Touch of Lightning

by Carin Rafferty

  “Sure. Come with me, Sarah. I even have a small shower if you’d like to use it.”

  “Um, that would be nice. Sebastian, you’ll be here when I get back?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Of course. My meeting will take a while, so you just take your time.”

  They left and a few minutes later Sebastian heard the tap of a cane and the shuffle of feet as Oran entered the room. Sebastian automatically conjured up the narrator’s image. At one hundred twenty years old, Oran was the oldest member of the coven. He had long, silver hair that fell well below his shoulders, and a silver beard that hung almost to his waist. His body was stooped with the ravages of arthritis, and he used a gnarled cane to walk. But his dark brown eyes were alive and alert, leaving no doubt that his advanced age had not affected his mind.

  As Oran’s image solidified in his mind, Sebastian knew he had to find a way to trick the talisman into giving him back his sight. If he didn’t, he’d never be able to add more images to his memory. He’d never see Lucien and Ariel’s twins grow up. He’d never see what Shana and Ryan’s baby looked like. He wouldn’t see his own face grow old, or the faces of the people for whom he cared. He’d never be able to look into Sarah’s beau­tiful golden eyes again.

  Of course if he didn’t stop the talisman, there wouldn’t be anything to see.

  He said, “Hello, Oran. Thank you for coming. As you can see, I couldn’t come to you.”

  “Yes, your blindness is a fascinating complication to this event,” Oran said in his quavering, raspy voice.

  “Then you are aware of everything that’s happened to me?” Sebastian asked, though he didn’t know why he bothered. One of the narrators would have automatically connected with his mind the moment he first looked at the glowing triangle in the repository, and they would have stayed with him throughout his journey. However, the narrators were unobtrusive, so he wouldn’t have been aware of the monitoring.

  It was too bad that they weren’t allowed to tell anyone what they learned until everything was over, he now thought. It might have saved Lucien from being trapped in the cocoon with Sarah. Instead of lying in the next room disoriented, Lucien would have been repairing the barrier.

  “Of course I’m aware of what’s happened,” Oran said. “I’ve been particularly enthralled with the lightning wreath.”

  “Yes, it’s an . . . interesting anomaly,” Sebastian stated. “But we can discuss it later. Right now, I need to discuss our situation. I know you can’t interfere with what’s happening, but knowing how serious things are, did you happen to contact the council for a new troubleshooter?”

  “I tried, but I couldn’t get through to them,” Oran answered.

  “Why not?” Sebastian asked warily. “You weren’t telling them about the talisman, so you weren’t interfering with history.”

  “That wasn’t the problem, Sebastian. When the barrier started disintegrating, a strange electrical field formed around Sanctuary. Our magic can’t penetrate it.”

  “What are you talking about?” Sebastian asked, confused. “Zachary’s been checking the barrier for me, and he never mentioned any electrical field.”

  “That’s because it’s still too faint to be picked up by casual obser­vation. If I hadn’t been specifically watching for abnormalities, I wouldn’t have noticed it myself. But the more the barrier disintegrates, the stronger the field becomes. I suspect that within an hour or two it will be visible to everyone. I also think that when that happens, the field will completely disrupt our magic.”

  “Do you know the field’s source?” Sebastian asked, although he had a sinking feeling he already knew the answer.

  “As I said, it’s still faint, so I can’t confirm my suspicions, but I think the lightning wreath has surrounded us.”

  Sebastian shook his head in disbelief. “You can’t be suggesting what I think you are!”

  “Yes, I believe the wreath has cocooned us.”

  “But why?” Sebastian gasped, raking a hand through his hair. “No, don’t bother answering that. That’s why it wanted Sarah on coven land. To destroy the barrier and trap us here until it can put its plans to destroy us into motion. We need to evacuate the coven now, and—”

  “The wreath has already cocooned us, so it’s too late for that,” Oran interrupted quietly. “Anyone who tries to pass through it will end up like Lucien or worse.”

  “Damn! I should never have brought Sarah here,” Sebastian rasped as he climbed off the bed and paced its length.

  “You didn’t have any choice, Sebastian. You were blinded and your magic didn’t function properly. If you hadn’t brought Sarah here, she or this Butler would have eventually killed you. Your triangle would have returned to Sanctuary, and the talisman would have brought her here anyway. By then, she may have had two pieces of the object in her possession, and, like you, I believe that would make her an almost unbeatable foe.”

  “And you think we’re in better shape now?” Sebastian stated angrily, though he wasn’t angry with the old warlock. He was furious with himself for not figuring out what the talisman was up to. He was also tormented by the sudden recollection of that horrible vision he’d had after the cocoon bearing Lucien and Sarah had penetrated the barrier.

  He and Sarah stood in the center of Sanctuary. Her face was so sharpened with evil that it looked cadaverous, and her hands dripped with blood. But it was the sight of the coven members’ bodies littering the street that truly horrified him. They’d all had their eyes gouged out. Sarah told him to look at his hands, and though he tried to ignore her order, his hands lifted into his line of vision on their own accord. He screamed when he saw the blood on them.

  “Yes, we’re in better shape this way,” Oran said, snapping Sebastian out of the terrifying memory. “We know the talisman has been unable to fully corrupt Sarah.”

  “But every time the wreath cocoons her, it steals another piece of her soul. That’s the cocoon’s purpose—to transform her. Now she’s going to be surrounded by it twenty-four hours a day. Worse, I’m going to be surrounded by it.”

  He paused and drew in a deep breath before continuing, “Oran, you’ve been connected with me, so you know how the talisman has tried to make me rape Sarah. I know the spell that governs you screens out the intimate details of our lovemaking, but you must be aware of how difficult it was for me to fight against the lust. If it becomes a continuous condition, I can guarantee that it won’t be long before the talisman has its way. Once that happens, Sarah will strike out in revenge, and the talisman has given her an entire coven of victims to kill. And because I’ll have raped her, I’ll be fast on my way to corruption.”

  “I think you underestimate yourself, Sebastian,” Oran said. “You’ve admitted to yourself that you’re in love with Sarah. A warlock is incapable of harming the witch—or, in your case, woman—he loves.”

  Sebastian shook his head. “Remember what happened to Seamus and Ragna Morpeth. They were mates and had a child, and the talisman corrupted them. Sarah and I aren’t mates, and we don’t have a child. I don’t stand a chance against it.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “As soon as Sarah comes back, I’m going to have Zachary cast another confining spell over her. Then I’m going to have him get me the hell away from her until I can figure out how to get us out of this mess.”

  “Before you put that plan into action, you’d better consider the consequences carefully. Sarah has already told you that she can use her powers from within the confining spell. Perhaps you should consider an aversion spell that will make her find you repulsive.”

  Sebastian shook his head again. “I’d have to cast an aversion spell over her, and she’d immediately go into distress. The only spell we can safely use is a confining spell, because it’s the only type of spell that doesn’t affect her directly. She’ll be angry wh
en we do it, but as long as no one hurts her, she won’t hurt anyone,” Sebastian assured.

  “I don’t know, Sebastian,” Oran stated dubiously. “I’m unable to link with Sarah, but I have picked up on enough of her thoughts to realize she has a fear of abandonment. Right now, you’re all she has to hold on to. If you have her confined and leave her, I don’t think she’ll handle it well.”

  Sebastian scowled. “I know what I’m doing, Oran, and you’re dangerously close to interfering with history. I’d hate to see the spell that governs the narrators kill you for offering your opinion on such a trivial matter.”

  “I’m an old warlock, Sebastian. Death doesn’t frighten me, but I will admit that I’d hate to die before I find out if Sarah is what I think she is.”

  “What do you think she is?” Sebastian asked expectantly.

  “Now, that would be interfering with history,” Oran said with a chuckle. “But I’ll give you a hint. Think about the lightning. I’m sure that’s why the talisman chose Sarah as its instrument of destruction. I’ll tell Zachary to come in immediately.”

  With that, Oran shuffled out of the room, and Sebastian frowned in confusion. What did the lightning have to do with the talisman’s choosing Sarah? He wanted to pursue Oran’s statement but Zachary came in, saying, “Oran said you wanted to see me?”

  “Yes,” Sebastian said.

  As he told Zachary his plans for Sarah, he recalled Oran’s warning about confining Sarah and felt a stirring of uneasiness. But he couldn’t think of any other way to handle the situation. If Oran was right and the wreath had encircled Sanctuary, then it was only a matter of time before the talisman filled him with lust. For both their sakes—for the salvation of their souls—he had to stay away from her.

  But if he weren’t around and she was allowed to move freely among the coven, the talisman might find some new way to complete her transformation to evil. As much as he hated it, Sebastian knew he had no choice but to confine her.

  But the justification didn’t alleviate his apprehension. When he had Zachary lead him out of the room, he couldn’t help wondering if he was making a terrible mistake, particularly since he’d told Sarah he’d be here when she returned.

  Again, he told himself he had no other option. Sarah would be unhappy with him, but she would be safe and so would the coven.

  SARAH HAD HOPED that a shower would rid her of the feeling of terror hovering over her. It hadn’t. As she braided her wet hair, she stared at her image in the mirror, hoping it would provide her with a reason for her fear. It didn’t.

  “Why do I feel so scared?” she whispered in frustration. “And what is it that I need to tell Sebastian? I know it’s important, so why can’t I remember?”

  Voicing the questions didn’t provide the answers, and she sighed heavily as she untied her bundle of clothes. After donning clean underwear, she lifted the long-sleeved, leather dress from the pile. As she toyed with the fringe on the sleeves and then touched the elaborate beading on the lace-up bodice, she told herself it would be more practical to put on clean jeans and a shirt. But she wasn’t interested in practical. She had a sudden urge to feel feminine.

  You want to impress Sebastian, an inner voice whispered. But that’s ridiculous. He can’t even see you.

  At the reminder, she buried her face in the dress. She knew why she’d blinded him. She’d thought he was going to kill her people—or, rather, Leonard’s people. But she’d been wrong, and now Sebastian would never see again. Regardless of what excuse he gave her to justify her actions, she knew that she was a monster.

  Tears stung her eyes, but she forced herself to blink them back. Crying wouldn’t change anything. The only way she could achieve redemption was to help Sebastian stop the talisman. After she’d done that, she’d kill herself to ensure that she never harmed anyone again.

  Quickly, she pulled on the dress and laced up the bodice. Then she sat down on the toilet and pulled on her beaded, knee-high moccasins. Standing, she smoothed the dress over her hips and retied her clothes bundle.

  Sebastian had said his meeting would take a while, and she figured she’d been in here at least a half hour. Hopefully, that was enough time, because she was starting to feel claustrophobic. She’d go back to the examining room, and if he was still busy, she’d wait in the hallway. Tossing her braid behind her so that it hung down her back, she grabbed her bundled clothes, opened the door, and froze.

  Zachary leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. As his gaze swept over her, Sarah could sense his hostility. She wanted to step back into the bathroom and slam the door closed.

  Instead, she hugged the bundle to her chest and said, “Hello, Mr. . . . Morcombe, isn’t it?”

  “Just call me Zachary,” he drawled as he raised his gaze to her face.

  Sarah couldn’t help shivering at the animosity reflected in their dark depths. She understood why he disliked her. Indeed, this was exactly how she’d treated Sebastian when he’d arrived on the mountain and she thought he wanted to destroy her—no, Leonard’s—people. The difference was, she deserved Zachary’s dislike. She truly was a threat to his people.

  “I’m sorry. If I’d known you were waiting to get in here, I would have dressed faster,” she said.

  He shook his head. “I’m waiting for you. Sebastian asked me to escort you back to the examining room.”

  “Oh,” she said, her spirits sinking at the realization that Sebastian didn’t trust her. She didn’t blame him. After all she’d done to him, she was amazed he still spoke to her. Unfortunately, that didn’t make his actions hurt any less. “Is Sebastian finished with his meeting?”

  “Yes,” Zachary said, gesturing for her to precede him.

  She headed down the hallway, refraining from looking back over her shoulder. She could feel his eyes boring into her, and she shivered. When she reached the examining room and stepped inside, she frowned. The room was empty.

  “Where’s Sebastian?” she asked, spinning around in alarm when she heard Zachary murmur some words behind her.

  Instead of answering, he flicked his hand, and Sarah jumped back with a gasp as lightning shot from his fingertips and she saw a golden barrier fill the doorway.

  “He’s gone,” Zachary said. “He told me to tell you that you’re confined to this room. The door and the windows are sealed with a spell that will kill you if you try to leave. Meals will be delivered to you regularly, and someone will be here to provide you with anything you want or need, except release, of course.

  “There’s a bathroom over there,” he continued, gesturing toward a closed door at the back of the room. “It doesn’t have a shower, but Sebastian said you’d only be here for a day or two, so I’m sure you’ll manage until we can relocate you. Is there anything I can get you before I leave?”

  Sarah shook her head, too stunned to say anything. She told herself that Sebastian must have a good reason for doing this to her. But why wasn’t he here to explain it to her?

  “Wait! Is Sebastian all right?” she asked when Zachary turned to walk away.

  He glanced over his shoulder, and she shrank back from the antagonism of his gaze. “No, he isn’t all right. He’s blind, and, from what I understand, he owes that handicap to you.”

  Before she could respond, Zachary stalked away, and with a shudder, Sarah closed the door, hiding the barrier that sealed her inside the room.

  However, the closed door didn’t hide the barriers that shimmered against the windows, and she turned her back on them and trudged to the bed on which she’d awakened in the safety of Sebastian’s arms.

  She tossed her clothes to the floor and laid down, staring up at the ceiling. Sebastian had said he’d be here when she returned, so why hadn’t he stayed to tell her why he was doing this to her?

  Because you blinded him, and he hates you, he
r conscience supplied.

  “It wasn’t my fault,” Sarah sobbed softly, covering her face with her hands. “I thought he was my enemy.”

  You’re a monster. That’s why your mother abandoned you. It’s why Sebastian abandoned you. You’ll always be alone. Forever.

  “No!” Sarah cried, rolling to her side and curling into a fetal ball.

  Alone. Forever.

  “Why do you insist on tormenting me?” she wailed, realizing that it wasn’t her conscience taunting her. It was the talisman. “Why don’t you just let me die?”

  Because if you die, your son will die.

  Sarah’s eyes snapped open and she stared at the wall as memory came flooding in. Pressing her hand to her abdomen, she gave a dazed shake of her head. That was the important thing she needed to tell Sebastian! She was pregnant!

  So find him. Tell him.

  “I can’t!” she gasped, sitting up on the bed. “I’m trapped in here.”

  Their magic is not stronger than yours. You have the power, so use it.

  “It’s too dangerous,” she said. “I could hurt my . . . son. Oh, God, I’m pregnant. I’m going to have a baby!”

  You have to tell Sebastian. He’s the father. He has a right to know.

  “I’ll wait until he comes back.”

  He isn’t coming back. He’s abandoned you. If you don’t go after him, you’ll he alone forever. Your son will be alone forever.

  “No!” Sarah whispered frantically as she bolted off the bed and ran to the door, throwing it open. “My son won’t be abandoned. I’ll never let him be abandoned!”

  Instinctively, she reached for the triangle, closed her eyes and sum­moned the lightning. She heard it strike in front of her, and she opened her eyes in time to see the barrier Zachary had erected disappear.

  “What do I do now?” she questioned as she stepped out into the hallway, waiting for someone to come rushing at her. But no one came, and she shivered as the silence assured her Zachary had lied to her. There was no one here. She was completely alone.