by T. M. Cromer
“I did. He’s gone for now.”
The girl nodded wisely, as if she already knew this to be true.
“Sabrina, will you tell me something?”
“Okay.”
“Do you see the future?”
Uncertainty clouded her little features.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want.”
“Papa says I’m not ‘spose to talk about it.”
Liz smiled. “Then you absolutely must do what your papa says. He knows best.”
“You’re pretty. Like Mama.”
“Thank you.”
“I miss her.”
“I don’t see my mom as much as I’d like. I miss her sometimes, too.”
Sabrina reached out and ran a small finger down Liz’s cheek. “Your new boyfriend, he’s nice. You should listen to him.”
“I try.”
“Not now. Later, when you’re mad at him. You should listen, okay?”
What was she saying? Would Rafe lie to her in the near future? Was the secret she still sensed going to come back to bite her in the ass?
“Okay,” she told the child. “I promise to listen.” She couldn’t promise to like what he would tell her, though.
A tentative smile graced Sabrina’s lips and just as quickly vanished. “Papa’s looking for me. I have to go.”
“Will you be joining us for breakfast? I was thinking about conjuring donuts.”
The haunted look left Sabrina’s eyes, and her smile once again returned as she gazed adoringly at Liz. “I love donuts.”
“Me, too. Do you have a favorite?”
“I like the ones with chocolate frosting.”
“Of course you do, beastie.” Damian’s voice startled Liz, but she should’ve realized when Sabrina said her father was looking for her, she meant he was literally about to knock on the door.
“Damian! We were just about to come find you.”
“Run along, love. We need to let Miss Thorne get dressed for breakfast.”
Sabrina shocked Liz when she kissed her cheek before scurrying off.
Damian smiled indulgently as she darted by him. “Teleport, love.”
The little girl disappeared.
“She’s so adorable.”
“Yes.”
“Is it all right for her to have donuts for breakfast?”
“It is.” He chuckled, and Liz felt the sound run along her nerve endings. Holy hell. “I’ll leave you to change, my dear. Breakfast is on the veranda right off the main living room.”
“I’ll be along shortly. Thank you.”
Fifteen minutes later, Liz stepped through the French doors leading outside. Alastair was already sipping coffee as he read his newspaper. Rafe was resting his elbows on the stone railing, a mug sandwiched between his hands. Damian held his daughter and pointed out the wildlife in the distance. It was a beautiful scene. One that should be painted or photographed for posterity. She’d title it “Warlocks in the Morning” or something along those lines. After coffee, she would probably be more creative.
“Good morning, gentlemen.”
“Elizabeth!” Alastair smiled with genuine warmth. “Come, child. I have it on good authority you’re treating us to donuts this fine morning.”
“Yes, I promised Sabrina the chocolate-frosted kind. Do you have a preference, cousin?”
“Cinnamon crumble would hit the spot.”
“I think Winnie’s cooking has spoiled you,” she teased.
“Indeed.”
Her eyes connected with Rafe’s admiring gaze across the short distance.
“Good morning, qalbi.”
“If I remember correctly, you are more of a croissant man.”
“You remember exactly right. Pain au chocolat, please.”
Liz closed her eyes and held her palms up. First she visualized a white platter, then she built the pastries based on their requests. She added two lemon powdered donuts for herself before she faced Damian. “And you?”
“This little miscreant is yummy enough for me.” He made chomping noises and pretended he was going to bite Sabrina’s neck.
His daughter’s happy giggle was the purest, sweetest sound Liz had ever heard. Envy curled in her stomach. She’d dreamed of behaving that very same way with her own children someday. As yet, the fantasy of a family never came to pass.
Rafe lifted the platter from her hands and placed it on the table. When he faced her again, he spoke in a low voice, “One day, I hope to tease our daughter the same way.”
He’d practically read her mind, or maybe the longing had shown on her face. Tears flooded her eyes, and she gave him a watery smile. She desperately wanted it, too. More than he could ever know. “I’d like that, but let’s come out of this thing alive first,” she murmured.
“Papa needs a donut.” Sabrina cut through Liz’s emotional meanderings. “He likes jelly.”
“Then jelly he shall have,” Liz said with a cheer-infused voice. “Raspberry or strawberry?”
“Raspberry, please.” Damian swung his daughter down and set her in the closest chair. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
Liz added his favorites to the plate. “I believe we are the trouble. Donuts are the least I can do.”
“You’ve added excitement to our days, my dear. Sabrina and I are happy you’re all here.”
Sabrina nodded even as she reached for her breakfast pastry.
Damian devoured his donut then, to his daughter’s delight, gave an open-mouthed grin to show jelly-coated teeth. “Give us a kiss, beastie.”
She squealed and squirmed away, laughing all the while. “Oh, Papa, you’re so funny.”
Liz found herself enjoying the company of the formidable Aether and his small but equally powerful daughter. If someone had asked her if she could’ve imagined this moment in her wildest dreams, she’d have told them no.
“Guess what?” He swiped a finger across the chocolate frosting of Sabrina’s donut. The child glared at him and ran a hand over the top of her pastry, creating double the previous amount of icing.
“We are going to visit the rest of Miss Thorne’s family today. You’ll get to make a friend.” He gave Alastair an encouraging look.
“That’s right. My niece Autumn will have her daughter, Chloe, with her.” Alastair folded his paper. “She’s a few years older than you, I believe, but I’m confident you’ll like her.”
“Really, Papa? Someone like me?”
“There is no one like you, love. But yes, another witch.”
“Oh, Papa!” If Sabrina looked happy before, it was nothing compared to the ecstatic glow radiating from her now.
She suddenly sobered, and her chin sunk to her chest. “What if she doesn’t like me?”
All the adults shared a panicked glance.
Liz was the first to react. “How could she not? You’re as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. Also, I happen to know Chloe is a lot like you. She’s looking for a friend she can trust to perform magic around.”
“I can show her my magic?” Sabrina looked to her father for approval.
He seemed torn before he finally graced her with a soft smile and a nod.
Tears shimmered in the child’s dark eyes. “Thank you, Papa.”
Later that day, Liz joined Damian next to the floor-to-ceiling windows where he watched Chloe and Sabrina play tag in Alastair’s garden.
“Are you worried she’ll hurt Chloe?” she asked quietly.
“Not at all. Sabrina wouldn’t hurt a flea.” He sighed deeply and rubbed the heel of his hand over his heart. “I find it difficult to let her out of my sight.”
By Damian’s deep frown, Liz could tell he was weighing his words.
“One day, my wife and I were deliriously happy, welcoming our baby girl to the world. A few years later, she disappeared with Sabrina. I lost out on three years of my child’s life because I thought she might be safer with Viv and her sisters. But I missed her. Every second of every da
y, it was as if someone had ripped out my heart.”
“What happened?”
“Someone close to Vivian planted a bug in her ear. She began to fear me. Fear for Sabrina. Then one day, she left.”
“Oh, Damian, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s in the past.”
Her voice was gentle when she said, “No, I don’t think it is. You’re hurting.”
“I just don’t understand how Viv could ever believe I’d hurt my own child. I’ve never laid a hand on either of them. I showered them with all they could ever desire: love, protection, gifts. And I made damned sure I was never like my mother.”
The words were laced with pain, and Liz wanted nothing more than to hug him and help ease his suffering. She doubted it would go over well. Damian struck her as proud and seemed inclined to hide what he was feeling.
“How was it that Vivian allowed you to take Sabrina back?”
His face hardened to stone. The challenge in his eyes dared her to judge his next words. “When I discovered Viv lied about Sabrina’s abilities, I retrieved my daughter.”
Whether he’d forgotten the girl had gifted Liz with the ability to see into another’s heart or not, he still put up an act. Damian made it seem as if he’d stolen his daughter, and perhaps he had, but inside, he was an open wound.
“How could you not know she had abilities?”
“A future Aether isn’t like other witches. They don’t develop right away. Perhaps it’s by the Goddess’s design, so they don’t throw a temper tantrum during the terrible-two stage and level an entire town. Most come into their power when they turn five or have the ability to reason.”
“What about your wife? Do you think she’s going through what you did?”
He closed his eyes and shifted to hide what he was feeling. The audible swallow was painful to hear. Yes, he definitely knew what his wife was going through right now.
“Damian, if I can be so bold… this war between you and your wife; it’s damaging Sabrina the most.”
“You know nothing!” he snapped.
The force of his anger was like a slap in the face. Her head jerked back from the surge of power focused on her. At her shocked expression, he tempered his emotions. “I’m sorry. Were you hurt just now?”
“N-no. I…” His controlled fury had stung a little, but what could she say? He wasn’t the type of man who would appreciate someone delving into his affairs, regardless of how well-meaning, and she should’ve respected his boundaries. For the love of the Goddess, they’d only recently met. “I’m sorry, Damian. I didn’t mean to pry.”
He straightened his cuffs, and Liz almost smiled at the arrogant tilt to his chin. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear he and Alastair were related. They were cut from the same cloth.
“You saw what is after Sabrina. Vivian can’t protect her. I’m afraid if I let her know where I am, she’ll steal off again, taking Sabrina with her. It would sign my child’s death warrant. Until Sabrina can care for herself, she can’t be out of range of my protection. Too many would use her power for their own.”
“You don’t owe me an explanation, Damian. I overstepped.”
“Maybe I want someone to see me as someone other than a monster for a change.”
She placed a hand on his forearm and squeezed. “I see a man who loves his family. A man who would help out a friend, no questions asked. You’re the furthest thing from a monster as it gets.”
An amused smile curled his lips. “And you’re as lovely as you are naive, my dear. However, I do appreciate your well-intended words.” He cupped her cheek and stared deeply into her eyes. “If you weren’t in love with Rafe, and I wasn’t in love with Vivian, we’d make an excellent pair.”
“We’ll never know.”
“I believe we already do. Thank you, Liz. Your many kindnesses to us haven’t gone unnoticed. I plan to give you my private number. Should you ever need anything, you call me, and I’ll be there to help you. Do you understand?”
“I think so.”
He leaned in close and spoke in a low tone. “When the time comes, and Rafe is ready to reveal his secret, try to maintain your cool. Listen to what he has to say without judgment, and all will be well.”
“Sabrina said something similar to me this morning. I’m starting to worry.”
His cool lips brushed her cheek. “Be open to what he has to say.”
Liz turned her face until they were inches apart. “Should I say the same of you and Vivian?”
Sadness entered his obsidian eyes. “Maybe I’ll extend an olive branch.”
“I hope you do. You deserve happiness, too, Damian.”
Chapter 12
“Qalbi, should I be jealous?” Although his tone was mild, Rafe couldn’t disguise the unease he was feeling at seeing Damian’s marked attention to Liz. The man was exactly her type, and seeing the two of them together made Rafe realize he was in no way secure about their renewed relationship. They hadn’t defined anything or talked about the future. Other than to initially say she loved him, Liz was mum on the subject.
“No need.” She inched back, lifted his arm, and wrapped it around her.
A relieved sigh escaped as he looked over at Damian, where he’d moved on to chat with Alastair and Nash.
Liz twisted slightly to look up at him. “You have nothing to worry about, Rafe. I promise. Damian and I have bonded over his beloved daughter. She’s a darling. But he is very much in love with his wife, and I’m crazy about you.”
“I wonder if there will ever be a time my hackles don’t rise to see another man talk to you so intimately.”
“Goddess, I hope not. I’d hate it if you lost interest.”
“Rest assured, it won’t happen in this lifetime or any other.”
He didn’t fail to note her smug smile as she faced the window. Following her line of sight, he noticed the young girls playing in the garden.
“Marry me.”
Rafe winced inwardly at his spontaneous delivery. He should’ve taken the time to plan a decent proposal.
“This is sudden.”
“No, it isn’t. I’ve been in love with you from our first weekend together. It’s only grown stronger with time. And a Thorne only loves once. That means I’m it for you, as well.”
“I accept on the condition we have no more lies or half-truths between us.”
Closing his eyes, he tightened his arms around her. His happiness was great. Sealing her acceptance with a kiss would’ve been the proper thing to do, but he was just so damned grateful for her positive response, he couldn’t move other than to embrace her tighter. Luckily, she wasn’t as frozen.
Liz shifted and pressed her chest to his, her arms rising up to encircle his neck. Opening his eyes, he stared down into her twinkling amber gaze. She lifted her chin, puckered her lips, and batted her lashes. Suppressing a laugh, he brushed his nose butterfly-soft against hers.
When she frowned, he did laugh.
“I thought the standard proposal came with a kiss?” she grumbled.
“It absolutely does, but there are wide-eyed children on the other side of that glass, staring at us.”
The truth of his statement was discerned with a glance over her shoulder. “Little miscreants,” she muttered, stealing Damian’s descriptor.
“Shall we sneak back to your bedroom and seal our bargain?”
“Hell to the yeah!” With a light wave toward the girls, Liz teleported him to her room. “Now, where were we?”
Rafe tilted her chin up and gazed down into her bright eyes. Happiness shone back at him, and he smiled his own joy. “I love you, Elizabeth. Thank you for consenting to marry me.”
He lowered his lips to hers and captured her mouth in a warm, seeking kiss. Without hesitancy, she opened for him and returned his kiss with fervor. His fingers were on the top button of her blouse when a knock interrupted their celebratory sex.
“I feel like I’m being tortured,” he complained good-naturedly. Or ma
ybe not so good-naturedly. He was damned tired of waiting to be intimate with Liz again after all this time. “I forgot to tell you. Alastair called a family meeting.”
Liz groaned and laughed at the same time. “The torture is mutual. Believe me.” She pulled his head down to hers and ignored the second knock. When their lips parted, she said. “Tonight.”
“I’ll hold you to that promise, qalbi.”
“That would be my fondest wish.”
Rafe laughed when he realized she was quoting him from the night they went to Calabresi’s. “Come on before whomever is banging on that door gets any more aggressive.”
Alastair didn’t miss Liz and Rafe entering the living room like secret lovers. They exchanged longing glances when they believed no one was paying attention. He gave Rafe a nod of approval when their gazes connected across the room. The couple was good for each other. He made her relax and enjoy the finer side of life, and Liz had made Rafe smile more in the last few days, since this mess began, than in all the time Alastair had known him.
“Glad you could join us. We have a ceremony to perform.”
“First, I need to get to Thorne Industries to find the Ring of Dispel,” Liz countered. She opened her mouth and closed it just as quickly, a dark frown tugging her brows down.
“What is it, child?”
“The wards for the business. Did anyone think to secure them?”
“Quentin and Knox took care of that the day our magic disappeared.”
She inhaled and exhaled deeply, as if to banish her worry. “So Nash’s treasure room is still hidden?” At Alastair’s nod, she asked, “Do I need them to bring down the wards to enter the archive?”
“Yes, Quentin should suffice.” He nodded at his son-in-law. “You’ll go with Liz and Rafe to help them find what they need. The rest of us will prepare for anything else Damian needs to restore our abilities. Then we find Franco Moreau and find out how he was able to neutralize our line so easily.”
Alastair wanted to add they were more than welcome to torture the little pissant to discover the truth, but he needn’t appear too bloodthirsty to his family. Half of them were still wary of him as it was. Damian didn’t even try to hide his grin. He could easily discern what Alastair was thinking.
