Winter Magic

by T. M. Cromer

  Without another word, he teleported them to her room.

  19

  Alastair swiped his palm over the scrying mirror and lifted the object representing Winnie from atop the glass. “Okay, children, show’s over. Let them have their privacy.”

  “Aww, Uncle Alastair, you’re ruining our fun,” Autumn complained with a huff.

  “What, are you eight?” he asked with a raised brow.

  Autumn laughed and kissed his cheek. “Fine. But just so you know, I am dubbing you Spoiler of Fun.”

  “I’m pretty sure I dubbed Summer that a few months back,” Coop said with a laugh, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend from behind and hugging her to his chest.

  “Shut it!” Summer warned with a blush.

  Alastair fought back a smile. Seeing his daughter happy made him ecstatic—on the inside. Not that he’d ever allow his emotions to shine through. He’d been conditioned well while being held prisoner in Lin’s dungeon.

  “I have to head out and make an appearance at the department or Lil will kill me. She’s been on my ass about the upcoming election,” Coop said, referring to the woman who essentially ran the sheriff’s office single-handedly.

  Alastair remembered her well from when he was young. Lil had been a firecracker then, and it seemed she continued to burn brightly.

  After Coop left, Alastair faced his daughter and two nieces. “We need to come up with a foolproof plan to stop Lin and his minions. I have a spy in his camp, who tells me Lin’s gearing up for another big move. My man also stated Lin is keeping things tight to his chest and not giving details.”

  “That makes you nervous?” Spring asked.

  Alastair lifted his brows. “You need to ask?”

  “Sorry.”

  He clasped his hands behind his back and strolled to the attic window to overlook the expanse of Thorne land. Longing struck. Or perhaps it was more like homesickness. He’d grown up running wild across those rolling hills. Scraped his knee more times than he could count climbing the large rock formation on the north side of the property. But Alastair had ceded the property and the manor to his brother Preston in exchange for his daughter’s care.

  Alastair picked up Summer’s worried reflection in the glass. Goddess, she was lovely. All wild blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and more powerful than any of them had imagined. He did smile then. Summer had no idea what she could do. As a witch who could manipulate time, it made her more powerful than even he or Preston, and probably equally powerful to his sister GiGi.

  Summer’s spells went wild because she had too much power to contain. Only she didn’t know that. But she would. Once Aurora was awake, Alastair could spend more time on training his daughter properly. The way she should have been trained to begin with.

  But in the meantime, he needed to find a way to destroy Lin. That bastard had powerful magic on his side if he could neutralize Winnie so effortlessly. Winnie, who was a force of nature in her own right.

  “Who’s your inside man?” Autumn asked.

  “I believe you referred to him as Ollie,” Alastair told her. His lips twitched at her outrage.

  “Jolly Ollie?”

  “Who’s Jolly Ollie?” Summer asked.

  “It’s for the best that you don’t know.” Alastair smoothed his shirt cuffs and straightened his cufflinks.

  “I know.”

  All eyes turned to Spring.

  “Who?” Autumn asked.

  “It’s obvious if you think about it. Who used to transform into various characters to amuse us as kids?”

  “Uncle Ryker?” Summer frowned. “Why do you think it’s him?”

  Spring’s beatific smile bloomed. “He’s the only person Uncle Alastair would trust.”

  Alastair couldn’t stop the grin. “You’re too smart for your own good, child.”

  “I’m confused,” Autumn said. “I thought he’d disappeared for good. Have you been in touch with him all this time?”

  “I have,” Alastair confirmed. “He works as a spy for the Witches’ Council. They’ve been after Lin a long time.” Alastair straightened his pink tie and shrugged. “If he slips me information here or there, well, let’s just say, he’s not hurting anyone.”

  “Does anyone find it odd that Autumn dubbed him Jolly Ollie and his middle name is Jolyon?” Spring laughed.

  “No! Is it really?” Summer laughed in turn.

  Spring nodded. “Yep. Check the family tree in the back of our grimoire.”

  “Can we get back on track, ladies?” Alastair sighed. “Lin is a real threat.”

  “Don’t you think I know that better than anyone,” Autumn retorted irritably.

  When she rubbed her flat abdomen, Alastair smiled for a second time. “When are you due?”

  Autumn’s head came up at the same time her sisters gasped. “How did you guess?”

  “I’ve been around pregnant women before, child. I think I can tell when one is expecting,” he said dryly.

  “You’re pregnant and didn’t tell us?” Summer demanded, even as she tempered her indignation with a hug for Autumn.

  “You should tell them,” Alastair said. He referred to her previous miscarriage. Other than Alastair, not another living soul, outside GiGi, had known she’d lost Keaton’s first child. He’d known because he kept his pulse on the happenings of the family, and not always in an above-board way. If he had to dabble in a little dark magic now and again, he justified it as the means to an end.

  Alastair waited as Autumn told the others the details of her miscarriage from nearly ten years before. She went on to express her worries that she might not be able to carry to full term since she’d believed she would never be able to conceive again. The women talked in hushed tones as Alastair returned to the attic window to stare down over the glen.

  He noted the lone black-haired woman wandering around, enjoying the day.

  Alastair cast a glance behind him. All three women were wrapped up in the baby discussion. Without a by-your-leave, he teleported to the clearing.

  “Hello, Beloved One.”

  “Hello, Exalted One,” he returned the greeting to Isis, as was their custom. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

  She smiled as if he amused her. “Do I need a reason?”

  “No. But you don’t cross through the veil without a reason, not in my experience, anyway.”

  She shrugged. Alastair recognized the movement. The interesting thing about genetics was that simple movements or gestures, along with looks and temperament, could be inherited. The careless shrug was a signature move of Isis that Autumn had perfected without knowing from whence it came.

  When Isis remained silent, Alastair leaned back against the closest tree and crossed his arms. There was no rushing her.

  “What did you do with the poison we drew from Autumn?” he asked, curious about the fact that she’d removed the urn in exchange for returning his niece to the fold.

  “Nothing… yet. But I have plans for it. The exchange was a fair one by the laws of the Gods.”

  His lips twitched. His ancestor was a wily one. Perhaps it was where he had acquired the trait.

  “How is Autumn?”

  “She’s good. I believe she’s worried about the birth of her babe though.”

  Isis shook her head. “Oh, the young. How they always have to question a gift.”

  “Indeed.”

  Her laugh was clear and beautiful as it rang out. “You are my favorite,” she confessed. “Of all my children throughout time, you’ve always been my favorite.”

  He smiled and bowed his head in acknowledgment. “I’m honored.”

  “As you should be,” she quipped. “I’ve decided Lin’s life shall be the exchange for that which you desire.”

  Alastair straightened. “How am I supposed to get him to this clearing unharmed?”

  Isis shrugged again, but this time Alastair didn’t find it as endearing. “You’ll find a way. And if you don’t, your love is lost
to you.”

  Was she being a jealous shrew?

  “No,” she answered his unspoken question with a sharp look. “You know better than to question me.”

  Alastair tempered his thoughts and apologized. “Forgive me, Exalted One. My response was due to the unpleasant surprise.”

  A crafty smile flitted across her stunning face. “You are forgiven. But, I shall have a second payment for your disloyal thought.”

  “Of course. What do you ask of me?”

  Isis crossed to where he stood. She studied him from beneath thick, black lashes and pursed her lips as if contemplating his question, when in fact, he suspected she’d already planned what to ask.

  “Quentin.”

  Alastair’s heart dropped into his stomach. “Excuse me?”

  “I want Quentin to be my consort.”

  “No.”

  Her brows shot up, and thunder rumbled. “You would dare defy me?”

  “Not if I could help it. But I won’t put my happiness above my daughter’s. Holly loves him. Ask of me something else.”

  Isis played the waiting game. They stared into each other’s eyes, each expecting the other to relent and speak first. She surprised him when she did. “You know I could take him for my own and still deny you your own happiness?”

  Alastair hid his alarm and gave her a nod. “I do.”

  “Good. I find it admirable that you should care so much for your child. I will ask for a different payment. One to be determined.”

  “Thank you,” he said.

  “Now, I must run. I’ve been here too long.” She touched his cheek, and Alastair felt the warmth of magic from her cool fingertips; a complete contradiction to his way of thinking. “Never doubt you shall succeed, Alastair Thorne.” She leaned in as if to impart a secret. “I’m on your side.”

  “Thank you,” he said again, this time with feeling.

  “Tell your niece not to question my gift. She was completely healed during her stasis and shall bear a fine, healthy son.”

  “Your wish is my command,” he replied, causing her to laugh.

  “Yes, see that it remains so.”

  20

  When Winnie awoke, the light outside had faded to dark. A strong, muscled arm was wrapped around her stomach.

  Zane.

  He’d taken a wrecking ball to her objections. She was either a fool for love or a sucker for punishment. Neither description sat well with her.

  “I can feel you thinking, Win,” Zane murmured, his nose buried in her hair. “Don’t. Just feel. Know that this is right.”

  “I’m an idiot.”

  He sighed and rose up on one elbow. She turned onto her back to gaze up into his warm, chocolatey eyes.

  “You’re not. You never were, and you never will be,” he told her. “You may be an optimist, but there’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “Did you love her?”

  He frowned. “Who?”

  “The woman you were kissing.”

  Zane closed his eyes, grimaced, and shook his head. “Christ, Win. I can’t apologize enough for that jackass move. I swear, it was all staged.”

  “No, I don’t mean do you love her now. I meant, did you love her before, when you were dating?”

  “I cared about her, but did I love her? No, never.” He leaned forward and placed a soft, lingering kiss on her mouth. “I’ve only ever loved you.”

  “That day in the clearing, when we first… I’m sorry for being honest.”

  He groaned and dropped back on the bed. “Stop! Please, just stop.”

  “I—”

  Zane rolled atop her and settled his hips between her parted thighs. “Babe, you have nothing to apologize for, and we’ve said all we are going to say about the past. We are going to leave it where it belongs.” He smoothed back her mussy hair. “Agreed?”

  “If you’ve really forgiven me, then we are agreed.”

  “I’ve really forgiven you.”

  “Okay, in that case, we have a few days to make up for,” she said with a wicked grin.

  He sighed his happiness and rubbed his budding erection against her. “Thank the Goddess! I thought you’d never ask.”

  “I’m not asking; I’m stating.”

  “Sounds a bit demanding to me. Is this going to set the precedent for our entire relationship?”

  “You bet!”

  He laughed and skimmed his fingers across her lower belly. “Works for me!”

  Her stomach chose that moment to protest and make known its hunger.

  Zane squinted down at her. “I’m not getting lucky until you’re fed, am I?”

  “I’m sorry. For a second, I forgot I hadn’t eaten in a while.”

  “Fair enough.” He stood and hauled her to her feet. “Will pancakes work?”

  She glanced at the wall clock. “Where are we going to find pancakes at nine o’clock at night?”

  “Never you mind. Just know, I’ve got you covered.”

  After they’d dressed, she said, “Lead on, kind sir.”

  He grabbed her hand and tugged her downstairs to the kitchen.

  Winnie was surprised to see all four of her sisters gathered there. “What’s going on?”

  “In a word? Alastair,” Holly said and pulled a face.

  Holly was never thrilled to have to cater to her father’s whims.

  “Has something happened?” Zane asked as he went about searching the fridge for pancake supplies.

  “He mentioned moving up the timeline for collecting all the objects,” Summer said. “He thinks Lin is planning something big, although we don’t know what yet.”

  “Then why are we borrowing trouble?” Zane asked.

  “That’s the question of the hour,” Holly sighed. “But I can’t hang around much longer. I need to get back to the sanctuary.”

  Summer reached across to pat her twin’s hand. “Coop is there. He’ll let me know if anything comes up. I say we eat pancakes and then turn on the blender for some margarita madness.”

  Zane poured the first of the batter onto the wide griddle. He then proceeded to create six more perfectly rounded pancakes.

  Winnie smiled at his foresight in making a double batch of batter.

  When he caught her eye and winked, she joined him at the stove. “What can I do to help?”

  “Set the table and then put out the maple syrup and butter.”

  After that was done, she brought the first plate of pancakes to the table. “Dig in, ladies!”

  “What about you?” Autumn asked, forking two pancakes onto her own plate.

  “I’ll wait on the second batch. Go ahead.”

  As everyone ate, Summer relayed the news of Autumn’s pregnancy. The sisters all babbled at once, unable to contain their joy.

  “Oh, Tums,” Winnie cried. “I can’t wait for a baby to spoil.”

  “We could have one of our own for you to spoil,” Zane said.

  All five females whipped around to stare at him with various degrees of disbelief.

  * * *

  Zane laughed at the shock on Winnie’s face. He didn’t know where his comment had come from, but the more he thought about it, the more he loved the idea of Winnie round with his child.

  She’d waddle and complain about not being able to see her feet, but secretly she’d love every second of her pregnancy. And of course, he’d rub her back and feet whenever she needed him to.

  “I think we’re moving a bit fast, don’t you?” she managed to choke out.

  It had never occurred to him to ask if she wanted children, but now he found himself wondering if she did.

  “Don’t you want kids, Win?”

  “I do, but not until after the marriage vows.”

  Autumn laughed. “How antiquated.”

  “But you’re not opposed to practicing beforehand?” he asked Winnie with a smirk. He’d never seen her skin turn such a shade of pink before, and it thrilled him. “Why, Winter Thorne, are you embarrassed?”

&
nbsp; “You’re such a jerk!”

  Zane threw down his spatula and gathered her close, humming and waltzing her around the limited space of the kitchen. “But you love me anyway,” he said with confidence.

  She snorted and lifted her chin.

  He buried his face against her neck, kissed the soft skin lightly, then blew a raspberry against a ticklish spot. Her giggles pleased him.

  “You’re burning our pancakes, you fool!” Autumn complained.

  With a snap of his fingers, the pancakes were on the platter in the center of the wood table and the burner was off.

  “Damn, son! You developed magical skills!” Autumn crowed.

  Winnie beamed like a proud parent.

  “I owe it all to my teacher. She’s amazing.” He dipped her backward and lowered his voice so only Winnie could hear. “What about it, Win? Do you want to have my baby? We can get to work now.”

  He meant it to be teasing, or so he told himself, but Winnie’s look of indecision cut him to the quick.

  “It’s okay, babe. You can wipe off that look of panic.” Did his tone hold a hard edge? He straightened and tried to rein in his disappointment.

  “We’re moving too fast,” she whispered in turn. “Someday, I’ll want it all, Zane. Just not today. Please understand.”

  He’d be an asshole not to. “I do. I’m not sure what came over me. I’m pretty sure I channeled your sister’s hormones.”

  “Do you two think you could speak loud enough for the rest of us to hear? I’m getting an ache in my neck from straining to eavesdrop,” Summer complained.

  Winnie laughed and leaned in close to Zane. “That is the baggage I come with. Be sure you can survive it before you commit.”

  “Keep it up, sister, and we’ll spill the beans on the fact that you cloaked yourself and spied on Zane in the locker room shower,” Autumn said.

  Zane’s head whipped in Autumn’s direction. “What?”

  Winnie conjured a nerf football and chucked it at Summer’s head. “You weren’t supposed to tell anyone!”

  “I only told Autumn!” Summer argued with a laugh as she conjured a super soaker water gun.