Touch of Magic

by Carin Rafferty

  “Terza is a mortal?” Shana gasped in shock.

  His eyes widened and his expression became fearful again. “Of course, she is a mortal. Has someone accused her of being a . . . witch?”

  “No!” Shana quickly assured, realizing that Aric had lived in the fifteenth century. An accusation of being a witch usually resulted in torture and death. “No one has accused Terza of being a witch.”

  Just my entire race, she silently added. Obviously, the history behind Moira’s and Aric’s fatal attraction was completely fabricated. But why would the narrators tell such a blatant lie?

  “So, that’s how you met Moira,” she said, when he sat back with a relieved sigh. “You asked her to cure Terza.”

  He nodded, his expression pensive. “It was wrong, but I love Terza.”

  “I understand,” Shana murmured, putting her hand over his and giving it a squeeze. She was amazed by Aric’s meekness. Since her only encounters with him had been when he was trying to kill her, she’d thought he would be more forceful. More like Ryan. But Aric appeared to be a gentle, uncomplicated man. Ryan, on the other hand, was the most complex male Shana had ever met. At that moment, she realized that even though Ryan was Aric’s reincarnation, they were not the same person. Ryan was his own man, and on some basic level that reassured her that they truly belonged together. “When we love someone, we will do anything for them. That is not wrong, Aric.”

  “She will not leave me alone,” he said so quietly, so softly, that Shana knew he was talking to himself. “I told her I love Terza, but she will not leave me alone.”

  “Moira is bothering you?”

  “Yes.” He glanced away guiltily. “She comes to me in my dreams and we . . . do what a man should do only with his wife. I try to resist her, but I cannot.”

  He glanced back at her, his expression again alarmed. “You will not tell Terza?”

  “Of course not,” Shana said, realizing that he was describing dream lovemaking. “You have done nothing wrong, Aric. What is happening to you is Moira’s fault, and I would never hurt Terza by telling her.”

  “Moira is tempting me,” he suddenly announced. “She tells me that if I will mate with her, she will give me powers. I cannot mate with her. I love Terza. But . . .”

  “But?” Shana prodded when he fell silent.

  He shook his head wearily. “I am a healer. If I had powers, I could touch people and know what is wrong. I could save lives. I know it is wrong, but it is tempting.”

  “I understand,” Shana said, squeezing his hand again. “Aric, I want you to do me a favor now. I want you to close your eyes and let Ryan surface. He’s going to lead you into the future so we can learn more about Moira. There is no reason for you to be frightened. So when you get to the spot that Ryan thinks is important, I want you to open your eyes and we’ll talk some more.

  He closed his eyes. Shana knew that no more than a few seconds passed, but it seemed like an eternity before he opened them again. When he did, she stared at him, stunned. His eyes were glittering with rage, and his expression was furious. Now, this was more like Ryan!

  “Aric, what’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Moira has given me powers. I told her I did not want them, but she gave them to me anyway. Now Terza is afraid of me. She says I am evil. I am not evil!”

  “Of course, you aren’t evil,” Shana quickly soothed. “And I’m sure that when Terza has a chance to calm down, she will realize that you’re the same man you always were. So I want you to take a deep breath and tell me why Moira did this to you.”

  He inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. Then he said, “Moira is tempting me. She says that when I have a taste of the powers, I will accept the bargain she has made.”

  “What bargain is that?” Shana asked in confusion.

  “The one she made with the dark forces for my soul.”

  “She made a deal with the dark forces for your soul?” Shana asked, concluding that he had to be wrong. It was impossible to bargain another’s soul, because they had to be willing to fulfill the bargain. Obviously, Aric wasn’t willing.

  He nodded vehemently. “She says it is a good bargain. The dark forces gave me some of her powers. Now, I must surrender my soul to them for five centuries. Then they will release me. I told her I will not accept the bargain. I do not want her powers. I want her to take them back. She says she cannot do that.”

  “Did she say why she can’t do that?”

  He nodded again. “She says that the bargain is already made and cannot be undone.”

  “Are you sure that she said the bargain is already made?” Shana asked, positive that he must have misunderstood.

  “Yes,” he said. “She says that if I do not agree to fulfill it, the dark forces will take her soul and they will not release her until I surrender mine. She says that if they take her, she will spend eternity in unrest. I told her I do not care. I do not want her powers. They make Terza frightened of me. I want Moira to take the powers back!”

  “I know you do,” Shana comforted. “Aric, I want you to close your eyes again and let Ryan take you farther into the future. When you get there open your eyes and we’ll talk some more.”

  His eyes fluttered closed, and then they flew open a moment later. He sighed heavily and said, “I am tired. My journey was long, and I am glad to be home.”

  “Your journey? Where did you go, Aric?”

  “You must not tell anyone,” he whispered, leaning toward her. “Moira must not learn what I have done.”

  “I won’t tell anyone, Aric. I promise. Where did you go?”

  “Far away to see the warlock.”

  “The warlock?” Shana repeated in confusion.

  He nodded. “He is the protector of all the witches and warlocks. The most powerful warlock alive.”

  “I see,” Shana said, realizing that he must be talking about a warlock who had been a troubleshooter like Sebastian. “How did you find out about this warlock?”

  “Moira’s father. He came to me and said that he knew what Moira was doing and it was wrong. He told me to go to the warlock and he would help me defeat her.” His expression suddenly grew sad. “Moira found out that her father had spoken with me, and she killed him. I was on my journey, so I was not here to help him.”

  “Moira killed her father?” Shana asked incredulously. For Moira to commit the crime was serious enough, but for her to kill her own father was inconceivable.

  He nodded again. “I feel bad. He was a good man. He wanted to help me. Moira is evil. I must make her leave me alone. Now, I know how. The warlock told me what to do.”

  “And what is it that you’re supposed to do, Aric?”

  “I cannot tell. Moira must not find out. I cannot tell.”

  “You can tell me, Aric. I promise that your secret is safe with me.”

  He gave such an adamant shake of his head that Shana knew instinctively that he wouldn’t answer any more questions. “Okay, Aric, we need to move forward in the future again. You know what to do.”

  He closed his eyes, and when he opened them this time he was smiling triumphantly. “I have done it! Tonight I will defeat Moira.”

  “How will you defeat her?”

  “You will not tell?”

  “I won’t tell anyone. I swear.”

  “Tonight I marry Terza. Once I am married to her, then I will no longer be free to mate with Moira. She must take her powers back. I will be free of her forever.”

  “I see,” Shana said, realizing that the marriage solution made perfect sense. “So you were able to persuade Terza that you are not evil, and she has agreed to marry you?”

  He frowned worriedly. “I had to tell Terza everything. It is dangerous. If Moira finds out what we are doing . . .”

  He shuddered as his voice
trailed off. Then he shook his head. “Moira will not find out. Terza and I will marry. I love her,” he finished with a joyous smile.

  “I know you do,” Shana said, saddened as she recalled the tragic end to his story. She wished that she didn’t have to make him relive it, but she knew she didn’t have a choice. “We need to make another trip into the future, Aric.”

  He instantly closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was breathing stridently, and his eyes were wide and filled with horror. “It is Moira in my bed! But it cannot be Moira. I married Terza. This is not happening. It is a dream!”

  Before Shana could respond, he shook his head frantically. “No! I am not mated with you. I married Terza.”

  Suddenly his expression changed and a forceful wind emanated from his body. It was so strong Shana almost fell backward from its force.

  “Aric! You must calm down!” she yelled.

  If he heard her, he ignored her as he bellowed, “Where is Terza?” Suddenly the wind died, and he screamed, “Nooo! She cannot be dead. She cannot. I love Terza!”

  He fell silent and began to pant, as though he’d been running fast. Suddenly, tears appeared in his eyes and began to roll down his cheeks. “It is not true. Please, it is not true. Terza, where are you? I love you, Terza! Where are you?”

  Again, he fell silent. His head fell forward so that his chin was resting on his chest. Then he began to rock back and forth and sob. “It is true. She has killed you. It is my fault. It is my fault!”

  There was so much torment in voice that Shana’s heart broke. She touched his hand. “It is not your fault, Aric. Moira did this. It is not your fault.”

  His head suddenly jerked up, and he stared at Shana with so much hatred in his eyes that she shivered. “Do not touch me. You killed Terza, and now I will kill you!”

  “Aric, it’s time for you to close your eyes again,” Shana stated, trying to keep the alarm out of her voice. Apparently, he thought she was Moira, and she knew how dangerous that was. “Close your eyes and let Ryan surface.”

  He shook his head. “You cannot fool me again. You will never fool me again.”

  “Aric—”

  “You did what?” he bellowed as he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Shana’s upper arms in a grip so painful she was sure she’d be bruised.

  “Aric, please close your eyes,” Shana stated, her voice hoarse with terror. For him to grip her with both hands, he had to have released the stone. That should have brought Ryan immediately back to the present. So why hadn’t it? “It is time for you to let Ryan surface, Aric. You must let Ryan surface.”

  His lips curved into a sinister smile. “I do not care if killing the child will damn me. You should not have taken the potion. I do not want your child. It is the spawn of evil, just as you are the spawn of evil. I will kill you both!”

  That’s why he has reincarnated! Shana realized in horror. Moira must have taken a potion to ensure she’d get pregnant, and when he killed her, he killed their child. There is no greater sin a warlock can commit, and because he had powers, he was the same as a warlock.

  “Aric, it is time to let Ryan surface,” Shana repeated urgently. “We know your story now, and we will find a way to defeat Moira. You can leave now and rest. We will take care of Moira. I promise. Now, let Ryan surface. You cannot refuse him, because he is your future, and that is where we are. In the future. You are the past. You must let Ryan surface.”

  He let out a laugh that Shana could only describe as maniacal, and she gasped in terror when his hands suddenly flew up to encircle her neck. Her first impulse was to struggle, but then she realized that though his grip was tight, he wasn’t hurting her.

  Ryan won’t let him hurt me, she told herself, fighting against the panic threatening to overwhelm her. He’s my mate now, and he won’t let Aric hurt me. All I have to do is remain calm and let Aric finish reliving his story.

  “You dare curse me, witch?” he said, letting out another maniacal laugh. “Do you think I care? We can fight this battle throughout eternity, and I will win. I will always win, because I know you now. I will recognize you, and I will kill you again and again and again. You will spend eternity trapped within the cards!”

  With those words, he thrust her away from him with such force that Shana fell backward onto the ground. She lay there, gasping in shock as his words reverberated through her mind. You will spend eternity trapped within the cards.

  That was why, when she had first touched the cards on Samhain, she had thought she felt a heartbeat. It was also how Moira had materialized without a summons. She hadn’t been in the spirit world. She had been in the cards!

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

  At Moira’s voice Shana bolted upright, and she gasped at what she saw. Ryan was lying on the ground, and it appeared that he was unconscious. Moira was standing over his body. Suddenly, she dropped a card, and she let out a spine-chilling laugh as it fell to his chest. Then she disappeared.

  “Ryan?” Shana cried as she quickly crawled the short distance separating them.

  “Ryan?” she repeated desperately when he didn’t move. It was then that she realized he didn’t seem to be breathing. She glanced down at the card. It was The Empress. She impatiently brushed it off his chest, too concerned about his condition to worry about Moira’s damn Tarot card and what it meant.

  Pressing her hand over his heart, she released a relieved sigh. His heart was beating. She bent close to his mouth. When she felt his breath against her cheek, she sighed again. He was breathing shallowly, but he was breathing.

  “Ryan, please wake up,” she said, patting his cheeks. He didn’t even twitch a muscle. She sat back on her heels and worriedly dragged both hands through her hair.

  “The past was too much for you to handle wasn’t it?” she whispered miserably. “You don’t want to remember it, so you’ve decided to just go away and stay away. But you know you can’t do that. You have to finish fighting Moira. If you give up now, you’ll be surrendering, and she will win. You have to fight her, so please wake up. Please.”

  When he still remained motionless, she cursed. If she hadn’t made him cast the shielding spell over her, his mind would be connected with hers and she could mentally appeal to him. How was she going to reach him?

  Instinctively, she bent over him and murmured, “You’re my mate, Ryan, and you can’t ignore me. I love you and I need you. You have to fight this battle for me—for us.”

  Then she sealed her lips over his and kissed him, praying that her love would be enough to bring him back to her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Hermit Card

  Guidance

  WHEN RYAN FOUND himself surrounded by darkness, he gave a frantic shake of his head. He was in the world of the eyes, and he watched them soaring out of the darkness, closing in on him with such speed that he knew he couldn’t escape them. He also knew what they were doing. They were bringing the new pair of eyes to him.

  “I’m not going to look!” he yelled at them, covering his face with his hands. “I will not look!”

  But no matter how hard he fought against them, his hands pulled away on their own accord. As his arms dropped to his sides, he groaned. The new eyes were there, but they weren’t open. Pale, translucent lids covered them. This was the way they would always be, because to be able to see, you first had to live.

  Frantically, he glanced around at the other eyes. They were staring at him in condemnation. Suddenly, he understood why they were there. He had done the unforgivable. When he had killed Moira, he had unfairly condemned the child—his child—for the sins of its mother. He had stolen its life before it even had a chance to live. He would spend eternity trying to make up for that wicked act.

  That’s why I came back, he suddenly realized. To atone, I have to save the lives of children. />
  But as his gaze was drawn back to those closed eyes, he knew that no matter how many children he saved, it would never make up for what he had done. That’s why every failure haunted him. Why he would always be trapped in the silent world of the eyes. They were his punishment—his torture—and they would be there always and forever to remind him of the horrible, unforgivable crime he had committed.

  “Come to me, Ryan. I love you. Let me help you.”

  He spun toward the sound of Shana’s voice. She was standing in the distance, her white robe billowing around her and her arms outstretched to him. Hope surged through him. If he went to her, she would enfold him in her arms. She would let her love wash over him, and she would give him sanctuary from the eyes.

  He took a step toward her, but stopped and shook his head. He couldn’t go to Shana. No matter how much he wanted it, he could not accept what she had to offer, because his sin was too great. This was the world in which he belonged—the world in which he had to stay.

  “Ryan, please! I love you. You must come to me. You are my mate.”

  He frowned at her. Why was she saying that? He had told her he didn’t want her to call him that. He couldn’t be her mate. A mate protected the ones he loved from harm. He had already proved that he couldn’t do that. Look what had happened to Terza, and it was his fault. If only he hadn’t asked Moira to cure Terza. If only he had been able to resist Moira when she came to him in his dreams. If only he had truly rejected the powers Moira had given him, then she would have never been able to harm Terza.

  That was the secret. The terrible secret he carried inside. Though he had wanted Moira to take her powers back, there was a part of him that had wanted to keep them. And in the end, it was that desire to keep them that gave Moira the power to destroy Terza.

  And it is that same desire that will give me the power to destroy Shana.