He opened his mouth to respond, but she held up her hand and continued, “In case you haven’t figured out the seriousness of this situation, I’m going to explain it again. Moira wants a soul. Right now, the only soul at her disposal is mine, because I am the only person who has acknowledged her existence. However, if you try to leave Sanctuary and she tries to stop you, you’re going to attract Lucien’s attention. He’s the high priest, Ryan, and that means that he is connected to every member of the coven. Once he knows about Moira, she may be able to connect with the other members through him. If that happens, I’ll never be able to stop her, and you have no idea what kind of danger we’ll be facing if she regains her existence. She’s not only powerful; she’s evil. So if you think you have problems, believe me they’re nothing compared to mine. And I’m not asking you to fight her for me, because, quite frankly, you wouldn’t stand a chance against her. All I want is your cooperation. Now, are you going to give it to me, or am I going to have to find a way to stop you, too?”
“How dare you stand there and threaten me as if I’m the one to blame here,” he responded furiously. “If what you’re saying is true, you’re the one who summoned up this blasted spirit-witch. If you knew she was so dangerous, then you shouldn’t have been messing with her in the first place.”
“You’re right,” she said, her temper deflating under his justifiable attack. “I should never have touched the Tarot. All can say in my defense is that at the time I thought it was safe. However, I was wrong. Now Moira is on the loose and, unfortunately, she has involved you.
“Will you at least stay until morning so I can try to figure out a way to make her release her hold over you?” she asked plaintively. “If you won’t do it for me, then think about the other coven members. They’re innocent of any wrongdoing, and if you try to leave now, you’ll be putting all of them at risk. Don’t jeopardize them because I did something stupid. Please, Ryan.”
She watched a series of emotions fly across his face at her plea, but they came and went so swiftly that she couldn’t identify any of them. Damn! If she could connect with his mind, she would not only know what he was thinking, she could mentally reinforce the graveness of the situation. Instead, all she could do was pray that she had reached him.
It seemed that an eternity passed before he finally opened his mouth to respond. Before he could speak, however, a car’s headlights suddenly appeared on the road behind him. As Shana’s mind automatically brushed against the driver’s, she could only stare into the oncoming lights in horror. The car’s driver was Ariel, Lucien’s mortal—and very pregnant—mate.
Suddenly, Shana understood why Moira had stopped Ryan from making his telephone call. If he asked Ariel to take him away from Sanctuary, she would do so. Moira couldn’t come up with a better bait to attract Lucien’s attention than to threaten his mate and their unborn twins.
Shana wanted to scream. She’d accused Moira of delivering a superfluous Tarot card, a total understatement. Matters hadn’t taken a turn for the worse. They’d become downright catastrophic!
Chapter Six
Death Card
Transformation and Change
SINCE RYAN WAS standing in the middle of the road with his back to the car, Ariel had to stop behind him. The moment she did, Shana hurried toward the automobile, determined to divert disaster.
“Ariel! What are you doing out here all alone in your condition?” she asked when she reached the car and noted that the window was down. “You should be at the festival with Lucien, so he can keep an eye on you.”
“Good heavens, Shana, I don’t need anyone to keep an eye on me just because I’m pregnant. And I’m here because Lucien asked me to check with you and see how things are going with your guest.” She looked toward Ryan before asking, “Why are the two of you out here? And why is he using a mop as a crutch?”
“He’s using a mop because I don’t have a crutch, and he insisted on having one immediately. It would have taken too much time to conjure one up,” Shana replied, casting a glance toward Ryan. He had turned toward the car. His eyes were narrowed against the light, and his expression was wary.
Since he was so intent upon leaving, she knew she had to get Ariel out of here before he could ask her for help. But she couldn’t resist taking a moment to confide, “He is the most stubborn person I’ve ever met, Ariel. Even though I performed some of my best magic for him, he refuses to believe I’m a witch. He thinks I’m crazy!”
“You told him you were a witch?” Ariel asked in disbelief. When Shana nodded, she said, “No wonder he thinks you’re crazy! It’s a good thing Lucien sent me over here.”
“What are you doing?” Shana asked in alarm when Ariel started opening her door.
“I’m going to introduce myself to him.”
“No!” When Ariel arched a brow, she realized she’d responded too vehemently and quickly added, “He’s upset with me. I’m afraid that if he meets you, he’ll ask you to take him away from Sanctuary, and he can’t leave. He’s supposed to be my mate.”
“Shana, even if he is supposed to be your mate, you can’t stop him if he wants to leave.”
“I know that,” Shana grumbled, perturbed that her friend was beginning to sound exactly like Lucien. Didn’t anyone in Sanctuary take her seriously? “And I’m not trying to stop him. I’m trying to make him listen to reason.”
“Well, if your methods of persuasion are anything like Lucien’s, I have a feeling that you’re walking a fine line between reason and coercion,” Ariel muttered as she climbed out and shut the door. “I’m going to meet him, Shana, and then we’ll decide whether he stays or he leaves.”
“But he can’t leave! I just told you that he’s supposed to be my mate!”
“That may be true, but I’m going to have to go back and tell Lucien what I found out. You know that I’ll have to tell him the truth. Now, would you rather have me deal with this situation? Or would you rather I turn it over to Lucien?”
Shana frowned at Ariel in frustration. She wanted to argue with her, but she recognized that her friend wasn’t being unreasonable. She was simply stating fact. Even if Ariel wanted to lie to Lucien, she couldn’t. The mating spell made it impossible for mates to lie to one another. Once Ariel told Lucien what was going on, he’d be here in an instant. He wouldn’t think twice about reading Ryan’s mind, and he’d find out about Moira. At least with Ariel, she had a chance of keeping her nemesis a secret. She’d just have to make sure that her friend wasn’t put in jeopardy.
“I’d rather you dealt with it,” she finally said, albeit reluctantly.
“Fine, then introduce me to your guest,” Ariel said as she walked toward Ryan. “And let me do the talking, Shana. I want to find out what is really going on, not what you want me to believe is happening.”
“Ariel! Are you suggesting that I’d lie to you?”
“Only if telling me the truth would put the coven at risk,” she replied. “However, I know how much you want a mortal mate so you can leave Sanctuary. You might be tempted to bend the truth to get what you want.”
Shana wanted to deny Ariel’s assertion, but to keep Moira from being discovered, she would not only bend the truth, she would tell an outright lie. It would be justifiable, because she would be protecting the coven but the thought of deceiving her friend, even for a good reason, made her uncomfortable. She decided to maintain her peace and concentrate on keeping Ariel safe.
RYAN WAS TRYING to decide whether or not he should approach the car when the door opened and he saw someone get out. He warily watched Shana and another woman step out of the shadows and into the glow of the headlights.
As he surveyed the stranger, he noted that she was as tall as Shana both women had dark hair, but there the similarities ended. With her dark eyes, Shana was an exotic beauty. The other woman had a wholesome, girl-next-door-prettiness tha
t was emphasized by a sweet smile. She was also pregnant, and considering her size, probably near her due date.
“Ariel, this is Ryan Alden. Ryan, I’d like you to meet my good friend, Ariel Morgret,” Shana said as they came to a stop in front of him. “She’s Lucien’s—”
“Wife,” the woman interrupted, continuing to smile at him as she extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Alden.”
“Likewise,” Ryan said, accepting her hand, but releasing it quickly. After his encounters with Shana, he was distrustful of touching anyone associated with her.
“I heard about your accident. How are you feeling?” she asked.
“I’ve had better days,” he replied. “Are you supposedly a witch, too?”
She laughed. “Well, I can see you’re a direct man, and, no, I am not a witch. I’m a mortal, just like you.”
“A mortal?”
“It’s the term Shana’s race uses when they refer to us,” she explained. “It doesn’t mean that they’re immortal, but their life span is longer than ours. It isn’t unusual for them to live well into their hundreds.”
“You’ve really bought into this witch story?” he queried skeptically.
She shrugged. “I know it’s difficult to believe, Mr. Alden, but Shana and her people really are witches and warlocks. They aren’t, however, Satanists, and they certainly aren’t dangerous. So, if you’re worried about your safety, you can put your mind at ease. They do have a fascinating history, and I’m sure Shana would be happy to tell it to you.”
“I’m afraid I won’t be around long enough to hear it,” he declared, deciding that if she didn’t think Shana was dangerous, she didn’t know her very well. “I’m on my way out of here.”
“Shana mentioned that you wanted to leave, but do you think that’s wise? You are injured, and my husband said that your motorcycle is damaged beyond repair. Maybe you should take a couple of days to recuperate before you go.”
He started to tell her that he had no intention of recuperating within a hundred miles of Shana Morland. Before he could, Ariel Morgret suddenly let out a gasp and pressed her hands against her swollen abdomen.
“Are you all right?” he asked in concern.
She drew in a couple of deep breaths before smiling and saying, “I’m fine. I’m afraid these two are already engaged in sibling rivalry. If one kicks, the other tries to kick harder.”
“Ariel’s carrying twins, and she should be with Lucien so he can keep an eye on her,” Shana inserted. “He’ll be very unhappy if anything happens to her.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Shana. Nothing is going to happen to me,” Ariel said impatiently. “The babies are just extremely active tonight.”
“How far along are you?” Ryan questioned, feeling a prickle of unease as his gaze automatically dropped to her stomach. He hadn’t done any obstetrical work since his internship, and that had been nearly ten years ago. The last thing he needed was to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere with a woman who might be going into premature labor. And “extremely active” babies did not sound like a good omen.
“Eight months,” she answered.
“Is this your first pregnancy?” When she nodded, he said, “Shana’s right. You should be with your husband. Twins tend to come early, and often the labor moves quickly. Are you experiencing lower back pain’?”
“No more than usual,” she answered.
“Unusual cramping?”
“No.”
“What about indigestion? Sometimes what seems like indigestion can actually be the beginning stages of labor. Since this is your first pregnancy, you don’t know how your labor will present itself, so you need to consider all possibilities.”
“Are you a doctor, Mr. Alden?”
Caught off guard by the question, Ryan blinked. How had she known? By the way he’d been talking, he realized, disgruntled. Damn! He couldn’t believe that he’d fallen so naturally into his old medical persona.
His first impulse was to deny his profession, but for some odd reason, he couldn’t bring himself to lie to her. He compromised with, “Not anymore.”
“I see.” She regarded him curiously, and he expected her to pursue the matter. Instead she said, “Well, you don’t need to worry about me. My husband is a warlock, and they have a unique bond with their unborn children. They are acutely aware of every stage of their development, and if I was in labor, he would know it, even if I didn’t. Believe me, he would be here to haul me off to the hospital before either of us could blink.”
Ryan arched a brow at her words. Evidently, Shana wasn’t the only crazy on the loose in Sanctuary, although he had to admit that the bond she was talking about was an intriguing delusion. “That’s very . . . interesting, Mrs. Morgret.”
“Please, call me Ariel.”
“Yes, well, Ariel, it’s been nice meeting you, but I really need to be going.”
“Are you sure? I know that Shana has probably come across as a bit . . . eccentric, but that’s because she’s lived a very sheltered life. If staying with her makes you uneasy, you could stay with my husband and me.
No! It’s too dangerous! Remember Moira!
Shana’s voice reverberated with such force in Ryan’s mind that he shook his head, feeling dazed. Then he glanced toward her. Her eyes had taken on a faint glow, and she was staring at him intently. He found it damned unnerving, and that irritated him. It also reminded him that the sooner he got away from her, the better.
“Thanks for your offer,” he told Ariel, “but I really must leave.”
“Mr. Alden, it’s more than thirty miles to the nearest town. Would you at least let me give you a ride?”
No! It’s too dangerous!
If Shana’s voice had been forceful before, this time he felt as if she was screaming through a megaphone full blast. Indeed, it was so loud that his ears began to buzz. When he again looked at her, her eyes had become brighter, and they were beginning to pulse in a rhythm so mesmerizing he could only stare at them.
She’s trying to hypnotize me into doing what she wants!
His temper erupted at the realization. He jerked his head toward Ariel, saying, “I would appreciate a ride, and would it be possible to stop by my bike so I can pick up my belongings?”
“Of course,” Ariel replied.
“But you can’t leave,” Shana objected.
He shot a glare in her direction. “Lady, I said it before, but I’ll say it again so that you finally get the message. You just watch me.”
Switching his attention back to Ariel, he said, “I’ll meet you at the car.”
With that, he headed purposefully toward the automobile, and Shana stared after his retreating back in horror. She had risked connecting with his mind to keep this from happening. How could he ignore her warning and put Ariel and himself in jeopardy? She had to do something to stop them, but what?
When Ariel turned to follow Ryan, she caught her friend’s arm. “Ariel, you can’t drive all that distance by yourself.”
“Thirty miles is not very far in a car. I can drive it in about forty or forty-five minutes. Depending on where Mr. Alden wants to go, I probably won’t be gone more than a couple of hours.”
“But what if you go into labor or have an accident? People are killed in automobiles all the time. I think you should at least wait until morning, and then Lucien can go with you and keep you safe.”
Ariel regarded her suspiciously. “What’s going on, Shana?”
“Nothing’s going on,” she said, glancing guiltily toward the car as she told the lie. She watched Ryan open the passenger door and climb inside. She frowned. He should be getting into the backseat where he could put his leg up. But if she handled this right, he wouldn’t be leaving, and where he was sitting wouldn’t make a difference.
She switched her attention back to her friend. ‘I’m just worried about you. Every time I read one of those newspapers that you get in the mail I see where someone has been hurt in an automobile. They are not safe, Ariel.”
“It’s true that people have accidents, but most of them are what we call fender benders. The car gets dented, but no one gets hurt. You have an irrational fear about cars, and you need to get over it. Why don’t you come with me?”
“You want me to get in your automobile?” Shana gasped, staring at her in horror.
“The best way to overcome a fear is to face it,” Ariel replied. “I’m sure that after a few rides, you’ll wonder why you were ever afraid. Besides, you can keep me company on the way back, and then you won’t have to worry about my being alone.”
Shana looked fearfully toward the car. Just the thought of getting into it turned her stomach into a knot, but at least she’d have a chance of safeguarding Ariel and Ryan. She might even be able to cast a protective spell that would let them leave Sanctuary without interference from Moira. And she was coming to the conclusion that it would be best for Ryan to leave. He was too stubborn, which made him the perfect foil for Moira’s manipulations.
Glancing back at Ariel, she said, “You know I can’t leave Sanctuary without Lucien’s permission.”
“That’s easy enough to resolve,” Ariel said. “I’ll just ask him for permission.”
Grabbing the silver chain around her neck, she pulled a long, slender crystal from beneath her blouse. Shana knew that it matched Lucien’s crystal and mentally linked them. Not only could they communicate with one another, but Ariel could summon him in an instant by simply touching hers.
As Ariel contacted Lucien, Shana again looked toward the car and shuddered. Although her race was long-lived, they were not immune to accidents. No matter what Ariel said, she was convinced that automobiles were death traps. Maybe she wouldn’t have to get into it. Maybe Lucien would tell Ariel to wait until morning when he could go along. That would give her a chance to break Moira’s hold over Ryan, and . . .
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