Indigo Spell

by Rachel Carrington

  “That child.” Tess shuddered and clung to him. “Her name was Shantay.”

  He cupped her face and forced her to meet his eyes “That child doesn’t exist. She was just another one of Athena’s creations, something to scare you.”

  “Did you know what she was when she came into the room?”

  “Yes. Just as I knew she couldn’t harm you. The girl was an illusion. Illusions can’t touch you.”

  “She looked so real.” She leaned her head against his chest. “Why did you destroy the onyx?”

  “Witches use the quartz as a weakening device. It’s coated with an antiquated spell that can drain a wizard’s power. Athena wanted you to have it because, inevitably, I would have touched it. While it wouldn’t completely remove my powers, it would significantly hinder my ability to protect you.”

  Tess sat down on the edge of the bed with a thump. “Witches, spells, stones and daggers. Is this nightmare ever going to end?”

  Jaxon knelt in front of her, took her hands in both of his. “Listen to me. You’re going to be okay. I know this is difficult for you to accept.”

  “Jaxon, please. Difficult isn’t a strong enough word.” She cupped his cheek to take the sting out of her words. “But, as you said earlier, my options are limited. I will persevere because I’m strong. Well, that and I’m beginning to learn a little of what you do, those abilities you talked about.” She lay back against the mattress, flinging one arm over her eyes. “I figure I’ll learn enough to kick your butt one day.”

  He slid up beside her on the bed and draped one arm across her abdomen. “It’s nice to have goals, as long as they’re not too lofty.”

  She inched her arm down to fix him with a steady look. “Are you trying to tell me something, Wizard?”

  He grinned at her before creeping his hand up her side to curve around the fullness of her breast. “I just wouldn’t want your dreams to get shattered. You know how fragile you are.”

  “Fragile?” Tess thumped his arm. “I’ll have you know there are not too many human women who would’ve made it through all of this with their mind intact. I swear, as long as I live, I’ll never understand you.”

  Jaxon moved his thumb over her nipple, watched her eyes darken with the heat of his touch. “You might want to learn to understand me, honey. Otherwise, you’re going to have a very, very long life of confusion.” He leaned in and nipped her neck.

  Tess caught hold of his wrists. “Not as long as you. Just think, when I’m dead and gone, you’ll be spending the next, oh, I don’t know, five, six hundred years in mourning. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”

  He twisted his hands to break her hold on his wrists. Then, capturing her hands in one of his, he brought them high over her head. “It appears to me your memory isn’t what it was when I married you.” He dropped his head and licked the spot on her neck where her pulse jumped.

  A soft sigh of pleasure escaped her lips. “My memory is fine. I wish I could say the same for Belinda’s.”

  Jaxon raised his head and raked a look over her face. “Are we going to go back through that again?”

  “Eventually but I don’t think right this moment would be the best time to enter into that discussion…especially since your lips have started something your cock is going to have to finish.”

  He rolled, sheltered her body with his. “I’m more than capable of taking care of your desires.”

  She looked up at him, her eyes luminous in her pale face. “So what did you mean about the memory? Did you do something to me too?”

  Jaxon stared down at her while the tension climbed up to sit on his shoulders. “Do you really think I would touch your memory without your consent?”

  Tess closed her eyes for a brief moment then reopened them. He hadn’t moved. “Sometimes you do things because you want to help me but in the long run those same things end up hurting me.”

  “So we are talking about your friends then.” He released her and pushed himself to a sitting position. “I don’t imagine you’ll ever understand.”

  She climbed up behind him and locked her arms around his neck. “I understand more than you think. I understand you were only doing what you thought best. I understand it wasn’t your intention to hurt me. What I don’t understand is why things have to be this way. You lived in Charleston. Why is it necessary for us to live here now? Why couldn’t we have lived our lives in South Carolina?” She kissed his cheek. “Is it so much for me to ask you to explain that to me?”

  Jaxon held the hands circling his neck. “You doubt your love for me.” Had he imagined the weariness he heard in his own voice?

  “No, no,” she reassured him, raining kisses along his jawline. “I could never doubt that. What I do doubt is my own strength, my ability to survive here.”

  His heart raced wildly, like the whip of the wind during a tornado. The thought of losing her turned the blood in his veins to ice. Turning, he took her into his arms. “If you’ll let me help you, the transition will go smoother.”

  One perfectly plucked eyebrow lifted. “Help me? How?”

  Jaxon smiled at the wariness. Not that he could blame her. He’d shaken her trust by removing the memories of those she loved. Now he’d have to earn that trust once more. He brushed the tangled hair away from her face, ran a finger down the bridge of her nose. “I’ll work with you to help you learn our ways. I’ll practice with you so you’ll understand even more of what I do and how I do it. Together, we’ll harness the power of nature and become what we are truly meant to be, one force.”

  “Do you have any idea of the power you hold simply with your voice?” Her body moved against him, a subtle blend of seduction and sensuality.

  His cock began to throb, reminding him it had been too long since he’d made love to his wife. “Only with you.”

  “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to see for myself what’s going on in the other rooms around here.”

  “We’ll start first thing in the morning.” He grimaced at her wry expression. “Once you have had plenty of time to sleep.”

  “Perfect.” Tess flopped back down, curled onto her side. “There is one small matter we need to clear up, something you brought up earlier.”

  Jaxon didn’t need to be reminded. He flipped over, rested his head on the pillow beside her. “Actually it was you who brought it up.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  “Oh yes, I’ve missed the crude humor but that wasn’t what I was talking about, mister. If you’ll think with your brain instead of your,” she dropped her eyes, “dick, I believe you’ll recall what I was talking about.”

  He knew. He had just been debating whether or not to bring it up again. She’d taken the decision from his hands and he wouldn’t back down from the subject. She needed to be reminded. “Eventually you will become pregnant. Don’t you remember what I told you will happen after that?”

  “Something about immortality, right?”

  He breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe this was going to be easier than he thought. “Right.”

  “But we can be killed.”

  “Only by something or someone who wields more power than we do. An ordinary bullet wound or knife attack wouldn’t kill us. We’d feel the pain of the injury but we would survive it.”

  Tess propped her elbow on the pillow, her head in her hand. “Something tells me this isn’t a conversation I want to continue.”

  His hand trailed up and down her arm, causing goose bumps to leapfrog over her flesh. “Then I suggest we don’t talk at all.”

  His thumb traced the corners of her mouth and a sticky warmth slipped out from between the lips of her pussy. Her body hummed from head to toe, the sensations lingering between her thighs.

  Leaning in toward him, she inhaled the exotic scent of his cologne or maybe it was just his skin. Either way, the fragrance was intoxicating. Her fingers glided along his jawline and she saw his eyes close.

  “You have something else in mind?” she whispered as she drew the tip of hi
s finger into her mouth. Then she inched forward and touched her lips to his. How could something that looked so hard be so soft? She’d never figure that one out but then she didn’t imagine it was important. His lips were pure velvet, warm and wet. Her hand curled around his neck, fingertips playing with the ends of his hair.

  Jaxon hadn’t moved but she felt the tension in his muscles. He took hold of her hand, pressing her palm to his. His skin grew warmer, the heat sinking into hers. She caught her breath and held it. His eyes started to glow and in his pupils, she could see herself. “What’s happening?” The words almost stalled in her throat.

  “Shhh.” Jaxon linked his fingers with hers, drawing her hand down to his chest. The room seemed to shrink and the rhythm of his heart jumped against their combined hands, the sound a soothing thump. The only sound she could hear.

  Tess felt the difference in the air, a strange thickening sensation that made it difficult to breathe. “Jaxon?” Panicking, she began to struggle but he released her fingers to wrap her tightly in his embrace.

  “Look up,” he said softly, guiding her head with two fingers under her chin.

  As she obeyed, a transformation began to take shape as the bedroom walls gave way to glass. Rose petals filtered from the air and covered the lightweight comforter. The soft, soothing sounds of a waterfall drowned out the rapid beating of her heart. Candles illuminated the soft carpet and the ceiling seemed to drop from the sky, encasing them in a mystical kaleidoscope.

  “It’s so beautiful.”

  “This is your life now, Tess. Each day you will see things you’ve never imagined and feel this thing called magic. I want you to feel it now.”

  Dare she ask? “How?”

  “Just relax. Let me show you my love for you.”

  “You’ve shown me that a hundred times in a hundred different ways.” She kissed his chest to add emphasis to her words.

  “Not this way.” He touched his nose to hers. Before she could respond, Jaxon had moved, flipping their bodies so that he lay atop hers.

  “Don’t close your eyes. Just watch.”

  Tess tipped her head back as he moved away, giving her a complete view of the ceiling which now was within reach. She felt sleepy, her eyelids heavy in spite of Jaxon’s command.

  All around her she heard the whisper of the wind as if they were outside the walls of the fortress. Her senses began to whirl as the scent of fresh pine and spice assailed her nostrils. The bed became as soft as spun cotton, tickling her skin as she moved. Warmth embraced her and her body began to tingle, every nerve ending alive.

  Jaxon took Tess’ hands in his own and brought them high over her head. “Do you feel it?” he whispered. Little flashes of light whipped overhead and his muscles surged, embracing the energy flowing through his veins.

  Her eyes huge in her face, she nodded. “I feel everything.”

  “It’s magic.” He held out his hand to demonstrate and she saw the slivers of electricity sliding down his arm.

  Now she couldn’t close her eyes even if she’d wanted to. Too much was happening and she wanted to take it all in. “It’s incredible.” The word didn’t do the scene justice.

  Blue and white sparks danced around their bodies, lightning whips of energy. The bed began to glow while the atmosphere snapped. The room took on an unearthly luminosity, reminding Tess of the sight of fire-riddled rocks in the pit of a volcano.

  “Take the pleasure, Tess. Reach for it.”

  The guttural words confused her, excited her. “I’m not sure…”

  “Clear your mind and think only of the rush of orgasm. Draw it to you with just your mind. Imagine your muscles contracting, feel the grip of climax, the sweet release.”

  Tess swallowed hard and focused on his words more than the instruction. Closing her eyes, she allowed the beauty of his voice to guide her. The faintest touch brushed over her skin, though Jaxon hadn’t moved. Her muscles began to shake and anticipation turned her insides to a quivering mass. “God.”

  “That’s it. Let it build.”

  Her body felt weightless as if she were aloft. A soft sigh escaped her lips as her toes started to tingle. The sensation climbed higher, covering every inch of her skin. She arched her back and pressed upward, inviting the pleasure just beyond her reach.

  Jaxon’s lips brushed over hers, so soft she could have imagined it. “Take it.”

  Tess cried out, her hips jutting upward as her muscles clenched and released. The orgasm rippled through her, both tormenting and tantalizing in its intensity. Wave after wave of a climax so exquisite it felt surreal rushed over her, wringing even more cries from her lips.

  The sensations faded, allowing her to drift down from the highest peak. “That was—” She broke off.

  Jaxon touched her face with his fingertips. “Powerful. And you did it all with your mind.”

  “You’ve been holding out on me,” she whispered with a light laugh, too exhausted to do much more.

  He tucked her close to his side. “Sometimes surprises can be good.” He kissed the top of her head. “Now sleep.”

  She turned to face him, smoothing her thumb over the fullness of his lower lip. “There are some definite positives to this new way of life.”

  His chuckle warmed her. “Tomorrow you will begin to learn even more. As you do, keep in mind that not every lesson is so perfect.”

  “Is that a warning?” A yawn punctuated the words. Her head slipped to his chest, seeking the reassuring beat of his heart. She fell asleep before she heard Jaxon’s response.

  * * * * *

  Tess’ hand tingled and the numbness raced up her arm. The heavy sword weighed a hundred pounds in her hand, or at least it felt like it did. She felt each clang of steel against the blade of Jaxon’s sword all the way down to her hips. But she didn’t complain. She gritted her teeth, thrust and parried.

  “Easy. You don’t want to tire yourself out while your opponent is still fresh.” She swore she heard the mocking sound of his laughter.

  She tipped her head back, slung a lock of damp hair over her shoulder and glared at him. “Are you laughing at me?”

  “Who? Me? I would never laugh at the woman I love. Perhaps we should take a break. You look like you could use something to drink.” He placed his sword by an iron bench and opened his palms. Two frosty bottles of water materialized. “Here.” He extended one bottle.

  “Now that could be a handy trick to learn.”

  He grinned and indicated the bench with a sweep of his hand. “As a wizard, your thoughts can become reality. Which is why a wizard has to guard his thoughts carefully. When Braeden was still learning to control his powers, his thoughts carried him to a house of ill repute. Our father had to rescue him. Braeden said it was because he didn’t know how to get out.” The grins became chuckles. “My brother and I figured it was more that he didn’t want to get out.”

  Tess favored him with an indulgent look. “I can’t imagine why.” She sat on the bench, allowing the coldness of the water to quench her thirst. “So what’s the next stage of the learning process?” Her words echoed off the bare walls, bounced across the smooth, polished floors.

  “We start with simple spells, maybe illusionary.”

  She heard the edginess in his voice and turned her head to look at him. “You want to tell me what’s up that wizard sleeve of yours?”

  “Illusions would be helpful in the event you are faced with another witch.”

  “So this is still all about my protection?”

  “Did you expect it to be otherwise?”

  She grimaced and took another sip of the water. “I don’t know what I expected but it definitely wasn’t practicing sword play. I don’t see you using too many humanistic weapons when you’re in a battle.”

  He sat beside her. “My weapons are of a different sort but they won’t be available to you for quite some time.”

  She blew out a sharp breath that ruffled her bangs. Men could be irritating enough but wizards, we
ll, she couldn’t even begin to describe the ways they could annoy the hell out of a person. “How long is quite some time?”

  “At least a century.”

  Her hand froze, the bottle of water halfway to her lips. “What are you talking about?”

  “You can learn our ways, Tess. You can even gain some of our knowledge, power and ability but it takes time, at least a century to acquire those skills. Even then you won’t have the strength of a wizard born into the Assembly.”

  “I thought wizards were made, not born.”

  Jaxon draped his arm along the back of the bench, his fingers resting close to the nape of her neck. “That’s what most people think. There are groups of wizards all over the universe who are trained such as you but their abilities are not the same as ours. They’re limited in their capabilities. The Assembly knows no such limits.”