by S. E. Smith
“Ross could do it,” Nathan suddenly said. “He’s got the equipment.”
“No!” Ross and Gabe both said at the same time.
Nathan blanched and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “I was just suggesting, is all,” he complained, looking away from the two men glaring at him.
“I have it under control,” Gabe reassured Nathan before turning in irritation when his cell phone rang. “Listen, why don’t you guys take off? Too many boats around might spook the pod. I’ve got help… coming,” he added as he threw the dock line back to Nathan and turned away to grab his phone off the shelf near the ladder leading up to the roof of the bridge. “Speak.”
Ross nodded to Nathan, but didn’t move away as the other man pulled the bumpers back into the boat. Instead, he focused on listening to Gabe’s conversation for as long as he could. A tight smile curved his lips when he heard him mention Kane’s name and the softly hissed words ‘she’s in the water’. He had heard the rumors that the two men liked to share a woman. He wondered if the good doctor and Gabe had found something a little more interesting to share between themselves.
He lifted his hand and waved to Gabe when the other man turned and glared at him. Turning, he walked back to the bridge and started the engine again. His hand moved briefly to the front pocket of his jeans. The reassuring feel of the camera told him that he would soon know if he had been seeing things or not.
Magna gingerly sawed through the heavy line, freeing the calf one slice at a time. She worked on his entangled tail first, knowing that he would need it to help keep himself afloat and afraid of the damage it was already doing. She paused and focused a wave of healing energy into one particularly deep cut. It felt good to be helping other creatures instead of killing or enslaving them. She worked her way from tail to nose, paying close attention around his fins and mouth. She trailed her hand along its side, whispering to it as she worked. The two adults that had remained close watched her with attentive, curious expressions. A soft giggle escaped her when the calf tossed its head, shaking free of the netting that covered part of its mouth.
Swimming downward, Magna maneuvered the rest of the netting away as the calf jerked and pushed down with its tail. She knew the adults were interested in her, but they were also eager to move away from the danger. She held on to one end of the net with her left hand as she turned to watch the three whales join their pod. Soon, she could sense them moving farther out to sea.
Releasing a sigh, she tightened her grip on the net and checked to make sure that the other boat that had come up a short while ago was far enough away that they wouldn’t be able to see her if she surfaced. Satisfied that it was, she kicked her feet and rose upward. She watched as Gabe talked into the strange device that he had pressed against his ear. A smile lit her face when he froze the moment he saw her and quickly pocketed the device.
Several minutes later, he had pulled the boat close to her and was retrieving the discarded net with the winch. Magna waited until it was completely out of the water before calling a surge to lift her to the side of boat. Stepping onto the side, she gasped when she felt Gabe’s hands wrap around her waist and lower her to the deck.
“Thank you,” Gabe whispered as he pulled her closer.
Magna frowned as she stared up at him. “For what?” she asked, puzzled.
“For coming back to us,” he said before capturing her lips in a kiss that heated her blood.
Chapter Thirteen
Kane stood at the end of the dock waiting for them, an apprehensive scowl on his normally cheerful face. They had barely bumped against the wooden structure before he was climbing over the side. Magna giggled when he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face against her neck.
“It’s not funny,” he muttered, pressing a hot kiss to her neck.
“What is wrong?” she asked, pulling back far enough to gaze up at him.
Kane shot a heated look at Gabe. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come back,” he reluctantly admitted. “When Gabe said you had gone for a swim… I just… You have me twisted in a knot.”
Hell, he could hardly think straight. He knew he probably sounded like a pouty little boy, but he didn’t care. His arms tightened around her before he pulled back to look at her in concern.
“Your shoulder …,” he started to say.
Magna smiled up at him with glowing eyes. “It is completely healed,” she said.
Kane’s gaze softened, and he brushed a strand of her hair back from her face. His finger ran down her cheek to her neck, pausing on the thin line he felt there, the doctor in him curious about the physical differences between her and a human.
“Touch me,” she whispered, seeming to understand his curiosity. “You will not hurt me.”
Kane glanced at where Gabe had stopped to watch them. He could see in his friend’s face that Gabe understood he needed this time with Magna. Returning his gaze to Magna’s neck, he deftly followed along the long thin line. The ‘scales’ were really just a slightly different texture of skin in a mixture of blues. From a distance, it looked like a delicate tattoo.
“How do you breathe underwater and above ground?” he asked.
Magna opened her mouth to respond, then closed it and frowned at something behind him. Turning, he watched as Ross Galloway stepped off the path and onto the dock. He instinctively pulled Magna closer to his body at the same time as Gabe hissed a warning.
The three of them watched as Ross walked closer. The hair on the back of Kane’s neck stood up when Ross’s eyes locked on Magna. He swallowed down the desire to push her behind himself. Instead, Kane turned to face the other man as he came to a stop next to the boat.
“Ross,” Kane said, tipping his head in greeting.
Ross returned his nod before his eyes swept over the back of the boat, pausing on the tattered remains of the net before sliding away. He returned his attention back to Magna before Gabe moved to block his view.
“What do you want?” Gabe asked bluntly.
Ross chuckled and nodded his head to the net. “I came to see if you were able to free the calf that was caught,” he said with a shrug.
“Since when have you ever given a damn about the environment?” Gabe demanded, folding his arms across his chest.
“Since I found my net missing,” Ross replied with an easy grin. “I thought it was still in the shed. It looks like someone borrowed it. I was hoping you had been able to retrieve the one wrapped around the calf. I’d like to take a look at it and see if it is mine.”
Kane watched the suspicious look cross Gabe’s face, but there wasn’t a lot his friend could say. His arm curled around Magna’s waist and he decided that it was a good time to excuse the two of them. Gabe could handle Ross on his own.
“If you’ll excuse us, I know Magna is probably starving,” Kane said, standing to one side as Ross climbed over the side.
“Magna? An unusual name for an unusual woman,” Ross observed, stopping in front of her. “The whales were pretty cool. Did you get to see the calf?”
Magna gave Ross a tight smile and nodded. “Yes. The calf was afraid, but his mother was there to calm him. He learned a valuable lesson and has promised to use care in the future.”
“He promised?” Ross repeated with a raised eyebrow.
Kane’s arm tightened, and he pulled Magna around Ross. He climbed up on one of the lockers and stepped up onto the dock before reaching down to offer Magna his hand. He almost came unglued when Ross wrapped his hand around Magna’s upper arm as she stepped up onto the locker.
“Nice tattoos. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any like them before,” Ross commented, staring at Magna’s neck.
“I’m sure you haven’t,” she said, pulling her arm free and reaching for Kane’s hand.
Kane glanced at Gabe over Magna’s head as he helped her up onto the dock. He saw the fury in Gabe’s eyes, but he also saw the unease. Something wasn’t right.
“I’ll meet you up at the hous
e,” Kane told Gabe. “Have a good evening, Ross.”
Ross didn’t turn back around to Gabe until Kane and Magna walked down the dock and left his sight as they climbed the stairs leading up to the house, but when he did, the fury and suspicion in Gabe’s eyes were hard to miss.
“Nice looking woman,” he commented casually. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her around here before.”
Gabe’s jaw tightened. “That’s because she’s not from this area,” he retorted, before jerking his head toward the net. “Is it your net or not? The tag that’s supposed to be on it is gone.”
Ross walked over and touched the net with the toe of his boot. He could see some of the old patches he had done on it. It was the one he had cut loose the other morning. His mind wasn’t on the net, though, it was on the woman. She was definitely the one he had seen underwater.
“Whoever stole it likely wouldn’t have kept the tag on it,” he replied with a wry grin. “It’s hard to tell, but it looks like it is mine. I was going to file a police report, but figured it wouldn’t do any good, then I thought I’d better check with you first.”
“I’ll have to report it,” Gabe said, folding his arms across his chest again. “You might want to go ahead and file that report, otherwise you’ll be looking at a hefty fine.”
Ross shook his head. “I don’t think it is necessary to report it. No harm done, after all,” he said, locking eyes with Gabe in a silent battle of wills.
“It’s my job,” Gabe stated.
Ross scowled. The last thing he wanted was the hassle of paperwork. A slow smile curved his lips as it occurred to him that Gabe would want it even less.
“Strange that neither Nathan nor I saw Magna on your boat when we pulled up,” he commented, looking back at Gabe.
“She was there,” Gabe stated in a cool voice.
“Not a lot of places to hide and your bridge is pretty open,” Ross observed with a shrug.
“She wasn’t hiding and she was there,” Gabe repeated, not budging.
Ross rubbed his jaw and nodded. “If you say so,” he said, turning to climb back off the boat. He paused after he was safely on the dock and glanced back at Gabe. “It’s strange, I thought I saw something when I was diving. I guess I’ll have to put that in the report if you insist on filing one.”
The shuttered look in Gabe’s eyes told him that he had hit a sensitive nerve. Triumph filled him when Gabe glanced down at the net. Ross waited, knowing that the other man was wondering how much he knew, or thought he knew.
“I guess no harm was done,” Gabe finally said with a shrug. “Just don’t let it happen again.”
“I won’t,” Ross promised. “Perhaps I’ll see Magna around town. I hope you have a good evening.”
Ross turned away and walked down the dock when Gabe didn’t reply. Earlier, he had debated if he should come and confront Gabe or not. Now, he was glad he had. He had looked at the video on the camera. There had been something there, but it had been fuzzy, just a blur and a faint outline before the damn battery had died. This visit had given him concrete proof that he had seen a woman, Magna, and that she wasn’t your typical female – a fact that Gabe and Kane were trying to hide.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he climbed along the uneven path that cut through the trees up to the road. It was a bit more difficult hike than using the stairs, but for once he enjoyed the exercise.
He returned to his truck and climbed in. The house was barely visible through the trees on the side of the mountain. Pulling out a cigarette, he placed it between his lips and lit it with the lighter from the console next to him. Drawing in a deep breath, he slowly released a series of smoke rings. Now, he just needed to figure out a way to profit from his knowledge.
Chapter Fourteen
“I’ve seen that man before,” Magna murmured as she and Kane climbed the steps.
“You… Where?” Kane demanded, grabbing her upper arm when he suddenly turned in front of her.
“He came up out of the depths as I was swimming,” she reluctantly admitted, biting her lip and looking back down toward the dock. “It took a moment for me to understand why I recognized him. He was wearing some funny clothing and a mask over his face, but I recognized his eyes.”
“Damn it,” Kane cursed, running his left hand through his hair. “We’ve got to warn Gabe. This could mean trouble.”
Magna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “If it will cause you and Gabe trouble,” she said quietly. “I can leave. I won’t let you two be harmed because of me. Never again will I be responsible for harm to another.”
Kane slid his hand down her arm and pulled her close. The feel of his warm body against hers sent a shaft of longing through her. After centuries of horrible loneliness, she didn’t know if she was strong enough to return to the darkness and solitude. She would rather die than have to live like that again.
“No,” he whispered against her temple. “We’ll figure something out.”
Magna felt tears burn the back of her eyes. Burying her face against his chest, she breathed in the soothing scent of his skin. Fear battled with the knowledge that perhaps this was fate’s way of punishing her for all her previous misdeeds. What better way than for her to fall in love with Kane and Gabe, only to have them ripped away from her as she had done to so many others back in her world?
She lifted her head when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Glancing over her shoulder, her gaze locked on Gabe’s grim face. The feeling of dread built inside her until certain knowledge pierced her like the metal from Mike Hallbrook’s weapon, ripping through her with a pain that threatened to overwhelm her.
“He knows,” she whispered, staring down at Gabe.
“Yes,” Gabe replied in a quiet voice. “He knows.”
They returned to the house, each lost in their own thoughts. Magna called to Buck and Wilson when they entered, and the two Huskies raced toward her. Kane and Gabe disappeared into the kitchen. She could hear them preparing a meal and quietly talking.
She laughed when Wilson ran to his basket of toys and started pulling them out one at a time and bringing them to her. Every time she would try to pick one up, he would grab the toy and hold it in his mouth until she sat still.
“He’s a clown. A total disgrace to Huskies around the world,” Gabe said, shaking his head when he peered over the bar to see what she was laughing about.
“I think he is adorable,” she responded.
That earned a lick up her cheek. A giggle escaped her when Buck started to join in. Soon, the two dogs were competing to see who could pile the most toys on her.
“I told you they didn’t need any more toys,” Kane dryly replied.
“I’d rather buy them another toy than have them eating my furniture,” Gabe retorted.
Magna knew that they were all avoiding talking about what had happened earlier. She wasn’t sure why the man knowing of her existence would cause so much worry – unless he also knew what she had done.
Was there a way for a man of this world to know that she was the dreaded Sea Witch? If there was, would the people of this world attack Gabe and Kane because they had helped her? She buried her face against Buck’s soft fur as a wave of pain struck her.
Drawing in a deep breath, she pulled back and looked into Buck’s sweet eyes. She would wait and grow stronger. If danger appeared, she would escape to the ocean and watch them from a distance like her father had watched her mother.
“Dinner!” Kane called out.
Magna laughed when both dogs took off for the kitchen, almost knocking her onto her back. She rose off the floor and followed them. A grin lit her face when she saw Wilson dancing around Gabe as he tried to put the food on the table.
“Down, you damn dog. No, this is not for you. Damn it, Kane. I told you to say supper! You have to say supper. Wilson thinks dinner is for him,” he growled.
“Well, why didn’t you train him with supper instead? Who calls out supper? Everyone I know says
dinner,” Kane argued.
“I didn’t think about it, okay?” Gabe retorted.
Magna bit her lip as she sat down at the table. She whispered a simple spell and snapped her fingers. Two dog bones suddenly appeared under the table, and she picked up the fork next to her plate. She sighed when she saw her hand tremble.
“How did your day go?” she asked.
Kane shrugged. “Not bad. No heart attacks, a few stitches, a minor car accident, and some fevers and ear infections,” he said, sliding several large broiled shrimp, fresh vegetables, rice, and warm rolls onto her plate.
She grinned up at him with an appreciative smile. He winked at her before he stepped back around the table and sat down across from her. Her stomach growled as she drew in a deep breath of the delicious aromas from the food. She decided food tasted so much better when she didn’t have to hunt it and eat it raw.
“How do you treat those who come to you?” she asked, curious.
She listened, fascinated. The world Kane was describing was so different from any of the kingdoms she had visited. Even on her mother’s isle, those who were ill visited a local healer for healing stones, spells, or potions. Those who were very ill might need the touch of a gifted healer, one who could connect with the patient.
“So, Gabe said you rescued a whale calf today?” Kane asked.
“Yes. His mother was very upset. She had even warned him to stay away from the net,” she said with a wave of her fork. “He really shouldn’t have snuck away from her.”
“It was Ross’s net. He said it was stolen,” Gabe said, his lips twisting in disbelief.
“So, the whales told you that the calf snuck away from his mother?” Kane asked, enjoying watching her eat as much as he was listening to her.
She nodded, her mouth full and her plate almost empty. With a sigh, she picked up a piece of shrimp. She was hungrier than she’d realized.
