“Humans can. Remember, he was half human.” Alrick’s arm came around her, pulling her close.
With a sigh, she let herself lean into him, her sword still clutched in one hand.
“You can put that up now.”
Startled, she looked up to see both Alrick and Cenrick had already sheathed their swords. She did the same. “Is it really over?”
“Yes,” the Mage answered. “I can return you to your time, to your ranch. You may resume your life, exactly as it was before.” His gaze dropped to her abdomen. “With one little change.”
She understood, holding her tongue. If she exclaimed out loud about carrying the baby, it would make things worse for Alrick when he returned to Rune.
Carefully shielding her expression, she turned to him and lifted her face for a kiss. “I guess this is good-bye, then.”
He crushed her to him, capturing her mouth for a long, deep kiss. When he lifted his head, she was breathless, her knees weak.
“Good-bye?” he growled, his gaze full of love. “Didn’t you hear our son? I’ve got a job to do.”
“A job?” Cenrick sounded puzzled, though his teasing grin gave away his pretense at confusion.
Alrick laughed. “Take care of Carly. That alone will be a job and a half.”
“Hey!” She elbowed him. “What about Rune? You wanted to be named heir, to be the future King. I don’t expect you to give all that up.”
“Who said anything about giving that up?” His innocent look was ruined by the laughter in his eyes. “I believe my father has a task for Cenrick next. It may be he will make a better King than I. Only time will tell.”
Mort nodded. “Mayhap it will fall to Cenrick to learn how the Warlord accomplished his time travel.”
“You will teach me?” Cenrick narrowed his gaze. “Won’t you?”
They all looked at the Mage, who seemed lost in his thoughts.
“Mort?” Carly touched his sleeve. “You are coming back with us, aren’t you?”
Mort met her gaze but said nothing.
“Or do you plan to remain here, in your own time?”
“Where he belongs.” Cenrick put in, sounding desperate. “But you can’t go before you teach me the secret.”
The Mage chuckled. “Obviously not. I must go where I’m needed the most. With you.”
Carly still wasn’t certain. “Back to Rune?” She hadn’t meant to sound so hopeful, but Rune was such a beautiful place.
Mort laughed. “Not you, dear one. You have a ranch to run.”
“But—.”
“No buts.” Alrick kissed her again. “You heard the mage – Rune is not your destiny. But you are mine. We’ll live on your ranch and make frequent visits home. Our son will know both Rune and Texas.”
She felt a shiver of pleasure at the love in his voice when he spoke of their child.
“Machines and magic,” the Mage put in approvingly. “A marriage of two will be fitting training for a future leader. Are you ready to go?”
“Go?” Cenrick’s eyes were alight with curiosity. “So you weren’t teasing. You’ve truly learned the secret?”
“Yes.” Mort smiled. “We can return to our own time.”
Looking down at Carly, Alrick leaned close. “Ready?”
She nodded, reaching up and touching her lips to his. “Are you sure you want to do this? Come back with me to No Name Ranch? You’ll give up so much…”
“Give up?” He sounded incredulous. “You forget to mention all I’ll gain. Your love and our son are worth more than any kingship.”
Still she couldn’t accept, couldn’t believe. “But with me, you’ll lose your magic. All of that…”
“We’ll make our own magic,” he whispered, lips against his. “And don’t forget, we’ll make many trips to Rune.”
“That will be good,” Cenrick said, laughing at the annoyed looks they gave him for intruding on their private moment. “What?” He raised his hands, palm out. “I only meant it’s about time we reestablished human-fae relations.”
“Leave them be.” Mort pulled him away, just in time for Alrick to steal another kiss. “They make their own magic.”
“Damn right.” Carly lifted her head to give both men a content smile. She started to say more, but then Alrick kissed her again. Wrapped tightly in the muscular arms of the man she loved, she didn’t even notice when Mort sent them all back through time. Such was the power of Alrick’s kiss.
When she next came up for air, they stood in her front yard. She and Alrick, alone. Mort and Cenrick had vanished, no doubt back to Rune. Her house looked familiar – and normal. No spiders, no ants, nothing but the sound of the summer locusts, whirring in the trees.
The sun hovered on the horizon, coloring the sky in vibrant orange and pink. TM grazed near the barn, Merry at his side.
“Alrick…” Turning, Carly couldn’t find her breath. “It’s… home. Like it could have been.”
“Yes.” His expression both fierce and expectant, Alrick took it all in. The lushness of the green pastures and rebuilt, larger barn. The freshly painted fence, stretching as far as the eye could see. The yellow lamp light, beaming a bright welcome from the front window of her house. Their house. “Home. Like magic.”
Her laugh rang out like bells. “Texas magic. Lone Star, style.”
So it was. So it would always be, as long as they had each other.
The End.
Lone Star Magic Page 25
