trouble could directly impact her plans.
“I believe Gawain is lurking in Brooklyn, my lady,” he stated without preamble.
She always appreciated his direct nature. “Wallowing in failure at the pub?”
“No.” Darius frowned as he met her gaze. “The scouts report a surge of magic a few blocks away late yesterday. They narrowed it down to a neighborhood before the trail went cold.”
“Protective wards and shelters, I assume.”
“Yes, my lady. The scouts have not sighted him yet, but no one else could unleash a magic signature powerful enough to draw their attention.”
“And no one else in town has reason to hide their magic from me.”
Darius nodded and she knew they were thinking the same thing. Why would Gawain risk drawing her attention? Maybe she’d injured him after all and he had to heal himself before any attempt to confront her tonight.
“He will come for us today. Double the guard around my chamber.”
“Already done,” he said with a smile.
Collette thought about that encounter, the stubborn woman standing with her knight. “On second thought, have the scouts bring me the O’Malley bitch. She won’t be far from our gallant knight. I will create an invitation Gawain cannot resist.”
“You want him to be there?”
Her body heated at the potential. “Oh, yes, he should join us.” She checked her reflection in the mirror. “It will bring everything full circle to have one of Arthur’s knights on his knees, begging for my mercy.”
Chapter Fifteen
Tara leaned back against the kitchen counter, all too aware Wayne was elsewhere. The energy in the house felt different without him. Empty. Flat. The descriptors felt hokey, but she didn’t have a better way to express it, even in the privacy of her mind. Would her entire existence feel this way when he returned to his own time? She knew the answer by the abrupt twist of her stomach.
She was furious that Collette had stolen two precious days from them, even as she was relived the glorious lovemaking. It had been the best and worst morning of her life.
Sterling wandered into the kitchen and gazed up at her hopefully. That long-nosed face never failed to make her smile. “Are you hunting cookies?” He’d likely been left behind to guard her. Well, she couldn’t blame Wayne for that, not after he’d told her how they’d really ended up in bed together. She went to the cabinet and pulled out a beef-basted treat for the greyhound. “Enjoy. Probably doesn’t compare to the real thing you’re used to.”
The greyhound flopped onto the kitchen rug and chomped at the treat, unfazed by the changes.
Tara wished she could be so content amid the bizarre circumstances. There were too many questions racing through her mind and too few of them were related to Collette and her troop of devoted followers. No, her mind was on the knight who’d fought beside King Arthur, the man of many talents who’d traveled through centuries to prevent the return of a lethal sorceress on an unending power trip.
What was wrong with her? It would be more than a little embarrassing if anyone caught her mooning over the sexy man from the past.
“Daydreaming again?”
She jumped at the sound of Nick’s voice. “More like day terrors. He left.”
“I know. He thinks he snuck out to snoop around the building Collette owns. He’s determined to get to the ritual site tonight.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to snoop with the ‘hound’?” She put air quotes around the word and dropped her voice to mimic Wayne.
Nick laughed. “Sterling’s a sighthound, not a bloodhound. Besides, he’s on Tara detail.”
“I figured.” Tara’s voice held a wealth of affection for the dog, despite her irritation with his human. “He’s fighting some other demons too.”
Nick scowled. “The dog or the man?”
“The man,” she said. “It’s his past, a family thing. He won’t talk about it.”
Nick shook his head, his eyes full of pity. “You shouldn’t have slept with him.”
Tara’s stomach dropped. “Do you think I’ve jeopardized his quest?” The guilt would be with her forever if she ruined what Wayne had been striving for all this time.
“No. That’s not what I meant.” Nick walked over and draped an arm around her shoulders. For a moment, they stood like that, watching the dog sniff out every last crumb of the treat. “I know you, cousin. Your heart is smack in the middle of this now.”
She couldn’t deny it. “He’s hotter than the devil and twice as irresistible,” she said, willing Nick to accept the flippant answer.
“Not buying it.”
“Would you believe he aimed a love spell at me?”
“Gawain the Gallant?” Nick snorted. “No way.”
“You make him sound like he’s out of my league,” she said.
“Nah.” Nick gave her an encouraging squeeze. “You’re too good for him.”
“You’re family, you have to say that. None of this makes me feel better,” she pointed out.
“What would?” he asked.
A declaration of love from Wayne wouldn’t hurt. A promise of a future? Definitely. Both options were far too much to ask of him right now. She wanted to believe there would be time to talk about it once they stopped Collette. If only she had some idea what stopping Collette tonight would require of them.
“I suppose you won’t let me go for a walk.”
“No,” he replied. “He’ll be back soon.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because Sterling isn’t worried,” Nick replied.
“We’re taking our cues from the dog now?”
“A dog that’s traveled through time,” he added with a chuckle. “That makes it legit.”
“Oh, definitely.” She stood there another moment, simply enjoying the quiet comfort her cousin offered. He really was the cream of the O’Malley crop.
“I punched him,” Nick said. “When I thought you wouldn’t make it. He let me.” He wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug. “I wish I could tell you he won’t hurt you.”
She patted his back as tears blurred her vision. “Life doesn’t come with guarantees,” she managed after a moment. “And love is worth the hurt.” Two of the oldest O’Malley family wisdoms, trotted out in all kinds of circumstances. They’d probably originated with Peter himself when he’d learned he’d broken his vow before he had a chance to keep it. Something about that awareness popped a release valve in her chest and the tension she’d been harboring drifted away.
“Would you go look for him?” she asked Nick. “I don’t like the idea of him navigating New York alone.”
“If he wanted my company, he’d have invited me along rather than sneak out.”
“True.” She stepped away from him. “I guess I’ll practice my less than stellar patience skills.” Opening the cabinet under the kitchen sink, she pulled out cleaning supplies.
“You’re going to clean? Today?”
“If I don’t do something to pass the time I’ll explode. We know Collette won’t begin until well past sundown.”
Nick stepped back. “I won’t stop you.”
Naturally, he didn’t offer to help either. He had his own details and research to tend to. In all the documentation from his side of the family tree, he was determined to find something that would help Wayne overcome the wicked witch of Manhattan.
Tara started with the dishes, then moved on to counters and cabinets. Nothing had been neglected, before they moved in, but it kept her busy. Sterling watched her, seemingly baffled by her inability to relax. He managed to stay out of her way while keeping her in sight even when she brought out the mop. He took on a supervisor’s post on the couch as she dusted and vacuumed the front room. And when she walked all three floors emptying trash cans he trailed after her.
In the kitchen, she tied off the big trash bag and then pushed open the door to dump it in the garbage bin out back. The greyhound barked a split second before she heard a foot splash through a puddle from the earlier rain.
She bolted for the open door, shouting for Nick as a hand caught her shirt, yanked her back. She kicked and punched at her attacker and tried to scream again, only to have the sound trapped by a rough palm scraping against her mouth.
Sterling howled, leaping into the fray as she felt the sting of a needle in her neck. She tried to order him back into the house and out of danger, but the world was fading too quickly. Her vision went first, then a buzzing filled her ears as her legs failed her. Then she knew nothing at all.
~*~
Wayne had left Tara in bed and come out on this cloudy, dreary day to search Brooklyn for clues. He had to do something. Nick and Tara had put their all into this crisis and he’d been floundering about feeling incapable. In his own time, he would have had a plan and taken appropriate actions. Here, in an overpopulated century rife with technology that dulled the senses, he felt useless.
There were devices to replace everything he could offer. The priestess in Avalon had shown him a great deal, easing the shock of his transition to whatever future he encountered, but no amount of knowledge could ease the realization that he was an outdated relic of little value anymore.
Well, until an hour ago. At last he was making progress and feeling as though he could contribute more than the occasional history lesson. He’d known the magic he used to bring back Tara would draw Collette’s spies and he’d managed to slip away from Nick’s supervision long enough to get out of the brownstone and pick up a trail. With any luck, the man would lead him to Collette’s lair.
As a precaution, he’d left Sterling on guard at the house to keep Tara safe or to lead Nick out in case Wayne got into trouble.
He kept to the shadows as he followed Collette’s spy through the neighborhood. Surely the man would head back to Manhattan soon for tonight’s ritual. He couldn’t believe any of Collette’s followers would be allowed to stray far on such an important night.
The strength of Collette’s power was tied to the earth. He didn’t need Nick’s research to confirm that her ritual chamber would be in an underground fortress right on the nexus.
It surprised him when the spy didn’t aim for the subway or hail a taxi to go back to Manhattan. Collette couldn’t possibly allow the team watching the brownstone to live apart from the center of the cult for long. The man didn’t behave as if he knew Wayne was trailing him. The man’s blithe attitude tempted Wayne to attack and beat some answers out of him. Only the brutal memory of the failure in the subway kept him in check.
The spy picked up his pace as he turned the corner and squeezed through the back gate of a massive church in the gothic style looming over the street. Was Collette’s lair really this close?
Wayne felt goose bumps rise on his arms and lift the hair at the nape of his neck. He backed away, heeding his intuition. Suddenly his vision blurred and he was seeing through Sterling’s eyes. He ducked into the safety of an alley between two buildings, pressing his back to the cold, damp bricks while he sorted out the rush of images.
Sterling showed him his worst nightmare and he watched, helpless as two of Collette’s tattooed followers dragged Tara’s unconscious body down the narrow lane behind the house. Where was Nick? Wayne started to move back to the brownstone when a pale vehicle pulled into Sterling’s view. The men loaded Tara into the trunk. As the car pulled away, Sterling showed him every available detail. Assuming Nick hadn’t been killed, they would at least have something to go on.
Using his connection t
o the hound, he sent the dog back inside to check on Nick. Wayne waited, his eyes on the street and his ears open for the sound of an engine. If by some miracle the lair was on this side of the river, he could rescue Tara momentarily.
The car didn’t show up. The street remained quiet, except for the soft shower of rain spilling from the heavy clouds above. By nighttime, as the temperatures dropped, it would turn to snow. Loping back to join Nick and Sterling, Wayne cursed his stubborn reluctance to carry one of the cell phones Nick and Tara preferred. As Sterling’s howl carried through the streets, Wayne abandoned stealth for urgency and raced back to the brownstone, his sword snug against his back under his jacket.
The back door was still open when he arrived. He skidded to a stop at the threshold and used his mystical bond to reach out to Sterling. The dog barked and a few seconds later he heard the sound of paws and Nick’s footsteps hurrying down the stairs.
Wayne crossed the threshold, slammed the door behind him, and checked the magic covering the locks. “What happened?” he demanded when Nick reached the kitchen.
“I don’t know.” Nick looked around. “Where’s Tara?”
“Collette has her.”
“She can’t.” Nick stared at the dog as if Sterling would suddenly spout an explanation in perfect English. “It’s impossible,” he said, his face a mask of baffled denial. “No. She was right here cleaning. Collette can’t breach the doors.”
“I don’t know how or why, I only know they grabbed her outside.” Wayne snapped his fingers and his hound came to his side. “I was trailing one of the cult members to that big gothic church a block over from the pub. The car Sterling saw them dump her in never showed up there.”
“Collette wouldn’t take her there. It’s not even on a leyline,” Nick stated. “I’ve been looking at the old maps, going through the records and chasing down rumors of power surges.” He motioned for Wayne to follow as he left the kitchen. “I’m sure she’s sticking close to the nexus in Manhattan.”