Missing Magic

by Karen Whiddon

  Body to body. Soul to Soul. Again she could have sworn she heard a whispering voice.

  Beneath her, Cenrick moved.

  “Dee?” He rasped, his voice weak.

  “Right here.”

  “By the Plains of Lothar,” he groaned.

  She rolled off him, keeping an eye on the other guy as she stretched out by Cenrick’s side. “Are you all right?”

  “Now I am.” He flexed one hand. “My strength is returning.”

  The guard made a snuffling sound.

  “Cenrick?” Dee sat up, keeping only her hands on his arms. “We’ve got to go.”

  He rolled over. “No.” He closed his eyes. “Not until we find this machine.”

  “And Mick, she reminded him.”

  His eyes opened. “And Mick.” He brought his hand up to cover hers. “Keep touching me.” To her relief, this time he sounded almost normal. “Can you help me up?”

  “Sure.” Helping him to his feet, she pointed out the unconscious guard. “He’s out, but I don’t know how long he’ll stay that way.”

  “Come on. Let’s find it and destroy the blasted thing.”

  Still gripping her hand, he led the way down the hall.

  “I feel… something,” Dee whispered.

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know, but it raises the hair on my arms.”

  “Maybe the machine’s properties still linger.”

  But though they searched the house, they saw no sign of any mechanical device, nor of Mick or the other hapless Fae who’d arrived earlier.

  “That machine has got to be here.”

  “The guard mentioned he’d turned it up, so it’s got to be around somewhere,” she said. “No one but us was here to move anything.”

  Except the voice she’d heard whispering. Should she mention that?

  “Magic.” He made the word sound like a curse. “They used magic to move those Fae, the machine, everything.”

  “But the house is still glowing.”

  “It’s fading.”

  She squinted. “You’re right. Since the machine is gone…”

  “The glow has gone with it.” He motioned towards the back door. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  They made it to her car and drove off without incident.

  “I don’t believe this.” Dee wanted to hit the steering wheel. “Where could they all have gone?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, sounding as unhappy as she felt. “But that’s the thing about magic. They could be anywhere in your world.”

  “But not Rune?”

  “No.” He sounded confident. “A machine like that would never make it across the veil.”

  “One less place to search. Any idea how we can find them?”

  “I’ll need to contact the Mage. Tracking them down might require magical help.”

  She nodded, turning onto the street that led to her apartment complex. “You know, up until today I really believed that Mick wasn’t involved.”

  “After today, there’s no doubt.”

  “It’s possible he’s being coerced.”

  “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

  She didn’t answer. What could she say? The man she’d grown up with, who’d been the closest thing to a brother she’d ever known, was now an alleged criminal.

  “When we find him—.” A cold fury made the certainty in his voice chilling.

  “If we do.”

  “Oh, we will. Not only will we find Mick, we’ll find that machine of his and destroy it.”

  She barely glanced at him. “Do you think so?”

  “We have no choice.”

  “But how?”

  “All magic leaves a trace. Mort or the Oracle will be able to find it.”

  Dee glanced at him. He gave no signs of fighting the desire that hammered her, the same urgent, insistent lust as the last time they’d faced the soul-stealing machine. It had taken every bit of willpower to keep from attempting to seduce him. Only the embarrassing thought of what she’d done last time – and how he’d pushed her away – kept her from climbing all over him right there in her car. Again.

  Though she’d studied him, she’d seen no obvious signs of need. He’d regarded her the way one did a working partner, no swollen body or eyes dark with passion.

  She shouldn’t have been so disappointed, so hurt, but she was. Her breasts felt swollen, her body sensitive and restless. She found it difficult to concentrate on the subject at hand. Magic. They’d been discussing magic, and getting the Mage or the Oracle to help them.

  “Are you saying we’ll have to go back to Rune?” Finally, she pulled into a spot and parked, pocketing her key and avoiding touching him.

  “I don’t think we have a choice.”

  “But not tonight, right?”

  He smiled, a flash of white in the darkness. “No, not tonight.”

  She shivered. Even the husky timbre of his voice acerbated her need. And he was obviously too weary to think about it.

  Climbing out of the car, she hurried up the sidewalk to her apartment ahead of him. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool of herself again. Within thirty minutes of unlocking her front door, she planned to be in her room getting read for bed. Alone.

  Cenrick followed her in the apartment, apparently too exhausted to even speak. After a quick stop in the kitchen to grab a glass of water, she hurried down the hallway, tossed off a good night over her shoulder, and headed for her bedroom.

  Any other night, she might have closed the door to keep him out.

  This night, she left it open.

  Chapter Seven

  KEEPING HIMSELF from touching Dee was the most difficult thing he’d ever done, bar none.

  The instant she’d touched him, desire had slammed into him, the same as before, a direct result of having his magic drained from him, then returned in a rush.

  But this time, feeling the first twinge of lust stir his body, he’d prepared himself to fight it. For her. Dee. He’d humiliated them both once. He would not so dishonor her again.

  One look from her and his body burned, one accidental whiff of her light floral scent and he was hard. Yet, though his heart pounded and his blood ran hot through his veins, he gave no outward sign of his inner battle.

  Still, he finally was able to relax his iron control when she went off to bed early.

  Then she’d left her bedroom door open, when she usually closed it.

  Was this an invitation? The mere thought had started the sensual images playing in his mind.

  Dee, Dee, Dee.

  Would his desire be so strong for another woman? He couldn’t help but ponder the question.

  Somehow, he was certain of the answer. While the magical repercussions might send his libido into overdrive, the strength of his need was solely because of the woman. Dee.

  Knowing this, he could get no sleep. For hours he paced the confines of her small apartment, wondering how such a thing could be possible. Finally, hours after she’d turned out her light, he made the couch ready and attempted to sleep.

  In the morning he awoke from dreams of holding her to find his arms empty. Dee’s sharp scream, quickly cut off, brought him to his feet. He yanked on his trousers, grabbed his crystal dagger, and ran.

  Sliding into the kitchen with his dagger drawn, he prepared to do battle.

  Both Dee and the silver-haired man talking to her looked up in surprise.

  “Cenrick?” Dee crossed her arms. “What’s wrong?”

  “I heard you scream.”

  “Oh, that?” She gave a self-conscious laugh. “Mort startled me, that’s all. He popped into my kitchen as I was measuring out the coffee.”

  Mort spread his hands. “Sorry.”

  Shaking his head, Cenrick sheathed his dagger. “Looks like I won’t be needing this. Greetings, Mort. Your arrival is timely, as always.”

  “I was just asking him how he knew we needed to talk to him.” Dee’s comment made
both men smile.

  “He knew because that is what he is – the Mage.” Clapping the older man on the back, he saw Dee had poured Mort a cup of coffee.

  “Have you tasted that?”

  Mort shook his head.

  “Vile stuff.” Cenrick indicated the mug. “I’ve tried it once. That was enough for me.”

  Mort nodded, taking a small sip. His grimace made Dee laugh. “You’re right. This is bad.”

  “It’s an acquired taste.” To prove it, Dee took a deep drink from her own mug. “I was telling Mort what happened at Mick’s yesterday.”

  Mort nodded, eying his coffee before taking another, wary sip. “You say you found nothing when you entered Mick’s house?”

  “Yes. Nothing. Though we watched several Fae arrive, they were not in the house when we searched it.”

  “We took out the one guard,” Cenrick finished for her, his tone terse. “Yet we couldn’t locate Mick or the machine.”

  “Machine?” Mort went still.

  “So we believe. The one man they left behind alluded to a machine.”

  “I see. But you could not find this machine anywhere?”

  “No. Despite the way the house glowed, the thing was gone.”

  “Then they moved it?”

  “Yes. Magically, I think, though I don’t know who cast the spell, or when.”

  “Spell?” Dee turned troubled eyes on him. “So that’s what I felt. I thought it was the machine. Power shuddered along my skin like the willies. Whoever cast it, had to be really powerful.”

  “You speak as though you felt magic.” Mort watched her closely, his expression giving nothing away.

  “I did,” Dee admitted. “Though I didn’t know what it was. I sensed the power.”

  “Magical residue,” Cenrick said, wondering how such a thing could be. Humans never felt magic.

  “What about you?” the Mage asked, looking at Cenrick. “Did you feel this too?”

  “No,” Cenrick admitted. “Whatever the machine does affected me too greatly. I was weak in incoherent. If not for Dee…”

  “A human female.” Mort sounded puzzled. “Describe what you felt.” Though his voice was deceptively casual, Mort didn’t fool Cenrick. The older man watched Dee with an intensity that would have frightened a lesser woman.

  But not his Dee.

  She lifted her chin and considered.

  His Dee? Still reeling from his thought, Cenrick nearly missed her reply.

  “I felt… a black hole,” she said slowly. “I’ve read about them, even watched a film about them somewhere. That’s what this felt like. A powerful eraser. All matter that comes into contact is absorbed into…”

  “Itself.” Mort completed her sentence, deep lines appearing in his forehead. “And this affected the Prince but not you?”

  “Of course. He is Fae and I’m not. That’s the entire reason, plain and simple. I’m just an ordinary human.”

  “Not ordinary. Not if you can feel power.”

  Dee shrugged.

  “Then there’s the way her touch can heal me,” Cenrick put in. “And, when she’s touching me, I’m shielded from that machine.”

  “What?” Eyes full of excitement, Mort peered from one to the other. “What do you mean?”

  In a few short sentences, Cenrick explained.

  “This is not possible,” the Mage breathed, his gaze focused inward. “The legend—.” He drew himself up abruptly, cutting of his own words.

  “What legend?”

  But Mort only shook his head. “I will have to consult with the Oracle. If I’m correct, than we have a chance of winning. If I’m not…” Though he didn’t finish his own words, they all knew what he meant to say.

  All would be lost.

  “What about the machine?” Cenrick asked. “Can you find it?”

  “I will try. Again, as the Oracle told you, we have limited success in the human world. And, if this is a machine, magic will not locate it.”

  With that, he snapped his fingers and vanished.

  Dee looked at Cenrick, brows raised. “Now what? Since you’ve made it clear my idea won’t work, what do you propose we do?”

  “Gather more data.” He drummed his fingers on the tabletop, apparently having decided to ignore his coffee. “We can’t diagnose the problem without knowing what factors make up the calculation.”

  She made a sound of frustration. “Again with the math crap. You sound like a scientist, like that Natasha chick.” Her eyes widened. “You know, I’ve never asked. In Rune, besides being Prince, what do you do, exactly?”

  “Do?”

  “You know, what kind of work? What’s your occupation?”

  “I’m a scholar,” Cenrick said, crossing his arms. “That’s all?” She sounded disappointed. “You’re one of those eternal students?”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I thought maybe you’d be a professor, or work in a lab. Or even a doctor.”

  “We don’t have any call for that sort of thing in Rune. There are mages and scholars and warriors.”

  “Warriors? Like Conan the Barbarian?” She chuckled. “You resemble him, you know.”

  Since he had no idea who this Conan was, Cenrick didn’t comment.

  “You’ve mentioned a brother.” She sipped her coffee. “What does he do?”

  “Alrick?” Thinking of his twin made him smile. “Of the two of us, he’s more the warrior. His destiny was an important one.”

  “Really? What’d he do?”

  “Short story – he married a human woman, and lives with her in Austin.” At her disappointed sigh, he smiled. “Their child will one day save my people.” He told her of the warlord, and the evil which waited in the future.

  When he’d finished, she chewed her lower lip, lost in thought. “Since your brother is the warrior, does that mean you cannot fight at all? Do you even own a sword?”

  “I have trained as a warrior too, and have fought many times at Alrick’s side.” Though her words shouldn’t have bothered him, they stung deeply. “And I have an excellent sword, one forged for me in the mines of Gristo.”

  “I thought you Fae couldn’t touch metal.”

  “My sword is not metal, she is made of crystal.” He crossed his arms, wondering if he could make her understand. “Though I am an accomplished warrior, I am a man of peace. If there is a way to deal with this without bloodshed, I will find it.”

  “And if there is not?”

  “Then the blood will flow like a river.”

  At his words, she looked away. “I’ve taken an oath to uphold the law.”

  “What law? Human laws do not apply to this situation.”

  “Yes, they do.” She lifted her chin. “Natasha is human.”

  “Not any longer. If she’s stealing souls, it’s possible she’s using their magic.”

  “How?”

  “I’m not entirely sure,” he admitted. “If I go back to the library at Rune, I can research all this. I can—.”

  “That would take too long,” she interrupted. “We don’t have a lot of time. We’re going to have to do the best we can without all the research. I don’t want Mick to end up like those other people, the Soulless ones.” She shuddered.

  “What about Peter?” The words were out before he had time to think them through. “I’m sure you must want to help him too.”

  The look she gave him was steady and without guile. “Of course I do. I want to help each and every one of them. But Mick is close to my heart – he’s the nearest thing to family I’ve ever had.”

  While he had always been surrounded by family. He couldn’t imagine how lonely a life like hers must have been. And Mick – what must that have been like, finally learning he wasn’t alone, after years spent believing the opposite?

  What reason could Mick have for hurting the ones who cared about him? Revenge, for leaving his by himself so long? Or was there another, deeper motivation?

  Until they could get
Mick alone to explain, they’d have to wonder.

  Dee drained her cup and spent a moment staring down into its depths. “There’s got to be a way we can find them. We just have to think of a plan.”

  Pushing his chair back and getting to his feet, Cenrick nodded. “There is one other solution.”

  “Let’s hear it.”

  “They seem to want me. We can flush them out, if we use me as bait.”

  Before he’d even finished, Dee started shaking her head. “Of all the bad ideas I’ve heard in my six years on the police force, a civilian attempting to use himself to attract criminals is the worst. Not only that, but you’ve seen how that thing affects you.”

  “I wouldn’t go alone. We’re partners, a team. I’m safe as long as we’re touching.”

  She stared at him, the speculative look in her eyes telling him she was considering his words.

  He pressed his advantage. “Dee, I don’t have a choice. I’m a Prince of Rune. My people are being hurt. I have to take a risk, especially if by doing, I can save them.”

  “True, and it’s a good idea. But too vague. Say you really do act as a decoy. Then what? Where do you go from there? You’re a planner, I know. What’s your actual plan?”

  She saw from the frown creasing his forehead that she had him worrying.

  “You heard the Oracle,” he said. “Only the two of you, working as one, can halt this great evil.”

  “That could mean anything. I don’t think she would want you to risk yourself, especially if you are the only one who can save them. You can’t take a chance on being captured and having your own soul stolen.”

  “I can and I will, unless you cancome up with a better plan.”

  “I don’t have one. Not yet,” she admitted. “But give me time.”

  Her doorbell chimed as he was about to speak.

  “What now?” she groaned, going to the door and peering through the peep-hole. “Damn. There are two men in dark suits and sunglasses. They’re either Men in Black, come to track down errant aliens, or they work for Internal Affairs. What the hell do they want with me?”

  “You are being investigated, aren’t you?”

  She nodded. “But I’ve already answered all their questions, at the station. Internal Affairs doesn’t make house calls. Something is wrong with this.”