Indigo Spell

by Rachel Carrington

  Jaxon slid his cock between her cheeks and touched the tip to the snug opening. One hand holding his shaft, he pinched her flesh with the other, distracting her.

  Tess wiggled and pressed backward. “Jaxon, please. Fuck me.” She couldn’t get any hotter if the world was on fire.

  The head of his shaft touched her opening and Jaxon’s hips moved forward, slowly guiding his length into virgin territory. She gave a small cry of pain and he paused, giving her time to adjust.

  His fingers dug into her hips, holding back the driving need to thrust into the tightness. “Tess, I—”

  “For God’s sake, fuck me!” she practically screamed the command, allowing him to sink into her. She took his length fully with only another short cry that soon segued into a moan.

  Holding her steady, Jaxon gave his body free rein and the primitive urges took over. His cock began to ram into her ass, pushing and stretching her tender skin while Tess panted and rocked back against him.

  The orgasm drawing closer, he slowed, leaning forward to slip one hand between her splayed legs. He tweaked her clit and she jumped, the movement driving his cock further into her ass.

  “You like that?” His fingers plumped up the swollen flesh while she ground her hips against his.

  He couldn’t wait any longer. The urgent need to pump overtook him, driving him back to his knees. Hips thrusting, he stroked once, twice and then the orgasm broke free, tugging him deep inside a pool of sensual delight. His hot seed jetted into her rear and he jerked as the tight muscles contracted around his cock.

  “God!” His head dropped to her spine while his thighs continued to shake.

  Tess moved beneath him with a drowsy murmur. “After all of this, I could use a nap.”

  He chuckled and rolled to his side, taking her with him. “I’ll give you fifteen minutes before we go again.”

  Chapter Six

  “The wizard is taking a wife.” The chant echoed throughout the bedroom, bouncing off the walls, pushing against the heavy, wooden door. “The wizard is taking a wife and the witches will take the child.”

  Tess stirred beneath the heat as a glowing, red palm flattened itself over her lower abdomen. She moved beneath the touch, squirming but it was relentless, harsh even. Pressing her back against the mattress, grinding into her skin.

  “She will bear a girl child.” The voice became a luminous hiss in the darkness. “And we shall call her Shantay.”

  She came awake then, bathed in sweat. Her heart tripped. Her palms were cold and clammy. She touched her hand to her stomach and swallowed a scream as the heat of her skin singed her fingers. She couldn’t cry out, couldn’t speak. Thank God, she could still run.

  Leaping from the bed, she tore open the door and raced down the hallway. She didn’t know where she was going. She just pushed open the door where Jaxon had said he would be. The empty room caused panic to take root. For a moment her limbs refused to cooperate. She forced herself to gather her thoughts, her wits. It was just a dream. Granted, a very bad dream but nothing more. And who wouldn’t have such a dream after the information she’d gleaned from Jaxon about her new life?

  Finding her voice, she called out to him, descending the stairs. She silently congratulated herself on her calm demeanor. No need to panic. No cause for alarm. She was just a normal woman going in search of her wizard boyfriend who—okay, so maybe not so normal. “Jaxon?”

  The air whirled around her, spiraled. Blue flames ignited the hardwood floor at her feet and when Tess looked up, Jaxon stood in front of her, eyes filled with concern. “Are you all right?”

  She touched his arm, needed the connection. “That’s amazing.” Momentarily distracted, she lowered her gaze to the sparks at his feet.

  He caught her chin and raised her head gently. “What happened? I heard the fear in your voice.”

  She shook off his concern and resisted the urge to fall into him. “I had a dream but now, standing here in front of you like this, I feel kind of stupid. It was just a nightmare.”

  Taking her arm, he guided her down the hallway and into the kitchen. “Come on. I’ll fix you a cup of hot chocolate and you can tell me about your dream.” His shoulder bumped hers. It was oddly reassuring.

  “Really it’s okay. I don’t even remember it that well.”

  He turned to look at her. “Do you want me to help you remember it?”

  Tess leaned one hip against the counter. “No, that’s okay.” She’d spoken quickly, too quickly. She saw the flare of awareness in his eyes before she looked away. “I’ll just drink some cocoa and go back to bed.”

  Jaxon placed two mugs in the microwave and leaned against the counter beside her. “Tess, tell me about the dream.” Though his voice was soft, she couldn’t miss the air of authority, the command.

  She swallowed, kept her eyes trained on the floor. “It was about a witch.” She snuck a peek and saw she had his full attention. Not surprising. She would imagine wizards always took notice when the word witch was mentioned. Probably had to do with self-preservation.

  He tucked her hair behind her ear, leaned in closer to her. “Tell me.”

  “A voice was calling out, saying I would have a girl child. She was chanting something like the wizard will take a wife. And that the witch will take the child.” Tess twisted the hem of her nightshirt in her hands. “They would call her Shantay.” She focused her eyes fully on Jaxon’s face and watched the fireworks in his expressive eyes. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  His jaw clenched, his hands curled into fists. “Shantay.” He pushed off from the counter, shot around the room with enough speed to create a minor wind. His hands punched the air, sparks trickled down, an amazing display of gold and silver flames.

  “Jaxon, what is it? Dammit, will you talk to me?” She picked up the nearest object she could find—a measuring cup—and flung it into the air, hoping to strike him, to grab his attention.

  His feet hit the floor, the measuring cup held in his hands. “I have to summon the Assembly.”

  “It’s four-thirty in the morning. I doubt they’ll be happy about having their sleep disturbed. Why don’t you tell me first and then we can decide on a course of action together?”

  “This doesn’t concern you. I’ll take care of it.”

  She positioned herself in front of him and snatched a handful of his soft, cotton shirt. “Like hell you will. And how can you say this doesn’t concern me? It was my body the witch was touching and—” She broke off, sensing she’d just tripped another trigger. Sighing, she rocked back on her heels as more flames and Gaelic curses singed the air.

  “She touched you?”

  “My stomach and—” She gave a squeak as Jaxon pushed her back against the counter and yanked the bottom of her shirt up to reveal her bare midriff. “It was lower.”

  His lips curled into a snarl as his hand slipped beneath the silk tap pants she wore, feeling the heat. “Damn her.”

  “You know,” Tess whispered into his ear, “that’s not what most men say when they’ve got their hands down my pants.”

  His head shot up, his eyes flickered. “Most men? As in more than one?”

  Tess grinned, relieved to have caught his attention once more. “Two actually but that’s only because I’m selective. So tell me about Shantay and this witch who stole into my dreams.”

  He removed his hand and adjusted her shirt. “It was Athena.”

  “The ghostly witch. You know, she’s really starting to piss me off.” Tess touched his arm, drew him closer to her. “She knows I’m going to get pregnant with a girl.”

  “She’s guessing. A witch’s clairvoyance does not extend to a wizard’s womb.”

  “I’m not a wizard,” she pointed out gently.

  Jaxon considered the statement and nodded. “My protection should be enough. I will talk to the Assembly at once.”

  She hooked her arm through his and held on. “We will talk to the Assembly at once but before we go, do you think I coul
d put some clothes on?”

  He waved a hand and Tess found herself clothed in jeans and a crew-necked sweater. “I should make you stay here,” he muttered while she was still marveling over the quickest clothing change in history.

  “Women in this century aren’t really big on cavemen, honey. Let’s just go.”

  * * * * *

  “Athena has crossed the line,” Falcon spat out the words, a mixture of anger and disgust.

  “You do not have the proper protection to watch over this woman.” Andion flung a hand toward Tess who was seated to Jaxon’s right.

  Jaxon gritted his teeth, counted to ten. It never worked. “This woman has a name.”

  Andion held up one hand. “Please spare me. I know of her name. I am not interested in learning any more.” He swept a glower toward the leader of the Assembly, his bushy brows lowered. “Falcon, do you not see what this young scoundrel has brought upon us with his lack of control? It is reminiscent of three hundred years ago when his control was weak. You had to save him. Would you risk all of our lives by saving him now as well?”

  “Silence.” Falcon’s hand smacked the table causing Tess to jump. Jaxon placed his hand on top of hers to reassure her. The leader was a mixture of bluster and high octave when he was annoyed but generally harmless. Jaxon knew over the years he’d given the elder wizard many reasons to put him in his place but Falcon had been content to let him make his own mistakes. Experience was usually a more effective teacher and sometimes much harsher than the snap of a wizard’s fingers.

  Falcon drummed his fingers on the edge of the table. “Andion, if you cannot deal with being in the same room with these two, then you are free to leave. I do not have enough time to referee petty squabbles and you, Jaxon, will restrict your comments to Andion so as not to arouse him any further.”

  “It would appear Andion doesn’t need any help getting aroused,” Tess inserted.

  Silence fell around the table like the thump of an anvil as all eyes swung to her flushed face. “Tess.” Jaxon’s voice held a warning. He didn’t really expect her to heed it. It wasn’t that she tried to be disrespectful. It was, well, he wasn’t quite sure, but he was more than a little surprised that her faux pas didn’t disturb him. In fact his lips twitched and with great effort, he suppressed the urge to smile. “Please be quiet.”

  She threw him a disgusted glance. “Be quiet? Why? So all of you can shoot arrows at each other and accomplish nothing?” She scooted her chair back and got to her feet. “Falcon, if you want my opinion, you waste far too much time with all of these meetings.”

  Charlemaine clasped a hand against her throat while Jensen growled low in his. Jaxon heard the snort of Rane’s laughter, the rumble of Braeden’s. He didn’t look at them, knowing that to see their expressions of amusement would be his downfall. He clasped his arm around Tess’ wrist in a failed attempt to pull her back down to the chair beside him.

  She moved her arm out of his reach and circled the table, stopping in front of the leader’s still form. “Now I know you’re not asking for my opinion but I do have a stake in this, considering it was me that witch accosted. I would assume all of you are powerful wizards. Am I right?”

  Falcon kept his eyes trained on her face. “You are.”

  “Then appease my curiosity and explain why in the hell everyone is sitting around here, resting on their laurels, while that witch floats in and out of my dreams at will.” She held up one hand, not quite finished with her diatribe. “Okay, I know, I know. It wasn’t your idea to have me here in the first place but,” she included the group in her sweeping gaze, “I’m here now and everyone is just going to have to deal with it. I don’t know how you’re used to doing things up here but where I’m from we suit action to words. We don’t just talk about running out of time. We actually do something before we do run out of time. So seeing as all of you, including Father Time over there,” she pointed a finger toward Andion, “have amazing abilities, at least I assume they’re amazing based on what I’ve seen Jaxon do, why don’t we just focus on how you’re going to defeat Athena while you’re actually en route to her place of operation?” Subsiding into silence, she folded her arms and tapped her foot while wearing a “well?” expression on her face.

  For a long, tense moment, silence continued to reign. No one moved. Or breathed. Until Falcon lifted his face to the ceiling and laughed. Loud and long. Sighs of relief filtered out of compressed lips as the others finally joined in.

  Tess frowned. “Not quite the reaction I had in mind.”

  Jaxon stood, moved into place beside her. “Honey, I do believe that is the first time the leader of the Assembly has ever been dressed down by a mortal.”

  She worried her lower lip with her teeth. “Well, it wasn’t just directed at him. It was directed at all of you.” Her palm smacked his chest. “You most of all. Athena was in your house once before and you let her go. And now she’s back and it would appear she at least has a plan. What do all of you have?”

  Jaxon touched her face, her shoulder, smiling. “We don’t always reveal our plans, Tess…especially not to…” he caught himself and stopped.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Especially not to mortals? Is that what’s bothering all of you? That I’m still mortal? For heaven’s sake. Of all the men in South Carolina, I had to meet Merlin’s cousin.” Her anger aimed another thump at Jaxon’s chest. “Why couldn’t you have been normal?”

  “You would not be having half the fun you are having now,” Rane observed, wry humor twisting his voice.

  “Yeah, well, I think my heart could do without some of this fun. Okay, let’s move on. We’re wasting even more time. Who or what is Shantay?” Tess clamped her hands on her hips and jutted her chin forward, clearly demanding an answer.

  Falcon climbed to his feet, his eagle eyes pinned on Jaxon’s face. “Where did she hear that name?”

  Jaxon’s response was straightforward, without emotion. Falcon preferred it that way. Deliver the problem in a simple and clean manner and he would deliver the solution. “I can only assume Athena. That’s the name they have chosen for the next child they will take. They have decided that child will be mine.”

  “Why Shantay?” Tess touched Falcon’s hand and sparks shot from her fingertips. She immediately clutched her hand against her breast and stared up at the wizard. “Okay, that was weird.”

  “Falcon doesn’t like to be touched by mortals,” Andion explained in a somewhat awed tone of voice.

  She elbowed Jaxon in the ribs. “You could have warned me.”

  “I didn’t know you were going to touch him.”

  She let the matter drop. “Again, what is so special about Shantay?”

  Jaxon answered Tess’ question. “It is the name Athena has chosen for the future ruler of the Coven, the witch with the greatest power. The name means Enchanted.”

  Stepping away from him, she looked around the room. “Great. At least she has high hopes for my child. Goals are important. So where’s the door?”

  Slipping back to her side, Jaxon took her hand. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to kick this witch’s ass.” Tess found the door, a solid panel. The doorknob was nowhere to be seen. She felt along the smooth board. “Where’s the doorknob now? You know,” she turned back around to face the Assembly, “I think if I’m going to become a part of this family, such as it is, I don’t want to be left out in the cold. I want to know about your plans, especially those plans that involve Jaxon, me or our future children. Is that too much to ask?” When silence greeted her question, she threw up her hands. “Great. Okay. I’ve stepped over another line. Could someone please give me a rule book?”

  Jaxon took her arms in his and pulled her close, ignoring the interested gazes of his family and friends. “Honey, you didn’t break any rules. It’s just going to take you some time to adjust.”

  Falcon moved into position close behind them, so close that the heat of his body enveloped them. “You don’t hav
e that much time, Jaxon. If Tess is the woman you are to marry, you must make haste in protecting her. You cannot do so without the ceremony. Her life is in grave danger right now. Athena could have easily taken her last night.”

  Tess shivered, pressed her palm against Jaxon’s chest. “What ceremony?”

  He didn’t meet her eyes. “The wedding.”

  “Why am I getting the feeling there’s a little more involved here than just saying I do?”

  “The ceremony is binding. Permanent. There will be no turning back,” Falcon informed her.

  “I didn’t imagine the wizards would honor divorce. With all your power, that would give you a bad name,” she teased, even though Jaxon read the fear in the depths of her eyes. “Don’t worry about it. No matter how strange this seems to me, I am where I’m supposed to be. Don’t ask me how I know that because I just realized it myself. Of course, I’m not even beginning to think about the future and immortality and all that stuff. God, I thought dealing with reporters and newly discovered cousins was difficult.”