Ghost in the Spell, page 10
He grinned, his capped teeth gleaming, even in the dimly lit room. I wanted to knock them all out. “Of course, I know about her. For the longest time, I thought she was you.” He wagged his finger in my direction. “I didn’t know Heather was pregnant with twins. She did a good job of hiding you. Your sister, not so much. Only when she turned eighteen did I realize she didn’t have the spark and never would. That’s when I knew I got it wrong. I’d been tricked.”
“Does she know you’re her father?”
“I’m not her father.” He spat. “She is a tool. A sharp and useful one. But nothing more. You are the prize, Iris. You always have been.”
Okay. I’d heard enough, and I was ready to bolt. “It’s been fun, and it’s been real, but I can’t say it’s been real fun.” I gave him a two-finger salute. “Adios, asshole.”
“Grab her,” Derrick ordered his men. “Tie her up.” He smiled. “And don’t worry, your friends will get here too late. The door has been spelled. No one will be coming to your rescue.”
I narrowed my gaze. “You’re an idiot.” Ignis burned through my blood, and I drew on the power of fire. “They’re already here, and I’m ready for you this time.” Flames poured down my arms and erupted from my fingertips. The men who’d been coming for me staggered back. No one wanted to feel the burn. “Let’s get this pyre started.”
The startled expression on Asher’s face fueled my ignis-craft. I threw a blazing stream at the archdruid, wielding it like a bullwhip. I snapped it at the last second, blasting a hole into his ceremonial robe.
Surprisingly agile, the archdruid dropped to the floor and scrabbled to hide behind a chair. He shouted, “Stop her!”
I counted eight men in the room with me. I could hear pounding on the door, Keir roaring outside the cabin, and wood cracking as he tried to get inside through the wall. “I will burn this place to the ground with all of you in it,” I seethed.
“Your child will pay for this, Iris! The spell,” Asher commanded. “Evoke the apportation.”
“No!” I threw a blazing ball of righteous anger at him, and it struck the chair with enough force to knock it aside.
I caught sight of Redbeard racing to the back of the cabin. Was he following Asher’s orders or running away? Either way, I had to stop him.
Energy rippled at my back. Then there was a sound akin to a sonic boom. I whipped around to see four robed assholes on the floor, blood running from their eyes. Someone had thrown a hefty spell my way, and the mojo had done its job.
“How?” Asher asked.
“Bounce-bag, bitch.” The ceiling cracked, and drywall dust scattered around us. My puca was trying to come through the roof. A series of explosions battered at the door, and a gun discharged. Lu and Carver? Where was Zev? Was the magical barrier strong enough to keep a djinn out?
Redbeard drew a circle in the air. I hurled a fireball in his direction, but another druid batted it aside as if it was nothing.
“Translationem evocation!” he invoked.
Time seemed to stop for a moment. Nothing happened.
Redbeard’s voice was sharp as he repeated, “Translationem evocation!”
Again, nothing happened. I remembered Michael was home, safe in a barrier with his aunts and uncle. My son was protected. I couldn’t say the same for these jerks. If my friends couldn’t get inside, I wondered if the druids could get out.
Another ripple of energy bounced off me, and the druid who had thrown the spell began to writhe and wretch, foaming at the mouth as he clutched his throat.
An old-school taunt popped into my head. “I’m rubber. You’re glue. Whatever spell you throw my way bounces off of me and sticks onto you.”
The choking man made a gurgling sound and collapsed to the floor.
“Stop attacking her with magic,” one of the druids yelled. “Use conventional weapons.”
Would the bounce-bag work with bullets? Doubtful. Oh, damn. I slashed flames at the druids between me and the front door, crying out as a bullet struck the back of my thigh.
“Don’t kill her,” Derrick said. “I need her alive.”
He couldn’t siphon magic from a dead witch.
I used the fire in my blood to cauterize the wound as I hopped to the door.
A tall, hooded druid, the same one who had batted my fireball away, seemed to come out of nowhere. He kicked me in the side, and I cried out when my ribs cracked under the force of the blow.
The shorty with the scar trained an absurdly large handgun at my head. “If you move even a hair, I will shoot you.”
“You can’t kill me,” I gasped. “Asher…”
“I won’t kill you,” the little druid said. “But I will shoot your arms, legs, and stomach. You’ll survive long enough for the gifting.”
It was as if Danny DeVito had been given the role of Dirty Harry. I half expected him to say, “Go ahead, Punk, make my day.”
The tide had turned, emboldening Asher to come out of hiding. The tall druid who had kicked the shit out of me moved to stand behind him. “Your death would’ve been easy,” he fumed. “Painless. Not anymore. And when I’m done with you—"
I saw the flash of a bone knife from beneath a robed sleeve as the tall druid thrust the blade in one sharp, smooth movement. It entered the right side of Asher’s neck. He looked stunned as he turned to face the druid. More surprise registered in his eyes before he crumpled to the ground.
The druid who’d knifed him in the throat spat on him. And when Asher’s killer pushed his hood back, I experienced my own jolt of surprise. It wasn’t a man under the heavy cowled robe. It was the blonde hexen-bitch, aka my long-lost twin. “Bogmall,” I growled.
She snarled, never taking her eyes off me, as she kicked the dying archdruid in the back. “Who’s the tool now? Fucking dick.”
The sentiment might be our only common ground. Apparently, we both hated Asher. A handful of the druids left standing made a run for the back door, but several, including Redbeard, went to stand beside their new master.
“You’re mine now, Iris. Finally, the wait is over.” She waved a finger in the air. “But first.”
She knelt beside Asher and lifted him until his bloody head was cradled in her lap. I watched in horror as she leaned over as if to kiss him. Instead, she said some words I couldn’t understand. A pale green mist began to flow from the archdruid’s parted lips and into Bogmall through her nose and mouth. When the mist dissipated, she shoved him to the ground and flipped her hair back.
“Whew!” she said, wiping her nose as if she’d just done a line of coke. “Good to the last drop.”
The intense energy pouring off her stirred up my magic, leaving me tingly and breathless. Until this point, I’d thought Bogmall was a dangerous nuisance. Now, I knew the truth. She wasn’t a minor player. She was a big bad, and I would have to take her down soon, or she would kill me.
But not today.
The front door splintered as a blast of magic shattered it to pieces. Lu stepped inside and, without the slightest hesitation, shot Druid DeVito right between his Wheel of Taranis. Bullseye.
Keir, in full battle puca mode, tore a gaping hole from the ceiling. He roared his fury as he dropped down into the middle of the cabin. He had razor-sharp teeth, long ears that stood up from either side of his head, and his eyes were pitch black. Pointy antlers, five branches each, were mounted to the top of his skull, and his arms had grown to the size of tree trunks. There were shouts of alarm as he snapped his teeth in the druids’ direction.
Zev grabbed a nearby foe and snapped his neck as Lu and Keir fended off spells as they slaughtered the remaining druids.
The pain in my side and my leg had intensified as the onus of the fight shifted to my friends. Bogmall drew a circle in the air, readying some kind of spell. I shouted a warning, but it was too late, she was fading from the room, and she was taking Redbeard with her.
"No!" I couldn’t let her get away. My son would never be safe if I let her survive. I couldn’t think fast enough to deliver a spell that would break whatever magic she worked, but I did have a bomb. “Get down,” I shouted to my team as I dug the small bag from my jeans and threw it at the disappearing sorceress. “Ignis ferengi!”
“Oh, shit,” I heard Carver say as a noxious gas filled the room. “Everybody out!”
CHAPTER 15
Not even Zev’s djinn power could remove the stench of the spell gone rotten egg bad. We’d all had to scrub down with copious amounts of apple cider vinegar and baking soda paste to eliminate the odor. Afterward, we bagged up all the clothing we’d worn and tossed them into the outside trash bins. Showering had helped, but even now, I could still smell whiffs of the putrid sulfuric aroma.
“And then your mom was like, ignis ferengi!” Lu, who was in the chair that matched the couch, hooted as she relayed the bomb fiasco from the night before to Michael. She slapped her knee. “Ferengi, of all things!”
Michael, who shared the couch with us, laughed so hard that tears leaked from his eyes. I hadn’t heard him let go like that in a long time. It made the jokes at my expense worth it.
Embarrassed, I chuckled and then regretted it. I’d used tera-craft to mend my broken ribs and repair the bullet wound in my leg, but I was still sore. Linda would’ve done a better job of fixing me while simultaneously giving me ten kinds of hell for getting myself damaged in the first place. Damn, I missed the hateful hussy.
“Don’t make me laugh,” I complained. “It hurts.”
“Not as much as that bomb stank.” Lu waved her hand in front of her nose. “I’ve been sprayed by a skunk before, and this was way more toxic.”
After we returned home, Dahlia, Rose, Marigold, and Zev left as soon as the living room had been put back in working order. Lu, Carver, and Rowan had stayed the night. As a doctor, he’d wanted to ensure my injuries healed.
Rowan and Carver were sitting in chairs they’d brought in from the kitchen, and all of us lounging around, even after the awfulness of the night before, was comforting.
“Ignis in foraminis,” Carver said. “For-ray-minis. The spell called for a fire in the hole, not a fiery alien with a gift for acquisition,” he added, referencing Star Trek.
“It sounds like you were lucky all it did was stink.” Rowan leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. He looked at Carver. “I’d love to learn more about how you put your charms together. For academic reasons, of course.”
“Yeah, sure,” Carver said. “I can walk you through it…for academic reasons.”
I got the sense that Michael and I wouldn’t be the only Everlees getting tutored by Carver.
Lucky for Lu, Rowan, and Keir, my kid was a jock and had plenty of comfy clothes for them to sleep in. Carver was the only one who hadn’t needed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. He had been out of town when he’d been prompted to find me. So, he’d already packed a bag of clothes. He’d worn pajamas to sleep on an old air mattress I purchased years ago. My house was small, but we made it work. Lu slept on the couch, and Rowan and Michael bunked in together.
By the time I got up around ten, Carver had changed into black jeans and a black sweater that contrasted heavily with his newly acquired pink hair. The rest of them were still in Michael’s gear.
Rowan got up from his chair. “I’ll make breakfast. What do you have in the fridge?”
I hadn’t been shopping since before we’d left for Iron Grove. “Chances are good the answer is not a damn thing.” I looked at my kid.
“I fried up the rest of the eggs two days ago,” Michael said. “Sorry.”
Carver said, “I can go get groceries.”
Rowan rewarded him with a pleased smile. “I’ll go with you.” He looked at those of us who were still lumps on the couch. “What are you in the mood for?”
“Waffles,” Michael said.
I grinned. “And some bacon.”
“Don’t forget eggs and cheese,” Keir added.
“Maple syrup, the real stuff,” Lu jumped in. “Not that fake shit.”
Carver raised a brow and grinned. “Your wishes are my command.” He bowed with a flourish. With the pink hair, he reminded me of a court jester. “We’ll be back shortly.”
“I’ll pick up some stuff, food and such, for Goldie as well,” Rowan said. I noted that my brother had a little extra giddy-up in his walk.
After the door closed behind them, I glanced over at Lu. “Am I imagining things?”
She smirked. “Nope. I see it too.”
Keir frowned. “See what?”
Michael got up.
“Where are you going?”
“To grab a shower and get in a game with Doug.”
“You have any plans today?” I was hoping he’d stay close. Bogmall was out there somewhere plotting my demise. But I didn’t know where, when, or how she would strike, and it wasn’t fair making Michael a captive in the meantime.
“Dad called this morning. I am going to lunch with him later.” His expression was guarded. “That’s okay, right?”
I nodded. “Of course, it is. Have you talked to him since yesterday?”
“He called this morning to check on me.” Michael tugged at his lower lip and then scratched at his patchy morning beard. “He’s taking all the magic and witchcraft stuff better than I thought he would.”
“Maybe Adam is mellowing him out,” I teased.
Michael rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” He rubbed his stomach. “Call me when breakfast is ready.”
Lu got up next. “I’m going home.”
“No breakfast?” I asked.
“I’ll be back. I want to get into my own duds. Maybe run a comb through my hair a couple of times.”
“I get it.” I blew her a kiss because I was too stiff to stand for a hug. “See you in a bit.”
When we were alone, I rotated until I was facing Keir, and I curled across his lap.
He wrapped his arms around me and pressed his forehead to mine. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got run over a couple of times by a bus.”
“That good, huh?”
I pressed my cheek against his chest, loving the way his heart hammered whenever we touched. I ran a hand under his shirt to play with the sparse hair. Keir’s whole body vibrated with energy as I traced a heart onto his skin. My skin ignited with pleasure as his mouth slanted over mine, and he kissed me in a way that made my head spin. Keir tasted the way I imagined wild magic would, a combination of raw power and energy. And that energy made me wet with desire. I interlaced my fingers behind his neck, deepening the kiss as my desperation for him grew.
I tilted my head back as he kissed down my neck. He traced the midline down my stomach before sliding his fingers past my waistband. He slid his fingertips over my clit, and I squirmed on his lap as the throbbing intensified. I needed Keir like birds need to fly, and when I was with him, I never wanted to land. More than needed, I wanted him. I wanted all of him. His bulge was hard against my hip. I reached down between us and slid my hand over the loose material of the sweatpants and rubbed the length of his generous shaft.
“Now?” he asked. I could feel his grin as our lips melded together. “Here?”
I’d almost forgotten that Michael was in his room and that my brother and Carver would be back. I felt like a teenager weighing the risk of doing it with the possibility of getting caught or not doing it at all. My lady bits definitely voted for doing it.
“Bedroom.” I made it a demand as I got up from his lap. He chased me down the hall into my room, grabbed me from behind, and ushered me toward the bed. I giggled with laughter until I heard Michael yelling for Doug to flank right!
“Lock the door,” I whispered to Keir, then went into the bathroom and grabbed the talc. Quickly, I clapped the powder into the air as I walked a big circle around the bed. “Beyond these walls, no sound to hear. Within these walls, my words are clear.”
Keir’s lip curled, making him look predatory as he stalked over to me. “I’m going to make you howl.” He captured my mouth with his, holding me against his lean torso with care. The kiss was devouring and conquering as our tongues intertwined in a dance for dominance. A fight we would both win. His hands roamed my back, my thighs, and my buttocks as if he were memorizing every curve and dip. He broke from the kiss and nuzzled my neck, and I relished the feel of his hot breath sizzling against my skin.
He stripped my shirt off, then my bra. I arched back as I went up on my toes when he cupped my breast and lowered his mouth to claim it. His lips clamped around the puckered nipple, sucking and nibbling, sending shock waves of pleasure through my body.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured as he slid his hand down my pants again. “So wet.” His teeth grazed my nipple as he slipped a finger inside me, and I shuddered as passion burned me like a raging inferno.
“I want…” I panted. “Want….”
His mouth, once again, was hot on my lips, silencing my need. He lifted me up and then gently lowered me onto the bed. My heart pounded like a roar in my ears as he stripped his clothes off, his cock springing hard from his body, and his eyes just bordering on black.
The way he looked at me sent me to the edge of ecstasy. If he didn’t hurry, I was going to end up finishing without him. “Oh, shit,” I moaned, rushing to get my pants kicked off. I touched myself, and damn, if that didn’t turn his eyes pitch black. Mother of gods, the way he wanted me turned me inside out. “Get your sexy ass over here before I orgasm without you.” My words sounded strangled to my ears, but I was on fire with pulsating need.
He crawled up my body, and I spread my legs as he nestled his hips between my thighs. I looped my calves around his back, and he thrust inside me. His lips brushed mine, and he tasted so good, and his scent—I breathed him in as I thrust again—masculine, earthy, and so virile. A man. My man.
Every thrust of his rigid length took me to the edge, laying me physically and emotionally bare before him. Keir was mine. Mine. Feral grunts and groans coming from both of us echoed off my bedroom walls. The building pressure turned my body into a powder keg, ready to blow. My mouth watered as his power merged with mine, and it was as if our souls had intertwined. Between the power and the ecstasy, I didn’t know where he ended, and I began. It had never felt like this before. Complete. We were complete. I gripped Keir’s shoulders, holding on as the first shock of orgasm bowed my back, and I howled as the convulsing pleasure and joy exploded inside me.
