Madness Unleashed

by ML Guida

  “Obviously. I’ve been asking you for the last five minutes if you’re hungry.”

  She smiled. “I’d kill for a cup of coffee with cream.”

  He bowed slightly. “Your wish is my command.” He quickly got dressed, then headed out of his quarters whistling.

  He might as well announce over the loud speaker that he’d gotten lucky last night. She needed to forget how delightfully sore she was between her legs, how her skin was chafed from his beard, and how much she got all gooey when he looked at her.

  The book vibrated in her lap, then landed on a page that had a picture of cotton flying through the air, chasing away her hot thoughts of Damon. Was it trying to tell her something?

  “Fiddle-dee-dee, I need to try.”

  She looked around the room for something to levitate–her tennis shoe was near the door. She wasn’t sure if it would work. Glad that Damon wasn’t in the room in case she failed, she cleared her throat and took a deep breath. She put her finger on the words and uttered the spell.

  “Flickering flames, Flying cotton, Fall leaves blowing in the wind, Shoe–I command you to rise.”

  The shoe remained stubbornly on the floor.

  “Damn it!”

  Damon walked back into the room with a cup of coffee. “Something wrong?” he asked, as he handed it to her.

  “I can’t do this.”

  “Yeah, you can.” He took a sip of coffee. “This drink is actually good.” He licked his lips. “Has anyone ever told you how sexy you look wearing my shirt with your hair tousled?”

  “Thank you,” she murmured. “But I’ve got to figure this out.”

  “Then try again.”

  “I did try.” Frustration bubbled over in her voice.

  He sat on the bed. “This time, do it with me.”

  She looked away. “It’s embarrassing.”

  “You’re not going to get any better unless you try.” He squeezed her knee, sending reassurance through her.

  She inhaled a deep breath, then stared at the shoe, focusing all of her energy. She exhaled sharply, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. “Great balls of fire!”

  “I’ll be damned,” Damon whispered.

  The shoe slowly rose, fluttering in the air, but then it flew across the room and crashed into the opposite wall. She jumped into Damon and landed in his lap. Her heart nearly stopped.

  Her cheeks warmed. “Sorry.”

  He wrapped his arm around her and gave her a quick hug. “Believe me, you can sit in my lap anytime.” He captured her lips and kissed her, then slipped his hand into her shirt and cupped her breast, his thumb brushing over her nipple. “I told you that you could do it.”

  Desire kindled inside her at his caress. “Damon, I made a shoe fly across the room and slam into the wall. I didn’t have any control over it. This magic isn’t going to capture your king.”

  “So pessimistic.” He kissed her briefly again, then removed his hand. Cold brushed over her breast where he’d provided warmth.

  She softly moaned. “I wish we could stay in bed all day.”

  “We will when the king and queen are saved.”

  She pretended to pout as she dragged herself off the bed. “Slave driver.”

  He followed her, but then leaned against the wall, his arms folded over his chest. “Try again.”

  His voice was so low and husky she couldn’t resist.

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Make the shoe fly back to the door.”

  “Fiddle-dee-dee.” She took a deep breath, then closed her eyes, blocking out all the sounds in the room–Damon’s breathing, her rapid beating heart–thinking of only the shoe. She drew on her power, then opened her eyes. In a loud clear voice, she uttered the spell.

  At first the shoe failed to move. Disappointment sank to her gut, but she refused to give up. She concentrated, repeating the spell over and over in her mind, her eyes never leaving the shoe. Sweat dribbled down the sides of her temples, stinging her eyes. The air in the room crackled, and sparkling stars magically appeared. The shoe trembled and soared across the room toward Damon.

  “Blazes!” He ducked just as the shoe whizzed over his head.

  The shoe hit the door then crashed onto the floor.

  She rushed over. “Oh, Damon, are you all right?”

  He laughed. “Remind me not to make you mad.”

  She smiled. Like a shape-shifting dragon would be afraid of her.

  “You need to try another spell. If you can master it, I’ll call Taog.”

  Her stomach twisted at failing in front of the stern captain. “Don’t you think that’s rushing it?”

  “We don’t have much time. The queen could die.”

  “Of course.” She hoped her voice sounded strong, since her heart had just severed. She thought after last night and the bond growing, his feelings for the queen might have diminished. What an idiot! No, the best thing was for her to return to Earth, but her dreams fragmented into a zillion pieces.

  She flicked through the spell book, wondering if she could turn the queen into a toad, then claim it was a mistake. “What about invisibility?”

  “Invisibility? You can do that?”

  She glanced up. “Great horny toads, I don’t know! It’s in the spell book, so I reckon I could have conjured it in another time before I became the ditzy witch of outer space.”

  He rubbed the back of her stiff shoulders. “I know. Please try.”

  Her cutting voice didn’t seem to daunt him, and his magic fingers released the tension buried inside her muscles.

  “For this spell, I need a few things.”

  He stopped massaging. “What things?”

  She tilted her head around, cracking her neck. “I need two thick candles, a bowl, olive oil, and a long piece of string.”

  “I think that can be arranged.” He kissed her on the cheek. “If you’ll excuse me.”

  After he left, she read over the spell, not sure that she could do it, but she had little choice. Sweat stuck to her weary body. She needed a shower to wake her up, so she didn’t utter the wrong word and cause a climactic consequence, and turn them all into frogs.

  She walked into the bathroom, relieved the shower wasn’t hidden in the wall. It looked like any ordinary bathroom with a toilet and a sink, but the valves were missing on the shower wall. When she opened the glass door, water immediately pulsed down from the ceiling as if by magic, splattering onto her head. She squealed, then immediately jumped back. The water shut off.

  Her hair was plastered to her head. She shivered as she shed her clothes, then stepped inside the shower. The water turned on to a perfect warm temperature, and she twirled around, enjoying the pelting drops to gently massage her.

  “Would you like me to scrub your back?”

  “Damon!” She whirled around.

  He leaned in the bathroom doorway, watching her through the glass shower door. “Everything’s on the table next to the spell book. By the way, just tell the shower what temperature you want and it will adjust automatically.”

  His hot gaze flamed her rising desire, and she almost asked him to join her, but sex was the last thing she needed. She wished she could be one of those women who could sleep with someone without any commitments. But that wasn’t her.

  Mischievousness crept into his eyes. “Cold.”

  The minute he said it, the water turned to ice. She squeaked. “Damon! Warm.” The frozen pelts turned balmy warm. “I’ll be out as soon as I wash my hair.”

  He winked. “Anything wrong?”

  “You’re incorrigible,” she said, as she quickly washed her hair. “I’ll be out in a sec.”

  He laughed. “Don’t hurry on my account.”

  Between the strands of her hair, she stole a peek. He was so handsome with the steam making his hair sleek, and the mist only made him look more mysterious. Her throat turned drier than the Mojave Desert as she thought of what he could do to her in the shower. The juncture betwee
n her legs ached for his touched.

  Under her breath, she mumbled, “Cold.” The temperature turned frosty cold. She bit her lip to keep from crying out.

  She turned off the water and shivered. When she opened the door, he handed her a towel. “Here.”

  “Thank you.” She quickly wrapped it around her body. “You better get out before we do something stupid. Or do you want to disappoint your captain?”

  “Damn it,” he said, but he turned and left.

  She half-hoped he’d forget everything just to be with her, but it was foolish wishing. She got dressed as fast as she could, ignoring her heavy heart.

  When she came out, she headed straight for the table. Cold air glossed over her wet hair, making her shiver. Damon was going through the spell book.

  “I can’t believe how many spells are in this book.”

  “I know. But I just need to perform this one. If this works and I can help you capture your king, will you send me back to Earth?”

  His cheek twitched, and he looked at her with no expression in his eyes. Instead of answering, he picked up the candles as if to examine them. “When will this be done?”

  She wanted him to beg her to stay with him and promise he was no longer in love with the queen. But that was a fleeting thought. “Soon.” She motioned with her hand. “Do you mind?”

  “Sure.” He slid out of the chair and put the candle down.

  She re-read the spell, which was simple enough, or at least she hoped it was. She poured the oil into a dish, then twirled the string in it.

  “Do you want me to light the candles?”

  She shook her head. “According to the spell, I have to do it.”

  She clicked her tongue and moved her hands over the unlit candles over and over.

  In a strong voice, she said, “Black as night, light as day, mask of power, blind the eye with the shrouded flame.”

  The air buzzed around her hands. The skin across her chest tightened. She took a deep breath and blew on one candle. As if by magic, a flickering flame appeared.

  She put her hand over her thundering heart. “Well, I never–”

  “See, I knew you could do it.”

  She smiled nervously. Not wanting to lose her momentum, she exhaled onto the other candle and the wick crackled, then a flame She took the soaked string with her hand shaking and held it between the flickering flames then released it. She gasped, as it hung in the air. Sparks ignited on each end.

  She looked at Damon and thought she detected pride in his eyes as he watched her every move. “Shrouded flame, hide Damon.”

  He jerked to attention. “What?”

  A yellow aura formed around him, then he slowly faded.

  “Blazes, you did it! I’m invisible.”

  For the first time, she hadn’t been a failure. Maybe she could do magic. She was busting with joy and couldn’t stop smiling. “Let’s call the captain.”

  14

  Damon looked at his hands, still amazed he was invisible. Hera was unbelievable and fascinated him at every turn–something the queen had never done. He’d lusted over Cosima, mooning over her like a love-sick gurry, but she’d never surprised him like Hera. He wanted to spend the rest of his life discovering her little surprises, but she wanted to return Earth–something he could never allow.

  He reached over and touched her beaming face.

  She jumped. “Damon, you scared me.”

  “I know.” He wrapped his hand around her neck, then gently pulled her toward him, kissing those luscious lips. She sunk into him and opened her mouth, allowing him to devour her. He crushed her to him, needing to feel her squirming body against his growing-hot one.

  She pushed on his chest. “Damon,” she murmured. “We have to call Taog, remember?”

  He reluctantly released her. “When I’m around you, I forget about my duties, missions, even the foul Kamtrinians. All I can think about is you.”

  She tilted her head. “What about the queen?” she asked softly.

  “Even her.”

  She frowned, but didn’t answer.

  He pulled out his telicator. “Captain?”

  “Are you ready for the test? Tryker reports that the queen is doing worse.”

  He winced, immediately regretting his dalliance with Hera. “Yes. Come to my quarters.” His people’s lives were at stake. He needed to stay focused.

  Shortly, the captain and Anonghos entered his cabin.

  Taog frowned. “Hera, where the Fates is Damon?”

  “I’m standing right in front of you, Captain.” He smirked as Taog’s eyes widened.

  Anonghos pointed at the flames and the string that magically hung in the air. “Taog, look.”

  The captain slowly walked around the table. “You made him invisible?”

  Hera nodded. “Yes.”

  “Can you make him reappear?”

  Damon stilled. He’d been so proud of her he hadn’t thought about if she could reverse the spell.

  She walked over to the table. “Absolutely.”

  But Damon could hear the quiver in her voice. She wasn’t fooling Taog or Anonghos, they’d heard it, too. He held his breath, hoping she wasn’t lying.

  She quickly put her thumbs and fingers on the flame.

  “Hera, no!” He raced over to her, afraid she’d burn herself. He grabbed her wrists and examined her fingers.

  She looked up at him. “See, I’m fine. The flames are magic and won’t burn me.”

  He kissed the top of her hand. “Because you’re a witch.”

  “Yes.”

  “You are powerful,” Anonghos murmured.

  Damon had been so concerned about Hera he hadn’t noticed he was visible.

  “Is this the only spell you can conjure?” Taog asked.

  Hera met his critical gaze with a crusty glower. “I can make a shoe fly across the room. Does that make you happy?”

  He scowled. “Greum is a powerful dragon, so I wouldn’t be flip, if I were you. He possesses the power to destroy everyone in this room, and now those creatures are controlling him.”

  Her features softened. “I’m sorry, Captain.”

  Taog grunted, which was about as good as forgiveness she was going to receive.

  “Can you do it again?” Anonghos distracted the tension between Hera and Taog.

  Damon put his arm protectively around Hera’s stiff shoulders. “Of course she can.”

  “Then I want to see it.”

  Taos’s voice was nothing less than an order.

  Hera looked hesitantly up at Damon, and he could see the doubt flickering in her big eyes.

  “You can do it. I believe in you.”

  She nodded silently. He stepped away to give her room to perform the spell. Both Taog and Anonghos watched her curiously as she chanted the spell. When she blew on the candles and the flame appeared, some of the tension in Taog’s face lessened. He glanced between Damon and Anonghos–his message was clear. Perhaps, they could capture Greum.

  The same ludderfly tingles swept over Damon. The hairs on his arm and the back of his neck stood straight up, then he looked down at his hands–they’d vanished. He was invisible again.

  “So, your plan is to attack the king?” Anonghos asked solemnly.

  “Yes.”

  Taog pulled out his telicator. “You have a better idea? Because if you do, now’s the time to say it. Otherwise, we go with Damon’s plan.”

  “Even with Damon being invisible, Greum will be hard to subdue.”

  Taog demanded. “Then what do you suggest?”

  Anonghos glanced toward Hera warily. “She produced a light that killed the creature inside of Damon.”

  Damon clenched his fists, ready to plow a fist into Anonghos’ mouth. “No, she’s not setting a foot on that planet.”

  “I’m not sure I can produce the light again. Not without–” Her cheeks turned ruby red. “Not without an orgasm.”

  “Are you sure?” Anonghos persisted. “You have tha
t spell book. Maybe there’s a spell in there that can help you reproduce the light.”

  Anger exploded inside Damon like a star turning supernova. Heat swelled through him rocket fast. His heart shifted into ultra drive, sending hate, fear, rage hurling through his body. He lost control, swinging his fist. He smashed it into Anonghos’s mouth. Anonghos sailed across the room, blood flying in the air.

  Taog hurried over and stood in front of Anonghos. “Damon, I order you to stop.”

  Damon sucked in buckets of air and clenched his hands together, trying not to give into the anger swarming through him. When he thought he wouldn’t lose control, he gritted his teeth. “I’m not putting my mate in danger. She could die.”

  “Stop all of you.” Hera had her finger on a page in the book. “Anonghos is right. Invisibility might not be enough. I found a spell that produces a great light. I don’t know if it’s as powerful as the one that happened earlier.”

  Damon’s heart shook with fear. “Hera, no. If one of those things gets you, it would kill you. You’re human–not a Zalarain.”

  “I’m not just human, Damon. I’m a witch. According to all of you, my people are in danger, too. Unless any of you have any better ideas, then this is the only way.”

  “Captain, no,” Damon said. “You can’t risk my mate’s life.”

  “Taog, I’m willing to do this under one condition,” she said.

  Damon vibrated in his breath. He knew what was coming.

  “And your condition is?”

  Anger hinted in Taog’s voice. The captain wasn’t one for bargains–not when his ship or people were at stake.

  Hera took her finger off the page and braced her shoulders. “You return me to Earth.”

  He studied her. “Is that what you really want?”

  His voice had lost its anger, replaced with a soft thunder.

  “It is.”

  “I’ll grant your request. Bring the book. We need to get to Zalara before it’s too late.”

  In the corner of her eyes, tears glistened. She was lying, but Damon wasn’t sure why. He wanted to ask her in private, but she grabbed the spell book and hurried after Taog and Anonghos. He followed silently behind, trying to think of a way to persuade her to stay with him.