by Donna Grant
DANGEROUS MAGIC
By
Donna Grant
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DANGEROUS MAGIC
Copyright© 2011 Donna Grant
Cover Artist: Croco Designs
Edition, License Notes
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Chapter One
Forest near Wolfglynn Castle
Summer, 1128
The darkness pulled at his soul, demanding release, yearning to ravage the land in blood and death. Every day it became harder and harder to fight it, to remember the man he used to be.
But then again, he’d known the outcome of his battle from the first moment the darkness had seeped into him.
Cade paused in sharpening his sword and looked over the turbulent sea to observe the small rowboat as it neared Wolfglynn Castle. Every morning, he watched the boat bring the beautiful, vibrant Francesca to the castle, her fiery hair drawing his gaze like a beacon. And every evening, he watched her return to the small isle across the sea.
It had become a ritual, just like honing his weapons and stalking the forest for an enemy he knew would strike soon—very soon.
Cade’s gaze jerked away from Francesca as something stirred in the trees. He stood, sword at the ready, and walked silently toward the sound, listening for warnings that it might be him.
“Cade?”
He stopped and sighed.
“Cade. Please,” Drogan called from where he stood at the edge of the foliage. “Just talk to me.”
But Cade didn’t dare. It was painful enough being so near a man he’d called brother, but Cade was willing to bear the torture in an effort to save Drogan’s life. It was only because of Drogan that Cade didn’t go hunting Nigel himself.
Baron Nigel Creely. Cade’s lip curled in a sneer at the mere thought of him. The bastard had turned Cade into what he was, the same man who had already tried to kill Drogan once.
Drogan had won the first battle, but Nigel hadn’t given up. Cade knew all too well that once Nigel wanted someone dead, he would stop at nothing to see it done. Which was why Cade hid in the forest.
“Cade. I know you’re out there.” Drogan sighed and ran a hand through his long auburn hair. “What do I need to say to get you to come inside the castle?”
There’s nothing you can say, brother.
The darkness had nearly claimed Drogan, but he’d managed to fight it, and with his woman by his side, Drogan had beaten it once and for all. Cade didn’t want to put the darkness near Drogan again, not when it was so much a part of Cade that there was no separating the two anymore.
He moved as close to Drogan as he dared before he stopped and watched his friend. Cade still remembered being told he was transferred to the king’s private guard. Cade had been young, so very young, but his talent with a blade had brought him to Gerard and Drogan—two of the finest swordsmen in all of England.
The two were a handful of years older than Cade, but they had quickly formed a brotherhood. Cade had eagerly learned everything the men had taught him, and each month, his skill continued to grow.
Which was what caught Nigel’s attention. If only Cade had known then what he knew now, he would never have allowed Nigel to sink his claws into him.
Drogan shifted from one foot to the other, his hand on the pommel of his sword as his gaze scanned the trees. “You know you are welcome anytime, Cade. I’d like to introduce you to my son. Serena wants to get to know you as well. And I just want to sit across from you and share a meal as we used to.”
Cade closed his eyes. He knew he shouldn’t listen to Drogan. It was too easy to let his friend’s words affect him. Drogan thought he knew everything about him, but Drogan knew nothing. If he had an inkling as to what Cade had done since that fateful night so many years ago when their brotherhood had broken, Drogan wouldn’t invite him into his castle.
“I won’t give up on you,” Drogan murmured before he turned on his heel and strode toward the castle.
Cade leaned back against a tree and sighed. God, how he missed talking to Drogan and Gerard. When he had learned of Nigel’s plans to kill both men, Cade hadn’t hesitated to ensure his friends’ survival.
Gerard and his family were once more at their castle, and though the threat of Nigel would never go away, for some reason Nigel wanted Drogan before Gerard. Most likely it was because Drogan had led their brotherhood. Drogan had been the strongest of them, the best of them.
While Cade had been the weakest, the worst.
His gaze snapped open when he smelled lilacs and felt the tingle of magic along his skin. He whirled around to find the witch, Francesca, standing twenty paces from him.
Many times he’d followed her in the forest while she picked herbs, though he had never spoken to her. His gaze drank in the sight of her exquisite beauty, from the dark red tresses that hung in a thick braid over her shoulder to her creamy skin, unblemished and pure.
Tawny eyes stared at him under gently arched brows. Her lips were curved at the corners, as if she knew some secret he did not. Her gown of yellow hugged her breasts, and the decorative, painted belt that wound about her waist and hips only brought more attention to her delicious curves.
Cade’s balls tightened in response. Since the first time he had seen her over a year ago, he hadn’t been able to squelch the lust that pounded through him each time he looked at her.
“Will you never talk to him, my lord?”
Her voice was soft, rich and seductive. He fought the urge to run, to disappear into the trees as he always did when someone got too close to him. Yet he hadn’t spoken to anyone in...months. And she was here. Asking him a question.
“Don’t call me ‘my lord.’” His voice sounded harsh and rusty.
Her head tilted to the side. “Are you not a titled lord? Do you not have land and a castle of your own?”
Cade cursed inwardly. Drogan must have spoken about him. “You shouldn’t be alone out here.”
“You’re protecting me. As you always are.”
When he furrowed his brow, she smiled.
“I may not acknowledge you, but I always feel you when I’m in the forest. You follow me, don’t you? Protecting me?”
Cade stretched his shoulders. “If Drogan won’t supply a guard, someone has to watch over you.”
“I don’t need a guard.”
He could argue with her on that point, but decided against it. Her strength of will was obvious, and not just because she was a witch, or a bana‐bhuidseach, as she called herself. She wasn’t the only witch at Wolfglynn, though. Drogan’s wife, Serena, was also a witch.
“You aren’t going to tell me why you won’t talk to Drogan, are you?” Francesca asked.
Cade shook his head. “There’s nothing to tell.”
“Then tell me this, warrior. Why do you stay in the forest?”
Cade opened his mouth to speak, but she continued on.
“Could it be because you know Nigel will return? I would think that you were on Nigel’s side except for the pain I see on your face every time Drogan asks you to come to the castle.”
C
ade swallowed and took a step away from her. Francesca always unsettled him. Maybe it was the way her tawny eyes regarded him, as if she saw through to his black soul. Maybe it was her beauty. Or maybe it was because when she was near, her magic clashed against his darkness, prickling his skin with...something unnamable.
One brow lifted. “Do you fear me, Cade?”
He feared what he might do to her, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. “It’s unwise for you to be so near me.”
Her gaze softened. “It’s the darkness, isn’t it? That’s how I always know when you are near. I feel it.”
“My apologies.”
“There’s no need to apologize. I know that as long as you are near, I’m safe.”
He hadn’t expected her to say that—nor did he expect the little thrill those words caused him.
She let out a deep breath. “Everyone needs a friend. Even you. We all know Nigel will return, so there’s no use in thinking you must fight him yourself.”
“I won’t let him get near Drogan and his family.” Or you.
“Let us help you then.”
He shook his head. “You felt the darkness in Drogan. His is nothing compared to mine.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“You risk too much by being near me, witch.”
For long moments, she held his gaze. “It’s tearing Drogan apart that you’re out here alone. And if I had to gamble on it, I would say you feel as much pain, or more, than he does.”
Cade took another step away from her. Drogan might have spoken of him, but Cade knew him well enough to be sure that Drogan had kept much more private. Which was how it should be. No one needed to know of their deeds, especially not the beautiful, alluring witch standing in front of him.
She thought him good despite the darkness surrounding him. He wanted her to continue to think him a decent person for as long as she could. All too soon, she would realize just what a monster he was.
Pheasants startled and flew into the air. As soon as Francesca turned her head, Cade slid behind a tree. She didn’t seem the least bit surprised to find him gone, though her gaze did search for him just as Drogan’s had.
Cade drank in her ethereal beauty until she turned and headed back to the castle. He ran a hand down his face and sagged against the tree. He had never expected to talk to her, much less that she would seek him out.
Already he missed the tingling of his skin that vanished with her. Once she was safely in the castle, he walked to where she had stood. He inhaled deeply and caught the soft scent of lilacs.
Chapter Two
Francesca didn’t want to leave the forest. She’d finally given in to the urge to seek out Cade, and she had been lucky enough to stumble upon him.
She clasped her shaking hands together and paused outside the castle walls. The pain etched on his face as he listed to Drogan had made her heart catch. His loneliness was palpable, but he wouldn’t let anyone near enough to befriend him.
Not even Drogan, who claimed they had been closer than brothers.
She’d heard bits and pieces of the past that had broken their group apart, but Francesca had a feeling there was much more to it, more than even Drogan knew.
Unable to stop herself, she looked over her shoulder at the trees. She could feel Cade’s gaze on her. She had wanted to get closer to him, to look into the vivid blue of his eyes, but the darkness that surrounded him pushed her away. Or maybe that was Cade.
She stepped into the castle and instantly missed his gaze. She licked her lips and made her feet continue on to the great hall. There she found Serena sitting at the dais with her son on her lap.
“Good morn,” Serena said brightly.
Francesca forced a smile and slid into the seat beside her fellow bana‐bhuidseach.
“Drogan said a storm was coming in,” Serena said.
Francesca nodded. “Aye. I’ll have to leave earlier today to reach the isle before it hits.”
She watched Serena feeding her son for a time as her thoughts turned once more to Cade. After Nigel had attacked the first time, Francesca had returned to Wolfglynn each day to strengthen the castle with magic.
“The castle is as prepared as it can get,” Serena murmured before she raised her gaze to look at Francesca. “I enjoy your company, especially after thinking I was the last bana‐bhuidseach left, but tell me the real reason you continue to return.”
Francesca couldn’t hold Serena’s gaze. She looked away and remembered the vibrant blue of Cade’s eyes. There was so much she wanted to tell Serena, but she couldn’t. No one could know. No one.
“Francesca?”
She shrugged. “I like to be prepared.”
Serena snorted. “You’re lying, and I don’t need magic to know that.”
“Is the chamber ready?” she asked to change the subject.
Serena narrowed her gaze before she nodded. “Drogan said it would be finished today.”
Francesca ran her hand over the smooth wood of the table. The chamber had been her idea—a place protected by magic, a place where Serena and her son could stay when Nigel attacked again.
“Is he coming?”
Francesca jerked her eyes to Serena, knowing she spoke of Nigel. “He is, but I can’t pinpoint a day.”
“We’ve waited over a year.”
“And in that time, he has grown stronger. Let’s not forget he attacked Grayson as well.”
“You knew he would.”
It wasn’t a question. Francesca sighed. “I warned Grayson to be careful. I knew he would be able to take care of himself.”
She just hadn’t seen he was also a bana‐bhuidseach. It had been many decades since their kind had produced a male witch.
“He wants to help us,” Serena said as she turned her son towards her and patted his back.
Francesca let the baby wrap his small fist around her finger. “Grayson will only put himself and Adrianna in danger.”
“I know, but I would love for you to meet her. Can you imagine the three of us together?”
Francesca smiled as she imagined the three female witches in the same castle. “It would be wonderful.”
“I’ve beat the curse, Fran. So has Adrianna. There is still hope for you.”
Nay, not an ounce. “Of course there is. Once this Nigel business is over, I can look to the future.”
“I’ve seen several of the men watching you. You could have your pick of them.”
Francesca placed her hand atop Serena’s before she rose to her feet. “I look forward to it.”
The baby began to fuss, giving Francesca the time she needed to exit the hall before Serena could say more. She was thrilled that Serena had broken the curse of their people, but Francesca knew she herself wouldn’t be so lucky.
She shut the castle door behind her and stood atop the steps, letting her eyes scan the bailey and battlements until she found Drogan. She lifted her skirts and hurried down the steps and across the bailey to the stairs that led to the battlements.
Francesca paused once she reached the top. Drogan stood staring at the forest, and she didn’t need her magic to know he thought of Cade.
“There is nothing you can say that will lure him inside these walls.”
Drogan looked over his shoulder at her, his golden eyes clashing with hers. There was pain in his depths, but also determination and drive. “There has to be something.”
Francesca moved to stand beside him. “It’s because he cares about you and your new family that he doesn’t come.”
“How do you know this?” Drogan’s voice had taken on a hard edge, and his gaze narrowed as he watched her.
“I spoke with him after you left the forest.”
Drogan eyes closed for a moment before he faced her. “As far as I know, he hasn’t spoken to anyone since the day Nigel attacked last year.”
“I got lucky, I suppose.”
“Please. Tell me what he said.”
She glanced at the trees, wondering
if Cade watched them. “He waits in the woods for Nigel. He plans to attack Nigel before Nigel can attack you.”
“As good as Cade is, he won’t stand a chance against that bastard alone. I need to get him to the castle.”
She shook her head. “Whenever you go into the forest, he is always near. Watching you. Listening as you talk to him.”
“Why doesn’t he speak to me?”
She wished she knew the answer. “I don’t know. It causes him great pain, though. He wants to talk to you, but it’s as if he doesn’t allow himself.”
Drogan ran a hand down his face. “He and Gerard were the brothers I never had. It was my job to look after Cade, since he was the youngest. I failed him, Francesca.”
“I don’t know whether you did or not, and that doesn’t seem to matter to Cade. He has secluded himself in the forest to protect you.”
Drogan faced the wall and leaned his hands on the stones. “If only I had done things differently. Our lives changed forever in the space of a heartbeat. I wish I knew what Nigel said to Cade to make him turn away from us.”
Francesca turned toward the trees and let the breeze from the sea surround her. The urge to return to the forest and seek out Cade was strong. She could feel the darkness that surrounded him even now.
“He won’t win against the darkness, will he?” Drogan asked.
“It depends on if he wants to win.”
Drogan dropped his head. “We need to make him want to win against it. If I could, so can he. I cannot lose him, Francesca. I cannot lose him.”
She stayed as she was for long moments after Drogan left. There was nothing more for her to do at Wolfglynn. Every stone, every weapon had been filled with magic to withstand an attack by Nigel. Yet she knew it wouldn’t be enough. It would never be enough.
There was only one thing that could destroy Nigel. She just hoped no innocents were taken down with him.
Francesca closed her eyes and smiled. Cade was watching her just as he did every morning and every evening. She wasn’t sure when she had come to look forward to that feeling of warmth, but now she couldn’t go a day without it. She had faced brutal storms and harsh winter weather just to have his gaze on her.