Music floated to her from where he worked. Jace had put some music on the old stereo that sat in the kitchen. Magnolia joined him there and set the armband on the table. She started dancing around, giggling at how funny her brother looked across the room as he attempted to follow her gyrations. A pair of lights shined through the kitchen window, causing her laughter to stop abruptly.
“Who would come at this hour?” Jace asked as he went to look outside.
Bash was standing at the door, dripping wet. He looked down at his hands then glanced up at Magnolia. “Happy birthday.” It was spoken so softly that she nearly missed it. “I didn’t want to call and wake you, but I saw the lights on when I was out driving, so I thought…”
“You’re just in time for cake.” Jace patted him on the back then closed the door behind him.
Magnolia grabbed a towel out of the bathroom for him. She sat at the table while Jace frosted and cut the simple square cake. It was nothing like the beautiful bakery-style cakes her mother used to make, but it still made her smile. The guys sang the birthday song as they brought her a slice to the table.
A blush crept up her face; she was not used to anyone besides Jace being there for her birthday, it being just the two of them since their parents had died. She was not sure how she felt about Bash joining them, but part of her was glad that he’d thought enough about her to drive past her house to see if she was awake just so he could be one of the first people to tell her happy birthday.
After making a wish, she blew out the single candle that had been placed on the chocolate slice in front of her. The three of them ate while listening to the stereo. The rest of the cake sat in the center of the table. She knew it would be gone before the next day. Cake never lasted long, not with the sweet tooth that she and her brother had.
Washing the dishes, Magnolia glanced out the window above the sink to see the branches from the tree swaying quickly to and fro, bending nearly to the ground. Lightning flashed across the sky, followed by such a huge boom of thunder that it shook the house. She rinsed the last fork, set it on the towel, then turned to the guys. “I’m going to go grab a few things from my room. Get the lanterns?”
Bash watched her walk away. She had never looked more adorable than she did in her fleece pajama bottoms and tank top.
He followed Jace into the back room to help with the lanterns, candles, and weather radio. He stopped at the fridge to grab them each a bottle of water. Just as Magnolia stepped next to the chair in the living room, the power went out. Bash lit the kerosene lantern that he was holding, while Jace built a fire in the fireplace. Magnolia quietly lit the other two lanterns and placed them at the other end of the room. He watched as she returned to the chair where she’d stopped when she’d entered the room. She picked up a rectangular box and then sat on the floor.
“Risk?” A shadowed smile lit her face. Her eyes sparkled even more brightly with the flickering light of the lanterns and fire. She set out the game quickly. “We should eat the ice cream before it melts.” Her crooked smile got even bigger.
“I am sure it will be fine as long as the power comes back on in a few hours, and the door does not get opened and closed.”
“I was not planning on opening and closing it more than the one time. Besides, you didn’t offer me any with my cake, and world domination makes me hungry.” She jutted out her bottom lip toward her brother.
He let out an overly dramatic huff of air. “You get the bowls and spoons. I’ll get the ice cream.”
“Don’t forget the whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and cherries.” She batted her large eyelashes and giggled as she jumped to her feet and rushed to the kitchen with a lantern in hand.
Bash had followed them to help carry the items back into the living room. They were soon settled with large bowls of ice cream and the game spread out in front of them. The storm raged on outside, the rain pounding against the windows while they waged battles against each other inside. Bash and Jace finally formed an alliance against her, since she was dominating the board. In the end, Mag defeated them both.
“World domination.” She grinned as she put the game back into its box.
“You take that game seriously.” Bash kept his eyes on her. She was so beautiful when she celebrated her victory with a little shoulder wiggle side-to-side.
Jace’s deep voice responded before her soft one could. “You should see her play chess.”
“Oh, do you want to?” Her eyes got big at the prospect of playing the game.
He chuckled low and shook his head, until he saw the hint of disappointment on her shadowy face, then he nodded.
“Really?” It came out almost in a squeal. “Jace never plays anymore, unless I’m sick.”
“Well, I swear that is all you and Dad played when you were so sick. That and Risk. You had so much practice that by the time you were well, it was a challenge to beat you. Now, it can last hours.”
“That’s what makes it fun.”
The game didn’t last long. Bash was so caught up in watching her that he did not pay attention to where she’d moved her pieces. All too soon, she had his queen, and then he was in checkmate.
After their game, the guys played while she stretched out on the floor to watch. Not long after, Bash noticed that she was sleeping. Gently he scooped her into his arms to place her on the large overstuffed couch. He pulled the blanket down to cover her, stifling the urge kiss her goodnight. He wondered if he would ever get the nerve to tell her how he has always felt about her.
CHAPTER NINE
THE HOWL OF A wolf woke Magnolia. She glanced around her to see that the living room light was back on. The fire was low, and the guys were both asleep on the floor. She wondered how long they’d stayed up after she had fallen asleep.
Quietly, she slipped off the couch and walked over to the window. He was there: her wolf. Staring directly at her from across the driveway. He would easily come up to her waist, and when he sat back on his haunches, appeared even bigger. The storm did not seem to bother him; he was simply looking at her, as if contemplating whether or not he should come over to the door. The lightning flashed bright, allowing her to see him perfectly. She could have sworn that his mouth was turned up in a wolfy smile. Smiling at the thought, she turned away from the window, deciding to freshen up while the guys were still sleeping. She hated showering during a storm, but since it did not look like this was going to let up anytime soon, she thought it best to get one in now, just in case the power went out again.
She dripped onto the little rug on the bathroom floor as the large fluffy bath sheet wrapped around her body. She pulled her hair into an old cotton shirt, twisted it up, and tucked the tail of it back under. With the makeshift turban now covering her wet hair, she hurried across the cold floors to her bedroom, where she entered and locked the door.
A glance at her wall clock told her that it was near eleven in the morning, though it didn’t look it. The storm raged on outside, the day nearly as dark as dusk.
Her clothes left her longing to be able to go buy something pretty without worrying about the cost. After selecting a pair a dark washed jeans and a black fitted tee, she dressed then fixed her hair, her long black locks soon in a twisted fishtail. Thunder shook the house, and lightning flashed brightly, allowing her to see the tree across the gravel road just as a large branch broke off, knocking out the power line.
She grabbed the dark hoodie from the back of the chair by her desk then padded quietly down the stairs in the dark. She pulled the sweatshirt on when she stepped into the living room. After tossing a few logs onto the fire, she stoked it until it came back to life, casting its warmth and glow into the room. Her stomach grumbled nearly as loud as the thunder. The guys were slowing starting to grumble, so she went into the kitchen then came back with a tray filled with what would be their lunch. She ripped the package of hotdogs open and thrust two onto the toasting fork. It didn’t take long for her to cook enough for the three of them.
“I
t is about time you got up.” She teased them as she fixed herself a hotdog.
Jace and Bash both looked at her then at the food. They grabbed some and started eating as if they were starving.
A long low howl sounded through the room, despite the storm outside, and her voice dropped low. “He’s outside. He’s been around a lot lately,” Jace replied. He reached his hand out to his little sister’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “That doesn’t mean anything though.”
“No, wolves are loyal to family, to the pack. This wolf would not be here all the time watching us if it were not important. Jace, this means something. Wolves just don’t hang around farmhouses for the fun of it.”
“Oh, sure they do. Especially if there is something delicious near.”
“Well, then let’s toss you outside and see if he’s hungry,” Mag shot back. She felt anxious and looked out the window at him, but what she saw was not what she expected...
The storm raged on, the rain coming so quickly that it pooled on the ground instead of soaking into the dirt. Her feet slipped out from under her a few times, almost causing her to fall. Lightning brightened the darkened sky in time to show her a downed tree limb. With a graceful leap she cleared it, hoping that her pursuer did not see it. That would certainly slow him down.
His loud voice reverberated through the forest behind her. “Princess! I do enjoy a good hunt!”
He certainly was not a quiet and graceful fellow. She could hear him thrashing through the brush behind her. It did not matter though. She had to get far enough ahead of him that she could make an escape or hide. She was not sure what she had ever done to this man, but the blood dripping down her left arm told her that she had indeed angered him in some way. Certainly, he was not after money. It didn’t seem that he would pursue her for this long for her purse. If he had more despicable imaginings, she would assume that he could find an easier target. Perhaps he thought that if he bedded her, she would have to marry him to save face. Whatever his reason for pursuing her, she did not plan to stick around to discover it. She turned to her right and ducked under a branch.
The low howl was not far away from her. He was here, not far away now. He would protect her. She simply had to get to him. The howl came again, closer this time. Her foot twisted under her as she landed on the other side of another fallen log. Sprawled on the muddy forest floor, she was soon yanked over to her back so that she was facing her pursuer.
“Get your hands off of me,” she demanded, trying to force determination into her shaking voice.
“I have my orders, Princess.” He pinned her down under his heavy weight. The lightning flashed to reveal the scarred man from the village. The one Alistair had called Gordon. “You are changing things that need not be changed.” He leaned his head toward her, his dagger in his right hand grazing against her chest, drawing blood.
The foulness of his breath made her want to gag, but she lay still as she could. Perhaps she could lull him into relaxing enough that she could get away. She soon felt his hot breath on the left side of her face as he opened his mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut tight when she felt him lean closer to her face.
“It is a shame that you will not live to see tomorrow. You are such a pretty thing.”
The urge to vomit quickly surged through her when she felt his tongue slide across her cheek. “Who ordered you to do this?” she demanded quietly. If he was going to kill her, then she wanted to know who was behind it.
“I reckon that I should not reveal that or my head will surely roll. She would find out one way or another. No matter that there is no one about to hear, besides you. You will not be talking to anyone soon.” An evil sneer contorted his already-scarred face. The point of the dagger was dragged just lightly enough across her skin to draw blood.
This was it, the end. It was now or never. Die fighting or die like a coward with eyes closed tightly, pretending that this was not happening. Well, this was happening; she had to fight.
Perhaps he would come; he would save her. Her truest friend and most loyal companion, Dragoste. She begged silently for him to come as she struggled under the man who was over her. All she had to do was reach to her boot or even to her hair. If only he would pin her hands above her head then maybe she could reach the hair dagger she always wore. But her hands were pinned at her sides, under his legs.
“Dragoste!” The scream left her lips when she saw the glint of his dagger inch toward her face. Heat shot through her face, and blackness filled her eyes when his palm came in contact with her cheek. She felt his hands go to her neck. Kicking and bucking, she tried to get him off her . Everything was going black. She stared up at his contorted face as he grinned. He was enjoying taking the life from her body, but she had so much left to do. She could not die now. A long low howl reached her then was drowned out by the thunder. All went black, her body limp.
Gordon removed the ring from Daciana’s finger. He stood and nudged her body down the side of the hill. Just as he was about to place the ring into the pouch hanging from his belt, Dragoste leaped through the air, seemingly coming from nowhere, and landed on the man who had just taken the life of the only friend the wolf had. Gordon got away, bloody, but with his life. At the bottom of the hill the wolf curled his body up to Daciana’s in an attempt to warm her…
Tears streamed down her face.
“Mag?”
“M&M, what is it?” Jace spoke softly. His sister’s face was white, her body shook as if she was freezing. He grabbed a blanket from the chair and quickly wrapped it around her. He led her away from the window and back to the fire. “Talk to us.”
Bash appeared at her side holding a bottle of water. He quickly uncapped it and handed it to her. He sat with his arm draped around her.
Magnolia’s voice shook when she finally spoke, “I saw him kill her. I watched her die. There was nobody there. Nobody to help her, the only one to try was the wolf, Dragoste. She was my age. Her entire life ahead of her.” Tears soaked her cheeks, and her body still trembled.
“It was just a daydream,” Bash whispered.
“No, it wasn’t. She was a real person. She was somebody important. It felt so real I could feel her fear. I could hear her thoughts as she slipped into blackness. Thoughts for her people, for the man she loved.” She shrugged Bash’s arm off of her shoulders and found herself in her brother’s arms.
He mumbled reassurances under his breath. When she finally pulled away from Jace, she glanced at the mantle and saw the ring. Picking it up, she looked at it in the firelight then glanced out the window. Lightning flashed brightly, showing them that the wolf was almost directly outside the window. She slowly slipped the ring onto her finger.
The room began to spin around her. She could hear Bash and Jace yelling, calling for her. The sound of glass shattering caused her to jerk her head toward the window. The wolf was now in the house. Chiming, the clock was striking out the hour: eight, nine, ten, eleven. A strong force pulled at her just as her fingertips came into contact with Jace. She could see Bash reaching for her on the other side. But the three of them were being pulled in different directions, out into the storm, then enveloped in complete blackness and silence.
CHAPTER TEN
MAGNOLIA FELT THE BITTERLY cold rain on her face. The slightest movement caused her shoulder to burn with pain. Her entire body hurt. Her eyes flew open as she hungrily sucked in fresh air. She felt something warm and soft against her and wanted to snuggle closer to it. When she went to move, she groaned in pain, causing the soft warmth to emit a low growl. Turning her head as well as she could, she saw that she was lying next to the wolf.
She allowed her eyes to search out her surroundings, and her heart began to pound as she realized that she was at the bottom of the hill that she had just seen Gordon roll Daciana down. She glanced down at herself to see that she was covered in mud and blood. The panic rose in her, causing her face to tingle. Where was Jace? She called out for him as she tried to pull herself up off the ground.
“Jace!” She saw a shadow at the top of the hill. Her hand went to her hair, and she pulled the dagger hidden there. She stumbled up to her unsteady feet then laid a hand on Dragoste for support.
Soon the man was a few feet in front of her, and Dragoste was not growling.
“Daciana, what happened?” the man who looked so much like her brother asked with great concern. The same golden eyes, the same brown hair, the same strong jaw, but he was wearing a leather jerkin over a white linen shirt, and brown trousers that were tucked into boots. A sword hung at his side.
“Jace?” Her voice sounded puzzled, even to herself. Daciana did not have any siblings, so if she was Daciana, now who was this?
The man nodded his head.
“Yes, m’lady. Though you are the only one who calls me that. Jaceson.”
“Jaceson? I don’t know you,” she mumbled as her legs gave out from under her.
He caught her in his strong arms. Jaceson lifted her easily and carried her, Dragoste staying at their side. He walked until he found a cave that was protected from the rain. A few yards inside he found a small pool of water. He gently set her down.
She could hear him moving through the cave, scratches and scrapes of things against rock and dirt. She could only make out his shadow until he started a fire.
She shivered in her wet and muddy clothes as she kept her eyes on him. He looked so much like her brother. Could he be? Did he come with her? Was she dreaming again? The blood that still oozed from her wounds reminded her that she was not dreaming. It was just as her parents had told her; she was back to finish what should have been done hundreds of years ago.
“Who are you?” Her voice trembled when she finally spoke.
He pulled his shirt over his head and draped it across a stone near the fire so it would dry. “Jaceson of Marcello. Did you hit your head when you fell?”
“I did not fall.” She raised her chin, though it caused pain to erupt through her body.
The Second Life of Magnolia Mae Page 5