She had to give him credit. He managed to hold himself in check for a good minute. But when she trailed her hand down his chest and headed unerringly south, he let out a groan, buried his hands in her hair, and thrust his tongue into her mouth.
Shana couldn’t decide what she found more thrilling. His ravishment of her mouth or the hard bulge of his erection against his trousers. As she stroked him, she concluded that both were equally stimulating, and she bemoaned the loss of her powers. She wanted to link with his mind and feel what her touch was doing to him.
Apparently, Ryan decided to grant her wish. She no more than completed the thought than her mind was filled with the very feelings she yearned to experience. The desire spiraling through him was dark and primal and seductive, and the throbbing heaviness in his groin made her catch her breath in awe. As her hand neared the sensitive head of his penis, she shivered at the quivering expectation that shot through him. Slowly, she let her fingers glide over the head, and the indescribable sensations that rocked him nearly made her knees buckle.
Frantically, she reached for his zipper, needing to touch more than denim. But Ryan suddenly jerked his head away from the kiss and caught her hand, stopping her. She stared at him in dazed shock. How could he stop her when he wanted—needed—her touch so badly?
“I don’t need your touch, and I sure as hell don’t want it,” he rasped furiously. “So leave me alone!”
Releasing her hand, he shoved his chair back and climbed to his feet. As he turned and strode away from her, Shana stared at his back in bafflement. “Why are you so angry with me?”
“Because I’m sick and tired of your attempts to seduce me,” he snapped, stopping halfway across the kitchen and turning to glower at her. “Ever since I’ve arrived you’ve been coming on to me. First, I wake up from an unconscious stupor and find you in bed with me. Then you pounced on me when I was trying to call the auto club, and—”
“I did not pounce on you when you were making your call,” she objected. “I didn’t even touch you.”
“The hell you didn’t! No, I take that back. You didn’t touch me. You somehow enticed me into touching you. Then you tricked me into taking some blasted necklace and claimed it makes us married. Now you’re trying to lure me into making love to you so you can add validity to that claim. Well, you can forget it, lady, because I don’t want a wife, and I will not be forced into a marriage—common law or otherwise.”
“Excuse me, but I did not start what just happened in here, and I will not take responsibility for it,” she shot back as she perched her hands on her hips and glared at him. “You decided to engage in a power play, and all I did was turn the tables on you. That’s why you’re so angry, isn’t it? You were bested by a powerless witch, and your pseudo warlock ego can’t handle it. Well, you can take that ego and—”
Her tirade was interrupted by a hollow echoing sound. With a gasp, she spun away from him and stared toward the kitchen doorway in dread. Someone was knocking on the front door. It was probably Lucien and Ariel, and she couldn’t let Lucien see Ryan like this!
“It’s not Lucien and Ariel. It’s someone named Sebastian,” Ryan informed her tautly.
“Sebastian?” She spun back around to face him, unable to decide what horrified her the most. That Sebastian was at the door, or that Ryan had regained enough power to make the determination. If Sebastian realized that someone was brushing against his mind . . .
“Who is Sebastian?” Ryan asked, interrupting her panicked thoughts.
“He’s Lucien’s cousin,” she answered, wringing her hands together. “He’s also the troubleshooter for the council of high priests, which makes him the most powerful warlock alive. We can’t let him see you. He’ll realize you’ve been transformed. But if I don’t answer the door, he’s going to get suspicious. What are we going to do?”
“Considering the options, I’d say the best one is to answer the door.”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said? We can’t let him meet you!”
“So, I won’t meet him. Tell him I’m asleep or something.”
“It isn’t that simple, Ryan. Even at this time of day, Sebastian’s mental abilities are acute. If I show the least amount of nervousness, he’ll connect with my mind and learn everything.
“Damn! Why don’t I have my powers?” she railed. “If I did, I could cast a spell that would shield my thoughts and portray whatever image I wanted him to have of you.”
“If that’s all you have to do, then tell me the spell and I’ll cast it over you.”
“No! Casting spells is not something to be taken lightly. If you don’t know exactly what you’re doing, you can really cause trouble.”
“Well, I think you’ve already got trouble,” he stated, glancing toward the doorway at the sound of another knock. “And this Sebastian guy is getting damned impatient.”
“Stop brushing against his mind! You’ll give yourself away!”
“What does it matter?” he countered impatiently. “If I don’t cast a spell over you, he’s going to find out about me anyway, and what do you think Moira is going to do when that happens? I wasn’t kidding when I said she will destroy anyone who tries to interfere between her and me, so you have to be sensible, Shana. The only safe way to deal with the situation is to tell me the spell.”
Shana gnawed worriedly on her bottom lip. He was right, but did she dare give him spell-casting knowledge?
“I already have some spell-casting knowledge,” he said.
“What do you mean you have spell-casting knowledge?” she gasped.
“We don’t have time to discuss it right now,” he replied when there was still another knock. “Time is running out, Shana, and you have to make a decision. Are you going to tell me the spell? Or are you going to jeopardize this guy’s life?”
Shana felt torn, but she knew she only had one option. “I’ll tell you the spell,” she said, albeit reluctantly. “Just repeat what I say, and then circle your left hand clockwise and point your index finger at me.”
Ryan nodded, and she quickly murmured the words to the incantation. He repeated them and circled his hand as instructed. Spell-lightning circled around her.
The moment it disappeared, she said, “You stay right here. We’ll continue our discussion when I return, and don’t, under any circumstances, brush against Sebastian’s mind!”
With that, she turned and ran toward the front door, vowing that the moment she got rid of Sebastian, she was going to find out just what spell-casting knowledge Ryan had.
“Sebastian! What are you doing here?” Shana asked breathlessly when she opened the door a crack. She shivered as she peered out at him. She had always found him physically intimidating. He had shoulder-length, dark brown hair, a hooked nose, and fanatically glittering dark eyes that made you feel as if he could see right into the depths of your soul. He also had a dark aura of danger surrounding him, and she knew it wasn’t her imagination. Even the warlocks gave Sebastian a wide berth.
He hefted a duffel bag toward her. “Lucien had to attend the Beltane festivities, and he asked me to deliver the mortal’s belongings and check on you. What took you so long to answer the door? Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m feeling fine. Why?”
“You just look a little . . . flushed and disheveled,” he said, settling his soul-seeing eyes on her.
“I was, um, resting,” she said, blushing at the reference to her heightened color. If he’d arrived just a few minutes earlier, he’d have caught her more than “flushed.” She also suddenly realized that so much had happened since she’d awakened that she hadn’t even had time to comb her hair. She quickly ran her fingers through it and then opened the door wide enough to hold out her hand for Ryan’s duffel bag.
Giving it to her, he asked, “How’s the mortal doing?”
“He’s better. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was completely well in a day or two. He seems to have an almost warlock-like ability to heal,” she added ruefully.
“Is he close by? I’d like to meet him.”
“I’m sorry, but he’s resting right now.” The moment she made the statement, she wanted to groan. Since she’d said she was resting, she could only imagine what conclusion he would reach.
She was right. His gaze swept over her appraisingly as he said, “Lucien says you think he’s supposed to be your mate.
“I don’t think it. I know it,” she stated, dismayed to realize that by tomorrow anyone who saw her or Ryan would also know it. There was a look to new mates that was unmistakable, and Lucien was not going to be pleased when he realized what had happened. He’d demand to know why she had rushed into mating, and she was sure he’d insist on talking to Ryan about his role as a mate. She didn’t even want to imagine Ryan’s reaction to that. How much more complicated could this mess become?
“I’m sorry, Sebastian. My mind was wandering,” she said when she realized he’d spoken. “What did you say?”
He regarded her for a long moment. “I asked if I could come in.”
“Come in?” She was stunned by his request. Because of their ability to read each other’s thoughts, a coven member’s home was their private, inviolable space. For another member to enter other than a relative’s home was considered an intrusion, and they would only ask to do so under extraordinary circumstances.
“I know it’s an unusual request, Shana, but I’m concerned about how you’re dealing with the loss of your powers,” he said.
Shana arched a brow. Instinct told her that he sensed something was going on, and he was using her loss of powers as a reason to come in and investigate. He was, after all, the troubleshooter for the high council, and it was his job to check out anything that was out of the ordinary. Ryan and his accident were definitely out of the ordinary. Damn!
“You don’t have to worry about me, Sebastian. I don’t like being without my powers, but I’m fine.”
His lips settled into a grim line. “You don’t need to put on an act for me, Shana. It’s obvious that you’re upset, and it isn’t healthy to hold all that worry inside. I know how averse you are to asking anyone for help, but you need to talk about what’s happened to you. I also want you to know that I’ll make sure that you’re protected from harm, so if that’s been one of your fears, you can put yourself at ease.”
“That’s very considerate of you,” she said, more convinced than ever that he was suspicious. Warlocks were never this sensitive with anyone but their mate, and they’d never be comfortable discussing a witch’s mental state with her. They’d send another witch to deal with such an onerous task. “But Lucien said that my powers will come back in a few days, so you don’t need to worry about me.”
“And what if they don’t come back?”
She frowned at him. ‘“Of course, they’ll come back. Lucien said—”
“I’ve had more experience than Lucien with these types of incidents,” he broke in. “It’s true that your powers will probably return in a few days. But there is an occasional case where they don’t come back. In every instance, it involved a blow to the left temple. According to Lucien, that’s where your injury occurred.”
A shiver of alarm crawled up Shana’s spine, and she automatically raised her hand to her temple. What would she do if her powers never returned?
Of course, they’ll return, she immediately assured herself. He’s just trying to frighten me so I’ll ask him in. And even if he is sincere, I know that my loss of power wasn’t caused by the accident. It was caused by . . .
She quickly stopped herself from completing the thought. Ryan may have cast a shielding spell over her, but it was foolish to take any chances around Sebastian. He was powerful enough to sense a shielding spell and bypass it.
“I’m sure that I won’t be one of those rare cases,” she told him. “And I refuse to believe otherwise. I’ll be fine, so you don’t have to worry about me.”
He looked as if he wanted to object, but then he said, “It’s always good to be optimistic. Just remember that I’m around if you need anything, and I’ll be keeping an eye on you until we find out for sure what’s going on with your powers.”
“Thanks,” she said, forcing a weak smile. “Now, I’d better go check on Ryan and give him his belongings.”
Sebastian nodded and headed down the steps. Shana waited until he was walking down the road before she closed the door. When she did, she sagged against it and let out a dismal groan. Sebastian was going to keep an eye on her? He was definitely suspicious. Matters were going from bad to worse!
But her biggest worry right now was Ryan. Where had he obtained spell-casting knowledge? Unfortunately, she suspected she knew the answer, and it scared the daylights out of her. He’d been reading the journals in the repository. They were filled with old spells, and every one of them involved the use of dark forces. If he invoked any of them, he could be unleashing disaster, because no one within the coven was trained to counteract them.
She burst into the kitchen, determined to confront him. Instead she slid to a stop and stared around the room in confusion. Ryan was gone, and the back door was standing wide open. She rushed to it, but he was nowhere to be seen. She started to yell out for him, but she stopped herself. Sebastian would hear her calling and come running.
Why had he left? she wondered in bewilderment. Whatever the reason, if he couldn’t take the time to close the door, it had to be serious.
The future is mine, and now yours will be mine!
Moira’s voice didn’t come from her mind, but somewhere behind her. Startled, Shana turned quickly. Moira’s dark, incorporeal form hovered beside the spot where Ryan had been standing. Moira pointed downward and then disappeared.
Slowly, fearfully, Shana approached the spot. On the floor lay another Tarot card. The Lovers in the upright position, and the naked couple portrayed on it were she and Ryan. Shana shook her head as she stared down at it. She’d never seen a Lovers card like it. Normally the lovers on the card stood apart, or, occasionally, they held hands. She and Ryan were lying in a meadow and were in an embrace so passionate that it made her blush. Above their entwined bodies were crossed swords. One of the swords was a shining ebony and the other was a glittering gold. The symbolism wasn’t lost on Shana. The swords represented the dark forces and the light forces in conflict.
As she bent to retrieve the card, she realized that Moira must have delivered it to Ryan. That was why he had fled. He was fighting against the inevitable mating between them. He probably thought the card was predicting that they would become lovers, and he’d ran away to make sure it wouldn’t happen. But Shana knew that the card wasn’t predicting lovemaking. Moira was informing them that they were going to face a struggle between sacred and profane love.
After tucking the card into her pocket, Shana bowed her head and released a forlorn sigh. Tonight should have been a glorious celebration between mates. Instinct, however, told her that it would be the beginning of Moira’s battle for Ryan’s soul.
Chapter Twelve
Temperance Card (Reversed)
Out of Balance
WITH A LOW AND vicious curse, Ryan came to a stop at the edge of a small meadow. For the past two or three hours, he’d been moving through the forest, determined to get lost. But no matter how far he went, or how many times he aimlessly switched direction, he knew instinctively how to get back to Shana’s house.
Was this also a part of being a warlock? he wondered in chagrin. Did they have some built-in compass that prevented them from getting lost? Unfortunately, he knew the answer was more basic. He was incapable of getting lost because of the inescapable mental bond he had with Shana. He could probably parachute blindfolded into the Amazon jungle, and he�
�d still know how to get back to her.
With another curse, he walked to an outcropping of rock and sat down on it. Closing his eyes, he tried to shut his mind off from hers. It didn’t work any better now than it had during a dozen previous efforts. Ever since Shana had returned to the kitchen and found him gone, her worried thoughts had been running around inside his head like a rat trapped in a maze. At least she had finally stopped begging him to tell her he was alright.
He opened his eyes and shrugged guiltily. He shouldn’t let her worry like this, but he couldn’t bring himself to make contact with her. After seeing that damn Tarot card, he was, quite simply, too afraid.
As the memory of that card insisted on surfacing, he closed his eyes again and shuddered.
HE WATCHED SHANA race out of the kitchen to answer the front door. When she disappeared, he noticed that the light in the room was beginning to dim. Absently, he glanced toward the windows, thinking that a cloud was passing over the sun. As he gazed outside, he frowned in confusion. The sun was shining brightly, so why had it gotten so dark in here?
Now you’ve found Sanctuary, and the battle has begun!
Moira’s voice came from the darkness—was the darkness—and he felt both terrified and strangely electrified by her presence. A hatred like one he’d never known surfaced from a place deep inside. It was instinctive. It was primal. It was so violent in intensity it frightened him.
Suddenly, a Tarot card appeared in front of his face. It was a picture of him and Shana lying naked in a night-shrouded meadow, and the embrace they shared was as intimate as a man and woman could get. Suspended above their bodies was a pair of crossed swords. One sword was black, and the other was gold. He had no idea what the swords meant, but he knew intuitively that their presence was something to fear.
“Just look away from the damn card,” he ordered himself, as an icy shiver tracked its way up his spine.
Touch of Magic Page 19
