Touch of Lightning

by Carin Rafferty

  HE SEALED HIS MOUTH OVER HERS.

  A shimmer of fear shot through her. What was he doing? Why wasn’t he just taking her? He slid his tongue into her mouth. Tingles of excite­ment shot through her as he brushed his thumbs over her nipples, making them hard and taut.

  “Why do you want to torture me?” she whispered.

  “I don’t want to torture you,” he said, caressing her cheek. “I want you to want more than a mindless coupling to satisfy your lust.”

  “But there isn’t supposed to be more than that,” she said plaintively.

  “And that’s exactly why there has to be more.”

  “I don’t understand, Sebas—”

  He cut off her words by settling his lips over hers as their tongues met in a slow, seductive dance. “You will . . .”

  Touch of Lightning

  by

  Carin Rafferty

  ImaJinn Books

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events or locations is entirely coincidental.

  ImaJinn Books

  PO BOX 300921

  Memphis, TN 38130

  Ebook ISBN: 978-1-61194-857-8

  Print ISBN: 978-1-61194-851-6

  ImaJinn Books is an Imprint of BelleBooks, Inc.

  Copyright © 1996 by Linda J. Kichline

  Published in the United States of America.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  A mass market edition of this book was published by Topaz, an imprint of Dutton Signet, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc. in 1996

  ImaJinn Books was founded by Linda Kichline.

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  Cover design: Debra Dixon

  Interior design: Hank Smith

  Photo/Art credits:

  Woman (manipulated) © Phartisan | Dreamstime.com

  Man (manipulated) © Angelo Cordeschi | Dreamstime.com

  Frame & texture (manipulated) © Jaguarwoman Designs

  :Eltf:01:

  Dedication

  For Orysia Earhart, a great friend.

  Thanks for always being there for me!

  Prologue

  The Talisman and the Guardian

  Salem, Massachusetts—1692

  RAGNA MORPETH slid stealthily to the edge of the bed. When her mate, Seamus, suddenly stirred, she froze. As Ulrich Morgret, the coven’s high priest, had instructed, she had slipped Seamus a sleeping potion. But what if the dose wasn’t strong enough? What if he awakened?

  At the thought, her pulse began to pound, and her entire body trembled in fear. If Seamus realized that she was about to betray him . . .

  She forced herself to draw in a deep, calming breath. Ulrich had cast a shielding spell over her, so even if Seamus awoke, he would not realize her perfidy. All she had to say was that she was going to check on their infant daughter. The worst that would happen was that he’d grumble about her overprotectiveness.

  No, the worst that will happen is that he’ll make love to you, and if that happens, how will you find the strength to do what you must do?

  Ragna closed her eyes tightly against the pain that wrapped around her heart and squeezed. Seamus was her mate, and although he had changed, she would love him until the day she died.

  She couldn’t go through with this, she decided, opening her eyes. She had to wake Seamus and tell him Ulrich’s plans. They would take their daughter and run away. They would go where no one could find them. They would . . .

  Ragna gave a sharp shake of her head to stop her ridiculous fantasizing and climbed out of bed. Even if she managed to wake Seamus, he’d never run away. He’d insist on fighting Ulrich until one of them was dead, and that battle would create a new dilemma. If Ulrich died, the entire coven would be lost. If Seamus died, then she would have lost him forever. At least this way, Seamus would have a chance to survive, and she’d much rather lose him to banishment than to death.

  After she dressed, she looked at Seamus and made herself see the reality of what he’d become rather than the image of the warlock with whom she’d fallen in love. His dark hair was tousled, but that was the only softness to his countenance. There was a sinister sharpness to his features, and even in sleep, his mouth had a cruel twist to it.

  When they’d mated, he’d been a kind and loving warlock. Granted, he’d had the same pride and vanity that plagued all warlocks, she admitted. But how could he have changed so drastically? How could he have become this . . . monster?

  Unfortunately, she knew the answer, and she lowered her gaze to the silver talisman resting on his bare chest. It consisted of two large triangles that had been molded together to form a six-pointed star. The star was centered in the middle of a circle that was delicately engraved with symbols commanding the dark forces of nature.

  As she regarded the magical object, a wave of hatred washed over her. When Seamus had inherited the talisman upon his father’s death, it had changed him. Made him evil.

  The talisman only enhanced what was already there, Ragna, Ulrich Morpeth murmured in her mind, using the old language—the secret language—of their race. For it to create evil, the seed of evil must exist inside its possessor. Now, it is time for you to do what you must do. For yourself. For your child. For the coven. And most of all, for Seamus.

  Ulrich’s voice was so clear; Ragna jerked her head toward the bed­room door, expecting to see the high priest standing there. But he wasn’t there. He waited outside as they’d planned, and he couldn’t enter her home until she invited him in. If he couldn’t enter, he couldn’t cast the spell over Seamus that would render him immobile and allow Ulrich to safely remove the talisman from around Seamus’s neck. Nor could he cast the spell that would take away all but a modicum of Seamus’s powers so he could banish him into the wilderness.

  She returned her attention to Seamus. If she just waited until the sleeping potion wore off, she could talk with him. She would persuade him to give the talisman to Ulrich. Once he no longer had it, Seamus would revert to the warlock he had once been, and he wouldn’t have to be banished. They could remain together and raise their child. They could—

  Ragna, you know that is wishful thinking, Ulrich interrupted impatiently. I’ve already explained that once the talisman has corrupted its possessors, they remain changed forever. Seamus is lost to us. He must be banished so he can bring no further harm to us or to the mortals.

  Touch the minds of the sleeping Pilgrims, Ragna, he urged. Look into their nightmares—their dreaming cries of witch! We must take care of Seamus now. We must flee before dawn. If we don’t, we will all die, Ragna. All of us. Including your child!

  No! Ragna screamed in silent denial, even as her mind raced from mortal house to mortal house—mortal mind to mortal mind. By the time she was done, she had to accept what he said. The witch hysteria hovered over the community like a death pall. Though Ulrich had tried to curb the hysteria, his spells had done no good. The Pilgrims’ fear was too strong, and in the past few months, innocent mortals had been accused, condemned, and killed as witches because of what Seamus had
done.

  Now every mortal mind was centered on the members of the coven. The talisman had done its work well. It had corrupted Seamus—made him plant the seeds of the witch hysteria into the Pilgrims’ minds—and if he wasn’t stopped tonight, the talisman would be well on its way to its final goal.

  Ragna shuddered as the full impact of that goal suddenly clarified for her. Now that the talisman had created the witch hysteria and given the mortals a taste for violence, it was focusing their attention on the coven members. Once the coven was destroyed, there would be no one with the power to stop the talisman. It would continue to use Seamus, giving him increasingly more power to destroy until, through him, it had wiped out the human population on this continent. Then it would find a way to move him to the next continent, and then the next, wreaking death wherever he went.

  Ragna pressed her hands over her mouth to hold back a keening wail. If she betrayed Seamus, she would surely die. But if she didn’t betray him, all of humanity could die. She knew she had to obey Ulrich, but how would she find the strength to do it? How could she see Seamus banished and not go with him? How would she live with herself if she never knew if he was alive or dead? And she wouldn’t know, because once Ulrich cast the banishment spell, no one within the coven, not even herself, would be able to connect with Seamus.

  Ragna, you must do this. You have no other choice.

  You are wrong, Ulrich, she mentally argued. You can give Seamus an amulet or some other object that will give me the power to know whether he lives or dies.

  I wish I could do as you ask, Ragna, but now that Seamus has changed, the only magical object that will work for him is the talisman. There is nothing else that will let you connect with him.

  Ragna shook her head, refusing to accept his words. There had to be a way for her to maintain a link with Seamus. Involuntarily, her gaze returned to the talisman, and she knew the solution to her dilemma.

  There is a way for you to give me what I ask, she told Ulrich. You’re going to break the talisman into three pieces. Give a piece of it to Seamus, and let me have the coven’s piece. It will give me the power to know whether he lives or dies.

  You know that’s impossible, Ragna. The talisman gains its powers from the energies of the moon and the sun. Once it is broken up, only one piece can remain in our possession. The other two pieces must be buried far apart, so there will be no chance that the talisman can be resurrected. To allow two pieces to remain above ground could prove catastrophic.

  You are wrong again, Ulrich. Seamus will be forced to go into the wilderness and live far away from here. When he dies, his piece will surely be buried with him. So the odds of all three pieces surfacing are next to impossible. You must give him a piece so that I can be connected with him.

  Ragna, even if I did what you are asking, your only contact would be nothing more than the knowledge of whether or not he lives, Ulrich rebutted. Because of the banishment spell, you won’t be able to communicate with him or know anything about his life. You must let him go. Keeping two pieces above ground is too dangerous!

  And what you are asking is too cruel! she countered. If you want me to invite you in, you must agree with my terms. Give Seamus a piece of the talisman and let me have the coven’s piece. He is my mate, Ulrich. I cannot let him go without a way of knowing if he is alive. Give me what I want, or find another way to stop him.

  Ulrich was silent for so long that Ragna wondered if he’d left. Then his mind again connected with hers.

  All right, Ragna. The urgency of our predicament is too great for me to refuse. I just pray our descendants will not live to regret my decision.

  Ragna refused to contemplate his dire words. Instead, she bent and pressed a quick kiss to Seamus’s lips. Then she ran out of the room and to the nursery. Gathering their daughter into her arms, she hurried to the front door.

  When she flung it open, Ulrich waited on the other side. She looked at him for a long moment before saying, “You may enter my home, Ulrich. Just remember our bargain. A piece of the talisman for Seamus, and the coven’s piece for me.”

  She didn’t wait for his answer, but rushed past him and headed for the other members of the coven, who were gathered nearby. When Ulrich finished, they would flee, their sacred belongings protected by spells until they had finally relocated. Then, through magic, they would transport the objects to their new home.

  She hadn’t quite reached the security of the coven when lightning rent the sky. As she watched the ominous bolts gather into an electrically charged circle, terror swept through her.

  Instinctively, she gathered her baby closer to her chest and refused to look at the lightning, even when she heard it striking the ground close behind her.

  Ragna, how could you do this to . . . ! Seamus suddenly screamed in her mind. Before he could finish his accusation, the lightning disappeared.

  At that moment, Ragna knew Ulrich had succeeded. He possessed the talisman, and she would never see Seamus again. But at least they each would have a piece of the magical object, and that would keep her connected to him. She also knew that the day Seamus died, she would take her own life—her final punishment for betraying him.

  Black Hills, South Dakota, 20 Years Ago

  Shaman Leonard Night Wolf shivered violently, but it wasn’t from the cold. He felt as if someone, or rather something, was spying on him, and he glanced around his small encampment fearfully.

  Other than the circle of trees illuminated by his fire, all he saw was the impenetrable darkness of a cloudy, starless night. He tried to tell himself that he was sensing an animal, but he couldn’t quite convince himself that it was true.

  As he had every winter, for the past forty-five years, he’d left the Lakota Indian reservation and trekked deep into the mountains. His journey was a spiritual quest. A time to reaffirm his beliefs, a time to feed his soul. But this year, the trip wasn’t soothing him. He felt as if the spirits were out of harmony, and that frightened him.

  Huddling under the blanket wrapped around his shoulders, he anxiously fondled the silver triangle hanging from a chain around his neck. He had just celebrated his fiftieth birthday, and he knew it was time to select the new guardian for the triangle. It was one of the dilemmas he hoped to resolve on this trip.

  Deciding to quell his apprehension by concentrating on the problem, he stared thoughtfully into the fire. There were several promising young braves within his tribe, but he hadn’t found the one that struck that special spark of recognition inside him.

  But is it really the spark that is missing? he asked himself. Or, as his wife claimed, was he too filled with self-importance to relinquish his hold on the triangle? Not that he’d be relinquishing it soon. It would take several years of training to make his successor ready to assume that duty, and he couldn’t put off the selection much longer. If he died before the new guardian was prepared to take over the triangle, it could mean annihilation for his tribe.

  He shivered again, but this time it wasn’t due to unseen eyes. It was from the legend of the triangle, which had been taken from the evil wicáhmunga, Seamus Morpeth, just over three hundred years before.

  As the gruesome details of Seamus’s time with his ancestors tried to surface, Leonard forced back the memory of the story. Now was not the time to remember the past. It was time to think of the future—to choose a new guardian who would protect his people from the curse Seamus had placed upon them just before his death.

  “The triangle gives me my power,” Seamus had told them. “And it is the triangle that will exact my revenge. It will join with its other pieces, and then your tribe will be no more.”

  And that was the guardian’s onerous duty. To make sure the triangle never joined with its other pieces. But every guardian who touched it found himself drawn into a war with evil. That’s why the selection was so important. The guardian had to be so pure o
f heart that his goodness would overcome the evil that the triangle tried to wedge into his soul.

  Yes, it had to be someone special, Leonard acknowledged, and he wasn’t convinced that any of the young braves vying for the honor was that pure.

  “That is because none of the braves is meant to be the guardian,” a strange, hollow-sounding voice announced.

  Leonard jerked his head up in disbelief. When his gaze landed on the man standing on the other side of the fire, his heart began to race and his mouth went dry. He was looking at a fierce-looking brave dressed in full battle regalia of centuries past. How had he sneaked up on him?

  “Who are you?” Leonard asked, studying the man’s face and deter­mining that he’d never seen him before.

  The warrior didn’t answer. He simply summoned Leonard to follow with a wave of his hand. Then he turned away from the fire and walked—or rather glided—toward the trees.

  At that moment Leonard realized he wasn’t looking at a man but a spirit, and he shuddered in terror. Did this mean his time was over? Had the spirit come to claim his soul?

  Every self-protective instinct he possessed screamed at him to run in the opposite direction as fast as he could. He couldn’t die until he chose the new guardian! So why did he feel his body rise of its own accord and follow the spirit?

  Before he could ponder the thought, his mind filled with the image of a young and beautiful woman standing in profile. She was tall, and her black, braided hair, familiar features, and dark complexion told him that she was a member of his race. But then she turned her head toward him. When he saw her gleaming, golden eyes, he realized she was a half-breed. No full-blooded Native American had eyes the color of the sun.

  Suddenly she raised her arm, and he gasped in alarm. A rattlesnake curled around her arm from wrist to shoulder. He shuddered again as he watched it bury its head into the crook of her neck, as if it were settling down for a nap.

  Although he was astonished by the snake, he was shocked to see that she wore a triangle identical to his. Who was she? And where had she got­ten the triangle? Was this a portent that Seamus Morpeth’s curse was about to come true?