“No, she tries to protect me, like you, by keeping me in the dark. The monsters keep me in the know.”
Dillon looked up, his eyes growing wide. “Wait, Gwen’s a witch?”
“Hey, we can talk more tomorrow on the lake. We’ll even have some real privacy out there.” He looked around into the darkness and patted his hand on the top of the car.
Dillon looked around, following Shane’s eyes. “Are they here?”
“If it is dark, they are wherever she is. She’s safe. You should get home. See you bright and early.”
G wen cleared the table in a daze, while they walked out. Steven was gone. That did mean dead. He’d been taken into a shadow; Josephine was doing some ritual.
Sergei. She needed to talk to Sergei. Shane would be back any minute. What she needed was to find a way to get him to bed early so she could have the night to battle. When he came in, she had a bottle of wine and two glasses sat on the counter.
“What’s this?” He asked and smiled a huge, full faced smile.
“Everything is cleaned and put away. Early night?”
He made a purring sound. “Are you trying to seduce me, my beautiful witch?”
“Yes, is it working?”
“Oh, yes. Yes, it is.”
He could tell by the way she watched the door in the bed room, and the fact that she kept filling his glass, that what she really wanted was to get rid of him. Since it played into what he needed to happen, he allowed the charade to carry on.
After they made love, he relaxed and listened, without moving as she slid out of the room.
Chapter Fourteen
“S top playing games, Sergei. I want to talk to you.” Gwen walked the bottom of the house, impatiently.
She knew Sergei was there somewhere, he was ordered not to leave her.
If it had been Sebastian watching her, he would have said something as soon as he saw her alone.
“Mistress.” Sergei stood a few steps in front of her in the hallway.
“Where were you? Never mind, did you find her?” Her tone was cold and her stance aggressive.
“Yes, mistress.”
“Good, take me to her.”
He frowned. “Summon Sebastian.”
“Excuse me? What is with you telling me what to do? I only take orders from Dmitry, even from him I barely implement them.” Her fingers rubbed together impatiently. “We need to go. She has Steven, we are out of time.”
“I will take you and Sebastian. He is your familiar, you will be fighting a formidable witch.” His arms crossed his chest and his face remained expressionless.
“No, Sebastian could well be on her hit list. There is no way he will be anywhere near her. No.” She mimicked his stance with her arms and set her lips tight against each other.
He arched one brow and slowly blinked. “I will go kill her myself, if that is how it must be. You can’t be at risk.”
“You will be with me. I am not at risk.” Her eyes narrowed as she studied his stone-cold face.
He didn’t move under the scrutiny. “No risks.”
Gwen took a few steps forward, and shoved him. She ignored the fact that he didn’t move and shoved him again. “If he gets hurt, you will pay. Do you understand me?”
Sergei allowed one side of his mouth to curl as he watched her try to assault him. “Summon Sebastian, time is wasting.”
Rather than let another night pass, and put Dillon or Shane closer to danger she agreed, went to the altar room, put on her shawl, and summoned Sebastian.
As soon as he appeared, she felt him probing her and assessing how she was feeling. “I’m fine. We need to go. It’s time to put Josephine to rest.”
“Beauty, really? Can’t you let Sergei or I do this?” He put a hand on her and cocked his head before a frown filled his face. “Where is he? I need to talk to him before we leave.”
“Sergei? Why?” She brushed his hand off.
Sebastian was gone before she even realized it. She locked the door and followed him down. The voices softened and stopped as she neared.
“You and Sergei have secrets now? Why is everything falling apart at the same time?” She shook her head. “I don’t care. Let’s go.”
“You are not ready. I should practice a few more things with you first.” Sebastian looked troubled when he turned back to her.
“Sebastian. Stop it. What’s going on?” Gwen opened the communication fully between them so Sergei couldn’t hear. “What are you doing? You are supposed to be on my side.”
He shook his head.
“I need to see Dmitry first, while you two practice. I will be back in time, should we be given the go ahead.” Sergei flashed away.
Gwen’s mouth dropped opened as she looked at the empty place where Sergei was. “Great. Now what? I was told I could do this.” Her attention turned back to Sebastian. “You tell me what you said to him. I need to do this. Dillon and Shane. Hell, you could be next. I can’t lose any of you, don’t you understand that?” She exhaled loudly. “He found her. We are out of time.”
Sebastian stepped closer and let a warm blanket of comfort wrap around her. “Sergei will no doubt be ordered to kill her tonight.”
“Him, he will? Why? What have you done?” She took a few steps back.
He stepped with her. “Not me, my love. You.”
“Me? What have I done?”
Sebastian pulled her into his arms. She could feel his magical touch washing over her. “You are having babies.”
“I’m what?” Gwen pushed out of his arms and put both hands against the wall behind her. “You are mistaken. That can’t be. Babies, Sebastian? I can’t, not yet. Not now. Shane is in danger.” The more she talked the more her hands started to shake. “No, you can’t be sensing that right. It’s, it’s not even been a week since we made love. Dear gods, I can’t be. Babies?”
“Two, yes. Come here.” He extended both arms.
She allowed him to hold her and pull away the shock. “Fannie, will she know? I knew we needed to be careful. I had the appointment Monday. I need to sit down. Shane has been so patient. How am I supposed to tell him this?” As she talked, she broke the embrace and started toward the main room.
“One thing at a time.” Sebastian sat down beside her on the couch. “Do you still wear the charm I made you to keep Lewis at bay?”
“I took it off on vacation. I have it in the altar room. Will he know? Is he with that wretched thing, still? He could be in danger too you know.” She leaned against Sebastian, enjoying the way his magic soothed her nerves, and allowed her to remain calm. “Babies, me? I’m not ready to be a mom. I knew better, I told him we shouldn’t. Why didn’t I stick with my instincts on that?”
“That’s not what you should be worried about. You will be the perfect mother.” His hand rubbed her arm. “Let Dmitry and Sergei do this. If you are in close proximity, she could touch the children inside of you. You don’t want that.”
Gwen’s eyes grew wide. “This family curse ends now. My children will not have to worry about the past.” She closed her eyes. “My children. Do you think Shane meant it when he said he wanted a family? I’m sure he didn’t mean now, right now. He’s not even living here. It’s shameful.”
“I’m positive he will be happy.” Sebastian swallowed back what he wanted to say, it wouldn’t help. “We should practice a few more things. I would like to know during the day you are better able to resist them.”
“Do you really think I am in danger? I mean, if Fannie needs more children to carry on whatever debt, curse, then she wouldn’t want Josephine to hurt me, yet. It’s about you, all my loves. That is what Josephine wants, the hearts of my loves, and for me to ache like her. That is what she said, she wanted me to have pain like her. I can’t suffer, if I am dead.” Gwen held his hand tight in hers. “Yardley knows what he is up against, right? He’s watching you extra careful? I can’t lose you.”
“I’m going to be here for you forever. Yardley will alway
s be watching me during the day.” His fingers rubbed over hers as he thought about what it really meant that she was having children. Something would need done, soon. Fannie and Dmitry both posed the threat of eternal suffering. “We’ll do it as we always have, together.”
“I don’t even know what to worry about first. You always have it so figured out. What do I do?”
He reached up and thumbed away a tear from her cheek. “Let Dmitry do this. You relax, make a beautiful magical family.”
“Steven is gone. Whatever happens, needs to be happening now. I think if we go now, we can stop her before she takes his, before she, how can I have children in a world like this? Witches, voodoo, hearts, heads, and vampires?” She wiggled free from his arms, stood up, and started toward the kitchen. “I want cake. Where the hell is Sergei? Should we go to Dmitry and see what’s going on?”
“No, you don’t go check up on Dmitry. You know that.” Sebastian watched as she grabbed a fork and stood at the refrigerator, eating cake. There was a buzzing magic that he noticed now that he was looking for it. It wasn’t her own aura or the babies, it was the hum of magic used to create magic. Her babies were going to be something different. Made from magic and grown with magic. More than even Dmitry had imagined. “You are so beautiful.” His eyes shimmered as he watched her.
“Don’t talk to me like that. It confuses me. I can’t keep harboring these feelings for you.” She slowly chewed a bite. Her eyes met his. It was as it had always been. Him standing there with her seemed perfect, like they were meant for each other. “Don’t just watch me eat. Tell me about what we are learning tonight. Are you sure it won’t hurt the babies? I need a way to protect Shane until things get done.” Her eyes grew wide. “You used magic to feel them, right? You saw two, did you see if they were boys or girls?”
Sebastian smiled as he felt her hope and happiness filling the room. “I did.”
“Well?” She put her plate and fork in the sink and walked over to him. “Tell me. Tell me, please.”
He followed her out of the room and back to the altar room where they could practice. When he told her she was having one boy and one girl, the wave of joy that washed over him, wiped away all of his reservations about the arrangement. Shane was not her heart’s desire, that was Dillon. Shane was not her soul’s desire, that was him. Shane was not meant for her, but he was going to make her happy, his fear would see to that, and that would be enough for now. Deep down he knew fate would set things right, and the best he could hope was that when her fate was realigned it wouldn’t be tragic.
“Will they be born magical, like I was?” she asked as they practiced.
He crossed the room away from her to give her distance so she could practice while he moved around. He knew Josephine would not be standing still. “That is possible. Probable with you.” He knew they would be magic, but needed more time to figure out exactly what he was feeling from her.
“When will you know that?” She pulled back some magic with everything she tossed at him, still unsure about hurting him.
“That’s hard to say. Soon, I should think. Your mother wasn’t even showing when I sensed your power. Power you are not using to its fullest.” He smiled and walked faster. “You know you can’t hurt me.”
“Maybe not, but I still love you and it’s hard to get violent with you.”
“You struggle to get aggressive with anyone. We need that to change, at least when danger rears its head. Think of the place you were when you fought Curtis, imagine it if you have to. Throw that at me.”
“I will not. I can’t call up stuff like that inside, and I certainly can’t toss it at you.”
He walked over and held her. “Please, toss all you have at me. I need to see where we are, and where we need to be. Let’s go outside.”
Once they were outside she started to draw up more powerful magic, but stopped. “Will it hurt them? I mean it feels like I take the magic into me. I don’t want to hurt them.”
“No, my beautiful witch, your magic will not hurt them. Now fling everything you have at me.”
“Except fire.” She winked.
“That goes without saying.” He looked thoughtfully at the woods in the distance. “Though we should practice that too. I need to get close to her to see what sort of magic she harnesses.”
“No, you never need to get close to her. What if she harnesses fire?”
“Don’t borrow worries. Focus.”
As they got lost in the magic and the fine tuning of her skills, most of the night slipped away.
When Sergei appeared with them there were only a few hours left of the night.
“Where have you been?” Gwen stalked over to him and shoved him. It had zero effect as it had before, as it always had. “We need to go now; we are almost out of time.”
“No, you are not going anywhere.” Sergei turned to Sebastian. “What are you doing out here?”
“Teaching her to defend herself.” Sebastian could feel the agitation that radiated from Sergei. It came in waves that felt stronger than when Dmitry was angry.
Gwen stepped between them, not sure what she was feeling from Sergei, but she knew when that sort of cold came off Dmitry, bad things happened and she didn’t want it aimed at Sebastian. “Never mind what we are doing, what have you been doing?”
“Witch hunting.” He started toward the house. “Inside. Now.”
“What? How are we back to this demanding things? You don’t give me orders.” She stood still in some lame act of defiance. “Did you find her? Is she dead? Why didn’t you come back?” She raised her voice with each question as he walked away.
Sergei turned. “Do you know?” His gaze locked on Sebastian. “Did you tell her?”
“Yes, I know. Why do you know? Was that why you left in a hurry?” She turned to Sebastian. “What’s going on?”
“Dmitry worries for your safety.” Sergei walked back and took her hand. “Good day, Sebastian.”
She yanked her hand back and turned, hugging Sebastian. “Please, lock up today.” When he was gone, she squared her shoulders and narrowed her eyes at Sergei. “Dmitry worries for his weapon. That’s what this is about? He’s upset that I am having children? He is afraid now Fannie will come get me?”
Sergei snorted. “He’s not afraid of anything, he wants what is best for you.”
Her features wrinkled in disagreement, but she realized there was no point in arguing, and no time to waste. “Did you find her?”
He took her hand again. “Inside. You need to be inside, so I can lock up.”
“You failed.” Her voice reflected her surprise. She held Sergei and Dmitry up to high standards for results, considering what they were.
He growled. “I will find her, mistress.”
“You said you already knew where she was. What changed? Why does my being pregnant change things so much?” She tried to keep up pace with him. “For you, I mean. Why are you so tense? Is Dmitry going to hurt the babies?”
He stopped walking and turned to her. “No one will hurt your children, or you.”
“Well, what is it then? What’s got you so aggravated?”
“I am agitated because that witch got away.” He started walking again. “I don’t fail to carry out orders.”
She walked behind him, struggling again to keep pace with his long, effortless strides. “How’d that happen? Did she have Steven? Was he alive?”
“He may be alive. There was some blood. Not enough to indicate death. No one was there.” Sergei didn’t look back as he spoke.
“So where have you been?”
“Following her trail in circles.” After they were on the porch, he locked the door and gave a tug before he opened the other door to inside for her.
Gwen walked in and waited for him to lock and check that door as well, before she followed him as he circled the bottom floor, checking doors and windows. “Circles, she deliberately led you around. Where did it end?”
“Here.”
Gwen’s hand reached out for him. “Here, she’s here? Locking windows and doors won’t stop her. Shane. I’ve got to go check on him.” She started for the stairs.
“Shane and Dillon are both fine. The witch isn’t here now.” His nostrils flared. “I will find her as soon as I wake tomorrow. Stay inside during the day. Stay inside. Please, mistress. Unless you want pinned at the estate, do as I ask.”
She followed him to the basement stairs. “He’s dead. Even if he is alive tonight, tomorrow she will kill him. If she is close, she is just waiting for you to be sleeping, so she can set up another disgusting scene for us. I can’t watch both Dillon and Shane during the day.”
Sergei tapped his fingers on the doorframe. “There is a ghoul watching the house. If you stay inside, you don’t have to worry about watching Shane.”
“Dillon?” She forgot he was actually going to be there in the morning to fish with Shane.
“Dillon is surrounded by the FBI.”
“So was Steven.” She chewed her bottom lip. “They were watching helpless when she took him.”
“Steven walked away with a cute woman.”
Her brows creased as she wondered how he knew that, but she decided it was better not to ask. She preferred to think he was spying rather than to consider he had access to her thoughts, or Dillon’s. “I’m sorry she got away from you. If she shows up here, I’ll kill her.”
“I’ve no doubt. You are a capable warrior.” He pursed his lips. “I have to go now. Stay inside.”
Capable warrior? Was that a complement? From Sergei? “Thank you, and have a good rest.” She couldn’t agree to stay inside, not when a witch could be setting up Dillon to be next. After he closed and locked himself in, she made her way back to her bedroom.
Shane wasn’t snoring, but she could hear his soft sleeping breaths. His aura felt peaceful and she assumed his dreams were happy. She changed into a night gown and wrapped her shawl tight around her shoulders. After she slipped in bed, she kissed Shane on the cheek, and rolled over, gazing into the darkness.
“Sebastian, can you talk with me for a little while?”
She felt his presence connect deeply with hers, and let her own reach out for him.
Fateful Attractions Page 15