Magic's Touch

by Terri Pray

  MAGIC’S TOUCH

  Terri Pray

  www.loose-id.com

  Warning

  This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id® e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

  Magic’s Touch

  Terri Pray

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Published by

  Loose Id LLC

  1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-2924

  Carson City NV 89701-1215

  www.loose-id.com

  Copyright © July 2007 by Terri Pray

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.

  ISBN 978-1-59632-497-8

  Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader

  Printed in the United States of America

  Editor: Sherri Lynn

  Cover Artist: Anne Cain

  Chapter One

  Hailey’s fingers itched as she stared at the large, leather bound book. The surface had been worn smooth in places, threadbare in others. How many times had she seen her aunt use this in her spells, or research? Generations of family knowledge lay within the pages.

  Mothers, daughters, aunts, and sisters, they had all used the book during their lives. Each one had touched this very page, followed through with the dedication, the spell, this step into the world of magic as a full fledged witch. Their names had been inscribed on the family page at the front of the grimoire after their dedication to the Goddess. And now it was her turn.

  If she passed this last test.

  Her fingers trembled as she stroked the page, committing the words, the spell to memory. It was a simple spell and yet it was also a promise to be true, a way of showing her devotion to the magic in her blood. It would bind her to this path for the rest of her life and beyond if the legends were to be believed.

  This should have been easy; she’d been practicing basic spells for years, but now, to finally weave a full one with no help from anyone else ‑‑ that was far more than she’d dreamed possible.

  All right, maybe that wasn’t entirely true. She’d been preparing for this for as long as she could remember. All those lessons with her aunt and before that, her mother, the training she had undertaken. Her magic stuttering into life when she had been far too young to master the talent. Oh, they had been proud of her in those few years until it had vanished, hiding deep within her being, only to reappear years later. That lack of magic during those years had left her with little else but book study until her body had finally settled into its power.

  How many years had she woken every morning, reaching out to test the power in her soul, only to sigh in relief when it answered her call? It hadn’t faded out on her a second time; instead, her abilities had only grown stronger with each passing day.

  And now she stood ready to take the last test.

  So why was she now suddenly afraid?

  Perhaps the Goddess would turn her away? Deny her offering? Take the magic from her?

  A lump settled in her throat, palms sweating, lips dry as she stared at the page in the book.

  No, her aunt wouldn’t have let her step forward to take the dedication if there had been any doubt, any thought that it would be refused. Such things were unheard of…

  Well, almost.

  There were always stories about a young witch being denied, her prayer refused, her magic stripped from them in a flurry of pain and light. She would then be cursed to wander through the rest of the world. A life where she could never use the power she had been born with, seeing the magic in others and unable to touch it within her own soul again.

  Were they just stories?

  Or was there a basis for this in fact?

  Maybe this was something she should have checked into before reaching this point?

  I’m just letting my nerves get to me. I have to remain calm. Focus. Push the doubts away. I can do this.

  Hailey took a long, deep, calming breath, letting her eyes close as she tried to focus. If she lost control during the spell then it would be her own fault, and the Goddess, in her many aspects, would have every right to turn her away.

  She checked the altar one last time, tracing her fingers over the book, feeling the candles for any signs of flaws that might cause them to splutter at the wrong moment and so break her concentration. Until now she’d helped others, worked with them, leaned on their power, finding a way to control hers until her aunt had finally said she was ready.

  Was she truly ready for this?

  There was only one way to find out.

  She slipped out of the long formal white robe, letting it pool about her ankles as she stood up. Naked before the Goddess, just as the old rules had stipulated. She knew how it was meant to prevent anything from blocking her working the spell, to clear the path so that the Goddess could see the intentions in her heart.

  Such a simple spell, a dedication of her life to the Goddess and to the magic in her soul, more of a prayer than anything else, but it was the first one required of a witch when she had come of age. One the Goddess could refuse if She found the spell lacking in some way, or she could back out now and go back to her aunt. Except going to Gem, saying she wasn’t ready, that she was afraid, would set her back a year or more.

  She’d waited so long in novice status that the thought of being pushed back another year was enough to set her stomach rolling. Still, her aunt wouldn’t have told her to go ahead with the dedication if she had thought Hailey wasn’t ready for it.

  Dammit, standing here trying to fight my own demons isn’t going to get me anywhere.

  Hailey lifted up her arms as her eyes drifted closed, the prayer on her lips long before she realized she had begun to speak.

  One by one the candles lit themselves, each small burst of power sending a ripple of delight through her naked form, teasing her with the hint of more to come.

  Lights danced across the table, small at first, little more than minute balls of flickering energy. Tiny and powerful, they swirled around the candles, then across the open book. They changed color rapidly, pink, blue, green, silver, faster with each passing moment. Her fingers ached with the need to reach out and touch the glimmers of light, but she held still, focusing on them, forcing them into the complex pattern required for the prayer.

  Sweat beaded across her brow.

  It should have been easy to do, no matter how complex the pattern appeared to be to someone watching her work, but the magic struggled to break free of her control. Fighting her attempts to tame it, to use it, to bend it to her whim.

  Slowly the lights moved away from the table, expanding the pattern of their dance until they swirled not just over the table but around Hailey as well. Each near touch from the small dancing pieces of fluff sent a shiver through her being. Her nipples crinkled into tight, coral tips on the crests of her breasts. Her belly tightened, fingers of power stroked a long, slow path between her thighs, cupping her mound, focusing on the center of her power.

  A woman’s power comes from within. It’s birth, life, the giving of yourself. Every spell we cast calls upon that inner power. For men it
draws from his need to seed new life; from women it focuses within, in that hidden center of pleasure and sorrow.

  She’d never thought it would be like this, though.

  Why hadn’t Gem warned her?

  A hundred unseen fingers caressed her flesh, teasing the power into life. She gasped, heat fluttering across her belly, down into her sex, her walls tightened, wet and wanting, craving something she had no name for and no thought or will left to understand. She wasn’t ready for this. No matter how well she had been trained; she still wasn’t ready for this.

  Lessons, books, dry words and explanations, none of it had truly prepared her for what now happened.

  Her knees threatened to give way, but somehow she remained on her feet.

  Such a basic spell, an offering, it should have taken moments to complete, yet now her muscles ached as if she had been standing there for hours. Her body screamed, set alight with the fire she had denied could ever exist in her. She was a woman, fully a woman, yet untouched but for a few kisses and the occasional groping hand of a man who tried to take without taking a moment to understand her first.

  Fumbling touches.

  Half thought through advances from school friends, the same, followed through during her college years until she pulled away and returned home to complete her training. No man had dared after that, they knew from the markings on her clothing just what she was. A woman with power, one that would eventually see her named as a witch. A woman who could speak with the ancient magic, she was to become a child of the Goddess, daughter of the morning star.

  If only she could complete the prayer.

  Her lips parted, but she lacked the focus to bring the words to life.

  If I give up now then I’ll be pushed back a year. Another year when most have long since taken and passed their tests, I’m not willing to return to novice status. Not after everything I’ve been through. I just can’t.

  Her jaw tightened, the muscles along her shoulders knotted. She wasn’t about to spend another year in training. She could do this; she had to. There was no other way. She wasn’t about to take a step back and be a trainee, little more than a child in the arts of magic, not when the only thing that stood in her way was this prayer.

  Hailey focused on the lights, giving herself to the pattern.

  “Mother,” she whispered.

  The blue light flickered, teasing a path across her breasts before it darted back into the pattern.

  “Hear me. I’m ready. Please hear me. I’ve studied, practiced, opened myself to your teachings. I beg you, accept me. Mother.”

  The pink and yellow lights glowed, wrapping about her thighs, teasing the tender inner flesh. She arched, but kept her place, gasping out as they brushed between her thighs against her tender lower lips.

  “I offer you my heart, Mother. I pledge to follow the codes of magic, to protect humanity. This I swear of my own free will.”

  No matter the cost? Are you sure of this, child? Sometimes I ask more of my children than they are ever willing to pay. And who knows what the future will bring?

  The voice rang through her mind, soft, seductive ‑‑ ageless.

  “Yes, no matter the cost.” This is what she wanted ‑‑ no, needed. “I give myself freely to the magic within my heart, the spells and craft of the elders, and your teachings.”

  Be certain this is the path for you, child. You can turn away now, away from the danger this life will bring. My children are disliked, hated, even hunted by some, yet you claim to be ready to accept this life.

  “I am.” Sweat dripped into her eyes, her muscles tight, threatening to spasm as she struggled to hold position. Her body craved something else, the touch of another, a way to sate the hunger that now raged through her body. She focused, trying to push past the new wave of delight that flushed through her system, but the magic wrested loose from her control, tormenting her with a thousand images of men, women, figures she couldn’t make out clearly, touching her, kissing, stroking and seeking to pleasure her. Lips locked between her thighs, others over her nipples, kisses burned a slow path across her neck, then down her outer thighs.

  Hailey cried out, arching in delight as she tried to regain control of the power that now raged through her being.

  Her nails dug into her palms. Pain, blessed pain, just enough to offer her a lifeline out of the maelstrom. She struggled, reaching out for the threads of magic, forcing them back under control until her body dripped with sweat and lust alike.

  She’d done it. Controlled it.

  Kneel and accept my blessing, daughter.

  Her knees buckled as she lowered. Each muscle and nerve in her body protested, but she forced them into obedience.

  Magic is a gift, something that touches every living being, but few have the strength to control it. Fewer yet understand that control alone is not enough. You’ve passed the first test into womanhood, into being a full servant of magic. Welcome, my daughter. Welcome, indeed.

  Chapter Two

  “I don’t know how you put up with the situation. I’d have left him years ago.” The short walk through the long grass had already left the edges of her jeans soaked, with the damp feeling now creeping towards her knees. Not that Hailey minded; she’d have walked through a dozen fields like this if that had been what her friend had needed. It was a peaceful place, even though the cars rushed by on the interstate, just beyond the line of trees at the end of the field. If it hadn’t been for the situation she could have spent the rest of the day here, strolling through the wet grass.

  “Maybe I should,” Karol murmured. “You passed the test then? Your dedication?”

  “Yes, though you’re changing the subject.” Hailey shook her head. “Yes. I passed the test and dedication. And yes, that means I’m a full fledged witch now.”

  “Good, you deserve that.” Karol smiled, though the flicker of joy was brief and quickly vanished.

  “Thank you.” Guilt wrapped itself tightly about Hailey’s gut. How dare she enjoy anything when her best friend’s life had become a living hell?

  “It’s something you’ve always wanted. Just as I thought he was the one I always wanted. Goddess. I know I should leave, I just ‑‑ it’s just not that easy. I’ve spent so long with him that I don’t know what I would do if I did decide to up and leave.”

  Hailey’s heart sank into the pit of her stomach.

  It should have been easy. Karol should have walked out of the door the very first time that bastard had raised his voice to utter his hateful degradations. Women didn’t have to put up with that shit anymore, being called a whore, slut, or worse. Not unless they wanted to.

  No, that wasn’t fair. It didn’t work like that and she knew it.

  How many women, and men, were still trapped in dangerous relationships? Bound tight by their own fears, commitments, children, promises or even financial reasons? Pride stopped a lot of people from going for help, fear prevented even more.

  “What should I do?” Karol whispered.

  “You’re the only one who can make that choice. I’ve tried hard to keep out of it.” Even if that did mean digging her nails into her palms instead of screaming that Karol was being abused. How often had she refrained from going around there and giving him a piece of her mind? Enough that she’d torn up four pillows and almost called the cops a dozen times over, but what good would it have done. Without physical damage would they have been able to do anything? If it got to that point it wouldn’t have been the cops she’d have called, but her brothers. “I know it can’t be an easy choice for you, but I’ll back whatever you decide to do.”

  Karol stopped, looking over the large field, her voice little more than a whisper. “I wish I could get him to see the type of man he’s become. He used to be a good man. I know he was. I wouldn’t have married him if he’d been like this from the very beginning.”

  Did the lie help Karol get through each day? He’d always been a bully, but love had a habit of not only being blind, but deaf and dum
b as well. How an intelligent woman could fall for such a jerk she’d never understand.

  What did she see in him?

  Did she stay for the kids?

  Maybe that was the answer. Not being a parent, Hailey couldn’t honestly say if she would have stayed with someone due to having kids with him or not. Hard to figure out what she would do in that situation.

  “I know you’ve tried talking to him about all this.”

  “I’ve talked. It doesn’t help. I’ve screamed, left letters, cried, pleaded. I might as well have been talking to the wall.” She looked almost childlike, standing in the wet grass, her sandals held in one hand, hair loose across her shoulders. Each small breeze caught a handful of Karol’s light blonde tresses, tossing them up into the air, or across her face. “What did I do wrong? Did I change him somehow?”

  “No, it’s nothing like that?”

  “Then what happened?”

  You married him. No, saying that would have made the situation worse and, no matter what she thought, placing any of the blame on Karol would have fed into the situation Brian took pains to create. Men like him were all the same. Place the blame on the victim instead of facing reality.

  “I’m not sure. You can’t control how another acts, or what their choices are in life. You just have to hope that he’ll come around in time, or that he sees sense and gets help.”

  Help? The man needed a sledgehammer to the back of the skull before being pushed into a lime pit.

  Hailey normally wasn’t the sort of woman who dreamed of killing off men, or women for that matter, but in this case ‑‑ well, with a little bit of searching she was certain she’d be able to find a willing shifter or other denizen of the night to take care of the problem.

  “What would you have done?”

  “I’d have never married him in the first place.” She looked over the field then back to Karol. “Sorry, but it’s the truth. He always set my teeth on edge. He went out of his way to be mean to most of the people around him at school. And I know you think that, as well. I’m not blaming you, though.”