She swallowed and tightened her fingers around Vincent’s. The spell sped forward, and Keegan reached out with her free hand just as Vincent reached out with his. They caught the spell between them in a ball of fire. The heat singed her hand, and she cried out at the searing pain but kept hold of the heat. She had to. To make this work, it would take both of them.
“Now!”
They threw it back, and the fiery ball of magic hit Connor in the chest. He screamed as his entire body burst into flame. Keegan watched in horror as he was burned alive, his shouts of agony ringing in her ears.
Vincent threw another ball of magic. This one hit Connor’s torso, and his body split apart, disappearing into the night.
Keegan sagged to her knees and doubled over with a sob as the burning in her hand intensified.
Vincent dropped to his knees beside her. “Let me see.”
He took her trembling right hand in his. She couldn’t look but knew by the sound of his hiss and the pain taking hold of her hand that it had to be bad.
Vincent picked her up in his arms and carried her inside the house.
“Is it over?” she asked through the haze the pain created in her mind.
“It’s over, little one,” Vincent said as he rushed her to the kitchen. “Concentrate and block out the pain. You can do it.”
Dmitry was close behind. “What do you need?”
“Cold water for now.”
She tried, but the pain was just too severe. Vincent set her on the counter and put her hand under the water faucet. Dmitry turned it on, and she winced when the water hit her burned palm.
Sam and Cody rushed into the room. Sam’s hair was wet, and he wore only a pair of jeans. Even his feet were bare, but she’d never been more relieved to see someone in her whole life.
“Sam,” she said as she reached for him.
“I’m okay,” he said as he grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. “It was all on my clothes.”
“Are you sure?”
Sam nodded. “I’m sure. There were no cuts that the blood could get into, and it missed my eyes.”
“What happened?” Cody asked as he squeezed between Sam and Vincent to study Keegan’s hand.
“The spell burned her hand, but she’ll be fine. She was a trouper,” Vincent said as he took her burned hand in his and spread a cold cream across the blackened flesh.
Keegan tensed, then immediately relaxed as the spell he whispered took the pain away. The black flesh vanished and turned pink, then back to normal. Letting out a sigh of relief, she hugged her hand to her chest. “Wow. How did you not get burned?” she asked.
Vincent held up his hand. He had been burned, but not nearly as badly as she had been. Keegan grasped his hand in hers. With a few whispered words, cream appeared on the tips of her fingers, and she spread it over his palm just as he’d done. His burn quickly faded as well, leaving his normal skin in its place.
“That’s incredible,” Sam said with a shake of his head.
“Now comes the hard part,” Dastan said from the kitchen doorway. Everyone turned to look at him. “Confronting your mother.”
“Can’t we just stay here?” Keegan mumbled.
Vincent chuckled and then shook his head. “Your mother wants you to take over, and someone has to tell her about Connor. There’s an empty seat that must be filled.”
Keegan let out a tired sigh and nodded in agreement. “I also have to tell her about Sam and Cody.”
Cody raised an eyebrow. “Is that a bad thing?”
“Normally, no. But my mother hates mortals. And there are two of you, so…”
“Oh, this should be fun,” Sam drawled.
“Yeah.” Vincent grinned. “We’ll go with fun.”
* * * *
“Keegan,” Sarah called.
Keegan ran forward and embraced her friend in a hug as they met up outside the council chamber’s double doors. Keegan hugged her back, holding her friend close. It felt as though it had been forever since she’d seen her.
“I was so worried about you,” Sarah whispered.
“I’m fine,” Keegan said as she pulled back and smiled at her friend.
Keegan brushed Sarah’s blonde hair aside and really studied her friend’s face. She looked tired. “Are you okay?” Keegan asked.
Sarah nodded, but anxiety still wrinkled her brow. “We’ll talk about it later. Vincent, Dastan, and Dmitry are already inside.”
“Good.”
Sarah looked around Keegan’s shoulder at Sam and Cody, who stood just a few feet behind her. “Is this Sam and Cody?”
Keegan raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Sarah smiled slightly. “Dastan told me about them.”
Keegan was definitely surprised. “You actually talked to Dastan?”
Her friend hated her shape-shifter protectors, although Keegan had never truly understood why. Despite Sarah’s dislike of the shifters, whom Keegan called the wolf brothers, whenever Sarah was close to them, Keegan could feel the sizzle in the air that surrounded them. There was something there. All of them just refused to see it. Especially Sarah.
“I talk to Dastan when necessary. I felt that your disappearance warranted putting up with him long enough to get some answers.”
“I see,” Keegan said as she fought a grin.
Turning, she introduced her friend to Sam and Cody. “This is my best friend since our crib days,” Keegan said with a giggle. “Go easy on them, Sarah. I haven’t had a chance to show them around our world yet.”
Sarah winced. “And your first glimpse is here? Wow, you’re brave.”
Sam raised an eyebrow in trepidation as he stared at the massive double doors. Cody just grinned.
“Just what exactly is inside there?” Sam asked.
“The council chambers. We’re about to confront my mother.”
“Should we be here?” Cody asked.
“Of course,” Keegan said. “They need to get used to you…if you wish to stay.”
Sam jerked his gaze back to hers. With a sideways smile, he walked over and cupped her cheek. “This has definitely been an experience, but you haven’t scared me off yet.”
Keegan breathed a small sigh of relief.
“She hasn’t shown you the summer home yet,” Sarah teased. Keegan slapped at her stomach in warning, but Sarah just giggled.
“Summer home?” Cody asked as he stared at Sarah over Sam’s shoulder.
“It’s a beach house,” Keegan said.
“Yeah,” Sarah added. “With unicorns grazing in the garden and mermaids swimming off the shore.”
Both Sam’s and Cody’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?” Sam whispered.
“Just about every fairy-tale creature from the mortal world actually exists here,” Keegan explained.
Cody came forward. “So besides vampires and shape-shifters, there are mermaids, unicorns…” Cody waved a hand. “Anything else?”
Keegan made a face. “Lots.”
Cody started to say something else, but Sam stopped him by raising his hand. “Cody, stop. I think I need to be sitting down to hear the rest of this, so let’s just drop the subject for now.”
“Fair enough,” Cody replied.
Keegan’s worry returned.
The council messenger appeared just off to their side, making Sam and Cody jump in surprise.
“Your mother would like to see you now,” he said with a small bow.
Keegan swallowed and grasped Sarah’s hand for support. “Thank you,” Keegan whispered. She looked at Sarah. “This is it.”
Sarah nodded and gave her hand a squeeze. “You’ll do fine.”
Chapter Eighteen
With a wave of her hand, Keegan opened the massive double doors that led to the council room. Her mother was there waiting at the head of the long table. The twenty-five council members all nodded as she walked past to step into her mother’s open arms.
Keegan halfheartedly returned her mother’s embrace. They’d never reall
y gotten along, and what she’d learned recently had only widened that gap.
Her father stood to the side of her mother’s chair, looking tired and surprisingly resigned. She pulled from her mother’s embrace and went to hug her father.
He pulled her into his arms and hugged her close. “I’m proud of you, Keegan. You did well,” he whispered in her ear.
She drew back and looked into his eyes. “Thank you, Daddy.”
He nodded and nudged her back toward her mother.
“Keegan, I do believe you’re now ready to take over. I’m very pleased with how you handled this situation—”
“You mean this situation that you put us all in?” Keegan murmured. Her mother’s eyes narrowed, but Keegan stood her ground.
“That was in the past, Keegan. It’s a shame about Connor. Dastan took pity on you and brought that information to me himself.”
Keegan glanced around her mother’s shoulder at Dastan. He winked at her, and she struggled to suppress a smile. Dmitry stood next to him as always. Vincent was beside Dmitry. She was actually shocked to see Vincent there, considering the hard feelings between him and her mother.
“It’s official now,” her mother said in her most regal voice. “Keegan now has my seat.”
Keegan bowed and turned to the council members. “Thank you all for coming, but could I have a moment alone with my mother, please?” She turned to Dastan. “Except for the three of you. I would like for you to remain.”
The members all disappeared in a puff of smoke, except for the ones she’d asked to stay. Sam and Cody stood at the door; their eyes widened slightly as the room cleared in under a second. They would eventually get used to this sort of thing. She hoped, anyway. Sarah stood just inside the door. Her friend was always close but never close enough to be in Dastan’s and Dmitry’s way. One of these days, she really needed to figure out her friend’s aversion to the shifters.
“Who are they?” her mother asked as she sneered down her nose at the two men who meant the world to her.
“So you finally noticed them?” Keegan asked sarcastically.
“Don’t be smart, Keegan,” her mother snapped. “Who are they? You know it is forbidden to bring mortals here.”
“My wife has been here,” Vincent said.
“That’s different,” Margaret growled over her shoulder at Vincent, her contempt for him obvious in the tone of her voice. “She’s your wife, so that allows her certain privileges. You may have helped, but don’t make the mistake of thinking you have the right to speak on council matters.” Her mother’s stare came back to her. “Now, Keegan. Who are these mortals, and why are they here?”
Keegan took a deep breath and squared her shoulders for battle. “They are my future husbands. If they will have me.”
“What?” her mother shouted. “Absolutely not! I forbid it! No daughter of mine will marry a mortal, much less two. What’s the matter with you, Keegan? One man not good enough for you?”
“That’s enough,” her father snapped, surprising everyone. “Keegan, do these mortals make you happy?”
Keegan looked over her shoulder at her father. “Yes.”
He nodded. “Then so be it. Margaret, let it go. Your daughter is now head of this council, and if she wishes to marry a mortal, I wish her the best. And so will you.”
Her mother’s mouth dropped open, and Keegan tried hard not to smile.
“Thank you, Daddy,” she said. “Now with that out of the way…” She clapped her hands three times, and one by one, the council members returned to the chamber. “We have the matter of an empty seat to fill.”
“Keegan,” her mother growled. “I already have someone in mind.”
“So do I,” Keegan said with a smile. “Vincent.”
Vincent’s eyebrow rose in surprise. “Excuse me?”
“No!” Margaret snapped. “I won’t have it.”
“Well, then,” Vincent drawled. “All the more reason for me to accept.”
The members around the table clapped and laughed at Vincent’s remark. It was obvious by the smiles on their faces and the standing ovation that Vincent had been a good choice. Why not? He’d helped the council out on many occasions, just like this time, pulling them out of a jam.
“Keegan,” Margaret snarled.
“Shut up, Mother.” Keegan stepped closer so that she could whisper, “Just be thankful I’m not exposing all the lies you told about the were-shifters. Enjoy your retirement, and from now on, don’t make the mistake of thinking you have the right to speak on council matters.”
The shocked look on her mother’s face was enough reward for Keegan.
* * * *
They were finally alone, at least for a while, but Sam couldn’t seem to stop studying his surroundings long enough to pay any attention to Keegan. His mind was still buzzing with all the crazy shit he’d seen today. At the back of his mind, he still wondered if he was going to wake up any moment and realize the last three days had all been a dream.
He’d never seen Keegan move things with just her mind. He’d never seen the wolves, the shape-shifters, the vampires. That one still had him speechless. Vampires?
Shivering, he took in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
The view of the beach was amazing. The whole house was amazing. Ten thousand square feet of old-world charm just steps from one of the most beautiful tropical beaches he’d ever seen. No wonder Keegan had spent most of her childhood here.
“Can you believe all this?” Cody asked. “I keep pinching myself, trying to make sure I’m still awake.”
Sam glanced sideways at his brother before turning his gaze back out the large picture window. “You and me both.”
“Keegan’s worried,” Cody murmured. “I can see it in her eyes. I think she’s afraid we’re going to run.”
“Hell, even if I wanted to, I’m not sure in this world where we would run to.”
Cody chuckled. “No kidding. You know, I haven’t seen anything electronic in this place. I mean, there’s a kitchen, but no TVs, no computers, no cars. It’s almost like living in another time.”
“Where is Keegan?” Sam asked as he turned to survey the large sitting room.
“She’s talking to the staff.”
Sam sighed and nodded. “How are you handling all this?”
“Fine. How about you?”
Sam started to answer, but Keegan came into the room. She was dressed in jeans and a pink tank top that highlighted her tan complexion. She’d put her hair up, leaving her neck exposed, and Sam wanted to place a kiss on that neck, make her feel confident again.
When they were in the council chambers, she appeared strong, sure of herself. Right now she looked like a scared rabbit.
“Are you guys okay?” she asked. “I know all this has been kind of…”
“Weird?” Cody answered for her.
She winced. “Yeah. Weird.”
Sam’s lips twitched. “I’ll give ya weird. But I can do with a little weird.”
Keegan didn’t smile. She stood where she was, just inside the room, wringing her fingers in front of her.
“I know it’s…” She sighed and dropped her hands. “If this is all too much…”
“Keegan,” Sam said as he walked forward and took her hands in his. “This is going to take some getting used to. Yesterday I was riding a horse and working a ranch. Today I’m popping from one place to another, learning that vampires and mermaids actually exist. It’s a lot to take in, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you. And I know Cody feels the same.”
“I do,” Cody agreed.
Keegan smiled slightly at Cody around Sam’s shoulder before turning her attention back to Sam. “I can teach you guys some of this stuff.”
“Some of what stuff?” Cody asked as he came forward to join them.
“I can teach you to cast spells that would allow you to move from one place to another without me.”
Sam frowned. “You mean magic?”
&
nbsp; Keegan nodded.
“How is that possible?” Sam asked.
“Most magic you can’t do because you weren’t born with the ability. But there are some spells that have a magic all their own that work much the same way. Even a mortal can do them.”
“That sounds intriguing,” Cody drawled, grinning.
Sam gave a sideways nod of caution. “Let’s get our bearings first. Then maybe we’ll tackle magic.”
“Fair enough,” Keegan whispered. “So does that mean…?”
“Does that mean that we’re staying?” Sam asked. He brought her hands to his lips and kissed the backs of her fingers. “I think we can stay for a while.”
Keegan smiled and threw her arms around his neck.
Epilogue
“So,” Sam said as they all lounged on the beach. “I think I could get used to this.”
He smiled toward the setting sun that cast the entire ocean in shades of red and purple. Keegan giggled softly as she reached over and brushed a lock of hair off Sam’s brow.
Dastan and Dmitry both smiled as well as they stretched their legs out before them. Sarah was there too, but she seemed stiff and uncomfortable being so close to the shifters.
Keegan had been watching her all evening and had finally come to the conclusion that she wasn’t afraid of them, she was attracted to them. Which surprised Keegan, considering her friend’s aversion to shifters. She also hadn’t missed Dmitry’s and Dastan’s sideways looks at Sarah. Sarah was beautiful, and that knowledge had not been lost on her shifter guardians.
Perhaps there was something she could do about that. Her mind began to wander over the possibilities as she dropped her hand from Sam’s hair and stared out over the ocean.
“Life is good here,” Dastan said.
“Yeah, I see that,” Cody said with a chuckle. “I think I might like to stay awhile. Enjoy life with Keegan and maybe learn a little magic myself.”
Sam reached over and grabbed her hand. “I agree.”
Keegan squeezed his fingers and smiled. This was the first opportunity they’d had to relax since the whole wolf incident at the ranch, and it felt good to be together.
“What will you do about the ranch?” she asked.
Lost Without Them Page 13
