Though Rafe had felt a shudder go through him as more magic swept out from next door—balanced magic that made everything around him sharper, as if he’d looked through a blurred camera lens. The cul-de-sac was more vibrant and the trees and lawn seemed to bud into spring overnight.
Anyway, the brownies weren’t talking. They weren’t even coming by to mooch the stack of chocolate bars that remained in the cupboard.
In the game, Rafe had hesitated at the “door” of the earth palace. Despite his acquaintance with Vikos, he didn’t feel an earth palace was where he wanted to present himself on his thirty-third birthday. To show that he’d won the Cosmos Dagger. To be taught by Lightfolk warriors to fight and kill Dark ones. He wanted an air palace, and he would find one.
So much for the magical part of his life. On the human front, he’d spent hours on the phone with his brother Gabe and his uncle.
Both of them had felt it when the curse had been broken. Gabe said it was as if a backpack loaded with rocks had fallen away. He’d called Rafe and though Rafe hadn’t told him the whole story yet, Rafe figured it would only be a matter of time.
Gabe had agreed with the purchase of number two Mystic Circle and would be coming to check out the rest of the neighborhood in a month or so for real estate investments. He hadn’t lost any time confessing to Cynthia and the wedding was set for Thanksgiving week.
Rafe’s uncle had been a little cooler, but the distance between them was being bridged.
Conrad had called. They’d spoken in near-code about what had happened. Conrad was interested but distracted. He’d taken an apartment in a small city close to where Marta was living. She’d agreed to meet with him. For once, Rafe didn’t feel negative toward her. Magic was in his life and had changed him. Who was to say that magic wasn’t working on Conrad and Marta, too?
And he understood how his friend ached for a lost love. Rafe damn well hurt.
“I said that Spark is back.” Tiro actually hopped onto Rafe’s calves and stood staring down at him, hands on hips. He was heavier than he looked. Rafe didn’t think he could move his legs and his feet were going numb fast.
“Spark’s back.” Fear shot through Rafe, he sat up. “Amber isn’t—” He shut his imagination down, couldn’t say the words. His heart beat loudly in his ears from the throb of dread.
“Spark says his name is Sargas.”
Rafe blinked. “Spark, Sargas is a he?”
“He has determined his sex.”
“Oh.” Rafe tried to move. Couldn’t because of the pressure on his ankles. He had one pissed-off brownie. “Ow.”
There were thumps outside like a large beast. Rafe stiffened. No evil could come into the Circle, now or ever. That he knew.
Swishing across the wooden porch. The knocker slammed.
Tiro’s face blazed happiness and he disappeared. “Come on!” he yelled at Rafe.
Rafe jolted to his feet, winced at the needles of returning blood. He lurched from the living room to the entryway. Tiro was by the door, hopping up and down with thumps that seemed to echo through the house like a heartbeat.
Opening the door, he saw a beautiful woman who made his breath stop and his own heart stutter. She looked like Amber’s younger sister.
No.
Not. Sister.
“Amber?”
She wet her lips. He remembered Amber doing that. Her golden-brown eyes were and weren’t the same. They were bright and clear, but held a wealth of experience. He pulled her in, into the house, into his arms. Against him.
She smelled right. But, hell, she was younger than he. And a serious woman with expectations. He didn’t mess with young women with expectations.
Her mouth was on his and he tasted her. His Amber, his woman. Oh, yeah, he did mess with younger, serious women. She wasn’t getting away from him again. Ever.
He drew away, stroked her cheek. The texture of her skin was different. Her body appeared a little less lush, too. Something to look forward to, her filling out more. And he knew she’d make a lovely old woman. He wanted to see every single change. “Mine,” he said. Grabbed at a passing thought. “Love you. Marry me.”
“Yes. I love you, too. Oh, yes, I’ll marry you!”
He picked her up and cradled her in his arms and knew that he had all that he ever wanted.
Rafe’s arms around her had tears leaking from her eyes again. This time of joy. He hadn’t left! He wanted her and she wanted him. So badly.
But she met Tiro’s eyes as he hopped through the stair rails to the floor of the entryway. “Thank you. For coming to me, and your help this morning. You are free.”
He turned the deep brown of embarrassed brownie. “I like my room. I want to stay here.”
“Of course.” She looked up at Rafe, “Fine with you?”
“Yeah, yeah. Sure. Good job, Tiro,” Rafe said. Amber got the impression that he had no idea of the conversation or what he’d said.
With a pop, Tiro disappeared.
“We’re alone, right?” Rafe asked.
“Where are the dogs?”
“You don’t really want to see the dogs right now, do you?” His panting breath was close to her face and she smelled apples and mint and coffee. He had a good hold on her, but was running up the stairs.
“No, the pups can wait until later.” They didn’t remember her anyway.
“They’re out back.” He took a deep breath, barely able to believe he had her in his arms. “God, Amber.”
Rafe shoved the door to her bedroom open with his shoulder. She saw that he’d slept there and hadn’t made the bed. He tossed her through the air and she landed with a laugh.
He was ripping his clothes off as he followed her. As he pounced.
And the feel of his hard and strong body against her own, her firm flesh, was nearly more than she could bear. She helped him with his shirt, his jeans. And then they were kissing and touching, and petting and stroking and driving each other close to climax. Just with hands on taut, flushed and heated skin.
He rolled over her, joined with her and she reveled in the way her body undulated under his, arched, strove to ecstasy with his. Her lover. Her fiancé. Her man, proving that she was all woman and his.
They peaked together, moaned each other’s name and held each other tightly.
She looked at him, his face rough with stubble, his eyes dilated from sex but focused on her. He slipped a hand around her nape and brought her close, nibbled on her lips, probed her mouth with his tongue, then withdrew. “You. Your taste is almost the same. Almost but not quite. But it is you.” His muscular arms clamped her so close she could barely breathe, but she wanted that, wanted this connection, this bond with him.
“Yes, it’s me. At my real age. Cumulustre came by this morning and we were able to reverse the aging process. He—”
But Rafe kissed her again. “Later. We can discuss all that later.” He moved and she realized he was ready to love again. “My Amber.”
“My Rafe.”
They held on to each other, kept their eyes on each other as they moved together and shattered together and were remade.
This time he rolled and scooted until their sides touched, all the while linking fingers with her. She waited until love fog cleared from her mind, and she was breathing less raggedly before saying, “You stayed.”
“Yeah. It hurt to stay, but I thought it would hurt worse to leave.” His mouth twisted. “I couldn’t leave, but I didn’t do much. Worked out at the dojo. Trained at the lyceum. Played the new game Pavan gave me. Didn’t do much at all. I couldn’t believe the changes in my life. That my future was spread before me, but you weren’t in it.” He stroked her hair. “I asked Pavan to fix your age problem.”
“He told me. It was touch and go.”
Rafe closed his eyes, gathered her close again. “I don’t think I want to face that right now. Later when I’m sure that you won’t vanish.”
Amber scrutinized Rafe and suppressed her worry. He didn’t app
ear in great shape. Oh, his muscles were fine, but he’d lost weight and there were new lines in his face. And not just from his duel with Bilachoe, though that had marked him. The loss of her had hurt him.
She closed her eyes, cherishing their closeness. They held each other for a couple of minutes in blissful silence. Then their lips molded together in another kiss that had renewed passion flooding through her.
Rafe flopped back against the pillows. “Wow.”
“Yes.” She stroked his hair back from his forehead.
“You broke my curse.” He lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “Now we’re together for the rest of our lives.”
Unspeakable happiness filled her until she could barely breathe. She loved him and his love for her shone brilliantly in his eyes so that she had to glance down at their joined hands.
“Yes. Whatever we decide to do. Whether it’s journeying to a Lightfolk palace or helping your cousin or someday having a child—”
“A kid? I don’t want, can’t have—” He stopped, knowledge dawned in his eyes. “A child. A son. I can have a son. A son I can watch grow. A first son who won’t die before his thirty-third birthday.” Rafe looked dazed.
“That’s right. Whatever we do, I want you to know that I am determined to help.”
“You’ve always been.”
“That’s right. I haven’t changed in that, but I know my limitations.”
“You aren’t going to be breaking any more curses, are you?” he asked warily. “No more death curses—” his voice came husky, he looked away from her and swallowed “—or really bad curses like Conrad’s?”
“No. I have other options.” She set her mouth. “Even if I hadn’t, I understand that not caring for myself means that I don’t have as much energy to help as I might. I’ve grown.” She lifted up to meet his eyes. “I know that no matter how hard you try there are some things you can’t change…and I have to accept life as it is.”
Her palm computer left in the pile of her clothes trilled an alarm and she frowned.
“What’s that?” Rafe asked.
A glow of pure happiness suffused her. “The party. Time to go to the party.”
“What party?”
“The get-together at Tamara’s that I organized last week on our walk.” Amber rolled from her bed to her feet, loving the feel of her muscles moving well. Rafe tugged at her hand. “I’d rather stay in bed.”
“Let’s go let you meet your neighbors.”
“I’ve got my whole life to live,” he said.
Again he tugged and she grinned at him. “And I’ve got my balance.” She leaned down and kissed him. “Welcome to Mystic Circle.”
* * * * *
What happens when magic affects a wholly human woman?
What do the royals have in mind for her?
Come back to find out!
Acknowledgments
For more information on Red Rocks:
http://www.redrocksonline.com.
For information on the architectural styles of Denver: Denver, The City Beautiful by Thomas J. Noel and Barbara S. Norgren published by Historic Denver, Inc., Denver, Colorado, 1987; Leonard Leonard & Associates: www.leonardleonard.com/neighborhoods/styles.shtml.
Research also took me to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the exhibit of the Whydah, www.whydah.org.
Thanks to them for their answers about concretions, knives and swords. Thanks also to the National Geographic Society for sponsoring the exhibit.
More thanks to the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrolic Prediction Service for water levels of the Platte in March, Google maps for closeups of the area I traveled twice a day on the bus when I had the day job, and the Colorado Victorian Bed and Breakfast Inns.
Most of the houses on Mystic Circle are within walking distance of me, though all can be found in Denver except the Castle, which is more imaginary, though there are castlelike homes. I’ll have photos of the houses on my blog, http://www.robindowens.blogspot.com, pics of Amber and Rafe as they appear in Fairies and Dragons, and some cut scenes on my website, http://www.robindowens.com.
As for the people who live in the nine houses of Mystic Circle…they will arrive as their friends and family are written about…or, like Kiri Palger, whose heroine is Jenni Weavers, they’ll be drawn to the place....
And please remember—and share with your friends—that illegal downloads of books hurt the author. If you enjoy and respect our work, please buy an authorized copy. Thank you for supporting us.
Follow your heart and magic will come,
Robin D. Owens
ISBN: 9781459219090
Copyright © 2012 by Robin D. Owens
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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