by Iris Abbott
“Well, what do you think?”
“That’s my cue to retire for the night,” Craig announced. “Don’t keep me waiting too long.” He kissed Jenna and disappeared into the master bedroom.
Jillian was already seated on the loveseat, and her sister joined her there. “Sisterly advice from my older and wiser sister would be greatly appreciated.”
“Knowing Lucian and Philip Saint John, Dante is pretty much exactly what I expected, with two notable exceptions. I also think he’s absolutely perfect for you.”
“What two exceptions?” Jillian narrowed her eyes at her sister and tapped her fingers, waiting for a response.
“He’s obviously hot for you, but I already knew that, because he followed you here all the way from Italy. And the magic inside him is strong, much stronger than it is in Lucian, and he’s the oldest guardian alive.” She looked perplexed.
“Dante told me his mother possessed powerful magic, and she passed it on to him,” she shrugged as if that explained it all.
“She obviously taught him well. I could feel the powerful magic in the air when he performed. It was all real, no illusions or trickery for your magician. He’s the real deal, in more ways than one.”
“It certainly looks that way,” Jillian agreed.
The two sisters stared at each other for several seconds. “I can see the need for answers in your eyes. I know that’s why you came back tonight.”
Jillian sighed. “Dante could only give me the basics of our family history. I need to know everything that you do.”
“Okay, tell me what Dante told you, and I’ll do my best to fill in all the blanks,” she promised.
It took less than four minutes for Jillian to relate what little information she knew. Afterward, she intently listened while her sister filled in the minute details of the hard to believe story Dante started. “So to highlight the facts, mom wasn’t a practicing witch, our grandparents sent her away for her own safety because of a crazy rogue witch who was killing members of the Sheldon family, and mom never told us about Enigma or our grandparents, because she wanted to keep us safe.”
Jenna’s eyes were bright with unshed tears. She reached over and hugged Jillian. “Exactly! Brianna faked her own death to draw out the evil witch. She was able to defeat the wicked witch with help from family and friends, but it was too late for us. Mom was already dead, and no one knew we existed or how to find us.”
“I think about Mom and Dad every day,” Jillian confessed in a husky whisper.
“Me too,” Jenna agreed.
“Mom was the best. I can’t imagine the burden she carried on her own. She never got to see her family again, she didn’t know the danger was gone, and she never got to share her heritage with us.”
“It was such a waste of life and an immense loss for us,” Jenna agreed. “But luckily we have each other, we found the rest of our family, and if I’m not mistaken both of us have found our life mates.” She gave her sister a speculative look after making the cryptic statement.
“There’s the word mate again. I guess the terms girlfriend or wife, and boyfriend or husband are too simple for paranormal beings.” She barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
“You wouldn’t have to ask if you were mated. The love Craig and I share is so intense, strong, emotional, and overwhelming it’s impossible to describe to anyone who hasn’t experienced it firsthand. But I have a feeling you might know all about that.”
“What? No, that’s silly. Dante and I only had sex once.”
"One time is all it takes. Mates almost always recognize each other immediately. And if I’m not mistaken, Dante marked you.” She looked pointedly at Jillian’s neck.
“Don’t be silly. That’s just a love bite. They do happen in the height of passion.”
She unconsciously rubbed the spot, and it tingled under her fingertips. Maybe she and Dante were meant to be together, hadn’t he said something similar to Jenna’s words? She’d definitely heard of stranger things, and it would go a long way in explaining the almost obsessive need she felt for Dante since they met.
Jenna wrapped her arms around Jillian and hugged her tight. “Keeping all this from you has been a heavy burden on my mind and heart. It wasn’t something I could share in an email or phone call. You would have thought I was crazy and came charging to Enigma to save me, regardless of the threat lurking around.”
“I could tell you were keeping something from me, and the distance was growing between us with every day that passed. But I had no idea of the magnitude of the secret you kept.” Jillian gave her sister an accusatory look. “I don’t see why you couldn’t have told me yesterday as soon as I arrived in Enigma,” she said.
“I wanted to tell you last night when all of us ladies were together, but Craig met with Dante and Lucian before your plane landed. Dante wanted to be the one to tell you his story, and since he saved your life, Craig and I felt like we owed him.”
“I won’t hold a grudge this time,” she joked. “Dante does have a way of getting what he wants.”
“As do most of the men in Enigma. You’ll get used to it. I take it he told you both legends regarding shifters and guardians.”
“Don’t forget about the vampires.” Jillian shivered. “I’m going to have to work hard at overcoming the image I have of vampires as bloodthirsty killers whenever I’m around Julie and Alessandro.”
Both women laughed.
“I’m glad we can joke about it,” Jenna admitted. “I was worried you wouldn’t be able to forgive me for keeping such big secrets.”
“I understand, Jenna. I really do. I’m not going to say it didn’t hurt my feelings, because it did, but I can move past it. It’s the circumstances that put the secrets between us that I have a problem with, not you, never you.” To prove her point, she hugged her sister again.
“That makes me happier than you’ll ever know. Love you.”
“Love you too.” Jillian yawned. “It’s been a long two days for me. I should go ahead and turn in for the night. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, sleep tight, be protected by the spirits of the night.” Her sister echoed one of their favorite childhood phrases.
A sad smile slipped onto Jillian’s face. “Mom used to say that to us every night at bedtime. After everything I learned tonight, I wonder if it has some kind of special meaning?” Jillian asked.
“I never really thought about it that way, but it does sound a little bit like a spell,” Jenna admitted.
Jillian eagerly rubbed her hands together. “I can’t wait to learn all about magic, spells, and everything else,” she said before heading toward the guest bedroom.
“Oh, before I forget,” Jenna called after her. “We’re having lunch with Jessica, Brittany, Selena, and Julie tomorrow in the town square. Brianna is going to join us if she can get away from the shop.”
Jillian laughed. “Witch’s Brew, how appropriate. I can tell that Brianna has a wicked sense of humor.” She winked at her sister. “Wicked get it? Wicked like a witch.” She laughed so hard she cackled.
“Yeah well, she’s not the only one, goodnight!” Jenna’s laughter echoed down the hallway until she disappeared behind the closed door of the master bedroom.
****
Mist filtered through the slight opening in the window and filled the guest bedroom. Once inside, the particles came together, and Dante took shape. He stood next to the bed and looked down at the slumbering woman for several minutes. Jillian had the power to captivate him even in sleep.
He had every intention of staying away, but he couldn’t. His need for her was overwhelming enough to be compulsive. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she used a love spell to bind them together, but he knew that was impossible. She didn’t realize magic really existed until a few hours ago.
He stripped down to his underwear and stretched out on the bed next to her. Jillian stirred, yawned big, and nestled into his body. He gently smoothed a hand down her
tousled hair and whispered comforting words to her. “Go back to sleep, baby.”
“Dante? I know I’m not dreaming. You’re really here aren’t you?”
“Yes. I just want to hold you. Close your eyes and rest.”
She yawned again. “You used to come to my bedroom in Italy, didn’t you? I thought I was dreaming, but now I’m pretty sure it was real.”
“You caught me. I can’t seem to stay away from you, no matter how hard I try.”
“How did you get in? Craig takes security seriously. He’s going to want to know.”
“I used magic, of course. One little crack is all I need. I dissolved into mist and floated through the open window before regaining my solid form. It’s the same magic I use when I disappear from the stage at the end of every performance.”
“I probably shouldn’t have opened the window.”
“As far as I know, I’m the only being capable of turning to mist or fog and transporting myself that way. I’ve only been able to do it for the last half-century. It takes an incredible amount of concentration and magic.”
“Good! Because I love the sights, sounds, and smells of autumn, especially the crisp bite in the air.” Jillian snuggled closer to him and kissed his neck. “Don’t try too hard to stay away. I love knowing you’re near, and I love…” She drifted off to sleep without finishing the sentence.
SEVEN
Looking around the full table, Jillian couldn’t help but smile. It felt great to be surrounded by family and friends. The outpouring of love and support from the group of women boosted her confidence and made her feel incredible. She finally felt like everything in her life was coming together.
Jessica, Brittany, Selena, and Julie eagerly accepted her into their ever-growing sisterhood of witches. All of them had lots of friendly advice that Jillian was going to take to heart. The group of chatty women also couldn’t stop glancing at the mark on her neck, and they had plenty of stories to tell about how they met their mates. It didn’t matter how many times Jillian denied being mated, nobody listened to her.
Almost as if on cue, the six women pushed back their chairs and rose at the same time. Jillian went around the table and hugged each lady. “All of you have gone out of your way to make me feel so welcome. I’m going to absolutely love my stay in Enigma.”
“We manage to get together at least once a week. I hope you can make it to our get-togethers,” Brittany extended the standing invitation with a warm smile.
The grin was instantly returned. Jillian was already beginning to love her newfound family and friends, and Enigma felt more and more like home every minute she spent there.
“Definitely,” Jessica seconded. She gleefully rubbed her hands together, “one more coconspirator to help us find trouble.”
The group of ladies laughed. “I don’t think it matters,” Selena reminded them. “Phillip and the rest of our mates are always saying that trouble has a way of finding us.”
“And we enjoy kicking trouble’s butt,” Brittany said with a wicked smile.
“That we do,” Julie agreed.
“I haven’t had a good challenge in a long time,” Brittany said with a wistful sigh.
Selena scrunched up her nose. She furtively glanced at the other witch with narrowed eyes. “Be careful what you wish for,” she reminded her lifelong friend.
“That reminds me, Jillian,” her sister said. “Brittany owns a studio downtown. She teaches self-defense, mostly to women clients. Craig insisted I take several classes last winter because of Scott. I’ve gotten rusty and would love to take the class again. We should do it together.”
“It’s a great idea. I could have used some moves when Scott grabbed me the other night.” She shook her head. “I would have been royally screwed if Dante hadn’t shown up and done his guardian thing.”
“I do give refresher classes twice a year, but I don’t recommend that if the two of you want to do it together.”
“Actually, since we’re talking about it, all of us should go through the course again. We depend on magic way too much, and that can be risky in a public situation in this day of advanced technology with all the cell phone cameras and so forth,” Julie said.
“Include Scarlet and Rose on the list. They don’t have any magic to fall back on. They definitely should join us,” Jessica reminded the ladies.
“Most of my classes are full, but this is important. I’ll juggle some things around and create a closed class just for you guys.”
“I can’t wait!” Jillian said, and everyone agreed.
Cars were parked in various areas, so the group split up and went their separate ways. Selena was parked on the same street as the two sisters, and Jessica elected to walk with them. “I’ll catch a ride to my car from Selena,” she said shrugging her shoulders. “Besides, Selena and I wanted to grill you more about Dante. He’s meeting with Lucian and Phillip today at the council’s headquarters, but that’s all we know.”
“Oh?” Jillian slightly stumbled, but she was able to catch her balance and kept walking. “He didn’t mention it to me last night.”
She frowned. If he were accepting another assignment from the council and leaving town, Jillian would miss him like crazy. And now that she knew exactly what his job entailed, she’d be worried sick about him. It didn’t matter that he was one of the deadliest and most powerful beings she knew, she would always be concerned for him when he was out saving the world and destroying evil.
The fierce anxiety she felt at the thought of Dante slipping from her life almost drowned out the internal alarm that screamed danger ahead, almost but not entirely. The air felt heavy and ominous, weighed down, almost as if a cloud of toxic gas settled over them. She couldn’t see anything, but she just knew all hell was about to break loose.
Jillian grabbed her sister’s arm to stop her, and both of them froze in their tracks. “Can you feel that?” she whispered to the other three ladies. Surely, she wasn’t the only one who could sense impending trouble. Selena, in particular, was reputed to be as skilled as Brittany was and almost as powerful.
“Something is stalking us,” Selena whispered back. Just as she finished speaking, three strange looking men staggered out of the alley and lurched toward them. Selena put herself between the approaching creatures and the other women. “Stay together,” she ordered. “I’ll shield you and bring help.”
Jillian watched in stunned amazement at what happened next. She was getting a front-row seat to her friend’s excellent ability to cast spells. Her mouth dropped open. She could hardly wait to be tutored in the art of magic.
Selena crossed her fingers. “Magical universe heed my call. Send this summons to friends one and all. At this moment danger has come to brawl. I need my friends to ensure it meets its downfall.” She blinked three times and held her arms up high in the air.
Multiple pairs of pounding footsteps made Jillian spin around to see what was coming. Much to her relief, it was Brittany and Julie. Brianna wasn’t far behind them, and the furious look on her face was enough to scare most people. It terrified Jillian. At least Selena’s call for help was answered.
The rising energy crackled and swirled through the air as the witches called upon their powers to protect them. It felt like every hair on Jillian’s body stood on end from the force of the energy sliding over and around her. It was as impressive as it was terrifying.
“I’m getting too old for this,” Brianna half-joked. “I’ll do a shielding spell. Brittany, Selena, and Julie, it’s up to you to handle any hand-to-hand combat if the need arises. The three women stepped to the outside of the circle, creating a protective layer made of three powerful and capable witches.
Brianna loosely held her hands in front of her with fingers crossed. Her clear voice rang out around the assembled group. “Mystical Universe with your sacred secrets held dear. I seek your help to disappear. Shield the paranormal and unnatural creatures that be from prying eyes that peer. Until this battle is done, and I call fo
r the all clear.” She blinked three times, raised her arms opened wide.
Power zinged through the air around them. The energy flowing from Brianna actually made her body vibrate. Jillian hoped she got a chance to learn even half as much as the older witch already knew.
“Why do they hold their arms up like that after saying the spell?” Jillian whispered to her sister.
“It is a part of the ritual of spell casting,” Jenna whispered back. “They’re embracing the powers of the mystical universe, which is where we all get our magic.”
One of the lumbering creatures suddenly charged them, and the time for talk was over. Jillian grabbed her sister’s arm, and the two of them quickly stepped backward, putting space between them and the attacker. She was numb from fear. But that didn’t stop Dante’s face from flashing through her mind. She hadn’t even bothered to tell him how she felt about him. They had to make it out of this mess so she could show him how much he meant to her.
Brittany separated herself from the group and engaged the nearest zombie-looking creature in combat. The petite redhead was a powerhouse of physical strength. She spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick to the closest attacker’s face. The stiletto heel of her boot embedded itself in her opponent’s forehead. Brittany quickly jerked her boot free and spun away from the monster.
Jillian and the other women looked on in horror as the monster lurched forward after Brittany. The blow should have knocked him flat on the ground, but it hardly fazed him. It was the strangest and spookiest thing she’d ever seen. If this was a joke, it wasn’t funny. Halloween was supposed to be over.
She could only stand in the center of the circle, being protected by the other women. Jillian felt helpless, and that made her angrier than the actual attack itself. When this was over, she was definitely taking those self-defense classes, and she was going to excel in the use of magic in record time. At least her sister was in the protective center of the circle with her, so she wasn’t alone.
Jenna frantically spoke into her mobile phone, quickly and concisely telling Craig about the danger, and giving him their exact location. She slipped the phone back into her purse a few seconds later and hugged Jillian. The two sisters huddled together, watching the action around them in stunned silence.
