by Rachel James
A salty kiss moistened her lips, and then rolling over, Devlin sat up on the bed. He snatched up his jeans and underwear from the floor and donned them quickly. Zipping his fly, he retrieved his shirt and tossed it on.
"Sleep if you can. Morning will be here before you know it."
He left her without a backward glance, and Brianna lay in silence, holding back tears of disappointment. They had just shared mind-blowing sex and he was leaving? Heat stole into her face. Of course, he was leaving. He had done his duty and consummated the marriage as coven protocol dictated. It didn't matter that he had left her wrecked, and aching to feel him inside her again. What mattered was they view the Joining as token sex—a one-night stand that would guarantee her mother's retrieval from the circle.
She heard the sound of a running shower through the walls and shivered. Devlin wasn't wasting any time washing away the traces of their Joining. Well, why should he? her inner voice chided. The sex meant nothing to him. You mean nothing to him. You're merely a means to a very important end.
A draft of cool air tickled her legs and she sat up, hauling her tunic back down around her soaked thighs. Tommy was right. A loveless marriage was a sham, and like all shams, it would end unpleasantly—for both parties. She shifted on the bed, inhaling sharply under a back spasm. Great. She had wreaked her back during the Joining. Damn Devlin! He should've powered down the sex a notch.
The shower turned off and Brianna listened for the sound of returning footsteps. When they didn't come, and she heard the faint sound of a door closing, a terrible regret suddenly assailed her. She had just had sex with a sworn enemy, and for what? Nothing. Who would know if the Joining occurred or not? No one.
She covered her face with her hands and fell back on the pillow. It was despicable to have sex in such a callous manner, especially when she had forced Devlin into it. He had offered her a last chance out as they stood at the altar, but she had refused to listen, goading him into the marriage. And now, she was blaming him for that bad choice. A suffocating sensation tightened her throat. When had she become this awful, manipulative person that used people as if she had a right to?
Smothering a sob, Brianna vaulted from the bed. It was despicable what she had done. Not even spirit could look kindly on such arrogant behavior. And, as always, spirit would make sure she paid the price somehow, some way, at some time.
Flinging off the tunic, she entered the bathroom and slammed the door hard. At least there would be no burdensome chains of involvement when she and Devlin met in the morning. Their pride would see to that. She would treat him civilly while urging him to get on with their investigation. Turning on the shower, she buried her self-loathing under the spray of scalding water. By the time she was dressed and falling onto the bed covers, she felt like her old self again.
• • •
A rude shove brought Brianna out of her deep sleep in alarm. She bolted up on the bed, her heart pounding like a runaway horse. Her gaze jumped to the chubby figure standing beside her.
“You scared the hell out of me, Tommy.”
“Sorry. I just thought you’d like to know Devlin’s on the way to the clearing without you.”
Brianna slid to the edge of the bed in a panic.
“Why didn’t you stop him?” she hissed. She searched the floor for her shoes.
“I can’t go around giving the man orders,” Tommy declared. “I barely know him.”
“It’s never stopped you before,” Brianna railed, spotting the shoes and stuffing her toes into them. “Where’s my bag? What have I done with my bag?” Spotting it by the dresser, she snatched it up. “We’ve got to stop Devlin before he reaches the clearing.”
“Why?”
Brianna whirled back at the question.
“Because he’ll mishandle everything if I’m not there.”
“That’s not a very charitable thing to say about your husband, blue eyes.”
“Sorry. And by the way, he’s not my anything.”
She swung back around, racing down the hallway and out the back door. Heading for the mulched pathway, she mumbled a heated curse. Damn Devlin! Why had he left the cottage without her? Her brain supplied an answer. He’s intending to boss you around now that you’ve had sex with him. She darted around a cul-de-sac of bushes and through a slew of red roses. To hell with that crap, she told her alter-ego.
Behind her, she heard Tommy’s sneakers pounding the path. He was keeping up, though he was breathing heavily, and emitting small grunts. She glanced through the shadows and saw the rungs of the footbridge come into view. They were only yards away from finding Devlin. Already, she could feel the power of his aura through the trees. So much for doubting their energies had merged during the wedding. Even out of sight, she knew where he was.
With lightning fast speed, Brianna crashed through the trees.
CHAPTER NINE
THE SACRED CIRCLE
Moonbeams filtered through the shadows, lighting the trees as Devlin reached the oak-carved footbridge. He took a moment to listen to the sounds of the water rushing beneath his feet. It was funny how as much as things changed, they never really did. He could still feel the pull of the past as if it was yesterday. The smell of the trees; the sound of rushing water. All of it shored up memories of what it felt like to be ten again and filled with the adventure of life.
The scent of jasmine teased his nose, and it triggered an image of Brianna’s trembling limbs beneath his. He had taken the coldest shower of his life after leaving her bedroom. If he hadn’t, he would’ve made a fool of himself by making love to her again. Even now, he was dying to be inside her, slowly arousing her to a fever-pitch.
He grimaced at the thought. Destiny had played a cruel trick on him fifteen years ago, and now it seemed the Sisters of Fate were bent on doing it again. By forcing the marriage and the Joining, they had made it impossible for him to convince Brianna that he had always loved her. Having incredible sex with her, and then having to leave her behind when this horrible fiasco was over, would make it doubly impossible. She’d never believe that in marrying her, he had finally gotten the only thing he ever wanted.
The sound of pounding feet along the cart path behind him broke his train of thought. What now? Turning, he spied Brianna exiting the shadows into a pool of moonlight, and he drew in his breath. Her aura was glowing with a soft, purple hue, and he could feel the pull of her essence from where he stood. Instinctively, he stepped forward, meeting her at the edge of the bridge, and lowering his head. His lips captured hers in a tantalizing kiss that surprised her, shook him to the core, and garnered a chuckle from behind Brianna. When he lifted his lips, he nuzzled her ear.
“Hello, Mrs. Janus. How does it feel to be an old married lady?”
“As if I was sleepwalking,” she answered breathlessly.
He nuzzled her cheekbones, and then found her lips again. This time, she dropped the bag she was carrying, and clung to his shirtfront.
“Ahem. Don’t we have somewhere to be?”
The pair broke apart, startled by Tommy’s voice. Devlin was the first to recover, releasing Brianna and switching his thoughts to the task at hand.
“We have somewhere to be. You need to haul your ass back to the cottage and wait for us.”
“Drop the attitude, Janus. Where Brianna goes, I go.”
“You can’t enter the clearing, Cloisters.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Actually, he can,” Brianna intervened. She suddenly glanced at the ground around their feet, and Devlin wondered what had caught her attention. She moved off to the left, obviously searching for something. Seconds later, he saw her pick up a small branch from a pile of leaves and return with it. She eyed Devlin as she dusted the branch.
“Tommy’s a widower,” she told him. “Technically, he’s still married.” She turned to Tommy, grasping the branch with both hands, and holding it up in front of him. “Clutch the branch and repeat after me . . . no, use your wedding ring hand.
”
Devlin watched a startled look cross Tommy’s face, but he quickly withdrew his right hand and clasped the twig with his left.
“Earth Dragon, strong and true.”
“Earth Dragon, strong and true.”
“Send to me, your Magic new.”
“Send to me, your Magic new.”
“Egg of Protection, we shall see, this is my will, so mote it be.”
“Egg of Protection, we shall see, this is my will, so mote it be.”
Tommy’s words echoed away, as if being carried to the heavens on angel wings, and Devlin could only gape at Brianna in awe. Finally, he broke the silence.
“I like how you think, Rapunzel. Remind me to make love to you before the day is over.”
She tugged her blouse into place, and hearing Tommy’s amused chuckle, she hauled her duffel bag up from the planks.
“You’re an ass,” she said, as she passed his shoulder.
Devlin grinned at her rebuke. Being married had obviously mellowed Brianna. She had only called him an ass. He had been expecting a much more vile obscenity. Tommy’s chuckle came again and Devlin felt obliged to acknowledge it.
“If you even try to mock me for those kisses you just saw, I’ll conjure a curse that’ll bite your ass.”
Devlin whirled around, giving Tommy no time to mount a comeback to his threat. Instead, he raced down the pathway, eager to catch up to the glowing purple aura disappearing in the tree line.
A minute later, he caught up to Brianna, just as she reached the outer copse of a tree-lined arch. He took the lead from her, leaving Tommy to bring up the rear. In companionable silence, the trio traversed the dirt path at least a hundred yards through the preserve. Coming out of the trees on the north side of the trail, they wound their way to the clearing, pausing when they reached the top of the rise. The change in temperature hit Devlin full-force as he dropped his duffel bag to the ground.
“Do you feel that?” Brianna asked, dropping her bag alongside his.
“Yes. The heat could account for some of the problems occurring.” His gaze drifted to the mound lying in the circle, and he felt his pulse take a sudden nose-dive. He had to concentrate on the circle, not the body inside. A moment later, Brianna turned into his shoulder and clung to him.
“I thought I could do this, but I think I’m going to faint.”
His arm shot around her.
“Concentrate on the circle, and nothing else. We’re a few minutes away from sunrise. If we’re lucky, the aura of the circle will still be intact and we’ll be able to detect any breaks or leaks in energy.”
Her gaze followed his to the horizon, and he heard her voice break.
“That’s a big ‘if.’” She raised her hand and pointed to the eastern sky. “It will be easier to detect any problems if we position ourselves easterly so the sun is coming over our back and into the circle.”
Devlin nodded, striding down the ridge line at a rapid pace. As he strode, he kept his gaze glued to the circle below, and the light suddenly beginning to filter through the trees. A moment later, he saw Tommy settle into a spot a perfect one hundred twenty degrees from him and marveled at how well-balanced they were around the top of the ridge line. Nature had lined them up, he knew, without their even knowing it.
He studied Tommy’s position once more and wished he could’ve had a cup of coffee before beginning. The rush of caffeine would do his frayed nerves a world of good; however, the caffeine would certainly disrupt his metabolism. The purer the body, the better the light-working. A hand suddenly waved in front of his face, startling him.
“Don’t space out now,” Tommy said, settling beside him. “What comes first? Where do you start?”
“We’ve already begun.” Devlin continued his trek left and joined Brianna who stood with head bowed, studying the area around the exterior of the circle below. Tommy trod the same path as Devlin.
“What are you looking for up here?” he queried.
Devlin lifted his hand, noting the first beams of light heading for the circle.
“Sssh. Give us a moment.”
Tommy fell silent as Devlin focused his attention on the ground. Beside him, Brianna did the same. A few moments later, the light began to sparkle along the heat rays and then through it. Finding the barrier, the light punctured the circular veil and crossed the etched markings, revealing the circle’s shadows. Devlin let his gaze travel the sketched outline, tracing the sun’s rays over Sienna Sage’s inert form. How much time had expired between her entry into the circle and her collapse?
There was no sign of any residual energy lingering that he could see, and that didn’t bode well for her retrieval. If she had been struck before the actual drawing down of energy, the circle would be cleansed and safe to enter. However, if she had collapsed during the height of the ritual, the build-up of energy would have spiraled inward, creating a series of back-ended loops. If that were the case, they would have more to worry about than the investigation being stalled. Brianna and he would have to break their vow and do a full-scale cleansing, and that meant going into the circle to accomplish it. Had Brianna come to the same conclusion? He turned to ask and was surprised to find her walking down the rise to the painted circle with her shoulder bag. He retrieved his own bag and hurried to catch up, finding Tommy close on his heels.
“Why is it so damn hot?” Tommy asked.
“Runaway energy,” Brianna answered for Devlin. “Do you feel the ice laced within the heat?”
“Yes. That’s the first positive thing we’ve encountered.”
“Why positive?” Tommy asked, following them while wiping sweat from his brow.
“Ice means frozen in time and place. No deterioration of the organs.”
“You’re talking cryogenics.”
“Nature’s way,” Brianna replied. She took a step towards the rim of the markings, only to jump back as a black cat launched itself from out of nowhere at her legs. Angered beyond belief, the cat took a swipe at her shoes and then a protective stance of the circle. Deep in its throat, it began to growl loudly at them, arching its back and tail, and spitting its displeasure.
“Good Lord!” Tommy declared, taking two additional steps back as the cat charged forward and swiped at his pants leg. It quickly rushed back to defend the markings again. Devlin and Brianna drew back to join Tommy.
“Well, this complicates things,” Devlin stated. “The damn cat is guarding the circle.” For the first time since their arrival, Devlin saw a genuine smile stain Brianna’s face.
“I know this cat. I mean, I know its cry. It’s Mother’s cat. Why else would it be reacting this way?” She turned back to the circle and Devlin saw her drop to her haunches and address the cat. “Hello, my sleek friend. My name is Brianna, and I think you’ve been expecting me.” The cat eyed her warily, making no move to attack, but Devlin noticed its hackles didn’t drop, nor did its tail stop swishing back and forth as it studied her face. Brianna dropped to her knees, meeting its gaze. “We mean you no harm.” As if it understood her words, the cat took a less surly stance, though its ears remained alert.
“Careful,” Devlin cautioned. “Cats are notorious for launching unexpected attacks. This creature is not above clawing your face off.”
Brianna shushed him, settling down in front of the feline.
“Sit down, both of you,” she ordered over her shoulder. “Mother may have cast the cat as one of the Watch Towers. If so, it won’t give up its position easily. We must wait it out.”
Tommy plopped down on the closest piece of earth at his feet, believing her words without question; however, Devlin backed up the incline and sat at a higher angle on the grass. He’d rather not tempt fate by sitting too close. A cat designated as a spirit guide for a High Priestess had a strength he didn’t even want to think about.
The feline suddenly hissed at him, and then a rumbling growl emerged from its throat, aimed directly at Tommy.
“I wish we knew his name,” Briann
a said, indicating the cat. “I think if I could say his name, he’d give up his guardianship.” Brianna shifted on her rump, tossing Tommy a smile over her shoulder. “See, Tommy, I wasn’t hallucinating. I did hear a cat that day in the office.” She turned back to the animal, unable to see the baffled look that Devlin sent Tommy’s way. She spoke quietly to the cat again. “Your job is finished now, my glossy friend. We are here to relieve you of your burden. You must let us examine the circle so that we may retrieve your mistress.”
As if the cat understood her words, his growl ceased and his hackles dropped. Brianna reached out her hand, causing Devlin to lean forward and issue a warning.
“Brianna . . .”
“Sssh! I know what I’m doing.”
“Rrrr-ow!”
The cat charged forward, reaching Brianna’s hand and sniffing it quickly. Seconds later, to Devlin’s astonishment, the cat began to brush its chin and face against her fingertips with a loud purr. Brianna bent forward and stroked his coat.
“We have lots to do, my new friend. It’s time for you to relinquish your post to us.”
With no further hiss or meow, the feline shot up the incline, and over the rise. Devlin clambered to his feet as Brianna scrambled to hers. He took a fresh look at the figure trapped in the circle and then stopped beside Brianna, surprised when she dropped to her haunches and began feeling the ground with her fingers. She was looking for any displaced energy that might have spilled out. It was a good start to their examination. His gaze tripped left, searching the ground for signs of the same.
“Can you see any doors left open?” Tommy asked.
Devlin studied his face, wondering how he knew to ask that question. A familiar grin came his way.
“Brianna said something about doors being left open; however, all I see is a painted circle on the ground.”
“Where you see paint; witches see a protective boundary. Nothing can get in while a ritual is being performed.”