Worthy of Magic (The Ancient Magic Series Book 4)

by Stephany Wallace

  “I will. You have my word.”

  I nodded and relaxed. He was an honest man, and I trusted him.

  "Fool," Ronan added as Cathair swam towards Lia and the others.

  I chuckled while my gaze followed Cathair. He plunged under water and resurfaced in between Eghan and the girls. Lia screamed clinging to Eghan, then smacked Cathair on the head for scaring her. I laughed, but my merriment was short lived. Cathair took Lia into his arms and began to swim with her. Could he be the one destined for her? The man that would one day make her happy? A strange feeling settled inside my chest, making me feel uneasy. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't want Cathair anywhere near her. I took a deep breath forcing the air down my lungs and reasoned with myself. I only felt this way because of what she was going through. It was normal for me to be protective of her. Except Cathair was my friend. I knew him. He was the last thing I’d ever need to protect her from. He would defend her with his life just like I would. I forced another breath in and out of me and heard Ronan clear his throat.

  “Are you all right there?”

  I gazed at him confused, but he didn't offer me any explanation for his comment. He looked at me as though intrigued by something.

  “Forget your troubles, my friend. Everything will be as it should." I nodded, and he smiled. "Come with me. Let us swim with them.”

  “Help, help! I’m drowning!”

  Lia’s voice pushed me into action. I didn’t even reason that warriors surrounded her as I plunged into the water, resurfacing next to her the next second. My arms wrapped around her, pulling her against me. My heart slammed against my chest as I looked into her eyes, trying to make sure she was breathing. Lia grinned holding my neck.

  “I’m drowning in the need for looove, Chewie.” She said in a singing voice, kissed my cheek, and leaned back in my arms, playing with the water.

  The guys laughed around us.

  I sighed.

  Lia was going to be the end of me.

  CHAPTER 4. UNDER MY SKIN

  LIA

  * * *

  Day 65…

  The tears spilled from my eyes and down my cheeks freely, as I tried my best to focus on his eyes. They seemed filled with pain, yet he wouldn't move. He didn't protest against what he was witnessing. Not a word came out of his lips as Julius masterfully sliced my skin again and again. My screams weren't mine anymore. My voice seemed like a phantom noise that a part of me knew I was making, except I could no longer register it.

  “Please stop them…”

  The strange, far away voice begged, falling on deaf ears, as my eyes remained locked on his.

  “Please, do something. Help us…”

  A sharp, mind-numbing burst of pain hit me then. What felt like pure fire erupted in my thigh and rushed through my nerves, burning them, making them sting and numbing them all at the same time. Dark shadows clouded my vision, and the scream that left me was no longer far away. My voice felt as though it was slicing my vocal cords on its way out. I weakly fought to keep looking straight into his eyes, but the darkness was swallowing me whole.

  His face blurred as new tears filled my eyes. They weren't born from physical pain, although I had enough to spare, but from my heartbreak. I blinked seeing a tear of his own escape his eyes. It slowly made its way down his cheek until it grazed the strained muscles of his jaw.

  My hope disappeared as the tear dropped from his skin into the unknown.

  “Felix, please. Stop them…”

  The sound of my weak voice was the last thing I recognized, before I was lost to the darkness.

  “Lia, please wake up. Please. It’s not real. You are here with me… safe.”

  A new voice filtered through the darkness, calling to me. Unlike the countless nights before this one, I didn't need him to announce who he was or reassure me that he was here for me, protecting me. Yet, I knew he would do it anyway.

  “Come back to me, Lia. It’s me Art. You are not there anymore, but here with me. I won’t let them hurt you. Please wake up…”

  I fought the shadows that surrounded me, and weighed my body down. I needed to get to him. I could hear the distress in his voice as he pleaded for me to wake up for him. The warmth from Art’s hands was the first thing I felt. It ran up and down my spine. His skin was soft against my cheek, and his arms tightened around me. It was then I realized my body was shaking, while his hands tried to calm me down. My senses began to wake up as I fought harder to regain full consciousness. With that came the sounds that had been lost around me, followed the searing pain my nightmare reignited. My arms wrapped around his waist, and I clung to Art as heart-wrenching sobs slipped through my lips. My tears fell onto his chest, yet he didn't protest. He held me even closer to him, and let out a relieved sigh as he realized I was finally awake. He kissed my forehead.

  “Shhhh, it’s ok, Lia. You are here with me. Safe. They will never hurt you again.”

  His fingers held my chin, tilting it up until my face was an inch from his. I opened my eyes and found his glistening with emotion.

  “They will never hurt you again." He vowed, resting his forehead on mine and closing his eyes.

  The promise in his words rushed through my body, calming the pain in my soul. The warm hands on my thighs eased the physical one. My eyes settled on Cyn. His hands were glowing on my skin, allowing the scratches caused by my distress to heal. The blood that had trickled from them, slowly disappeared until the light receded. My gaze settled on his and he smiled kindly at me.

  "I'm sorry," I said while fresh tears gathered in my eyes. I felt so embarrassed. Cyn had been pulled from Bri's side to take care of the wounds that I unconsciously kept inflicting on myself. She needed him more than I did.

  Cyn shook his head and kissed my hand. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Close your eyes. You should rest."

  His hands glowed once again and as the last word left his lips a sense of calm spread through my body, relaxing me. Had he done that to me? Was this another one of his powers? I didn't get a chance to ask him as he stood, and crossed through the portal back to his hut, and back to my friend. Art lifted my chin again, forcing me to look at him. When our eyes met the emotion that filled his gaze was one I had seen a few times before, yet I was not able to recognize.

  "I don't want to sleep again," I said, afraid, as my body continued to relax under Cyn's spell.

  Art slowly shook his head. "You don't have to sleep. He just helped you calm down. Nothing else."

  I nodded and closed my eyes as Art's lips rested on my forehead, placing a gentle kiss on my skin. They moved to my temple, my cheek, and my jaw as he created a trail. The warmth of his gesture seeped through my pores. He continued on the other side of my face until his lips were once again on my forehead. A small smile stretched my lips as he kissed my nose. He returned the smile and gave me a brief peck on the lips. A gesture he had become accustomed to in the past two months, and brought me even closer to him. His hand cradled my head until my cheek once again lay on his chest. I loved feeling the soft little hairs under my cheek. Lifting my hand, I allowed my fingers to play with them as my gaze got lost somewhere beyond the night. Art slightly chuckled and kissed the top of my hair wrapping his arms even tighter around me, until our bodies almost fused together.

  I silently thanked God for putting Art in my life. No matter what happened from this day forward, I was sure he would always be there for me. He would protect me. I knew it in my heart.

  I also knew that nothing would ever be the same for me. No one would ever make me feel how I felt in his arms.

  ART

  * * *

  The warmth of her soft breath brushed my skin, over and over again as Lia slept in my arms.

  Small, ragged sighs left her lips once in a while making my chest constrict. They were the remnants of the pain that had resurfaced with her episode last night, and I hated the fact that I couldn't do anything to stop them. I curved my body around her, wanting to become a physical shield that coul
d block the hurt from getting to her. She didn't deserve what had happened to her, didn't deserve to keep reliving it like this.

  My cheek rested on hers, and I closed my eyes allowing myself to be still in this moment. Lia was a mature and resilient woman. I had no doubt of that. My mind understood it. Yet, she seemed so small, so fragile like this that every cell in my body wanted to keep her here, in my arms, protected from anything that could ever cause her pain. Unconsciously, my hold tightened on her. I slipped my knee between her legs, and pulled her waist towards me, bringing her once again flushed against my body. Not in a sexual manner, but so that she could lay even closer to me. The rational side of my brain knew she was safe here, even when she wasn't by my side, but there was another part of me that insisted I was the only one that could ever protect her. I kissed her forehead and rained light kisses all over her face. I never wanted to see her cry like she had last night, but even I knew it was only a matter of time until the nightmare returned. The only thing I could do was be there for her and chase her demons away.

  * * *

  Taking a deep breath and hating the task, I opened my eyes and looked towards the clock on my nightstand. It was 9:30 a.m. and I was officially late for class, not that I cared. Lia needed me, and I wanted to be here for her, with her.

  “You can get up if you want. I know you have to leave.”

  Her sleepy voice brought my attention back to her. Drowsy eyes met mine, and I smiled. "Good morning, Bòidheach." She yawned in response, almost swallowing me whole. I chuckled. "I'm not going anywhere. I thought I could stay around, and hang out if you want."

  "Sleeping buddies?" She asked excitedly, and my smile widened.

  “Lazy butt.” She grinned. “Yes, we can sleep all day if you want.”

  She frowned rubbing her eye. “But don’t you have to go on your secret super hero mission, to do whatever it is you do every morning?”

  "I do, but I can stay. Just say the word."

  "The word." She raised her eyebrows waiting for me to laugh but I repressed the smile.

  She leaned back and looked at me with a calculative look. "No. You have to go. I know you don't want to tell me what it is you do, but I can tell it's important to you. I don't want you to miss it today, especially not because of me. Besides, Eghan is coming to help me snoop around to see if I can find out once and for all what it is you are hiding, and then throw it back in your face."

  I laughed, loudly. Lia had taken it up on herself to discover my secret, but even after all this time she had gotten nowhere. It wasn't for lack of trying. I had never seen anyone so intent on uncovering something.

  “How about I give you a clue?” Her eyes filled with excitement bringing a smile to my face. That was the way I always wanted to see her. Happy. I gave her a peck on the lips and stood holding my hand out to her. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

  She squealed and practically jumped on me. She was too endearing, which I was certain was not the way she had intended to come off to others, but she was adorable to me.

  She took my hand and stood barefoot, looking up at me expectantly. My fingers moved to her shoulder, pulling up the sleeve of her “Super Man rocks” sleep camisole, and covering her skin again.

  She rolled her eyes. “Hurry up, Chewie. I need to know!”

  I chuckled and walked with her towards the stone wall at the back of the hut, where a thick honey colored tapestry hung. We stood before it, and my gaze roamed her face as she observed every detail about it. I pressed my lips together not to laugh as she scrunched up her face and crossed her arms.

  “I don’t get it, Chewie. What the hell? Do you make tapestries?”

  I reached for it and pulled the tapestry to the right like a curtain, finally revealing the door behind it.

  “Shut up!” She said, gasping and smacking my chest with the back of her hand. I chuckled while she looked at me with wide eyes. “Has that door always been there?”

  “Pretty Much.”

  “Shut up!” She repeated hitting me again. I laughed.

  "Hit me again, and I won't open it for you." That earned me another smack.

  Chuckling, I turned the knob and pushed the door open. We walked into the five by ten space and Lia's mouth dropped. Her eyes went wide with awe and curiosity, as her gaze wandered around the room until it settled on my drafting table. Lia immediately gravitated towards it. Her hands caressed the wooden surface as her palm glided over it. Holding her waist tightly, I pulled her up onto the high stool and reached behind her for a folder in the bookcase. I handed it to her and observed her carefully as she opened it. Her mouth dropped when she got to the first page. Her fingers tentatively touched the corners of the century-old torn paper, and she looked at me astounded.

  "Master Mason,” she read in a whispered voice and flipped the page. "Ingegnere Costruttore,” she looked at the next page. “Architecte…" Her voice rose in volume as she looked at each sheet, wandering through the years of my history. "Arkitekt…” “Arquitecto," Lia continued reading the title in every language she could decipher. Her fingers fanned the pages skipping over the multiple diplomas until she settled on one of the most recent ones.

  "Harvard University. At Cambridge in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

  The President and Fellows of Harvard College with the consent of the Honorable and Reverend the Board of Overseers and acting on the recommendation of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences have conferred on Clark Allen the degree of Master in Architecture, magna cum laude…"

  Lia stopped reading as her eyes searched for mine. The emotion that filled them confused me. "You are an Architect, Chewie?" She lowered her gaze to the pages again, not waiting for the answer. She shook her head. "No." Her gaze returned to mine. "You have been an architect for centuries."

  Lia’s eyes glistened, and she threw her arms around my neck, jumping on me. Her legs wrapped around my waist as she kissed my cheek. My eyes closed, and my hands rested on her back, securing her to me and returning her hug. She squeezed me against her. When she leaned back and looked into my eyes, a tear escaped her.

  I frowned, and kissed the tear off her cheek. “Why are you crying?”

  Lia shrugged as though it should be obvious to me. "Because I'm so proud of you, Chewie." My heart skipped at the genuine elation in her words. "All this time, and after everything that you went through you never let that bring you down. You could have stayed here, hiding like the others have. Content with what you knew of life. Still, you went out there and explored, learned and made something of yourself. Not once but over a hundred times. You dared to think that a different life was possible for you, and still found a way to be here for your brother and everyone else." Another tear slid down her cheek and her lips curved in an astonishing smile. They weren't tears of sadness. She was proud of what I had accomplished, and for the first time in my life, I felt like even if it had been unknowingly, I had done something right.

  “I’m so proud of you, Art.” Lia whispered and leaned in, placing her mouth on mine.

  Unlike the small pecks I usually gave her, her lips lingered on mine, and I couldn't bring myself to move away. My arms wrapped around her as our lips remained connected although unmoving. A feeling I had never experienced before traveled through me, but it was too short-lived to recognize. Lia’s lips left me, and she rested her forehead on mine. I remained still, accepting the relief she was bringing me. After a few minutes, I took a deep breath and kissed her cheek, cradling her head against the curve of my neck. I didn't want to let go. I walked us back to the bed and laid down, keeping her body against mine.

  “Thank you,” I whispered looking into her eyes. “You have no idea how much that means to me. I have never shared that with anyone.”

  Lia frowned. "Not even with Cyn?"

  I shook my head and swept away a loose strand of hair from her face. "Only you." The breathtaking smile she had shared with me before returned, and I couldn't drag my eyes away. She was stunning. Leaning in, I cupped her chee
k and slowly closed my lips over hers just like she had done before. I let them linger, waiting for the feeling to return.

  It did.

  It slowly rushed through me, filling every inch of my body. I pulled away and kissed her forehead wondering in which moment Lia had become more to me. Covering our bodies again with the bed sheet, I closed my eyes and fell asleep with her in my arms.

  LIA

  * * *

  “Come on. Time to wake up.”

  Art's voice filtered through my blissful sleep, making me want to punch him in the gut. I reached up, to shut his face with my hand, but I ended up with a fist full of sheets. I frowned and opened one eye to find his side of the bed empty. Instead of lying down, Art was sitting down next to me, fully dressed. He was sporting black jeans, a light gray button down shirt, and a fitted black blazer. His hair was still slightly wet from the bath he'd taken, and unlike his usual style, it was loose. The long strands fell to one side, framing his face. Damn, he looked hot. I swore seeing Art dressed like this was like giving a woman full ammunition for wet dreams. One of these days I was going to cut his hair though. I hated long hair on a guy, although I couldn't deny he looked decadent and sinful like smooth dulce de leche. Mmmm, dulce de leche. Now I was hungry.

  “Why aren’t you my pillow right now?”

  He chuckled at my question and shook his head. “Have you always been this lazy? Or do I get the pleasure to witness this new side of you?”

  I made a face and got another chuckle. "I'm not lazy. Your bed is just too damn comfy, and I like my Chewie pillow. Seriously? Why aren't you my pillow right now?"

  “I have an early meeting at the Uni…” He caught himself and grinned. “I need to be somewhere extra early.”

  “University. You were going to say University, right?”

  “You might never know.” He said, standing up.