She knew he was about to send a parting blow of magic her way. Efa braced against the tree, ready to accept it.
The wizard drew his hand up, producing a crackling fire ball. With a cry of anger, he threw it at her.
But it didn't kill her.
The burn of it singed her flesh, but Jervis shielded her from the full assault. Using his last bit of magic, he'd materialized in between Efa and the fireball. Whatever spell he'd used to propel himself forward zinged into Efa, leaving her breathless.
Her heart stopped, and for an instant, she was dead.
But only an instant.
Something shifted inside her, and the wound in her stomach healed. Her mind cleared of pain and confusion and she realized she was alive. Though she couldn't imagine how, the fire bolt had not killed her.
It was then that she saw him. Jervis lay before her, unmoving.
"Jervis?" She whispered and dropped next to him. "Jervis..."
"He's gone, lass."
A woman stood next to her with gray streaked hair that matched the long robes swirling around her body. Her green eyes were the only source of color to be seen on her, and as she addressed Efa, those eyes seemed to stare into the depths of the young girl's being.
"Gone?" Efa asked.
"Dead, mi darlin'."
"Why do I live still?"
"'Cause Morrigan isn't through with you yet. 'Tis time for me to go, though. You must pick up the mantle now."
With that, the woman disappeared.
Before Efa could wonder over the meaning of the words, movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention. The old wizard lay on the ground, knocked back by the burst of energy Jervis had sent at him.
Efa got to her feet, only vaguely aware of the strange looks the other wizards were giving her.
"Her eyes," one of them whispered. "What's happened to her eyes?"
"It's the mark of the banshee," another said.
"But she's not dead."
Efa stood above the old wizard, understanding that the power he'd taken from his wizards was beginning to wane. She could see the remains of it leaking from his body in great streams of light. And beneath those tendrils, something pulsed in the old wizard.
His life force.
Anger consumed Efa.
This creature had allowed his son to torment their village. He'd caused sickness and death to rain down on them. Their homes had been destroyed and children killed because of him. Jervis had sacrificed himself and been killed by the power of this wizard.
Gray shadows gathered around her, their voices full of hateful mutterings directed towards the wizard. Dimly, Efa realized they were the souls of her village, the innocents who'd been slaughtered at the hands of the man before her.
"I hate you," she whispered. "I want to kill you. They want me to kill you."
"Then do it," the old wizard hissed. "Take my soul and be done. You're a reaper now."
A quick kill would be too simple. It wouldn't satisfy the pain in her heart. She could feel the power of being a reaper rush around her, though she didn't completely understand it yet. Efa knew that she was something to be feared now.
What had he said he would do to her?
Kill her slowly.
Two could play at that game. Efa smiled, enjoying that something in the gesture seemed to frighten him a little though he fought hard to maintain his composure.
"You needn't worry," she said. "I’m not going to kill you first."
She looked at the other wizards.
"I'll start with them."
She focused on the flickering of light she saw within their beings and then in one fell swoop, ripped their souls free. Their physical bodies collapsed onto the ground.
The gray shadows shivered with joy, but they demanded one more.
"So lovely," she said, watching the wizards' souls dance in the air. Instinctively, she opened her arms and let them flow into her.
Swooning with the unexpected ecstasy of it, Efa fell to the ground.
She was only half aware that the old wizard had chanted a disappearing spell.
A cry of anger went up from the mob of gray shadows.
No matter.
There would be plenty of time for him later.
****
The memory stopped there.
Jacqueline opened her eyes, feeling a thin line of sweat run down the side of her face. She let go of Gabe's hand and brushed it away. To her dismay, her fingers were trembling.
"You okay?" Gabe asked.
"Sure," Jacqueline said. "It's just hard to see that happen to Efa. And yet, I understood her feelings. I've felt them before, seen those gray shadows. What happened to her?"
"That was all Derek showed me," Gabe said. "But I know that Efa traveled Europe looking for Artro’s father. They say that in her anger, she couldn’t think rationally and became evil, causing plague and famine to descend on the country. The remaining wizards feared her with good reason. If she came across one, she immediately reaped his soul."
"How did they stop her?"
"One of the wizarding families appealed to the goddess, Morrigan. She devised a special magical box that could contain Efa's anger and power."
"The Box of Souls!" Jacqueline thought about the silver box she had tucked away. "It was for Efa."
"Originally." Gabe nodded. "Morrigan put her in the box until her anger diminished and then gave the box to one wizarding family to guard. She also designated that this particular family would be responsible for protecting Efa's descendants. The goddess knew that banshees in Efa's family tree were a part of their destiny, but she wanted to take steps to prevent Efa's situation from happening again."
"So the O'Grady's are part of Efa's line," Jacqueline said.
"I guess so. I mean, there are several Irish clans with banshees attached to them."
"Eric was supposedly a guardian wizard," she said. "And he had the Box of Souls. If his family job was to protect Efa's descendants, than it looks like I'm one of them."
Gabe didn't say anything and Jacqueline wondered if the thought of Eric made him uncomfortable.
"When you and Derek had me trapped in the funeral home, you said Derek's family had hired Eric to find Derek. Why?"
"I don't know exactly. Derek just didn't want to be found at that point. My guess is that they wanted to kill him. Nobody liked him much. Hell, I only hung out with him because I didn't understand all the strange things happening to me." Gabe looked away. "I hit puberty and all my talents burst to life. It was…hard and confusing."
There was an awkward silence. Gabe shifted his feet, not meeting Jacqueline's eyes.
"You know, Jacqueline, judging from what I've read about Efa, I don't think the murdered souls she saw were in their right mind. I mean, they weren't the same as when they'd been alive. It seems like maybe they just wanted her to kill. They couldn't have all been so vengeful in life, though. That can't have been…well, mentally healthy to be around," Gabe said. "I tell you this so that you remember not to do everything those spirits tell you."
"Worried one of your gray shadows will tempt me into killing you?" Jacqueline asked, coldly.
"No. I can defend myself and I have plans that don't involve being killed by a banshee," Gabe snapped at her. "But my father--well, he's a good person. I don't want him hurt."
"I've seen no shadows around him."
"Good. Just remember that."
"What are your plans, Gabe? Are you going to hang around this bar forever? Or do you have a bigger agenda in mind?"
For a moment, he was silent. Jacqueline figured he wasn't going to answer. But when he did speak, his words surprised her.
"I want to be on the Brotherhood Council."
"Really? You mean the Brotherhood that is probably going to try and kill us both?"
"The same. There is an empty seat on it. If I can convince the Brotherhood that I'm not the threat they think I am, perhaps I can fill the vacancy." Gabe shrugged. "It's easier to wield power fr
om the inside."
"You're crazy," she said.
"Yeah. I probably am." Gabe shook his head, the old sullen glare she was used to returning. "Well, this has been fun, but I guess I should go back to the front and make sure no one made off with all the beer."
"Sure." Jacqueline watched him move to the door. "Wait a second. What happened to the old wizard?"
Gabe turned.
"Efa never caught him."
"Is he still around? What's his name?"
"His name is Gwydion, and yeah, he's still around. He's the head of the Brotherhood."
"Great. And you want to be a part of his council? Good luck with that."
"Cheer up." Gabe gave her a small smile loaded with sarcasm. "At least you haven't killed any of his relatives."
"Not yet." She sighed. "Thanks for the history lesson."
He nodded and said, "Take care of Toby."
The door shut softly behind him and Jacqueline glanced at the snoring wizard on the couch.
Take care of Toby.
She intended to do exactly that.
Gabe could join the Brotherhood if he liked, but Jacqueline would be damned before she let those assholes harm Toby.
Her heart went out to Efa. Poor doomed Efa who hadn't accomplished her goal of killing Gwydion.
Maybe Jacqueline could help with that.
She'd be paying Finneus Spark a visit very soon.
Chapter 7
"Oh, Finn," the woman moaned in ecstasy bringing a smile to his face. "More. Please."
Happy to oblige, Finn shoved his cock deeper inside her, loving the feel of her muscles contracting. In a more inexperienced man, such an action might have driven him over the edge, but for Finn who'd spent a great deal of time in sexual play, the movement was like an exquisite pain.
He could feel the hotel maid--Marla or was it Mavis?--build toward an orgasm. The question was did he want her to have it just yet?
Finn tweaked her nipples and then softly ran his hand down the length of her sides. Such soft skin. He thrust deeper watching her mouth open in delighted shock and then leaned over to suckle her tongue. Her hands dug into his back, scratching at the skin as he breathed in her moans of joy.
It wasn’t enough though.
He quickened the pace, knowing she wouldn't be able to control herself much longer, but just as she was about to peak, Finn pulled out. There was a flash of impatience on her face as the moment she'd been waiting for slipped away.
Gently, Finn placed a finger over her lips and said, "All good things to those who wait."
"Bastard," she whispered, but there was no bite in it. "C'mon. Let me finish."
"I don't believe in rushing things." Finn smiled. "Rushing can spoil the magic."
"Magic." She breathed the word in appreciation and slipped her hands down to his hard cock. "You sure know something about that."
In a lighting fast move, he turned her over and took her from behind.
"Oh, god, yes," she moaned, thrusting her hips towards him.
He glanced up and caught sight of them in the mirror. The maid's breast swung back and forth, soft globes that he cupped in his hands as he pulled her upright on her knees. Gently, he manipulated her nipples, watching as her white skin grew rosy from the heat between them. She leaned her head back on his shoulder as she continued to move up and down on his cock.
He kissed her neck, breathing in the scent of her vanilla scented perfume. Releasing one nipple, Finn eased his free hand down to the soft nub between her legs, working it until she thrashed with desire.
This time he let her orgasm rip through her.
She slid off him, spent and still moaning as he covered her with small kisses and stroked her hair. He'd always liked the afterglow of sex, the part where the woman was so satisfied that she no longer cared what happened next.
And that was lucky for him because sometimes what happened next was messy.
That was when he would get off.
Careful not to hurt her, Finn laid the maid out on the bed beneath him. She moaned as he once again, plunged inside her. But this time, the pleasure wasn't for her.
Finn began to softly chant as he clutched her wrists, pressing them down to the bed sheets.
"What are you doing to me?" the maid whispered, a sated breathy sound in the small room.
"Just taking a little something to remember you by." Finn ran his tongue along her ear, noting that even though she was exhausted, her nipples still grew hard. "Relax. Let me have what I need."
"Of course, baby." Compliant, she wrapped her legs around him, giving him deeper access. "I'm all yours."
"Yeah, you are," Finn said.
He waited for the change to happen.
There it was. A tiny light shimmered in her eyes like a rare diamond. Her face turned a deep red, darkening the rose color he'd admired earlier.
"What's happening?" Her breath came fast, but not from desire or lust. He could feel the heat tearing through her skin as his spell took effect. "What is that?"
"Nothing, sweetheart," Finn grunted, almost unable to get the words out.
His moment was so close.
"It's…it’s burning me." She opened her eyes wide and pushed against him. "Stop. You're burning me."
"Never, darling," Finn said. "I'm just taking your energy. Don't fight it."
With that, he placed his hands around her neck and squeezed.
The orgasm ripped through him as he placed his lips on the white light coming up from her open mouth. He sucked in the heat of her sex, letting it ripple through his system and filling a part of him that never felt good except during the combined act of sex and killing.
Finn rolled off her, shoving the body away now that he was done. His heart slowed little by little as he let euphoria seep into his being. Literally, tasting someone's sexual energy, taking it from them--he could live on that feeling for months.
So much better than the vanilla sex he usually had to settle for.
But that was the way. He'd learned a long time ago to use the spell only every now and then. Otherwise, too many dead girls could cause suspicion, bring unwanted attention to the Spark name. He'd tried to cast the sex spell and not kill, but that never worked. The kill was the cherry on the top of the cake.
Delicious.
The thought made Finn grin.
The knock at the door wiped the grin away. Finn sat up and surveyed the area. Had they been too loud?
Damn, here he was with a dead body and no place to put it for the time being. He hoped it wasn't Marla's boss looking for her. And just how many people on the hotel staff knew she was assigned to clean his room?
Maybe he'd been a bit hasty.
While he hashed out what to do, the knock came again.
Throwing a sheet over the dead maid, Finn got up and closed off the bedroom from the little parlor in the room. He grabbed his jeans and pulled them on, making sure to stuff the maid's clothes under the couch for the time being.
"Just a second," he called and looked around the room.
Everything in its place, he thought before peeping through the keyhole.
Jacqueline Huston stood on the other side of the door.
What could she want? Nervous, he pasted a smile on his face and opened the door.
"Hi," she said, looking uncertain. "I hope this isn't a bad time."
Couldn't be worse, he thought, but managed to keep the smile on.
"I was just getting dressed." He felt vaguely pleased when her eyes took in his muscular chest. "Come on in. Would you like a drink? The hotel has a great liquor cabinet in the room."
"No, thanks."
He grabbed his shirt from the chair where he'd stripped it off and kept his fingers steady while working the buttons. His mind raced.
What the hell did she want?
"I wanted to talk about the Brotherhood." Jacqueline saved him the trouble of asking. "I want to know what they are planning for Toby."
"I see." He nodded. "You want to
know what you're up against."
"Actually, I have a pretty good idea about that," she said. "What I wanted to know more about is a particular wizard. One called Gwydion."
Finn frowned.
Gwydion was one scary son of a bitch. Merciless and cunning. That's what everyone in the wizarding world said. Even his father acted like the man was someone to fear. He figured it was Gwydion that ordered his father to bring Jacqueline to the Brotherhood and authorized the killing of Toby and Gabe.
"I've never met the guy," Finn admitted. "The stories about him are legendary though. He's old. No one knows just how old, but he has run the Brotherhood for hundreds of years. Some say he was the first wizard, that he's really Merlyn, and that all of our families were created by him. I don't know if that's true, but most wizards agree that Gwydion is the most powerful of all wizards. He doesn't seem bound by the same rules we are."
Jacqueline sat on the small couch of the sitting room and chewed her lip. In another time and place, he would have found the action charming, sexy even---but with the maid's cooling body in the next room, Finn didn't have time to enjoy it.
"I recently heard that Gwydion and a half banshee had a run in several hundred years ago. Sounded like things didn't end happily. It got me to thinking," she paused. "I'd like to know when this attack on Toby is going to happen and what I can do to stop it."
"I understand," Finn nodded, his mind working different angles. "I'm glad you came to me."
"I don't want Toby to know that we talked though. He doesn't know I'm here right now."
Finn smiled, delighted with the idea that no one knew her whereabouts. Perhaps this was the moment he'd been waiting for. He could easily coerce her back to his father with tales of getting help against the Brotherhood, perhaps appeal to her better nature. They could steal a little DNA and then ship her off to Gwydion.
Of course, Toby would be a problem then. But he did have permission to kill him…
You've got to play this carefully, Finn told himself.
"The Brotherhood wants you, Jacqueline. As long as Toby stays out of the way, he's not in danger," Finn said, deciding a measure of the truth would be helpful. "They are fascinated by you, want to know how they can use you to their advantage. Wizards aren't the only supernatural beings in the world. Having you on our side could guarantee the Brotherhood's longevity. You could get rid of our enemies."
The Banshee's Desire Page 8
