Magic, New Mexico: Touch of Deceit (Kindle Worlds Novella) (The Magic Mirror Book 2)

by Sylvia McDaniel

  Her known defense tool at a drop of blood was to faint dead away. One glimpse of the bright red stuff sent her into a fit of the vapors quicker than a speeding bullet.

  "Suck it up, buttercup, because you are the only one who can save him. You saw him first."

  According to an unspoken rule in town, if someone needed help, then the first person who saw them was obligated to do what they could to take care of that creature.

  "Oh no. There were children around us. I wasn't the first."

  "Do you want one of them to remove this chip from his body?"

  Petunia wanted to let out a werewolf howl, but knew better than to mess with Destiny. And how could she argue. She didn't want one of her students to be responsible for the alien. Not only would she have to remove his chip, but this meant he would be staying at her place until he left or was on his own again.

  "Damn," she said.

  Destiny smiled. "I have faith you can do this. And who knows, he's a very handsome creature."

  Frowning, Petunia wanted to object. She wanted to scream it wasn't fair. She didn't have time to babysit some hunky alien from another planet. "You know, Destiny, I am committed to my mission."

  "Now is not the time for us to talk of your mission, but just let me say, speak to your mother. She will tell you what she thinks of this goal of yours."

  Able to communicate with her from the grave, her mother had already told her in no uncertain terms that she was to stay away from Kaine, but the warlock deserved to die.

  Placing her hands on her waist, she stared at the Fate. "Mother should never have died."

  "Right now, you need to concentrate on your alien. You have about five minutes to remove this chip and if you don't, then you're going to find the NSA on your doorstep. Do you understand?"

  "Yes."

  She didn't like this job, but knew it was her responsibility.

  "Here, you're going to need this."

  "What is it?"

  The thing looked like a Geiger counter. But it had a handle with the measurement needle in the center of the wand.

  "It's a pyrometer. Here is the on-off switch. Turn it on and it'll find where the chip is located in his body. Then you have to remove the beacon."

  Shaking her head, she took the device from Destiny. "Crap. I hate blood. I hate hurting someone and you want me to cut him open?"

  "He has to be naked in order for it to work."

  "Of course, he does," Petunia said, throwing her arms up like that would bother her. The man had a really nice body and she wouldn't mind seeing him in the buff. What kind of penis did an alien have?

  "I also brought him a set of clothes. They should fit. You better get started as time is running out."

  Destiny started to the door, indicating the conversation was over.

  "Aren't you going to stay and help me?"

  Turning back, she glanced at Petunia. "No, this is a test. One of many you will soon face. Now get started."

  A situation as important as this one, she'd thought surely Destiny would be there to walk her through removing this beacon. But she was leaving. Forcing Petunia to face her fear.

  Destiny walked out the door and Petunia heard her motorcycle start up.

  She let her head roll back. A test? One of many she would soon face? Grimany, what else did the fates have in store for her?

  Walking into the bedroom, she glanced around the empty space and yelled, "Alien, come out now!"

  He came out of her closet, surprising her. That wasn't where he was supposed to hide.

  "What were you doing in there?"

  "I couldn't crawl under your bed without destroying the room."

  "Oh, I hadn't thought of that," she said, realizing he would definitely be a hard creature to hide. "How do you know our language?"

  He smiled. "My translator helps me understand all languages regardless of the planet I'm on."

  Was that what was causing the NSA to track him? Maybe it would be best not to tell him he could lose his language translator. Then how would they communicate.

  "I hate to tell you this, Jaqarg, but that was Destiny, one of the fates. She said you have a chip in you that the NSA is able to track you by. They're coming for you unless I remove it."

  "Who are the fates?" he asked.

  How could he not know about the fates? Didn't everyone know of the three mythological goddesses.

  "I'll tell you later. Right now, we have to remove that chip or find men in black suits crawling all over my house and hauling you away."

  The very idea of the government searching her house made her nervous. She didn't have anything to hide, but still she was a witch, and while she didn't have a black cauldron, there were other things she kept hidden from sight.

  He frowned. "I know nothing of this chip."

  She held up the pyrometer. "She gave me this and said I could find it with this machine, but you have to be naked in order for it to work."

  Grinning, he stared at her. "You just want to see me without my clothes."

  Damn, was it that obvious? Warmth spread through her like a wildfire clearing dead debris in the forest.

  "No. I don't want to spend hours being interrogated by some guy in a suit, who won't believe me when I tell him I had no idea you were from space. So give me a break and let’s get this thing removed before they show up on my doorstep. She said we had five minutes and we're almost out of time.”

  His clothes were a material not from earth and yet the design was similar. He yanked the black shirt that clung to his muscles over his head and tossed it onto the bed. Then he removed his shoes, his pants. Staring, she realized the black pants that clung to his loins were that way because he had nothing else on. No skivvies, no jock strap, no boxers, no tidy whities...nothing.

  Surprised, she saw he had a penis just like earth men. In fact, his body, except for the exceptional muscle toning, appeared just like a human. Did his species have special talents or were they just like earthlings?

  He stood before her naked as the day he entered his world. Gulping, she tried to catch her breath.

  Wow, oh wow! And she had to search him for a chip. Maybe it was her lucky day after all.

  "Get on with it, witch. We're running out of time."

  "All right."

  Turning on the instrument, she began to run the wand down his body from his head to neck, his chest, his stomach, his waist. She took a deep breath and the closer she got to his penis, the higher the pitch of the detector.

  Oh no, she was not cutting on that gorgeous piece of muscle. It would be such a travesty. She glanced into his eyes and could see him staring at her like don't even think about putting a knife there.

  "Run the wand behind me."

  He turned and as soon as she got near his buttocks, red lights started flashing and the alarm shrieked.

  "It's in your butt."

  "Yes," he said.

  "Did you know it was back there?"

  "Sort of remember. It was done when I was born. You worry too much. Get on with it.”

  She closed her eyes and picked up the small knife she'd brought from the kitchen. Saying a quick chant for strength, she glanced at him. "Just to let you know, I faint at the sight of blood."

  "You can't faint. You are the only one who can remove the device or I will be found. You confirmed what I had been told about earth's security system. They will dissect me. So you must remove the chip."

  "Do you need a piece of wood or a bullet to bite on for the pain?"

  Frowning, he stared at her. "I do not know what you are talking about. But I can manage pain. Now, get to it. We're running out of time."

  "Lie across the bed."

  "No, I will stand."

  Glancing at him, she shook her head. "Suit yourself."

  Sinking to her knees, she took a deep breath and released it slowly. Then she swallowed and put the knife to his skin. This went against everything she believed in. This was not her. She was not a healer - she was a flower child. A
gardener of the land. Not a huntress - that would be her sister Zinnia.

  "Do it," he demanded.

  "All right," she said, cringing, her hand shaking at the thought of hurting him. She took another deep breath and made the first slice.

  Blood spurted from the wound, trickling down her fingers. Her stomach lurched and the room spun crazily. Blackness crept in from the edge of her eyesight and she knew she was going to faint.

  "Breathe," he yelled, startling her. "Breathe and make the second cut."

  She took a deep breath and courage and anger coursed through her. "You're certainly bossy for a creature from another planet. Are all aliens from your home this demanding?"

  He chuckled. "I am head of security. I command an entire fleet of warriors who protect the chieftress."

  Cringing, she placed her fingers in the muscle tissue, her stomach protesting the squishy feel of his muscles beneath her fingertips. The blackness was trying to descend upon her again and she knew she had to keep talking or faint.

  "Well, I'm an herbalist. I grow herbs and flowers and part-time, I teach witchcraft to the children of Magic. I'm a powerful witch from the Blanchet coven. I believe everyone has a right to live the life they have chosen and peace should rule the planet."

  "You do live in a fairy land and you're a witch. A witch who has her fingers in my gluteus medius muscle. Hurry up, little witch, or they will be arriving," he said.

  Nausea sent her stomach into a nosedive, making her want to heave, but she took a deep breath. "Sorry, I don't think I can do this."

  "Do it," he commanded in a sharp tone of voice that let her know he would take nothing less than her accomplishing the goal.

  "I don't do well when you yell at me. It just makes me mad and then I focus on my anger and not your ass." She shoved her fingers in further and touched an object that didn't belong there. "Oh my, I found the chip."

  She tugged on the piece of metal and finally it came loose from his body. Holding the bloody device in her fingers, she felt the darkness once again creeping upon her. His blood was on her hands. The smell of iron left her stomach roiling.

  "Do you have anything in the house that uses radiation?”

  "Yes," she said, her voice faint. “The microwave.”

  “What is this device?”

  “It cooks food.”

  "Put it in there, turn it on, and then back away."

  "But..."

  "Do it," he commanded.

  The anger that had started small surged and she stood swaying at the sight of blood, but her fury made her strong.

  "You are way too bossy to be living in my house. You have to leave."

  She hurried to the kitchen and placed the metal chip inside the microwave. She punched in one minute and stepped to the sink to wash the sticky blood from her hands.

  "Send me home," he called after her.

  The microwave exploded, sending metal flying across the room, a piece flying right in front of her face.

  "Damn it," she yelled furiously. Her microwave was history, she'd just spent the last five minutes digging in his butt as he commanded her while she tried to keep from fainting. This day really sucked.

  She marched back into the bedroom where he was trying to stop the flow of blood from the wound.

  "Thanks, asshole, my microwave just blew up."

  "Do you want the NSA here?" he said in an even toned voice like the fiasco of the last five minutes was nothing.

  "No, but..."

  "They're pulling onto the street. They're going to come door to door looking for me," he said.

  "This day just keeps getting better," she said still upset her microwave was in pieces in her kitchen. "Let me bandage this and then you can put on the clothes Destiny brought you."

  She went into her bathroom and pulled out several thick bandages and carried them into her bedroom. Wiping the blood away, she covered the wound.

  "Is this where you sleep?" he asked.

  "Yes, and no, you are not sleeping in my bedroom. If you must stay, then you will take the guest room."

  He smiled at her. "Earth women are not very welcoming."

  "You're damn right, we're not," she said, thinking of the family curse that would not let her have sex with anyone but her mate. Forcing himself on her would be a quick death for her.

  The doorbell rang and her chest tightened as fear raced through her bloodstream holding her in its grip.

  "They're here.”

  “Don’t talk to them.”

  Jaqarg watched the little witch leave the bedroom to answer the door. She'd done very well removing the chip, though he knew he still needed stitches. But that would have to wait.

  Picking up his suit, he opened a drawer in a chest nearby. All sorts of lacy underwear and bras filled the drawer. He picked up a bra and imagined her breasts filling the cups. He smiled. Nice.

  Shoving his space suit in the drawer, he threw his boots in the back of a closet. He put on the clothes and the sandals she'd procured and wondered how earth men could stand to have the rubber between their toes.

  He could hear her voice in the other room inviting the enemy, the NSA, in. Taking a deep breath, he knew he had to make an appearance.

  He brushed back his dark hair, steeled his face prepared to meet the enemy.

  Opening the door, he walked into the main room of the house. Immediately, he assessed the situation. Three men in deep black suits. A weapon strapped to their waists. He could take two of them out before the third had a chance to pull his weapon. But he would wait and not react until it was necessary.

  "Gentlemen," he said.

  "Who are you?" a man with cold dark eyes asked, assessing him.

  This was earth's security force? These men with stoic expressions, wearing black suits. Sure, they had muscles beneath that suit, but he'd take out two of them before they could get their jackets off.

  "Jaqarg Tennan," he said.

  "We show only one occupant in this house. Are you visiting?"

  Jaqarg smiled and walked over to Petunia, wrapping his arm around her. "No, we're recently married. We met in Paris, fell in love. We just got home from our honeymoon."

  Thank goodness his translator had not been connected to the chip in his butt and had given him the customs of the planet. It had provided the most romantic spot on earth. Paris, France.

  The man frowned and his friend punched something into his tablet. Shaking his head, he frowned at Jaqarg. "We have nothing here about you in our system."

  "I haven't notified Social Security yet of my marriage," Petunia said, frowning at him like she wanted to beam him with a deadly weapon. "We just arrived home."

  Jaqarg leaned down and kissed the top of her head. She fit perfectly beneath him and he pulled her in close. He liked the way she smelled, but didn't recognize the scent. Even his translator couldn't identify the sweet essence.

  "Do you have your marriage license?" the man said, his eyes narrowing toward them.

  "No, we were married in France and they said after they filed the proper paperwork, we would be sent the document," Petunia said tensing in his arms.

  With interest, he stared at the man who didn't know quite what to make of their marriage. Maybe it was time to reverse the interrogation and make them prove why they were here in Petunia's home.

  "Why all the questions, gentlemen? What brings you here?" Jaqarg asked.

  "We're searching for a fugitive. We're going house to house looking for a criminal. Do you mind if we inspect your house?"

  Petunia glanced up at Jaqarg. "I don't mind. Do you care?"

  "No, go right ahead."

  Thank goodness he'd hidden his space clothes in a drawer where he hoped they wouldn't look. They waited while the agents went through each room in the house, opening places where they thought someone could be hiding. The main guy, the one with the steely eyes, stayed with them.

  When the agents returned, he glanced at them.

  They shook their heads.

  "
Here is my card. If you see anything unusual contact me."

  "What should we look for?" Jaqarg asked. "We have no idea what this fugitive looks like."

  The man frowned. "Just call us if you see anything weird."

  Jaqarg smiled at Petunia and pulled her close. "We're newlyweds. We won't be leaving the house much."

  He brushed his lips across hers and felt his loins tighten. Desire spiraled through him and he stared at her in shock, surprised at the arousal that filled him.

  When he returned to Bierilla, he would need to contact the sex merchant and have them send him a willing woman to take care of his needs. Someone who would not interfere with his job, but handle his sexual desires until he no longer required her services.

  That small brush of lips had thrust passion through him. No witch from the planet Earth who grew herbs and believed in peace would take care of his needs.

  Petunia closed the door and turned on Jaqarg. "Are you flipping crazy? Don't you know they can check out everything you tell them? Why couldn't you just stand there and look stupid. I could have handled the NSA."

  Now they had reason to suspect them. If only he’d followed her instructions instead of trying to look like he belonged here.

  He puffed out his chest and glared at her. "A warrior does not let his woman defend him. I could take care of the problem."

  "No. They will come back here once they discover no marriage license is in France."

  "I'll be gone before they find out the truth."

  "And then I'll have to deal with them," she said, glaring at him. "All you had to do was let me tell them you were visiting and then this would have all been over."

  He shrugged. "No, they would have looked further. I did what was right."

  Throwing her hands into the air, she walked away from him. "Alien, Jaqarg, whatever your name is, you are getting on my last witch nerve. And why did you kiss me?"

  Smiling, he tugged on her arm, bringing her to him.

  She had to get away. There was something about him that made her feel breathless every time he touched her. Her insides warmed at the feel of his hands, her breasts began to ache and she licked her lips, staring into his shimmering frosty blue eyes.