Amethyst Eyes

AMETHYST EYES

Melinda Barron

® www.loose-id.com

Warning This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id® e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

Amethyst Eyes Melinda Barron This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by Loose Id LLC 1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-2924 Carson City NV 89701-1215 www.loose-id.com

Copyright © May 2008 by Melinda Barron All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.

ISBN 978-1-59632-701-6 Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader

Printed in the United States of America

Editor: Maryam Salim Cover Artist: April Martinez

Author’s Note The island of Kitos is a fantasy, made up in my mind, just in case you go looking for it. Special thanks, as always, to Maryam, editor extraordinaire. Thanks also to Maura, for helping with plot points, and to my BFF Bridget, who didn’t bat an eye when I said, “Let’s talk about killing someone.” You guys are wonderful.

Dedication To Chet Alan Shelden. Thank you for your undying support, and your ability to bring me back up when I start to falter. You’re a prince among men -- scratch that, king -- and I love you. -- Mel

Chapter One Kitos Island near Puerto Rico March 2008

Ansling Carr trembled as he stroked her, his hands soft against her breasts. He pinched her nipples, pinching just enough to send frissons of pleasure straight to her clit. She wiggled under his touch, moaning with satisfaction when he teased her buds. “Do you like that?” “Yes.” “Tell me what you want. I like to hear my lovers talk.” He trailed his fingers down her stomach, teasing her with his light touch. She laughed softly as he parted her legs and stroked her pussy, already wet with desire for him. “I want you.” “Just me?” He parted her lips and stroked her folds. Her hips bucked under his touch, seeking to increase the pressure he was providing. “No. She wants me, too. Don’t you, little Ling?” She opened her eyes and stared at the man standing next to them. He was naked, just like his friend. Both had dark hair and dark eyes. Ansling shook her head, trying to focus. No

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one had called her Ling in years. Not since she’d moved to paradise. Scratch that. Not since she’d run away to paradise. “Who are you?” The first man stroked her clit faster, and she arched her back into his fingers. The second one sat and cupped her breasts, kneading them with enough pressure to make her squirm. Their hands felt wonderful. They kneaded and stroked, and then, as if by silent communication, they tightened their grips on her. Two hands on her nipples and one on her clit, all of them pinching. Her orgasm shot through her, making her scream with pleasure. She writhed under their hands as they continued to caress her tender flesh. The man between her legs flipped her over, her mouth now close to his companion’s cock. The first one entered her in a single thrust. “Yes, yes, fuck me. Fuck me hard.” She backed onto his cock even as the second man grabbed her and fed her his cock. She sucked him down while his friend rode her. A second orgasm spread through her body, and she groaned around the cock in her mouth. The men came as one, shooting into her at the same time. Her first lover leaned over, licked her shoulder, nipping at it gently. The one in front of her pulled away and licked the spot he’d nipped, and then he sucked it into his mouth, the pressure almost unbearable. “Stop, please. It hurts.” He sucked harder, and Ansling pushed at him. When her hands encountered the wall of his chest, the pain sharpened, and then suddenly, she felt nothing. The pain was gone, and so were the men. Ansling sat up in bed, staring out the open window at the ocean. From the placement of the sun she could tell it was after eight. That meant she had less than an hour until she had to be at work. She put her head in her hands and tried to get a hold of her feelings. Her body still throbbed from the two orgasms she’d just experienced.

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Her insides pulsed, as if she’d actually been having sex. She looked around for her vibrator, wondering if, during the vivid dream, she’d reached for it. It wasn’t anywhere nearby. “Please, no. It was just a dream.” She closed her eyes and repeated the words, trying to get a handle on her emotions. She didn’t have things like this happen anymore. People didn’t visit her in her dreams. She didn’t have visions. She’d cured herself of that by coming here, far away from the teaming crowd of humanity that was civilization. Her mind racing, she shivered and hugged herself. “Get a grip, Ansling. You have work to do.” She threw back the thin sheet and hurried to the bathroom, taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth. She slathered herself in sunscreen, pulled on a bathing suit, and slipped into sandals before heading out the sliding glass door of her small cabana, making sure to lock the door after herself. She trusted her coworkers, but one never knew about the resort’s guests. Thinking about the guests made her remember about the two men in her dream. They’d both been muscular, with dark hair and dark eyes. They had strong chins and even stronger hands. There was a familiarity about them, as if she knew them, but she didn’t think she’d ever met them. Or maybe she had. There had been several groups of men at the lodge lately, taking their vacations to dive on the wreck sites. Maybe she’d seen them and stowed their images in her mind, pulling them out for her wet dream. She hurried inside the equipment room, prepared to do her job. Dozens of tanks and vests and wetsuits lined up against the walls. She needed to check the equipment and make sure everything was in order before the guests arrived. Ansling knew she wasn’t exactly what people expected in a dive master. She could see it in their eyes when they came to the hut for the first time. They expected a small, toned

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blonde in a bikini. Instead, they got a big-boned, toned redhead, with a one-piece suit covering her large breasts and hips. If they came right now, they’d find a dive master still flushed from her orgasm, or make that orgasms. Even the shower hadn’t washed away the pleasure still coursing through her veins. She closed her eyes and fought back the panic that threatened to overtake her. She’d dreamed of the men because it had been so long since she’d been laid. She needed to take some time off to go to Puerto Rico and find a man who would bend her over and pound her until they both screamed in release. That’s all she needed, to get screwed. Hard. The need to fuck was building again, harder this time. She wondered if she had time to go to her cabin, get out her vibrator, and use it. It was a poor substitute, but it would still fill her, would still relieve some of the pressure. Or would it? She’d just come, and here she was, wanting more. What in the hell was wrong with her? Ansling pushed her recurring arousal from her mind, trying to focus on what she was doing. Today’s dive. Think about today’s dive. Mike Hudson from Topeka, Kansas. Stacey Plaster from Des Moines, Iowa. And Greg and Carol Blair, from Cleveland, Ohio. She’d taken all four of them down yesterday and would do so again today. She needed to check masks and regulators, to make sure that everything was working right. She needed to make sure tanks were full. She didn’t need to think about the two men who… “Oh crap. No. Go away.” She shook her head at the man who stood before her. He was naked, as he had been in the dream. His muscular chest called to her, and his cock stood at attention. “Ansling, I need you. We need you.” “No. Please go away. You’re not real.” She clasped her head between her hands and repeated the phrase, finally lifting her gaze to the spot where he’d stood. “I am real. You must help me. Don’t fight it.”

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“No!” She turned and rushed toward the hut door, barreling outside into the warm Caribbean air. She had to calm down before she dived. “Just take deep breaths.” She swallowed several gulps of air, then looked toward the hut. The door was open and she could see inside. The man was gone. She breathed a sigh of relief. Despite her fear, sexual tension still coursed through her veins. “Thank the heavens,” she said. “Please, stay away.” “Me?” She jerked her head toward the voice and smiled. “Mike.” “You not ready for me, yet?” “No. Come inside.” Maybe we could close the door and you could fuck me. She smiled at him, then frowned. The desire she’d felt just seconds ago was gone. The idea of being with Mike seemed almost repulsive. She didn’t want him. She wanted the two men from her dream, one of whom had just appeared to her in the hut. She had to focus. She had to do her job, or someone could get hurt. “You ready for one last dive before you leave on Monday?” “Yeah, I wish I could go down tomorrow too, but I know the rules.” “Yup, no flying and diving in a twenty-four hour period. We’ll have fun today, though. And you can always come back.” “Yes, I think I will.” She nodded when Greg and Carol came up. “Y’all get your gear and I’ll let the boat know we’ll be ready to leave in a few minutes.” She scurried toward the harbor, begging the man in her vision to stay away, at least until after the dive. Then, when she was back on land for the rest of the day, she’d try and figure out what it meant, why her visions had returned after so many successful years of suppressing them. And then she had to find a way to suppress this one.

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***** York, England

Tobias Sinclair collapsed against the couch, and sighed, a smile on his lips. “You’re positive?” He turned to the man next to him. “Very positive, my love. It’s her.” Kellen Rainey stroked Tobias’s cock. “And?” “She’s so beautiful. Lush and full. Dark red hair with freckles on her nose. And the most beautiful amethyst eyes I’ve ever seen.” Kellen tightened his grip and pumped Tobias’s cock harder. “And?” “She’s fighting the gift. Fighting the connection.” “Why?” His hand stopped. Tobias wrapped his fingers around his lover’s hand and started it moving again. “I don’t know. We need to see her, to go to her.” “And the stone? Is it there?” “I didn’t see it.” “Maybe you should try again,” Kellen said. “Maybe this will help.” He lowered his head to Tobias’s lap, swallowing his cock in one quick gulp. He moved his mouth up and down, as Tobias groaned in pleasure, stroking his hands through Kellen’s hair. Tobias writhed and tried to concentrate on the stone. Usually, sex made his gifts stronger, made him see more. But sometimes, he could think of nothing but Kellen’s sweet mouth on his cock, of the wonderful way Kellen filled his ass. He focused on the redhead, on her lush curves. She was the key to finding the stone.

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He saw her swimming, with a tank on her back and fins on her feet. She was going down, farther down, just as Kellen was going down on his cock. Then, a ship came into view, or what was left of it. Sitting on the bottom of the ocean floor, ravaged by time. The pull was strong. The stone was there. “It’s not on land. It’s somewhere in the ocean. They buried it, at a shipwreck.” Kellen lifted his head to Tobias. “Are you sure?” “Positive.” Kellen smiled at him, then bent to complete his task. It didn’t take long for Tobias to climax. Kellen’s tongue worked his shaft as Tobias wiggled in pleasure, and then shot long streams of cum into his lover’s mouth, stroking the other man’s back while he came. Kellen sat up and Tobias pulled him near, claiming his lips in a rough kiss. Their tongues mated as Tobias’s hand moved down to Kellen’s swollen cock. “We need to make reservations at The Haven for the earliest possible date.” “Um, yes.” Tobias shivered at the look of desire in Kellen’s eyes. His lover always got this way when it was his turn. Fierce and determined. Demanding. And the rougher he was, the more Tobias liked it. Kellen stood and grabbed a handful of Tobias’s hair. “Suck me. Now.” “Yes, sir.” Kellen took Tobias’s long cock in his mouth. He gagged as Kellen pushed himself deeper into his mouth, hard and fast, thrusting in quick, hard jabs. Tobias’s cock jumped in pleasure, even though he’d just come. When Kellen pulled away, Tobias mewled in protest. “Get on your knees so you can suck me properly.” Tobias dropped to his knees, taking Kellen’s cock back into his mouth and sucking harder. Kellen’s hands were on his shoulder, grasping him roughly. After several glorious minutes of pumping, Kellen filled his throat with hot fluid.

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Kellen’s groans made Tobias shiver in pleasure. He swallowed his lover’s cum, then licked the head of Kellen’s cock clean, dipping into the slit and delighting when Kellen groaned. “You’re mine, Tobias,” Kellen said, pulling Tobias’s head into his stomach. “And we’ll make her ours. Then, the three of us will find the stone and fulfill our destinies.”

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Chapter Two

“You’ve got a new group today, three couples from St. Louis. This is their first dive in the open, so maybe you should take Jockey with you.” Ansling turned from the desk where she was recording the times she’d made her last safety check on the tanks. “Don’t trust me, Timmy?” “Of course I do, it’s just that’s six people with no dive experience. An extra set of eyes would be nice.” “And here I thought you liked my eyes.” Ansling laughed when Timmy flushed. “I do, and you’re great, I didn’t mean -- well, just -- crap.” Doubt tugged at the back of Ansling’s neck. There was more going on here than just six inexperienced divers. “Tim? Stop trying to be nice. What’s going on?” “Look, you taking Jockey with you is not a suggestion. It’s an order. From the main office.” Ansling’s heart dropped into her stomach. “Why? Because all these people are new? I can handle it, and they’ve all passed their testing and have their licenses. I don’t see what the

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problem is. I mean, if these people are… Unless it’s -- me. Is the problem me, Tim? Is that it?” When he didn’t answer, she put her hands on her hips and took a step toward him, lowering her voice to its most menacing. Tim might be her boss, but he was just a few years older than she was, and sometimes he was easy to intimidate. “Just spit it out, damnit. You’re the boss, right? If you have a problem with me, just say so.” “I don’t have a problem. Frankie does, though.” Frankie. The big boss. The man who reported directly to the resort’s owners. Her stomach flopped, and she looked away from Tim, who stood looking at the floor. “What problem?” Tim sighed, then straightened his shoulders as if remembering he was higher up on the food chain. “A guest last week reported that you spaced out during their final dive on Friday. He said you were unresponsive for two or three minutes, and that it scared the people he was with. Frankie wants to send down Jockey to --” “To what, watch me? That’s bullshit. Jockey’s only worked here three months.” “Did you?” “Did I what?” “Space out?” “No!” Even to her ears, the rebuttal sounded too quick, too false. “It wasn’t like that.” Tim came into the hut and shut the door. When he looked at her, he seemed older than his twenty-seven years. “Why don’t you tell me what it was like, and why you didn’t report this to me when it happened?” “Because it was nothing. It was…” Ansling ran her fingers through her hair. “It wasn’t even during the dive. It was after. On the boat. And I didn’t space out; I just closed my eyes for a few minutes. I was tired and I didn’t hear the guy speak, I swear.”

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The silence grew in the hut, until Tim finally said, “Please don’t lie to me. If there’s something wrong, I have to know about it. Are you sick?” “No.” Not the way you think I am. “Give me the whole story, from the very beginning.” Ansling fiddled with a mask, wondering how to edit the story without making Tim think she was a freak. An image of her mother appeared in her head. “Why God cursed me

with you, I’ll never know. A child who sees things before they happen? Who imagines people are standing next to her when there’s no one there? You’re a demon. I should have you locked away.” “Ans?”

You see, Tim, sometimes I have visions, and when they happen, they’re all I can focus on. And lately, these two men have been… “I think maybe I came up too fast, you know? I didn’t depressurize enough. I was lightheaded and I closed my eyes. When I opened them, Mr. Bacus was standing there yelling at me. Really, it was nothing, just a stupid mistake on my part because I stayed down longer than the rest and rose just as fast as they did. I know that it was wrong. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” Tim studied her for a few minutes, then licked his lips. “Were you nauseated? Have chest pains or a seizure? Did you have anything else associated with the bends?” She shook her head and Tim sighed. When he spoke again, she could hear the anger in his voice. “I didn’t think so, because you and I both know that’s not what happened. It takes longer than the two minutes you were spaced out to recover from the bends, and Mr. Bacus said you were fine after a few minutes, laughing and trying to act as if nothing happened. Would you like to think of another excuse?”

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Ansling focused on the tanks leaning against the wall. She thought of any number of things she could tell him, except for the truth. Finally, after a long minute, she shook her head. “Then how about telling me why you didn’t report this to me? I could have gone to Frankie and talked to him before Bacus did. As it was, Frankie was royally pissed at you, and basically told me to bench you until we figured it out. I talked him into letting Jockey go down with you, just to monitor you, but now I’m wondering if I did the right thing, since you just out-and-out lied to me.” “We weren’t in the water,” she said, her voice low. “No, you weren’t, but has it occurred to you what would have happened if you had been? If you blacked out underwater and something happened to a guest, then the resort would be liable.” “I didn’t black out. I --” “Dude, those women in this group are hot.” Jockey came bursting through the door and skid to a halt next to Tim. “Do you think the six of them are like, you know, getting it on at night? You know, a little swinging and swapping on vacation? I wonder if they need company, some extra entertainment. I volunteer.” Jockey held up his hand, then let it fall when nobody laughed at his joke. “Oh, am I interrupting something? Sorry. I’ll just mosey on out for a few.” He started through the door, stopping when Tim called his name. “Go and find Tia. You and she will take the new group down this afternoon.” “But, I thought…” Jockey swallowed hard and then nodded. “Whatever you say, boss.” He bolted through the door, and Ansling turned to Tim. Before she could open her mouth, he held up his hand. “Go to your bungalow, change into street clothes, and then go visit Doc Benz. Bring his report to Frankie’s office in two hours. Understand?”

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“Yes.” Ansling bit her lip, then called out Tim’s name. “You’re making a mountain out a molehill, you know.” He turned back to her with a frown. “I might be inclined to agree with you if you hadn’t just lied to me. Two hours, Ans. And Doc better say there’s nothing wrong with you physically.”

***** “Breathe deeply. That’s it. Once more. Good girl.” Doctor Herman Bent dropped the stethoscope from Ansling’s chest. “Tim says you might have a case of the bends, but I’m not seeing any sign of it. Blood pressure’s normal. Pulse normal. Pupils normal. Mouth abnormal.” Ansling gave him a confused look. “What?” “Well, you’re usually smiling. Wanna tell me what’s wrong? Doctor-patient confidentiality and all that goes with it will apply.” Those words made her laugh, but it didn’t take hold as it should. Herman Bent, named Doc Benz because of his affinity for the luxury cars, always tried to make his patients smile. He’d only been at the resort for seven months now, and his job was to check out the guests before going down to make sure they were physically capable of diving. And, of course, he took care of any medical problems that arose. He was easy to talk to, and Ansling always found him fun to be around. Except for today. “So, what are you going to tell him?” “That there’s nothing wrong with you. That should make you happy.” “Thanks, Doc.” “No problem.” He handed her the paper, then went to his desk. “Ansling, you know I’m always here to talk if need be. You can tell me anything.”

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A shiver ran up Ansling’s spine. His voice seemed deeper than normal. She wrinkled her nose and stood. “Come back and see me tomorrow.” The words were more a demand than a request. “Why?” “Just so I can give you one more once-over. You know you’re my favorite dive master.” His tone of voice was light again and she laughed. “Right. It’s just because I’m one of the few women on the island you haven’t nailed yet.” “I’m not sure how to take that.” He crossed to her and handed her the report he’d prepared for Frankie. “You think of me as a male ’ho. I am single, remember? And there’s nothing I like better than a beautiful redhead who needs to tell someone her deepest, innermost feelings.” “Is that an offer to talk, or something else?” “Talking is good. But I’d also go for the something else.” He took a step closer. “But you’ve always said you don’t date people you work with. Have you changed your mind?” “Maybe.” She swallowed hard. Maybe Doc’s hard body would help her forget the two men she’d been dreaming about. Of course, she knew he’d been working his way through the single female resort employees since he got here, and she’d always been determined not to be one of them. “Would you like me to replace that vibrator you keep under your pillow?” His lips were next to hers now, right on the verge of touching. “I promise you, I can make you come harder than it does.” “How did you know? I…” She pushed him away, then squealed when the sound of breaking glass filled the room. He jerked back, and they both stared at his diploma that now rested on the floor. The glass had shattered on impact, and as they stared, a painting fell, landing next to the diploma.

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“What the hell?” Ansling pushed away from him and started toward the mess, stopping when he wrapped his hand around her forearm. “Tremor, probably. Either that or they don’t make nails like they used to.” He stepped in front of her, and the predatory glare in his eyes made her shiver. “Tonight?” “I don’t know, Doc. Let me see how this meeting goes, and then I’ll let you know.” “All right. I’ll wait with bated breath.” He trailed his fingers up her forearm and she shivered, leaning into his fingers. She could definitely use Doc to relieve her tension, she knew. He was gorgeous, after all, and for the first time in the last two weeks, a man other than her dream lovers had aroused her. Her nipples peaked against her bra and wetness formed between her thighs. Doc took another step until his body pressed against her. “Ansling? Just say yes, right now. That’s all I want to hear.” She felt as if she were in a vortex, with only Doc to hold onto for support. She grasped his arms, then moaned lowly when he kissed her cheek. “Doc, I…” There was a loud pounding on the door, and she pulled back from him, shaking her head. She focused on him, on the hungry look on his face and shivered. What was she doing? She pulled back, whispering bye as she opened the door, and pushed past a guest who was in the doorway. She ignored Doc when he called her name to come back. When she reached the end of the hallway, she stopped, leaned against the wall, and tried to catch her breath. The spot where Doc had touched her still felt hot, but not the type of hot that made her feel good. She hated that this was happening to her again. Since coming to the island she’d felt so free. No visions, no manifestations of people in her room at night begging her to listen to them. But now they were back. She would have to run again, try to find someplace where they wouldn’t come to her again.

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But if she ran, how long would she have? She’d been on the island for almost a year. And she’d managed to suppress her visions, pushing them aside by concentrating on her work and her surroundings. Until now. She hated to run. Maybe her mother had been right. Maybe she was possessed. Maybe she should go and see a priest about an exorcism. Or maybe an island witch doctor could cure her. But even as the ideas ran through her mind she knew they wouldn’t work, and she knew that her “gift” was something she couldn’t fight. Maybe she should try and come to terms with it and try to find a way to use it to her advantage. She just had to figure out how. She slowly walked to Frankie’s office where Lizza, his secretary, waved her inside with a friendly smile. Tim was already there, and she returned their subdued greetings, then handed Doc’s report to Frankie, who looked it over then placed it carefully on his desk. “So, physically, you’re fine.” “That’s right.” “You didn’t black out?” “No. I just zoned for a few minutes. It happens.” “It doesn’t happen to me,” Frankie said. “Bull. You mean to tell me that you’ve never caught yourself thinking about something else instead of concentrating on what was right in front of you? Everyone has.” Frankie studied her for a few minutes, and she wondered what he was thinking. She hoped he didn’t tell her she was fired. She wanted to save a bit more money before leaving the island. “Okay, this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to file away Mr. Bacus’s comments, and let you take on a project with a few experienced divers. Two friends of mine, from England. They’re here to explore wreck sites, and you’re going to take them. For the two weeks they’re here, you’ll be at their beck and call.”

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“That makes no sense at all,” Ansling said, shaking her head. “You’re busting my chops because a customer said I blacked out, and now you’re assigning me to take two divers out to wreck sites?” “These are experienced divers, and I trust them implicitly.” “Friends of yours, you say? Did you tell them to watch me?” “As a matter of fact, yes, I did.” Frankie leaned forward and clasped his hands together. “I’ve known Tobias since he was little. I have total confidence in him and his friend, and I know that they’ve dived in lots of places. This is like a test for you, Ansling. If they tell me you so much as breathe wrong, you’re gone.” “Well, it makes me feel so good that you trust them, but not me.” When Frankie didn’t respond to her sarcasm, she chewed on the inside of her cheek before asking if they were already at the resort. “They are. They’re out in Bungalow 13.” “Great, out in the boonies. Nobody ever wants to stay there.” “They wanted the privacy. You can meet them at dinner tonight and start your dives tomorrow.” Ansling nodded, then left the office at a clipped pace. Damn Mr. Bacus for blowing up what had happened. It had been nothing, really. Sure she’d had a vision and zoned out, but he was the one who had freaked, not her. She stepped into the warm sunshine, loving the feel of it washing over her skin. It felt fantastic, but what would be more fantastic was diving. She loved to dive, loved the ocean and all the creatures that lived there. Now, because of one little incident, she might lose her play area. A check of her watch showed that it was just after three. Dinner wasn’t for another three hours, and she didn’t want to go back to her bungalow and pout. She could go for a

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swim, but that would just remind her that she should be on a dive, working, instead of worrying about whether she would be employed in two weeks. She supposed the best thing she could do was go to Bungalow 13 and introduce herself to the two men who were her charges for the next two weeks. Maybe she could charm them, and she wouldn’t have to worry about what they told Frankie. After that, she supposed she should go to the computer room and do an Internet search for resorts, to see if anyone would be hiring in the near future. Just in case.

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Chapter Three

Ansling wasn’t sure why people always stayed away from Bungalow 13. Sure, the number thirteen was supposed to be unlucky, but in this case, the developers had worked hard to dispel that myth. They’d given Thirteen a number of amenities that the other cabins didn’t have, including a private hot tub on its deck and a game room with a full-sized pool table, a pinball machine, and a darts board. There were two whirlpool baths, one in the master bathroom and one in the other bathroom, and this bungalow had its own laundry facilities. It also had access to a private waterfall that emptied into a pond, whose usage was restricted to those who were registered in Bungalow 13. Sure, it was more than a twenty-minute walk from the main part of the resort, but the privacy would be worth it, or so Ansling always thought. The closer she got to the cottage, though, the more she doubted her resolve about meeting them early. She wondered again what Frankie had said to them. Did he tell them she was a problem child? Did he tell them she was close to losing her job? She hoped not. Still, if they’d agreed to keep an eye on her, he must have told them something.

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When the bungalow came into sight, she stopped and studied the structure. Maybe she should just go back to her cabin and think things over instead of jumping in headfirst. Doing that could sometimes get you into trouble. The sound of deep male laughter from the back of the house changed her mind, though. They were there, obviously playing in the hot tub. Maybe they’d had a few drinks, which might loosen their tongues. She could get them to tell her what Frankie had said about her. She moved along the seashell path, her sandals crunching the shells slightly. When she neared the back, the laughter turned to a moan of ecstasy. She stopped and listened as a second groan, and the muffled words, “Oh yeah, right there,” reached her ears. They weren’t playing in the hot tub, she realized. They were having sex. Together. She knew she should turn and run, but something kept her rooted to the spot. She listened to the moans for a few more minutes, and then she could hear the muted sounds of whispering, followed by kissing. Fascinated, she moved forward, stopping at the corner. The deck had no railings, and she could see them clearly, locked in an embrace, both of them naked. Their bodies were hard and muscular. And the sound of their kissing almost drove her wild. She looked up, wishing she were on eye level so she could actually see their faces, see their lips locked together, their tongues dancing around each other. They looked to be about the same size, and both were strong, she could tell. Their hair was dark and she wondered about their eyes. When the one whose back was to her moaned, she inhaled sharply. From her vantage point, she could see them as they stroked each other’s cocks, their hands working slowly up and down their long shafts. They were kissing again, the sound of it like rain on a warm summer morning.

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Ansling laid her forehead against the house and listened. Wetness pooled between her thighs, and she wanted to touch herself, to stroke her clit, and make herself come. If she did though, if she made noise, would they catch her? Fear of discovery kept her hand at her side. Before long she heard them shifting around, she moved back just a little, afraid that if she went where she could see better, she would also be seen, be caught eavesdropping on their private moment. If that happened, she would be unemployed much sooner than what Frankie had threatened. A deep groan caught her attention, followed seconds later by the sound of flesh slapping against flesh. One of them had entered the other. They were fucking. Their heavy moans of pleasure made Ansling whimper. She wanted to watch rather than just listen. Surely they wouldn’t notice her creeping up on the side of the house, would they? And if they did, what would that do to the working relationship she had to have with them for the next few weeks? The tempo had increased, and the sounds and groans coming from the deck were heavier now. Both men obviously loved every second of their union. Ansling straightened, prepared to run for the front of the cottage and head back to the resort, wanting to watch but knowing the trouble it would get her in. She turned her head toward the back and had just made the decision to leave when one of them spoke. She froze as the voice registered. “Harder, Kellen, harder, my love.” “Beg me, Tobias. You know I love it when you beg.” “Please, fuck me harder.” “No.” Ansling placed her palms on the cool stucco of the cottage. “No, it can’t be.” “Louder, Tobias. I don’t think our new lover heard you.” “Please.” The word came out as a plea, mixing in with groans. “Fuck me hard. Give me all of you. Every last magnificent inch.”

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Ansling fell to her knees, cradling her head in her heads. No, not again. Not now. A vision? Or was this reality? Was she really standing at Bungalow 13, or was she in her bed, or worse yet, somewhere else on the property where someone would see her zone out again and report it to Frankie? Her hands shook as she pushed them onto the side of the house and tried to stand on wobbly legs. The sounds from the porch increased; the begging grew louder; the slapping of flesh seemed almost violent. She heard their names again. Tobias and Kellen, and mixed in, she heard -- was she imagining things? “No!” But there it was again, her name, whispered by both of them in almost a chant, mixed in with their cries of pleasure. She kept her hands on the house as she sidestepped her way to the corner. When she was there, she peeked around. They were still fucking, but their gazes were locked on the spot where her face appeared. Ansling knew now that she’d lost her mind. There in front of her were the two men from her dream, the two men who, for the last two weeks, had tormented her body with their fingers and lips and promises of love. And after their loving had come their pleas for her help. She locked gazes with first one and then the other. Then she watched the man on top, Kellen, stiffen, as his orgasm ripped through him. Tobias followed suit, and Ansling gasped as the first tendrils of pleasure spread through her clit. She came violently, shaking and grasping at the house to try and keep herself steady as she rocked her hips against the invisible hands that stroked her clit. It took her a few seconds to realize that Kellen now cradled her in his arms. Her last conscious thought was of how he had moved so quickly to catch her before she hit the earth.

*****

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The room came into focus slowly, and Ansling blinked a few times to try and hurry the process. She was lying on a couch, the soft, billowy cushions comforting around her. A man, his body encased in a terry cloth robe, sat in front of the couch. Not just a man. Tobias. He gave her a tentative smile and offered her a cup from which steam billowed. “Drink this. It will help.” She stared at him, then shook her head. “It’s just tea. A good cuppa will cure anything.” Ansling jerked her head toward the voice that came from the other side of the room. Kellen sat in a chair, wearing an identical robe. He studied her, then sighed. “Take a sip, Tobias. Show her, we’re not trying to poison her.” Tobias took a drawn-out sip, making a show of keeping the cup near his lips, and then swallowing hard to show he really had taken in the liquid. “Have some,” he said softly. “Please.” “Who are you?” “We are your soul mates,” Kellen said. “Two sides of a triangle looking for the third side to complete it. And we’ve found you.” She shook her head and looked at the wall. Part of her told her to run, to tell Frankie she quit, to turn in her notice and run back to the States. Surely she could find a job somewhere. If all else failed, she could take a paper route. Or two. “I’d hoped that our coming to you during the past few weeks would ease the shock of our meeting,” Tobias said. “Obviously, I was wrong. I’m sorry that you had no more warning. It’s really unfair to you.” “You think?” She turned an angry glare on him. “It’s also utter bullshit. You know if you guys are looking for a third for your -- triangle -- you can look somewhere else. I’m not interested.”

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The room grew silent. Tobias still held the cup close to her where she could take it. She studied it, noticing the steam had diminished. Then she looked over at Kellen, who studied her exactly like she had studied the cup. “Why do you fight your gift?” Tobias set down the cup and cocked his head at her. “Gift? You call it a gift?” She turned her gaze to him. She’d been wrong about his eyes. They weren’t dark as she’d thought they were in her visions. They were violet, just like hers. She looked away from him and slowly closed her eyes. “I see it as more of a curse.” “It doesn’t have to be that way,” Tobias said. “If you let your visions --” “My visions? If I talked about my visions growing up, I was beaten. That’s what your idea of a gift brought me.” She opened her eyes and stared at him. The venom in her voice made him wince. He shook his head sadly, then licked his lips. “I’m sorry. But I can teach you how to use it to help others.” “Right. Listen, guys, thanks, but no thanks.” Ansling jumped off the couch and headed for the front door. “I’ll pass on the triangle thing. But you two enjoy yourselves.” She grabbed the doorknob, half expecting one of them to come after her or to catch up to her with the super speed that Kellen had shown when she’d fainted. She paused before going through the door, remembering that moment. She’d fainted from the blast of orgasm she’d felt, even though no one had touched her. She remembered the tendrils of pleasure that had run through her veins; the sharp pulls of pleasure that had overcome her were unlike anything she’d ever felt in her life. “You felt what we were feeling,” Tobias said. She turned to find him still sitting near the couch, his legs drawn up in front of him. “Our orgasms were stronger because you were there. And you felt it, because we are joined, the three of us.” “Who are you? Tell me the truth.” “I’m Kellen Rainey, and he’s Tobias Sinclair.” “And you’re here to find me?”

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“You and a stone,” Kellen said. “A very powerful stone.” “What exactly do you need me and this stone for?” Kellen exhaled loudly, then turned to Tobias. “Show her.” “I don’t think that’s a good idea. The shock could --” “I didn’t ask what you thought, Tobias. I said to show her. We don’t have time for this game.” “Now you’re really freaking me out,” Ansling said, focusing on Kellen. “Stop yelling.” Tobias moved to the couch, then patted the cushion next to him. “Come and sit.” Ansling narrowed her eyes at him and considered telling him to go to hell. Still, he was the nicer of the two; that much was clear. And despite her desire to leave, something kept her there. A pull she couldn’t explain. And she didn’t think they would hurt her. They’d had plenty of opportunity to do that when she’d fainted. When she didn’t move, Tobias held out his hand. “Please.” Ansling pursed her lips, thinking about telling him to go get screwed. Again. But then curiosity got the better of her. She crossed the room and sat down next to him without taking his hand. He watched her for a few minutes. And then he took her hand. Ansling screamed.

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Chapter Four

This time, she took the tea, her hand shaking as she lifted the mug to her mouth. She set it on the bar that separated the kitchen and the dining room and was thankful for the chair under her. “Now you know,” Kellen said, his voice soft. “I know nothing, except…pain and death.” “That’s what will happen if we fail,” Kellen said, touching her hand for the first time. Afraid of the pain she’d felt when Tobias touched her, she pulled away from him. But no vision came. “I don’t have the gift. Only Tobias does, and you.” “Really? Then what do you do?” “I support my lover, or now lovers.” “You’re the muscle?” His grin seemed almost evil. “You could say that. I’m the darkness that Tobias needs. Sometimes he’s too forgiving, too eager to see the good in people.” “You don’t make that mistake, do you?”

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“No. I don’t.” He took a drink from his own mug. “I expected you to run after seeing the vision. I thought we’d have to run after you and haul you back, make you see the way of things. Why don’t we have to? Why are you still here?” “You don’t want me here? I’ll leave. Happily.” But she stayed rooted to the spot. She looked out over the deck, then took another sip of tea. “I started having visions when I was five. At first, they would frighten me and my mother would tell me they were just nightmares. She took me to doctors who told her I just had an overactive imagination and needed to be more grounded in life, which meant no TV, no books, no nothing except for housework after school. When I started talking to people who weren’t there, my mother took me to priests who termed me possessed. “It was soon after I received that label that she started beating me if she thought I was about to have a ‘visit from a demon,’ as she termed it. She thought they were giving me instructions on how to hurt people. By the time I was twelve, I learned to hide it from her. Mostly. And I learned to block the visions when I was fourteen. All except for the ones that featured” -- her voice broke -- “that man that you showed me. I couldn’t block him. Or you two.” “And your father?” “What?” She gave Kellen a confused look. “Who is your father?” “His name was Anthony Carr. He died when I was a baby.” “Explains why you have no clue of things,” Kellen said with a shrug. “It will have to be a crash course.” “In what?” “In witchcraft. In the stones and in the power of evil, and our part in fighting it. Fighting the man from your visions.”

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The room grew quiet, and Ansling stared at Kellen with disdain. He frowned, then glanced at Tobias. “Who put you up to this? Was it Jockey? No. Jockey’s not smart enough for something like this.” She snapped her fingers. “It was Tim. I knew it. Today’s been one big joke, right? Is there a camera hidden somewhere?” She glanced around halfheartedly, because, deep in her heart, she knew it wasn’t a joke, that something big was about to unfold and she was part of it, like it or not. The man she’d just seen in her vision was the same one who had haunted her as a child. And he had nothing to do with hidden cameras. “Fine. Just, lay it out. All of it. No more pussyfooting around.” She looked at Kellen, who nodded at Tobias. “Do you believe in witches?” “You mean those with green faces and warts?” “No,” Tobias said. “I’m talking about people with powers who use them to channel forces in the world to do good.” “You mean Wiccans.” Tobias sighed. “Not exactly. Wicca is a religion, a very good one, and many of our sect are Wiccans. They use the earth and all its glory to commune with the Goddess, and to do good things. They have a bad reputation, and it’s very sad.” “What kind of witches are you talking about then?” “Our sect is ancient,” Kellen said. “Some might call us hereditary witches. We are born with powers that we use to change things around us.” “For good or bad?” “For us, good,” Tobias said. “There are those, though, that have strayed, and use their powers to spread evil.”

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An image of the man from her dreams appeared in her mind. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. “Tell me about him.” She spit out the word as if it were rancid. “His name is Garmund Monk. And in 1908 he was one of the most powerful witches on the planet.” Kellen tapped his fingers on the countertop. “Unfortunately, he let his power go to his head. His idea was to enslave humanity, to suck the life out of people and use it to give himself, and his followers, eternal life.” “He could do that?” “He could harness people’s energy, yes.” Tobias leaned toward her. “He had to be stopped.” Ansling didn’t say anything. She knew from her visions the man was evil. He was always killing someone, slicing throats or breaking necks. There had always been a bright glow that came out of his victim, and passed into him. Now she knew what he was doing. Stealing people’s energy, their life forces. “So what happened?” “The leader of our sect at the time, a man named Basil Milbourn, tricked him. Actually, it took power from several of the witches to trick him. They captured him in a cave in the Yorkshire Moors, and that’s where he is today, held captive inside a pentagram powered by five stones.” “I thought pentagrams were evil.” “A common misconception,” Kellen said. “They are an ancient symbol, a source of great power, and can be used for good, as well as bad. But such can be said of anything, depending upon who uses it.” “You’re right about that,” Ansling said. “Tell me about the stones that power the pentagram.”

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She took a sip of her tea, then reached for a cracker that sat on a plate. Part of her was surprised she was so calm, so accepting of what they were saying. The other part, though, was thrilled with what they were telling her. It meant she wasn’t a freak, that the things she’d seen all her life were real, and that they could be dealt with. She wasn’t a demon as her mother had said. She wondered if things would have been different for her if her father had lived. Had he been psychic? Had he kept it from her mother? Would he have been able to help her deal with her visions and learn from them? “You’re far away,” Tobias said. “And the answer is yes, he was, and he would have.” Tears filled Ansling’s eyes. She tried, and failed, to push them away before they fell. “I was barely two when he died. I don’t remember him at all.” “He loved you, I’m sure,” Tobias said. “And he would have helped you to learn about yourself, about your powers, and about how to use them properly.” Ansling sniffled, then shook her head to clear her eyes. “Tell me the rest. About the stones and how Monk was captured. Even if I don’t fully believe it, it’s a great story.” “You believe it,” Kellen said. “The pentagram is powered by five stones, an amethyst, a black onyx, a bloodstone, an emerald, and a garnet. All of them have their own magical properties. They combine to build a force field that keeps him inside, asleep and powerless.” “Then what’s the problem?” “The spell that Basil used lasted one hundred years,” Tobias said. “Monk has a following, even to this day. In January of this year, younger members of his sect located the cave and took three of the stones before we could stop them.” “So he’s awake? He’s out there? Now?” Ansling could hear the rising panic in her voice. “No.” Tobias took her hand and she expected another shock, another set of visions. When none came, she relaxed somewhat. “The other two, and some powerful spells, have kept him in place. For now.”

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“The original stones must be replaced by Samhain or the spell will be broken. And we’ve yet to find a way to kill Monk, something Basil had hoped to do while he had the man imprisoned.” “Which stones did they take?” “The amethyst, the bloodstone, and the garnet,” Kellen said. “And they are for…?” “Amethyst for psychic power,” Tobias said. “It also protects against the poison that is Monk. The bloodstone is a warrior’s stone. Its strength helped keep Monk in place. The third one they took, the garnet, is a stone of great power. It held in his power.” Ansling thought about it for a few minutes, then shook her head. “Well, if the spell is only good for a hundred years, then on Halloween this year the spell would have been broken, and he would have been released, right? Why worry about having the stones back in place? Why aren’t you trying to figure out a way to kill the son of a bitch?” “We have people working on that,” Kellen said. “We have to retrieve the stones because, if they fail, then the spell can be recast for another hundred years. But only if we have the five original stones in place.” “I see.” Ansling did see, and she believed them, but it was all a little hard to take. “And you think one of the stones is here?” “We know it is,” Tobias said. “The amethyst is here, hidden at one of your dive sites.” “And you know this because…?” “I saw it in a vision,” Tobias said. “I saw you diving at a site with a sandy-haired man. It happened very recently.” “Mike Hudson, from Topeka. He’s the only blond man I’ve been diving with recently.” “Take us where you took him,” Kellen said. “Well, he was here for a week and I took him to all seven wreck sites.” Kellen’s oomph of disgust made her smile. “Sorry, but he was an active type of guy, and wanted to see it all.”

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“There are seven shipwrecks near here worth diving on?” Tobias frowned at her. “Well, not really, no. The company has planted a few for the tourists.” “I see. Well, we have booked the bungalow for two weeks.” “Do your thing,” Kellen said to Tobias. He waved his hand back and forth between Tobias and Ansling. “Show her what you saw.” When Tobias reached for Ansling’s hand, she pulled away, memories of her visions of Monk clouding her mind. “No.” “It’s all right,” he said gently. “I can control what I show you. I just want you to see what I saw, the wreck site.” Ansling figured he was telling the truth. After all, he’d been doing this much longer than she had. But still, she wasn’t thrilled with the thought of opening herself to another vision. She’d fought them so long that actually seeking one seemed strange. Finally, she decided they were right. If Tobias could show her what he saw, then she could hopefully find the site they needed to dive on to find the stone. She put her hand flat on the counter and he covered hers with his larger one. He pressed down and closed his eyes. She followed suit, and instead of pain, this time she felt the warm waters of the Caribbean wash over her skin. She saw herself swimming next to Mike Hudson. She was pointing down and he was nodding. Stacey from Des Moines was near them. And they were nearing the Dragon’s Breath. Or was it the Devil’s Strumpet? Both of them were ships planted by the company. Of course, it could also be the Mermaid’s Tail. The vision broke before they drew any closer and she opened her eyes. “I need to see more.” “That’s all I saw. Do you know which site it is?”

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“It’s one of three.” She gave them the names, and then sat up straighter. “The Strumpet is the farthest down, and the hardest to get to. Only very experienced divers are allowed to go there. The other two are very accessible.” “The two people with you, were they experienced?” “Yes. Both of them were return visitors.” She pursed her lips. “There were two other people in their diving group that I didn’t see in the vision, a married couple, Greg and Carol Blair. They weren’t as experienced and didn’t go with us when we dove on the Strumpet.” “Then we go there first,” Kellen said. “Tomorrow.” Ansling nodded, then stood. “Where are you going?” Kellen came around the bar and stood in front of her. “Home. Dinner’s in about an hour, and I need to change, and then we’ll eat and I’ll meet you in the morning.” “No. You can’t leave. We have to have sex. Now.”

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Chapter Five

She gave Kellen a hard look. “You’re a regular flowers-and-candy type of guy, aren’t you? That’s quite a seduction technique you’ve got going there.” “We’ve been seducing you for two weeks,” he said. “Don’t you want a bit of the real thing?” Ansling had to admit that she did, but things were moving just a bit too fast for her. “Look, I understand about the stone, but I’m still fuzzy on the soul mates thing. You two have obviously been together for a while, and I’m thrilled for you. But why do you need me?” “Because you complete us,” Tobias said. His voice was deep and sexy, and it made Ansling’s heart beat just a little faster. “The spell provides that each stone has three guardians, three soul mates to guard it,” Kellen said. “When we turn thirty, the charge will go to us, and to you, for the amethyst stone.” “Really? Well, I have a job already, so I don’t have to worry about guarding a stone. I’m sure you two can find another woman, or a man, to help you in that capacity. I’ll guide you to the wreck sites, but that’s as far as I’m going.”

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“You won’t have job when we leave,” Kellen said. “We’re your last charges at Kitos Island.” His words sank in, and anger spread through Ansling. “You two, you did the thing with Bacus, didn’t you? You’re the ones who somehow made him make a big deal out of nothing!” “It was necessary,” Tobias said. “We needed you, and it assured that you would be ours, and ours alone. I’m sorry for what you’ve had to go through today.” “Are you kidding me? Isn’t it enough that your stupid gift brought me nothing but misery when I was a kid? Now I have to spend the day thinking I’m losing my job because of it?” “It was necessary,” Kellen said. “We make no apologies.” “You know what? Apologize to my ass as it heads out the door. And you can find a different guide for your dives. I won’t let you fucking manipulate me.” She banged out of the bungalow, ignoring Tobias’s plea to come back. As she moved down the path, she could hear him and Kellen arguing, but she couldn’t make out the words. She didn’t care what they said to each other. For that matter, they could jump in the ocean and never come back and she wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep over it. When she was about ten minutes up the path, she stopped and leaned against a tree. Her thoughts were a jumble of what they’d told her, and what had happened today. If they went to Frankie and said she refused to take them on their dives she was out of a job, there was no dispute about that. But if she gave in to them, they would to take her to England to play guardian to a stone in a matter that she knew little about. Either way, she was effectively screwed. “Crap.” She sank down into a sitting position, using the tree for a support. The sand cushioned her behind, and she tried to wrap her mind around everything they’d said. When Tobias had taken her hand and she’d seen the images from her childhood, the man she now knew was Monk killing people, she’d wanted to run away screaming.

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But somehow, just having them there had seemed a little comforting. Well, having Tobias there had, anyway. She laughed derisively at herself. Who was she kidding? Having Kellen there was nice, too. Both of them were easy to look at, and they obviously loved each other. She wasn’t sure she wanted to join their couple just because “it was fate,” and end up being a third wheel. Still, if she had something to do with stopping the man who had haunted her dreams since she was a child, then that was something she couldn’t ignore. When she was seven years old, the things she’d seen had made her scream and cry for hours. Today, she’d seen the same things, and her screaming had been much shorter. She wondered if it had been because she was older, or because Tobias had been holding her hand, and she’d had the comforting feel of Kellen standing behind her. What would be wrong with spending some time with them? Kellen had been right when he’d told her that they’d been seducing her for the past two weeks. Actually, seducing wasn’t the word for it. They’d made her so hot that she’d worn out two different sets of batteries in her vibrator. Of course, that thought brought up another one. The fact that she’d come without anyone touching her while she’d watched them make love. When Kellen had stroked in and out of Tobias, it had been almost as if they were touching her, caressing her. She’d felt someone’s fingers on her. Had that been Kellen’s or Tobias’s fingers -- or one from each of them? Either way, the feeling had been intense, enough to send her crashing to the ground in a dead faint when it was over. No, she reminded herself, she hadn’t fallen. Kellen had been there to catch her, to hold her in his arms. The memory brought such conflicting emotions that she couldn’t decide whether to run away from them, from the fear they would totally take over her life as they were trying to do, or run back to them and let them fuck her. She felt them approach long before she heard them. She still hadn’t made a decision, so she sat and stared at the ground. And when she looked up, they weren’t even in sight. What

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did that say? Was there a bond between the three of them? She stayed in place, and when they rounded the curve in the path she knew that they’d felt her too. They didn’t let out any exclamations of surprise, or act shocked. As frightened as this whole thing made her, she knew they wouldn’t force her into anything. How she knew it, she wasn’t sure. But her life was still hers, to do with as she chose. Knowing that made her feel much better about everything. She’d make them understand her life was her own and that she wouldn’t be ordered around. Tobias knelt beside her and took her hand. “Shall we go back to the bungalow and order dinner delivered?” He caressed the palm of her hand with his thumb. When she didn’t answer, he stood and put his hand in front of her. Seconds later, Kellen offered his hand, also. She took hold of them both, and they helped her to stand. Her stomach was still in knots, but her mind was clear. For the first time in her life, people were acting as if they cared about her, and she didn’t want to pass up the chance that this could be real, that they could be right about it being her destiny. Neither let go of her. Instead, they just stood there exchanging glances. Then Kellen turned and led the way back to the bungalow.

***** “You’ll have to forgive Kellen’s brashness,” Tobias said, handing Ansling a napkin. “When you get to know him better, though, you’ll find it’s part of his charm.” He grinned and popped a grape into his mouth. “Don’t apologize for me,” Kellen replied. He threw a grape at Tobias, hitting him on the cheek. “I believe I did that on my own.” They sat at the dining room table, the remnants of a shrimp scampi dinner scattered about. Tobias reached over an empty food delivery box and took up another bunch of grapes. “I’m just trying to let her know you’re not the brute you seem to be.”

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“You like it when I’m brutish.” Kellen’s husky tone crept over Ansling’s skin, making her tingle. Right on top of it she felt arousal. Not only hers, but Tobias’s, and Kellen’s. She felt their cocks stir, and her insides melted. She exhaled loudly, rubbing her hands on her legs. “Don’t be frightened,” Tobias said softly. “This is all new.” “For us, too,” Kellen said. “No. You’ve known each other forever. You’ve probably done stuff like this before. I’ve never been with more than one person at a time.” “True, we’ve know each other for a while,” Tobias said. “But we don’t share ourselves with just anyone. And we won’t judge you for anything that has happened in the past.” Embarrassment welled inside Ansling. She couldn’t say the same thing they did. In her twenty-four years, she’d been a little wild, starting the minute she got out from under her mother’s thumb, the second she’d turned eighteen. Add to that the fact that her “relationships” had been nothing more than one-night stands, and the embarrassment gave way to humiliation. “We don’t care,” Tobias said. “You’re with us now, and that’s what matters.” “Can you read minds, as well as have visions?” “No. But I can read your body. The way you tensed, the look in your eyes. What’s been done in the past is over. It doesn’t matter one iota.” Silence settled over the table, and then Kellen stood. He caressed Tobias’s shoulder, and then crossed to Ansling, leaned over and kissed her neck. She tried to relax, but it wasn’t easy. Her mind was still jumbled from everything they’d told her today and from the feelings that coursed through her. His kisses were soft and gentle, and Ansling closed her eyes, loving the feel of his warm lips. He ran his hands down her arms, his touch feathery soft. Somehow, she hadn’t expected

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this gentle touch from him. From Tobias, yes, but not from Kellen. She opened her eyes to find Tobias studying her, a sweet smile in place as he watched his lover caress and kiss her. When he stood, so did she. Kellen pushed her chair away, pulling her back into his front as Tobias came up in front of her, his lips brushing hers, gently at first, and then more demanding, pushing her body back into the comforting mass of Kellen, who caressed her hips. Tobias gently nibbled on her lower lip before pulling back enough so that Kellen could tip her head back and claim her lips. His kiss was more demanding than Tobias’s, and she found the contrast between them fascinating and exhilarating. Kellen’s tongue probed her mouth while Tobias’s fingers traced her collarbone, and then moved down. He caressed the swell of her breasts while Kellen stroked her hips. When the kiss broke, she leaned her head against Kellen’s shoulder and watched as he clasped his hand behind Tobias’s and brought their lips together. They pushed closer together, smashing her between them until she thought she couldn’t breathe. She closed her eyes and felt their pleasure at the kiss. It was such a fascinating phenomenon to her. The feelings were strong, and despite the fact her lips were not part of the kiss, she felt as if she were. When they broke, Kellen pulled back and headed for the bedroom, leaving Tobias to take her hand. “We thought we’d use someplace traditional for our first time together,” he said with a laugh. “You’ll find out that Kellen usually rejects a bed for lovemaking. He thinks they’re for sleeping only. Are you all right?” “Yes.” He was stroking her hair and she leaned into his hand. She wanted to tell him that she was more than all right, that she was fantastic. That for the first time in her life she felt as if someone truly cared for her. It was strange that it was someone she’d known for less than twenty-four hours. And then she corrected herself. It wasn’t one someone; it was two

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someones. And, if you counted the orgasmic visions Tobias had planted over the past several weeks, she’d known them for a while. Intimately. When they reached the bedroom, she found that Kellen had pulled all the bedding except for the bottom sheet from the bed. The pillows were still in place, but the bedding lay in a crumpled heap in the corner. “He hates covers,” Tobias whispered. “We fight over that sometimes.” The little insight into their lives made her laugh. “I hate to tell you this, but I hate covers, too.” “Great.” Tobias shook his head in disdain. “Just great.” “Score one for our side,” Kellen said. He sat on the edge of the bed and held out his hand. He was naked, and his erection jutted up, making Ansling’s mouth water. He was just as hard, and thick, as he’d been in her dreams. “Come to me, Ling.” She crossed to him slowly. Behind her, she could hear Tobias taking off his clothes. She wanted to ask them if either of them were attracted to women, or if this was just something they were doing because it was their duty, their destiny. But when she neared Kellen, the thought disappeared. He pushed up her blouse and began to kiss her stomach, pulling her tight between his outstretched legs. Behind her, Tobias slowly gathered her blouse in his hands, pushing it up her body. Kellen’s lips followed the trail of the material up her body, his lips tickling her skin and leaving tiny goose bumps in their wake. “Lift your arms,” Tobias said, his breath heavy against her neck. When the shirt was gone, his fingers went to the clasp of her bra. In front of her, Kellen had already worked his way under the tight material, stroking her breasts gently as she swayed into his touch. When the garment was unhooked, Kellen pulled it from her body and tossed it aside.

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“Saints alive, you’re beautiful.” And then he captured a nipple in his mouth. A fullbody shiver of pleasure ran through her as he sucked. Tobias captured the other nipple with his fingers, rubbing and pulling on it gently as she leaned back into him. Kellen released the first nipple, running his tongue over to suck in the other one while Tobias’s hands moved down to the waistband of her shorts. He sought, and found, the fastenings, making quick work of them. He bent to push the material, and her panties, down her legs. When Tobias’s lips caressed her buttocks, she trembled with pleasure. He licked each cheek, leaving trails of wetness in his wake as he caressed her thighs. Ansling was on fire, as both their lips and hands worked different parts of her body. Her insides stirred, and wetness pooled between her legs, leaking out to coat her mons. When Tobias’s fingers slipped between her thighs, she threw her head back and moaned deeply. “Yes. Please.” She clutched Kellen’s shoulders while he suckled her, moving from one nipple to the other. Her legs trembled, and she closed her eyes to savor every movement, every stroke, every wonderful tingle that ran through her. She cradled Kellen’s head, then opened her eyes to look down. She could tell his hips were moving, and she turned her head to allow her gaze to wander lower. From her vantage point, she could see Tobias’s hand wrapped around Kellen’s cock, pumping it in slow, even strokes even as Tobias licked Kellen’s buttocks. The sight caught hold in her belly and spread throughout her, sending her passions into speed mode. “I want to touch, too. Both of you.” Her voice was little more than a whisper, and Kellen inched back on the bed. When he was in the center, she climbed up after him, kneeling before him and dropping her head into his lap, licking his cock from base to tip and back again. She didn’t want to take it slowly. She wanted to gobble him up as if he were a

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turkey leg at Thanksgiving. She swallowed him, running her tongue around the head of his cock. He groaned his approval and put his hands on her head to encourage her to take as much of him as possible. Behind her, Tobias had moved his attentions to her pussy, stroking her swollen lips while she bucked into his probing fingers. When she felt his tongue run over her slit, she lifted her head and opened her mouth in a silent scream. “Good. Lick her, Tobias. Suck that clit into your mouth and make her come. Make her come hard.” Tobias did as instructed, moving his lips from her slit up to her clit, sucking it into his mouth in one hard pull. Ansling groaned at the sweet mixture of pleasure and pain, then started to lower her head back to Kellen’s lap. He stopped her before she got there, putting his fingers under her chin and bringing her face up to his. “I want to see you when you come. Make her come, Tobias. Suck it hard. She likes it.” “Yes, I do.” His movements were not smooth and gentle, but hard and jerky, and more pleasurable than anything Ansling had ever felt. Tobias’s teeth worked her clit, the tiny nibbles spreading spasms of pleasure through her. It didn’t take long for her to come. She ground herself into him as he clasped her close, his hands massaging her ass. Intense pleasure spread through her body, seeming to soak into every inch of her. Kellen kept her face close to his, their gazes locked together. The rough hold of his hand on her chin added to the headiness of her orgasm. When her orgasm had subsided, he gave her a demanding kiss, his tongue invading her mouth as if to displace her own. Tobias still licked her pussy, his strokes gentle now, sliding over her swollen, drenched folds. It was almost as if she could read their minds now. She pushed away from them, and Tobias lifted himself onto the bed, lying down in the center with his feet pointed toward the

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headboard. Ansling mounted him, her pussy centered above his mouth. Kellen had taken hold of Tobias’s cock, pumping it in hard, fast strokes. “Take him. Suck him down.” She did what he asked, swallowing Tobias’s cock as she had Kellen’s just a short time ago. He moved his hand in time with her mouth, and together, they stroked his hard length, Tobias’s groans urging her on. Kellen’s hand dropped to Tobias’s balls, cupping first one, and then the other before gathering them both in his hand and squeezing gently. Tobias’s cock jerked inside Ansling’s mouth and she sucked harder, running her tongue over his length. When Kellen moved away, she knew what was coming. She heard the tear of a condom package, and then the bed dipped under his weight as he positioned himself behind her. Kellen’s hands were on her hips, and it was Tobias’s hands that guided Kellen’s cock to her opening, holding her lips apart as Kellen pushed inside. “Yes, oh fuck me.” She licked Tobias, sucking his cock in again when Kellen started to pound into her. There was nothing gentle about his fucking, and she loved every stroke he gave her. It pushed her closer to a second orgasm, something she’d never had happen without the help of her vibrator being placed directly on her clit. Tobias was moving his tongue and lips between her clit and Kellen’s balls. Each movement made his cock jerk with pleasure, and Ansling sucked him harder. She could tell he was ready to come. His balls had tightened, drawing up close to his body. She touched him there softly, tracing the lines of the wrinkled sac with her fingertips. His groans made her feel drunk with power, and when Kellen pumped her harder and said, “Now, Tobias,” he shot into her mouth, the warm fluid almost choking her as she sought to suck it down her throat. He tasted salty, yet slightly sweet. His tongue worked her clit harder and she lifted her mouth from his cock when she came, laying her head against his thigh and clenching around Kellen, who was releasing inside her pussy. When he’d stopped thrusting, Kellen traced his hands up and down her

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back, and she did the same with Tobias’s legs, shivering when he lifted his own fingers to her calves. They stayed that way for a few long moments, none of them speaking, just feeling each other’s bodies as if to confirm the feelings that still coursed through them. Kellen shifted off the bed first, lifting Ansling into his arms and kissing her deeply. When Tobias sat up, she turned to him for a kiss. When it broke, Kellen leaned over and stuck out his tongue. Tobias did the same thing and they wiggled them together, lapping at each other. The sight made Ansling laugh. “What?” Kellen lifted his gaze to hers. “Don’t laugh. Join us.” “There’s not room down there for another face.” “You’d be surprised,” Kellen said. “Come on, a three-way tongue kiss.” The look on his face made her giggle. Pleasure still throbbed in her veins, and she did what he asked. Soon their tongues were mated, the three of them licking and playing together until Ansling wasn’t sure where one started and the other ended. She’d never felt so content, and so wanted, in her entire life. Later, after they’d washed and were ready for sleep, they lay on the bed together, with Ansling in the middle and Tobias wrapped in a sheet he’d rescued from where Kellen had thrown them. They were pressed close together, and Ansling closed her eyes to savor the feeling of their hard bodies against hers. “They will have sent a guardian.” “What?” Kellen’s words made her eyes pop open. “Monk’s sect. They would have placed a guardian on the island to guard the stone,” he said. “Who?” “A man,” Tobias said. “Someone strong and very evil, but good at camouflaging his true nature. He will be someone who hasn’t been here long.”

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Their voices were sleepy, but their words had erased every trace of sleep from Ansling. “Workers come and go from here quite often. And only Jockey’s come since January when the stone was stolen.” “He would have been here before then,” Kellen said. “They’ve had this mapped out for a while. Seven, eight months before now, giving him enough time to settle in, and to get to know everyone.” She stiffened. “Would they know about me?” “He would have sensed you, but he wouldn’t know exactly who you were. Even Tobias had problems picking up your essence.” She closed her eyes, a handsome face swimming behind her closed lids. “Doc.” “What?” Kellen sat up and looked down at her. “Doc. Herman Bent. The doctor. He came here about seven months ago. He’s been working his way through the female staff, trying to get all of us to sleep with him.” “Yes, he would,” Tobias said. “If he was inside you, he could sense your magic. Your power. Have you been with him?” “No. That means he doesn’t know who I am, right?” “He knows now,” Kellen said. “He would have felt the shift of power when we joined. Now, he knows it’s you, and he knows we’re here, and that we know the stone is here.” “What if they move it before we can get to it?” “They won’t,” Tobias said, stroking her back. “He’ll summon his minions first. That way he’s not just one against us. We’re both warded with protection spells, true, but in a fight, we should be able to weaken him and steal the stone if he tried to move it.” “Then they could be here by tomorrow morning.” “Relax, little Ling,” Kellen said. “We have things in place just for this sort of thing. They won’t be here for at least three, maybe four days. But we have to dive tomorrow. First thing. And we have to pray we find the stone on the first dive.”

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Chapter Six

“I can’t drive the boat on my own; it’s against resort rules.” “What?” Kellen put his hand on her arm to stop her. They were near the main dock, which housed the boats used to take divers to wreck sites. “You have to take a skipper along. If we don’t, then I could lose my job.” “Your job doesn’t matter after this.” Kellen’s words were clipped, and the look on his face made her take a step back. “Doesn’t it? What if we don’t find the stone on this dive? It will matter then. Because if I get caught taking you out without a skipper, then Frankie will fire my ass as soon as we’re back. Trust me.” “Bloody hell. You might have thought of this sooner.” “Excuse me, Kellen, for not being prepared for the find-the-stone-or-the-world-ends game. I’ll try harder next time around.” “I don’t care for your sarcasm.” “My sarcasm? Are you kidding me? You know, you could --”

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“Stop it!” Tobias stepped in between them. “You two are too much alike for your own good. I don’t know how I’m going to survive it. Could we just get moving and argue later, please?” “I suppose I could ask Jockey to do it. He doesn’t start work until noon. But we’d have to bribe him.” “Lead the way,” Kellen said, narrowing his eyes. “And we’re going to talk about your mouth later.” “In your dreams,” Ansling replied, heading back toward the cottages. She reached Jockey’s door quickly and found it unlocked, as she knew she would. She knocked loudly, and when no one answered, she pushed inside. Jockey lay on the couch, snoring loudly. She stared down at him and cleared her throat. When that didn’t work, she kicked the couch. The bamboo furniture rattled, and Jockey nestled down farther into the cushion that rested on top. “Jockey!” “Go away.” He turned over and tried to nestle farther down into his cozy surroundings. “I need you, please. I forgot to set this up last night, and if I mess this trip up, Tim will have my ass.” “Sucks to be you.” His voice was heavy with sleep. “Please, Jockey! I’ll take your shift tomorrow mor --” Kellen stepped up next to her and put his hands on Jockey’s shoulders, flattening him against the bed. The sleepy man pulled away from him. “Hey, hands off.” “Five hundred dollars.” “Wow, you sound like James Bond. Is Moneypenny on this trip, too?” Kellen rolled his eyes, and Ansling bit back a laugh.

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“Five hundred dollars to take us to the Devil’s Strumpet.” He waved the bills in Jockey’s face. When Jockey just stared at the money, he took another bill from his pocket and added it to the five. “U.S. dollars.” “Cool, dude. Lead the way.”

***** Ansling was happy they hadn’t met anyone at the boathouse. And that Jockey was being abnormally quiet, probably because he was still half asleep. Kellen and Tobias had peeled off their jeans and were now wearing diving jumpsuits that looked brand new. “You have done this before, right?” “Yes, Ling, we have. We took a vacation two years ago to the Great Barrier Reef. It was beautiful. We’ll take you there sometime.” “No one’s called me Ling in years. Not since the last time I saw my uncle.” “Your mother’s brother?” Kellen asked. “No, my father’s brother. I haven’t seen him since I was nine years old. He tried to take me away from Mom, and she fought him, and won. Unfortunately.” “What? Your father’s brother tried to take you and your mother, who thought you a demon, refused him? Why?” “I don’t know, Kellen. Maybe she just didn’t want me to have a happy life.” “I’m so sorry, little one,” Tobias said. “You would have had a much better life, I’m sure.” The boat was slowing, and Ansling knew they were nearing the drop point for the Strumpet. Jockey cleared his throat and the three of them turned to him. “You know, it just occurred to me that this trip isn’t on the manifest. Do you two have papers from Doc that, like, clear you for the dive?”

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“Of course they do. I’ve seen them.” “Yeah, maybe, but it’s not your name on the sign-out sheet for this boat, in case of, you know, like an accident. The way Tim was blowing at you yesterday, man, I don’t want that turned my way.” Kellen put his hand on his hips and turned an evil glare on Jockey. “How much?” “I don’t know…another fiver?” He lifted uncertain eyes to Kellen. “You little thief,” Ansling said. “I thought you were my friend.” “I could lose my job over this. I like this job. Cute babes. The ocean. It would suck to lose it.” “Fine. I’ll give you five hundred more when we get back to shore. But you brought no one out this fine morning, did you?” “No man, I didn’t. Nothing like an early morning boat ride to soak in some alone time, know what I mean? I’m going to take a nap. Wake me when you get back.” “Pig,” Ansling whispered under her breath. “I can’t believe he’s gouging you for so much money.” “It’s worth it,” Kellen said. “Give us specifics here.” “You want the story we tell the tourists, or the real story?” Kellen narrowed his eyes at her and she gave him an innocent smile. “The Devil’s Strumpet was set up by the resort owners as a wreck site. They plant things on it for divers to find and take home as souvenirs. It lies about a hundred and ten feet down, and we don’t allow anyone but experienced divers to go there.” “Do a lot of people make the trip?”

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She turned to Kellen. “Well, not really. Most of our divers are novices, and this dive isn’t for those just starting out. Most of the people who come here go to the other sites, which are sixty, seventy feet down.” “What about since January?” Tobias said. “Thirty, forty people maybe.” “Compared to how many on the other sites?” Kellen asked. “A hundred or more.” When they nodded, she continued, “I’m giving us forty-five minutes, that’s coming, going, and exploring. If we need more time than that, we can schedule it later.” “If the stone is there, we’ll feel it,” Tobias said. “You will, too, Ling.” She wasn’t so sure about that, but she didn’t voice her objection to her sensitivity to magical objects. There were some things she was concerned about, though. “What if they’ve buried it? Or hidden it in some sort of special box? Is that possible?” “Yes,” Kellen said. “And I fully expect they’ve done something like that. We’re prepared for it. Don’t worry.” “How --” Kellen captured the rest of her question with a kiss. “You’re the dive master, we’re the expert witches. Concentrate on the dive, and we’ll search for the stone.” “Fine. Forty-five minutes, with one stop on the way back up.” While they’d talked, they’d been strapping on their gear, securing tanks to their backs, weights to their belts, and fins to their feet. Now, with her mask resting on her head, she received Tobias’s soft kiss. When he kissed Kellen hard, pulling him close, she glanced at Jockey, who lay with his back to them. “You should be more careful,” she said.

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“We don’t care who knows,” Kellen said. “We’re not ashamed of our love and you shouldn’t be, either.” His words made her feel warm. “You’re right, of course. It’s still all so new, and there’s so much of it to take in. I’m sure y’all have a fun love story to tell.” “We do,” Kellen said. “And we’ll tell you tonight. Scout’s honor.” “Something tells me you were never a Scout.” “You’re right. I wasn’t.” He gave her look that almost passed for a smile, slapped his mask down, sucked in his respirator, and fell backward into the water.

***** Ansling loved the water, and today it seemed especially beautiful, even with the cloud that was hanging over their heads concerning the stone. Colorful schools of fish and larger marine life swam around, wondering about the newcomers. She studied them as they swam, wondering if in her next life, she could come back as a fish, and have no worries in her life. Of course, if she came back as a fish, she’d probably be the smaller one that would be eaten in a flash by something larger. No, she needed to come back as a whale. Or a shark. Something that took top billing in the ocean. They’d been underwater for twenty-five minutes now, and she watched Kellen and Tobias swim around the ship, pointing at different areas where the stone might be hidden. And it was here. She knew because she’d felt it, just like they’d said she would. A warm, tingly feeling that started in the base of her neck and moved upward until her eyes saw shards of purple. It had freaked her out for about a minute, until she realized what it was. The stone, calling to her. It was strange to her that she could feel it now, since she’d just been down here a week before and not felt anything. And she was sure the stone hadn’t been hidden during that time. She figured it was being close to Kellen and Tobias that had heightened her senses.

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She wanted this done. She wanted to find the stone, then see what they could teach her, see what sort of a world they could open for her. They swam for another few minutes, and she wondered why they couldn’t find its exact location. Of course, she didn’t feel that part of it, either. She just knew it was in this general vicinity. She checked her watch again, and knew they needed to be heading back toward the surface in a few minutes. She swam toward them, pushing in front of them both and pointing at her watch. When they shook their heads she nodded and whirled her fingers around, telling them it was time to wrap it up for this trip. They needed to start for the surface, stop to decompress for a minute or two, then hit the top. When Kellen gave her a reluctant nod, she swam back a few feet and pointed up. Seconds later, something pushed its way out of the sand and grabbed her around the waist. Her mouthpiece popped out of her mouth, and she closed her mouth quickly, fighting against her captor as she tried to grab her equipment and put it back in her mouth. Panic started to set in as whatever it was that held her tightened its grip. It had hands and legs. And it had breasts. She could feel them pressed against her back. She sucked her respirator back in, trying to keep her breathing calm to upset the delicate balance of gases in her body, then kicked backward to try and dislodge herself. Kellen was already at her side, throwing something at the object. Tobias took her hand and pulled her forward. She turned to see the thing explode as Kellen swam toward them. The three of them headed for the wreck, then stopped, clasping hands. Ansling knew her breathing was too rough, that she needed to calm down before she began her ascent or she would risk a real case of the bends, something she’d never had and didn’t want. Her lovers moved around her, sandwiching her in between them and rubbing her arms and sides in an effort to calm her.

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With each touch, her nerves calmed and her heartbeat started to fall back to its normal rhythm. She knew they were cutting their time dangerously close, so she pointed upward. Kellen, who was in front of her, nodded, and they began to kick, the three of them together. When they were at sixty feet, she pulled them to a stop, holding up two fingers to indicate they needed to rest for two minutes. Her breathing was back to normal now, and it bothered her that neither of them seemed the least bit affected by what had happened. They were holding her hand tightly, true, but their chests still rose and fell in the same manner they had when they started the dive. After a few minutes, she nodded and they rose, breaking the surface a few feet from the boat. “Where the hell have you been, dudes?” Jockey screamed at them, waving his arms. “Tim’s already on my ass about getting the boat back. Get over here. Pronto!” They swam toward him, taking off fins and throwing things on the deck of the boat. “I’m going to stow this shit underneath, so Tim doesn’t see it. Then, I’m going to drop you by the cove. It’ll be about a mile walk back, but if he sees you with me, he’ll explode.” They’d barely made it back on board when Jockey threw the boat into gear, twirled around, and headed back toward the resort. Ansling stuffed their clothing into a waterproof bag, then took three bottles of water from the cooler. She handed one to each of them, then took a long pull from her own. Her hands still shook, and she turned questioning eyes on Kellen. He shook his head and pointed to Jockey. She nodded. When they neared the cove, Jockey slowed the boat. “Take a leap, James Bonds and Miss Moneypenny. And don’t forget, you owe me five hundred.”

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“You’ll get it,” Kellen said as they jumped into the water. He took the waterproof bag from Ansling as they swam the short distance to shore. Once there, they sat down, hard. Ansling fell back in the sand and looked toward the sky. “What the hell was that?” “A nixie, one that’s been corrupted,” Tobias said. “A what?” “A nixie,” Kellen said. “They’re generally freshwater demons. Someone spelled this one to live in salt water and to serve as a bodyguard to the stone.” “Yes, I did.” They all jerked toward the deep male voice. “And you killed her. That makes me very angry.” “Doc.” Ansling scrambled to a standing position. Kellen and Tobias were already on their feet, staring at the man who lounged against a rock. “Yes, Ansling, Doc. And, believe it or not, I really am a doctor. And you’ve been a very naughty girl. Whatever am I going to do with you?”

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Chapter Seven

“I think the appropriate answer here would be nothing.” “Oh, do you?” Doc imitated Kellen’s clipped British accent. “How quaint.” The four of them exchanged glances in silence for a long few minutes. Ansling couldn’t help but wonder why there were all just standing there. After all, it was three against one. Couldn’t they overtake him? “You know, Ansling, I’m somewhat embarrassed,” Doc said. “For months, I couldn’t read you at all. And then, a few weeks ago, I got an inkling of magic about you. Just a trace, but I thought maybe it was just because I wanted to fuck you. Call it a tiny bit of transference. Now, I know if I’d been buried inside your tight cunt, I would have known for sure. I could have turned you before the heroes arrived, and saved my nixie. How sad.” Ansling took an involuntary step backward, even though she was already behind Kellen and Tobias. Doc’s cool, even tone was scarier than if he’d been screaming. Since he was angry, that’s what she expected. Instead, he lounged against the rock as if they had invited him to join him at a picnic on the beach.

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“But you didn’t know, did you? You had no clue. Such a missed opportunity for me. But, I won’t dwell on it. Once your lovers are dead, I’ll show you the true meaning of power. And you will revel in it.” “No, I won’t. There’s no way.” “We’ll see.” His smirk made her skin crawl. “Well, now that we all know each other, it’s time for me to get back to work. Let’s play again later, shall we?” And he disappeared. “He left. Where did he go?” “Back to the resort, I imagine.” Kellen stared at the empty space. “There’s no telling, really.” “How did he just -- disappear?” “It’s part of his gift,” Tobias said. “Why did you let him go?” She pushed on Kellen’s shoulder. He stumbled forward, then turned to her. “Why didn’t you do anything?” “Unfortunately, I can’t stop him from using his gifts. And what would you have liked me to do, hmm? Kill him?” “That would be a good start.” “It would, I agree. But before I answer that question, ask yourself this one. He knows we’re his enemy, and that now we know where the stone is hidden. Why didn’t he kill us?” “Because it was three against one.” She held up her hands and gave a look that said his question was a no-brainer. “Do you think three against one matters to a man who can disappear at will?” She sighed. “I suppose not. I didn’t expect civility like that, though. I expected fighting. I just don’t understand.” “You sound disappointed,” Tobias said. “Did you want bloodshed?”

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“Yes. I think the followers of Monk deserve that.” “Our little warrior,” Tobias said, pulling her into his arms. “He didn’t attack because he couldn’t. Charms and spells protect us, just as they protect him, as I’ve already told you.” “What? Then how are we going to kill him?” “I don’t know,” Kellen said. He moved behind her, once again making her the meat in a Tobias-Kellen sandwich. He wrapped his arms around Tobias’s shoulders and kissed him, then bussed his lips over her hair. “We’ll find a way, though. Trust me. If you want the truth, I’m stunned that the knife worked on the nixie. It was almost too easy.” “Easy. Says the man who wasn’t wrapped up in the demon’s arms.” Kellen laughed, then kissed her shoulder. “Do you prefer our arms?” “Definitely.” She snuggled against them, her mind already tired, even though it was still morning. “Well then, we’ll oblige you. Let’s go back to the waterfall and make use of it to wash off the saltwater, and to make love.” “Make love? Do we have time for that? Shouldn’t we be figuring out how to kill Doc and get the stone?” “You don’t want us?” Kellen cocked his head down at her. “I’m hurt.” “Yes, I do. But, we should --” “Lovemaking strengthens the bonds between us,” Tobias said. “It also strengthens the wards and charms that we have on us that now encompass you, too.” “Besides, Tobias gets his best ideas when I have my cock buried deep in his ass.” Kellen grabbed Tobias’s neck and pulled him in for a punishing kiss. The two men groaned, and Ansling wiggled between them. “Yes, I do,” Tobias said when the kiss ended. “So let’s get started.”

*****

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When they reached the road that led to Bungalow 13, Ansling stopped, a full body shiver taking over. She backed away from the path, a feeling of dread filling her. “What is that?” She felt as if snakes were slithering around her feet. She looked down, but found nothing. She moved away from the path, rubbing her arms and kicking at imaginary slithering animals. “A calling card,” Kellen said. “Your friend Doc left it. He was probably very angry he could get no closer to the bungalow.” He held out his hand and muttered something. A light haze appeared, and then the horrible feeling Ansling had experienced was gone, replaced by cool air and the chirping of birds. “It’s all right,” Tobias said, coming up behind her and stroking her shoulders. “He left it for you. He wanted to frighten you.” “Why?” “You’re an untrained witch,” Kellen said. “If he can get his claws into you, then he can train you as he likes, and that would be a very bad thing. He wants to show you his power, keep you afraid. He feeds on fear.” “Then you two better get started, like yesterday.” Fear curled inside her stomach. She didn’t want to think of Doc controlling her. “We will,” Tobias said. “This afternoon.” “After,” Kellen said, his voice gruff. The tone made her smile. He took the lead as he always did, his long strides gobbling up the path. Ansling worked hard to keep up with him, while Tobias walked behind. “You know Kellen, I think I’ve figured you out. Your outside’s like sandpaper, but your insides are like, I don’t know, marshmallows.” “Marshmallows?” He stopped, turned slowly and shot her an evil glare. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

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“Well, you’re gruff, and you try to come across like nothing bothers you. But you’re soft inside. I didn’t think so at first, but watching you with those snakes made me think otherwise. You didn’t like the idea I was scared. It bothered you. Soft inside.” “Humph. Next time I’ll let them bite you. Then we’ll see if I’m still a marshmallow.” “Yes, you are.” She stepped closer and went up on her tiptoes. “A six foot tall pile of sugar encased in sandpaper.” She saw a smile crinkle at the side of his mouth and quickly disappear. “Six-two.” “Excuse me. Next time I’ll bring a tape measure.” Tobias stepped up and put his outstretched arms between them. “Am I going to have to buy a bell?” “What?” Ansling shook her head in confusion. “You know. Ding-ding, ‘the fighters need to go to their separate corners’ type of bell?” “We’re not fighting,” she replied. “We’re discussing.” “Right. That’s why Kellen looks like he could touch a kettle and set it to boil.” “He could probably do that anyway.” “You’re right, I can.” He took off down the path, muttering to himself. She heard the word “marshmallow,” followed by a grunt, and she laughed. Tobias put his arm around her shoulder and they started after him. “If he’s a marshmallow, then what am I?” “Chocolate. Smooth and creamy.” “Hmm, you’re talking about those gooey things, aren’t you? Chocolate and marshmallows and crackers.” “Graham crackers. You heat the marshmallow, and wrap the chocolate and cracker around it. Very tasty.”

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“I’m sure. But if he’s the inside, and I’m the chocolate, that would make you the cracker. I think it’s backward, because you’re in the middle, really. So, technically, he’s not a marshmallow. You are.” “It was just an analogy. He’s so serious all the time, and back there, I saw just a crack in his armor.” “Kellen doesn’t crack, Ansling.” “Why is that?” Tobias stopped and turned her toward him. “He’s experienced some things that made him hard.” “What things?” “Don’t.” He caressed her face. “Why not? You guys know about my horrible mother.” “Because it’s not my story to tell. If Kellen chooses to share, then he will. But I won’t betray him, not even with you. I’m sorry.” “I’m not. I like the idea that you’re keeping his secrets. It shows great honor.” They started to walk again. “So, what about you?” “Me? Very boring. Very normal. A mother and father who love me, two brothers and a sister, all of us nice, light-hearted witches who go about the countryside spreading faerie dust.” “Faerie dust?” “Again, an analogy.” He laughed softly. “I don’t have a ready supply of faerie dust.” “And the stone thing? Did you always know that you would be involved with it?” “Yes. Each stone has a set of guardians. My family is part of that set, and I knew I would play a pivotal role.” “Kellen’s family, too?”

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“No. I recruited him when we fell in love.” “Do I get to hear that story?” “Yes, we’ll tell you that one.” When they were in sight of the bungalow, he stopped to kiss her, his fingers light on her cheeks. The sound of Kellen clearing his throat broke the kiss. “I hate to interrupt your tender moment, but we have things to do. We need to fuck, and then figure out a way to kill the evil wizard. Or have you forgotten?” “And the seduction continues,” Ansling said, starting to walk toward him. “I know hearing the words ‘we need to fuck’ always puts me in the mood for lovemaking.” She screamed when Kellen lifted her over his shoulder and took off down the path toward the waterfall. She beat against his back to no avail, then called out for Tobias to help her. “You brought this on yourself,” he said with a laugh as he walked behind them. “I can’t help you now.” She gave him one last slap on the back, trying to reach down for his behind, and missing. When the sounds of the waterfall hit her ears she renewed her struggles. “Put me down.” “We’ll see who’s a marshmallow.” He hefted her through the air as if she were a toothpick, throwing her backward so that she landed in the pond. She went under, and came up sputtering. “Strip.” Kellen stood at the side of the pond, his hands on his hips. When Tobias came up next to him, he grabbed the front of his wetsuit and pulled their faces close together. “You, too.” Kellen pushed him away and started taking off his own wetsuit. Ansling cast a nervous look at Tobias, who was shivering with delight. “I love it when he’s like this.” He winked at her. “It’s all right. Trust us.”

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“What about condoms?” “Are you on the pill?” “Yes, Tobias, but --” “Kellen and I have been exclusive lovers for the past seven years. We’ve touched no one else, until you. As long as we don’t insert tab A into slot C after it’s been into slot B, we’ll be fine. Do you trust us?” “Yes.” The word came quickly and without any reservation. “Good.” Tobias struggled to get out of his suit while Kellen, naked and already gloriously hard, walked to the edge of the pond and dove in. Ansling watched him, not sure exactly what to do. She wanted to follow his orders, because hearing those words from his lips had excited her beyond belief, even if it was tinged with just a little bit of fear. He sprung out of the water behind her, gathering her close in his arms. “I thought I told you to strip.” He nipped at her neck and she shivered. “Now.” This time, the order had its desired effect. Ansling peeled away her suit as Kellen’s hands explored her. He twisted her nipples with just enough roughness to make her groan. The pain turning to pleasure was something she’d thought she’d never want, but now that Kellen was giving it to her, she never wanted it to stop. “Tobias is mine and so are you.” He licked her neck, then kissed her shoulder. When the kiss turned into a nibble, she wiggled. When it turned into a bite, she gasped. He sucked hard, the pressure on her skin almost unbearable. Still, it sent tingles of pleasure to her nipples, and down to her pussy, which clenched with need. When he released her neck, he licked her ear, then growled, “Say it.” “What?” “Say, ‘I’m yours.’ Say it.”

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Ansling shook her head violently, pushing on his arms that still held her around her waist. His ferocity frightened her at the same time the pleasure she felt inside her started to rise. She wanted to say it, needed to say it, but she didn’t think she could. He snaked his tongue over her neck again, skirting the bite. She could tell he hadn’t broken the skin, but still, the area ached, and she was shocked at what he’d done. She closed her eyes as he licked her, aware that Tobias had entered the water, and was standing nearby, watching them. Apprehension filled her, but still, she didn’t fight him. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her permanently. It was more a mark of ownership that he’d left. On some level she’d yet to identify, she’d enjoyed it, loved the fact that the mark would be there long after their lovemaking was over. He propelled them toward the waterfall, with Tobias following closely. When they reached the falls, Tobias joined their clinch, and hands started moving. Fingers tugged on her nipples and caressed down to her thighs, spreading her and delving inside. Her senses were on fire, and she wasn’t sure whose fingers were whose, only that the three of them were together, and it felt like heaven on earth. They kissed her, one after the other, their tongues mating together. Water fell on them as they played, dancing over their skin and at times getting into open mouths, causing them to sputter and laugh. When the play grew more intense, she grabbed their cocks, stroking them both and loving the way they moaned together. “I want to rub them together, see what sparks it brings.” “They will light a fire, that’s for sure,” Tobias said with a laugh. He looked at Kellen, and his smile turned into a deep look of longing. Kellen cupped the back of his neck and kissed him, hard. When he dropped his head to Tobias’s neck and bit, Ansling groaned.

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“Fuck yes,” Tobias said, his eyes open and staring straight ahead. “More.” And then he groaned again. Kellen pulled away with a pop, then put his hand behind Tobias’s neck and moved until their faces were inches apart. Ansling watched in fascination when Kellen whispered, “Say it.” “I’m yours, Kellen.” “That’s right, the both of you. Mine. The three of us. Together.” Kellen turned his gaze on Ansling. “Say it.” Her heart beat faster as Tobias stroked her. An orgasm started to build, and the bite on her neck started to throb. It burned, and she winced. Tobias’s fingers had found her clit, pulling and pushing it in just the right way. She was on the edge, ready to spill over and scream out in pleasure. “Ansling.” Kellen’s tone contained a warning, mixed with a heavy dose of desire. She threw back her head and cried out their names as her orgasm shot through her. “I’m yours. Yours. Yours.” Her heavy breathing punctuated each word, and when both Kellen and Tobias licked her bite, she groaned even harder. Heat surged through her, and she came again, this time screaming so loud the birds in the trees took flight. She felt them propelling her through the water, but she didn’t care. Ansling felt light and free. When they reached the shore on the far side of the pond, Tobias lifted her and gently laid her on the sand. He entered her in one swift stroke, propping himself up on his hands, locking his gaze with hers as he fucked her with slow, even strokes. “So good,” he whispered. “You’re so soft, so tight and warm.” Tobias sucked in his breath when Kellen caressed his back, then positioned himself behind him. “Fuck me, Kellen.”

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Ansling gasped when Kellen grasped a handful of Tobias’s hair and pulled his head back. “Beg me.” “Do it now. Please, sir, put your cock in me. Fill my ass. Please, sir. Please.” Ansling watched in fascination as Tobias fucked her steadily, but continued to beg for Kellen’s cock inside him. The words were deep and full of meaning. He didn’t sound like a sissy, or someone who was giving in to something someone else wanted. He sounded like a man in love, who couldn’t stand to be without his lover for one more minute. When Kellen finally entered him, he did so slowly, pushing in and staying put for a long minute before pulling himself out and pushing his cock home with such force that he drove Tobias farther into Ansling. They all three gasped, and then Kellen set a punishing pace, the rhythm hard and deep as his cock slid in and out of Tobias’s ass the same way Tobias’s cock slid in and out of Ansling’s pussy. Tobias had grasped both of her hands in his, pushing them above her head so that her breasts were pressed against his chest. He was kissing her neck, licking the bite mark that now burned with an intensity unlike anything Ansling had ever felt. Someone’s magical hands worked her clit, and the fire in her neck spread through her body. She came hard, clamping her muscles down on Tobias, who huffed into her neck, then came. She felt warm fluid soak her insides, something she’d never felt before. It made her feel warm and needed, and she closed her eyes to savor the feeling. Kellen continued to pound his cock into Tobias’s ass his weight pushing Tobias farther into Ansling, who sank deeper into the sand. When he came, flooding Tobias’s backside, she felt it as if he were in her own body, and the warmth she’d felt when Tobias’s seed had filled her spread through her again. Kellen

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collapsed onto the sand on her left and Tobias on her right. The three of them lay there, panting and staring up into the sky. Ansling wanted to say something, but she wasn’t sure what. When you’d just had the most incredible sex of your life, what did you say? After a few minutes, Kellen sighed heavily. “Tell her our love story.” “Now?” Tobias lifted onto his elbows. “I can barely breathe.” “Tell her.” Tobias laughed. “Very well. I was in a pub, in York, drinking beer and playing pool with friends when the most beautiful man in the world walked through the door. The end.” He collapsed down onto the sand again and Ansling laughed. “Tell me the whole thing.” “Tobias. Finish it.” Tobias turned onto his side and caressed Ansling’s stomach. “You know that feeling you get when you see something new, and you want it but don’t think you should, or could, have it?” “Yeah, I guess.” “It was like that. I saw him and my cock jerked, and I thought, ‘I want him to fuck me.’ But who knew what he was feeling. Some men don’t go for that, you know. So, my stomach burned because I wanted him but didn’t think I could have him.” “I see.” “I could tell he was magical. It was in his aura. So, we motioned him over and asked him to join us.” “And?”

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“We drank. We talked. We played some pool and darts. And when it was my turn to play Kellen at darts, he stepped close to me and whispered in my ear, ‘If I win, I get to be on top.’” Ansling laughed as Tobias’s breath tickled her ear. “Ever the romantic.” “Yes, I am. And this romantic wants to clean the sand off his ass right now.” He stood and waded into the water. “And there’s been no one else?” She turned an inquiring gaze on Tobias. “No one. Until you. We felt you, together. We knew we had to have you to complete us.” She felt a blush spread through her. “I’m glad you did,” she said softly. “Good Lord above,” Kellen said from the water. “I’ve got sand up my ass.” “Oh please, you’ve got barely a dusting. I’m the one who’s spent the last twenty minutes in the sand. Not that I’m complaining. It was fantastic fun.” “Dusting?” Tobias sat up, his eyes widening. “That’s right. You two…” “That’s it. You’re brilliant!” He leaned over and kissed Ansling passionately, his tongue pushing into hers and playing around until she was laughing into his mouth. He pulled away, stood, and ran toward the bungalow. “What did I do? Where are you going?” She looked to Kellen who shook his head in confusion. “Don’t you get it? Faerie dust. We’ll dose Doc at dinner tonight, and then I can slip into his dreams and see what else he’s hidden down there, what we’re up against.” “You’re right,” Kellen said. “Brilliant.” “You can do that?” Ansling shouted out after Tobias as he headed toward the house. When he didn’t answer, she turned to Kellen. “He can do that? Go into people’s dreams?”

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“He did it to you, didn’t he?” She laughed, then moved into the water to wash off the sand that coated her back. “Yes, he did. But I hope I didn’t ingest any faerie dust. Did I?” “No, you didn’t,” Kellen said. “But you’re not an evil wizard who’s warded for protection.” “True.” She moved toward the deeper part of the pond. When she reached the middle, she ducked under the water, coming up and wincing at the pain in her shoulder. She ran her fingers over it, and thought about asking Kellen if biting was something he did regularly during lovemaking. If so, they needed to have a talk. It wasn’t something she was overly thrilled about. She pondered how to ask the question, then pushed it to the back of her mind when Tobias ran back toward them and shook a bag. “Faerie dust. We’re all set. All we have to do is sprinkle his food.” “I can handle that,” Kellen said. “Not a problem.” Tobias threw the bag up in the air and caught it, then turned a gaze on Ansling. “What’s wrong?” “Where did you get that stuff? Did you bring a supply?” “No, I got it from a faerie.” “You summoned a faerie?” Her shrill tone rang through the trees. “Yes.” “And you didn’t let me watch? Crap! How am I supposed to learn anything?”

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Chapter Eight

“Remember your part,” Kellen said as he held out a chair for Ansling. She sat down and inched it forward. “I do.” “Good. It has to be timed just perfect. After he’s started to eat, go to his table and distract him. I’ll do the rest.” “How are you going to do that, Kellen? Can you disappear and reappear like he does?” “Yes.” She turned to Tobias. “And you?” “No. It’s never been my strongpoint. I always end up reappearing somewhere that scares half of creation, and risks discovery.” “Will I be able to?” “Doubtful, at this point in time,” Kellen said. “It’s a highly advanced skill. I think that in a few years, you’ll --” “May I join you?” Doc pulled back the fourth chair at their table and sat down without waiting for an answer. “I’m starved and I hear the lobster bisque is delicious tonight.”

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He motioned for a glass of wine, and Ansling started to stand, ready to tell him to go to hell. When Kellen put his hand on her arm to keep her in her seat, she frowned at him. “You know the old saying, little Ling. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” “Indeed,” Doc said. “A most admirable idea, Rainey, one I didn’t expect you to come up with. I see you as more of the muscle, and Sinclair as the smart one. Would I be right?” “We have an equal share in everything,” Tobias said. “Really? Even in Ansling? Although, she does look like she’s been fucked very well. Perhaps it took both of you to satisfy her.” He gave her a wicked grin and leaned back in his chair. “I could have done it on my own.” “I doubt that,” Ansling said. “Do you even have a dick?” “Why don’t you let me prove it to you?” “I’d rather have tea with the devil.” “I can arrange that, if you like.” Kellen stood, and they all watched him. “As much as I’m enjoying this banter, I have some business to attend to.” He crossed the room to where Jockey stood near a table. “Ah, paying off the skipper,” Doc said. “Well, I can guarantee, he won’t be available to help you again.” “Don’t hurt him.” Ansling pressed her hands against the table and leaned forward. “Please.” “Oh, isn’t that sweet? And what are you offering in return?” His voice was incredibly menacing, and Ansling wondered why she’d never noticed it before. “What?”

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“What will you give me? I’ve not had fun today, Ansling. Your friends have managed to put up enough walls to keep my friends from visiting me for a while. I need some distractions, and teaching young Jockey where his place is will be great fun. I’d need some great encouragement to persuade me not to put the little whelp six feet under.” She turned to Tobias, who stared daggers at Doc. Then she looked around for Kellen, who had moments ago been talking to Jockey. Now, he was nowhere in sight. The waitress came up and put large bowls of lobster bisque at each setting. Doc looked at his with interest, then turned his gaze back to Ansling. “Well?” She knew Kellen was waiting for some sort of a distraction, waiting to put the faerie dust over Doc’s food. She needed to keep him interested, keep him from noticing what was happening. “How about --” “Wards.” “What?” Doc turned to Tobias, his eyebrows shooting up. “Wards?” “That’s right. We’ll play some Blackjack to negotiate times for the wards to come down, if you win, and for Jockey’s life, if we win.” “What? You’re betting his life on Blackjack? Have you lost your mind?” “Stay out of this, Ansling.” Tobias turned a stony stare on her. Something she’d never seen him do before. She shrank back and bit her lower lip. “Oh, but it’s Ansling I want to play. It will be more fun that way.” He smirked at Tobias, then stood, his eyes darting around the dining room. “Where is he? I can feel him. Do you think I’m stupid?” “Not at all,” Tobias replied. Doc looked down at his soup, then sat back down, motioning for the waitress. “Take it away,” he said when she came over.

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“Is something wrong with it, Doc?” “I’ve lost my appetite, Ellen.” “Okay.” She took it away, and seconds later, Kellen strode across the room and sat down. “Nice try,” Doc said. “Was it hemlock? Or maybe some belladonna, was that it? I die and the wards die with me? That would make the stone yours to take, free and clear. Do you think they sent me here because I’m an imbecile?” “I would say it was a good possibility,” Kellen said. “After all, you’re far away from the action, and had to do nothing more than cast a few spells, then sit back and shag your way through the staff. Hardly takes talent.” Doc’s eyes narrowed as Kellen picked up a spoon and started to eat his soup. Ansling looked at Tobias, who winked at her. She shook her head in confusion. Why was he happy? Kellen had obviously put the faerie dust into Doc’s soup, only Doc thought it was poison and had had the soup taken away. They were back at square one, so to speak. She picked up her spoon and took a bite of the bisque. “It’s very good,” she said, taking a second bite. She’d just taken a third one when Doc held out his hand. “I’ll take that.” “What?” “I am very hungry, and since there is no poison in yours, I’ll eat it. Give it to me.” She handed Doc her bowl. Seconds later, Tobias placed his in front of her. “How chivalrous,” Doc said between bites of food. “So, after dinner? Shall we say best seven of ten hands? That will draw it out for a while, and I am so very, very bored. And of course you realize, when I win, I still get to kill Jockey. So, I’ll have some entertainment.”

*****

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“Have you lost your mind?” Tobias wheeled on Kellen, his voice a low hiss. They were standing in the resort library. Doc sat at a table, cards in hand. “What if I would have eaten it? Then where would we be?” “In major trouble, I would suppose,” Kellen said, his voice just as quiet. “As it was, he reacted just as I thought he would. He’s a predictable lout.” “Could someone let me in on what just happened?” “I had to dose everyone,” Kellen said. “When he sensed me, I knew there was no way he would keep his own bowl. But he wanted the bisque so badly that I put the dust in every bowl on the table, knowing he would take at least one of them after we’d all tasted them.” “Unless he’d just sent for a new bowl from the kitchen,” Ansling said. “Then we’d still be in trouble.” “But we’re not,” Kellen said. “He ate the dust.” “As did you and Ansling. That means while I’m invading his mind, you’ll both be dead to the world, so to speak, so relaxed your defenses will be down. What happens if someone attacks?” “Who, Tobias? The wards are in place and his ‘friends’ can’t come, remember?” “Unless he has a confederate here.” When Kellen blinked rapidly, Tobias glared at him. “You didn’t think of that, did you?” “I think we would know by now,” Kellen said. “Someone want to tell me about this card game?” “It’s my fault. He was going to kill Jockey. He’s a kid. All he thinks about is diving, women, and getting stoned. I didn’t want to be responsible for his death.” “He’s at least thirty, which makes him a good five or six years older than you are.” She thought Kellen would rage at her that Jockey didn’t matter, that they had more important things to think about. But instead, he just stared, then nodded slowly.

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“You’ll have to use your gift,” Tobias said. “You’ll be able to see what cards are next in the deck, and make your moves from there.” “No, I can’t. Every time I use them, I see something bad.” “You have to concentrate,” Tobias said. “Look at the deck and close out everything else. That’s all you have to do.” “Tobias, I can’t. What happens when he figures it out? Then he’ll still kill Jockey, and us, too.” “No, sweet one. He won’t, because you can do this. This is your gift. You can control it, and you can use it to your advantage. You’re strong, and we’ll be there with you.” “I’m waiting.” Doc drummed the cards on the table. “Now would be a good time to start.” “Be confident, and don’t let him see your fear. Remember, he feeds on it.” Ansling nodded at Kellen. “You’ll be fine, my love.” She moved toward the table, sitting down and taking a deep breath. Doc grinned at her, then sneered at Kellen and Tobias. “You’ll behave, of course,” he said to them. “Any magical help from you and I’ll consider the wager void, and the first thing I’ll do is kill him, right before her eyes.” “As long as you promise to stand behind your word,” Kellen said. “You wound me.” Doc put his hand on his chest. “Very well, I give you my solemn word.” The room was quiet, and then he snorted out a laugh. “I’ll sign a paper in blood, if it will make you feel better.” “I’d feel better if you just dropped off the face of the earth,” Ansling said. “But I want your word that you won’t cheat.” “If you catch me cheating, then I’ll forfeit. Agreed?” “Agreed.”

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“Good. Dealer has to hit on seventeen or under. No double down, no late surrenders. Just straight twenty-one. Best seven of ten hands. Deal?” When Ansling nodded, he set the deck in front of her. “Would you like to cut?” “No.” “Trusting, but dumb. That might come in handy later.” Ansling didn’t answer, just watched as he gave her a down card, placed one in front of himself, then dealt her an up card, which was an eight. She peeked at her hold card, which was a five. “Not bad on the up.” He placed his own up card, a seven, then tapped the deck. “Well?” “Hit me.” He placed a king on her eight and she grimaced. “Oh, someone busted. Your poker face is very weak. You should work on that.” She lost the second hand when he had twenty and she eighteen. She swallowed hard, visions of Jockey’s smiling face dancing before her. When she closed her eyes, she saw him lying in a pool of blood. She shivered and prayed it was a forced image and not a vision. She knew she had to concentrate, had to keep her mind on what was happening. She opened her eyes and focused on the deck. Images of hearts and diamonds flashed before her eyes. When Doc had dealt the cards, she looked at her own. She had seventeen, with a jack showing, and seven in the hold. She kept her eyes down, then focused on Doc’s cards. Her hands were sweating, and her tongue felt as if it had swollen up to the size of a baseball. Jockey’s face swam into view and she concentrated harder. His up card was a six, and his hold card was a king. She smiled when the black spade danced before her eyes. She’d done it. And since he only had sixteen, he had to hit. “I’ll stand,” she said, as the seven of diamonds danced before her eyes. Doc dealt the next card, and it was the seven of diamonds. She exhaled loudly, and he frowned.

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“Lucky shot.” He gathered the cards, shuffled them together and then dealt. This time it was easier. The cards were clearer in her mind, and she could see not only the top card on the deck, but the next six under it. She could also feel her lovers behind her, encouraging her with feelings shot to her through Tobias’s mind. She won the next two hands, and then let him win one lest he get suspicious. But, after that happened, she realized they’d played six hands, and there were only four to go. She would have to win the next four without any slipups, or things would go south in a huge hurry. Actually, she realized all she would have to do was win three, because if she did that, with only one hand left, there was no way he could make it to the requisite seven. “You’re doing much better than I thought you would,” Doc said. “If I hadn’t been watching your friends, I would think they were helping you.” His words shot home a meaning that made her toes tingle. The only reason he hadn’t caught what she was doing was because he’d been watching Kellen and Tobias so intently. She hoped that now he didn’t decide to focus his attentions on her. If he did, she was screwed. Of course, his no magic speech hadn’t been directed at her; it had been directed at Kellen and Tobias. Still, she wondered if she should let him win two hands and force a tie-breaker. Maybe he would not be so suspicious then. Or maybe that would make it worse. She wanted to look back, to see what the men said. To see if they had any suggestions on how she should let this play out. She’d been thinking so hard that she didn’t realize Doc had dealt the cards. “I’m waiting.” “Oh.” She looked down. She didn’t even have to look at her hold card to see that she had nineteen. She glanced at his king, backed up by the ace under it and knew her decision on whether to “let him” win a hand had been made for her. That put the score at four-three, in his favor.

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“Getting nervous?” “Not at all.” “You know, I might be willing to let the whelp live if you’d come and visit me. Let me talk to you, train you on how to use those powers that are right below the surface.” She swallowed hard. She was afraid he was going to say that he wanted her to come to his bed in exchange for Jockey. She was just about to tell him to go to hell when he yawned, a huge yawn that made him shake. “Goodness. And it’s not even ten. The boredom has taken over. We need to hurry so I can dispatch the whelp and then rest for a while.” His cavalier attitude made Ansling snarl. “You’re a bastard.” “Why thank you. That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” He yawned again, this time closing his eyes tightly before popping them back open. It was then that she saw it. His finger down at the bottom of the deck. She’d missed it last time when she’d been so preoccupied. “You’re dealing from the bottom of the deck. You’re cheating.” Ansling stifled a yawn. It wouldn’t do them any good for him to see her yawning, too. Of course, the dust should hit him harder. He’d eaten a huge bowl of bisque, and she’d settled for just a few spoonfuls before asking Ellen to take it away. She knew that Kellen had eaten most of his, but Kellen was larger than Doc, and hopefully it wouldn’t affect him as fast as it had the other man. “What? He looked down and frowned. “You’re right, I am.” He yawned again, then gave her a confused look as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just said. “That means you forfeit. Jockey’s safe.” “No. We play it out. There will be no forfeiture.” “You said --”

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“I’ve changed my mind.” He grasped the cards tightly, and they burst into flames. Then, his eyes rolled back in his head and he crumpled to the table. Behind her, she heard Tobias swear. She turned to find him holding Kellen as the other man stumbled. “Take him to the bungalow.” “What? I’ll stay with you,” Ansling said. “No. You’re too relaxed from the dust. You need to get to a warded area, just in case. Please don’t argue with me.” Ansling hurried to take Kellen’s arm. He leaned into her, and she propped him up. Years of swimming and diving had built up her strength. “I can get him back to the bungalow. What about you?” “I’ll be fine. And I’ll be home soon, I promise.” “Will he know?” “Yes, and he’ll be angry. But I can handle him, but not if I have to worry about you two, also. Now go.” “Tobias.” She gulped hard. “What if he hurts you? What if --” He kissed her softly, then deepened it, biting gently at her lower lip. He pulled Kellen close and kissed him, too. “I love you, both. And things will be fine. Now, go, before you’re both too tired to move.” Ansling guided Kellen toward the outer door. When they stepped outside into the warm night air, he seemed to revive somewhat. Still, his body was very relaxed. They walked toward the path, and she prayed that nothing would jump out at them. She knew nothing of magic other than her visions. If something came at them, there would be no way she could defend them. She said another prayer that Kellen was right, that Doc was the only other magical creature on the island.

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She hurried them along, looking up at the waning moon. She knew so little about magical things. She needed more than lessons on how to use her gifts. She needed lessons on the other things that were out there, on what to expect, and how to deal with it. And she wanted more insight into the two men she was rapidly falling in love with. Kellen stumbled and she pulled him into her body, hugging him tightly. “Just take me onto the trail,” he said. “I’ll sleep for a little while and then I’ll be fine.” The resort was unusually quiet, and she wondered where the guests, the workers were. It was just barely ten, and usually the sounds of a party could be heard from the pool area. Tonight, though, there was no party. She wondered why as she tried to hurry them along. Kellen stumbled again, and just when she made it past a copse of trees, a figure stepped out. She pulled up short and gasped, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw who it was. “Jockey. What are you doing here?” “Wow, like James Bond is drunk.” “Yes, he is. Can you help me get him to 13?” “Sure. He’s huge, Ans. You two playing hide the salami? I thought he was with that other James Bond, you know, like guy love type stuff.” Ansling laughed nervously, and thought about a way to deny it. But then she remembered their words from earlier in the day. They were not ashamed of their love, and she shouldn’t be, either. “They are. The three of us are together.” “Cool. Whatever gets your rocks off.” They were near the path now. Almost there, Ansling thought. Just a few more steps. Kellen stumbled, and when they hit the start of the path for 13, Jockey cried out in pain and fell backward. Panic raced through Ansling’s body. If Jockey couldn’t pass the wards, that meant he wasn’t friendly. That everything that had happened tonight had been a setup, and Tobias was

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probably in danger. Her heart beat wildly as she moved Kellen onto the path, grabbing his hands and dragging him. She felt the air change and knew they were on the right spot. She collapsed next to him and turned to Jockey, who still lay on the ground. “Crap, man, someone broke a bottle.” He held up his foot and she hissed in sympathy. Jockey’s bare foot seeped blood from a cut. He got up on his hands and knees and crawled next to them. “You didn’t have to drag him. It’s not that bad a cut; it just freaked me for a minute, you know.” “Yeah.” Tears leaked from Ansling’s eyes. She got up on her knees and threw her arms around Jockey’s neck. “I’m so glad you’re here.” “Cool, but I’m not into the threesomes and more, you know. And guys don’t do it for me.” “That’s not what I meant. I’m just glad you’re not hurt. Will you help me get him to the bungalow?” “Sure.” It took them several minutes to get Kellen upright, and then they stumbled the rest of the way to 13, stopping every three or four minutes to rest. When they were finally on the deck, Kellen fell into a chair and pulled Ansling close to him. “Don’t let him leave.” “What?” “The glass. Someone…don’t let him leave.” “How am I supposed to make him stay?” His voice was groggy. “Faerie dust. In my pocket. Sprinkle him with it and he’ll be out like a light. Make sure it gets in his face, near his nose. Faster, that way.” Ansling started to search Kellen’s pockets. She came up empty on the first and was about to start on the second one when Jockey said, “Whoa, I’ll go so you two can be alone.”

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“Wait!” “No, really. I like you and all, Ans, but, you know, not like that.” Her fingers closed around the bottle, and she pulled it from Kellen’s pocket. She stood, poured a large dose of the dust into the palm of her hand, and flung it at Jockey’s face, who took a step backward. The diver blinked, then licked his lips before his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped to the deck. She rushed inside and found pillows and blankets, arranging one pair around Jockey before turning back to Kellen, who still lay on the deck. “Can you feel Tobias?” He lifted his head as much as he could so she could put down the pillows. “No,” she said, closing her eyes and searching. “What does that mean?” “I don’t know. If something happens to him, I’ll, I can’t…” His voice cracked, and he closed his eyes. “He’ll be fine.” She lay down next to him, cuddling into his side. “You’ll see. He’ll be fine.”

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Chapter Nine

Doc tried, and failed, to sit up. His mind was wide awake, but his body felt like stone. Whatever they’d put in his food wasn’t poison. It had been some sort of sleeping potion. Somehow, despite how cautious he’d been, they’d drugged him.

Duped by a witch who didn’t even know she was a witch. What an idiot I am. Of course she had help, but still. Damnit. He tried once again to sit. Each movement made him more tired, and if he wasn’t careful, he knew his mind would give in to the drug like his body had. And what would happen then? Sinclair could invade his mind, but so could Ansling. He’d figured that out during the card game. She accused him of cheating when she’d used her powers to do the same thing. The idea made him happy. She was learning. And once Rainey and Sinclair were gone, he would mold her to his will. She would be too weak and too frightened to fight him. By the time she’d muster up the strength, he would have full control over her, and those wonderful powers would be his to command. And that wonderful body would be his to fuck. He pushed back as someone probed at his mind. Then he stilled, to see who it was. “Go away, Sinclair. I won’t let you in.” “You can’t fight me. It’s only a matter of time before the dust takes over.”

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“Faerie dust? I should have known. You should have poisoned me and been done with it. When I have Ansling in my control, I’ll remind her of your failure. I’ll remind her that her fate is your fault.” Each movement he made against Tobias’s probing made him weaker, and finally, his mind stilled, his last thought one of laughter at what Tobias would find inside him.

***** Ansling woke to the sound of voices. Kellen was still spooned behind her, his body warm and comforting against hers, his breathing low and even. His arm rested across her hip. She opened her eyes and squinted against the bright sunlight. She closed her eyes and opened them again. Tobias stood nearby, talking softly with Jockey. She got up quickly, launching herself across the deck and into Tobias’s arms. “Tobias.” “It’s all right, my love. I’m fine.” He stroked her hair and kissed her gently. She held him close, refusing to let go. His laughter was low in her ear. She could feel his body trembling though, and she knew he wasn’t fine. She looked into his eyes and he winked at her, and she wondered if it was a warning to be quiet around Jockey. She turned toward her coworker, who gave her a sheepish grin. “I’m going now. You dudes have a great time.” He walked away quickly, and Ansling turned her attention back to Tobias, who slumped against the side of the hot tub. “I need sex.” He leaned his head against her chest. “Now you sound like Kellen.” His laugh was low. “It will rebuild my energy. Kellen will need it too, when he wakes.” “I’m awake now.” Kellen’s voice was gravely. “I need you to fuck me, Tobias.”

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“I have no energy. We’ll have to use other means. Little Ling can help us with that.” Ansling giggled nervously. “I hate to say this, but I don’t have the equipment to fuck either of you.” “We have something,” Kellen said, standing on wobbly legs. “Inside. Let’s hurry. I hate being this weak.” “Was it the faerie dust that did it?” “To me, yes. For Tobias, it was going into such evil.” “Pure evil,” Tobias said. “The man is demented. But I saw what he has in store for us down there.” “What?” “Not now, Ling. Let us rebuild our energy first, and then we’ll talk.” They each took one of her arms and started toward the house. Once they were in the bedroom, Kellen pointed toward a bag. “Inside there. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you find it. Take it out, with the lube. We’ll be right back.” They helped each other to the bathroom, and Ansling turned toward the bag. She crossed to it and opened it wide, her eyes bulging at what she saw inside. A double-headed dildo, at least fourteen inches long and two inches wide. There were other assorted dildos and vibrators that she imagined they used on each other. She stared at the double-headed one, for she had no doubt that was the one Kellen had meant for her to get out of the bag. And they wanted her to use it on them. She’d never done anything like this before. Sure she owned a vibrator, but she only used it on herself. She’d never used it on another person before. And now, for them to expect her to use it on them was a little nerve-wracking. They came out of the bathroom together, their arms wrapped around each other. They were naked, and she noticed that neither of them had an erection.

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Kellen helped Tobias to the bed, then dropped to his knees, turning so that his ass was facing her. “Hurry, little one. Lube and toy. Now.” He lay his shoulders down on the floor, then reached back and spread his cheeks. The sight aroused Ansling like nothing had in a long time. She grasped the toy and the bottle of lube, then crossed to him. On the bed, Tobias jerked his flaccid cock, trying to bring it to life. Ansling knelt next to Kellen and stroked his back. “Don’t worry about hurting me. Just spread some lube on me, and the cock, and put it in.” “Always the romantic,” she said with a laugh. “Always. Just fuck me, my love.” She squeezed a tiny bit of lube onto her fingers, rubbing them together to warm it, then pressed her fingers against his anus. He groaned in delight and pushed backward. She pushed against him as he moved, and her fingers slipped inside. “Yes, that’s it.” His hand went to his cock, and he started to pump. She looked down and watched him harden. “More. Give me the dildo.” Ansling coated the end of the toy with lube and placed it on Kellen’s anus. She pushed gently, with a mind to take it slowly. But he pushed back as soon as he felt the pressure. The head of the dildo disappeared inside him and his groaning increased. She put a hand down to feel his cock. It was now fully erect. “More. Give me more.” She worked it inside, her body reacting to his groans and movements. When the dildo was halfway in, she started to fuck him with it, moving it in and out as he wiggled and gave her words of encouragement. “That’s it. More. Harder. Good girl. Good.” She pumped him harder, then looked at Tobias. His cock was now hard, and he continued to jerk it, his eyes fastened on where the dildo was disappearing inside Kellen.

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“You ready for me?” “Yes. Get down here.” Kellen turned toward him and licked his lips. Tobias wasted no time in kneeling in a position that put his ass up next to Kellen’s. This time, Ansling didn’t have to be told what to do. She coated Tobias’s anus, and quickly placed the cock in him, sliding it in and out until he and Kellen had equal amounts. “Good,” Kellen said. “Tobias, give me your hands.” They both reached back, grabbing their hands so that they were pulled back together. Ansling grasped the dildo and began to move it along with their thrusts. After a few minutes, she knew they were close to coming. “Stroke our cocks, love,” Tobias said. “Do it hard. Grasp them very tight. Pump us.” She let go of the dildo, which was now firmly inside both of them, and did as they said, jerking them both while they fucked the phallus. Tobias came first, groaning out his release but begging her not to stop. His cock was still hard when Kellen came seconds later. Only after Kellen came did Tobias’s cock start to soften. They stayed joined together for a long few minutes before Kellen pulled away slowly. “Very good, my loves.” Kellen collapsed on the floor, then climbed to the bed. “Ansling, come here.” “Even when you’re out of energy, you still manage to give orders.” “I’m much better now, thanks to you. Come and lie by me so we can talk. But take your clothes off first.” He patted the spot next to him. She undressed quickly, lying down so that she was facing him. Tobias came up behind her, lightly trailing his fingers over her hips. Kellen kissed her gently, running his tongue over her lips. “Do you know why I bit you?’ “No.”

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“It’s a bonding mark. Tobias and I aren’t married yet. We were waiting for you. But we bonded together when he accepted my mark. I had to bite him three times. And I’ll have to do the same to you, if that’s what you want.” “Twice more?” She could hear the panic in her voice. “No, only once more. I bit you in a dream, don’t you remember?” She shook her head. “No, I don’t.” “That’s good, I think. What I’m saying to you is if you want to bond with Tobias and I, as a threesome, then you have to accept my bonding mark. Do you want that, Ansling?” “Yes.” “I like that,” Tobias said. “No hesitation on her part whatsoever.” “None. This is right. I can feel it.” “Good,” Kellen said. “Then we’ll do it right now.” His words made her insides melt. He kissed her again, and then she turned her head to Tobias, who did the same. Tobias pulled her back into him when Kellen lowered his head to her breast and sucked in a nipple, pulling hard and making her whimper in pleasure. He captured the nipple between his teeth and bit gently at first, and then with more force. The feeling spiraled down to her pussy, centering in her clit. She bucked against his mouth as his fingers trailed down, parted her slit, and found her wet clit. He was hard again, his cock rubbing against her thigh. Tobias’s cock rested against her ass. He too was fully erect. Kellen let go of her nipple, then brought his face even with hers again, licking her chin and nibbling on her lower lip. “Both of us want to be inside you. Together.” “You mean one in my front and one in my back?”

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“No,” he said gently. “Both of us in your pussy. Together.” “Can you do that?” Tobias continued to stroke her, and truthfully it was the only thing that kept her from jumping up and saying, “Oh, hell no.” “We won’t hurt you, Ling. But it will strengthen our bond. It will help us feel what the other is feeling when we’re apart. Do you understand what I’m saying?” “Yes, Tobias.” “We’ll be very gentle. But if we’re both inside when I deliver the final bonding mark, it will bring us even closer together.” “The idea is a little frightening.” “You have to trust us,” Kellen said. “Completely. We would never do anything to hurt you. You have to believe that.” “I do.” This time his kiss was deep, his tongue pushing inside her while Tobias’s lips found her neck and shoulders. They kissed and caressed both of their hands finding her pussy and breasts until her senses weren’t sure whose hands were where. When someone would caress her breasts, the other would play with her pussy, which was drenched. Before long she was on fire, her body aching with the need to be filled. “Please. Fuck me.” “Which one of us?” Kellen nipped at her nose. “Both. I want both.” “You have to be sure, Ling,” Tobias said. “Once the bonding mark is given, it can’t be undone.” “I’m positive. I have no doubt.” Her voice wobbled, but it wasn’t from fear. It was from desire and need. “Take me. Both of you.”

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Kellen lay down on his back, then gave her a grin that was pure sin. “Mount me.” She hurried to obey, placing her pussy over his cock and taking him in on one swift, downward plunge. She arched her back when he stroked her clit, giving way to the pleasures that his fingers brought. She moved on him quickly, letting his cock slide in and out of her in hard, rapid thrusts. “That’s it. Take it all. Open yourself up for us.” Kellen’s thumb found her clit, pushing the hard nub into her body as she rode him. She came like a fireball hurtling toward earth, the pleasure flowing through her at a million miles an hour. And just when she thought it was over, it started again, this time making her body feel like jelly. Tobias moved enough for them to scoot to the middle of the bed. Then he positioned himself behind them, his legs straddling Kellen’s thighs. “Lean forward,” Kellen said. “Lay your beautiful breasts against me.” She did as he bade, groaning when Tobias’s fingers slipped inside her pussy. He ran them along Kellen’s cock, which brought moans from his mouth, also. Then, he braided three fingers together and began to fuck her with them, setting up a rhythm with Kellen’s cock as he slid in and out of her pussy. Ansling loved the fullness, the feeling of both of them inside her. It was intense, and she felt as if she would burst. But she knew she was about to feel yet more pleasure. Tobias lifted her hips just a little when he withdrew his fingers. And then, he slipped the tip of his cock inside her. She grimaced at the tightness, at the unaccustomed feeling of having two cocks inside her, even if part of the fullness was just the tip of Tobias’s cock. He pushed more of himself inside and her moan turned into a grunt of pain. “Easy,” Kellen said gently. “It’s all right. Trust us. Trust your future husbands.”

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She laughed, laying her head on his shoulder. “Husbands? That sounds so strange. Do you consider Tobias your husband?” “Yes. He’s my mate. And so are you.” He cupped her face in his hand as Tobias slid more of his cock into her already aching pussy. The ache intensified, but she didn’t cry out. Kellen lowered his mouth to her breasts, taking first one, and then the other into his mouth and sucking hard, nibbling on her nipples until she was bucking into the cocks that were now fully inside her. “So full,” she whispered. “Full of love,” they answered at the same time. They stroked her until her tense shoulders relaxed a bit, and then they started to fuck her, Kellen staying mostly still while Tobias set a steady, hard pace. Her body trembled in response, and just when she thought she could take no more, Kellen stroked upward, hitting her G-spot. She came, and Kellen bit her, his teeth hitting the exact same spot he had the day before. She cried out in pain and Tobias fucked her harder. The pain turned to extreme pleasure that ran through her body, and she knew it ran into theirs, too. Both of them were breathing heavily, as was she. It didn’t take Tobias long to come, and when he did, Kellen pulled back from her shoulder and growled, his cum mixing with Tobias’s inside her body. She collapsed onto his chest, her body trembling. Tobias sprawled out on the bed next to them, and when Ansling went to move, Kellen held her tight. “Stay.” He took Tobias’s hand and the other man cuddled up close to them. “Together forever,” Kellen said. “No matter what happens.” Kellen kissed her, using only his lips. Then he pulled Tobias close, snaking his tongue into the other man’s mouth until they both moaned. The three of them exchanged gentle

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kisses until they relaxed into each other’s arms. Ansling laid her head on Kellen’s shoulder, putting her hand over his body so that she could grasp hands with the both of them. “Forever,” Tobias whispered, laying his head on Kellen’s other shoulder.

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Chapter Ten

Ansling woke to the sound of sex, flesh slapping against flesh. She was alone in the bed, and the sounds came from the living room. She rose quickly and went to the open doorway, staring at the sight before her. She felt not a lick of jealously as she watched Kellen pound himself into Tobias. The pace seemed brutal to her, but Tobias loved every second of it, moving his hips and grinding himself back into his lover. No, not his lover, she corrected herself. His mate. And her mate. The three of them. Mated. “Harder. Yes, fuck me, Kellen, fuck me.” “With pleasure, my love. Our wife watches. Do you see? She loves watching as much as you love getting it. Don’t you, Ansling?” “Yes.” “Then prove it. Stroke your clit. Make yourself come while I pound our mate.” His words were harsh and demanding. She dropped her fingers between her legs and played with her clit, which was wet once again.

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“That’s it,” Kellen said. “Our mate. Come for us.” She rubbed herself hard, her eyes drifting to where Tobias was stroking his own cock, his hand sliding up and down in rhythm to the cock slamming into him from behind. When he spilled himself onto the tile, Ansling came, her hand working her clit furiously. Kellen slowed his movements, as if to tease Tobias, then started fucking him harder. He came within minutes. “You two are insatiable.” “We are,” Kellen said. “But, as you know, it gives us energy.” “And we’re going to need it,” Tobias said. “Tell us,” Kellen said. “What’s there?” “He has three more nixies and a water dragon.” “A what?” Ansling could hear the panic in her voice. “A water dragon. A sea serpent,” Tobias said. “That’s impossible. How could he have those things? Why haven’t they attacked a guest?” “Because they’re in tune with magical beings,” Tobias said. “That’s the reason the nixie attacked you the first time we went down. You got the closest to it. And you’re magical.” “But I’ve been down before and it hasn’t bothered me.” “Yes,” Kellen said. “But now you’re aware of your powers. It sensed the threat.” Someone pounded on the door, and Ansling jumped. “It’s Doc.” “He wouldn’t knock,” Kellen said. He turned to the door. “Who’s there and what do you want?” “It’s me.” The voice, heavy with a British accent, was unfamiliar to Ansling, and she frowned. “Get dressed. We need to talk.” “Who is that?”

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“Clothes. Now.” Kellen walked past her and pulled her into the bedroom with him. Tobias came in quickly and the three of them dressed, then came out into the other room where Jockey stood. “Jockey?” “The wards are down. They’ll be here by midnight, at the latest. We have to move, now.” “How did that happen?” Tobias asked. “How do I know? We can question our failures later. Right now, we need to kill Doc and get the stone, and then get the hell off this island.” Ansling continued to stare at Jockey in confusion. She shook her head and repeated his name. He gave her a sad smile, then cleared his throat. “Actually, my name is Jalon. Jalon Carr. I’m your cousin.”

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Chapter Eleven

“You lied to me. Both of you. All three of you.” Ansling pushed away the “cuppa” that Tobias had conjured and sat in front of her. “It’s not lying if it’s by omission.” “When? Tell me when you knew.” She pointed a finger at Tobias. “This morning. I felt magic on the island before, yes, but I thought it came from you. I had never met Jalon before, and I swear to you I…we…didn’t know.” She wheeled around to Jalon. “And you? Why didn’t you tell me?” “I didn’t come to the island for the stone. I came to protect you. My father sent me. He knew he failed when he didn’t take you away from your mother, and he knew Tobias was looking for you. He wanted to make sure nothing happened to you.” “Well, that’s just fine and dandy.” She started to pace. “All of you are liars!” “Ling, it’s all for the best.” Kellen stepped toward her. “You have to see that.” “Are you kidding me? You fucked me. You bit me. And then, no matter when you found out, you forgot to tell me the man I thought was a coworker is really my cousin?” “You bonded with her? Without my father’s permission?”

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“You mean the man who left her to the mercy of a woman who beat her?” Kellen glared at Jalon. “She wears my mark now. She’s under my protection. She belongs to me.” “You can’t do that without my father’s permission. She’s part of our clan.” Ansling stared at the man who, until ten minutes ago, had been nothing more to her than a drifter who roamed from resort to resort looking for work. It was hard for her to believe that he was her cousin and that he thought he had the right to decide what she did, or who she bonded herself to. She was twenty-four years old. She could make her own decisions. “You tell your father that if he had done what he was supposed to, she wouldn’t have been left in deplorable conditions. She would be trained to use her gifts, and she would --” “Wait!” Ansling held up her hands. She pointed first at Jalon. “Listen, Jockey, I’m my own person, like it or not. Your father’s going to have to live with that. And you” -- she pointed at Kellen -- “I may wear your mark, and I do it freely, but don’t go all caveman on me, you hear? I’m not a submissive little princess you can lead around by the nose.” She turned toward Tobias, who was laughing into his hands. “That goes for you, too. It’s fifty-fif -- well, thirty, thirty and, well, maybe forty for Kellen. We’ll discuss the actual numbers later.” She stood in the center of the three of them, glaring at them. “Now, don’t you think we have more important things to discuss than bonding marks?” “She’s right,” Jalon said. “It’s just after three. I think we have five, maybe six hours before Doc’s reinforcements arrive. Unfortunately, we lost most of ours in battle with his. Their numbers are down, too, but not as much as ours. The only way to knock out the nixies and the sea dragon is to kill their creator. And we have to do it now.” “We should rush him,” Tobias said. “If all three of us go in there, one of us could get lucky.” “Hello? Four of us?” Ansling held up her hand.

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“No. One magical bolt from him and you’d be gone,” Kellen said. “You have no training.” “Keep bringing it up, buster. You’re pissing me off.” She took a step back from them. “And here’s what I think. He’s not going to let any of you within ten feet of him. I assume he knows about you now?” Jalon surged. “I’m not sure. He gave me a strange look today, but it could just be that he wants to kill me. Thanks, by the way, for playing cards for my life. I appreciate it.” “No problem. I think the bottom line here is that I’m the only one who can get close to him. Therefore, I have to kill him.”

***** It was a few minutes after four when Ansling pushed open the door to Doc’s office. The outer area was empty, but she could hear sounds coming from the examination room. She took a step closer and listened. Someone was performing fellatio. The sound was unmistakable. She was sure it was Doc inside, and she wondered who the woman, or man, was. She licked her lips, then held her breath when Doc’s voice drifted out through the partially closed door. “Suck harder, bitch.” There was a mewling sound of pain, and Ansling pushed open the door. Hoping she would catch him off guard and kill him with the small, poison-tipped dart Jalon had strapped to her wrist, right under her watch. One little flick was all it would take, he’d said. “Very James Bond-ish. Just make sure you hit his heart. That’s the only way it will work.” “Are you sure he has one? We really need to talk about this fixation you have with James Bond.” He’d laughed at her response, then put his hand on her shoulder.

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“It should be me. Since you’re mated, you shouldn’t be taking these chances. Plus, and don’t get mad, but it’s true that you don’t have any training.” “If you go, Jalon, you’ll be dead, and if they go, so will my husbands. Thanks anyway, but I’ll take my chances at getting the job done myself. You have to admit I have more of a chance at getting close to him. He wants to dominate me, and his ego won’t let him believe that he’s lost.” Kellen had been furious, and it had taken both Tobias and Jalon to hold him back when she’d left the bungalow. She’d glanced back during the walk at various times to see if he was following her and was more than a little shocked when she found out that he wasn’t. Part of her wondered if Tobias and Jalon had tied him to the bed, using magic and ropes, to keep him in place. Then she realized he was just working on their exit strategy. Jalon and Kellen would take a boat out to the Strumpet and dive down, waiting for the creatures to die before retrieving the stone. Tobias would wait on shore for her, and they would take another boat out to meet them once Doc was dead. They would leave one boat at the Strumpet dive site, and take the other one to Puerto Rico, where they would board a plane for England. It all seemed simple enough, but Ansling knew it hinged on one thing. Her being able to kill another human being. Her ability to do so haunted her during her walk to the building. Truthfully, after what Tobias had told them about Doc, she had problems thinking of him as a human being. But taking a person’s life in theory, and taking it for real, were two different things. She took a step back, wondering if maybe she’d been wrong about being able to do this. Maybe she should go and get Kellen, let him take care of it. She’d been so sure that she could do this while she was back at Bungalow 13, but now that she was faced with the reality of taking another person’s life, she wasn’t so sure she was able to. Kellen could, though. She had no doubt that he could push the dart into Doc’s heart, or, if that didn’t work, he would break his neck.

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That thought made Ansling swallow hard. What if it didn’t work? What if he had some sort of antibody in his system that would guard against poison? Get a grip, woman. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have thrown such a fit last night about the soup. Still, if the dart didn’t work, what would she do? How would she complete the task? And it had to be finished soon, so they could retrieve the stone and get the hell out of Dodge before the bad guys arrived. Kellen. She needed Kellen. She turned to go, stopping in her tracks when Doc’s voice rang out. “Come in, Ansling. If you like, you can play, too.” The door opened wide and Ansling gasped. Doc was zipping up his pants, and Ellen lay on the floor. She was breathing, but she didn’t acknowledge Ansling as she came in. Ansling looked at her, then cast a worried gaze at Doc. “Don’t worry. She’s served her purpose, which is serving me. That was her main mission in life. But enough about her. I’m happy you came to see me.” “This isn’t a social visit.” “No. Well, that hurts my feelings. Why are you here? Are you sick? Do you need me to examine you? As I remember, I enjoyed myself the last time you were forced to come and see me. I got to touch those perky breasts of yours.” Not wanting to antagonize him, she fought back a sneer. Before she could think of a proper retort, he laughed at her. “So, you’ve come to kill me.” She swallowed hard, then nodded. “Wonderful.” He almost looked happy. “Go ahead. Try it.” Ansling put her hand on her wrist. Jalon had told her it would take just a flick, and the dart would come out. She started to move her hand, then stopped. “What’s wrong? Can’t do it? Do you know why?” She nodded, then looked down at Ellen, who still lay dazed on the floor.

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“Of course you do,” Doc said. “I’m evil. I use people and throw them away, and that’s what my people will do when Monk is restored to power. We will use your kind, and human kind, as slaves. But what bothers you the most, Ansling, what I see running through your little brain, is that if you kill me, you become no better than me. Killing me would make you evil, and that’s why you’re not going to do it.” “It’s not the same thing.” “You tell yourself that, but I guarantee you, you’re wrong. Taking life is wrong, isn’t it? Killers are evil.” “Then you’re evil, Doc.” “I freely admit it. I enjoy being evil. I love watching people suffer, as you’re suffering now. It’s my favorite thing in the whole world.” Ansling’s stomach roiled. She wanted to throw up, then turn and run away from him, away from the blackness that consumed him, before it consumed her. She pulled her hand back, but before the dart could let loose from its holdings, he grabbed her wrist, moving across the room with lightning speed. He ripped the dart from its sheath and held it up, studying it. “Not bad. But not something I want to leave lying around.” He held the tip of it close to her chin. Ansling locked gazes with him, refusing to back down. He stared at her, his eyes twinkling in mischief, and then they darkened. With his free hand, he ripped open her shirt. She tried to push away, but he was faster, knocking her to the floor. “Bitch. You let him mark you?” She scooted away from him, sliding backwards on her hands, the anger on his face making her palms sweat. “You think them so perfect, don’t you? Why don’t you ask your lover about his past? What would you say if you knew he’d killed in the past? Does that make him as evil as I am?” His menacing voice made her shiver almost as much as the words he said. “Who?”

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“Who do you think? Not that sop, Tobias. Kellen. Perfect, beautiful Kellen. Fucked a woman and then killed her for the entertainment of others. Maybe he’ll do it to you next. What do you think about that?” The breath went out of Ansling’s lungs. He was lying to her. He had to be. Kellen would never kill someone, not unless it was absolutely necessary. He wouldn’t. Would he? “Oh, I can see the wheels turning. You’re bound to a murderer, a man who treats human life as if it were nothing.” “You mean like you do? Kellen would never do that. If he were like you, he would never be fighting to save the stone.” “Is he? What makes you think that he’s not a spy, working for us? Maybe he used that big dick of his to get in good with Sinclair, and then you. Once he has the stone in his hands, the both of you will be dead, and the stone will be ours. Of course it already is ours. Rainey’s job was simply to keep it out of your hands. And he’s about to succeed.” “You’re lying!” He straddled her, grabbing at her arms as she flailed against him. She needed the spear tip, wanted it desperately so she could plunge it into his black heart. “No, I’m not. You were supposed to be his reward, but I might just take you for myself.” Tears filled Ansling’s eyes. She needed to talk to Tobias. He would tell her the truth, surely. Surely he would have seen through Kellen’s treachery long before now. They’d been together forever. But, what if Doc was telling her the truth? What would happen then? She concentrated on Tobias, trying to forget Doc was above her, spewing his evil. “Oh, so sweet. I can’t wait to fuck you.” “Ansling! Don’t listen to him. Use your brain. Destroy him. It has to be done.” “Tobias?”

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“You can call me anything you like,” Doc said in a low, sultry voice. “I don’t care what comes out of your mouth, as long as inside you remember that I’m your Master now. When we’re alone, and they’re dead, I’ll cut the bonding mark from your skin, and erase all traces of them from your mind.” Ansling started to laugh, loving the shocked look on Doc’s face. It was almost as if she could feel Tobias next to her, stroking her, encouraging her to complete her task and play her part in destroying the evil that was threatening them. “You think this funny?” “Yes. If Kellen is your spy, why are you angry because he marked me? Wouldn’t his mark make me evil, too? You’re lying. I know you’re lying.” “Good girl.” Tobias’s strength washed over her. Doc’s eyes narrowed and his grip on her lessened. He dropped one wrist and ran his hand through his hair as she laughed harder. “What’s wrong? Are you upset that I’m not crying? That I’m not sniveling and begging for my life? The only thing I want is for you to stop breathing. Right now.” She reared up with all her weight, bucking against him and catching him off guard. He fell backward, and she scrambled out from under him. Her hand shot toward the dart, and she cried out as pain shot through her. She pulled her arm back to her. Her skin felt like it was on fire. She looked down at her scorched flesh. “You shouldn’t send a whelp into battle a witch with my power. It’s a shame, really. We would have had so much fun.” Ansling’s eyes widened as he pointed at her, and fire shot toward her. She managed to duck it this time, rolling right. The fire hit Doc’s desk, catching the wood on fire. She expected the sprinkler system to activate, but it didn’t. Instead, he laughed. “I deactivated it ages ago. Fire alarms are a hassle for men who can shoot flames from their fingers.”

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She scrambled behind the exam table, pulling a drawer down on the floor and rooting through its contents, searching for a weapon. She found syringes, bandages, and tape, but nothing that she could use from this distance. A flame shot above her head, catching the cabinet on fire. She moved down, pulling down another drawer and finding nothing more than cotton balls and tongue depressors. Then she turned and pulled open the lower cabinets. Bottles of rubbing alcohol lined a shelf. Sitting next to them were squeeze water bottles. She grabbed a bottle of alcohol and opened it quickly, tearing off the protective seal and pouring the contents into the squeeze bottle. A flame landed near her and she scrambled away from it, her heart beating wildly as she finished filling the bottle. “What are you doing? You should be screaming by now. Your courage is admirable, but stupid. Give up now, and I’ll make sure you die quickly. I promise. No pain.” She screwed the top back on the squeeze bottle, then tried to get her breathing under control. Doc’s desk and the upper cabinets were engulfed in flames now, burning hot. She coughed against the smoke, and she knew that by the time she’d doused Doc, she would need to run for the exit, or risk being caught in the blaze herself. Ansling knew she had to wait for the right moment to strike. Too soon and the alcohol would prove ineffective. Too late and it would ignite the flame too close to her own body. Doc hadn’t fired a volley in a while. She wondered why he was taking so long. She crouched down and looked under the exam table. She could see his feet, standing about two feet from the table. He wasn’t moving, and she wondered again what he was waiting on. Maybe he would move his feet before he struck. If she watched his feet -- she dismissed the idea immediately. If she watched his feet, she wouldn’t have time to lift up and fire the alcohol at him. And then, as if it were a gift from the gods, she heard Tobias’s voice in her head. “Use

your gift, my love. Use it.”

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“What”? He didn’t answer and Doc fired another volley of fire, landing it to the left of her this time. “If you won’t surrender, then I want to play. I love the fear that’s rolling off your body. It’s so very sweet.” She gasped as his words took meaning. He could feel her fear. And she could foresee his movements, just as she’d guessed which cards were coming up next in the Blackjack game. She closed her eyes and concentrated on Doc. The evil inside him almost made her retch. She swallowed down her revulsion and focused on his mind. He was laughing inside, loving what was happening. The fire was building, ready to burst from his finger. She got up on her feet, still crouching so that her head was under the table. When she sensed the power running to his fingers, she decided he was ready to shoot fire at her again. She stood and shot the alcohol toward him at the same time the fire left his fingertips. The flammable liquid landed on his hands and they ignited; the hot flames, fueled by his black magic, ignited his clothing. He screamed, an ungodly sound that filled the room. Ansling jumped up and ran around the table, stooping down to grasp Ellen by the hands and drag her toward the outer office. Doc’s body was fully engulfed now, burning hotter than anything Ansling had ever seen. The smell of burning flesh and hair made her gag. She pushed open the door and pulled Ellen through before turning back in time to see him explode, pieces of flesh and flame landing on the carpet and catching fire. Frankie ran through the outer door, stopping to stare at Ansling and Ellen, who still lay unconscious on the floor. “What the hell? Ansling? Are you all right? What’s happening?”

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“I-I…” She pushed past him. More people were rushing inside, two workers carrying fire extinguishers. Ansling rushed out the door and ran for the docks, praying the men knew what had happened and were already on their way to recover the stone.

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Chapter Twelve

She met Tobias as he ran toward the building. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “Are you all right?” “No.” “I’m so sorry, Ling. But we have to move. Can you?” “Yes.” She could hardly catch her breath. Images of Doc exploding kept running through her mind. She held on to Tobias as he propelled them down the path toward the boat. When it was in sight, Tobias pulled her onto the boat, then ran for the controls. He threw it into gear, then glanced back at where she’d collapsed against the seat. “Ansling! Are you injured?” “Not physically, no.” The words caught in her throat, and she gagged on the bile that had been in her throat since Doc’s body had ignited. As the boat headed toward the dive site, she leaned over and vomited into the sea, trying to steady her shaking hands on the side of the deck before doing it once more. “Take a deep breath,” Tobias said. “Come up here.”

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She shook her head, sitting back down. She barely caught the bottle of water he tossed in her direction. “Drink.” She took several large gulps, gargling with it before spitting it over the side. When she thought her mouth was clean enough again, she took a deep breath. “Things didn’t go according to plan, but it worked.” She closed her eyes to block out the vision of violence that still swam through her eyes. “Have they gone down?” “Yes. They went down right after the waves picked up in their area. They decided that meant Doc was dead, and the creatures he left behind were giving up the ghost, so to speak. If they get back up before we get to them, they’ll radio us.” Ansling looked out around them. The sky was darkening as the sun fell, but it seemed just a little darker than it should at this time. “Someone’s coming. Someone as evil as Doc.” “Yes.” Tobias hit the throttle on the boat. “Do you know who it is?” “Yes. Her name is Matlyn. She was once Kellen’s lover.” “What? He was sleeping with one of Monk’s followers? Why didn’t you tell me?” “Remember when I said Kellen had to tell his own story? That’s what I meant.” Ansling stood and moved toward the front of the boat. Her shakes had subsided somewhat, and she felt just a little bit better. She remembered Doc’s words, about Kellen killing a woman, about him being part of them. “He lied to you.” “How can you be sure? I think you should have told me about him before.” “There’s nothing to tell. Kellen is a good man who was led astray for a while, but he’s back on our side know.” “But what if…?”

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“There are no ‘what-ifs,’” Tobias said. “I know it in my heart and you should, too.” She nodded and sat down heavily. She did know Kellen loved her and he loved Tobias. Still, it would have been nice to know all about him before going into battle with a witch who craved black magic. “How bad is this woman?” “Bad.” “Great. Just great. Do we have a chance of getting away before she gets here?” “I’d put it at fifty-fifty.” Ansling moved up next to Tobias, who kept one hand on the wheel and gathered her close to him with the other. “I’m sorry for what you had to do.” “You saw, didn’t you? I felt you there, watching. You gave me strength.” He gave her a slight smile. “I can’t go to someone who’s awake unless Kellen is making love to me. I didn’t go to you. You called me to your side. You used your gifts and you didn’t even know it.” A tingle ran through her body. She’d felt stronger when Tobias had been by her side, but she’d thought he was the one who had come to her, not the other way around. “I want lessons. Full lessons. I want to know everything.” “And so you shall. I promise.” He pulled the boat up next to the other craft that was in the water. “A ski boat? Why did he bring this one?” “We’re going to Puerto Rico, remember? This one will be faster.” Tobias slowed the boat and drifted toward the other vessel. “Go ahead and get on it.” “Did you bring clothes? What about mine?” “We’ll buy things in San Juan before we fly out.”

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“But passports?” “It’s all taken care of. Relax.” She grabbed the side of the other boat as they stopped, peering over the edge. She didn’t see a thing. The water seemed murkier than usual, and she wondered what caused it. “The creatures, when they died,” Tobias said, coming up behind her. He stroked the small of her back, and she turned to bury her face in his shoulder. “It’s all right, little one. It will be fine.” “He was so evil. It made my skin crawl.” “I know. But he’s gone now.” She snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, and there’s another to take his place. This time a woman, who was Kellen’s lover.” Before Tobias could answer, there was a splash near them. Kellen appeared first, followed closely by Jalon. They swam toward the boat, shucking their gear as they moved through the waters. They handed the tanks to Ansling, who moved them over to the dive boat. “Well?” Tobias came up beside her and pulled Kellen into the boat, then turned to help Jalon over the side. Kellen grabbed Ansling and kissed her. She tried not to stiffen in his arms. They would have time later for him to tell her everything she needed to know. “Did he hurt you?” “No. Did you get it?” “Yes.” He held up a box that was made of a material Ansling had never seen before. Jalon had already pushed Tobias aside to take control of the boat. “Where are we going?” She pulled back from Kellen, turning her face to avoid the look of confusion on his face.

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“San Juan,” Tobias said. “The boat’s not built for that far of a distance, but it will make it, or we’ll help, magically. We can get there fairly quickly, and then be gone again just as fast.” The three of them wobbled and tried to grab seats to steady themselves when Jalon threw the boat into gear. It bounced on the waves, the water cresting over them as they moved. “Where do we go from San Juan?” Ansling yelled so she could be heard, then clamped her mouth shut tight when Kellen held up a finger. Tobias jerked his head from side to side as if looking for someone, or something. The winds had picked up, and the sea seemed choppier. “She’s here.” Tobias turned to Kellen. “Am I right?” “Yes. Jalon, kick up the speed.” But as the words left Kellen’s mouth, the boat started to slow. “What are you doing?” “The boat stalled,” Jalon said. “We’re dead in the water. Literally.” The boat stopped abruptly, rocking on the waves. Then, from out of nowhere, four boats appeared, speeding toward them. The crafts circled them, and then stopped at different points. No one spoke as the vessels bobbed on the water. And then, one moved forward, stopping about ten feet from them. The woman who stood at the front of the bow was beautiful, and Ansling was sure she was Matlyn. Her long dark hair flowed down her back and didn’t move in the breeze. Her eyes were dark and penetrating, and there was a smug smile on her face that reminded Ansling of Doc. Ansling cut a glance at Kellen, who stood still as a statue, his expression unreadable.

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“Kellen, I’m so disappointed.” Her voice was soft and seductive. She looked at Tobias and snorted, then dismissed Jalon with a sneer. When she looked at Ansling, her sneer turned to a look of deep anger. “You killed Doc. What a bad witch you are. But I have to admit it was very creative, burning him to death like that, using the alcohol to feed the flames, turning his own black magic on himself. If you’re a good girl, I’ll let you live, and join us. We could use a crafty mind like yours.” “Go to hell.” “So I’ve been promised,” she said with a laugh. “But not for a very long, long time.” She seemed to consider things for a moment, then sighed. “In memory of our fond times together, Kellen, I’m going to give you a chance to come back to me. I miss your cock. No one knows how to fuck quite like you do. Wouldn’t you agree, Tobias? I know I loved to have him in my ass.” Kellen was silent for a moment, and Ansling feared he would tell her yes, that he wanted to join her. Instead, he took a step closer to Tobias, stroked his shoulder, and then kissed him before pulling Ansling close to him and transferring his mouth to hers. When he broke the kiss, he put his forehead on hers, his arms still around Tobias’s shoulders. “Like she said, Matlyn. Go to hell.” “So be it. Give me the stone.” Tobias’s laugh was relaxed, almost as if someone had just told a good joke. “Make us.” The waves picked up, cresting against the side of the boat. Ansling grasped for a seat to try and steady herself as the craft rocked. “Get down!” The four of them fell together when bright shots of color sped toward them, hitting the boat and splintering the fiberglass and windows. “Magic?” “Yes,” Tobias said, clasping her hands.

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“We have to fight back.” She could hear the fear in her voice, and knew that if they did fight, there was nothing she could add to the battle. There were no tools nearby this time. “Stay down!” Kellen stood and she watched, wide-eyed as he muttered words and colorful streams of light left his hands. Jalon and Tobias did the same while she huddled on the ground. The streams of magic were everywhere: some slamming into each other and exploding; some hitting the boat, which rocked as if it would tip over at any moment. After a few long minutes, Ansling screamed at Tobias to get his attention. “We’re witches; can’t we fly?” “No, not one of our gifts,” he replied, kneeling down next to her and clasping her hands. “But once again, I must say you’re brilliant. We can’t fly, no, but I know people who can. Hang on tight, my love.” He took a deep breath, and then his face went calm.

“Those that travel through the sky

We need your aid and gift of flight The terror that we flee this night We cannot escape from its sight Come to us we seek your aid Four to transport this wicked night Help us we ask, aid in our fight .”

The air calmed and the boat stilled. Ansling gasped as strong male arms wrapped themselves around her. She turned her head, ready to strike out, stopping at the ethereal beauty that faced her. “Hold on tight, little one. Let’s go for a ride, shall we?”

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“Are you a-a…faerie?” “Cian, at your service.” He tightened his grip. “Oh, grab the stone, will you?”

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Chapter Thirteen

“What if they followed us? Are there dark faeries who could transport them?” “Yes, there are,” Tobias said. “But even if they do, this place is a fortress, and there is no way they’re getting in. We’re safe, Ansling. Relax for a while. Shall I ask for tea?” “Tea? You and your cuppas. No.” She sat in a soft chair, then looked at Kellen and Jalon, who were being tended to by faeries. Her lover and her cousin had taken the brunt of the magical flight, but with the faeries help, their wounds seemed to heal instantly. “They’re so stunning, so light.” “Yes, they are.” The faeries were of differing sizes and shapes, some had dark hair and some had light. But the one thing they all shared was a glow that could only be described as ethereal, light, and beautiful. “I expected them all to be tall and thin with white hair.” Tobias laughed and stroked her arm. “Some are.” The faerie who had transported Tobias knelt down and offered her a plate filled with cheese and fruit. Ansling took an apple and laughed. “What’s your name?”

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“Gelsey.” She offered the plate to Tobias and he took a handful of grapes. “We’re happy you’re here, but we’re still concerned that two stones are missing. Tobias, we have a conference set up with your order. We ask that you attend, please.” “What about the others?” “They’ll be shown to quarters where they can bathe and relax.” They all looked over at Kellen and Jalon. Kellen’s body was stiff while the faerie worked on his wounds. Jalon, however, pushed away the hands that tried to soothe him. It was Cian, the faerie who had transported Ansling. “I think Cian has a crush on your cousin,” Gelsey said. “And it doesn’t look like Jalon feels the same way.” Ansling realized the woman was right. Cian was tending Jalon’s wounds, true, but he was also stroking his hair and leaning toward him as if to kiss him. Jalon sidestepped his lips, then slapped at the other man’s shoulders to push him away. Gelsey giggled. “He shouldn’t fight it so hard. Cian always gets what he wants, and sex with a faerie can be extraordinary.” “I believe that,” Ansling whispered under her breath. “But I’ll keep what I have already.” “That’s good to hear,” Tobias whispered back. He kissed her gently, then helped her stand. Kellen came up with a short faerie, who bowed. “Nagel. I’ll show you to a quiet place where you can rest.” Ansling looked uneasily at Tobias. “It’s all right. I’ll be with you shortly.” He kissed her, and then gathered Kellen close to him, kissing him and whispering in his ear before falling into step behind Gelsey and leaving the room. Ansling and Kellen followed Nagel down a long hallway. She showed them inside a lavishly furnished room. A large bed sat against one wall, covered in colorful blankets.

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Another wall contained a table full of food and drink. And in the corner was what looked to be a wooded area, with rocks and foliage. Ansling frowned at the sight, but quickly turned her attention to Kellen, who was taking off his clothes and walking toward the rock outcropping. As soon as he stepped between two rocks, water started to pour from the ceiling as if from a waterfall. He stepped into it, rubbing his arms and chest. When he turned to Ansling and held out his hand, she hesitated for just a few seconds before stripping and joining him. The water was warm and felt soothing against her skin. Kellen pulled her to him and started to wash her, using soap that appeared from nowhere and hung in midair when it wasn’t in his hands. He washed her shoulders and breasts before moving lower. Her body stirred at his touch, but her mind still echoed with Doc’s words… “Beautiful Kellen killed a woman for the entertainment of others.” When he’d washed her hair, he slumped to the floor. The water continued to flow from the ceiling, but now it formed a circle around them. She looked down at him, waiting for him to speak. “Do you want me to tell you the story, or am I going to live the rest of my life with your heart hardened against me?” She sat down next to him, careful not to touch him. The circle of water grew and enclosed them both. “Tell me.” The pain on his face was almost too much to take and she stroked a finger up his arm. “Please.” “My family wasn’t part of the guardian order,” he said. “We were just witches going about our lives as if nothing was wrong. My parents are wonderful people, but simple, and they ignore some of the realities of life. They wanted me to go to school, find a good job, settle down, and have a brood of little witches.” “Somehow, I don’t see you doing that.”

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His laugh was soft. “No. I wanted more. When I was nineteen, I set out to see what else there was. I’d given my parents a year, to try it their way, and I’d been bored silly. I went to London, and found Matlyn.” He spat out her name as if it were poison, and Ansling shivered. He continued without looking at her. “She was so beautiful, on the outside. But on the inside, she’s nothing but pure malevolence, wanting nothing more than to use people for her amusement, and for her own good. At first, I thought she loved me. She was charming, and we had great fun. She was insatiable in bed, bringing in other lovers for the two of us to enjoy. I thought I was in heaven.” “How long did it last?” “A year. She was good to me for a year. I realize now that she was pulling me in, giving me a taste of what she saw as the good life. And then one night she brought a mortal woman to our bed. Always before it had been witches, or dark faeries.” His eyes took on a glassy look. “She watched while I fucked her, taking her in every way possible. And then she told me to kill her, to suck in her energy.” Kellen stopped talking, the only sound in the room now the fall of the water against the stones they sat on. “I…” His voice broke, then grew stronger. “I told her I couldn’t. She stroked my back, whispered in my ear, told me how much it would please her to watch me kill the woman. Then she grabbed my cock, and I…I --” He put his hands on his head. “I did it. I put my hands around her throat and I strangled her while Matlyn pumped my cock. I’m ashamed to say she brought me to orgasm. And then I could hear laughter. Not just hers, but others. They were watching.” “Oh, Kellen.” She reached for him but he pulled back.

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“So I did what any cowardly evil witch would do. I hit them with a stunning spell and I ran. I stopped long enough to throw up and pick up my clothes, but I didn’t get dressed. I drove, not knowing where I was going. At one point, I stopped and got dressed, and got sick again.” “I got sick after I killed Doc, too.” “Yes, but you killed him for a reason, for the protection of us all. I can’t say the same thing about that poor woman I killed.” “What was her name?” “Regina.” They were silent for a few minutes, and then Kellen took a deep breath, wiping away tears. “After a year, Matlyn stopped searching for me. During that first year, though, I could feel her, probing for me, calling me back to her. And then, a few years later, I met Tobias. He saved me, Ansling. He saved my soul.” She nodded, then stroked his hand. When he sniffled and threw back his head, she knew he was crying again. “You still think me a marshmallow?” “Yes, a burnt one.” She got on her knees and moved closer to him. “How do you figure that?” His laugh was deep in his chest, but there was no smile on his face. “Well, now you’re crispy on the outside, left in the fire just a little too long. But on the inside, you’re soft, and gooey. And that’s the best kind sometimes. You’re a good person, Kellen. Please forgive me for ever doubting you.” “Only if you’ll forgive me for what I’ve done.” “It’s a deal.” She cupped his face and kissed him, pushing her mouth down onto his and licking his lips with her tongue. He opened his own and sucked her inside, nibbling at her tongue and lips until she moaned into his mouth.

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“Did you two start without me?” Tobias stroked her hair, and she turned to kiss his naked thigh. “Yes, we did,” Kellen said, all traces of tears gone. “At least you’re already naked.” He grasped Tobias’s cock and pumped it. Ansling followed his lead, her fingers trailing back to tickle Tobias’s balls. “Yum,” Tobias said. “Does this mean I get to be on top this time?” Kellen growled at him. “I suppose so. But don’t get used to it.” In one swift movement, Kellen tackled Ansling, tumbling her backward. He stroked her breasts and entered her, pumping her hard, sending her clit into spasms of pleasure. She wasn’t sure when Tobias entered Kellen. One minute, he was standing, and the next, he was behind him, pumping into his body. They set a hard pace, their bodies rocking together in perfect rhythm. When Ansling came again, she felt the intense pleasure she’d felt the first time she’d watched them together, and she knew that meant the three of them had climaxed together, the three of them screaming out their release. They lay together for a few minutes, their bodies pulsing in rhythm, almost as if their hearts were not three organs but one, joined together. Then, they lay down side by side, the stones warm and smooth under them. Tobias moved so that Ansling was nestled in between them. After a few moments, in which a comfortable silence reigned, Kellen turned to Tobias. “Well?” “Spain. They’re sending us, and the stone, to Spain. We’ll guard it there for the seven months until Samhain.” “And the other stones?” “They’ve charged a triad to go after the garnet, which has been located in Italy. Jalon, Gelsey and…” He stopped and laughed. “Cian. Jalon is not very happy about the last

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member. I think he hoped for two female faeries. The last thing I heard him say to Cian was, ‘Don’t think you’re getting anywhere near my dick.’” Their laughter was as in sync as their heartbeats. “Can I expect my lessons when we get to Spain?” “I think we should start them now,” Kellen said. “Tobias, my love, what say you we teach our little witch how to work an enchantment spell?” “She doesn’t need it,” Tobias said. “I’m enchanted with her right now, without one.” “As am I. But just think how it could increase our pleasure.” “You’re right, as always.” “Yes, as always.” Ansling propped herself up on her elbows. “Is there a spell to take this one down a notch.” She jerked her head toward Kellen. “I love him, but he’s a little arrogant sometimes.” “But in a good way,” Tobias replied. “You’re first lesson about magic, Ansling, is that it should do no harm. Ever. Only use your gifts for the betterment of man. Now, let’s work on something simple, like a summoning spell.” She sat up eagerly. “What do I do?” The excitement in her voice made Tobias laugh, and Kellen grunt out what was supposed to be a laugh. “Think of something you want at this very moment.” “But I already have both things I want, and I love them both.” “We love you, too,” Kellen said, kissing her shoulder. “But think of something tangible, something you can call to you.” She closed her eyes and thought of several things, before centering on one object she thought could be used at that very moment. “What do I do now?”

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“Repeat after me,” Tobias said. “Object of my desire, come to me, for your presence I require.” Ansling repeated the words, and the double-headed dildo appeared in her hands. She squealed in delight, and both men stared at it. Finally, Tobias cleared his throat. “My love, you’re a natural witch, and a wicked woman.” “Two combinations that I love,” Kellen said. “In a very wonderful way.”

Melinda Barron Melinda Barron loves to explore Egyptian tombs and temples, discover Mayan ruins, play in castles towers, and explore new cities and countries. She generally does it all from the comfort of her home by opening a book. Melinda is the fourth of five children born to an Army officer and his wife. A longtime newspaper journalist, Melinda has loved to read and write from an early age. Now she lives in the Texas Panhandle with two cats, Amelia and Pippin, and enough books to, according to her brother, open her own library. In addition to reading and writing Melinda enjoys travel, cross-stitching, watching movies and spending time with her friends and family.