Charmed

by Catherine Hart

  They hunched down below window level and crab-walked toward the door. It stood open, and from somewhere within, they heard loud voices. The loudest was Thorn’s. Cautiously, they followed the sound.

  “I would kill you this instant if I could,” Thorn shouted. “I only spare your worthless life so that you may tell me what you have done with my wife and her friend. However, for every minute that goes by that you do not grant what I wish to hear, I shall break another of your bones until you are begging me to put you out of your misery.” Nikki peered anxiously around the door frame into a huge kitchen. Sheree’s head popped up beside hers, and they both gaped at the sight before them. Thorn was standing in the center of the room. Tenskwatawa was slumped against a wall several feet from him. The Prophet’s nose was gushing blood. His left arm hung at an odd angle. His good eye was fast swelling shut. All in all, he looked as if he’d just met up with a cement truck and lost.

  Even as they watched, Thorn raised his arm and pointed at his brother. Without advancing near enough for physical contact, he broke Tenskwatawa’s right leg. Nikki and Sheree heard the sickening crack of the bone from clear across the room. That wasn’t what caused Nikki’s stomach to roil, however. It was the sight of the knife protruding from Thorn’s back, approximately in the middle of his left shoulder blade. Even through the thick sheepskin jacket, blood dripped in a steady stream from the wound, staining the light leather crimson.

  She tried to stifle her gasp of horror, but Thorn heard her. So did Tenskwatawa. The moment Thorn turned his head toward her, the Prophet wrenched another knife from inside his jacket.

  Nikki screamed a warning. Sheree’s shriek echoed it. Before their screams had died away—before Thorn could return his attention to his brother—before Tenskwatawa could launch his weapon—his wrist went suddenly and totally limp. The knife clattered to the hard tile floor, and Gaze stepped forward through a side doorway to kick the knife away.

  “You!” she bellowed at the Prophet. “You have brought us nothing but misery from the moment you first drew breath! Now you shall reap that which you have sown all these many years. To slay you now would be a kindness. Rather, you will return to your own time to live out your remaining years in agony. You will be bent and broken, your bones aflame with aching, for they will never mend properly. You shall draw not one breath that is not tormented. Even your beloved whiskey will not tame the pain. You will be scorned and reviled by your own people, and none will take you in. That will be the price of your wickedness and treachery against your own brothers.”

  With a wave of her hand, she rendered him unconscious. Only then did she turn to the others. “Bring the car around. We must remove this piece of offal to a place where Thorn’s spell will work.”

  Sheree stepped hastily forward. “I’ll help you if you think the two of us can manage him. I don’t think you’ve had a chance to notice, but Thorn has a knife sticking out of his shoulder blade and Nikki is certainly in no shape to lend a hand.”

  “Just bring the car,” Gaze repeated. “I will manage this one.” With astounding ease, she hefted Tenskwatawa across her shoulder in a fireman’s carry. She chuckled at the stunned look on Sheree’s face. “Powers such as Thorn’s and mine do come in handy at times like this.”

  Sheree recovered with equal wit. “If you were really good, you could just zap all of us home and not need the car at all.”

  Minutes later, they were gathered in Nikki’s upstairs bathroom, which wasn’t built to hold four adults at once. Tenskwatawa, still unconscious, lay sprawled in the tub. Gaze stood over him, as if daring him to waken. Thorn sat astride the toilet seat minus his coat and the knife, which Gaze had deftly removed. A few chanted words from her, along with some mysterious movements of her hands, and Thorn’s wound had been reduced to little more than a deep scratch—to which Nikki was now applying anti-bacterial ointment. Sheree hovered in the doorway.

  “Thorn told me how he came to be here, how the waterfall may have enhanced the magic. I think you were correct, Neeake, when you said it had something to do with the ionization of the molecules in the air. If that is so, your shower should suffice just as well to send Tenskwatawa back.”

  Nikki nodded, then frowned. “But if he came forward once—and I still don’t understand how he did it—what is to prevent him from doing so again?”

  “He will not have the charm,” Gaze told her. “Nor does he know the spell. It is my guess that he rode in on Silver Thorn’s coattail. For a few brief moments, the door to the future was left open, the window of opportunity if you will. Tenskwatawa grabbed up the amulet before it closed and was thus transported into the present right behind Silver Thorn. This will not happen again.”

  “I hope not,” Sheree muttered.

  Gaze looked at Thorn. “Are you ready?”

  Thorn nodded and took his place at the side of the tub. The others watched as he brought Tenskwatawa to a state of semi-consciousness. Softly, he submitted the hypnotic suggestion the Prophet would soon obey. “You will reach the other side and immediately release the amulet, Tenskwatawa. If you do not, it will burn a hole through your hand. While you may recall your visit here, you will remember nothing of the spell necessary to perform traveling through time. Nod once if you understand my directive.”

  The Prophet responded with a small nod of his head.

  “You will not fully awaken, under any circumstances, until you have reached your own time and dropped the amulet,” Thorn added for good measure.

  He then reached out his hand to Nikki, who placed into his palm the snapshot of Tenskwatawa that she’d taken on the sly. “While I would not want you to make a habit of trying to deceive me, Neeake, it is fortunate that you disobeyed me on this one matter,” Thorn said. “Without this, it might be impossible to send him away. This picture shows him in his own time and was taken in his own time. I believe it is necessary to the spell to employ something affiliated with the proper era in order to produce the required results.”

  Thorn reached over, tucked the snapshot into Tenskwatawa’s pocket and placed the amulet in his hand, then turned the shower on full force. Then he commenced to chant. The three women joined hands and minds, focusing on a single thought—sending Tenskwatawa permanently back to 1813.

  Many minutes elapsed. The minutes became half an hour and more. Then, just as they were about to admit defeat, Tenskwatawa disappeared in a puff of steam.

  No one moved. No one spoke. They simply watched and waited. They all jumped when the amulet came clattering back into the porcelain tub. Thorn grabbed it up with a shout of triumph as if he were afraid that Tenskwatawa would somehow retrieve it before him.

  “It is done!” he exclaimed, holding the amulet high, as one would a trophy. “He is gone for all time.”

  “Maybe not for all time, but certainly for a long while,” Gaze said wryly. “Who knows if someday he, too, may be reincarnated.”

  “He’s much too evil for that, isn’t he?” Nikki questioned. “Didn’t I read somewhere that in order to be reincarnated you need to have done something good in your life?”

  “There is that theory,” Gaze allowed. “Another is that a good person comes back as a higher life form while a bad person may emerge as a lesser one.”

  “Then the Prophet is definitely headed for the lowest rung of the food chain,” Sheree predicted drolly. “And I intend to step on every worm and bug I see from now on!”

  They were still celebrating their success, when the phone rang. “My gosh!” Nikki said. “I completely forgot to call Mom and Dad back to let them know we’re okay.”

  “1 did that while you were tending to Thorn,” Sheree told her.

  “Then who can be calling?” Nikki wondered. She picked up the receiver just ahead of the answering machine.

  “Hi, sis!” It was Sam. “Did I call at a bad time?”

  “Couldn’t be better,” she informed him happily.

  “Is Thorn there?”

  “Sure is. Do you want me to get h
im?”

  “No, but if he’s within earshot, why don’t you put me on the speaker-phone?”

  “Okay, but watch your language. Sheree and Gaze are here, too.”

  Nikki hit the button, and Sam’s voice came through the speaker. “I’ve got some bad news and some good news. Which do you want first?”

  Nikki sighed. “Don’t play games. Sam. You always say that, and then you give me the bad news first anyway. So out with it.”

  “Okay. I checked your lottery tickets, and you were right. You didn’t win the big one—which was a cool twenty million, by the way.”

  “What else is new?” Nikki intoned.

  “Weeell,” Sam drew the word out, then paused for dramatic effect. “Your numbers matched one of those in the June’s Millionaire of the Month drawing. You have until December first to collect your winnings, so if you want your three hundred thousand, you’d better hurry on down to claim it. You’ve only got a few days left.”

  “Omigod!” she yelled. Then, not certain her rascally brother wasn’t putting her on, she said breathlessly, “Samuel Swan, you’d better not be kidding about this or I’ll tell Mom. She’ll never feed you again.”

  “Hey! I’m the guy you’re gonna split this money with, remember? I wouldn’t joke about that kind of cash. In fact, first thing Monday morning, I’m placing an order for that new combine!”

  “With my blessings!” she told him excitedly.

  “So, what are you going to do with all your loot?” he inquired.

  Nikki laughed. Her eyes were sparkling like the brightest amethysts as they met those of shining silver. “I think I’ll really splurge. I’m going to buy the largest flea collar I can find for Macate. And a wee tiny one for Aneekwah. From here on, our pets deserve nothing but the best!”

  “And a big, firm bed for us,” Thorn added decisively.

  Epilogue

  Nikki set her romance novel aside and reached over to turn up the volume on the baby monitor. Thorn’s deep voice, crooning a Shawnee lullaby, came over the speaker. It was followed by a soft, snuffling sound which brought a ready smile to her lips. Their son Sage was snoring!

  He’d arrived right on schedule, three months ago, and was as healthy as a child could be. Which had been a tremendous relief after all her worrying that his time-travel experience might have harmed him in some way. Sage had coal-black hair, Nikki’s violet eyes, and a good dose of Thorn’s masculine charm. Only time would tell if he’d inherited his father’s mystical powers as well.

  Nikki relaxed back into the comfort of her patio lounger and pushed her sunglasses up on her nose. For a moment, she debated whether or not to apply more sunscreen, then decided she’d wait and let Thorn do it for her when he came downstairs. Besides, she reasoned, today was their first anniversary, and she intended to enjoy it to the fullest. Evidently, Thorn had similar notions, for he’d awakened her that morning after having transformed their bedroom into an enchanted glade. They’d made slow, delicious love in a paradise filled with rose petals and fluttering butterflies.

  For the coming evening, Nikki and Thorn had booked dinner reservations and a motel room complete with its own private hot tub. Sheree and Dave, who were engaged to be married later this month, were coming over to babysit and to claim the latest of Her Nibs’ kittens. The first had made its lone appearance late last January. It had been the oddest-looking animal Nikki had ever set eyes on, with fluffy gray-and-white-striped fur, tufted ears like its papa, and huge green eyes. Thorn had insisted on keeping it. This time around, there had been a litter of two, equally homely. One was to go to Sheree and the other to Gaze.

  Gaze now lived just down the street, at least until she and Sam decided to tie the nuptial knot. Sam had taken one look at Gaze and tumbled head over heels in lust. Love followed shortly behind, but Gaze was making him wait for the “I do’s” before moving in with him. Besides, just now she was very busy setting up her parapsychology clinic in the old tuberculosis sanitarium.

  Luckily, the place hadn’t burned down; and with all the renovation it needed, Nikki and Thorn had been able to purchase it for a song. Thorn was using part of the building to conduct his classes on Shawnee culture and language. Only those closest to Gaze and Thorn were not stunned at how quickly they had restored the building to better than its original condition. Moreover, most of the repairs hadn’t cost a cent—just a twitch here, a nod there, and some magical Shawnee incantations!

  Thorn’s classes and his consulting job for regional museums and historical sites kept him happily occupied. For herself, Nikki would resume teaching at school after a lengthy maternity leave which had conveniently run into summer vacation. In her time off from classes, she and Thorn were collaborating on a book—a factual history of the Shawnee tribe.

  Thorn joined her on the patio, interrupting her musing with a long, stirring kiss. He perched on the side of her lounger. “What time are Sheree and Dave coming?” he inquired as he lazily stroked his hand up and down her leg.

  Nikki cocked an eyebrow at him. “Why? Getting anxious to start celebrating? Again?”

  He slipped his fingers inside the hem of her short shorts, teasing her. “You know I am always eager for you, Neeake. I stay that way, which is most uncomfortable much of the time.”

  She grinned at him and lowered her sunglasses, the better to appreciate the heated gleam in his mercury-hued eyes. “You really should buy some of those boxer shorts, darling. We don’t want Sage to be an only child simply because your briefs are too tight to allow a proper flow of fluids to your intimate regions.”

  His teasing smile matched hers. “There is no worry of that, little goose. Have you forgotten your vision? There are three more eggs to hatch in our nest. There is every possibility that we will begin our next child this very night.”

  “Oh, no. Not quite yet,” she told him. “I need some time to devote myself to Sage first. Besides, I like fitting into size-ten clothes again. Let me savor it awhile longer.”

  He leaned down to claim another kiss. “Then we will simply practice making babies. It is a most pleasant activity.”

  “Yes, I can tell you enjoy it immensely,”she joked, wriggling against his big, hard erection. “And practice does make perfect.”

  “We are already perfect. Together.”

  Nikki gave a contented sigh and pulled him more fully into her embrace. “Yes, my love,” she agreed. “So we are.”

  Catherine Hart is a native of Ohio, wife, mother of three, and proud grandmother. She has authored twenty books, eighteen full novels and two novellas, many of which have won awards. Reading and writing have been her passion for most of her life, and she credits her love of books and learning to her parents, who introduced her to reading at an early age, and to extraordinary teachers who furthered her search for knowledge. She also enjoys puzzles of all sorts—sudoku, crosswords, and jigsaw puzzles—and traveling, having visited all but a few of the U.S. states, including Alaska. These days, she most enjoys watching sunsets from her lakeview home with her beloved husband of 47 years.

  Titles by Catherine Hart

  Native American series

  Silken Savage

  Summer Storm

  Night Flame

  Frontier series

  Forever Gold

  Fallen Angel

  Single Titles

  Fire and Ice

  Ashes and Ecstasy

  Satin and Steel

  Sweet Fury

  Tempest

  Temptation

  Splendor

  Irresistible

  Dazzled

  Mischief

  Charmed

  Horizons

  Impulsive

  Continue reading to enjoy an excerpt from Ashes and Ecstasy by Catherine Hart, on sale August 2018.

  Ashes and Ecstasy

  Chapter 1

  The carriage drew to a jarring halt at the front of the dock where the Kat-Ann was moored. A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped out and made his way toward the f
rigate. His hair was as midnight black as that of any of the inhabitants of this inland riverport of Córdoba, Spain, his skin nearly as bronzed by the hot sun. Only his brilliant blue eyes gave the lie to the impression that he was a native of the region.

  Halfway up the boarding plank, he was met by an excited bundle of silk skirts, long legs, and flying red-gold hair who promptly launched herself into his embrace. Her slim arms twined intimately about his neck and she kissed him soundly on the lips. Then, still clinging to him, she leaned back with a gamine grin.

  “Hello, Captain! Haven’t we met like this before?” Her emerald eyes twinkled with unsuppressed merriment.

  He carried her to the ship’s deck, where he promptly set her on her feet and planted a firm whack on her backside. His answering grin belied his admonishment. “Behave yourself, Kat! Is this any way for a wife and mother of two young babes to act?”

  Kathleen smiled up into his face, twitching her hips and retorting saucily, “That depends on whose wife she is, I suppose, Captain Taylor.”

  He gathered a huge handful of her flowing hair, a decidedly possessive look on his handsome face as he drew her up to him once more. “You are my wife, Kathleen O’Reilly Haley Taylor, and don’t you ever forget it!”

  “Yes, Reed,” she murmured in a rare moment of docility as his lips descended on hers with forceful mastery.

  For long moments, they were oblivious to anything around them as they lost themselves in the kiss and one another. Their lips met and clung, hers softening and molding beneath the firm warmth of his. At his unspoken command, her lips parted to permit entrance to his invading tongue. Tongues touched and tangled in a mating dance that sent hot spears of desire darting through them both. Reed’s hands tightened in her hair; his other at the small of her back brought her body into smoldering contact with his, leaving her in no doubt of his ardent arousal.