She knew she shouldn’t be studying the woman so intently but for whatever reason she couldn’t console herself to the fact that there were two normal Asher women.
As if she sensed Anya’s thoughts she sighed. “I’m feeling quite parched, do you think it would be possible for us to get some refreshments, cousin Damien? If not I could conjure up my own but I’ve been told it’s rude to do so when you’re a guest at someone’s home.”
“Of course, I’ll ring for it,” he said, using his magic to press the button that would bring a servant running. A footman stepped into the room.
“Yes, master?” he said, his eyes sweeping over their gathering. His eyes lingered a bit too long on Regan, and she looked away, a frown creeping across her otherwise serene features.
Anya watched as Regan clutched her hands into fists, and dropped her gaze to her clutched hands. A myriad of emotions crossed her face, it was as if she fought an inner war, could she be holding her magic back so she wouldn’t retaliate against the flirtatious footman?
“Can you tell Mrs. Beetle that we’d like tea and some light refreshments?” Damien said.
“Aye, sir.” The footman’s eyes again gravitated toward Regan. This time around she didn’t shy away from his gaze. This time, she looked him straight in the eye.
“You should leave now, Derek,” Regan said, boldly using his name—information she’d most likely magically plucked from his mind as she’d never before been to Silver Gables.
He looked startled, bowed to them all and retreated from the room. At least he was smart enough to know when he was licked for Regan Asher didn’t seem like someone you bothered if she didn’t want to be bothered.
“In answer to your earlier question, Anya, even if life on Vanguard III is unforgiving, I’m up for the challenge. I’ve lived a half-life since my David was cruelly taken me and I haven’t been myself since the day my husband died. I’ve spent two years grieving him—two years feeling sorry for myself and it is high time I did something that he’d be proud of me for doing.
“If going to Vanguard III and helping those men and women who are living in fear does that then I can live a happy life. My father won’t like it, but then I’ve been a disappointment to him ever since I went against his wishes and married David. When I tacked the last name of Corday onto Asher, it was the last straw. He really didn’t like it.”
“I liked David,” Damien mused. “He came to my office once asking me to reach out to you. I couldn’t do it then, and I am sorry…”
“Why should you be sorry, Damien? There’s no reason to be. I was a wretched woman back then. I gloried in my gifts. I used them with no thought of the consequences and now I’ve learned my lessons. Sometimes, the things that I’ve done keep me awake at night. Anyway, I reckon I’ll make a new life for myself on Vanguard III. I’ve asked Auntie to go with me, and she told me…”
“That an old witch can’t learn new tricks,” Blanche said softly. “It’s true, I wouldn’t know what to do on Vanguard III. I’m not into the roughing-it life.” She smiled at Anya. “Why don’t you come and sit with us, dear, instead of hovering on the outside. You’re a part of the family now.”
Anya’s stomach twisted. They were right. She was part of the family even though she didn’t want to really be a part of the Asher clan.
She sat down on a chair next to Damien’s. He looked at her encouragingly. She’d done this, she’d told him not to shun Regan and Blanche. The problem was, she never thought he’d actually take her words to heart—not to mention acting on them so swiftly.
A young maid pushed a tea cart into the room. Obviously, Derek didn’t want to return lest Regan turn him into something like a mouse.
She curtsied to each of them and left.
“Shall I pour?” Blanche asked.
As the lady of the house, Anya knew it was her right. Alas, she didn’t feel into it this morning, her mind was still reeling from the latest developments.
“Go for it,” Anya said.
Blanche smiled sweetly, raised her hand and used her magic to start pouring out the tea. “Looks as if she made us some dear little sandwiches. Who would like one?”
Anya looked away. The sooner this serene little scene of social domesticity was over—the better.
“I’ll take one,” Anya said, using her magic to move the plate heaped with two sandwiches over to her. She placed the napkin in her lap, and accepted the cup of tea keeping it hovering in front of her.
“Oh, my why you are talented.” Blanche smiled at her, and she wondered if it had been a ploy by Blanche to see just how far her magic had matured. “Yours and Damien’s children will be the envy of everyone. Their magic will be quite profound, I only hope I live long enough to see them, and watch them hone their craft.”
Anya felt uneasy. Did she really want Blanche to see her children as they used their gifts? Did she want her influencing them?
She supposed it didn’t matter. Damien had turned out okay and he’d seemingly had the influence of Blanche.
“You’ll have to make the trip to Earth in order to do that, Auntie.”
“Why?” Regan asked, her head snapping around to fix her fierce gaze on Damien.
“We are going to make our new life on Earth. Anya doesn’t want to stay here.”
“And rightly so,” Blanche said, nodding her head effusively. “She shouldn’t make her life here where so much reminds her of such sorrow. No, Earth will be your clean slate, darlings, and if I must make the trip through space to see you there, than I shall. I will even make the journey to see you in your new life, Regan. The two of you are well worth the trips.”
So maybe she’d been wrong about Blanche. She seemed genuine if a little odd.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I selfishly wanted to have you to myself for a few more months while I get my affairs in order,” Regan murmured.
“You’ll have two months top before you have to go to Vanguard III. They really are in need of a sheriff, Regan. You might have to get your hands dirty.”
“I doubt that,” Regan said, staring off into space. “You forget, cousin, my talent keeps my hands quite clean.”
He smiled. “So it does.”
“So.” Blanche looked nervous. Obviously she didn’t want Regan elaborating on her mysterious talents. More than likely they mirrored the Asher Brothers’ powers, and if that was the case, Blanche was right, she didn’t want them stirring up that hornet’s nest.
“Yes?” Anya asked.
“Can this old lady ask where the two of you intend on settling when you go to Earth?”
Damien smiled broadly. “We’re going to settle near Anya’s family. The Redgraves are a prominent family in a sleepy seaside town, and they are well known through the space shipping circles.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it sleepy, Damien,” she laughed, “but you’re right, they are quite prominent there. Everyone knows who they are, and what my cousins and I are.”
“You’ll live by the sea? In that case, once you are settled in, I shall make haste to make the trip to see you. I shall fly like a family of fairies. I love the water, and I’ve never been near any body of water on Earth. I think I shall quite enjoy the visit. It will be like ribbing the daisy.”
Anya’s mind went to the extensive wax doll collection she and her mother had gathered throughout the years. She didn’t know how Damien would regard it once they went back to Earth. She’d have to tell him that they were merciless witches and warlocks who truly deserved their sad fate. Still, maybe she had to reconsider releasing some of them—she couldn’t hold grudges forever.
“Now then, my dears, let me read your tea leaves. Regan, you can go first so Anya will know I’m no huff and puff,” Aunt Blanche murmured.
“To be fair, Auntie, there aren’t many huff and puffs here on Vanguard. They get called out for the charlatans they are.”
Anya listened closely. Blanche liked to use slang native to Vanguard and it could be quite disconce
rting to listen to her when she threw it about.
“I shouldn’t worry about reading mine, Auntie, my future is only filled with darkness,” Regan murmured.
“Shush, shush. That’s total fibby-boo. Now give me your cup, that’s a good girl,” Blanche said, using her magic to levitate the china cup and saucer back over toward her. “Now, mind, I don’t profess to be a seer, it’s not my particular gift, but I do have a way with the tea leaves. They put me into a trancelike state, you see, and the things I predict can be quite surprising.”
“Unbelievable, more like,” Regan muttered under her breath.
Blanche held Regan’s cup between her hands and gave the cup three good swirls, and then she turned it down onto the saucer. She breathed in deeply before righting the teacup.
A spark of crimson-colored magic shot out of the tip of her finger and illuminated the cup. She smiled at them all and then stared down at the remnants of tea that were gathered at the bottom of the cup. Her eyes went distant and she spoke aloud in an otherworldly voice.
“Darkness will come for you—it will want to dance with you and make you its mistress—but in the light there lives one man who shall be your savior. Love him and he will keep you in the light, fight him and you will be forever lost to the darkness.”
A shudder went through Blanche and her hands trembled as she nearly dropped the cup. “Oh heavens, I feel as if someone just walked over my grave.” She gave a nervous little laugh. “As I said the visions can be quite intense. I saw a wolf coming for you, Regan. A wolf draped in the holiness of starlight and we all know how likely that is. Ah, well, it’s a good parlor trick for what it’s worth, wouldn’t you say, my lovelies?”
“Yes, quite a good one,” Anya agreed, hoping to assuage the tense feeling emanating throughout the air. She could almost slice it with a knife.
“Would you like me to read yours?”
Anya considered it. She exchanged a glance with Damien who gave her a slight nod.
“Why not?” she murmured, levitating her empty cup to where Blanche sat.
Blanche took the cup and smiled as she went through all of the motions she needed to do in order to make the cup ready for reading. She looked down at the tea leaves. Her body shuddered as she went into her trancelike state. Her body convulsed as if another force had taken hold of it.
This time when she spoke, her voice sounded like Anya’s mother.
“A great force of darkness will come for you this night, sweet Anya. A force that already had your mother in its viselike grip—but never fear, I stand with you as does a man close to both you and your mother.”
Blanche’s body shuddered again, and then she gave them both a perplexed expression. “What happened? What did I say? I blacked out…I have no idea what just went on, I’m so sorry, my dears.”
Damien looked over at Anya. Her hands shook as she used her magic to pull the cup back toward her. She wanted to touch it to see if it would give her any kind of a vision.
When she touched its semi-warm exterior a vision swamped her. A vision of Ebony, dressed in white and smiling lovingly. It was a far cry from what she’d seen when she’d held the Ross Amulet. Shaken, she placed the violet-patterned china cup on the nearest table.
“Are you all right?” Damien asked, coming to kneel down by her. He took her hand. “You’re as cold as a sheet of ice,” he murmured, pulling her hand up to his lips. He kissed it tenderly and then rubbed his hands over hers as if to force some heat back into her body.
“I will be fine, love,” she said. “We needn’t worry your aunt and your cousin. They’ll think you’re married to a witch who isn’t worth her salt.”
“Nonsense,” Regan snorted. “You have a sensibility about you, something that Damien’s other light fluffy girlfriends haven’t had. He might have thought we didn’t notice what he was doing, but I’ve always had a keen interest in what Damien was on about.”
“It’s nice to know I’ve been such a subject of interest to the rest of the family,” he said wryly.
“It’s incredibly sad that you’re going to leave this estate. It’s filled with such wondrous beauty.”
“I was going to ask my cousin Julian to move here and take care of my business concerns. I rather thought he’d like to live here at Silver Gables but I’m probably mistaken. Julian would most likely prefer big city life, where the girls, parties and magic are not in low supply. If you’d like to move in here, Aunt Blanche, you’d be more than welcome.”
She grinned widely. “I would love to retire to the country. My apartment in the city just isn’t doing it for me anymore. Most of my old friends are dead, and the city just reminds me of years gone by. I would love to stay here at Silver Gables, thank you, my boy.”
They were one big happy family now—the question was, was that a good thing or a bad thing?
Chapter Six
Once their guests had left, Anya got up and started walking to the staircase. She knew she should take advantage of the lovely day and go out and walk the grounds but she didn’t want to—she only wanted to be with Damien.
“You were very nice to them,” Damien said, following her. “Thank you for that.”
She took a few steps up and then turned back around to him. “I have no reason not to be pleasant to those in your family who have no blood on their hands. I’m not that kind of person to hold it against them,” she murmured.
“I know that,” he said, pulling her close. “You showed me how forgiving you could be by taking me back into your life and by releasing those poor sods I sent after you.”
“They’d only been hired to do a service for you. I admit I retaliated against them a bit harshly. You should probably also know that I have a collection back on Earth in the family home that Dallas lives in.”
“What kind of a collection?”
“What kind do you think?” she asked impishly, raising her left eyebrow.
“You are a naughty witch. Maybe you need a spanking,” he said.
She laughed and started running up the steps. “You have to catch me first,” she called out breathlessly, as she ran from him, and he paid hot pursuit.
She slammed the door shut behind her and waited with her heart pounding excitedly in her chest. She smiled and rejoiced in their reunion. She’d been kidding herself when she’d believed that she could cut Damien out of her life. What had she been thinking?
He slammed against the door and then silence reigned. She wondered if he’d given up and left.
“Anya,” he whispered.
“Yes,” she murmured.
“Let me in,” he said. She chuckled. He sounded like a hungry wolf asking to be let into the little piglet’s house.
“Why should I?” she asked, waiting with bated breath for his response.
“Because I can bring you unimaginable pleasures if you do,” he replied.
She laughed. “You probably can. I’m just not entirely certain I want that spanking you promised.”
“Ah, Anya, a little pain with the pleasure is sometimes a good thing,” he mused.
She whirled about and opened the door, throwing herself into his arms. He lifted her up so she stood on his boots, and they both stumbled into the room. She raised her arm and used her powers to shut the door firmly behind them.
They stumbled together until he held her pinned against the wall. He turned her around and dropped his warm hand to the crease behind her knee. She inhaled deeply as anticipation and want coupled together, making her quite warm. Brushing his hand up from her knee, he stopped when his hand cupped her bottom. “You’re very naughty, Anya, to walk around with no knickers on.” His hot breath caressed the back of her neck.
“That’s the way you like it,” she murmured.
His husky laugh rumbled through the room and made her sigh deliciously. She really had been punishing herself by staying away from Damien for so long.
“You’re right, I do like my wife as a wanton witch and a naughty one to boot. It does make
life more interesting but your habit of turning men and women into waxed dolls really does need to stop.”
“Some deserve it,” she said, forming her mouth into a pout.
“I don’t doubt it but some might have just been on the wrong end of your mercurial temper. Now, you’re trying to lead me astray. You have a spanking coming, my love.” His hand flattened against her left cheek. “Your skin is like silk,” he murmured, massaging her gently.
She rolled her eyes. He was talking about her leading him astray? He didn’t need any help!
“Maybe you need more than one spanking…good things come in threes you know,” he murmured.
“Don’t even think about it,” she said, as his spanking hit home.
The startling pain mingled with the desire sweeping through her. His threat of giving her two more resonated within her and she actually found herself waiting for them!
“Oh hell,” he muttered. “I can’t wait for you any longer.” He whirled her around and kissed her hard.
“I love you, Damien,” she said breathlessly.
“My heart and soul belong to you, Anya,” he said, his eyes cloudy with scorching ardor.
His want for her was evident. He pushed up her skirt, and she clumsily helped him release his cock, which strained against the trousers he wore. He kissed her hard as he entered her slick entrance wet with her want for him. He groaned against her cheek.
“Do you know how much I wanted them to leave once I saw you in this fetching outfit?”
“An outfit you picked out for me. I can pick my own clothes, you know,” she murmured as he began thrusting inside her channel.
She closed her eyes against the pleasure coiling through her. Damien knew how to push all of the right buttons when it came to making love to her. From slow and sweet to fast and hard, he was an expect at his craft. Her hands raked through his already disheveled hair as he continued plowing into her. She was near that point of no return when her entire body would shake from the powerful climaxes he aroused from her.
Her legs were snaked around his waist and she held him so tightly she wondered why he hadn’t commented on it yet. She wanted to cherish this moment forever and hold it in her recesses of her mind to call upon whenever she was irked at him.
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