by Cherie Marks
Copyright © 2021 by Cherie Marks
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is coincidental.
This book contains content that may not be suitable for young readers 17 and under.
The Author of this Book has been granted permission by Robyn Peterman to use the copyrighted characters and/or worlds created by Robyn Peterman in this book. All copyright protection to the original characters and/or worlds of the Magic and Mayhem series is retained by Robyn Peterman.
Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Spell Me Always_Cahill (Bespelled by Love, #3)
Foreword
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
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Acknowledgements
Without the love of my life, my best friend forever, my rock, and my roll, I would be an unmotivated dreamer. Scott, you give so much, and I can’t imagine this journey without you.
Robyn Peterman, I am thankful that you have provided a creative outlet that has kept me sane in a year of insanity. Thank you!
Dedication
Dedicated to the parents, teachers, administrators, custodians, food workers, school staff, and especially the students who have survived a year of cleaning, creative serving, planning, replanning, mitigating, Zooming, Google Teaming, and all the other digital learning! Learn from the past, live in the present, and look to the future! There is hope in it all.
Foreword
Blast Off with us into the Magic and Mayhem Universe!
I’m Robyn Peterman, the creator of the Magic and Mayhem Series and I’d like to invite you to my Magic and Mayhem Universe.
What is the Magic and Mayhem Universe, you may ask?
Well, let me explain...
It’s basically authorized fan fiction written by some amazing authors that I stalked and blackmailed! KIDDING! I was lucky and blessed to have some brilliant authors say yes! They have written brand new stories using my world and some of my characters. And let me tell you...the results are hilarious!
So here it is! Blast off with us into the hilarious Magic and Mayhem Universe. Side splitting books by fantabulous authors! Check out each and every one. You will laugh your way to a magical HEA!
For all the stories, go to https://magicandmayhemuniverse.com/. Grab your copy today!
And if you would like to read the book that started all the madness, Switching Hour is FREE!
https://robynpeterman.com/switching-hour/
Chapter 1
Mesmerelda Wilder wasn’t one to panic. But considering the circumstances, panic seemed the most appropriate reaction.
“You look ready to throw up, Mez. Hang on. It’s just a little bit farther.”
“Is that the best you got for me, Noxy? ‘Hang on?’ This whole forest could dissolve to dust if I so much as hiccough right now. There’s only one way to fix it. We need to move faster.”
“Mesme, Mesme, Mesme, how many times do I have to remind you. Success is not about speed. It’s about precision, timing, and a little bit of luck.”
“Luck is for suckers. All I need right now is a Wilder witch and her magic.”
“Well, there is no better Wilder witch than your great aunt Kresley. I’m sure she’ll know what to do.”
The night wind blew sharp and cold as the pair made their way through the trees and ground flora of the forests of Linwyn. Mez and her familiar, in the shape of what Princess Gemma, who had lived in a different dimension most of her life, had called a monkey, followed an overgrown path on what felt like a doomed mission—to save others from Mez’s magic-gone-wild.
Even now, she felt a tickle in her nose like she was about to release a hard sneeze. She worked to suppress it, cringing at the uncomfortable feeling of dissatisfaction that resulted. But the last time she’d let one rip, everything in front of her had been coated in pure, crystalline ice...for miles. Fortunately, she’d been away from everyone, in her small house on the savannah of Kirkland. It was mostly an uninhabited wonderland of barely covered sunshine and warm, breezy nights. By nightfall, the ice had dissipated, but Mez’s concern had only ratcheted higher as other strange happenings occurred: objects dissolving before her very eyes and others appearing out of nowhere. Of course, the dreams were the most disturbing of all. Just the thought of them made her shiver slightly.
Noxy seemed to notice as she asked, “Are you okay? Do we need to take a break?”
“I’m fine. I’ll take a break when we reach Aunt Kresley.”
“Does she know we’re coming?”
“I mean, she’s a powerful witch. I’m sure she senses a visit from someone, right?”
“Mez, you really don’t get people, do you?”
“Duh! Hence the moving away from civilization to the middle of nowhere.”
Mez felt Noxy’s rolling eyes, even if she couldn’t see them due to the absence of the moon tonight, riding coolly behind puffy clouds.
“People don’t appreciate guests who just drop in unannounced, Mez. That’s how you get jinxed for life, my dear.”
“At this rate, that might be an improvement. Besides, I’m sure she will understand the urgency of the situation. We must find Peps as soon as possible. He has to be scared out of his mind. And, maybe you’ve noticed, my magic is clearly off the rails. I don’t think she’ll hold it against me, considering the alternative is the destruction of the world as we know it.”
“Um, aren’t you being a tad dramatic?”
Not if her dreams were any indication. Night after night, Mez watched the world die, and it was her hands that were raised as it happened. Her eyes that were completely white with a power like lightning. Her magic that was coating the land. And people were dying. Whether it was true or not, Mez couldn’t take the chance.
Yet, she didn’t share her fears with Noxy. She wasn’t ready to see the look of horror she was sure would be in her best friend’s eyes. Instead, she moved forward with a shrug and stopped at the top of a hill. Below, a tiny cottage sat in the middle of a clearing, and for the first time, Mez felt a slight relief.
She hadn’t seen Kresley for many years. The family had gone their separate ways, and though Mez had been just a child then, she had felt the tension that had divided them.
She just hoped the years had given her aunt’s temper a chance to cool off.
In the next moment, she had an answer. A booming voice came from behind them as a female said, “You’ve got some nerve showing yourself around here, Grinelda!”
Sparks flew at Mez, and she just barely managed to drop to the ground in time as a tree behind her doubled over as if in pain.
She rolled off the path into the bushes just as another round of magic hit the dirt right where she’d been.
Noxy slid up beside her and whispered harshly,
“I told you people don’t like drop-ins.”
“She thinks I’m my grandmother. I’ve got to find a way to tell her I’m not Grinelda.”
“Um, here’s an idea. Send her a freakin’ message that you’re coming and to expect you.”
Another flash of magic set the tree above them ablaze. “Too late for that.”
“So, what do we do now?”
The familiar tingling sensation filled her nostrils. She’d been holding back all day, and something told her it was finally time to let go.
“I don’t know...but I think...I think...we’re” The sneeze didn’t disappoint as ice shot from Mez’s hands into the sky like an arctic geyser, covering the foliage of the towering trees and freezing into a fountain of pure, white sculpture. It was amazing and frightening all at once, and Mez couldn’t help but finish her thought, “about to find out.”
Silence reigned in the formerly chaotic night. With caution, Mez sat up slowly, as the sound of water solidifying into ice became the only noise in the air. She glanced around to see if she could spy her Aunt Kresley and maybe get a chance to explain.
But what she saw made her suck in a cool breath. The ice hadn’t just shot upward. It had coated the entire area, including her aunt and a small army of various witches and warlocks who, from the looks of their postures, had been ready to fight.
“For fuck’s sake! What did you do?”
“Saved us. You should thank me.” Yet, the words sounded hollow to her ears. This was not how she wanted to meet her aunt after all this time. Again, she had had no control over her powers, and it was a disaster. At this rate, her nightmares were going to be a reality before she got the help she needed.
“Yeah, I don’t think your aunt or her friends, here, are going to be grateful once they thaw out.”
Mez knew Noxy was right, but she didn’t have a choice. Aunt Kresley was her only hope. If she didn’t figure out how to change things soon, she might have to consider something drastic...like exiling herself to a dimension where she would be the only inhabitant. What a horrible prospect! But right now, her choices were limited.
“I can’t worry about that right now. Help me get her back to her house. We’ll figure out what to say to her then.”
“Well, for all our sakes, I hope she has answers for you.” As Noxy pushed out of the bushes and back onto the path, headed toward Aunt Kresley, she said, “Maybe if you mix her a nice drink with some of that ice you make, she’ll be more willing to listen.”
“Worth a shot. I mean, it’s got to be good for something, right?”
“Fuck, I hope so. Otherwise, you’re just one cold bitch, if you know what I mean.”
Noxy had no idea.
Chapter 2
Lucian Zafren had seen a lot in his thirty years, but a pillar of ice appearing in an instant was a new one on him.
“What the fuck was that?”
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one feeling astonished. Beside him, as he had been for the past two weeks, was Esved, a soldier in the Secret Army, as they called themselves, and he was Lucian’s companion on this scouting mission. Clearly, he had no problem expressing his surprise upon seeing the ice tower rise above the forest canopy in a flash of brilliant, white light.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure General Harper would be interested in the intel we bring back once we find out.”
Esved gulped loudly. “Can’t we just tell him what we saw. We don’t have to get any closer, do we?”
“Now, Esved, what do you think is going to happen if we go back to General Harper and tell him we saw a plume of ice suddenly appear out of nowhere? He’s going to ask questions. I, for one, don’t want to be standing there, holding my dick in my hands without any answers whatsoever. Now, suck it up, and let’s go, man.”
Esved nodded reluctantly, his face still shadowed in the darkness of the night, and they began to walk around the perimeter, avoiding the property’s protection spells. Lucian rolled his eyes when he heard Esved sigh before he asked, “But why is your dick in your hand? Will he ask us the questions while we’re in the shower?”
“Dammit, Esved! Try to stay focused. It’s an expression. It just means we look stupid. Now, don’t say another word. We need to stay undetected.”
Lucian blew a heavy breath into the night air. This was not what he’d signed up for, yet here he was, skulking around in the night, spying on an old woman and her farmhands. He felt useless, and he wasn’t entirely sure General Harper didn’t suspect something. Maybe that’s why he sent Lucian as far away from where they were planning their next move as he could.
Lucian had a mission to complete, and right now, it wasn’t to hang out with Esved in the middle of a fucking forest. Oh, Esved was a nice enough guy and all. He didn’t mean any harm by joining the Secret Army. He probably just wanted to leave home and have an adventure. How was he supposed to know he’d joined the wrong side? He didn’t have an evil bone in his body.
But that wasn’t true of General Harper and his closest allies. They were up to something, and King Zolunder, Princess Gemma, and Prince Maverick had sent Lucian to find out what it was.
How the hell was he supposed to do that when he was in the middle of bumfucking nowhere? He needed to gain the general’s trust. If he could just get some useful information, maybe he could get closer to the inner circle, and maybe, just maybe, he could see for himself whether the rumors were true or not.
He needed to know if the most fucking evil witch to walk this dimension were back or not. Prince Maverick and Princess Gemma were counting on him to find out the truth.
He had to find out if the general had managed to bring the High Priestess back from the dead. Because, if he did, well, all hell was going to break loose, and all kinds of shit was going to fly.
As they crested a hill just on the other side of the tower of ice, Lucian held his hand out to stop Esved from going any farther. He pulled out his night vision specs and adjusted them to see to the other ridge.
“What do you see?”
“Shh. You’re going to get us caught.”
Dammit! Not only did he feel like this trip was a ridiculous waste of his time, but it didn’t help that he felt like a babysitter for the young man beside him. Esved really had no business in the middle of a war. As soon as he could, he was going to find a way to send Esved back to his village and keep him out of harm’s way. This wasn’t the place for him.
With another heavy sigh, Lucian readjusted the glasses until he finally honed in on some movement. He watched, not quite sure what he was seeing. A woman and a small, squat animal were carrying a chunk of ice down the hill toward the house below.
Why were they taking pieces of the mass of ice to the woman? It was too massive to be anything useful, and yet, they seemed to be carrying it with caution, as if it were somehow fragile and precious to them.
He zoomed in even farther with the glasses until he could focus in on the block of ice.
“Damn me! What is going on?” He couldn’t believe what he was looking at. The block of ice was a person, and from the looks of the wild and crazy hair, it was the old woman they’d been watching for weeks. Who were these two?
“Um...do you know if General Harper sent a soldier to actually engage with the witch?”
“No. He gave strict orders not to touch her. He made it clear that we were just supposed to keep an eye on her. Any move by the Wilder witch would thwart the plans of the Secret Army.”
“That’s what I heard too. Then who is that? And what do they want?”
Could there be another group at work? He needed more information.
He shifted his focus to the figures carrying the frozen witch. One was clearly an animal with brown fur and a long tail that seemed useful as another appendage. The other figure was a female human with dark hair that swung around her shoulders as she moved with awkward jerks and starts because of the awkwardness of carrying a huge chunk of ice.
He couldn’t make out details, but she seem
ed anxious from what he could see of her. She kept pausing to look around, and when they finally stopped and placed the iced witch on the ground, she held up her hands, threw back her head, and released an explosion of a sneeze. At the same time, magic flew from her fingertips, and the towering, multiple-branched tree in front of her received the brunt of her energy. In an instant, it dissolved completely. One minute it was there, and the next it was gone.
Lucian stepped back and pulled the glasses from his face.
“What was that?”
“Wrong question, Esved. You should ask who was that?” Lucian stared at the spot where the tree once stood as the wheels in his brain turned. Who was she? Why had she created the giant ice sculpture of frozen people and forest? And what did she have against the tree?
But most importantly, who’s side was she on?
“Esved, I think it’s time for a report to General Harper.”
“But we don’t know anything.”
“Exactly. That’s what you’ll tell him when you go back.”
“Wait. Are you not coming with me?”
As Lucian put the glasses back on, he noticed the pair had managed to get the ice-encased witch inside the house. They were just closing the door.
“I’m going to stay behind and see if I can get answers about the ice situation. I’ll keep an eye on the witch until you return.”
“What do I say?”
“Tell the general that the witch is still here, and that we’re still completing the mission assigned to us. That’s it.”
Esved looked confused. “Isn’t that a waste of his time? Should I tell him about the weirdness with the ice?”
It most likely was a waste of time, but Lucian needed answers to his questions, and he didn’t know that he wanted Esved around to witness what he learned.
“As long as the witch is frozen, she can’t move, can she? Just tell him nothing has changed.”
“Alright. I’ll leave in the morning.”
Lucian looked with longing toward the home. He didn’t like the delay, but he couldn’t send Esved out into the night to cover dangerous terrain. He’d have to do his spying tomorrow.