by Ann Gimpel
Barrett sighed, unlocked the door, and pulled up the shades. Once the war had ended, different groups picked up the slack left by the human void. They hadn’t meant to annihilate most of the humans. It was damned inconvenient without them. No one had foreseen how fragile they were, though, and how susceptible to death when large quantities of magic were discharged. Or that they’d take it upon themselves to retaliate by detonating atomic weapons. In the end, fallout had killed far more of them than magic.
He made his way to the register and booted up the shop's computer, still lost in his thoughts. Between the various magic wielders, they’d managed to keep food production and hydroelectric power going. At least in the Pacific Northwest, water continued to flow from the reservoirs. Trash and sewage were a huge problem, though not so pressing as they might have been if there’d been more survivors.
The shop door opened. A group of ten Witches rushed in and fanned out. Apparently they knew what they needed. At least thirty more people followed on their heels, all intent on buying something.
A Druid marched up to the register and handed over a variety of packets. “I like the new arrangement back in the herb section.”
“Thanks.” Barrett smiled and rang up the items, handing them back.
One of the things he’d accomplished when he was closed—actually the only thing—was to clean the store and get its contents better organized. He had lists of things he was low on and ideas to remedy the shortages.
He’d tried to stay busy to keep his mind off Keira. It hadn’t worked. At least not very well. Every time he shut his eyes, she was there smiling softly at him, her silver eyes aglow. When he caught a few hours’ sleep, she came to him in his dreams. His cock hardened at the mere thought of her. He’d brought himself off so many times he was sore, but his lust hadn’t diminished one whit. Getting her out from underfoot so he wasn’t looking at her, inhaling her tantalizing scent, and talking with her everyday hadn’t made a dent in his infatuation.
If anything, his obsession had grown more intense.
“What am I going to do?” he murmured.
“What?” A Witch laid several packets of herbs, some amulets, and a tarot deck on the counter.
“Nothing. Just talking to myself.” Barrett rang up the sale and tried to purge his thoughts of Keira. It didn’t matter how much he longed for her. She’d never be his.
“Barrett.” Caelin sounded desperate, even through their mind link.
“Yes? What is it? I just got my shop open again, and it’s crawling with customers.”
Irritation scoured his nerves raw. He’d done his part. Why couldn’t Caelin leave him alone? Too bad the mind link magic couldn’t be shut off like a phone.
“Renn will be here soon. Your presence is required as well. I fear teaching Keira by myself was too ambitious a task, given such a short time frame.”
Barrett blew out an amused breath. “Wait a minute. Let me get this right. Are you actually requesting help?”
A long silence sat between them before Caelin gritted out a grudging, “Yes.”
Even in mind speech, the single word held a bitten-off quality. Caelin was proud. Death before defeat could’ve been stenciled on his forehead.
“I’ll be there as soon as I get rid of my customers.”
“Hurry. As your commander—”
“Oh stuff it, Caelin. We’re not at war. At least not at the moment. The Weres have retreated.”
After an unintelligible spate in the Sidhe tongue, the mind link snapped shut.
Barrett’s heart took flight. His face split in a broad grin. Keira. Soon he’d be by her side again. Another part of him—the wise part—told him to run like hell.
I’m going to make a fool of myself and get hurt in the bargain.
He toyed with reestablishing the mind link. Caelin could call on another of the Daoine. Any of them could help as well as him…
He started the casting to reopen communication, and then dropped his hands to his sides. Magic ran through his fingertips in an iridescent cascade. He wanted Keira. Badly enough to throw caution to the four winds. If the only avenue to be near her was as one of her mentors, it would have to be enough.
Chapter Nine
A Few Hours Earlier
“No!” Caelin’s voice cracked like a whip. “You’re not paying attention.”
Rage boiled over. Keira stared at him wishing she could kill him. “You are one cold son of a bitch.” She bit off the words. “You can’t bludgeon someone into learning something. If I didn’t get a spell or casting the first time you explained it, and you say exactly the same words again only louder, why the hell would you think I’d understand any better the second time? Or the third or the fourth? I liked it better when I was with the Weres. Primitive as they were, at least they had some feelings.”
Smoke rose from a stack of papers. Keira knew what would happen next. Once her temper got away from her, things went up like a torch. She dove on top of the file folders and smothered the blaze before it could truly ignite.
“Goddammit! I hate this.” Rolling upright, she brushed cinders and soot from her cotton top.
“Which is exactly why you should heed me…Daughter.” Caelin turned away and fisted his hands by his sides. Irritation etched deep into his patrician features.
“You’re power mad, just like the Weres.” Keira inhaled sharply, her gaze never leaving him so she could duck in case he tried to hit her. It looked like wanting to kill someone wasn’t unique to her.
He spun so fast, it took her breath away. “Likening me to the Weres is blasphemy. Even mentioning me in the same breath qualifies. You will apologize. Now. I have killed underlings for less.”
“I’m not your underling. I’m your daughter. You won’t kill me, so don’t waste both our time with empty threats.” Hands on her hips, she stood her ground. “Maybe it would be better if you taught me Gaelic, so I could read what’s in those books for myself.”
She gestured at the pile of leather-bound books and scrolls scattered on the carpet between them. They were in Caelin’s home, a surprisingly well-preserved mansion in what had once been Seattle’s Capitol Hill district. As austere as her father, the many rooms, while well-appointed and perfectly color coordinated, held little warmth.
Keira wrapped her arms around herself. She’d never felt so alone in her life. “I want Renn,” she blurted.
“What?”
“Renn. She’s a Fairy and my friend.”
“I know who she is, but you scarcely have time,” he sputtered. “Your birthday is a scant three days from now.”
She blew out a breath. “It isn’t as if I’m not making progress. Even you, dour old bastard that you are, admitted as much yesterday.”
“You will show me the respect one accords to a father,” he snapped.
“Why? You forgot about me. It takes more than being a sperm donor—”
“Stop!” He held up a hand. Splotches of red rode high on both cheeks. “I loathe it when you’re crass. I tell myself you can’t help it since you sold your body—”
“No,” she snarled. Keira stepped close because she’d discovered it made him uncomfortable. “You stop. I hate it when you decide I’m damaged goods because I was an indentured servant trying to stay alive. Barrett didn’t see me that way.”
Whoops.
Keira grimaced. She’d been attempting not to think about Barrett, but it was a losing proposition. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his face. At night, she imagined his body and…
“You’ll notice he didn’t volunteer to teach you.” Caelin’s eyes were cold. He watched her like a cat might watch a mouse. It made her skin crawl.
“Why are you looking at me like I’m a science project gone amiss?”
He shrugged. “You may call your Fairy friend. Their magic is strong. Maybe she could assist with your tutelage.”
“Where’s the phone?”
He gestured toward the doorway. “In the upstairs study, on my desk.
Return immediately. We are behind schedule.”
Whose schedule might that be?
Not caring he could read her thoughts, Keira strode from the large, airy solar Caelin had designated as their lesson room. He was so intense, it was a relief to put some distance between them. She climbed the winding staircase and pushed open the door to his study. His immense oak desk was scattered with papers. The computer hummed, but Gaelic scrolled across the screen. She closed her fingers around the phone and dialed her friend.
Renn picked up on the first ring. “I was hoping I’d hear from you,” she trilled. “I went to visit Barrett to see what had happened—”
“What did you do when you, ah, visited him?” Keira hated the jealousy grating on her insides. She was none too fond of the tone of her voice, either, but couldn’t seem to modulate it. The phone bit into her hand. She loosened her grip.
“Nothing.” Renn sounded as irritated as Keira had ever heard her. “Look. I’m only going to say this once. I am not interested in Barrett. He’s a friend and a business associate. That’s all. I hunted him down because I was worried about you.”
Keira massaged her temples with the hand not holding the phone. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what it is about Barrett, but he brings out the worst in me.”
Renn chuckled warmly. “That’s better. I know he does, and I think I know why, but that’s not what you called about.”
It was Keira’s turn to laugh. “If you’re prescient, why aren’t you already here?”
“On my way, sweetie. Tell that sour-faced old bastard not to bother us. I know exactly what you need right now.”
She was still laughing when Caelin stalked into the study. “I fail to see what’s so funny. I told you to return as soon as you’d spoken with your friend.”
“So you did.” She set the phone on the desk. “Have you ever understood the light side of anything? Gee, I’m surprised you don’t get along better with the Weres. They haven’t got a sense of humor, either. I’ve only been idle for five minutes.”
“It’s five minutes we could’ve been working. Is there aught else you must attend to before we begin our studies again?”
Keira rolled her eyes. “Now that you mention it, how about taking a break for something to eat? I can’t remember the last meal we had. I’m hungry. When Renn gets here, you’ll be off the hook for a while.”
“What makes you think so?”
Keira shrugged. “You’ll have to ask her.”
“Barrett will arrive soon as well.”
“What?” Heat rushed to her face. Keira turned away, but hiding her reaction from Caelin’s sharp eyes was hopeless.
“It appears you heard me.”
“Uh, what I meant was, why?”
“Time grows short. I need help.” He thinned his lips into a harsh line. “That help will not include anything that…” Spots of color splashed across his high cheekbones, and Caelin started over. “We must make the best possible use of the limited time remaining to us.”
Amusement made the corners of her mouth twitch, and she folded her arms beneath her breasts. “You’re how old? Thousands of years I bet, and sex still makes you uncomfortable. Why? Do you have some kind of problems? Or maybe you like boys. Do the Daoine condone same sex couplings?”
The spots of color morphed into a full lobster red that suffused Caelin’s face. “That will be quite enough,” he thundered. “To speak casually of such things—”
“Is what?” she broke in. Keira pressed her lips together, fury rapidly displacing her earlier elation. “You knew where I was. You forgot about me. The only work I know is hawking my body. If I’m crasser than you’d like, I suggest you get used to it.”
He doubled up a fist.
For a moment, she wondered if she’d have to duck to avoid his ire, but he spun and raced from the room.
Keira exhaled sharply. Thank the goddess Renn would be here soon.
And Barrett.
The thought of seeing him again brought a rush of heat that settled between her legs. Memories of making love with him filled her with longing to be in his arms, feeling his hands on her and his cock buried deep inside her body. Her fingers snaked downward. Before she could rub herself to a climax, she forced herself to head for the kitchens and badly needed sustenance. Who knew what Caelin would do if he returned to the study and found her sprawled on a couch with her fingers teasing her clit?
Probably turn me into a toad.
The thought made her laugh. She was still giggling when she snatched food from the cold case and filled a glass from the tap.
Chapter Ten
“Mix in more air.” Renn fluttered near Keira’s shoulder, arms crossed over her breasts. “Nope. Even more than that.”
“Here.” Barrett took one of her hands and did something. Her upraised palm filled with golden light. “Now try.”
“Yes.” Keira breathed deep, savoring the magic rolling through her. “I’m beginning to get the hang of this.” Barrett’s warm grip made her want to be in his arms. He smelled heavenly, which didn’t help. She pulled away, so he wouldn’t notice how flustered she was, and turned to Renn. “Do you agree the bracelet muted my power?”
The Fairy nodded. Red hair hung in her face, and she swept it aside. “Definitely. It was an alloy with iron in it. I’m surprised the Weres could handle it. Iron dampens everyone’s power. But even worse—” The Fairy eyed Barrett. Something indecipherable passed between them, and Keira felt a stab of jealousy. “If the Sidhe hadn’t rescued you in time—and gotten the bracelet off—it may well have caused your new power to boomerang and kill you.”
Bile rose, burning the back of her throat. Keira dropped her hands to her sides and gripped the fabric of her pants, twisting until it ripped. Even then, she couldn’t stop. The Weres channeling power through the bracelet to kill her was one thing. Having her own magic kill her because she’d been forgotten…
Lightning blasted across the room, striking a window. Renn gripped one of her arms and Barrett the other. Between them, she felt magic siphon from her.
Calm down, she told herself. Fucking get it together. It didn’t happen I’m far from dead.
The door banged open, and Caelin stomped in. “You’ve been here twelve hours,” he barked at Renn and Barrett. “I need to see what progress she’s made.”
“Bullshit. And I’m not a she. I’m your fucking blood, and I have a name.” Keira strode to within inches of him and waved a fist in his face. “Just like a man. You showed up for the sex part, never even bothered to see if Mother was pregnant, and then you forgot about me entirely. Did you even know Mother died?” Her voice was shrill, but Keira didn’t care. Fury twisted her stomach into a knot.
“We scarcely have time for this—” Caelin looked uncomfortable.
“We’re going to make time. You owe me a hell of an apology. I just found out the goddamned bracelet could’ve killed me because of my own magic, not the Weres channeling power through it.” She inhaled raggedly. “What do you have to say about that?”
“You didn’t have to tell her,” Caelin snapped, his gaze on Barrett. “By Danu, she’s hard enough to manage.”
“He didn’t. I did.” Renn took flight, hovering in front of Caelin. “She deserved to know.”
“Mmph.” Caelin turned away, fury and displeasure streamed from him in waves that turned the air a reddish hue.
An unfamiliar feeling, sweet and powerful, filled Keira. It took a moment for her to recognize courage coursing through her. “Apologize,” she repeated. “Or I-I’m leaving. I’ll figure things out on my own without you.”
Caelin spun to face her. “You can’t leave. You have a duty to your people—”
“You had a duty to me, your blood kin. You sidestepped it neatly. Why can’t I do the same thing, Father?”
Color leached out of his face. He transferred his gaze to the carpet while a muscle danced beneath one eye. He nodded as if to himself. When he spoke, his words were stilted, and he did
n’t look at her. “I am sorry. No excuses.”
Keira held her head high. “Thank you. Apology accepted.” She turned away.
I won, an inner voice crowed. I stood up to him and won.
She wanted to dance a jig and flip Caelin off just to see the look on his face.
Before she could do anything a different inner voice jumped into the fray. And now, Madame Queen-to-Be, show some maturity and get back to work.
Keira blew out a breath, recognizing it as good advice.
She faced Caelin. “I believe you wanted to see what progress I’ve made.” At his terse nod, she pulled magic to bring fire, sustain a mage light, boil water, and rearrange the furniture. She even called an Earth spirit and had the sprite do her bidding before releasing it. When she was done, Caelin actually smiled. Keira did a double take. She hadn’t thought him capable of it.
“Well done.” Caelin’s tone was grudging, but she’d seen his smile. It counted for more than the words.
“Why, thank you.” She glanced at Barrett. The corners of his mouth twitched as he struggled not to grin.
Renn flew to Caelin and settled on his shoulder. She wound an arm around his neck and ran her tongue down the side of his face. “Hey, Sidhe man. How about a little break? Keira and Barrett could use one. And I know I could.” Her fingers toyed with his long hair.
Keira watched with practiced eyes. The front of Caelin’s snug-fitting leather pants swelled. Apparently, he wasn’t immune to Renn’s charms.
“Go have fun.” She made shooing motions with both hands. “I’ll do a few more run-throughs on some of those castings and see if I can’t decipher a bit of one of the simpler spell books. Barrett can help me.”
Oh my God, I’ll actually be alone with him.
Keira’s mouth was suddenly dry. It was hard to swallow.