Cullen took off like a shot to protect Alexandra. I watched with tears in my eyes as he held her up. When he let her go, I could see that blood oozed from Alexandra’s mouth and the front of her dressed was soaked. He clearly couldn’t help her and she pushed him away.
She then pressed a palm hard against her stomach. “You stabbed me,” she said to the Priest, but the words were slurred, and she sank to the floor. “Jesus Christ, you’re supposed to be a man of peace and you stabbed me, your own lover.”
Gyorgy’s face was devoid of color. He approached the scene like a zombie. “What have you done?”
The Priest was crying now. “I’m sorry, Sir,” he whispered holding his hands up to her father.
“Time to go,” Cullen said and scooped Alana up into his arms. I hurried along in his wake as we made our way away from the crowd and into the woods.
I glanced back just as we disappeared into the surrounding forest. Cullen continued on like a man on a mission but I watched from behind a tree.
Gyorgy signaled the guard approaching from behind and the Priests words were cut off as his neck was snapped like a twig. Sandra’s stepfather then fell to his knees; he cradled Alexandra’s head in his lap. “Someone must pay.” He screamed.
I hurried and caught up to Cullen who was resting against a tree. Sweat dripped from his brow.
“Is she—” I couldn’t bring myself to say the word dead. Vomit rose up in my throat and I bent to the side.
“God, no, Aeval. Relax. She’s still breathin’. She’s just unconscious.”
“Thank God,” I said peppering her face with kisses.
“I’m tired,” Cullen said. “But they’ll be in search of us now. If they catch us, they might not harm me because they think I’m Gyorgy’s grandson but they’ll slay Alana on sight.”
“What are we going to do?”
I felt a chill in my bones.
“I haven’t a bloody clue. Sandra said she knew how to send us back and now she’s dead.” His voice trailed off. “We best keep movin’.” And he started forward again, his words tugging me into motion.
“Let me carry her for a bit. You’re tired,” I said.
Cullen paused and laughter rang out. I couldn’t help but laugh too. Were we delirious?
“Aeval, it’s hard enough carrying her—don’t be makin’ me laugh.”
I giggled a few more times and then sighed. It felt so good to see him, to be with him. “Still, I’m serious. I’ve carried Alana many a time.”
“To bed, maybe—five years ago. Besides, have ye looked in a mirror lately? She’s twice your size, for heaven’s sake, can you not see that?”
He was right. The reddish wolf, Elena Maria Catargiu-Obrenovic had more in common with my husband than myself. She was a tall woman with a broad frame; it was easy to imagine what Alana might look like in fifteen years.
My chest and ribs hurt now. It began slowly, as if my brain finally registered my near drowning earlier, and then the pain grew sharper, hotter. I was sure something was broken but I managed to continue sloughing along, dropping one foot ahead of the other, for Alana’s sake. We needed to find shelter.
We trudged on and, eventually, I surfaced enough to ask, “Where are we?”
Cullen turned his head sharply, his steps ceasing all at once, but he did not remark on my finally having spoken.
“I think I recognize this place,” I explained. “Is this our cottage—Elena and Sophia’s?”
“We’ve been on the move for twenty minutes,” he said, his eyes intense, probing mine. “I don’t think your cottage was that far away.”
SEVENTY
We knocked on the cottage door and when no one answered, we took the liberty of breaking and entering. How much more trouble could we get ourselves into? The first thing I noticed was a wooden table—topped with three candles and an open book.
“Is that The Book of Rochus?” Cullen questioned, still holding Alana in his arms.
“Could it be?” I said, doing a double-take.
I walked to the table. There was a quill pen and an ink bottle to the right of it.
Had someone just been here?
My stomach curled in on itself.
A prickling sensation in the back of my neck warned me we were not alone.
“Someone’s coming,” I said.
Cullen stepped back outside, still cradling Alana and I followed him. My eyes scanned the woods.
“Go back inside, Aeval.”
A light appeared through the forest, and Cullen stopped speaking and jerked. His jaw gaped, worked soundlessly, and I cried out as I saw the beam of light flood Alana’s chest.
I reached for her, and her eyes fluttered. Whirling, I scanned the trees, and then I saw her.
Her dark hair was blacker than I’d ever seen it and her pupils were so large I almost couldn’t tell her irises were brown. My very best friend in the world stood there among the pines, but she looked older and different, somehow. Her hands glowed. She was sending the beam of light into Alana’s chest.
“Leslie,” I whispered. “You came, too.”
In a heartbeat she ran to me and we embraced like sisters.
“What in the name of God are ye doin’ here?!” Cullen demanded. “The book?” He laid Alana down and stepped forward. “It pulled you through as well, but you didn’t have a body to come back to.”
“Actually, I did,” she answered. “My name is Laasya Lovari.”
She pulled the book from her satchel. “Come on, let’s take Alana inside and lay her on the cot. She should be healed soon and I’ll do my best to explain.”
EPILOGUE
Dublin, Ireland, Modern Day
I took my pumpkin cookie and dunked it in my coffee. Nibbling off a corner I glanced around the bookshop. Where the hell was Leslie, or Laasya, or whatever the heck her name was now?
To my right, Alana was cleaning the front window. She’d already wiped it down twice. We were both filled with nervous energy. Five days had passed since we’d escaped the noose. Once we were safely inside the cottage, Leslie had explained to Cullen and I, who she was and filled in the pieces that were missing from Sandra’s version—like how she’d put a failsafe into the curse so that she, too, would be reborn. But only when her descendant passed, and since the Lovaris lived much longer than the average person she wasn’t born again until Rochus died four years before Sophia was born. When I asked her why she hadn’t told me who she was, she admitted she hadn’t realized she was lose all memory of her past life. After Alana and I had recuperated for a couple days, Leslie performed the ritual to send us home. I hadn’t heard from her since and that was three days ago.
“Mum! Ye’ve got to bloody well see this,” Alana said and pulled back the velvet drapes.
Leslie walked toward Mysterious Adventures in Ink. She was carrying a massive birdcage along with some other parcels.
“Mum! What has she got?”
“That’s a Raven. Sandra Brun’s familiar, to be exact.”
“Remus, the birdman. Why is she after bringin’ him here?”
“I don’t know. She must have tracked him down. I guess we know where she’s been.”
The little bell jingled as Leslie stepped inside. “The Doctor is in and making house calls.”
I ignored her smile. “Where have you been?”
My stomach tightened when she looked away. Something was going on.
I came out from behind the counter to look at the ornate cage.
She opened the little wire door. The Raven cawed, flitted up to my shoulder, and then flew to one of the higher shelves.
“Why’d ye let it out?” Alana questioned. “That thing is evil.”
“No. He was Sandra’s familiar, but he was also a victim of her mother’s magic. A sad story really—he was once a man in love with Alexandra but her mother didn’t approve so she transformed him in order to keep them apart.”
“Wow, I guess maybe Alexandra wasn’t so bad when you considered her
mother—who just so happened to be Morei. Won’t he want revenge for Sandra’s death?”
“He’s just a raven now unless I take pity on him and keep him for myself, or find a way to reverse the spell. Then he’ll have to do my bidding.” Leslie carried the cage to the corner, and began to decorate it with amulets as a store display.
“Where were you?” I asked again, more forcefully.
“I was with Peter.” She replied.
“Peter? The silver fox with the glasses…the guy from London?”
Leslie nodded and set a pastry box down. “Anyone hungry?”
“Are those cupcakes?” Alana asked, interrupting my chance to pry.
“I think we’ve all had enough cupcakes.”
“They’re pastries from across the road.”
Alana gingerly removed one of the éclairs from the box and put it on a napkin. “Ye know, I still don’t understand how ye were pulled through the portal with us,” she said, licking the chocolate from her finger.
Leslie closed her eyes, and then opened them quickly. “I’ve been thinking about that too. Sandra nicked me during the blood ritual when she handed me the knife. At the time, I didn’t think it mattered,” Leslie added. “After all, the spell required a body to travel into.”
“Little did you know you had one?” I said.
“So ye were the high priestess from Sandra’s story—Sandra’s aunt. That explains why she was always so hostile to ye and why ye were able to get us home. So much for my magical debut; all I did was complicate matters,” Alana said.
“Well, actually there’s more to it than that.”
I glanced over at Alana, who frowned and then bit into the chocolaty confection with gusto. She chewed for a moment and then went on. “I feel so bad about it all … I can’t imagine why I chose to get involved with another woman’s man. It just doesn’t seem like somethin’ I would do.”
Leslie reached over and patted her hand. “Of course not, dear. It’s not your fault. There’s more to the story which I’ll get to but regardless, we evolve through our lifetimes and you are not the same as you once were. None of us are.”
“Besides, it was a complicated situation,” I added. “It didn’t help that you were manipulated by Alexandra and seduced by Vilhem. Man, I can’t believe Liam was my father—reincarnated. That is just plain creepy to think about. I thought of Sandra being stabbed by the Priest and felt a cold chill, had she died? At least Alexandra had the decency to exclude the Priest from the curse—I can’t imagine what he would have been like.”
“What about now? Who are we?” Alana asked.
“I don’t know about you, but as I understand it, I was—or maybe I still am—the High Priestess…a little rusty, but a witch all the same.”
“Remember when I found that book in my bag that day in the library? Who knew it would lead to all of this?”
“Not me,” she said and smiled.
“What do we do with it—the book?” I asked. “I love books as much as the next bookstore owner but that one only seems to bring trouble.”
“Yes, speaking of that. I actually have a gift for you and your mother.” She pulled two books out of her bag.
“I think the reason Alana had trouble with the spell during the séance was because it was not her magic. The Lovari’s Book of Rochus was my family’s grimoire so I’ll be taking that back and this one is yours. Elena buried the book under the hearth when she thought she’d be accused of witchcraft. She sent me a coded message so I could help Sofia.” She held out the black book.
“How was I able to work the spells?” I asked.
“Most likely because either Rochus or I accompanied with you.
“You weren’t there every time.” I clarified.
“No, it’s not that only Lovari’s can work their spells, but magic is finicky and when the grimoire is not your own, the spell more than often goes awry. And there could be one other reason but again I’ll get to that.” Leslie replied.
“This is sounding ominous. What will you do with your family’s grimoire?”
“That’s why I was with Peter. He’s an archeologist as well as a curator from Scotland.” Leslie bit her lip. “They have sort of an unconventional magic wing and he’s asked me to come and work with him there.”
Alana looked from me to Leslie. “Why would you do that?”
“What about the shop?” I asked.
“I think you and Alana can handle it. I think it’s probably time I started living a life of my own. I could take the book to the museum’s magical collection. It would be safe and sound.”
Tears surfaced. When I really thought about it, I realized what Leslie said was true. She had been looking out for me in one way or another since we’d met, even as kids. I was always center stage and she was always off in the wings protecting me.
“That’s a perfect idea,” I agreed. “Scotland’s not that far away and Cullen’s always travelling for business. I’ll just start to tag along more.”
“That will work out perfectly,” Alana said.
“It will?” I said, surprised by Alana’s rational outburst. It had been strange to see her as a grown woman in the past—even to think of her as the strong and protective, proud woman I’d met in the little house in the woods—and yet our dynamics here were just the same. Well, maybe they were a little more cordial but she was still sixteen.
“I want to embrace my magic too. Before everything went down with Morei, she told me there was a magical academy. I want to go there.”
“What’s it called?”
“Arcanum Academy. She said there are different campus’ and there just so happens to be one in Scotland.”
I took a sip of my coffee and turned to Leslie. “You’re the High Priestess, what do you think?”
Leslie rubbed her face with her hands. She looked worn and tired, making me immediately regret my comment. “Being a witch is never easy. It would probably be good for her to be trained properly. Not to mention, she’d get to be with her own kind.
“True.”
“I’ll ask Peter about it.”
“You think he knows.”
Leslie cleared her throat. “Umm, yes. I think so. He’s sort of supernatural, himself.”
The door jingled and in stepped Cullen before I could ask for details. He gave Alana a hug and nodded to Les before returning his gaze to me.
“Stall it over, Aeval. Our reservations are confirmed and the truck is packed and waiting.”
“What? No.” My heart thudded and my palms started to sweat. He’d taken up a position as my shadow since we’d returned. I’d had to barter with him just to come to the store alone. “What are you up to?” I asked. “We just got home.”
“Annual date weekend, Mum. Remember?”
I looked at Cullen. Surely, he would understand if I didn’t want to go away right now.
“It’s just for the weekend, Sophia,” Cullen bartered.
“We can’t leave Alana.”
“Mum. Please. I’m not a wee babe. Besides if the Arcanum Academy accepts me then I’ll be living away from ye, anyway. Best ye get used to it now in small doses.”
“What academy?” Cullen asked.
“Tell ye later. Ye’re gonna need a whisky for that conversation.”
“Anyway, ye go every year and I’ll be grand as long as the two of ye promise to be back by Monday.”
I debated my options. “I don’t have anything to wear.”
“I packed yer red dress. The really low cut one,” Leslie said and winked.
“But…”
“Alana will be fine,” Leslie added. “I’ll be with her. We have some catching up to do.”
I recalled now that Sandra had said they’d been the best of friends in that life. It was Lasaya who had arranged for Elena to help her cousin, thinking she’d only be there in the capacity of a healer and nursemaid. That explained the bond Leslie and Alana shared. At times I’d been jealous of their relationship but I could see now wha
t a magical friendship it truly was.
“Do ye think we could pull off that teleportation spell that’s in the book, Les? We could pop in and say hello at dinner.” Alana suggested.
“Get up the yard with that now! Don’t ye dare pop in on us,” Cullen said in a low and growly voice. “Believe me, it’s for yer own good.”
Leslie smiled and shook her head.
I think that’s a little big for us right now, but maybe we could study some of the other spells.
“Oh hey, why did you give me two books?” Alana asked.
“The blue one is Elena’s journal—I know you have many questions and I thought perhaps you’d like to hear some of the answers in your own words.”
Alanna nodded and accepted the book.
“There’s something in there that she wrote to you as well, Sophia.”
“I will not be opening that book any time soon. Just go ahead and tell me.”
“Fair enough.” Leslie smirked. “Turns out that Vilhelm may not have been your father. Elena was married and her husband died. She had a feeling that she was pregnant when she left for Hunedoara, but she didn’t know for sure.”
I glanced over at Cullen to see if he shared my relief at the news. I still secretly harbored the fear that Alana was Liam’s and if Liam were my father, even in a past life…well that was just too messed up to think about.
“And that’s not all. You may want to sit down for this part.”
“Oh no, please don’t. I can’t handle any other bad news.”
“It’s not bad. It’s just extraordinary. You see, her husband, well, he was Fae.”
“Fae?” I questioned. “As in one of the auld ones—the faeries.”
Leslie nodded and Cullen roared with what I was pretty sure was insane laughter. “I always knew it. No wonder you can time travel.”
“That’s not why.” I said, and reached for the book.
“Oh no ye don’t,” Cullen said.
“What?”
“I know that look, ye crafty wee devil. Ye’re ready to dive in to research mode. I’ll not have it. You’ll still be a magical creature when we get back and you can learn all about it then.”
Damn, he was good and he was damn good-looking too. Maybe some alone time with him would be beneficial. Too late to protest anyway—he’d scooped me up in his arms and carried me out the door while Leslie and Alana stood waving.
Cruel Fortunes Omnibus: Volumes One to Four Page 94
