Touch of Magic

by Carin Rafferty

  “That’s insane, Shana.”

  “No, Ryan. It’s realistic,” she said with a weary sigh, again pressing her hand to her forehead. “We’re a race fighting for survival, just as so many endangered animals around the world are fighting for survival. The difference between us and them is that man does not consider an animal a threat, because he is their ultimate predator. We, however, are superior to you in many ways, which means that we would be perceived as your predator. It would be a wrong perception, but when people realize how powerful we are, they aren’t going to believe that. Historically, mankind kills what he fears, and, historically, he’s feared us. And then there will be those who covet our power and will try to make us their slaves. Either way, it is simply too dangerous for anyone to know about us.”

  Ryan wanted to argue with her, but he knew what she’d just said was philosophically true. To accept that philosophy, however, he would also have to accept that she was a witch. He wasn’t ready to do that, but after everything he’d seen tonight, he couldn’t deny that something was going on here that defied all logic.

  What if they really were witches and warlocks? Could his society accept them? Unfortunately, the answer came too easily. Mankind couldn’t even deal with a difference in skin color. He didn’t want to consider how they’d react to a more powerful race. Assuming, of course, that one really did exist.

  “So what are our options here?” he asked, realizing that they’d reached a seeming impasse. He couldn’t force her to go to the hospital, but he wasn’t ready to give up on her either.

  “I think Shana has made that perfectly clear,” Lucien answered. “We take care of our own.”

  “And how many of your own die from injuries that might not be life-threatening if they received proper medical care?” Ryan challenged.

  “That, Mr. Alden, is none of your concern,” Lucien replied with a dismissive shrug.

  “Well, Mr. Morgret, you’re wrong. I am a doctor, and I took an oath to preserve life. So, as of this moment, consider me your resident physician, and Shana is going to be my first patient.”

  “You’re going to stay?” Shana gasped.

  “On one condition,” Ryan answered, deciding that insanity had to be contagious. When he’d ridden his motorcycle out of California, he’d vowed that he’d never practice medicine again. But that was before he’d met Shana Morland, and as crazy as she was, there was no way he could stand by and let her die. “You will do exactly what I say. And I mean exactly, Shana. Are you willing to do that?”

  Shana caught her bottom lip between her teeth uncertainly. She wanted Ryan to stay, but she also recognized the dangers. Without her powers, there was no way she could protect him. Then, again, Moira had made it clear that she wasn’t going to let him leave.

  “I’m willing,” she agreed, promising herself that she would find a way to protect him from Moira, even if it meant sacrificing her soul.

  “Morgret?” Ryan then said, looking at Lucien.

  Lucien stared at him for a long moment before finally saying “Welcome to Sanctuary, Dr. Alden. Since you’re going to be our resident physician, we’d better get rid of that ridiculous mop and get you a proper crutch.”

  Before Ryan could respond, Lucien grabbed the crystal around his neck. Both it and his eyes began to glow. As he muttered some unintelligible words, Ryan regarded him warily.

  Suddenly, Lucien raised his free hand toward Ryan, and lightning shot from his fingertips to the mop beneath Ryan’s arm. Ryan let out a frightened yelp, sure that he was about to be electrocuted. Outside of a small surge of warmth coursing up his arm, however, he didn’t feel a thing.

  As the lightning disappeared, his jaw dropped in shock. The mop was gone, and in its place was a crutch. It had happened so quickly that he hadn’t even seen the transfer take place.

  “Now do you believe in witches and warlocks, Mr. Alden?” Ariel asked, again sounding amused.

  Looking first at her, and then at Shana and Lucien, he shook his head, still wanting to deny their assertion. He had a sinking feeling, however, that they were telling him the truth. What had he gotten himself into?

  Returning, his gaze to Shana’s exquisitely beautiful face, he suspected the answer was a hell of a lot of trouble.

  “RYAN, I AM NOT some fragile flower that needs to be hovered over,” Shana grumbled as he settled her into the backseat of the car and made her lean against it. “All I have is a headache.”

  “Well, humor me anyway,” he said. “And I don’t want you to move a muscle while I help Lucien and Ariel check out the car to make sure it’s safe enough to get us all home.”

  “Get us all home?” she repeated in horror, as she bolted upright. “I am not riding anywhere in this automobile.”

  “Of course you’re riding in it. You are not in any condition to walk home.”

  “I won’t have to walk. I’ll summon Portent . . . Oh, damn! I can’t summon Portent, because I don’t have any powers.”

  “Who the hell is Portent?” Ryan asked, frowning at her in confusion.

  “My familiar—my horse.”

  “Your familiar is that white monstrosity who ran me off the road?”

  “Yes. Why do you sound so surprised?”

  “I thought . . . familiars were supposed to be cats.”

  “Any animal can be a familiar, Ryan.”

  “Yeah, well, you can enlighten me on the subject another time. I need to go help Lucien and Ariel, so we can get you home and into bed. You sit back and be still until we’re ready to leave.”

  “Ryan, I am not going to ride in this automobile,” she repeated firmly. “They are not safe, and I just learned that firsthand.”

  “Shana, the chances of us having another accident are a million to one.”

  “Someone has to be that one, and what if we’re it?”

  “We aren’t going to have another accident, and even if we do, you’re going to be wearing a seat belt this time. So sit back and be still until we’re ready to leave,” he repeated impatiently as he shut the door.

  Shana sank back against the seat in frustration. She wanted to continue arguing with him, but as much as she hated to admit it, she had to allow that worrying about another accident was silly. Lucien would be in the car, and he’d cast a protective spell over it. Nothing would happen during the short drive to her house.

  Unless Moira decides to interfere.

  She again bolted upright in terrified dismay. That had to be why Moira had delivered the Death card just before the accident! It meant transformation and change. Without her powers, she had definitely been transformed, and the change would be the addition of Lucien to the automobile. Even if Moira couldn’t contact him, he would be aware that there was magic going on. Since he knew she was powerless, all hell would break loose.

  “I have to find the card and get out of here!” she said as she bent down to search the floor.

  She cursed when she couldn’t find the card. Had Ryan been right earlier? Had Moira, for some inexplicable reason, taken it back? It didn’t make sense that she would, but Shana knew that she didn’t have time to worry about it now. If the card was here, it was so well hidden that Lucien wouldn’t spot it, and that was all that mattered.

  Sitting up, she looked out the windshield. The hood was up, and she couldn’t see Lucien and Ryan. Ariel was standing on the passenger side of the car and looking in at the engine. Shana knew that even if there was something wrong with the car, Lucien would simply cast a spell to make it run long enough to get everyone home. Thankfully, it took longer to cast an enchantment over mechanical devices, particularly ones that weren’t working properly. She should have enough time to sneak away.

  She grabbed the door handle and pulled it up. When she eased the door open, it let out squeak that sounded like a wailing shriek to her. She immediately g
lanced out the windshield, praying that the noise wasn’t as loud as she thought. Evidently, it wasn’t, because Ariel was still looking in at the engine, and Lucien and Ryan remained out of sight.

  With a relieved sigh, she swung her legs out. As she started to stand, she let out a startled cry when Ryan suddenly demanded, “Just what do you think you’re doing?”

  “Ryan! What are you doing back here?” she gasped when she realized that he was standing by the back fender.

  “I came to check on my patient, whom I gave specific instructions to sit still, and guess what I saw?” he muttered grimly. “She wasn’t sitting still, but rummaging around on the floor. I decided I’d wait and see what she was up to.”

  “In other words, you were spying on me!” she accused indignantly.

  “Yep,” he admitted without any sign of remorse. “And it’s a good thing that I was, because not only is my patient ignoring my orders to sit still, she’s actually getting out of the car. Get back inside, Shana.”

  Glancing toward the front of the vehicle, she noted that Ariel was looking their way, but Lucien was still out of sight. That did not guarantee, however, that he couldn’t hear them.

  Lowering her voice to a whisper, she said, “I can’t ride in the automobile with Lucien. Moira might try something.”

  “We’ll worry about that if it happens,” he said. “Get back in the car, and do it right now.”

  “I can’t, and I just told you why.”

  “Shana, I am going to count to three. If you aren’t back in the car by then, I am going to ask Lucien to cast a spell that will put you in it and keep you there.”

  “You wouldn’t dare,” she said, aghast that he would even suggest such a thing when she’d just explained her reasoning.

  He arched a brow and counted, “One . . .”

  “Ryan, you have to listen to me!” she cried in frustration.

  “Two . . .”

  “Oh, all right, you win,” she muttered, realizing that he was serious. She was going to have to go along with him for now and hope that there would be another opportunity to escape. As she swung her legs back into the car, she added irritably, “I just want you to know that if anything happens, it’s going to be your fault.”

  “I will be happy to accept responsibility, as long as you are doing what I tell you,” he said, again closing the door. “Now, stay in the car and sit still.”

  “He is utterly impossible!” she grumbled as she watched him go back to the front of the car. “And if he thinks he’s going to order me around, he’s in for a big surprise. I may not have my powers, but that does not mean I’m powerless.”

  The future is mine, and now yours will he mine!

  Moira taunted as a new card suddenly appeared in Shana’s lap.

  She stared down at it and gave a disbelieving shake of her head. It was The Magician, and his face was Ryan’s. Except for The Emperor, The Magician was the most domineering male figure in Tarot. He achieved what he wanted through will, mastery, and power, or, as Ariel had once so appropriately described him, he was a control freak.

  As she saw Ariel approaching, she grabbed the card and swiftly tucked it into her back pocket, cursing the fact that she would not have another opportunity to escape. Damn Ryan, anyway!

  “So, how does it feel to have the handsome Dr. Alden caring for you?” Ariel asked as she climbed into the car beside her.

  Instead of answering, Shana watched the hood close, revealing Ryan and Lucien. They were engaged in conversation, and suddenly Lucien leaned back his head and laughed. Shana gave an amazed shake of her head. Not more than fifteen minutes ago, they were ready to beat each other up, and now they appeared to be the best of friends. It was too mind-boggling to even contemplate, and damnably worrisome. If they got too friendly, Ryan might blurt out something about Moira. Damn! Why didn’t she have her powers so she could cast a spell that would keep him silent on the issue? Since she couldn’t do that, she’d just have to hope for the best. But once they got home, she was going to find a way to impress upon him the seriousness of her situation.

  “I’ll tell you how it feels to have him caring for me. I think I finally understand that mortal saying you’re always spouting at me,” she told Ariel.

  “And which saying is that?”

  Shana frowned as she murmured, “Be careful of what you wish for, because you just might get it.”

  Shana stared out the window as Lucien drove the car down the road. She was too nervous to participate in the conversation the others were having. Since she had just received a new Tarot card, she didn’t think Moira would bother them, but she wouldn’t be able to relax until she was home. At least that was one good thing about the automobile, she decided. It could make the trip in about five minutes.

  “Lucien, you just missed the turn to my house!” she declared a few minutes later.

  “You’re staying with us,” Ariel announced.

  Shana jerked her head toward her friend, appalled by the suggestion. Where she went, Moira went, and she was not going to take her into Lucien’s home. “No, I am not staying with you.”

  “Yes, you are,” Lucien said. “We discussed it while we were checking out the car, and we all felt that since both you and Ryan are injured, it would be best if you stayed with us.”

  “Well, you should have included me in this discussion, because I am not staying with you,” she said, angered that they had so blithely excluded her from their talk. “So turn the automobile around and take me home.”

  “You said you’d do what I told you to do,” Ryan reminded, as he frowned at her over the seat.

  “And I will, but I’m going to do it at my home,” she insisted, glaring at him. How could he have possibly forgotten Moira? For pity’s sake, they had just been discussing her when he insisted she stay in the car instead of making her escape.

  “Shana, I understand why you’re upset, and I’m sorry,” Ariel said contritely. “We should have included you in the discussion. But you have to agree that with both you and Ryan injured, it will be easier if you stay with us. For instance, who’s going to cook for you?”

  “I lost my powers, Ariel. I did not lose my ability to function, and I am not going to impose on you,” Shana stated firmly. “I am going home. If Lucien isn’t going to take me there, then when I get to your house, I will walk back.”

  “The hell you will,” Ryan said, glowering at her. “You are going to go to Lucien’s and Ariel’s house, and you are going to climb into bed and stay there until I say you can get up.”

  “You have the last part right, Ryan,” she responded, deciding that since she couldn’t connect with his mind, she needed to give him some kind of verbal code to remind him of Moira. “It’s the first part that needs some work. I suggest you listen to me closely, because I am not staying with Lucien and Ariel. They have enough problems without me dragging my special problem into their house.”

  “Damnit, Shana! Now is not the time for you to indulge in a fit of rebellious independence,” Lucien snapped. “You know very well that your problems are my problems. Now, you are going to our house, and that is final.”

  “It is not final,” she declared furiously. “And don’t you dare talk to me in that tone. As I keep reminding you, I am not a child, and I am getting sick and tired of your treating me like one.”

  “Then stop behaving like one!”

  “Lucien, that isn’t fair. Shana has a perfect right to be angry,” Ariel quickly interceded. “We did make a decision about her without including her in the conversation. If I were in her place, I’d be upset with us, too.”

  “Fine. She can be as upset as she wants, but she is still going to stay with us,” he stated in a manner that indicated the subject was closed.

  Shana was so infuriated she wanted to hit him. She knew, however, that would only
make matters worse. Instead, she forced herself to speak calmly, as she pointed out, “You said there was nothing seriously wrong with me, Lucien. Were you lying to me?”

  He scowled at her in the rearview mirror. “Of course, I wasn’t lying to you, but you’ve lost your powers. The only way I can protect you is to keep you close by.”

  “Protect me from what? Is there some danger in Sanctuary that I don’t know about?” she asked, shooting a warning look at Ryan in case he should choose this inauspicious time to suddenly remember Moira. When his eyes widened, she realized that her precaution had been warranted. It appeared that he was finally getting the point. Too bad he hadn’t done so before Lucien had returned to his surrogate father role.

  “You know perfectly well that there is no danger here, but—”

  “If there isn’t any danger, then I am not in need of protection,” she broke in. “Besides, Ryan will be with me, and I’m sure that if he thinks there is a problem, he’ll contact you right away. So I would appreciate it if you would take me home.”

  Lucien released an exasperated sigh and looked at Ryan. “I’ll leave the decision up to you.”

  As she waited for Ryan’s answer, Shana caught her breath. If he wouldn’t go along with her, she didn’t know what she’d do.

  He regarded her for a long, nerve-wracking moment before finally saying, “If Shana swears she will obey my every command, we can stay at her house.”

  If Moira hadn’t just delivered The Magician—the control freak—Shana would have eagerly agreed to his terms. Now, every feminine cell she possessed rebelled at the implication inherent in his words.

  He can’t be that bad, she told herself. After all, he’s just a mortal.

  That didn’t quell the foreboding suspicion that he was going to be big trouble. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any other option.

  She released her breath and muttered in resignation, “I’ll do everything you say.”

  Silently, she added, As long as it doesn’t interfere in my efforts to save us all from Moira.