Moonlit Magic

by T. M. Cromer

  For now, dinner would have to do. As they reviewed their menus, he silently debated the merits of filling her in on Franklin’s shady business dealings. He could use her help to bring that bastard down, but the idea of placing her in danger rankled. And there was no doubt Liz would dive headfirst into the fray. She was a Thorne, and it was encoded in their DNA to get involved.

  “What are you thinking about so hard?” she asked.

  “You.”

  Her shiny blonde head whipped up as she stared at him with suspicious eyes. “Why?”

  An involuntary smile curled his lips. “If you have to ask…”

  A becoming blush stained her cheeks, and she ducked her head back behind the menu.

  His Liz had become shy around him. Sadness rolled in. Over the years, he’d called himself ten kinds of fool for walking away in the early morning without her number. But back then, he’d been arrogant. He’d believed an elder of the Witches’ Council would have no problem obtaining the number for Elizabeth Thereaux. Except she’d used a false name, and locating her had been impossible.

  “I looked for you,” he said suddenly, feeling it was important for her to know the truth.

  For the second time in as many minutes, her head popped up to stare at him.

  “I did.” He sipped his wine then released a heavy sigh. “I know now why you changed your name—because the Thornes had powerful enemies in those days—but you were impossible to find under the fake alias.” He met her stark amber gaze. “I did search,” he finished softly.

  “My cousin Alastair was adamant that no one who traveled used their real names. With Zhu Lin and Victor Salinger on the loose…” She pulled a face and shook her head helplessly.

  “You don’t need to tell me about Zhu Lin. That evil bastard shot me and tried to bury Zane Carlyle and me alive in Egypt.”

  “Winnie’s husband?”

  “Yes.”

  Winter Thorne. Who knew she was cousin to Liz and that ultimately through her, Rafe would find the woman he’d fallen in love with in Paris?

  “I’m glad you all made it out okay.”

  Rafe thought back to that day last year when he’d trailed Winnie to Isis’s temple in an effort to retrieve the Goddess’s Uterine amulet. How Lin had tracked Winnie to the temple was anyone’s guess. Perhaps he’d simply calculated the original location and had gotten lucky. Perhaps, like Rafe himself, Lin had put a magical spell on Winnie in hopes she’d lead him to the artifact. Regardless, that horrible excuse for a human being had taken Winnie, Zane, and Rafe hostage to get what he wanted—Winnie’s never-ending source of power.

  Absently, he rubbed his shoulder. Sometimes the healed wound still ached. Thanks to a bullet laced with a substance toxic to witches, he’d been critically injured. If it hadn’t been for Winnie’s quick thinking and the general kindness of the Thorne family, Rafe would be dead.

  “Thank you.”

  “So, you and my cousin… how did you meet?”

  He heard the hesitation in her voice along with a hint of another emotion. Jealousy? Goddess, he hoped so.

  “I was in Malta, visiting my father’s family. She happened to be in the hotel room next to mine. We shared a balcony, a cup of coffee, and a kiss.”

  She fumbled her wine glass, righting it before she spilled a drop.

  “I didn’t know she was your cousin at the time, Liz,” he said gently.

  “It doesn’t matter. I don’t have a claim on you.” She turned her head and looked around the restaurant as if she’d never been there before.

  “Don’t you?” he asked silkily.

  Her eyes cut sideways to lock on his face. “What’s that supposed to mean, Rafe?”

  “What do you want it to mean?”

  “Jesus, you sound like a damned therapist in a B-grade movie.”

  He laughed. Her irritation had expanded into full-blown snark. Here was the woman he desired above all others.

  “I’m in a relationship, or have you already forgotten?”

  He sighed his frustration at her stubbornness and took a long drink. “How could I forget? You throw it in my face every five seconds.”

  “That’s not what I’m doing, Rafe.” Suddenly, she reached across and squeezed his hand. “I’m reminding myself. It’s too easy to be around you. Too easy to forget Franklin.”

  Surprised by her honesty, he shifted to study her face more fully. Her discomfort showed in the slight flush of her cheeks and her avoidance, her refusal to look at him.

  “Good.”

  Mouth agape, she stared. “What?”

  “Good. I want you to forget Franklin. He isn’t for you.”

  “And you are?” She snorted her skepticism and withdrew her hand.

  “And if I said I was?”

  “Come on, Rafe. Aren’t we a little old for games?”

  “I think it’s important you understand one thing, qalbi. I don’t play games. I never have.” He covered her hand and rubbed his thumb in small circles over her silky skin. “I want you, Elizabeth. That will never change.”

  Her sharp indrawn breath clued him in to the fact she wasn’t immune to him despite her proclaimed relationship status.

  The ringing of her smartphone interrupted anything she might’ve replied. She dug it out of her over-large Coach tote and checked the screen. With a soft groan, she answered. “What is it, Nash?” She frowned and met Rafe’s silent inquiry. “We’ll be right there.”

  “What’s happening?”

  “All he would say was that it was urgent you and I head to my cousin Alastair’s estate.”

  “Me? I’m curious to know how—”

  She cut him off with a raised hand. “Scrying. It’s what my family does best.” She cast one last regretful look at the bread basket on their table. “Let’s go.”

  Rafe bundled up the bread in the red-checkered cloth and stuffed it in her tote. Then he threw a twenty down on the table as a tip for their server. “Come, qalbi. There’s a backroom we can use to teleport.” He guided her to Gianni Calabresi’s small office. “Hold tight.”

  He pictured the exterior of Alastair Thorne’s home, and his cells warmed for the teleport, but nothing happened. With a frown, he tried again. They were landlocked. Only Blockers could prevent a witch or warlock from teleporting. Blockers were other mercenary witches previously hired by the Désorcelers Society to make the lives of the Thornes hell. The last of their ilk should’ve scurried into hiding after the final confrontation between the Thorne family and their age-old enemy. Apparently, they hadn’t. If Blockers were present, then he and Liz were in deep shit.

  “Liz, try to teleport us and do it now.”

  She closed her amber eyes in concentration. When they flew open, an edge of panic could be seen there.

  “As I thought,” he muttered. He engaged the lock on the door and turned back to examine the bookshelves behind Gianni’s desk.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “Calabresi’s cookbook. He changes its position on the shelf after every use. If you locate it, pull the spine down toward you.”

  Rafe found it first and tugged on the book. The closest bookcase swung outward to reveal a secret passage. “Time to go.”

  Chapter 3

  They raced down the steps to a dark and narrow tunnel. With its dark brick walls and single-bulb lighting, the place had an overall creepy-ass atmosphere. Liz shuddered, and her hand spasmed within Rafe’s grasp. He paused their descent and raised his brows in silent question.

  “Where does this lead?” Her soft words sounded overly loud in the enclosed space. She sent a nervous glance backward at the bookshelf door as it swung shut to hide the tunnel.

  “To a warehouse two city blocks away. We should be out of the range of the Blockers by then.”

  He led her forward again at a quick, steady pace.

  “Rafe? How did they know to target us in the restaurant?”

  “I couldn’t say, but we’ll find out when we get to your family’s
home.”

  They each remained locked in their own thoughts on the short journey to the warehouse. Once they reached the tunnel opening, they paused to listen.

  “I don’t hear anything,” she whispered. “You?”

  He shook his head and cast a frowning glance behind them. “I didn’t hear anyone pursuing us through the tunnels either. This is all a bit odd.”

  “You can say that again,” she muttered.

  “This is all a bit odd,” he deadpanned.

  A giggle of disbelief bubbled up and out. “Funny.”

  “I’m glad you think so.” He inched the bolt back and slowly lifted the floor panel to look around. “It appears to be all clear. Come.”

  He assisted her through the opening, then closed the trapdoor. He waved a hand over the top to reactivate the charm disguising the tunnel’s entrance from this side.

  Curious now that they appeared to be out of immediate danger, she took stock of her surroundings. They were standing in the center of a modernized warehouse. The entire floor was designed to function as a loft-style home. The industrial space, with its pale gray brick, large glass walls, and refurbished wooden floors, was warmed by paintings and comfy furnishings.

  “I love it. Who lives here?”

  He smiled slightly. “I do.”

  She whipped around to stare. “You?”

  “I’m a silent partner in Gianni’s restaurant. One of the perks is having an all-access pass, night or day, to his kitchen.”

  She shifted to take in more of the apartment’s layout and trailed a finger over the butter-soft leather of the sectional. Had he always planned for them to end up here tonight? A small part of her yelled, “hell yes!” at the thought. She told that little voice to shut the fuck up.

  “What is it you wish to know, qalbi?”

  His silky, seductive voice spoke directly behind her and made her jump. “I, uh… nothing. We should go.”

  “Of course.”

  He held out his hand, and she tentatively placed her palm atop his. Their eyes met, and within those midnight depths, she saw understanding. Inside, she cringed, hating he could read her with so little effort. Hating that her confusion regarding their situation was so obvious.

  Before her mind could twist itself in knots of angst, Rafe drew her close and wrapped an arm around her back. She ignored the rightness of being held by him as her cells began to ramp up. Heat danced along her body, and Liz held her breath for a teleport.

  It never happened.

  “What the devil?” Rafe swore.

  “Why can’t we teleport? Surely any Blockers couldn’t prevent our magic this far from the restaurant?”

  “I don’t believe it’s a Blocker issue. But either way, it looks as if we are driving to our destination.”

  He ushered her to his vehicle. A short while later, they were on the highway, cruising toward Alastair Thorne’s private mountain estate. In the quiet of the car’s cab, her stomach’s growl sounded overly loud.

  “May I eat in your car?”

  Liz opened her purse at his nod. The smell of fresh-baked bread and garlic-butter goodness made her mouth water. Rafe’s stomach roared, putting the sounds hers made to shame. He laughed and held out his hand for a breadstick. Soon enough, they had consumed the entire bundle, and Liz rooted around in her purse in the hopes of finding an escapee. It was not to be had.

  “I’m sure your cousin will have food readily available should you ask,” Rafe assured her with a low chuckle.

  It went without saying that Alastair would indeed have a meal set out, but Liz figured the family would be consumed with finding out why their teleporting abilities were on the fritz and not be too concerned with dining.

  “I should simply conjure us something now.” She held out her hand, palm up, and visualized an apple. A tingling started at the base of her fingers, but then suddenly stopped. Her hand remained empty. “What the hell?”

  Rafe’s dark head whipped in her direction. “What?”

  “I can’t even conjure an apple!”

  “Seriously?”

  “Rafe, I’m worried.”

  He intertwined his fingers with hers and squeezed. “Qalbi, if I know anything about your family, I know they are brilliant—both individually and as a whole. You will all figure this out in short order.”

  Goddess, she hoped so.

  They arrived at her cousin’s estate and were ushered into the dining room where Alastair, Nash, and their respective fiancées gathered.

  As predicted, platters of food ran the length of the long dining table.

  “Help yourself, child.” Alastair nodded his regal blond head toward the food. “We’ve done away with formalities. It will be at least two more hours before your cousins arrive.”

  Liz hugged Alastair’s soon-to-be wife, Aurora, and took a seat.

  “What’s going on? Initially, we thought Blockers, but I wasn’t able to use my powers even after we were a safe distance from the restaurant,” she said as she plated her salad and grabbed a yeast roll.

  “That’s the question of the hour,” Nash said. His expression was dark with worry when he met Ryanne’s concerned gaze. “It seems to have affected the entire Thorne line.”

  Liz paused between bites to say, “Rafe was unable to teleport earlier. Have the Carlyles tried to perform magic?”

  Alastair sent a sharp glance Rafe’s way. “You were unable to teleport?”

  Rafe explained they had both tried.

  Sapphire eyes narrowed in contemplation, Alastair asked, “Did you try on your own, without touching Liz?”

  “No.”

  “Will you be so kind as to do that now?”

  Rafe stood, closed his eyes, and disappeared only to reappear a moment later. “It seems I’m not having a problem.”

  “Try again, please. This time, try to take Nash with you.”

  Rafe once again complied, but was unable to leave the room.

  “Again without,” Alastair ordered.

  Rafe was able to leave and return.

  “So, the conclusion to this little experiment is that Rafe can come and go at will as long as he isn’t dragging along a Thorne,” Nash said, with a grim look toward his father.

  Alastair nodded. “Indeed.”

  Liz set down her fork. “Does this mean we are the target of another attack? If so, who the hell could be behind this? I thought Victor was the last of our enemies.”

  Rafe rested a warm hand upon her shoulder. She took comfort from the gesture. Most likely, he was only being kind, but she welcomed his touch. Without magic, her family members were helpless against whoever might want to take the powerful Thornes down a notch or two.

  “As far as I know, he was. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t someone who knew him and who now has an ax to grind because of his demise.”

  “Serqet?” Nash asked quietly.

  The Goddess Serqet had had a falling out with Isis many years ago. She began making life difficult for the sister’s descendants, with the Thornes being at the top of her hit list. Victor Salinger had been her tool along with a whole host of previous baddies she’d randomly sent their way from time to time. It stood to reason she would find someone to replace Victor in her quest to make the Thornes’ lives hell. And Liz dreaded discovering who. It meant her much-needed vacation just went bye-bye.

  Alastair rose and drained the glass of brandy in front of him. “Could be. While we are waiting for the others, I’ll head to the clearing and see if I am able to summon Isis. She may have the answers we don’t.”

  “Not alone, you aren’t.” Nash stood and joined his father. “From here on out, everyone takes another family member and a guard with them. Safety in numbers.”

  A half-smile tugged at Alastair’s lips as he studied his son. “Fine. Let’s go.” He brushed a kiss to Aurora’s temple. To Liz and Rafe, he said, “Alfred can make up a room in case you care to rest until the others arrive.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

&nbs
p; * * *

  Rafe waited until Alastair and Nash cleared the room before he pulled out a chair and sat down. Without preamble, he said softly, “It’s a dangerous time to be a member of your family, qalbi.”

  Irritation flashed in the amber eyes she turned on him. “You don’t have to stay. Feel free to leave and protect your own ass.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” Because he understood fear was the root of Liz’s agitation, he fought back a reactive response. He leaned forward to capture her gaze. “I intend to stick to your side until this issue is resolved. You’ll need someone who has your best interests at heart.”

  Her eyes softened, and she nodded. “I’m sorry. Nerves are getting the better of me.”

  He imagined she was mentally running through all sorts of future scenarios should she not recover her abilities. Clasping her hand, he gave it a light tug. “All will be well. I promise.”

  “You can’t promise that, Rafe. We don’t even know who, if anyone, is behind this. For all we know, the Goddess has decided to make us all non-magical mortals.”

  “True. But I will always protect you. No matter what.”

  “You don’t owe my family or me anything. You know that, right?”

  He shook his head at her obtuseness. “There, you are wrong. I owe your family a great deal.” He kissed her smooth cheek. “You, most of all.”

  Anything else he might’ve said was interrupted by the arrival of Alastair’s butler. Aurora directed him to fix up rooms for their expected guests.

  “I hope you’ll consider staying with us until we have a handle on all of this,” she said to them. “Do you intend to share a room?”

  Perhaps Rafe should have been offended by Liz’s blustering indignation, but her blush and downcast eyes told a different story.

  He met Aurora’s humor-filled gaze. When she winked, he almost laughed aloud. She knew very well what she was doing when she asked about their sleeping arrangements, the wily minx. Everyone but Liz knew he was crazy about her. He could appreciate that the Thornes were on his side and that they could recognize the situational humor of Rafe’s unrequited feelings.