by Kari Thomas
She unclenched her fist and absently massaged her other palm, a tinge of pain shooting through her fingers and up her wrist. She looked at the ragged scars that ran across her left palm then over her wrist, disappearing beneath the long sleeve of her blouse. The pain always returned when she least expected it.
Or when she remembered …
“I’d be the last person Sonia’s spirit would contact unless I was the only person who could help.” Kira’s voice grew quieter but forceful. “She is never going to rest in peace until her baby is out of that house.”
“But she’s never actually said anything specific, has she? Did she say ‘Get my baby out of that house’?”
“No.” Kira tried to remember all the details about her sister’s very odd, ghostly visits. Neither had lasted very long. It had happened two nights in a row, right after her suicide.
Kira had been very surprised when Sonia had appeared to her, considering they had not been close for years. “I told you. She’s appeared to me twice. It happened a few days after you called and told me what had happened. The only thing she has ever said, clearly anyway, was Marissa’s name. She had to have a reason for coming to me with this message. It has to be a warning of some kind. What else could it be? She must know she can trust me, her sister, to do what is right for her child.”
“It could mean anything.”
“I’ve seldom gone wrong when I follow my intuitions, Lena. Something isn’t right and Sonia is worried.” She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. “Even though I couldn’t…didn’t help her while she was alive, the least I can do now is what’s best for her daughter. What Sonia feels is best for her daughter.”
“Taking her away from the only home she has ever known? I’m sorry, Kira, but I have to admit that worries me. I know you have just as much right to guardianship of Marissa as Aiden does, but we have to think about what’s best for Marissa.”
“What kind of guardian, or parent, would he make?” Kira scoffed, “Granted he’s older than I am, but his career always keeps him on the move. When he’s not promoting his nature books, he’s doing conferences on wildlife conservation. Gavin isn’t any better. He globe trots around the world, taking nature photographs where he pleases. What type of life is that for a child? Riana…from what you have told me…is always off somewhere promoting her wildlife art. Who else does that leave with her but their staff?”
Everything she had heard about the Calhouns lifestyle revolved around wildlife conservation: Aiden’s books, Gavin’s photos, Riana’s art. Marissa’s exposure to their world was more than just living on a wildlife sanctuary. Lena had mentioned earlier that she was often taken on trips around the world on a moment’s notice. Why would Sonia have allowed her child to be raised in that atmosphere? A child needs stability. Her niece would be much safer living with her.
She would have a permanent home, a stable environment.
“So I guess this means that you’re really serious about settling here in Sedona. Does that mean you’ll be co-owner of the magic shop with me, partners?” Lena never thought it would happen. It’s about time Kira got back to her roots, got involved in their craft…
“Yes.” She still had reservations about getting involved in that part of her past again, and the doubts and insecurities that assailed her were relentless. But it was the only life she knew and, with her dwindling savings account, she needed to settle down and put down roots. Make a life for her and Marissa. At twenty-eight, and unmarried, she had been restless.
Things were going to be different now. They had to be different now.
Marissa needed her.
It was time to stop running from the past.
“I’m sure the judge will see that Marissa will have a better home with me.” Goddess willing.
Lena was silent for a long poignant minute. Her voice was quiet as she said, “Not if the Calhouns bring to light the fact we’re practicing witches.” When Kira raised a brow inquiringly, Lena continued, “We might live in an area that embraces magic and things out of the ordinary, but it’s still very much a black mark against us, Kira. It’s pure prejudice, and nothing more. You know that. I know that. But it’s a good bet that a judge will frown on allowing you to raise Marissa.”
“That’s ridiculous! Our heritage isn’t some foul ‘black arts practice’ or superstitious hoodoo-voodoo.” Kira fumed. “We’re not broom-flying-wicked-witch stereotypes, casting evil spells and wreaking havoc at every opportunity. Those are tales told to frighten children. We’re a healing people. Earth-lovers, walking the path of peace. You have proven that with your shop.”
“It isn’t any different here…not really…than back home. You know from living in Louisiana that people tend to fear what they don’t understand…what they won’t understand,” Lena reminded her. “Father and I decided to settle here, in Sedona, because of its reputation for tolerance of our lifestyle. This entire area has been well known for centuries – by many people – for its mystic atmosphere, its spiritual ‘center-ness’. We knew we wouldn’t run into too much prejudice regarding our beliefs. Tourists wander into Sedona looking for the unusual, and my magic shop has become a major attraction.” Lena paused. “But still there are those who walk the straight and narrow, and the Calhouns…”
“The Calhouns are superstitious, ignorant people who think all witches are evil,” Kira finished self-righteously. “How could Sonia have tolerated that attitude?”
Lena glanced at her, slowing the car to a stop. They were at the entrance to the Calhoun estate. “Sonia was the cause of their caution, Kira. At the end, she wasn’t the sister you remember. Something changed her after she married Kyle. And it wasn’t exactly a good change. Don’t ask me to explain when it happened, or what changed her, because I’m still not sure. I could never get a straight answer out of her, and the Calhouns have always been close-mouthed about their privacy. But there was tension at the end that wasn’t there at the beginning, when she and Kyle were first married.
“They seemed happy, at first. There was Marissa’s birth…and then it all changed. I wish I could tell you more, but I can’t. I could always sense something else…that something else happened that changed her. I just could never put my finger on what it was…exactly. Then she went and—”
“Then she kills her husband and commits suicide, all done by use of witchcraft.” Kira interrupted, sick at her stomach over the atrocities her sister had committed, to herself and her husband.
Lena reached out and pressed the buttons on the panel next to the tall wrought iron gates. She looked at her cousin’s contemplative face while she waited for acknowledgement from the house. In a low whisper she warned, “Be prepared, Kira. I have a bad feeling that nothing is ever going to be the same for us…for you… from this moment on.”
Kira nodded. Things were about to change.
For good. Or…for bad.
Chapter Three
Kira took several deep breaths before she opened the car door. She exhaled slowly, calming her racing heart, and intoned, “Goddess, give me strength.” Her thorough gaze quickly took in the surroundings as she closed and leaned against the door.
Wild. Untamed. Dangerous.
She could feel the aura of wildness that permeated the entire area and it made her shiver. The sooner she did what she needed to do, and left, the better.
Kira tilted her head back to take in the huge, imposing English Tudor mansion. “Impressive, isn’t it,” Lena commented dryly as they walked up the path leading toward the house. The vintage Tudor style structure was three floors high, red bricked with white trimmings. The windows were security-shaded, reminding Kira of dark penetrating eyes staring out, warning any who approached to stay away. Wide, whitewashed stone steps led up to huge, oak, double doors. Lena dropped the brass knocker and the sound was barely heard through the thick doors. “Wait until you see the interior. It shouts old world charm.”
But Kira wasn’t thinking about the building’s interior. She concentrated on
presenting a calm outer appearance despite the fact that her nerves were on edge. This initial meeting with Aiden Calhoun was the most important thing she’d ever done and she was determined to keep the upper hand. Which meant not thinking about what wild animals might be prowling around, free roaming and watchful.
The wide doors slowly opened and an older woman ushered them inside without saying a word.
The moment she stepped into the large circular foyer, Kira’s senses were overwhelmed by vibrations of immense power and ancient heritage. Marble floors shone with a pristine brilliance, mirroring high ceilings and rich oak paneling. She could see a wide, elegant, curving staircase at the end of the foyer, and to the right of the wide hallway. Several rooms branched off the foyer to the left. Through one open door she could see what looked to be a more casual family room. Elegant antique furniture graced every room, attesting to the immense wealth and older, ancestral charm.
“Told you,” Lena whispered, noting Kira’s expression.
Kira’s gaze didn’t miss the smallest detail, proof that she may have underestimated her opponents. She hadn’t fully realized, even after Lena had tried to explain, the vastness of the empire she would be fighting. It was obvious that her niece was well taken care of and would never want for anything. If it weren’t for the potential dangers to Marissa, if left in this household, Kira would almost be willing to reconsider removing her niece from her opulent lifestyle.
Almost.
She could offer Marissa a loving home but not this style of living. She firmly believed that love, security, and wellbeing were more important than things. She just hoped the custody judge would see it that way.
A cool breeze whisked through the foyer.
Kira stepped back against the closed doors when a chill ran over her skin. Her senses kicked into overdrive, warning.
Click. Click. Click. Click.
Her head turned toward the sound, her heart climbing into her throat. Walking through a doorway, set beside the staircase, his sharp toenails clicking on the marble floor, strode a huge white wolf. Fear engulfed her and she feared her knees would buckle, dropping her to the cold, unforgiving floor. She couldn’t catch her breath and frantically reached up to clutch her power stone, offering a whispered prayer for protection, for strength.
Lena groaned softly. “Don’t make any sudden moves, Kira,” she warned through clenched teeth. “This is another of the Calhoun ‘guard pets’. He’s never exactly liked me so I’m not sure what he’ll do if we startle him.”
Kira wanted to scream in frustration but she was having a hard enough time just remembering to breathe. Guard pets! Who, in their right mind, keep cougars and wolves for pets! She swallowed the lump sitting at the top of her throat when the wolf stopped a foot away, baring his teeth with a low growl, his nape fur bristling on end. Blackness threatened and she prayed she wouldn’t faint.
But her prayer wasn’t answered.
Before she could find the strength to fight it off, the swirls of black dots swam in front of her eyes, growing larger as dizziness swamped her senses in an overwhelming rush. She felt her body sliding into a dark void. The deafening roaring din in her ears muffled a shout, barely registering it as the faint claimed her. Voices, dim but harsh, floated in her consciousness. Fragmented sentences she couldn’t comprehend whispered, pulling at her.
She fought to answer but the effort seemed too much for the moment, and she willingly sank into the darkness.
*****
Aiden waited until after Lena had gone into the den to call her father before he turned his wrath on his brother, walking in from the kitchen – clothed and looking innocent. “Damn it, Gavin,” he growled. “Why the hell did you do that?”
“How was I supposed to know she’d faint?” Gavin snorted derisively.
“You had to torment Lena, didn’t you?” Aiden muttered. “Unfortunately Kira got in the way of your fun, didn’t she? And now isn’t the time to be playing this kind of foolish game. We don’t know what Lena has said, or how much Sonia told her sister about us, about the type of environment Marissa lives in. Do you want her to think we always let wild animals roam around in the house?”
“I wasn’t being wild.” Unremorseful for his actions, Gavin shrugged. “Despite what Sonia might have told Kira, Lena was sure to have explained about the ‘guard pets’ as she’s nicknamed us – them. If she’s smart Kira will realize having them around is simply an added protection for Marissa.”
“Whatever your reasoning, it backfired.” Aiden looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms, visually tracing her delicate, and pale, features. “Don’t do it again. Especially to her.” He looked up and frowned at his brother warningly. “And you had better stop baiting Lena, little brother. You’re playing with fire there. Sooner or later you’re going to get burned.”
Gavin shrugged again. “Lena is—’’
“Is, what?” Lena demanded as she came into the room. She stood with fists on her hips and glared at Gavin before turning to Aiden. Seeing her cousin still unconscious, her question was instantly forgotten. “Father mentioned smelling salts. Just wave them under her nose. Should do the trick. You’ve got to have some somewhere in this house. Poor Kira. This is not good. And, for pity sakes, Aiden! Can’t you keep control of those animals? Especially that nasty wolf! I can’t believe you let him wander around loose in the house, knowing we were coming.”
Gavin muttered something under his breath that suspiciously sounded like a growl and Lena threw him a scathing look, as if to dare him to utter another sound.
Aiden shook his head, disgusted at his brother’s sense of humor. He felt movement and looked down. Kira’s delicate features were too pale for his liking, and she felt incredibly fragile in his arms. An oddly protective feeling blossomed deep inside and he carefully shifted her so that she lay in his lap, her head propped on his shoulder. He bent his head and drew in a deep breath. One whiff of her alluring scent and his body instantly hardened. He told himself that he didn’t like this feeling that simply holding her was causing, but he couldn’t force himself to set her away.
Not just yet.
“She’s finally waking,” Lena sighed. “Thank the Goddess. I’ll call Father back and tell him she’s going to be all right.” Gavin watched her stomp out of the room. He couldn’t stop the grin at the irritated swish in her step.
Aiden ignored the other two as he watched Kira’s long lashes flutter. She slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head to look directly into his.
Her sky-blue eyes were breathtaking.
A man could easily, willingly, lose himself in those eyes. The thought shocked him even as something stirred to life.
He roughly cleared his throat, asking huskily. “How are you feeling?”
Kira lifted her head from his shoulder, looking momentarily confused. A few wayward curls had fallen across her cheek and she absently reached up with her left hand to brush them away.
Aiden’s perceptive gaze immediately noticed the large, ragged scars running over her left hand and before he could stop himself, he rumbled a quiet snarl. He turned her palm upward, ignoring her tugs. His fingers traced the path of the scars across her palm and up over her wrist. Claw marks. From a cat. A very large cat. That she had been harmed, hurt in such a brutal manner, enraged him, though he didn’t understand why. “How the hell did you get these?”
Kira pulled her arm free and attempted to scoot off his lap without success. Darkened blue eyes turned to shoot sparks of fire as she retorted, “I received these from a wild animal. Just like the one that frightened me in your hallway. Where is Marissa? We’re leaving this…this animal den, and you can’t stop us.” Uh oh.
She blinked rapidly several times at the sudden change in his demeanor, and her breath caught in her throat. One moment his gothic-handsome face had been full of concern, the next his features resembled a dark thundercloud, ready and willing to burst torrents over their heads. Something dangerous flashed in the mercury depths of h
is dark gray eyes. That, and something more she wasn’t sure she wanted to decipher. The odd, electrically charged moment dragged and, afraid to move even the slightest inch, she took the opportunity to study him.
Dark. Gothic. Dangerous. Primal. The words flashed through her mind the same moment she realized she’d never seen a more handsome man in her life. High cheekbones, aristocratic nose, strong jaw, full, sensuous lips, and dark charcoal eyes. It was a combination that would set any woman’s heart fluttering.
Hers included.
She could feel the steely strength in the muscles of his arms as he held her close to his chest. Everywhere their bodies touched she felt hardness, and she suddenly felt very vulnerable. She quickly slid off his lap and scrambled to her feet.
He stared up at her, taking his time, touching every inch of her disheveled form. “Finished scrutinizing me?” Mockery tinged his tone. “Or still trying to decide if I’m a wild animal, too?”
“That’s uncalled for, Aiden,” Lena scolded, coming back into the room. “You don’t understand what the encounter with that wolf did to her—’’
“I’m fine now,” Kira smoothly interrupted, walking over to stand by her cousin. “Let’s not talk about it anymore. It’s done.” She looked down at Aiden. “I’m here to talk about my niece. Where is she?”
Aiden stood up, powerful muscles rippling beneath his shirt. He crossed the foyer with a smooth glide that instantly reminded her of a large, stalking cat. The thought made her shiver. He exuded a dark sensuality that was more than just from his physical bearing. There was something…wild…about him. Her heart rate increased with her awareness and she chewed on her bottom lip in consternation.
Why in the world was she reacting this way to him?
He was silent as he stared at her with an intense, unwavering gaze. She waited, seemingly patient, and prepared herself for whatever argument he was going to give her about seeing her niece. She was determined not to let him intimidate her.
