by Bonnie Vanak
He clapped his hands and barked like a seal.
Then he flipped the wand into the air and caught it on the tip of his index finger. Xavier twirled his finger, making the wand spin. He waved a hand, and a cocktail glass filled with clear liquid appeared in his right hand. He tossed the wand into the air, where it kept spinning. “It also serves as an excellent stirrer for coffee or martinis.”
He offered it to Ciara, who laughed. “No, thank you. I don’t drink.”
Xavier snapped his fingers, and the glass vanished.
Ciara grabbed the wand, and it stopped spinning. “Is this filled with magick?”
“It can be. But we have no need of wands to perform our duties.”
“Except that wand. That particular wand has the most amazing magick.” She pointed at his male anatomy, and he grinned. He took the wand from her, and she stared up at him, licking her sweet mouth.
Xavier tossed aside the wand and took her into his arms. Smoothing back a lock of her hair, he gazed into her green eyes, wishing he could make his time with her last forever.
“Where do you live, Xavier? Do you have a home here on Earth?”
“I have a few homes where I go to find rest. Would you like to see one?”
At her nod, he stroked a finger down her cheek. “Close your eyes.”
When she opened them, they were standing in the living room of his one-bedroom condo in Colorado near the Rocky Mountains. She gasped with delight and ran to the glass door leading to the back porch. A crystal clear stream ran outside the property a few feet from the porch.
Light still shone in the sky, for they were two hours ahead of east coast time. Xavier leaned against the wall, watching her reaction with quiet satisfaction.
For some reason, he truly wanted her to like his home here.
Gaze bright with interest, she looked around at the small gas fireplace, the kitchen overlooking the living room, the strong, square leather furniture. “Where are we?”
“A small town called Fern Forest in the Rocky Mountains.”
Delight touched her expression. “I thought this looked familiar. My mother’s nymph colony lives close by. They’re the keeper of forests and streams in the park.”
“I know. It’s one reason I purchased this property. They are an important Nymph colony and strong protectors and I felt the need to be close to them.”
And then his smile dropped. Why did he feel this overwhelming compulsion to have a home near a colony of Nymphs, a colony where Ciara had grown up as a child?
He made a mental note to ask Cadeyrn later. Of all the wizards in the Brehon, the Shadow Wizard had the most ability to see into the past, and the future.
Studying Ciara, he felt a pang in his chest. Did I know you in another lifetime, little one? Is that why I long to be with you, and feel such melancholy at the thought of leaving you?
If so, he had no memory of it, and Xavier cherished all his memories. Giving a shrug, he dismissed the thought.
Ciara opened the door and ran outside onto the small deck. He joined her. Tilting her face up to the sky, she breathed in the air. “It’s lovely. So peaceful here! But don’t you worry about Skins seeing you?”
Smiling, he tweaked her nose. “No Skins live here in this complex and they avoid the area because of the warding spell I placed on it. There are only Others. A few Fae, some Trolls and Ogres, and a grizzly Shifter who spends most of his time at the national park.” Xavier jammed his hands into the pockets of his shorts. It was November now, and the air had turned bitterly cold, but he regulated his body temperature.
Noticing her shiver, he waved a hand and clothed her in a sheepskin jacket. Ciara rubbed her cheek against the tan suede exterior. “So comfortable. Thank you!”
Suddenly five giggling creatures, no larger than a human four-year-old, popped their faces up from the steep riverbank. Xavier suppressed a grin. Knew they would show up.
Dressed in forest green overalls and green shirts, they were barefoot, but scrambled up the bank to the soft green grass by his back deck. Their hair was bright green as well. “Xavier,” they chortled in a high-pitched chorus.
Ciara stared at the creatures.
“Ciara, meet the Gremlins. They live here and are caretakers from spring to fall. Ink, Pink, Wink, Mink, and Stink.”
The gremlins gazed at her with wide eyes. “Is she your girlfriend?” Ink asked.
“She is a friend, so treat her with courtesy.”
“Pleased to meet you. How do you tell each other apart?” she asked.
Stink bent over and broke wind loudly. “That’s one way!”
Xavier rolled his eyes and the Gremlins giggled again. Ciara smiled. He liked that smile. Once he had made the mistake of bringing a lover here and she had shrieked in annoyance when Pink put a snowball on her chair.
“They’re very mischievous, so watch yourself unless you wish to find thistles in your underwear,” he warned Ciara. Xavier studied the Gremlins. “Any news to report?”
Wink, the tallest and eldest, shrugged. “Things are calm for now. Every once in a while there is a flare up of trouble in the park. Bad magick.”
“Dark magick,” Mink whispered. He was the shyest and the most fearful.
Xavier frowned. “Where’s Gregory?”
“He went out to eat. Said he’d be back shortly,” Stink said.
“Gregory?” Ciara asked.
“Grizzly Shifter. His idea of eating out is dining on a tourist or two,” Pink told her.
“He’s kidding,” Xavier hastened to clarify. “Gregory is a grizzly Shifter, but one who prefers fresh trout.”
“Trout, tourist, what’s the difference?” Ink shrugged.
Ciara laughed, and the sound lifted his weary spirits. Hearing that laugh pushed aside some of the worries he felt about the dark magick invading the park. Until he heard details from Gregory, he would put it out of his mind.
He gave the Gremlins a pointed look. “Shouldn’t you be cleaning out the gazebo?”
At his stern look, they scampered off. Wouldn’t last. The Gremlins were good at patrolling the place, but lousy at upkeep, which was why he hired Trolls to tend to the grounds.
“Xavier, welcome home!”
He turned and saw Jon and Laura, a young Troll couple who lived in the complex with their four-year-old daughter.
“Hello,” he told them.
The Troll couple nodded at him with respect, but not awe and deference. The attitudes of the Others in this complex was one reason he enjoyed visited. Here, he could almost feel normal, not the powerful wizard feared by his charges.
Arm in arm, they strolled by the riverbank. A little Troll girl with ash brown hair raced by, giggling. Xavier swept her up into his arms. “Hello Sunshine.”
“Zavy!” she said, kissing his cheek. “Did you bring me a gift?”
He tilted his head. “Is that all I’m good for?”
“Yes!” she shouted.
Grinning, he dug into his shorts pocket and produced a piece of raspberry taffy. “Here. Don’t tell the Gremlins. They love taffy.”
She kissed his cheek again and wriggled to be put down. As he set her on her feet, she raced off and went under the nearby bridge fording the river, and sat on a rock, enjoying the treat.
Ciara’s gaze softened. “You are much regarded with affection by them.”
He ducked his head, a little embarrassed by her praise. “I warded this complex with good, strong magick. They feel safe here. Skins who pass by see only their human forms and think they are Skin, but they can rove about in their true nature, and not worry about showing their real selves.”
“It’s their home.” She looked around. “I like it. I can sense the peace of this place.”
Finished with her taffy, Sunshine darted out from beneath the bridge and began chasing the Gremlins, who gave mock shouts.
“Not so peaceful all the time,” he said wryly.
“Who is she?”
“Sunshine is Jon and Laura�
�s oldest daughter. Jon’s sister, Maisy, and her mate, Hank, are moving here next week with their three little girls. Most of the residents leave for the winter, but Maisy and Hank need a place to stay. They were kicked out of their clan.”
“Why?” she asked.
He gave her a steady look. “Maisy is half-Troll, half-fox Shifter. Hank’s clan doesn’t tolerate Shifters. Half-bloods are often discriminated against.”
Her face fell. “So I would not fit in, but you are acceptable.”
“I am pure Mage, and I was a wizard before I died and became the Crystal Wizard.” He cupped her cheek, thumbing her soft skin, marveling at its texture. “But you are quite special, little one. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. Your mixed blood doesn’t matter. What does matter is who you are inside.”
Sighing, she leaned into his embrace. “I wish all Others felt the same as you did. You are very wise, Xavier.”
He longed to fall into her like water, making love until the moon faded and the sun pushed upward on the horizon, but duty nagged at him. Catching the scent of bear, he glanced up and saw a lean, tall man wearing hiking boots, a green and white plaid shirt, and faded jeans.
Gregory was finally here. And the bear shifter didn’t look happy.
He called to the Gremlins, ordering them inside his house and they all scampered inside.
Xavier kissed her cheek. “Go inside and make yourself at home. The Gremlins will show you where everything is. I need to catch up on what’s been happening here.”
When Ciara was inside his home, he beckoned to the Troll couple. Jon and Laura sat on the black wrought iron chairs on the porch, but Gregory sat on the steps. The bear nodded at him in greeting.
“Tell me about the dark magick Ink mentioned,” Xavier ordered.
Jon clasped his mate’s hand. “Nothing very overt, just omens. Trees dying, small animals found with their throats torn out. Park rangers blame bears.”
“Hey,” Gregory protested. “Not me.”
Jon frowned. “Of course not, furball. We know it’s dark magick because of the streaks of black on the ground. And the smell of sulfur.”
Troubled, Xavier rubbed a hand across his short black beard. The events had begun since he bought the entire condo complex two years ago. He had the bad feeling the two occurrences were related. “When was the last incident?”
“Last week. I was in the woods by the Tall Trees waterfall and the large boulder by the bank bore streaks of blood.” Gregory stretched out his long legs, studying the tips of his boots. “Animal blood. With bits of fur.”
“A sacrifice.” Xavier’s own blood chilled. “I’ll investigate.”
This could not wait. He looked back through the windows, saw the Gremlins entertaining Ciara by taking his good china and trying to juggle it. Several plates crashed to the floor. He sighed. Time to go shopping. Again.
“Keep an eye on Ciara,” he told Gregory. “I’ll be right back.”
He dematerialized into the park, near the waterfall Gregory had mentioned. Normally a place for Skin hikers and a favorite hunting ground for bears, it stank of sulfur and the air was thick and sullen.
Xavier crouched down by the flat boulder. Someone, or something, had erased the bloodstains, but his keen senses picked up the scent. He touched the rock and his nerve endings tingled. Dark magick, but faded. Whoever did this had moved on.
Standing, he stretched out his arms and in his deep voice, chanted a spell of protection. The heaviness in the air lifted and a fresh breeze blew through.
But he could not ward all the places in the park. It was like trying to put out small brush fires that popped up in remote areas. He relied upon the Shifters in the park to keep watch. The dark magick had not hurt any of his people, nor any Others.
Yet.
When he returned to his home, Ciara was outside, entertaining Sunshine and the Gremlins by juggling oranges. Mink leapt up and snatched an orange with his teeth, leaving only three oranges left.
Standing back, he watched her glowing face and the delighted expressions of the Gremlins and Sunshine as Sunshine’s parents looked on.
“She’s very special.”
He turned to see Gregory standing next to him, pointing to Ciara. “Yes.”
The bear inhaled a lungful of air. “Nymph and Shifter… cougar, I believe. And a touch of something else as well. Yours?” he asked.
Xavier shook his head, bothered at the thought she could never be his mate.
“Mind if I take a crack at her? I hear nymphs are great in bed.”
A low growl rumbled from Xavier’s throat. Gregory stepped back, his cynical expression replaced by a tinge of fear. “Whoa Xavier, chill. Just joking.”
He rubbed a hand over his face. Where the hell did that come from?
“Never heard you growl before. Didn’t even know Mages turned wizards turned immortals could growl like that.” Gregory’s gaze was sharp.
“I could do a lot more if you lay a single finger on her, bear.”
Gregory held up his hands. “Paws off. Just wanted to see how you would react. Forget it. Did you find anything?”
He shook his head. “Keep patrolling the park and alert me if there are any more signs. I warded that area, so it is safe.”
“Will do. That area is good for now, but you can’t ward them all, Xavier.”
“Tell the other Shifters in the park to be on guard. Have them report to you the instant they see any trace of dark magick, or more animal blood not spilled by natural causes.”
He went to Ciara, caught an orange with one hand. “Taking my fruit, little one?”
Flipping the other two oranges to Sunshine and the Gremlins, she grinned. “I raided your fridge, wizard. I had need of something sweet.”
“You are far sweeter, and you taste much more delicious,” he said softly, his gaze dropping down to the space between her legs.
“Xavier,” she whispered.
Unable to tear his gaze away from the becoming pink flush on her cheeks, he tossed the orange to Mink. “Here, Gremlin. Have a ball.”
Taking her hand, he led Ciara inside as Sunshine’s parents waved them goodbye and called to their daughter. He shut the blinds against the setting sun.
Ciara’s gaze went to the built-in shelves by the fireplace. Several thick, leather-bound volumes were on the shelves. Despite his lofty wizard status, he kept the ancient tomes to flip through them, for deep inside, he was still Mage, with a Mage’s thirst for knowledge.
But she went to the shelves containing lighter reading material, picked up a book and her lovely face creased into an impish smile.
“Stories about the 1950’s? Are you living in the past?”
“Sometimes.”
She set down the book and her nimble fingers skimmed over his collection. She pulled free a faded comic book. “Superman. A first edition! Do you collect comics?”
“Only this one.” A faint throbbing began in his temples and he rubbed them absently.
“Why?”
“It appealed to me for some reason.” He gently took the comic away from her. “This is a refuge for me, but I’m here only for a few days during the year. My duties take me all across the world and I seldom have time to spend here.”
She looked at the shining kitchen with its gleaming appliances. “It’s lovely. Seems a shame to let it go to waste.”
Xavier shook his head. “It doesn’t. The property manager, a 1,000 year-old Fae, keeps the place clean all the time. When I’m not here, I tell her to allow Others who are homeless and need temporary quarters to stay here.”
Her expression went soft and filled with admiration. “That’s incredibly generous of you, Xavier.”
Such praise made his chest tighten. He must not allow this starry-eyed admiration to continue, for he was a wizard with terrible power that could kill those who broke the rules.
Please do not be one of them, little Ciara. It would break me to have to hurt you, but I would have no choice.
&nbs
p; Deeply disturbed by a sudden foreboding, he pushed aside his morose thoughts. For now, he would live in the moment. He took her hand. “The condo has a very nice bedroom. Would you like to see it?”
Her grin equaled the sexual heat he felt. “Very much so.”
In the bedroom, they made love again. After he’d disposed of the condom, she lay with her head pillowed on his chest as he stroked her silky hair.
Ciara raised her head and studied him. She tunneled her fingers through his hair. “Your hair is so soft.” She rubbed her fingers over the tip of one strand. “And even the edges of your hair, the crystals are not hard, but they feel as silky as the rest of your hair. How is this possible?”
“I use a good conditioner,” he said solemnly.
Laughing, she playfully punched him. “The truth!”
“It’s part of me, just as my immortality and my magick are. And if I cut my hair, the edges still have the crystals. Skins cannot see them. Only Others can. The crystals contain power.”
She lay on her stomach, propping her chin upon his chest. “How did you become the Crystal Wizard? Were you always our guardian?”
The question was often asked by his lovers, but he seldom answered it. He did now.
“No. I was born a simple Mage many centuries ago. An orphan with weak magick.”
“Oh.”
“But I longed for power. I apprenticed myself to whoever could teach me.”
“Did you have a mate?”
He tugged on one of her curls, watching it spring back. “I was young and too absorbed in my desire for greater power so everyone would respect me. In my foolishness, I believed only power would make them finally acknowledge I had worth. So I apprenticed myself to the most powerful Coldfire Wizard in the land. In exchange for being his aide, Duncan taught me to harness magick. I learned quickly and ascended to the powers of a wizard.”
Ciara lifted herself up her elbows. “And that is when you gained your title?”
His stomach tightened. “No, that’s when I fucked up royally. In my quest for status, I failed to see what went on around me. Duncan was experimenting with surges in magick, and he increased my magick in exchange for my labor.”
“What kind of power did you acquire?”
