Touch of Magic

by Carin Rafferty

  And then he began to move inside her with a measured stroke that sent her reeling toward climax. She clung to his shoulders, begging him to go faster so she could reach the crest. But instead of meeting her demand, he lessened his pace until he was moving against her in a slow, languorous motion that was sure to drive her mad. When she couldn’t endure the sensual torture a moment longer, he began to thrust into her urgently. She closed her eyes and cried out again as her climax overtook her.

  But even as her body began to shudder in release, she felt him leave her. Her eyes flew open, and she frowned in bewilderment. They were no longer in the night-shrouded meadow. It was nearly dawn. He was standing precariously on the edge of a cliff, and she was several yards behind him. Panic surged through her, because she sensed that he was going to jump. She tried to cry out to him, but no sound came from her mouth. With a sob of frustration, she ran toward him. She had to stop him from doing this. It was her fault. If she just hadn’t . . .

  Before she could complete the thought, the scene again changed. She was on the cliff edge with him, but this time she was the one in danger. He had an iron hold on her arms, and he was pushing her toward the edge of the cliff. He intended to throw her off it!

  “Why?” she screamed at him.

  Instead of answering, he released his hold on her and pushed. As she felt herself falling into space, her eyes locked with his. She could have sworn she saw a flicker of triumph flash through them, and then there was nothing reflected in their depths. She was falling to her death, but she recognized that he was already dead, and she’d been the one to kill him. If she just hadn’t . . .

  “IF I JUST HADN’T what?” Shana whispered frantically, when the terrifying vision suddenly ended and her mind was set free. What could she have possibly done that would make him want to take his own life, and in the end, take hers instead?

  As Shana stared down at the man, who was still unconscious, she knew that Moira had just given her a glimpse of the future. She wasn’t sure how much of that future was real and how much of it was due to Moira’s manipulation. There was, however, one aspect of the vision that explained why Moira had waited until now to reappear. She was in possession of the Tarot, so she had been able to read Shana’s future. She had known that on Beltane Eve, the mortal whom Shana was destined to fall in love with would arrive.

  Shana stared at the man’s face in horrified dismay. “So that aspect of the curse was right. She has to claim the soul of someone in love, and considering the way we were making love in that meadow, it’s just a matter of time before I’m madly in love with you. But you aren’t going to make it easy, are you? That’s the meaning of the Tarot card Moira left on your chest. You’re to be my challenge, and if I fail, you’ll be my downfall. But what kind of challenge are you going to present?”

  Portent whinnied nervously behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder at him, shaking her head. “It wouldn’t do any good to cast a spell to send him away. No amount of magic can change destiny, Portent. And, like it or not, this mortal is my destiny.”

  Returning her attention to the man, she frowned. Why was he still unconscious? Cautiously, she brushed against his mind, leery of again being sucked into that vortex. She could feel its darkness—its evil—whirling at the edges of her mind. She easily held it at bay, which convinced her that it had indeed been Moira who had trapped her in his mind earlier. To her frustration, she couldn’t find a physical reason for the man’s unconsciousness. It appeared that he simply didn’t wish to wake up.

  With a resigned shake of her head, Shana closed her eyes and summoned Lucien Morgret. As high priest, he would have to give her permission to take the mortal home and care for him. She just prayed that when he arrived, he wouldn’t realize that magic from the spirit world was at work here.

  Chapter Two

  The Devil Card

  Black Magic

  SHANA WAS SO busy fretting over the mortal’s condition that she didn’t sense Lucien’s arrival. She let out a yelp when he said, “What’s going on, Shana?”

  She leaped to her feet and turned to face him. When she did, she couldn’t help but shiver. Lucien was the high priest, and she respected him. There was also a part of her that was afraid of him. His shaggy, shoulder-length black hair and sharp, angular features gave him a more dangerous appearance than the average warlock. But it wasn’t his looks that made her so apprehensive. It was his eyes. They were a pale, silver blue that seemed to pierce you right down to your soul, and there was no leniency in their depths. If he ever found out what she’d done . . .

  Deciding there was no sense borrowing trouble, she quickly quelled the thought and said, “I’m afraid there’s been an accident. I was riding Portent. When we came around the bend, this mortal was coming toward us on his motorcycle. He swerved to miss us and crashed. His knee is hurt and he’s unconscious, but I can’t find any physical reason for him not to wake up.”

  “I see,” Lucien responded stepping to her side. As he stared down at the man, he raised his hand to the crystal hanging from a chain around his neck. When the crystal began to glow, Shana nervously rubbed her hands against her thighs. If anyone could pick up on Moira’s presence, it would be Lucien. He was a half-breed; his mother was a mortal. The interracial mix had weakened his natural powers, and he had to use the crystal to augment them. Though many considered his need for the crystal a handicap, Shana knew it made him as powerful as a full-blooded warlock. As the high priest, he also had the additional advantage of being able to draw upon the powers of the entire coven.

  “What’s wrong? Is he okay?” she asked in alarm when Lucien suddenly chanted a spell, creating an energy barrier of warmth to form around the man.

  “He’s suffering from shock,” Lucien answered.

  “Shock?” she repeated in disbelief. “How could he be in shock? He isn’t bleeding.”

  Lucien glanced toward her. “A mortal can suffer shock from extreme emotional distress, as well as bodily trauma. Since you cast a spell around him, it can’t be physical. What was so upsetting that it would cause him to lose consciousness?”

  “I don’t know,” Shana said, raking a hand through her hair in bewilderment. “I told you what happened. He swerved to miss Portent and me and crashed. I managed to cast a protective spell around him, but there wasn’t enough time to cushion him completely against the fall. That’s why he injured his knee. When I got to him, he was just like he is now.”

  “And you’re sure that’s all that happened?” Lucien questioned doubtfully. When Shana nodded, he frowned. “It must have been the spell-lightning that frightened him.”

  Or something Moira did to him that I don’t know about, Shana thought grimly.

  As she regarded the man, she gnawed anxiously on her bottom lip. For Moira to interact with him, wouldn’t he have to acknowledge her existence? Or did those rules apply only to her race?

  “What?” she said, jerking her head toward Lucien when his voice penetrated her troubled musing.

  “I said I’ll go get the car and take him to the hospital.”

  “No!” When Lucien arched a brow at her shrill protest, she lowered her voice. “The hospital is so far away, and he isn’t seriously injured. Wouldn’t it be better if we took him to my house? I can look after him until he wakes up.”

  “And then what are you going to do with him? He has a badly sprained knee, Shana. When he wakes up, he won’t be able to walk.”

  “So I’ll take care of him until he can walk.”

  Lucien shook his head. “We don’t know anything about him. He could be dangerous, and I can’t risk the coven’s safety by letting him stay here.”

  “Lucien, he won’t be able to walk. How could he be a threat?”

  He stared at her suspiciously. “What are you up to, Shana?”

  “I’m not up to anything.” It wasn’t a lie. Moi
ra was the one who was up to something. “I inadvertently caused his accident, so I feel responsible for him. I just want to make sure he’s all right.”

  “If we take him to a hospital, he’ll be fine.”

  Shana again raked a hand through her hair. She couldn’t tell Lucien about Moira, so what could she say that would make him agree to let the man stay? The truth, she realized, or at least a portion of it.

  “Even if we take him away, he’ll be back,” she informed him. When he shot her an inquiring look, she quickly explained, “When I was checking his injuries, I briefly connected with his mind. I had a very strong psychic vision, and I learned that this mortal is meant to be my mate.”

  If Lucien was surprised by her claim, he didn’t show it. Instead, he glanced from her to the mortal, and then back to her. “You’re sure? Or is this just hopeful wishing? We all know how badly you want a mortal mate so you can get out of Sanctuary.”

  Shana gave him an exasperated look. “It isn’t hopeful wishing. It’s the truth. The vision I had was extremely intimate, but if you’d like me to share it with you to prove what I’m saying . . .”

  She purposely let her voice trail off, praying that Lucien wouldn’t take her up on the offer. Sharing the lovemaking scene with him would be embarrassing, but he might pick up on the other scenes as well. If he realized the man might be a threat to her life, she’d have to tell him about Moira. It was bad enough that Moira was using a helpless mortal in her deadly game. Shana wasn’t about to compound the problem by putting Lucien in danger, even if he didn’t take her seriously.

  She sighed in relief when Lucien said, “That won’t be necessary. I’ll take your word for it, and I’ll let him stay for now. However, I’ll have to cast a spell that will make him forget us if he leaves.”

  “Why would you do that?” Shana asked, startled. She couldn’t let Lucien cast a spell over him! If he became the mortal’s spellbinder, they’d be mentally connected. And if Moira did have power over the man, she might be able to get to Lucien through that connection.

  “He’s a mortal, Shana. That means he’s unpredictable, which makes his future unpredictable,” Lucien explained. “Regardless of what you saw, there is no guarantee that it will come true. I have to consider the coven’s safety, and the only way to ensure it is to spellbind him. That way, if he leaves, he won’t be a threat to us.”

  “Then I’ll cast the spell.”

  “No, Shana. If you cast the spell, you’ll share an emotional bond with him. I know from personal experience that that can backfire on you. It would be best for me to do it. Then, if things don’t work out between the two of you, you won’t be tied to him.”

  “And if things do work out between us, there will always be a part of him tied to you,” Shana protested.

  Lucien frowned. “If things work out, I’ll release him from the spell.”

  “You know as well as I do that once you become someone’s spellbinder, you can never completely sever the connection between you,” she argued. “At times of intense emotion, your minds will automatically connect. I’m sorry, Lucien, but I don’t want you knowing whenever my mate and I make love or have a fight. If anyone is going to cast a spell over him, it’s going to me.”

  “And what if it backfires?” Lucien challenged. “What if you fall in love with him and he walks away from you? Are you willing to spend the rest of your life alone and grieving over a lost love? Are you willing to forgo the chance to mate with someone else just so I won’t be privy to the intense moments of your personal life? That sounds like a terribly high price to pay for a little privacy, particularly when you don’t know for sure that you’ll even need that privacy.”

  “Damn it, Lucien! Stop trying to intimidate me!” she cried in frustration. Everything he was saying was true and how could she argue with the truth?

  “I’m not trying to intimidate you. I’m trying to make you listen to reason. We’re dealing with a mortal, and they don’t play by our rules. For that matter, they don’t play by their own rules. The only reliable thing about them is their unreliability, and that’s particularly true of men. They are ruled by ego and libido, Shana. I’m sure you can satisfy the latter. It’s the former that worries me. You’re too impulsive and headstrong. You simply don’t have the finesse required to deal with a mortal’s delicate ego.”

  “How dare you say that to me!” Shana gasped in outrage. “You make me sound like a child.”

  “In some ways you are a child,” Lucien responded impatiently. “You’ve spent your entire life in the coven, and you’re naive when it comes to mortals and their behavior. I just don’t want to see you ruin your life when it isn’t necessary.”

  “You’re the high priest, Lucien, and as such, I vowed to give you my loyalty. I did not, however, accord you the right to make personal decisions in my life,” Shana stated, truly angry. It was exactly this type of warlock, overprotective arrogance that made her yearn to escape Sanctuary. Since she was orphaned, every warlock within the coven took it upon himself to protect her.

  “Shana, I’m only trying to do what’s best for you.”

  “I’m almost twenty-seven years old, Lucien, and I’m tired of being treated like I’m seven. I’m also tired of being told that I’m naive. If I am, it’s because every warlock in town is forever trying to do what’s best for me, instead of letting me make my own mistakes.”

  “You may have a valid point,” he conceded. “However, this is one instance where making a mistake could be self-destructive.”

  “It’s also an instance where letting you do what you consider ‘best for me’ could affect my entire life. As I said, I don’t want you privy to the intimate details between my mate and I. So, if anyone spellbinds the mortal, it will be me. If it backfires, I’ll have to live with the consequences.”

  Lucien glared at her. Shana glared right back, determined to hold her ground. Her determination wavered, however, when he said, “I could alleviate this entire problem by refusing to let him stay.”

  “If he leaves, I’ll leave with him,” Shana stated staunchly, even though Lucien’s threat rattled her. However, her anger was too strong to sway her from her resolve. She’d started out wanting to protect Lucien from Moira, but now she was fighting for her own autonomy. Instinct told her that if she didn’t make the stand now, she’d never be in control of her own life.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Lucien scoffed. “You can’t leave Sanctuary without my permission.”

  “You’re wrong, Lucien. I can leave without your permission. I just can’t come back if I do.”

  He gaped at her in disbelief. “You feel so strongly about the issue of privacy that you’d risk banishment over it?”

  “If you were in my place, wouldn’t you?”

  He stared at her for a long moment, before grudgingly admitting, “I suppose I would.”

  “Then you’ll let me cast the spell?”

  He glanced toward the mortal and frowned. “It’s against my better judgment.”

  “I didn’t ask about your better judgment, Lucien. I asked if you were going to let me cast the spell.”

  He returned his attention to her. “I suspect I’m going to regret this, but yes, you can cast it. I just hope you don’t end up regretting it, too.”

  “So do I, Lucien,” she conceded, willing to acknowledge that his concerns were valid. “But if I do, it will be because of my choice, not because of yours.”

  “I’ll go get the car so we can take him to your house.”

  When he was gone, Shana knelt beside the mortal and muttered, “I just risked banishment for you. You had better be worth it.”

  IT TOOK LUCIEN a good fifteen minutes to return with the car. By the time he arrived, Shana was worriedly pacing the edge of the road.

  Before he came to a full stop, she was pulling open his door. “H
e’s still unconscious, Lucien, and that isn’t normal.”

  As he climbed out of the car, he smiled sardonically. “Welcome to the world of mortals, Shana. Nothing about them is normal. Is there any other change in his physical condition?”

  “No.”

  “Then stop worrying about him. When he’s ready, he’ll wake up.”

  He strode toward the man, and Shana quickly followed. “When we get him home, is there anything special I should do for him?”

  “Keep him warm and give him something for the pain in his knee. That should do it,” he replied as he clutched his crystal with one hand and waved the other over the man. The energy barrier disappeared. “For now, however, you need to cast a spell to immobilize his knee. We don’t want to injure it further.”

  With a nod, Shana focused her gaze on the man’s knee and began to chant. As she reached the last word, she waved her hand in a counterclockwise motion, and then flicked her fingers toward his leg. Spell-lightning flashed briefly around his knee.

  “You are probably the most adept spell-caster in the coven, Shana.”

  “Thank you,” Shana said, glancing toward him in surprise. It was rare for a warlock to compliment a witch’s magical skills. They considered their powers superior, and in some ways, they were. In everyday magic, however, most witches were better.

  He leaned down to lift the man into his arms. Let’s get him settled. I need to get back to the festival and Ariel.”

  “I’ll ride Portent home and meet you there,” Shana said, following him to the car.

  Lucien put the man onto the backseat, straightened, and shut the door. “Mortals are obsessed with their cars, Shana. It seems as if everyone owns one, and they drive them everywhere. If you want to live in their world, you’re going to have to get over your fear of automobiles.”

  “Yeah, well, I’ll work on that,” Shana grumbled, irritated at his reminder that she was ill-prepared for the mortal world.

  By the time she and Portent arrived home, Lucien was leaning against the front bumper of the car with his arms crossed over his chest. She expected him to issue another gibe, but thankfully, he didn’t. He merely retrieved the mortal from the backseat and followed her to the house.