Spring Magic

by T. M. Cromer

  Dismissing Quentin, Knox focused his attention back on Preston. Would he be so happy if he knew Knox was a murderer? That he killed both his own parents in addition to the men who had been guarding Spring in Colombia?

  As if Preston read Knox’s mind, he said, “I know the truth surrounding Robert’s death.”

  From where he rested back against the cushions, Knox straightened and leaned forward. “You know I struck down my father with the equivalent of a lightning bolt?”

  “Yes. And he damned-well deserved it.”

  “Absolutely!” Alastair stepped from the gathering shadows. “That’s always been my personal opinion. I’m glad we’re all in agreement.”

  Agreement? Knox wasn’t convinced he agreed, but he didn’t wholly believe he disagreed either. For sure his life had been better off without his abusive father in the picture, but now the weight of murder hung about Knox’s neck, and it was heavier than he could ever have imagined. Why had he killed him? For some reason, it bothered him more than the killing of his mother and Don Carlos, both of whom deserved to rot in hell for their attacks on Spring.

  Knox’s head shot up. He stared between the two brothers. They both wore a look of kind patience, as if they were waiting for him to figure out a puzzle they had already solved. “Why did I kill my father? It was to protect Spring, wasn’t it?”

  The satisfied curl of Alastair’s smile told Knox he’d guessed correctly.

  “Why was she there in the first place?”

  “Spring had been kidnapped once before. By your mother and father.” Preston’s faced went grim with the retelling. “She’d been in the clearing. I assumed I’d cloaked it well enough for the girls to play, but it seemed my wards weren’t strong enough. You broke through them.”

  Shock slammed into Knox. “Me? How the hell does an eight-year-old boy break a ward created by a Thorne warlock?”

  “How does an eight-year-old boy stop time or conjure lightning bolts from air?” Alastair rolled his eyes and glanced at his brother in exasperation. “I thought he was the smart one?”

  Preston’s lips twitched, but otherwise he ignored his brother’s snark. “I’ll tell you a secret only the two of us know.” He waved to himself and Alastair. “You are the most powerful warlock in existence, son. More powerful than the two of us.”

  “But if you say as much, I will call you a damned liar,” Alastair cut in.

  Once again, Preston’s lips twisted into a hint of a smile. “You were gifted your magic from Isis many lifetimes ago. It isn’t just built into your DNA; it’s built into your soul, like no other witch or warlock alive. If I died tomorrow and was reincarnated, there is a chance I might not come back with powers if I were born to a normal family. But even should you be born to a non-magical family, you would retain your powers. It was Isis’s way of protecting you from Serqet.”

  “The short version of what my brother is trying to say is that Isis wanted to insure you always had the power to take down a god or goddess should you need to. It’s why she showed up when Spring died. She needed to temper your rage and prevent you from destroying the entire South American continent.”

  “No way I have that much power! No fucking way!”

  “You do. And luckily, you also have the calmest temperament of anyone I’ve ever met. But my beloved niece is your trigger. When she is threatened, you become a ticking time bomb. Just as you did as a child.” Alastair sighed. “I made up the story of Lin killing your father because I didn’t believe you should carry the weight of Robert’s death on your shoulders. But Lin was there that night for the handoff of Spring for whatever nefarious reasons he’d planned with your parents.”

  Alastair reached over and touched Knox’s temple. “Remember.”

  All the real memories came crashing back, and he relived the scene.

  He’d been in the corner reading when his parents brought an unconscious Spring through the door. She had been filthy, and her dried tears had left a distinct trail through the dirt on her face. Knox jumped up and ran to where they’d dumped her on the sofa. When he moved to touch her, Robert slapped him hard across the face. The ring on his father’s finger slashed his cheek open. Oddly, for the first time in his life, Knox hadn’t cowered. He stood his ground and glared at his father as the blood poured from the wound.

  “She’s mine, and I’m hers,” Knox cried out.

  Robert laughed and grabbed Knox by the hair. “She belongs to Zhu Lin now, boy. You won’t want her after what he has planned for her. Take your last look. She’ll be gone soon. Maybe then you can concentrate on what we are trying to teach you.”

  Zhu Lin had shown up within minutes of Robert’s ugly words. Knox hadn’t known what his father meant at the time, other than Spring was to be taken from him. It was the first incident of frozen time. He’d halted the molecules around him and gathered Spring to his chest. He’d made it to the corner with her when time snapped back.

  All the occupants of the room stared at him in wide-eyed wonder. However, his father’s rage overrode his wariness of a powerful little boy. As Robert charged toward him, intent on taking Spring, Knox screamed and sent the full force of his magic toward his father. The bolt not only electrocuted Robert Knox, it burnt him to a cinder.

  Zhu Lin wasted no time beating a hasty retreat. Only Knox’s distraught mother remained in the room, sizing him up and trying to determine the best way to proceed with an angry, terrified child on her hands. That was the moment when the Thornes had shown up to retrieve the family jewel.

  “Jesus! I remember it all now.” Knox rose to his feet and moved to the rail. As he stared out over his property, he tried to come to grips with the fact that he possessed the power to end Serqet should he choose. “Does Serqet know how strong my magic is?”

  Alastair moved to his side and propped a hip against the white railing. “She does.”

  “So her proposition today was in order to gain that power for herself.” Spring stated.

  The men all jerked around to face her.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” Her mischievous smirk said otherwise. “But back to Serqet. Are we to assume she was the one who created those shackles in order to steal abilities? If so, do you think her intent would have been to use them to harness Knox’s magic had he agreed to her terms today?”

  “Quite probably,” Preston agreed.

  Spring sauntered to the loveseat and sat beside Preston. She gave him a long, curious look and snuggled into his warmth. Her father’s arm encircled her and held her close. They were a lovely picture: father and daughter. How many times had they sat thus, curled up and sharing a quiet, peaceful moment together?

  In watching the two of them together, Knox envisioned his and Spring’s child down the road. He hoped to be able to sit in that exact spot and hear about his or her adventures. Listen with an open heart and mind about all the magical wonders their little tyke discovered that particular day. The vision was so real as to be a peek into the future. Knox prayed to the goddess that it would be true.

  “Knox told us Isis showed you the movie reel of your life.”

  Spring’s gaze sought Knox before she answered. “She did.”

  Preston nodded slowly and tightened his arm. “Then you will see what a poor excuse for a father I’ve been.” The gruffness in his voice couldn’t be mistaken for anything but high emotion.

  “I don’t think you were a bad father. I understand you have your reasons for your travels.” Spring lifted her head to study Preston’s face. “But what I do know is that you came for me. More than once. You always tried to protect me and show me love. I can only imagine that before Colombia, I knew that and loved you deeply in return. And if you give me time, I’m sure I’ll adore you as much as I once did.”

  Tears escaped down his cheeks as he gazed down upon his daughter’s earnest face. “I’m so glad you were returned to us. I will always be in the goddess’s debt for what she did for this family. I love you, daughter. And if by some f
reak accident, your memory of this moment is erased, I will tell you again. But more importantly, I will show you.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” The smile she showed Preston was impish and lovely. “Since I missed Christmas, I’ve decided to make you a list of things I want.”

  “Don’t let her hit you up for an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris for a shopping expedition.” Alastair pushed off the railing and squatted in front of her. With a sleight of hand, he produced a credit card. “She’s already secured that gift from me.”

  “Thank you, Uncle.” In one fluid motion, she rose, plucked the card from his grasp, and kissed his cheek, then flipped her hand to reveal a second credit card. “Thanks to Isis’s mental download, I remembered what you taught me. Which one should I charge for my trip?”

  Alastair’s astonishment was priceless, and had Knox had his phone, he would take a picture for posterity. Surprising Spring’s uncle had to be a rarity.

  With a wink to Knox, Spring handed Alastair the card she’d swiped. “Now, let’s see about our guests. I can’t imagine it is too comfortable for them with their noses pressed against the front windows.”

  Sure enough, Knox spied her sisters and their significant others staring unabashedly through the blinds. “Never a dull moment in this family.”

  “Truer words were never spoken, son,” Alastair said with a laugh and a hard pound on Knox’s back. “What’s for dinner?”

  Epilogue

  Throughout dinner, Alastair silently watched his family interact. Spring was more open and laughed easier than she had in months. Periodically, her eyes sought out Knox as his gaze sought out hers. They would share a soft, secretive smile across the length of the table.

  Thrilled with the way things had evolved for them, Alastair turned his attention to Holly and Quentin. They were the next pair on his list to match. Holly wouldn’t make it easy. If Alastair claimed the sky was blue, she’d claim it was actually white with intermittent shades of color. He had to be careful with his plan to move forward. If Holly thought he liked Quentin, she’d reject the poor lad out of spite.

  Alastair held back a snort. Who would have thought a seventy-five-year-old badass warlock would become a matchmaker?

  He shook his head slightly and lifted his drink to take a long sip. Across the table, his gaze locked with Preston’s. There was a wealth of understanding in his brother’s amber eyes. There was also a promise of help. Preston would do what he could to make sure Aurora Gillespie-Thorne woke soon, not only for Alastair’s sake, but for Rorie’s and her children’s. They both agreed a mother should be present for the future weddings of her daughters.

  Before Alastair, Preston, Spring, and Knox joined the others, Knox had mentioned a new threat in the form of Victor Salinger. Fingers tightening on his glass, Alastair fought to shake off the old hatred. Now wasn’t the time, nor the place for it. But he hoped to take his revenge on that bastard one day soon. Victor was as bad, if not worse than Lin had been, because his vision was not to obliterate witches and warlocks, but to steal powers and artifacts to boost his place in the world. Salinger dreamed of world domination and would do what was necessary to achieve it.

  Spring had stolen Alastair’s revenge on Lin by burying their old enemy alive. It had been a fitting end, but he preferred to have been the one wielding Karma’s wand. He’d wanted to end Lin in the worst way possible, but he’d settle for taking Victor Salinger down when the time was right. He owed that sick asshole for the endless days of torture while Alastair had been a prisoner in Lin’s dungeon.

  “You look upset.”

  He whipped his head around. Holly sat next to him, quiet and watchful. She hadn’t always been so. Once, she’d been a spitfire, ready to defy him and the world at large. But her deceased husband, Beau Hill, had changed that when he plunged a knife into Holly’s chest. Alastair swallowed hard. If he’d have lost his beloved daughter…

  He nodded. “I guess I am a little.”

  “Are you not happy that Spring and Knox got together?”

  “Why would you think that?”

  She shrugged and dropped her gaze to her plate. With her fork, she toyed with the crust of the perfectly baked cherry pie. Holly had always hated cherry anything. With a quick check of the table, he swiped his hand over the pie, changing it to rhubarb.

  Her blue-green eyes brightened to aqua as she laughed up at him. “Thanks. I didn’t want to be rude.”

  “For the record, I am happy Spring and Knox have finally connected. They’ve been through a lot.” In a sentimental move that shocked the socks off her, he leaned in to kiss Holly’s temple. “Just as I wish you to be happy, child.”

  The rapid blinking of Holly’s eyes gave away her tearful response to his affection.

  He heaved an internal sigh and took a long sip of his drink. Mending their rift would take more time than he possessed, but perhaps he could provide her heart’s desire in the meantime.

  “I suppose we should discuss the retrieval of the Cheirotonia Scroll,” Alastair said to the table as a whole.

  Quentin shot him a knowing half-smile, but turned his attention to Holly. “Looks like we’re up next, my prickly pear.”

  Holly looked like she’d eaten a package of the Sour-Patch Kids candy she loved so much as a child. Her face puckered, and her lips tightened to a crinkled little O.

  Alastair buried his face in his brandy snifter in order to hide his grin. Yep, she was definitely a prickly pear and would be the most stubborn of the lot. Matching her with Quentin would require all the tricks in Alastair’s arsenal.

  From the Author…

  Thank you for taking the time to read SPRING MAGIC. If you love what you’ve read, please leave a brief review. To find out about what’s happening next in the world of The Thorne Witches, be sure to subscribe my newsletter.

  Books in The Thorne Witches Series:

  SUMMER MAGIC

  AUTUMN MAGIC

  WINTER MAGIC

  SPRING MAGIC

  REKINDLED MAGIC

  LONG LOST MAGIC

  Never fear. All the characters you’ve come to love—Nash, Alastair, Preston, and GiGi—will have a story of their own in the coming months.

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