“Quinn.”
My feet hit the ground before I was even conscious of moving. If Quinn had come into her power, then shit just got real. A line from the story Kincaid had told was engraved in my memory. His attempts to take her failed, at least until magic was once again free.
Considering the thrumming in my blood, it was safe to assume magic was once again free, and her father would try and take Kincaid and this time he would succeed.
I yanked on the clothes she’d spelled the day before, since they were the closest to me. I met Evan in the hall, his shirt buttoned crookedly as if he was in just as much of a rush as I was.
“You felt it.” It wasn’t a question, so much as a statement. The trinity was more powerful than I’d ever imagined. The magic they’d been holding back for the past twenty years was insane.
“How could they have controlled this much power? I can feel it.” I shook my hands to try and dispel the pins and needles feeling.
“They weren’t controlling the magic, not like it seems.” I shot him a confused look. “Our ability to wield magic has slowly been disappearing for decades. It’s why each new generation has had less and less ability with it. The trinity changes that. They bring magic back to us, enhance our ability to use it, focus our talents, if you will.”
“So, magic has always been there. We just couldn’t access it without them.”
He was less than impressed with my take on it, but finally nodded. “Yes, to put it simply.”
“We don’t have much time then. We still don’t know where Quinn is, and considering the surge I just felt she’s gotta be feeling overwhelmed.”
“None of them are together. We don’t know where Sinclair is either. The longer they’re apart from one another, the more danger they’re in. My son will stop at nothing to get his hands on them and it will be much easier when they’re alone.”
“Which is why we’re going to Kincaid. Like it or not, she now has round-the-clock bodyguards.”
Half an hour later, I was pounding on her apartment door, completely uncaring if I woke her fiancé or the neighbors.
The door swung open to reveal an irritated Kincaid. She blinked in surprise when she saw it was me.
“Expecting someone else?” I asked, moving past her, careful not to brush against her. Evan was right behind me, and her eyes narrowed.
“I thought you were Scott. What are you doing here? I thought you were staying at your place.”
“Quinn got her power.”
“How ...” she trailed off, her hand covering her wrist as she looked back toward the couch.
“We felt it.” Evan’s comment pulled her attention back to us.
“You felt it?”
“I imagine anyone with an ounce of witch blood in them felt it.” I sat on the couch, ruffling Kai’s fur as he set his head on my knee. “Where’s Scott?”
“I don’t know. I left him on the couch and went to take a bath.” Her eyes were distant, and I wondered what she was thinking about. “I collapsed on the floor when her magic released. I saw them.”
“Saw them?”
“My sisters.” She held out her wrist, showing us a tattoo of a trinity symbol. “When the last loop appeared, I saw them. Sinclair was exactly like my vision.”
“Your vision?” My interruption drew her attention.
“My vision of her coming. I had it a few weeks ago. I saw her, grown up, and I knew she’d be here soon. At work.” She glanced over at Evan with a soft smile. “She’ll show up at the company I work at. It’s why I never took you up on your offer. I knew she’d find me there. I wasn’t sure when, but soon now.” She kept staring at her wrist, tracing the symbol. “Quinn is stunning. She looked absolutely terrified, but she’s strong. Sinclair looks like our mom.”
“So where did Scott go?” Evan asked curiously. “It seems a little late for a midnight stroll.”
“I don’t know. Maybe he went looking for more alcohol.” She chewed on her lip. “He was drunk when he came home, and then I broke things off with him. Maybe he decided to leave.”
“You broke it off with him?” Hope flared to life in my chest, painful in its intensity. Fate had decreed we were one another’s perfect match, but neither of us were the type to break a promise. And as much as I’d disliked it, the ring she wore was a promise to another man. A ring that was now missing from her hand, I noticed, watching as she traced the symbol magically tattooed on her wrist.
She met my eyes, her nod solemn.
“But what are you doing here?” She gave us a confused look. “We were supposed to meet at lunch tomorrow.”
“The magic is released. Your father can get to you now. The story of the three sisters said it.”
“We can’t be positive how accurate it is.” She was dismissive, waving her hand at the idea that the story she’d always known could actually be one hundred percent accurate.
“I believe it’s extremely accurate, Kincaid.” Evan’s quiet words drew our attention. “You need protection and so will your sisters. Hopefully they’ve found their protectors as you have. None of you are safe, until your father has been defeated.”
“We’re here to keep you safe,” I piped in, unwilling to let her obstinacy push us away.
She brushed her golden curls from her face, her blue eyes bright as she glanced between us.
“Well, then. I guess one of you can have the guest room and the other can have the couch.”
The next morning, I woke up after a restless night. The need to touch Kincaid was driving me insane. The last obstacle in our way was gone, removed the moment Kincaid gave her engagement ring back. A simple brush of our fingers would initiate the bond, and ignite the magic between us. A touch would keep her safe, keep her own magic from overwhelming her.
Listening to her story, I had realized that Kincaid had always known more than any of us. I wasn’t sure if the story was a gift from her mother or perhaps an indicator of how strong Kincaid’s own ability was, but either way, she’d grown up knowing what was coming. She may not have always believed it, but she’d still had an advantage. Plus, her own ability as a seer would have guided her. I’d always been under the impression a seer could only see other people’s lives—never their own—but Kincaid had set that idea on its head. Hell, the truth was, she’d set my entire life on its head. Even when I’d wanted to walk away from magic, from my life hunting Davis girls … I hadn’t been able to. Our lives were intertwined so tightly by this point, there would never be any separating us.
Her appearance distracted me from my thoughts. I’d taken the couch and given Evan the guest room. I was used to sleeping in worse places than a couch, plus I wanted to make sure if someone came through the door I was the one they met first.
“Sleep well?” she questioned, as she slipped an earring in her ear.
“Not really.” I managed to say, standing uncomfortably. Watching her put on earrings felt more intimate than watching any other woman undress. It was a damn earring, but it still had me shifting. I wanted to stroke her cheek and brush the tendril of hair that had come loose from her bun. I wanted to run my tongue along the curve of her earlobe, and inhale the scent that was her. I wanted to watch her eyes flutter closed as I leaned in to kiss her, our breaths mingling as our lips pressed together.
The sound of unsteady breathing broke me from the fantasy I’d gotten lost in. Something in her eyes made me think she knew exactly what I’d been thinking about and why I hadn’t slept well.
She walked toward me purposefully, stopping directly in front of me, a literal hairsbreadth from our touching. Her eyes had me mesmerized, the blue shifting from dark to light as emotions raced through them.
“I choose you,” she whispered, before her lips were pressed against mine, and all thought was lost to the swirl of emotions her touch evoked. Lightening crackled through me and into her, sizzling our blood as the magic pulsed. Heat flashed over every inch of me, literally branding me to her, and I knew there would never be a d
ay I wouldn’t need her like my next breath. She wound her arms around my neck as I pulled her close, needing every inch of her to touch me as our kiss sealed the promises our magic had made to one another.
My hand tangled in her hair, destroying the bun as I finally felt the curls I’d dreamed about wrapping around my fingers. Our kiss deepened as her mouth opened, and I ran my tongue along hers. The world dissolved as images flickered through my mind. Two women surrounded by blue light, a woman dying inside of the crushed frame of a car, a little boy handing me ice cream with a sad smile, and then a woman’s gentle voice saying, “I love you, Guinea girl.”
Our lips broke apart as I stepped back with a gasp. She appeared as stunned as I felt as her fingers reached up to touch her swollen lips. I couldn’t resist the urge to tuck one of her escaped curls behind her ear, and she captured my hand, her fingers curling around mine. Our easy touches felt natural, the constant strain to stop ourselves gone.
“I saw your past?” she asked me, with a confused expression.
I nodded, knowing I’d seen images from her past as well. It was a highlight reel of who she loved, and moments that had shaped her. I wondered what she’d seen of my life, no doubt my sister, Portia, but who or what else was uncertain.
“It’s not as scary as I thought it would be.”
I chuckled, grasping what she meant instantly.
“The whole profound, meant for one another, hope Fate didn’t fuck it up?”
“Yep, that.” We shared a grin, and the moment lingered as we searched each other’s faces, our heartbeats finding the same rhythm. The idea of not being with her was impossible to me, of never touching her again completely improbable, as the feel of our hands locked together made me wonder how I’d lasted as long as I had.
“So, what’s the plan for today?” Evan’s booming voice had us jumping apart in surprise.
“Geez, Evan, give a girl a heart attack.”
“Considering the many enemies you have; I would think you’d be a little more alert.” he retorted, eyeing us curiously. “Did you finally bond?”
“It’s that obvious?” I asked ruefully, shoving the hair off my forehead. I needed to cut it, but that was low on the priority list at the moment.
“I saw a pair of clippers in the drawer of the bathroom. It would only take a few minutes to trim it. You do look a bit ragged to be dating my granddaughter.” Evan commented drily, stepping aside as Kai walked by.
“Did you just read my mind?” My eyes popped open in surprise at his words, as Kincaid looked between us.
“Yeah, that came out of nowhere,” she mentioned, stroking Kai’s head.
“I must have, but it’s never been that simple. Random thoughts, but I’ve never just read someone’s mind, especially someone not related to me.”
“See, being mate-bound isn’t so bad,” Kai murmured, nudging Kincaid.
“Agreed. In fact, it’s the best feeling in the world,” I replied, slipping my arm around Kincaid before answering Evan. “Maybe because I’m connected to Kincaid now?”
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Kai rumbled, eyeing me.
“But I heard you loud and clear.”
“Not cool. How am I going to talk about you to Kincaid when you can hear me?” I’d never contemplated the ramifications of a gossiping wolf in my life, but he was damn near pouting at the thought.
“I heard you yesterday,” I replied logically.
“Because I wanted you to. Not the case today.”
“Wait, you can direct your mental conversations? So, you can talk to Evan if you wanted?”
“Well, yeah.” His derision made me flush, but I’d never dealt with a guardian familiar. “I’m not your run of the mill wolf, dude.”
“I grasped that. Thank you. But you’re not a regular old familiar either.” I rubbed my eyes, the morning’s events taking their toll on me. “I’m sure with your superior intelligence, you can figure out how to block me when you want to talk to Kincaid.”
“Damn straight.”
“Along with me figuring out how to block Evan’s mind reading.”
“I second that.” Kincaid’s smile was determined, and slightly uncomfortable. As our kiss flashed through my mind, I silently decided it would be my top priority.
“Please do. I’d rather not hear it.” Evan’s dry voice had my eyes closing, and Kincaid blushing.
“We need to go.”
“Go where?” Kai and I asked her in unison.
“Work.” She answered like it was the most logical thing in the world. “Sinclair is coming.”
“Oh, well off to work we go.”
After a few futile minutes arguing with Kai about coming with us, we gave up. It was better if we stayed together, even if hiding an oversize wolf seemed impossible. We were parked in the garage at her work as we discussed how to get him into the building.
“Can you cloak him?” Evan’s question was reasonable, and I glanced at Kincaid. Spells weren’t my thing, even with the new resurgence of magic running through me. She shrugged and said, “I should be able to.”
A few muttered words later, and she sat back, her forehead wrinkled as we all stared at a clearly visible Kai.
“Well, that’s weird. I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve done a cloaking spell, but it should have worked.” She tapped her finger against her lip, studying him. “You’re not blocking the spell, are you?”
Kai rolled his eyes, the action so human, it made me chuckle. “I like incognito, remember? Why would I block the spell?”
“It might not be intentional,” she grumbled, as I looked around the garage to see if anyone had noticed us. Three adults and a large wolf would be a memorable sight for most.
“Um, Kincaid …”
“What? I’m trying to figure it out. I don’t know why he’s not cloaked.”
“I’m pretty sure I know.”
“What? How?”
“Look around.”
“Oh. Craaaap.”
“You cloaked the whole building!” Kai chuffed, clearly laughing, and I whispered, “Damn.” The spell was tricky, and for her to be able to cast it over the entire building, and not just Kai, was incredible.
I watched her take a deep breath to focus and then felt a pop as the spell released. She bit her lip, glancing between us as she asked, “You think anybody noticed?”
We all shook our heads; not wanting to make her feel worse by saying there was no way someone hadn’t noticed. We could only hope her sister showed up before her father did. With the kind of magic she’d just done, there was no way it wouldn’t be a red flag to him. He would know she was nearby. Rumors of a disappearing building would only draw him closer to her.
She sighed, her face expressing doubt at our sincerity.
“Let’s go. Hopefully, Sinclair is on her way.”
“Hey!”
“What, Kai?” She turned back and blinked at him. “Oh, yeah.” A minute later he was gone, at least until I tried to get out of the car and felt him leap over me.
“Nothing weird about an invisible wolf.”
We walked through the lobby casually. Evan had done his best to straighten his clothing, and I was still in the outfit Kincaid had given me the day before. She was confident no one would question her, as long as Evan was with us, and as we passed offices, it seemed she was right.
“Miss Kincaid, so glad you could make it back to work.”
Irritation flashed across her face before she slapped on a smile.
“What can I do for you, Derrick?” Her casual use of his first name had his eyes narrowing, but as soon as he spotted Evan, he changed his tune.
“You rushed out of here so quickly yesterday. I was concerned there was a family emergency.” He oozed sympathy as he stretched his hand out to Evan. “It’s good to see you here, Evan.”
“Mr. Marshall to you, Derrick.” The frown didn’t leave Evan’s face, as he ignored the outstretched hand and smarmy smile. “Kincaid was gracious enough
to come to my assistance yesterday. I would hope you would be understanding.”
“Of course. Of course. Anything I can be of assistance with?” The man was damn near simpering at Evan, and I raised my eyebrows at the sight. Kincaid had tipped me off that Evan was a rich dude, but this guy was damn near ready to give him a blow job. I didn’t know there was enough money in the world for all that.
“There is.”
Derrick threw a smug look toward Kincaid, but I’d seen Evan’s expression, so I waited for it.
“Anything at all, Mr. Marshall.”
“A coffee, two sugars for me, black for him, and get Kincaid a hot chocolate. We’ll be in her office. Don’t dilly dally.” I smirked, as the sharp words registered with him, and his face pinched. I gave him a wink as I walked past. “I prefer dark roast.”
The Trinity Sisters Page 26
