Dark Tide (A Mated by Magic Novel)

by Stella Marie Alden

  His hand rubbed at his shoulder.

  She wanted to ask about it, but instead put her empty cup down and picked up the plate. Taking a small bite of the seafood-bean mixture, she grimaced and swallowed. It didn’t taste as terrible as it looked, but still, it was pretty bad. She stirred them around, thinking about what he said about mating, and wondering what other differences there were among the clans.

  “What’s it like when a fire witch mates?”

  The scowl, which had barely gone, returned. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been mated.”

  Well, of course not. If he’d been mated, she never would’ve felt the spark between them. Witches, no matter their power element, mated for life.

  “I just wondered–”

  “I said I don’t know,” he bit out. He scrubbed his hands over his face and exhaled a low, uneven breath.

  His guarded expression told her not to push it.

  Placing the plate down, she stood, stretched and went back into the warmth of the bedroom.

  She couldn’t help but notice how his gaze followed and roamed down her legs.

  The attraction was mutual, but she could tell he wanted no part of it.

  Obviously, he needed something more in a mate than she had to offer. Someone like his ex-wife. Her death had been plastered all over the internet. Classy, beautiful, always put together. Something she would never be.

  No wonder he didn’t want to mate with her. Her hair was a mess, her breasts flat, her face plain. A dag. That’s what she was. Well she damn well wasn’t going to just lay around all day and lust after a bloke that wanted nothing to do with her.

  She grabbed a flashlight from the bedside drawer, and found a raincoat in the closet. Then she snapped her fingers at Willy. He gave her a doggy smile, wagged his tail, and trailed behind her. At least they were good mates.

  “Where are you going?” The fire witch eyed her suspiciously.

  “The storm is calming. I’m going to check on the damages.”

  “I can’t let you go out in this.” Josh followed her down the hall to the back doorway, the only entrance not shuttered.

  She rolled her eyes and opened the door. Sure enough, the rain had already stopped and dark clouds were rolling away. The wind still beat steadily against the house, but the energy in the storm had lessened. Twenty minutes from now, there’d be clear skies.

  “Just a sec. I’ll come with you.” No doubt forgetting, he grabbed her arm.

  This time she jumped back.

  His brows furrowed, but he didn’t release her.

  “I should explain.” He held her there, in the small foyer, breathing hard, nose to nose.

  “Let me go.” Despite her protest, her voice was weak.

  Slowly, his fingers unraveled and dropped to his side.

  “I know that you know what this is.”

  “Dunno what you mean, mate.” She turned on her heels and headed down to the beach, hoping the boat would still be there.

  He caught up, walked beside her, and took her hand. “I know we might be a perfect match.”

  She stopped and stared where their flesh met.

  Flashes of heat whipped through her senses. She couldn’t imagine how much more it would be during solstice.

  “So?” She looked up at him, ignoring the desire that built within her, and daring him to say more.

  He let go.

  “I just don’t want you to have any expectations. Maybe if we’d met years ago, it’d be different. I’d be different.”

  Hadn’t she heard this speech before? It’s not you, it’s me? She wasn’t enough eye candy for Chris or for the Yank. Probably not for anyone.

  Not trusting herself to speak, she just snorted, then climbed up and over a new sand dune the storm had created. She kicked the driftwood and seaweed off the dock.

  Built into a cove, the beach had survived well. Her hoist, just a bit bent, had moved a couple dozen feet, but her boat looked as if it had survived without any real damage.

  He shadowed behind her.

  Why wouldn’t he just leave her alone? She hadn’t asked for an explanation, nor did she need one.

  “Don’t be mad, Maya. I’m broken. My wife–” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “It was bad between us. I loved her. Never got over her, even as she slept around. Then she died before I had a chance to make it right. I’m not someone you’d want to be shackled to for the rest of your life. If we are a perfect match, it’s not like we can get a divorce. You’d be stuck with me. Believe me. You don’t want that.”

  “You’re assuming a lot, don’t you think?” She didn’t look at him, just continued to inspect the boat.

  “I want you to know where I stand.”

  She placed her hands on her hips and glared up at him. “Where you’re standing is in my way.”

  He stepped back, so that she could move past him without touching.

  The waterline on the pilings indicated that the surge had come up to the house, but not past the first steps. They’d lucked out. No doubt the other side of the island had not fared as well.

  Silent, he followed her up the stairs to the house, Willy tagging behind.

  “Give me a hand, will you?” She grabbed a screwdriver from the kitchen, then started to release the latches and pull the shutters back into their stored positions.

  “Can you get the rest?”

  He nodded looking sad and miserable.

  Damn it. What did he have to feel bad about? He wasn’t the one rejected, here.

  She moved the grill out of the storage area to get at her toolbox. Time to check what happened to the generator. Behind the house, she climbed the extension ladder and opened the door to the waterproof box.

  The house ran mostly on solar energy, some turbine, with a gasoline backup. The gas gauge showed empty. That was odd. She pulled down on the main latch, killing all the power to the house, and checked the continuity from the lines from the roof panels. A short. Damn it. She climbed up onto the roof and found the offending panel. After a few tries, she cut the wires, pulled the bad one out of the grid, and connected the rest. Then, she checked the short was gone. Convinced all was well, she returned power to the house.

  The outside lights came on and she grinned. Fixing things always gave her a sense of empowerment.

  From her height on the roof, she counted the downed trees and made a mental estimate of the cost to clear the area. All in all, the property had fared well.

  In truth, the island had taken less of a beating than her ego. Her self-esteem would take longer to heal. But she would. She didn’t want anything to do with a fancy-ass billionaire’s brother, anyhow. Especially one with fire in his eyes, and a touch that made her melt.

  She just wanted to go home. Talk to her father. Let him know she was okay and what she’d felt in the storm. Unlike Josh Fialko, her father trusted her gut instincts and loved her despite all her flaws.

  Chapter 4

  Josh watched the dot of her boat disappear into the blue horizon and a pang of guilt tugged at what was left of his heart. He’d hurt her. He’d seen it in her eyes. But wasn’t it better to know now, than later? He’d never love again. That part of him was broken forever and a woman like Maya deserved more.

  She might not find another solstice mate, but from what his brothers had gone through, that might not be all it was cracked up to be, either. The scenes they had described had been both awesome and terrifying.

  In truth, what he felt right now was nothing short of jealous, and it made him feel small. Both Jack and Jace had found beautiful, strong women. Damn. His two sister-in-laws, in their own way, were perfect.

  Just like Maya.

  But his brothers were now solstice mated. No other woman would ever be enough for them. If one spouse passed on, the other would never marry again. Solstice mating was more than a physical joining, it was magical as well. And Josh couldn’t imagine tying his heart and soul to another with magic.

  Love was bad enough. />
  He sighed and wandered to the beach. Suddenly, being alone wasn’t as appealing as it was two days ago. He’d let her get under his skin, and that had to stop. Right now.

  He waded up to his knees and picked up some pieces of docking that floated on the waves, determined not to think of her.

  It’s just she was so damn…wholesome. That described her. The girl next door, with a touch of exotic mixed in. He hadn’t seen her in makeup or designer clothes, even though he was sure she could afford to buy whatever she wanted. Her family’s fortune rivaled his own. One of the benefits of being a full-blooded witch.

  Lighting the driftwood on fire with a conjured flick of the wrist, he sat. The wet dock soaked his ass and his toes sunk into the damp sand.

  Maya. Her face flashed in his mind. Her smile, the few times he’d seen it, could light up the whole island.

  And that hair, red and wild. Just like her.

  He imagined her long legs wrapped around him, as he thrust into her repeatedly. Firm breasts that would fit perfectly in the palm of his hand, as he captured the taut nipples between his teeth, and made her scream his name.

  Damn.

  Time to think on something else.

  The storm. What had she said? Not normal? He’d been so worried about her, and shocked about them having no healers, that he hadn’t given her theories much thought.

  Hadn’t he felt it too? Not so much in the water, but in the energy, in the lightning? What should’ve felt purely elemental, had a paranormal quality.

  The timing, the smell, just the feel of it had put him on edge.

  Or was he just imagining it?

  He’d never experienced a storm in Australia. They said the water swirled the wrong way down the drain. Why wouldn’t a storm feel different to his witch senses as well? He added more twigs, stared, and his mouth went dry.

  Shit. She was right. After a storm, ozone lingered. The chemicals changed the oxygen and his fires always burned bluer. This fire burned way too red. What the hell?

  He needed the internet. Damn. On the island, he had no connection. Even paying top dollar, he was lucky to have a satellite phone.

  Maya wouldn’t be back until tomorrow, and no doubt the mainland would have outages from the storm.

  He picked up the phone and called her old man, Dan. It took a few rings for him to answer.

  “Fialko? Where’s my daughter? I swear, if you touch–”

  “Whoa, Dan, hold on. She just left. She got stuck here in the storm. Didn’t she call?”

  “No. You’re the first since the power came back on. What happened?” There was suspicion in the older man’s voice.

  Josh combed his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I told you when I rented the place. Widower for life. Been there. Done that.”

  The phone went silent for a second. “There’s another call coming through.”

  “Can you send someone today to fix my motor? Got damaged in the rain.” A small lie, but he didn’t think now was a good time to tell him about the little incident with Maya.

  “Might take until tomorrow, though.”

  “That’s fine.”

  The line went dead and Josh sighed.

  Now what? Until that moment, he hadn’t realized how much he missed his brothers. He wondered if they’d ever be able to repair the rift between them.

  The rift he’d created.

  Jack, as leader, had sided with Jace. He’d been there that night and had sworn to the Clan Council that Nicole’s death was self-defense. At the time, an inner voice argued it was true. Another, still louder voice, wondered if Jace could’ve just knocked her out with a lesser blast of power, and not killed her.

  These were the same thoughts that had been haunting him for over a year.

  He’d been unable to picture her face. Last night, however, more memories of that night had surfaced, making him doubt his first assessment. He’d seen the scene clearly for the first time and woke, drenched in sweat.

  Her eyes. That was what was off. They were cold. Not angry. Not hurt. Not anything. She’d just aimed at his chest in cold-blood. If his brother hadn’t knocked the bullet mid-air with a blast of power, Josh would’ve been dead, instead of wounded.

  So why was he still so angry?

  He wandered back to the house, found the flat-blade where he’d left it on the kitchen shelf, and began the chore of putting the rest of the shutters back into place.

  By the time he finished, from up in the second floor, he spotted the wake of two small boats approaching and smiled. Not tomorrow, after all.

  He rushed down the stairs, through the kitchen, and out onto the deck. Already the sun had warmed the planking, and his soles complained. Grabbing his sandals, he jumped down the stairs, across the long sandy yard, and down to the dock.

  His heart raced thinking of seeing her again, but as the two boats approached, neither had wild red hair blowing in the wind. Disappointment settled in his chest.

  He waved as the boats approached the dock.

  A younger, blonder, version of Maya threw him a rope, while what must’ve been an older brother idled, bouncing in the waves.

  The younger woman held out a hand. “I’m Mari O’Connor.” Then pointed to the man in the boat. “That’s Brian.”

  He nodded at Brian, then turned back to Mari. “Can I get you something? Cold drink?”

  “No. We have to get back. Storm made an awful mess of things.” She handed him a plastic bag. “There’s a sandwich in there.”

  “Thank you.” His stomach grumbled at the mention of food.

  Mari gave a small smile, so much like Maya’s it was unnerving.

  “The boat’s GPS is programmed to take you right to us. Stop by when you land, and we’ll treat you to some good down under hospitality. Do you need anything else?”

  He shook his head, eager for them to be off, so he could start his investigating. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced there’d been something paranormal behind the storm. And if that was the case, then whoever started it, was in some serious shit.

  On the mainland, there was a guest lounge where he could get internet access. That’s where he needed to start.

  The isolation of the island was beginning to grate on his nerves. He might need to rethink his location if he was going to do this right.

  With that in mind, he went back to the house and searched for underwear and a change of clothes. He would never go commando again without remembering Maya’s shocked face.

  On the water, the boat’s salty spray wet his face, and he smiled.

  The gesture, so unused, actually pulled at the muscles in his face. Again, it brought to mind how much he’d been in mourning, and for how long. When a dolphin came alongside his boat, tagging along much as a dog might, he actually laughed.

  Maya’s sister, Mari, met him behind the desk in the office. “That was fast.”

  “Uh. Yeah. Thanks for the sandwich. Didn’t realize how hungry I was for real food.”

  “Maya said you’d run real low on supplies. It was either that, or give you some bait and hope you could fish.”

  “Well, I’m grateful you chose the latter.” He flashed her a grin. “Is she around? Your sister.”

  Shit. Why had he asked that?

  Her eyebrows shot up and she grinned. “I heard she stayed the night.”

  He frowned at her. “For her safety.”

  “More’s the pity. She could use a good romp.”

  His mouth dropped open and he felt the tops of his cheeks warm like a high school kid. What was it with this family?

  “I, ah. The internet café?” he muttered.

  She pointed across the lobby to a dimly lit room that looked more like a Victorian library than a modern internet, then handed him a piece of paper. “That’s your Wi-Fi key. Use the guest network. I’m here if you need me.”

  Nodding, he hurried to a spot and sat until he found what he was looking for. An hour away was the University with a program in
Meteorology. He made a call. If he hurried, he would catch Dr. Alex Williams before she left for the day.

  Chapter 5

  “Hello?” Dr. Alexandria Williams jumped to pick up her office phone, hoping against all hope to hear her daughter’s voice.

  “I’d like to speak to Doctor Alex Williams.”

  Her heart sank. Not Jenny, after all. Just a bloke with an American accent.

  “This is she.” Almost in tears, she sat down in the swivel chair behind her marred oak desk.

  Not yet tenured, she shared the small windowless office with several other assistant professors. Perhaps her new storm study would change all that. She eyed the large private office across the hall, with big windows facing the front green lawn, and pictured herself sitting there.

  After waiting the usual amount of time, she added in a polite, professional voice. “I’m Doctor Alexandria Williams.”

  She’d been asking for years to have the name changed in the college registry. Finally, she had to accept that the president preferred to let people think she was male, and let it be.

  The Yank’s voice sounded surprised, as did all men when they learned her gender. “Apologies. I was expecting a different, uh, voice.”

  “No worries. That happens a lot.” She tried to sound pleasant. Inside her heart was aching for her daughter. They promised they’d call back before the end of the day.

  “I wonder if we could talk.”

  “I’m just on my way out. Perhaps tomorrow–”

  “Actually, it can’t wait. I’m right downstairs. It’s about last night’s storm. I’m investigating it for my brother, Jack Fialko.” His inflection indicated that he was name dropping.

  She paused, searching her memory. Then, like a database, the result was found. “Fialko? Like in the New York City Fialkos?”

  They were richer than God and one of the most powerful clans on earth. She held her breath. Maybe her luck was finally changing. A plan began to form in her always resourceful brain.

  “Yeah, I’m Josh Fialko. Our family has always held great interest in the effects of global warming. This last storm seems like just the proof we’ve been looking for. Proof that the weather is changing, and not for the better.”