by T. M. Cromer
“Mackenzie.”
The soothing sound of Alastair’s voice reached in and eased a smidgeon of the pain.
He touched her arm. “Mack, stay with me, child.”
She glanced up and met his calm sapphire eyes. They were a little deeper blue than normal, and she realized the color represented his worry.
“It’s so… hard to stop… her,” she cried.
“I know, but I also know you can do it. You’re stronger.” He lifted her chin and locked gazes with her. “Stay focused on me, child. I’m here with you now. Keep looking at me and breathe.”
Each inhale was labored. Each slow blink of her eyes brought with it the fear that when she opened them again, he’d be gone. Isolde screamed inside her head, and the voice was no longer seductive and purring, but more like nails on a chalkboard, bordering a high-pitched screech.
Then silence. Blessed silence.
Mackenzie loosened her grip on Alastair’s forearms in slow increments. She took stock of her surroundings and saw her family and Sebastian’s lined up on the terrace, all terrified this might be the moment when everything changed for them.
“I can’t do this to them, Alastair,” she croaked. “I just can’t.”
“You’re not. She is.”
“They’re afraid of me now.”
“No. They’re horrified for what you are going through.” He gripped her hands and gave her a small shake. “Trust me, child. I’d know.”
She gave him a single jerky nod. “We’ll need to tell Damian and Baz.”
Alastair tipped his chin to something behind her. “They already know. They’ve been here the entire time. The Aether always knows when his daughter is in danger. It’s part of their bond.”
Sebastian and Damian teleported to the lower garden right outside the terrace steps the second the sigils engraved in the wood of the gate lit. Upon seeing Mackenzie standing there, her arms wrapped around her head, Sebastian started to rush to her, only to be halted by Damian’s magic.
“Let me go, Dethridge. I need to help her.”
“You can’t. Let Alastair take care of it.”
“Goddammit! Let me go!” Sebastian struggled against the spell holding him in place. He fucking hated that the Aether had so much power. Not only was it unsettling to be a helpless victim to Damian’s whims, Sebastian’s stomach churned at the idea Mackenzie was feeling something similar as Isolde’s intended target.
“No,” Damian said quietly. “I’m asking you to wait, Baz.”
“No, you’re forcing me to, and that’s a different thing altogether,” he retorted.
“If I let you go, will you let Alastair handle it?”
“It’s not like I have a choice either way.”
Damian sighed deeply and gave a short nod. With no outward sign from the Aether, the bonds holding Sebastian released him. He stumbled forward, barely catching himself in time to avoid a face-plant.
It went against every instinct to stay where he was, and the second Mackenzie turned their way, he was off and running. When he would’ve embraced her, she stepped back and held up a hand. The fury on her face caused his stomach to tighten more and unease to dance along his spine.
“Mack?”
“Isolde almost gained control because of you.” She punched him in the chest.
Sebastian grunted from the painful impact. “What the bloody hell did I do?”
“You told Damian about our conversation, and Sabrina gave me the location of the book. Or more importantly, she gave Isolde the location of the book!”
They both froze, staring at one another.
Sebastian imagined his face reflected the horror on hers. “Where is it, Mack?”
She gestured to the east tower. “That room with the stained glass window frame.” She turned as she pointed, and her mouth dropped open. “Where did it go?”
Sebastian eased closer and ducked slightly to make his face level with hers, trying to stress the import of his next words. “There’s no room in the east tower with stained glass, Mack.”
“But there was. I saw it. Sabrina did, too.”
He gathered her close and looked at Damian over her head, but the Aether never met his look of inquiry. Instead, he was focused on where Mackenzie had pointed.
“You see something there?”
“You don’t?”
Those who had gathered on the terraced joined them and looked upwards. Their expressions were as confused as Sebastian felt. Apparently, they didn’t see it either. “Show of hands, how many people see an east tower room with stained glass?”
Only Damian raised his hand.
“Must be an Aether thing,” Mack said dryly. “But since we know it’s there, I suggest you take Damian and go in search of the book, Baz. I no longer believe it’s good for me to get a hold of it, and because the Enchantress now knows where it’s located, it should be hidden elsewhere.
“I’m not sure I understand exactly why she wants a spellbook belonging to my grandmother,” Sebastian said.
Spring raised her hand and moved forward like an eager pupil in class. “Maybe there’s a spell in it that can destroy her.”
Mackenzie’s eyes flared wide. “I think you’re right.” She turned back to Sebastian. “Last night, I wasn’t sure if the voice in my head was good or evil. What if it was good? What if there is something in the book I’m supposed to find to combat Isolde, but now she knows, it’s too late for me to find it?”
He nodded slowly. “And because she’s always hanging around, she got wind of it and now wants to prevent anyone but her from finding it.”
“Yes.”
Damian put a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “Then you and I go find this magical book. We’ll read through it and see what we might discover.”
“Might I suggest you take Spring with you?” Alastair graced his niece with a wide, admiring smile. “She has the ability to figure out what incantation would work best.”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
Their group walked into the house, Damian and Sebastian in the lead, toward the main staircase. Just as they entered the foyer, the main bell rang, and Nathanial—disguised as Leopold—swung open the door.
“Hugh?” Sebastian experienced a wave of irritation. As if he didn’t already have enough things on his plate, now he had to worry about this imbecile mucking up his plans. “What are you doing here?”
“Can’t I visit a friend? What? What?”
Sebastian bit his tongue to keep from blurting the fact he didn’t consider Hugh a friend to any degree any longer.
“Mackenzie!” When the other man caught sight of her, a sly look passed across his face before he replaced it with his attempt at charming. The overall effect was a snake oil salesman. “I’d have thought you’d have thrown Baz over by now. The ladies love him, but it’s a well-known fact he doesn’t commit. Doesn’t commit.”
Mack locked eyes with Sebastian, and he was relieved to see the humor lurking in hers. His own had to be reflecting his annoyance with Hugh.
Right when Hugh made a grab for her hand, Damian stepped into his path. “Hugh, is it? Hugh, we’re having a bit of a family crisis at the moment. I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say, no one has it in them for a social call.” His humorless, cold eyes chilled Sebastian, and they weren’t even focused on him. “You’ll need to come back another time.”
“Preferably when you’re invited,” Nathanial added.
“I say!” Hugh sputtered.
Sebastian imagined he was about to object to being spoken to by a manservant, the rotten snob. Stepping forward, he gestured toward the door. “My apologies, Hugh, but Damian is correct. I’ll be in London again in a few weeks. Perhaps I’ll make time to visit.”
“But I came all the way here. Surely, you don’t intend to turn me out? ’Tisn’t done. Not done at all.”
“Listen, it’s not safe for you to be here right now.”
Hugh’s pale-gray eyes lit up, and he touched the side of his no
se. “Oh, intrigue? I say, I’m smashingly good at the spy game.”
“I doubt that,” Nathanial muttered from beside Sebastian.
Hugh whipped his head around and glared. “What?”
“He said he didn’t doubt that,” Mackenzie said, stepping forward to wrap her arm around Nathanial’s. Her smile was so wide and welcoming, Sebastian wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it, especially knowing she’d disliked Hugh immensely from their first meeting. “Leopold told me the first day I arrived, he’s long been an admirer of yours, Hugh.”
Damian coughed into his hand, and it sounded remarkably like the word “bullshit.”
For the second time that day, he felt a kinship with his new cousin.
“I could use a spot of tea after traveling all this way. Long way, indeed.”
Mackenzie’s eyes narrowed marginally. “Of course, Hugh. Leopold makes the most delicious scones you’ve ever tasted. I bet you can’t eat just one.”
From behind Hugh, Evie’s face turned scarlet red in her effort not to laugh.
Sebastian faced her. “Aunt Teddie, do you and Aunt Gwennie mind entertaining Hugh while Damian and I settle our business matters?”
“Of course, dear boy. We’d be delighted to. Perhaps Mr. Thorne will wish to join us?”
“I think that’s a clever idea, Uncle Alastair,” Spring added with a wide smile.
Hugh blanched the second he realized whose presence he was in. Everyone was wary of the infamous Alastair Thorne.
“I’d be delighted. It wouldn’t do to leave our uninvited guest to entertain himself.” Alastair turned his hard-eyed stare on Hugh. “Although, why anyone with any ability whatsoever would drive when he could clearly teleport, is beyond me. You wouldn’t be seeking an excuse to crash our family gathering, would you, Mr. Cunningham?”
Hugh looked like he wanted to lose his lunch. To catch the attention of a warlock as powerful and as reportedly temperamental as Alastair was frightening to a normal member of the magical community.
“You know who I am?” Hugh squeaked.
“I do.” And Alastair’s tone said he wasn’t impressed.
Damian leaned close to Sebastian. “He’s a bloody master at intimidation.”
“You’re telling me. Remind me to tell you about the auction last year.” Sebastian snorted when Alastair’s gaze cut to him. “Apparently, he’s got superior hearing, too.”
“I’ll see myself out. Wouldn’t dream of disrupting your family gathering, Mr. Thorne.” Hugh ran a finger inside his collar as he dried his upper lip with his shirtsleeve. “Pardon the visit.”
For once, he’d left off repeating himself, and Sebastian was grateful.
Somehow, Hugh dug deep enough to retrieve his courage and reach for Mackenzie’s hand, lifting it to plant a kiss on her knuckles. “Mackenzie, I hope when you’re in London again, you’ll do me the honor of dining with me.”
“Not happening.” Sebastian inserted himself between them. “She’s my wife now.”
The disbelief on Hugh’s face bordered on comical.
His gaze darted between the two of them, finally settling on Sebastian. “Never thought I’d see the day, old chap. Indeed, I didn’t.” He pasted on a smile and nodded to Mackenzie. “My offer is always open should you tire of Baz. What? What?”
Sebastian growled, and Hugh jumped back, releasing Mack. She cried out and turned her hand over. Blood beaded up on her palm and she stared at it in surprise.
“Beg pardon, Mackenzie. I must’ve caught you with my ring.”
Alastair rushed forward and grabbed Hugh’s wrist before he could leave. “We’ll be taking your ring, Mr. Cunningham.”
“What? Why?”
“I believe you know why.” Knox crowded Hugh from the opposite side as Sebastian shuffled Mack and Spring back away from the others. “We can’t allow you to possess even a drop of Thorne blood. Accident or no.”
“I d-don’t understand.” Hugh’s face turned ruddier than normal, and sweat beaded his brow.
“Oh, I believe you do.” Alastair ripped the ring from Hugh’s finger. “It seems you’ll be staying here after all, Mr. Cunningham.”
Damian shot Sebastian a look rife with meaning. He nodded in return.
“Mr. Thorne, if you’ll excuse us, Damian, Spring, and I really need to have that emergency meeting we discussed earlier. I trust you can take care of handing Hugh’s ass to him on a silver platter?”
Alastair grinned, and the promised retribution in his expression lent a great deal of evil to the smile.
“Right,” Sebastian murmured. “I shouldn’t have even asked.” He drew Mackenzie aside and did a quick inspection of her wound. “I’m sure GiGi can take care of this in nothing flat. Make sure there wasn’t anything poisonous on that ring. We all know Hugh cut you on purpose.”
Gwennie stepped forward and placed a palm on his wife’s shoulder. “I have a quick incantation to show if there was anything harmful on the ring. Once we know for sure, we’ll treat Mackenzie properly.”
“Thank you, Aunt.” He kissed her butter-soft cheek, feeling a sudden swell of affection. Too many times in the past, he’d allowed irritation or impatience to rule him when it came to his aunts and to Leopold. Now, he genuinely regretted he hadn’t understood the sacrifices they’d made prior to today. He felt like an ungrateful prat. When he had a few minutes of one-on-one time with Gwennie, he intended to tell her exactly what she meant to him. “I’ll be back down shortly.”
He, along with Damian and Spring, rushed up the staircase, determined to discover the whereabouts of the secret east tower room.
Chapter 24
To Alastair, there was no mistaking Hugh Cunningham’s intentions. Although the man appeared like a bumbling fool and tried to convince them he was innocent of any wrongdoing, the intent to harm lurked under the surface. The question was whether Hugh was targeting Mackenzie on purpose or whether he had a bone to pick with Sebastian and decided to use Mack as a tool against him.
With a mere wave of his hand, Alastair tossed Hugh onto the nearest chair. It rocked back under his weight, and Hugh scrambled to keep it from tipping over.
Alastair pinned him with a mere look. “Don’t move!”
The air around them vibrated with his fury, and the occupants of the room, not related by blood, cast him a wary glance. He didn’t bother to reassure them. A ruthless reputation benefited him at times like these.
“Cunningham, you’ve just declared war on my family with your foolish move,” he said in a low, lethal tone. “Why shouldn’t I kill you on the spot?”
Someone behind him echoed Hugh’s shocked cry.
Alastair ignored it.
“Well, boy?”
“I didn’t. I wouldn’t. A faulty ring design. Faulty ring.”
He raised a brow and narrowed his eyes. “You expect anyone to believe that?”
Hugh looked five seconds away from strangling on his own fear. If the fool wasn’t close to wetting himself, Alastair was Morty’s uncle and he would need to up his game.
“Yes. No. No. I…” Hugh swallowed audibly. He turned beseeching eyes to Mackenzie and Arabella. “Please don’t let him kill me.”
Based on their matching flinty expressions, Hugh was getting no sympathy there.
Alastair almost smiled.
“I’ll ask you one time, Cunningham. If you don’t come clean, I’ll stop playing nice.” He could practically smell the man’s fear. For sure, he could feel it.
“What do you want to know?”
“Why were you after Mackenzie’s blood?”
Hugh paled, if possible. His eyes darted sideways as if noting the exit doors.
“Cunningham!”
The force of Alastair’s anger slapped Hugh, and his head jerked.
“I want to wake the Enchantress.” The confession seemed to cost him, and he slumped in his seat, looking defeated.
“How do you even know about her, and what does my blood have to do with it?”
Mackenzie demanded as GiGi finished healing her wound. “And why, for the sake of the Goddess, would you want to do something like that?”
“She is everything,” Hugh said simply, turning his face up toward Mackenzie. “And you are the only one worthy enough to make it happen.”
She shook her head and squatted beside his chair. “No, Hugh. She’s evil, and she’ll murder to possess more and more power. You have to see how wrong this is.”
Alastair gave her credit for trying to reason with Hugh, but he knew a zealot when he saw one. A small sliver of unease danced along his nerve endings. “Mackenzie, come away now, child.”
She looked back at him, but before she could move, Hugh had his arm around her throat and a knife pressed to her breast.
Rage clouded Alastair’s vision for a split second, but he shoved it away. Now was not the time to give in to his fury, but oh, how Cunningham would pay.
“Hugh, please don’t do this,” Arabella begged. “If you ever cared about my brother, let Mack go. She’s his everything.”
* * *
Mackenzie’s heart thudded at Arabella’s words. Although Sebastian had told her he loved her, she’d doubted his feelings were as powerful as hers. Yet hearing Arabella say differently made Mack’s soul sing.
Instead of fighting her captor, Mackenzie decided to humor him. “Hugh, take the ring and go do what you must. None of us will fight you.”
“The hell you say!” Alastair sneezed. His shock and anger whipped around the room, causing anything not nailed down to tremble under the force of his emotion. GiGi and Ryker were quick to fist their hands and fend off the wave of locusts sure to descend on the estate as a direct result of Alastair’s swearing.
GiGi placed a calming hand on her brother’s arm. “Al, rein it in.”
Mackenzie met her cousin’s violet-blue gaze across the short distance. It appeared GiGi was the more level-headed of the two siblings at the moment.
A wave of affection for Alastair crashed over Mackenzie. He’d reacted as if she were one of his own children, and she loved him all the more for it. When his dark sapphire eyes locked on her, she smiled her understanding, knowing he could feel her love for him.
