The Matchmaker's Mark

by Black, Regan

  "Out."

  "You look beat," he said, sliding into the opposite chair. "Want to get some air?"

  She smiled at her dog. "Cade won't let me walk Guinness except around the block. I never thought I'd get tired of King Street."

  "He's an ass."

  She shrugged. "He means well."

  Dare wasn't as sure. "He's not here now." He cocked a brow, pleased when her eyes lit up. "Let's go."

  "In a minute, maybe." She stared into her coffee and he wondered if it was just the need for caffeine, or something else she saw.

  The cat rubbed up against his leg. "I blew it with Lily," he whispered.

  Amy sighed. "I'm sure you'll find a way."

  "She thinks I want to be with her due to some bizarre old wish or current obligation."

  "But you love her."

  "You know."

  "It's pretty obvious," she said with a grin. "Even to a normal human."

  Restless, Dare got up and poured himself some of the foul brew. "I don't know what she thinks she knows about my house. We're struggling, sure. Most houses are, if the royal court cared to take a closer look. There are expectations, of course."

  "Of you?"

  He sipped the coffee, nearly choked and dumped it down the sink. "I don't want to marry her just because I slept with her. That's not all of it."

  "Good."

  "If she knew the truth, she probably wouldn't want me."

  "Why did she refuse you?"

  "She said something about 'the worries of my house.'"

  "A convenient excuse for both of you. I assume I'll learn more about that at the meeting of doom?"

  "That's not the best attitude to take into the elf realm." He turned the chair around and straddled it. "It's not a secret, not really. But the worries of my house are usually incorrect after a single turn of the rumor mill. It's the damn cat. If she's getting her information from him…"

  "The cat? Henry? That makes absolutely no sense." Amy pushed to her feet. "When I find a man who can actually communicate effectively, I'm keeping him."

  "You can't do that. The Matchmaker has a 'perennially single' requirement as Camille used to say."

  "Oh, goody." Amy dumped her coffee in the sink and washed the mug with an intensity that scared Dare. "I'm walking my dog and Cade can get over it. And you'll have to get word to Maeve. This shelter spell thing is annoying."

  "What about Lily."

  "You want my advice?" Amy looked at his sad face, recognizing the blend of wounded male pride and sincere confusion over the mental gymnastics of the fairer sex. She took pity on him. He'd been good to her, done his best to warn her and keep her safe when she'd ignored him.

  "Please."

  "Don't do anything stupid." Which, of course, was as good as giving him carte blanche to go win the fair maiden.

  She smiled as she clipped the leash onto Guinness' collar. Oh, yes, let him go win her back. And for the benefit of everyone that mattered to them both, let Lily give him hell in the process.

  ~*~

  From the work counter, Lily watched Amy and Guinness head out her door, knowing Cade was in the alley with his own issues. She didn't know what assignment had possessed him to kidnap the Matchmaker, but she wasn't ready to write him off as a traitor. Yet.

  It gave her a little thrill to know he couldn't take Amy into the elf realm until Amy was ready to go. The binding indicated her own magic was thriving at last. She'd been playing with charms of protection and binding since the werewolf had invited himself for a sleepover. Of course, the effect on Amy was an unexpected twist, but with so much magical talent around, it was like an oasis in the desert for her, with the side benefit of keeping her mind off Dare.

  Her reverie was cut short when the front door opened on a rush, bells clanging, as a massive man entered. She rushed forward, sending out calming thoughts and wondering if she was about to be robbed. Who stormed a flower shop?

  "Keep your charms to yourself, little elf," he snapped, flipping the door sign to closed and throwing the lock. "I'm no' in the mood. Where is Amy Campbell?"

  She skidded to a stop, suddenly eager to keep the counter between them. Taller than the werewolf, he was broader through the shoulders. Burly as a bear with the grumpy visage to match. A highlander, if the accent was reliable, with serious power to make such immediate assessments. So much for her effective protection spell.

  "She's umm, not here."

  He leaned forward, the counter no deterrent. "Doona lie to me. I doona like your tiny city with its tiny streets and tiny walks. It annoys me. You will tell me the truth, now, so I can be on my way.

  "Amy!" he roared.

  Lily was pretty sure Amy could hear him no matter how far she and Guinness had roamed. She in turn shouted for Dare, only to feel his arm come around her shoulders. Thank goodness.

  "You might want to ease up a bit, Mac," he said.

  "Darian Knoll." He extended a ham-sized hand that dwarfed Dare's and the sudden smile transformed his face into something closer to ruggedly handsome. "Seeing you, I know I'm in the right place. Is she safe?"

  Dare nodded. "Come on back and wait. She's just out walking the dog."

  Mac scowled again. "Walking the dog. I raced here in a bloody panic and she's taking a stroll?"

  "Not exactly," Lily said, jumping to Amy's defense.

  Mac eyed her head to toe and back up again. He studied Dare just as closely. With a nod and a wink for Dare he said, "I see why you're leaving the service."

  Lily felt herself blushing. She had no responsibility to clear up a stranger's misconceptions. "Can I reopen my shop?"

  "I'd rather you didn't until we're away, lass. The populous won't likely perish without a posy."

  "Fine." Effectively dismissed, Lily grabbed a broom and started sweeping up, trying not to be annoyed when Dare offered Mac a drink as if he owned the place.

  "What did Camille tell you?"

  "Not nearly enough," Mac grumbled.

  "Cade claims she's been summoned to the royal court."

  Mac snorted. "I'll be verifying that. The royal court can't just reel in the Matchmaker like a wee fish."

  "You'll go with her?"

  "Only if we have to go at all." Mac drained the water bottle. "So bring me up to speed, here."

  Lily relaxed, more than a little surprised as Dare filled him on all the events that pertained to Amy. Ghosts were one thing, but a werewolf and a mermaid in the same week was shocking.

  Mac gave a low whistle. "Thanks for the warning."

  Lily had to agree. Hearing Amy in the alley, she ordered Mac to be polite. He just gave her an innocent smile and exchanged a silent, man code look with Dare.

  The door opened and Guinness entered first. Seeing a stranger, he surged forward in his customary way, tugging Amy along in his wake.

  "Well, hello wee useless beastie," Mac said, letting the dog snuffle his hand.

  Lily saw Amy's eye roll. "You must be Mac? Nice of you to make the trip after all."

  Mac glared at the Matchmaker, then beyond her to where Cade lingered at the door. "Was I to let such a trespass as kidnapping go unanswered?" He came to his feet slowly, but the impending threat was clear enough.

  "I had orders," Cade said. "She was on the run."

  "I was no such thing."

  Lily looked to Dare, caught the quick nod, and stepped into the middle of the shouting voices. "Stop!" She felt Dare's boost as he helped her mute all three of them.

  "There will be no more fighting in my place," she announced.

  Cade jerked his head toward the door, inviting Mac to a fight in the alley. Lily drilled him in the chest with her finger. "There are better solutions, so dial it down. Show Mac the summons from the royal court."

  Cade produced it with a vicious scowl. Dare handed it to Mac, who read it and scowled in turn. Pulling out a pen, the highlander made notes and handed it back. He lifted the muting spell to speak to Amy. Yeah, Lily thought, serious power there.

  "W
e'll go. On those terms, or not at all."

  Amy read it over and nodded, handing it back to Cade. With a hug for Lily, Amy wrapped the leash tightly around her hand and stepped closer to Mac.

  When Amy, Guinness, Cade, and Mac had all winked out of the back room, Lily stared at Dare for a long moment. "Wow."

  "I'll say. You handled that brilliantly."

  "Thanks to you." She reached for the broom so she wouldn't reach for him. Dare was slated for another woman. A full-blooded, in control of her magic, elf woman. "I hope she'll be okay."

  "Mac will make sure of it and the dog will keep her steady. He doesn't trust elves much."

  "Why is that?"

  "It's a long story."

  Weren't they all, Lily thought. And she didn't really want to hear it. What she wanted was some privacy and room to wallow. A chick flick marathon with plenty of wine and popcorn was in order. Not likely with Dare here.

  As a halfling, she understood Mac's distrust. Hadn't she made a similar choice to stay in the human plane? She would create a good life here. Alone or with someone who might pass through, though she knew she'd never forget Dare and her feelings for him.

  Dare watched her, soothed by her simple routine and the lovely way she moved. He was truly weary of traveling. Between cultures and between houses within the wood elf realm. "How can I help?" He knew it would take more than a smile and soft words to win her back.

  "You're staying?"

  "I'd like to know how it turns out." He wasn't referring just to the Matchmaker's dilemma.

  "How do you know they'll come back here?"

  "I can't imagine Cade letting you think the worst of him."

  "True." She dumped the full dustpan into the trash. "Why didn't you go with them?"

  "Not my place anymore." It was an odd feeling knowing his entire future rested in the hands of the woman across the room.

  "You want to help? Fine. Order dinner. From Mama Rita's," she specified. "I'm going up to shower."

  That was an image he didn't need to dwell on. "Sure," he choked out. "You'll let me back in?"

  "As if you can't find the key," she muttered, trudging up the stairs.

  It wasn't an open invitation, not even very friendly, but he accepted it for the moment. "I'll be back," he promised on a whisper. Leaving her shop, he transferred himself to the elf realm to tie up a few loose ends. A man couldn't move forward effectively if his past was dragging at him.

  He hadn't expected a pleasant visit home, popping in with no notice. No one in his family had approved of him or his choice to travel with the Matchmaker and they were less impressed with his new announcement to stay in Charleston if Lily would have him.

  The confrontation with his parents and the resulting lectures on duty and responsibility were predictable, but a bit more enlightening this time around. Amazing how an aura of love changed the equation. According to his mother's theory anyway.

  With a bag full of Mexican take out and Corona, he unlocked her door with just a thought. One benefit of time in the elf realm meant his magic was operating at peak level.

  He entered silently, congratulating her on the security light she left burning over her processing sink. Knowing she was upstairs, waiting on him, didn't solve the immediate problem. He reviewed his speech once more, afraid to blow it, knowing he wouldn't get another chance.

  He heard the TV going upstairs and decided to man up. He placed a foot on the first stair and – too late – realized his error. Ivy choked his ankles and vined toward him from the banister. He jerked free and lunged upward, taking the steps two at a time.

  He made the second floor, murmuring an oath that should have withered the vines instantly. Instead he was kicking and half crawling to get around the corner and into the hall.

  The crawling probably saved his life and definitely spared his skull as the bat Lily swung crashed into the wall, taking a chunk out of the plaster.

  He shouted her name as she cocked the bat for another swing.

  "Dare?"

  "With dinner, remember?"

  "That was two days ago!"

  "What?" He slumped at her feet, and simply took a moment to absorb the adorable picture she made. Face flushed, hair mussed, body quivering in a snug tank top and loose boxer shorts. She was glorious.

  "Marry me."

  Well shit. That wasn't nearly as romantic as the full speech he'd planned. He hadn't even begun to get around all the objections she thought stood between them. But it was the only pertinent question, especially when a man had just survived killer ivy and a Louisville slugger.

  He felt the ivy unwind from his knees, slip away from his ankles, but he couldn't take his eyes off her face.

  "Say something," he suggested with his best smile, trying to ignore the mess of he'd made of dinner and everything else.

  "Two. Days. Ago." She scowled at him for the longest minute of his life, her fingers spinning one end of the bat in her other palm. "Get up."

  He wouldn't classify the words as the sweetest he'd heard, but they were better than a bat to the brain. He got to his feet, not nearly as embarrassed as he should have been. He was more impressed with how much progress she'd made with her magic in the short time they'd been apart.

  She led him to her sitting room and pointed to an upholstered wing back chair. He waited as she settled into the overstuffed armchair facing him. "That's a pretty nice security setup."

  "You might've been a werewolf."

  "He's been back?"

  She waved that off. "You broke into my house."

  He followed his urge to tease her. "Technically I broke into your shop."

  She cast a meaningful glance at his feet and the glossy ivy leaf caught in the lace of his shoe. She sighed. "What do you want, Dare?"

  "Is it so awful to see me again?"

  She winced. "Not so awful. Just so pointless."

  "That's not true. I went to see my family." And made a couple other stops. "They were supposed to put me back into the human realm at the right time. Honestly, I didn't think more than a couple hours had passed. But we've got the rest of our lives to be together." It seemed such a cold scenario for what should be a warm, intimate conversation. He wanted to hold her, to let her feel his words as much as hear them. He leaned forward. "Even before I went home, in the clearing that night, I knew I would find a way to stay with you."

  She snorted and looked to the ceiling. This wasn't going well. He sat back and contemplated his shoes. "What happened to you in the clearing?"

  "I told you. My father showed up, made a few comments and sent me on my way."

  He knew the rest of the story, directly from her father. "No death order?"

  "Not if I use my powers for good tulips rather than evil poison ivy."

  This tough, jaded version of Lily was scary. He closed his eyes, searching for a way to crack her shell. "How has your mark been?"

  She glanced at her arm and shrugged. "Stable."

  He surged to his feet, refusing to let this crappy conversation continue. "That mark isn't the end all be all. It's not who you are; you can't really believe that it is."

  "It's true enough. No one in your world will ever let us forget it."

  Us. He clung to that short little word like a lifeline. "We don't have to be in my world." He stepped back, then returned to her. "Until this trip I hadn't been in my world for years, Lily. I don't need it."

  She stood up suddenly, nearly cracking his jaw with her head. "You do need it! It's all over you. Look in a mirror. You're restored, empowered. You nearly glow with it. I won't watch you wither away, wondering when you'll start to blame me."

  "Our world isn't the only source. Hell, a Tree of Life is a short walk away."

  "Your world." She shoved at him again. "This is my world. My home. I like it and want to stay on this side. Your house needs you and – "

  "An infusion of magic," he finished for her. "That's all, just an infusion of magic." He reached for a leaf still caught in his laces. "I've
already testified that your magic is strong enough."

  "What about the Matchmaker?"

  "Camille?" The formal inquiry had relieved him of responsibility and specifically forbidden him to go looking for her.

  "No. Amy. Didn't she mark you or whatever she does to see your mate?"

  "I didn't let her." He was inordinately pleased when that brought her up short. "She offered. I said it didn't matter." He caught her hands, held them. "My heart is with you. I don't need a mark to prove it."

  "Good." She glanced at her inner wrist. "This isn't a matchmaker's mark." She twisted her hand free, turning her inner arm to the light. "But it is a mark of power. I haven't learned all of it yet."

  But he could tell she'd been using what she did understand. "So if you're not waiting for the match to the mark, what keeps you from being with me?"

  He let his hands cruise up and over her shoulders, and down her back to rest on her hips. The resulting hitch in her breathing pleased him. It was better if she didn't think, better if she could just feel.

  Moving slowly, he bent his head until his lips just grazed hers. Slower still he eased into the kiss, until he thought his patience would snap before she kissed him back. He gave in to the wonder of her soft lips and questing tongue.

  His hands laid claim and fitted her closer to him. They were perfect. She had to see it, to own it, to embrace it as he did.

  He would be lost if she didn't.

  Lily felt her common sense slipping away with every bold stroke of his tongue against hers. She couldn't recall any shred of her several intelligent arguments against being with Dare.

  It was a wonder…but he had to let her go. No, that wasn't quite right. She had to let him go.

  But instead of stepping back, she let him draw her in, let herself melt into his strength.

  She went soft against all of his solid muscle. Her heart thudded erratically, as if tripping and rushing to match the steady beat of his.

  Her hands mapped his body and she resented the rude barriers of clothing. "I want you," she whispered as her head fell back, giving him full access to her sensitive throat.

  He bowed her back, searing her skin with hot kisses, and – yes! – he closed his wonderful mouth over her needy nipple. The fabric was an erotic tool he applied expertly as he suckled and nipped and sent her flying toward an orgasm.