Dark Magicks

by Candace Osmond

  Dark

  MagickS

  Book Two

  A Witch in Time Series

  By

  Candace Osmond

  And

  JJ King

  Dark Magicks © copyright 2019 Candace Osmond & JJ King

  Digital Version

  First Edition

  ISBN: 978-1-988159-65-2

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  About the Authors

  Chapter One

  “We are all wanderers on this earth. Our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams.” - Ancient Romani proverb

  Ashlynn’s body hit the solid floor with a loud smack. She gasped for breath as the air pressed from her lungs, but she would not show weakness. Swiftly, she threw her legs over her head and lunged to both feet, a move she’d been practicing for weeks. Ashlynn spun around, arms out in defense, but she wasn’t quick enough. One vice-like arm shot around her body from behind and held her in an unyielding grip. A quiet gasp squeezed from her throat and, before she could speak, she felt the cold edge of a blade press against her throat. With a great sigh, Ashlynn gave in.

  “Fine,” she said, resigned. “You win.”

  But his firm grasp never let up.

  Her fingers reached up to grip his wrist. She could feel his warm breath touch her ear as his face nuzzled from behind. Ashlynn couldn’t fight off the grin that spread across her face. “I said you win.”

  The blade lowered and Ashlynn spun around in Cian’s arms to gaze up at his glorious face. Her traveler prince, her saviour in this foreign world she’d come to call home. It had been three months since they’d performed the blood ritual in the Cineal’s basement that had proven her the rightful heir to the clan and just as long since they last seen or heard from Serena.

  Life in the twenty first century was getting easier. Well, as easy as could be expected after just a few short months. Having Cian and the Boswell’s on her side certainly helped, but Ashlynn still felt displaced. Out of touch. Disconnected. Stranded in a world unlike anything she’d ever known. Each day brought new discoveries and more to learn, like the endless flavors of ice cream, the political structure of this nation, the ever-changing fashion choices.

  And martial arts.

  Ashlynn had watched Cian practice the beautiful yet deadly moves, day after day, in their new home downtown. An old brick warehouse they had converted into a loft. Big and spacious, it was the perfect place for him to work out each day. It hadn’t taken long for her to develop an interest as she watched his lithe and muscular body move across the floor. It was beautiful and powerful, and she desperately wanted to learn.

  “You’re getting good,” Cian told her as he swiped a towel from the back of a chair and wiped the sweat from his face.

  “I need to be better,” Ashlynn replied, hearing the stubbornness in her tone.

  “Ash, it’s only been a few weeks. You’ve already surpassed where any normal person should be in training.” Cian walked toward her; his messy brown waves flopped to one side. “Besides, I thought you were only doing it for fun.”

  She thought of Serena and how close the witch had come to killing her after the ritual. “Yeah, well I want to be better. I want…I need to be ready if Serena comes back.” Cian frowned and she automatically lifted a hand to smooth the lines. She didn’t like to see the look of worry on his beautiful face. “But I do enjoy the training,” she paused to smile at him, something she never could help. “Especially with you.”

  Her hands slipped around Cian’s waist and pulled him closer. She inhaled the luscious scent that seeped from his pores; warm and spicy. It never failed to make her mind spin. His chest vibrated with a low moan as she pressed her lips to the bare skin of his muscular chest.

  Driving those sounds from Cian’s body had quickly become one of Ashlynn’s favorite things to do. The rush of sensual power that flooded her at how even the slightest touch transformed the man she loved. A simple brush of her finger across the sensitive skin between his lower hips, gently pressing her own curves against the broadness of his chest, her mouth hovering around his. Wanting. Needing. Desperate for more.

  Cian’s mouth opened at Ashlynn’s ear and his hot breath sent a warm shiver down her back where it spiraled around to her center. “I can think of something else you enjoy doing with me,” he whispered.

  Ashlynn’s arms curled around Cian’s neck as he slid his hands under her bottom and effortlessly scooped her up. She could already feel his manhood growing as it pressed between her thighs. Mouths entwined, she wrapped her legs around Cian’s waist as he blindly walked toward the bathroom and turned on the shower with her still held in his arms.

  They tore the workout clothes from one another’s bodies in a hungry, passionate craze, and stepped into the giant tiled shower. Steam quickly filled the space as Cian’s expert hands caressed the curves of her form, delighting in its bounty. He took her breast in his mouth and slipped his fingers between her trembling legs, making Ashlynn throw her head back and lose herself in the moment. In the mere touch of this man before her.

  Cian lifted his head and his mouth came down on hers in a hard, all-encompassing kiss. She could take it no longer. She grabbed at his waist and pulled him close as the hot water poured down over them like a soothing blanket. Cian splayed his hands over her writhing hips, lifted her, and slipped inside her in one swift thrust, sending Ashlynn reeling as she called out his name in a desperate cry and had one single thought.

  Maybe the twenty first century wasn’t so bad after all.

  ***

  Ashlynn rolled over in bed. The early morning sun blared through the row of massive windows lining one side of the loft, illuminating and warming her waking skin. How new and confusing this new world still remained, she thought to herself as her eyes scanned the top of the buildings outside.

  She used to wake up in her family’s castle and look out onto the peaks of endless trees and the mountainside. She’d been met each dawn with the sounds of bird song seeping in through the fissures between the stones and the crackling of fire that warmed her quarters every morning.

  Now she was greeted each day with the jagged line of coffee shops and music stores. The bustling screeches of traffic and sirens bubbled up from the streets below. Ashlynn wasn’t sure if she’d ever get used to it. But at least the familiar comfort of a warm fire remained. She rolled over again and smiled at the stone fireplace that provided the heat she and Cian needed for the open loft. A minor detail Cian had insisted on when they’d converted the space just because he'd wanted something t
o remind her of home.

  Unlike the white painted brick of the structure, the fireplace stone remained untouched. Natural and rustic. If she closed her eyes, it even smelled of her old room back in the castle. She smiled as that remembered scent mixed with the mouth-watering aroma of food cooking. Ashlynn sat up in bed, clutching the thin white sheet over her bare chest, and peeked over toward the kitchen. Cian, standing at the stove, caught her gaze and smiled wide.

  “Morning,” he greeted, setting down his utensil before switching off the gas stove. She watched as he transferred the food from pan to plate then scooped up a large tray and started toward her. He set it on the bedside table and flopped down on the low mattress. “Sleep well?”

  Ashlynn raked her fingers through his haphazard brown waves and rubbed the sharp line of his jaw with her thumb before placing a kiss on his warm mouth. The taste of bacon and syrup touched her lips as she pulled away.

  “I slept well, thank you,” she replied. “Did you already eat?”

  Cian let out a raspy chuckle. “Yeah, sorry. You were sleeping so soundly, didn’t want to wake you. But I’ve got to get going.”

  “Where?” she asked as she plucked a strip of bacon from the plate and took a bite, moaning at its exquisite taste.

  Cian heaved a sigh and rubbed his face. “I’m meeting with my parent’s and the Cineal’s to discuss new ways to establish peace between our clans. All of this was supposed to end with mine and Serena’s union,” he paused to elicit a devilish grin, “but we sort of threw a wrench into those plans.”

  Ashlynn sipped her coffee. “Cian, I am of Cineal blood. Our union would bring the peace the clans seek. It’s a simple solution.”

  “I don’t want you to marry me because it’s a simple solution, Ashlynn,” Cian replied, a hint of impatience on his tongue. Surely, he was sick of hearing her say it. “Stop offering it up like it’s some kind of band-aid.” He reached across the sheets and braided his fingers with hers. “I want to marry you when we’re both ready. When you’re ready.”

  She set her mug down on the bedside table and crawled on top of Cian, straddling his waist between her legs and letting the sheet drop to reveal her naked form. She relished in the way his face transformed at the sight of her. Eyes widened. Breathing quickened. Cian’s hands loving slid up her body, sending a slow wave of pleasure tickling her sensitive skin as the sunlight beamed in over them.

  “Gods, I love you,” he told her.

  One hand reached up to cup her face and Ashlynn turned to place a gentle kiss in its palm. “I never grow tired of hearing you say that.”

  Cian’s face beamed with pride. “Then I’ll never stop saying it.” He stole a glance at the clock on the wall and sighed. “But I’ve got to get going. They’re waiting on me.”

  Ashlynn shifted so he could sit up and kissed him once more.

  “You want to come with me?” he asked.

  Ashlynn laughed and grabbed the sheet to wrap around her body as she watched Cian stand. “No, I’d much rather avoid the chance of seeing Serena, if I can help it.”

  His head poked through the neck of a white t-shirt as he slipped it over his torso. “Serena hasn’t been seen or heard from in months. I highly doubt she’d rear her head now. Especially at a meeting like this.”

  She grabbed the whole plate now and nestled it in the nook between her folded legs. “Perhaps next time, then. Today, I’m meeting with Faith to practice more modern magicks. I’ve missed quite a bit over the last three hundred years.”

  “You’re learning a lot from her, then?”

  “Oh, so much. More than I ever thought possible. And then other things. She’s helping me to adjust to this age. Faith, I suppose, is my friend. The only one I’ve got here.”

  “Not the only one. Remember, we’ve got the gathering tonight. You’ve got friends there. The rogue travellers absolutely love you.” She watched him hesitate then reach into the pocket of his leather jacket and pull out a small box before coming back to the bed.

  “I was going to hold off on giving this to you,” he told her. “But I can’t wait.” He cracked open the tiny red box to reveal a ring and Ashlynn gasped. “We may not be ready for an actual wedding, but I am ready to marry you. So, for now, I offer this promise. My unbreakable word that I swear to love you until we both leave this world. My loyalty, my friendship, and my heart.”

  At a loss for words, Ashlynn could only stare admiringly at the delicate piece of jewelry that looked up at her from the box. A simple gold band which held three shapes; a heart, a crown, and two hands cupping them together.

  “A Claddagh ring?” she finally managed. Cian nodded. “It’s a symbol of my time. How did you even –“

  “It’s a popular Celtic ring today,” Cian told her and plucked it from the red velvet cushion. “I looked into it and found that it was created in the seventeen hundreds, right around the time you were born.”

  Ashlynn’s eyes filled with tears. “Yes, the man who designed it presented it to my father and it’s the ring my mother wore for their wedding day. I always admired it. What it represents.”

  Cian slipped it onto her trembling finger. “Consider this an engagement ring, of sorts.”

  “I must get one for you, then,” Ashlynn replied.

  Cian shook his head. “No, you’ve already given me everything I need and more.” He leaned over to leave a lingering kiss on her forehead before standing and grabbing his jacket. “It kills me, but I’ve got to go, or my mother will come knocking on the door.”

  “Yes, of course,” Ashlynn replied, wishing she could be greedy and keep him for herself all day. “Go. I’ll meet with you later for the gathering.”

  Cian was at the door, but he turned and pointed to the kitchen table. “Take the phone I gave you.”

  Ashlynn rolled her eyes. “I despise the device.”

  “You’ll get used to it,” he replied with a laugh and then he was gone.

  Ashlynn threw herself back on the bed and held up her hand in the sunlight to admire the beautiful ring on her finger. Loyalty, friendship, and love. Everything she’d ever wanted. And now it was hers.

  So, why couldn’t she shake the feeling it was all going to ripped out from underneath her?

  ***

  “Good,” Faith encouraged as Ashlynn worked to maintain her hold on the ball of energy between her palms. “You’ve shown great improvement these last couple of weeks.”

  Ashlynn focused her concentration on the glowing green mass, how its source stemmed from her own heart. How the tendrils of magic spread out from her body, connecting with the earth below her bare feet.

  “Now, slowly reign it in, but be careful not to let –”

  Ashlynn broke the connection too soon and the mass of energy exploded in her hands, sending both her and the ancient Seer stumbling to the ground. Her head fogged with the aftershock and she struggled to push herself to her wobbly feet.

  “I’m so sorry,” Ashlynn sincerely offered, frustrated with her failure. “Are you alright?”

  Faith smiled as she brushed the dirt from her patchwork pants. “Don’t worry about me, princess. It’ll take a bit more than a blast of energy to do me in.” The ancient Seer cocked her head to the side as she picked up on Ashlynn’s irritation. “Listen to me. You’re doing far better than any witch of your level. It’s a wonder you can even do this much, considering how your father forbade training until you were ten.” She laid a reassuring hand on Ashlynn’s shoulder, her black lipstick stark against her white smile. “Believe me, you’re doing great.”

  Ashlynn guffawed. “You sound like Cian.”

  Faith laughed as they walked back toward the Seer’s cottage. “Where is Cian today, by the way?”

  “A meeting at his parent’s house with the Cineals.” Ashlynn pursed her lips as she thought about it.

  They climbed the few stairs to Faith’s front porch, and she turned to Ashlynn. “And you didn’t accompany him?”

  “No, goodness, no. I
don’t want to risk running into Serena.” She swallowed hard and added, “Not yet, anyway.”

  Faith gave a slow nod of understanding, the pieces finally clicking into place in her mind. Ashlynn wasn’t ready to face Serena yet, not physically or magically. And she was grateful to her friend’s ability to see that and not push further. They both sat in silence in the oversized wooden chairs on Faith’s quaint front porch before the Seer spoke.

  “Still no sign of her since the blood ritual?”

  Ashlynn shook her head. “Have you seen her?”

  Faith hesitated, her ancient eyes looking out from the under the skirt of lime green bangs.

  “Faith? Have you?” Ashlynn pressed. “Everyone’s been searching for her. If you know where she is –“

  “I don’t know where she is, but I have seen her,” Faith admitted. “Just two days ago, actually. She came here, begging for, no…demanding a spell.”

  “What kind of spell?”

  Faith shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “One that I could not give. Did not give,” she quickly added with urgency.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Ashlynn asked, almost hurt.

  “I tried to call your cell phone yesterday,” Faith told her.

  Ashlynn grimaced. That darn device. She’d have to accept it eventually. Adjusting to the modern magicks of this world was becoming easier and easier each day, but the magicks of technology were still lost on her. Ashlynn wondered if she’d ever get used to it.

  The Seer continued. “And I had to report it to the elders first. What Serena was asking for, it…”

  “What?” Ashlynn searched her friend’s face.

  “It’s a magic I don’t practice. Yes, my duty as Seer holds me to the responsibility of curating all our forms of magic, but what Serena wanted was dark. Black. Rooted in an old evil long forgotten. I couldn’t, in good conscience, hand it over to her.”

  Ashlynn fought through the confusion and shock at her friend’s words. “What do you suppose she wanted with it?”

  Faith’s face turned solemn and she rolled a cigarette between her fingers. “There’s only one purpose for the spell Serena sought.” She fixed her gaze on Ashlynn and lit her cigarette. After a long drag, she exhaled the dense white smoke and pursed her lips before adding, “To kill a soul.”