by Vella Day
Surge Of Magic
Weres & Witches of Silver Lake
Book 3
Vella Day
Copyright © 2016 Vella Day
SURGE OF MAGIC
Copyright © 2016 by Vella Day
All Romance Ebooks Edition
www.velladay.com
[email protected]
Cover Art by Jaycee DeLorenzo
Edited by Rebecca Cartee and Carol Adcock-Bezzo
Published in the United States of America
E-book ISBN: 978-1-941835-23-4
Print book ISBN: 978-1-941835-24-1
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief questions embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Epigraph
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Excerpt from The Bear’s Forbidden Wolf
Other Books by the Author
About the Author
Beneath the calm and shimmering surface lie intrigue, power, magic, and danger.
Welcome to Silver Lake—where appearances can be deceiving, and what you see isn’t truly what lies below.
Chapter One
‡
Massage therapist Teagan Pompley lit the incense in a back room at the Crystal Winds Spa then opened a bottle of oil in preparation for her next client. As she placed it on the warming plate, her vision suddenly turned black and her body began to shake. No! No! Not again. She had to keep the dark images from invading her mind.
Grabbing onto the table for balance, her stomach roiled as the movie swam in front of her eyes. The scent of incense intensified, and the sticky sweet aroma of the open jar of oil made her throat tighten.
With her free hand, Teagan pressed her palm over her left eye and then her right to ease the ache, but even that didn’t help lessen the tension. She saw herself standing next to Kip, her former boyfriend, and in the next frame, he was swimming in a pool of blood—his blood. Teagan tried to search the scene for clues, but it was as if they were in some kind of vacuum.
Before she could figure out what was going on, a sharp pain stabbed her arm, and without thinking, she released her grip on the table to clasp her forearm. Her knees gave way, and she dropped to the floor, sending an ache ricocheting up her body. A second later, glass splintered next to her, the shards pinging on the tile floor.
Pounding footsteps came near, the door opened, and then a hand rested on her back. “Teagan, Teagan! Are you okay?”
No, she wasn’t okay. If she were, she wouldn’t be on her hands and knees shaking uncontrollably with sweat beading on her forehead. Warmth suffused her body at Missy’s gentle touch, and when Teagan’s vision slowly cleared she dropped back onto her haunches, her breath coming out too fast. “I had another vision.”
“Was it of Kip?” her cousin asked.
Teagan had had a premonition a few weeks ago about him, but she hadn’t been able to determine the extent of the tragedy—only that it was bad. It was why she’d had to break up with him. “Yes. I saw him covered in blood.”
Missy threw her arms around Teagan and the healing comfort helped. “I’m sorry. After I find something to clean up the glass, I’ll get you a drink. Stay right here.” She sat back up.
Shit. “I must have pushed the table into the counter with the crystals. I’m so sorry.” She wasn’t ready to tell Missy the table hadn’t moved. Her anger at having another vision had caused the telekinetic reaction, which knocked the glass off the table. Missy’s sister, Izzy, was aware of this new power, but Teagan didn’t want to tell anyone else until she learned how to control it.
“It happens. Don’t worry. We can replace it.”
As soon as Missy left the small back room, her cousin took her healing powers with her, and Teagan fought the urge to vomit. Of late, her visions had been appearing more frequently, and each time, they expended more and more of her energy. Her head still pounded and the ache in her chest made it hard to breathe.
A few minutes later, Missy returned from the shop and handed her a cup of water from the cooler. “Here.”
With shaky hands, Teagan sipped the liquid. “I can’t take this anymore.”
Missy swept up the broken glass before she dumped the pieces into the trash bin. She then sat next to her on the floor. “Maybe you should warn Kip.”
“No. If I call him, I’ll want to be with him, and if we’re together the event will happen.” Only a few times in the past had she been able to alter the future, and she was determined to do so again.
“Then I’ll be the one to tell him he needs to be careful,” Missy said with compassion.
Teagan grabbed her cousin’s arm. “You can’t say anything. If Kip knows I’ve had a vision, he’d have an excuse to see me, and I don’t think I’m strong enough to stay away from him. It’s better if he thinks I’m not interested.”
Missy rubbed Teagan’s arm. “You have to tell him the truth. It doesn’t matter that not all of your visions have come true, he needs to know what could happen. Besides, you’ve been miserable without him.”
“The pain of losing him would be much worse.”
The bell above the store entrance chimed and Missy stood, brushing back wisps of her long auburn hair. “That’s probably Mrs. Rodriguez. Do you want me to ask her to reschedule her massage?”
“No, I’ll take her. Give me a few minutes to compose myself. Working on her might keep my mind off what happened.”
Once Missy left, Teagan worked to pull herself together. She straightened the massage table and started to smooth out the sheets, but her hands were shaking so much she wasn’t sure if she was making things any better. When her client stepped into the small room, Teagan painted on a happy face. For the next forty-five minutes, she would attempt to focus on her job and not on the possible tragedy.
She actually succeeded. The slow rubbing, combined with the oil and the soft music, helped reduce her anxiety, but she had to concentrate to keep from worrying about Kip. When Teagan finished, she dragged the sheet high onto Mrs. Rodriguez’s back.
“Rest for a minute and then change. I’ll meet you out front.”
“Thank you,” Mrs. Rodriguez answered, face down on the table.
Teagan stepped into the main room to wait for her client. After Mrs. Rodriguez emerged, looking neat and relaxed, she paid and made another appointment for next month. Needing to clean up her room, Teagan returned to the back, enjoying the solitude for a few more minutes. Somewhere between the time of her vision and finishing the massage, she’d made up her mind about what she needed to do.
For the last few months, almost all of her premonitions had resulted in someone she cared about b
eing in either danger or in pain. The one exception involved Missy’s sister, Izzy. Recognizing that something bad was happening at that moment, she had saved her cousin’s life. When the visions about Kip started, Teagan couldn’t chance that he’d be killed. It seemed that those closest to her were being punished for some deed she’d apparently committed in the past. It was time to break that link, which meant that Teagan had to stay away from everyone she loved.
Once she replaced the linens on the table in her massage room and extinguished the incense, she went in search of her aunt to ask for some time off. “Where’s Aunt Kathryn?” she asked Missy.
“Mom had to make a house call.”
That wasn’t unusual, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. “The store closes in an hour. Since no one else is scheduled for any treatments for the rest of the day, would you mind if I went home early? I’m not feeling well.” That wasn’t a lie.
Missy hugged her. “Sure. Take off whatever time you need. If I’m not mistaken, you have vacation time that’s been stacking up.”
“I do, but I don’t want to make more work for you. I won’t be much good to anyone though if I don’t take a few days to clear my head.”
“Totally. I’ll let Mom know.” Missy’s cell rang and she checked the caller ID then looked up. “Oh no, it’s Kip.”
Teagan’s heart jammed in her throat. “Why would he be calling you?”
While many of the Wendayans and shifters needed Missy’s healing powers, Teagan refused to believe Kip needed that assistance. Her visions indicated she would be with him when harm struck. Regardless of her refusal to believe he was hurt, her insides cramped thinking Kip could be in need.
“He might be asking why you won’t return his calls,” Missy suggested.
Teagan’s shoulders slumped, and tears brimmed on her lids. “You need to answer it, but don’t tell him what just happened.”
“If that’s what you want.” Missy swiped a finger across the screen. “Hello?” Her skin paled, and she held up a finger, indicating Teagan should stay. “Slow down, Kip. Tell me exactly what happened.” Her brows furrowed, and Teagan’s anxiety ramped up. “What’s his room number? Don’t worry, I’ll be right over.” She disconnected then faced Teagan. “Two masked men just attacked and stabbed Randy. They got away.”
Kip’s twin brother. Teagan’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest, and she absently rubbed her left arm where she’d experienced the ache earlier. “Is Randy okay?” She waved a hand as if to erase her comment. “That was a stupid question. He wouldn’t be in a hospital if he were. Did Kip say how seriously he was hurt?”
“He just said that Randy called him and told him two men broke into the house, beat him up, and then stabbed him. I’m going to the hospital to see if I can help with the healing. Do you want to come?”
When her friend’s brother had his hotel room broken into recently, two masked men had been responsible. Ordinarily, Teagan would have concluded the two incidences connected, except that one of the intruders had been caught and the other killed. “I can’t.”
Missy rushed over to the locked cabinet behind the counter and withdrew the flowered bag containing her herbs, candles, and crystals for healing. “What should I tell Kip then? He’ll ask about you.”
She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but telling him the truth would be worse. “Maybe you could tell him I already went home.”
She had no doubt he’d call her on her phone, but she wouldn’t answer.
“You’re my cousin, and I love you, but I won’t lie for you.”
She was right. It wasn’t fair to ask her. “Tell him I didn’t want to be in the way and that someone had to mind the store. You go ahead and help. I’ll lock up if Aunt Kathryn doesn’t make it back by five.”
Missy hugged her again. “He needs you, Teagan.”
Guilt swamped her. “Kip will be okay. He has to focus on helping his brother now, not on why I’ve pulled away from him.”
Missy nodded, clasped her bag, and then rushed out. The moment her cousin left, the air seemed thinner and her chest caved. More than anything, she wanted to be with Kip, but to do so could jeopardize his life.
*
Kip was frantic, and it wasn’t because his brother had his arm cut open. With a few stitches, the wound would heal, and the bruising on his face and hand would fade with time. What Randy had just confided in him, however, had pushed his panic button.
Kip looked behind him to make sure the curtain to the small emergency room cubicle was closed. Randy was hooked up to monitors that thankfully showed normal readings. “What do you mean you have no powers?”
“Just what it sounds like,” Randy said, as he held up his uninjured hand the same way Kip had seen his twin do so many times before. With his fingers extended, he narrowed the tips to the size of a half dollar and aimed at the metal chair across the room. Instead of an electric arc coming from his hand, the overhead light flickered briefly. Normally, the chair would have jumped from the current sizzling through it, scorch marks marring its surface. “See?”
Kip’s heart nearly broke at the pain radiating off his twin. A Wendayan losing his magic was tantamount to a Were not being able to shift. If Kip could donate half of his abilities to Randy he would.
Not wanting a passing nurse or doctor to overhear his conversation, Kip pulled the chair closer to Randy’s bed. “Tell me exactly what happened. I don’t understand how someone could steal your magic right out of your arm.” The whole concept scared the shit out of him.
Randy rested his uninjured forearm across his pasty forehead. Some flecks of blood were still caked above his right eye from a small cut, and his short dark hair was mussed. Randy’s red eyes were proof of too much stress, and the bruises on his knuckles implied that his brother had fought back.
“I was working at my office desk when someone knocked at the front door. When I answered it, I saw two men wearing masks so I tried to slam it shut, but they barged in anyway.”
“Why didn’t you check the peephole? That’s what it’s there for.” Damn, now wasn’t the time to chastise his brother for being careless.
Randy blew out a breath. “My mind was on my case. Besides, we live in the fucking Cove—a place where crime rarely happens.”
“Sorry, go on.”
“They smashed their way in, and before I had a chance to zap them, the taller of the two held me down while the second man waved a knife then stabbed me. I was able to break the big man’s hold and put up a fight for a few seconds, but in the end they overpowered me. Knife wounds tend to take the steam out of a person.”
Fuck. The mere thought of the anger and panic ripping through his brother had Kip’s stomach in knots. “Did you do any damage to them?” Kip worked at McKinnon and Associates, a private investigation firm. “If you bruised even one of the attackers, it might be easier for us to spot him.”
Randy lifted a shoulder. “That’s hard to say since they both wore masks. I did manage to kick the stocky guy in the gut, spin around, and then land a punch to the tall one’s face before they pinned me down again.”
Kip dragged a hand down his scruffy jawline and blew out a breath. This was bad. Really bad. “Did they say what they are after?” Perhaps the thugs could be identified by their accent or the deepness of their voices.
“No. They didn’t say a word. They ambushed and tackled me, and then sliced my arm. They didn’t make any demands or attempt to take anything.”
Kip wasn’t convinced the men had really stolen Randy’s magic. The fear of being attacked might have caused some kind of mental block. With time, he hoped Randy’s abilities would return. If Kip brought up that theory now, given the strength of his brother’s conviction, it would piss him off.
Kip slumped back against his chair. “Tell me again, how did you know that they stole your magic? They could have been there for some kind of vengeance against you. You do deal with the criminal element.” Until last year, Kip had been right beside his br
other at the law office.
“Right after the beefier one stabbed me, he pulled out the knife and took off. Just as they reached the door, I lifted my good arm to send a few hundred volts of electricity through them, but nothing happened.”
Kip studied Randy and wondered if maybe the blade had been dipped in a strong paralytic or something. “I’m not seeing it. How exactly did they take your magic? Fuck, I didn’t even think it was possible.”
“I know, right? I’m still trying to figure it out.”
“I’d say they might have mistaken you for me, but with my short beard and longer hair, they wouldn’t have mixed up the two of us.” When Kip left the law firm, he let his hair grow and swore he’d never wear another tie again.
“I agree.”
“No one runs into a house, stabs the person, and then leaves, especially if he wanted that person dead. In the ten years I worked for the Public Defender’s office, I never heard of any criminal acting that strangely.”
“Strange or not, that’s what happened,” Randy said. “They might have had a witch put a spell on the knife.”
“I wouldn’t put it past them. Regardless, I’m going to do my best to find the bastards.” He leaned forward. “You sure you didn’t piss off any clients?” Randy worked for the prosecution.
“Lately I’ve been dealing with some lowlife thugs, but I can’t imagine anyone caring about what happens to them.”
Some piece was missing. “Can you describe the knife?” Kip wasn’t even sure why he asked, but there had to be some explanation. Kip had heard stories as a kid about Wendayans losing their magic, but he thought those were just stories. He figured the witches had lost their powers due to old age.
Randy slowly lowered his arm and his gaze shifted to the left. “It had a red blade, but why would that matter? Or more importantly, why use something other than steel? I will say though it was damned sharp.”
“I don’t know. There has to be a connection as to why you were targeted.”