Witch of Air and Fire

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WITCH OFAIRANDFIRE

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ElizaMarch

MENAGE AMOUR

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED:Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to onlyONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device.You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000."

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If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected]

A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Amour

WITCH OFAIRANDFIRE Copyright © 2009 byEliza March E-book ISBN: 1-60601-504-4

First E-book Publication: June 2009

Cover design byJingerHeaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2009 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALLRIGHTS RESERVED:This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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DEDICATION

To my husband, co-workers, and family who patiently put up with my absence, and to my support team atTARA . I’d also like to acknowledge a special thank you to Helen, Sharron, and Donna for their critiques.

WITCH OFAIRANDFIRE

ELIZAMARCH Copyright © 2009

Prologue

The Sidhe, the Fae people of theTuathaDa Danann , controlled the elements, and all the worlds were

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one until black magic blocked the portals trapping the Sidhe in the Otherworld, keeping their sworn guardians from the elements. These guardians, called Keepers, protected the power of the elements from evil. The gods granted the Sidhe one night to pass through the Veil and divide them, hiding part of the powers within each Keeper. Most Keepers were immortal, but the Fates’ twisted logic occasionally gifted the Sidhe with a mortal Keeper. To fulfill the Prophecy protecting the world and the elements from the dark magic, theChosen Keeper must claim the powers for himself and return the elements to the Sidhe in the Otherworld. For eons, the evil ones controlled the daemons and the portals of the Underworld. With that ability, they created the Droughan, an ultimate daemon, to share theChosen ’s body. The daemon stole into his heart and possessed him with the powerful black magic. In order for the Prophecy to be fulfilled, theChosen would have to gain control of his daemon.

Chapter 1

Candacerecollected the exact moment last year when her body started preparing for the Samhain ceremony. The first orgasm came to her in sleep. In her dreams, she felt the touch, caresses and kisses of a shadow lover. The frequent intimacies became more intense with each passing month until her urges seemed almost primitive. She became more sexually responsive than she believed possible and performed acts in dreams she’d never before imagined. But only in her dreams, because the Prophecy demanded her chastity for her fated mate. In the last few months, the arousing dreams came more often, nightly building passion until she made exquisite love through the long nights to a man she never saw. The man who entered her mind at will and her body in sexually erotic dreams, remained a mystery. His identity teased at her senses. The harder she tried to focus on his face, the more the details of his features remained in shadows. All year she suspected the man who brought her to repeated mind-blowing orgasms wasn’t her fiancé,Jeremy . The warlock she believedwasher fated mate until tonight had proven otherwise. After the coven meeting and the night’s debauchery of events, she realizedJeremy and the dream lover couldn’t possibly be the same man. The man from her dreams felt right for her in waysJeremy never had. Tears welled up in her eyes when she looked down at her hand gripping the steering wheel. The faint pale line on the ring finger of her left hand scorned her. Blatantly obvious where the skin lay unexposed

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for the last twelve months, the imprint glared up at her in the dimly lit interior. She blinked back tears and fought the urge to scream out her anger. Hail started to pummel her little car, intensifying with her rage. The large red-haired cat on the front seat stretched, lazily purring. If you’re going to carry on like this, I’m moving .She jumped gracefully up on the seat back giving her friend a quick lick on the cheek before continuing to the back. Candaceglanced over her shoulder and glared at her magical companion.Samantha ,Candace ’s familiar preferred her cat spirit form to any other. “Thanks,Sam , I really appreciate your support.” The sarcasm poured out thick in her statement. Sympathy isn’t what you need. Congratulations would be more like it! What did you do with the ring ?” “AfterJeremy asked for the ring back, I threw it.” The memory wrought more lightning. Violent bolts flashed across the dismal black sky. Giant rods of electricity slammed into the ground, right and left of the road, and thunder rolled across the open hills. Why’d you do that? We could have hocked it for a pretty penny . “Please. The pompous ass had the nerve to tell me he wanted it to trade-up on one for Jade…”Candace choked up, blinking backed hot tears. Anger and frustration fought with disappointment and betrayal. Samanthaapologized. Sorry, I’m being a cat and not thinking with my human side. Drive faster and try to think about something else. Something pleasant . “Pleasant, hmmm.”Candace drove as far and fast as she could away from the mounting storm. She took a deep, cleansing breath, trying to blank out her mind to thoughts ofJeremy , thinking instead of her mystery man, and his irresistible sexual pull. The resulting calm only temporarily helped. Nothing could obliterate the humiliation she’d suffered atJeremy ’s hands this night. She felt the pull of another in her mind, imposing on her will. The sensation disjointed her focus. Commanding control filled her for a moment. Was this help coming fromSam ? No, the power felt stronger, masculine. It was definitely coming from someone else. Her thoughts kept returning to her unknown lover. She sensed his essence nearby. He was close. The urge to compare her fantasy andJeremy crept into her thoughts. Ugh,Jeremy ! When the air thundered around her, she knew the tempest outside chasedher , gaining ground, picking up speed. As the next sound of thunder exploded simultaneously with the electrical bolts, she knew the storm had caught up to her, surrounding her. Yet she knew the power around her had escaped from within. The less controlled her anger, the stronger the storm raged. Somehow the wild weather with the swirling winds howling, tossing fat pellets of rain against the windshield, reflected her turmoil, mirrored her feelings. Her white knuckled hands gripped the wheel, and she fought to keep the car on the road as wind gusts blew sheets of rain onto the slippery pavement.

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If she could only find the place inside where she stored her inner peace she could force the storm to calm. Hopefully, she’d find it before she ironically became a victim of her own anger, another fatality on the winding, rain-slicked beach road.

****

Cian watched the events unfold, biding his time, letting her have her moment of bitterness, within reason. After all, he couldn’t risk letting her anger get her killed. He pushed into her mind to soothe her. As soon as his mind melded with hers, his thoughts flew to sex. Not a bad thing , he admitted. Anything would do in order to keep her safe, and sex seemed like a pleasant enough diversion. He wasn’t prepared for her overwhelming need. Suddenly he found himself fighting for balance. He wrestled to regain a semblance of restraint in the face of all her sexual desire and emotions gone wild. Perhaps only thoughts of a sexual naturewerestrong enough to obscure her rage. The amount of power she contained staggered his mind. Even though the inexperienced witch exhibited the behavior of an unrestrained child, he had to admire the lightshow. What a woman.How had he missed her spunk when he visited her in dreams? Why hadn’t he appreciated all she could be when they’d made fantasy love?

Chapter 2

Candacefought back the tears again. Roiling fury seethed inside her as thunder boomed and lightning flashed across the world before her. Along with the angry tears, came a gut-wrenching urge to pull over and yell out her rage into the violence of the night sky. Samanthasaid, I understood why you fled. We both recognized the danger of the power growing within you. You’re barely able to restrain it on a good day. Candacehad the ability to make all those who insulted her earlier tonight pay for the slight. But even if she didn’t want to admit it,Sam wouldn’t let her forget. She wouldn’t use her powers for evil, not when she held the answer to the Prophecy. Her pure white

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powerwastoo awesome to allow that idiotJeremy to turn her to the dark arts. T he weather is a result of your emotions. Really,Candy , you have to get a grip. Everyone knows black magic has an uncanny knack of turning back on the user . “I understand. I-I’m trying,”Candace admitted. Black thoughts wreaked havoc with the weather. “It’s why I’m headed out of town, and you know it. I have to go somewhere and clear my mind, get someplace away from the coven and all of them—a place to find harmony for my inner serenity.” Sammade a noise, which sounded a lot like a snide chuckle. She didn’t hold back her opinions, ever. Who are you fooling? You need to recover your self-esteem after that two-bit warlock had the nerve to dump you for his pregnant faery princess . “I’m really trying here,Sam , and you’re not helping. Don’t you know how humiliating this is? I can’t believe I let that creep get to me like this. Damn me for being a fool and him for his nerve.” Do you believe the brass balls on him ? And h ere I didn’t think he had any ...Sampurred. I have to admit, he had some nerve claiming the faery slut seduced him with her aphrodisiac dust . “Even my mother snickered at the faery dust claim, and until tonight,Jeremy couldn’t do anything wrong in her eyes. He had her completely bamboozled. He should have known better than to blame his recent indiscretions on faery dust.”Candace almost smiled. Samanthahissed. Then consider yourself lucky to be out of it. His mistake saved your sorry ass from an eternity with a twit . “You’re right, no doubt,” she admitted. “His track record to date sucked, didn’t it?” Absolutely! Now, everyone recognizes him for the whoring warlock he is. He’s nothing but an indiscriminant walking hard-on . “Every single time I looked around, hewassniffing at something else,”Candace said. Her familiar had a way of always being right. Samreminded her constantly that he’d never change. I’m sorry he hurt you.The cat licked a paw and ran it over her ear. Candaceremarked. “He had the nerve to blame me because I had to remain a virgin until the ceremony.” I know you hoped he’d change, but the man couldn’t keep his dick in his pants around anything. That wasn’t going to change later , either . “Yeah, poor Princess Jade. OnceJeremy finds out that she doesn’t hold the power he thought, he’ll be slinking around, looking to someone else.” Except now the consequences of the faery’s pregnancy will force theBond between them. If he doesn’t agree, he’ll be banished to the Underworld with the daemons . “Hmmm.”Candace could almost see the smile onSamantha ’s pink lips. The cat added, The man won’t be able to handle the daemons in the Underworld. They’re particularly

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partial to warlock flesh . “Yeah, and they’re not too particular about how they take it either.”Candace heardSam snicker. She knewJeremy ’s deepest fears and inner weaknesses as well asCandace did. Basically,Jeremy is a coward. Candacesmiled for the first time tonight. “I can just see him now…”Candace projected a satisfying vision of him screaming while being torn to pieces, devoured by sharp teeth, and shredded by long fangs. When the image flashed intoSam ’s mind, the cat warned, Oh, no, don’t! You really shouldn’t… “At precisely this moment,”Candace spit out, “it’s exactly the fate I wish on him.” And with that picture set firmly in her mind, and a grim smile on her face, another crashing bolt of lightning raced through the sky. This time the powerful strike split a large tree about twenty feet up on the side of the road. Half of it toppled across the path in front of her, and she tried to steer the car to safety by slamming on the brakes. The anti-lock braking device alternately grabbed each tire like a cat digging into the dirt, trying unsuccessfully to bite into the asphalt and bring the car to a screeching stop. Instead of stopping, the car hydroplaned toward the enormous bulk where the tree blocked the road. As the car skid, the tree loomed closer. “Hold on,Sam !” she shouted, before sucking in a deep breath. Mechanically, she gave a slight push to the air surrounding her to ensure their safety. She squeezed her eyes shut waiting for the impact. It came with a lighter force than she expected. Then her airbag deployed and slammed her back against her headrest, knocking her head and the breath out of her. When the airbag released, she gasped for air before opening her eyes. She heard incantations from the back seat and knewSamantha had cast a protective shield. Karma? No—not karma—black magic backlash. “Sorry, I guess you suspected thatwascoming?” The cat didn’t blink. The crash seemed the inevitable result of the emotional buildup . “I’m sorry,”Candace said. “Okay, youwereright. I know better than to wish black thoughts. They’re always tougher to take on the rebound. So maybe daemon dinnerisa harsh fate for anyone, even someone likeJeremy .” She rested her head against the headrest and thought about the man she almost married. He’s so wrapped up in himself his attitude toward faithfulness amounts to “What? Deprive the world of my charms?” “Hmm, charms?” She murmured, and then went silent, ruminating about that possibility. Do you think he used charms ? Now she hadSamantha contemplating the question. “I wouldn’t put it past him,”Candace answered. “In retrospect, his broad shoulders weren’t as thickly muscled as I believed. He felt smaller than the illusion of size and power he gave off. After careful consideration, his good looks could have been more of an illusion of beauty, charm, and strength. None of himwassubstantial. Nothing about him was genuine.”

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Was he vain enough to use magic to enhance his appearance?Sam asked, then checked herself. Disregard the question. Of course he used a ‘glamour’ . That’s the only thing that would explain how you were misled.The cat shook herself and fluffed up. Still,Candace wondered why she’d agreed to bind with him. She contemplated the possibilities. Had he bewitched her? She never recognized his true nature or his capacity for deceit until now. “You’re right. He would. He’d do anything to further his own ambitions.” How conceited, yet how typically ‘Jeremy.’Candace almost laughed at his vanity, wondering what other powers he resorted to when seducing his prey. Running her hands over her head to see if she’d hit something, she checked herself out. “Nothing is broken or damaged. How about you?” In the backseat,Samantha took on her human form to check herself out. “Nope, fine here,” the red haired beauty responded. “His sexual charm must have been something I’m immune to,”Candace finally admitted toSamantha . “He never appealed to me like he appealed to those other young witches who chased after him as if he were theChosen .” “Why didn’t you say something before?”Sam asked. She brushed at her hair and smoothed the silk blouse and slacks she conjured from thin air. With her eyes closed,Candace admitted, “I thought therewassomething wrong with me. I just don’t get it.” She turned and absentlystaredout the window. “The dream man turns me on, so it can’t be all me.” The deafening silence madeCandace open her eyes.Sam blinked atCandace in the rearview mirror. Her blank cat-like gaze in the face of all that human beauty spoke volumes. “I guess I don’t have to tell you how wrong youwerethen. Come on, I want details. What ‘dream man’ are you talking about, and why am I just now hearing about him?” Candace, still lost in her own thoughts, wondered whetherJeremy really had been attracted to her. “Do you think he ever actually wanted me? Maybe he had an ulterior motive all along.” “I recognize a change of subject when I hear it. Maybe he did, but that doesn’t change anything about who you are. Are you avoiding my question?” Most of the time,Candace felt lucky to haveSam assigned to her. Then other times, the arrogant familiar knew just how to tick her off. Her ancient wisdom grated on her. Candacenever doubted her own beauty, even though she appeared less earthy than most witches. She looked more ethereal than evenJeremy ’s delicate faery princess.Candace ’s strange fair looks gave her a fragile airy impression, more fae than witch. For a powerful first level witch, the facade helped conceal her potential. Concealed within her, she held a secret few knew about. “Do you think he discovered I am a Keeper?” “An important part of the deal in the marriageBond includes the power. Yours is a rare gift you bring to the table. The power, your genetic gift, is a dowry, so to speak, that will enhance theBond once made. In

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your case, you’ve been twice blessed.” “...or twice cursed?”Candace asked. Samreshaped into her cat form and hopped up on the seat back right next toCandace ’s ear. You? Not likely. You should p ity the poor faery fooled by his magic. Now she’s stuck with him for an eternity unless she gets lucky and someone makes him amidnight snack .Samlicked her tiny pink mouth. More thunder rumbled, sounding ominous. “I didn’t say that, you did!” Please , please just don’t agree! He’s not worth all this waste of emotion . Candacedropped her face in her hands. “Right, you’re right.” She lifted her head and turned toSam . “But, tonight during the meeting, when he said he felt like somethingwasmissing in our relationship… Well now, am I to assume he meant something besides his fidelity?” Thunder clapped, sounding like the bottom line to her anger. There’d been no excuse for his cruelty. He’d humiliated her with the announcement of Jade’s pregnancy in the middle of their Coven meeting. Especially this meeting—the last meeting before the Samhain ceremony. She didn’t care that he needed the Coven’s approval to break their agreement. He should have had the decency to speak to her first, before she’d been prepared, bathed, oiled, and brought to them naked for the ceremony, waiting for him. I think you made your point, anyway .The familiar yawned. “ I loved the look on his face when the fireworks started. His expression was priceless when the fire in the center of the circle roared to life, shooting high into the night sky .” “Did you see how the outer fires of the circle leapt?”Candace added with pride. “When the lightning started flashing and the ground began to rumble, he was as surprised as I was.” Girlfriend, everyone was surprised at that! You were smart to take off. Candacehad to control her anger or give her other secret away. No one knew she held the power of air and fire. She noticed something very sinister aboutJeremy ’s expression when the power started flying. Something in the air suddenly frightenedCandace . A strong impression of danger overwhelmed her. Someone mentally urged her to pick upSamantha and run. So she did, fast and far. Despite the evening’s disturbing events,Candace felt a little relieved to be done with the warlock. She put a hand across her eyes and rubbed them with her thumb and forefinger. Her thoughts flashed to an image of a man. This time, she experienced a tug at her heart and recognized his dark emerald eyes from the last dream she spent with him. She sensed his presence inside her head again, drifting through her mind like a gentle breeze. Uh-um!Samanthacleared her cat voice in her head, flicked her tail, and asked the obvious question, Hello, where do you go when you keep disappearing ?

****

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Until yesterday, the man who made love to her nightly with raw desperation had been hidden from her sight, bathed in shadows in her dreams. Even though she’d never seen him clearly, she understood enough to know hewasmeant for her. As Samhain approached, his features had started becoming increasingly more apparent, dream by sensual dream. Bits and pieces of him became clearer each night. And oh, how fantastic those bits and pieceswere. Although the details of his face remained a puzzle, in her sleep, his emerald eyes clearly stared into her own. They expressed an unspoken promise. This month, he had become more than a dream, more than her imaginary lover, more than an illusion. It didn’t matter that she’d never seen him. He’d somehow mystically touched her mind and her body intimately. Anywhere she went, he followed inside her. She would recognize him by his thought pattern, his heart, his scent, the taste of him on her tongue. She’d be able to discern the feel of his huge muscles quivering beneath her hands, the size of his shoulders, and his full back, or the way his thick biceps flexed when she tried to wrap her hands around them. When she pressed her face against his warm chest, she noted how his waist narrowed enough for her to encircle it with her arms. Compared to her own size, she sensed everything about himwasimmense. His arms were powerful, his hands large. He could cup one of her voluptuous breasts in one hand and still easily tease her nipple with his thumb. One of his hands could span her flat stomach, hipbone to hipbone. And with a wish, a thought, they would drop down her body to satisfy the itch between her legs. She ached for him. Her breathing became more difficult. “ Earth toCandy . Are you there ?” “Oh, yeah, sure. I think I’m a little dizzy. I need to rest for just another minute before we try to get out of here.” She didn’t want to return to reality and lose this moment with him. The illusion felt so real. “Let me close my eyes and relax for another moment or two. I’ll be fine.” She loved the feel of his hands on her, teasing her senses, roaming and exploring all of her body. Delicately built, shewasblessed with a round, shapely butt that would have been more than a handful for any other man. When his hands gripped her hips, his long fingers dipped into the wedge between her cheeks, temptingly close to all her intimate openings. His touch brought raging heat to her very core. As she thought about how he stroked her folds before he penetrated her wet opening with his large thick fingers, she shivered, feeling his presence all around and within her. Then she climaxed while thinking about the responses he elicited from her body. Over the years of dreams, she became familiar with everything about him physically, except what he actually looked like. The emotional mental path they'd shared opened their thoughts for one another. Oh, why couldn’t he be the one meant for her? She knew this manwasright for her, both physically and mentally. The time she spent engulfed in her dreams or with thoughts of him felt more real to her than reality. When she imagined his powerful body, it seemed as if he physically touched her. The thought of his touch resulted in a fresh gush of warm moisture leaking from between her pulsing folds. The wetness slowly seeped down the inside of her naked thighs. If he created this link between them, not only could he be her psychic equal, but he might be also more magically powerful.

****

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Resolved to get out of the car,Candace opened her eyes. She hopedSam wouldn’t notice her peaked nipples, or the scent of her orgasm in the air. With a resolute sigh, she moved the airbag out of the way and tried her door. Itwasstuck. She pushed a little harder and when that didn’t work, she added a push with her mind. Pop! Lightning flashed, and then she smelled the sea air—salty, damp, and calming. Ah, she knew this place. She took a long deep breath. The sea called to her. The storm calmed. The cat slipped out, transforming outside the car into the form of the long-legged woman with waist length hair and yellow-green cat eyes. “You’re on your own,”Sam toldCandace . “There’s something in the wind.” She sniffed the air. “And, I sense it’s for you.” Her form switched back to that of the cat, and she ran off beforeCandace asked what she meant. The lighthouse couldn’t be far. When she stepped away from the damaged car, the clouds cleared the moon, still high and waning full. She looked down at her nakedness, then over at the robe lying on the passenger seat. Earlier, when she left the meeting prepared for the pre-binding ceremony, she left sky clad in her haste. There hadn’t been time to put her robe on, let alone her clothes, not in the state shewasin. She feared her uncontrolled wrath would cause the earth beneath their feet to open up and swallow half the eastern seaboard. As she contemplated her dilemma, she extended her right hand toward the passenger seat where the white robe glittered in the moonlight. It flew through the open window, encircling her body as if it had a mind of its own. The robe covered her like gentle hands, caressing, flowing, and draping softly over her nudity as the wind died down to a soft breeze. Shewasrelieved she’d had the sense to grab her robe. A naked woman walking along the road would probably draw attention, breaking the coven rule to maintain decorum and be discrete in the world of humans. She didn’t want to add to her infractions by putting a blinding spell on anyone who spotted her. She stood in the road and briefly enjoyed feeling the breeze off the sea. Looking back at the car, which was in such bad shape, frightened her. Had she actually survived a car accident as bad as that one unscathed? She could have been seriously injured or even killed. Then what would have happened to the Gift she carried? She touched her head checking for injuries—no bumps or blood. A shiver went through her when she walked away from the crushed car wondering if she’d been more seriously injured than she realized. There had been that momentary dizzy spell, and the night sounded unusually silent. Maybe she had a concussion. Wasshe walking in a dream? “Ouch!” Nope she wasn’t unconscious, nor dead, and not dreaming. She stumbled over a broken seashell on the side of the road. Hopping up and down on one bare foot, she realized with the pain she’d forgotten her sandals. Damn, her feet hurt. Suddenly she laughed aloud, imagining how she must look, envisioning herself in her head. She’d been dancing around with her robe barely on her shoulders, cursing, her breasts bouncing around wildly, bare to the night. The humor slammed into her, and the laughter escaped before she knew it. The whole scenario left her so amused she doubled over, and the storm subsided, dissipating with her anger.

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Thankfully, her sense of humor had held up tonight. It surfaced to replace the volatility of her recent rage and probably spared the Eastern coast. The breeze tugged at her robe as if trying to remove it. The material blew open, exposing her body to the moonlight. The cool sea air blew over her nipples. They responded by puckering and tingling, as if touched by sexual magic. She gasped. Walking down the road naked beneath her thin robe, and stumbling across shells might draw unwanted attention. She had better at least secure the robe. She clutched it tightly against her body, fighting the breeze as she wrapped the belt around her waist. She wished she’d thought to grab her sandals when she ran from the circle. But if no one watched, a reasonable solution came to mind. She looked around, not with her eyes, but with her powerful magic. Extending her arms,Candace called upon the forces of the air. The gravitational pull of the earth resisted. She levitated. Her feet glided above the ground, and she became a floating apparition, an ethereal being in the moonlight. She took one long last look at the wrecked car before she moved up the road searching for the turn-off to the old coast lighthouse. Something or someone drew her there. She felt the pull, an insistent, demanding, sexual lure. Once she reached the turn-off, she settled back to her feet, sinking them into the cool seduction of soft sand between her toes. Ever since she’d cast the circle earlier this night, she’d felt itchy, hot, and sexually ripe. No, it wasn’tJeremy on her mind. Tonight, enticing lurid thoughts nagged at her. She wanted someone else. Thoughts about finally giving up her physical virginity crept into her mind, as if her body had been preparing physically for the change. She craved something she didn’t understand and someone she didn’t know. She longed for the man from her dreams. Something or someone had always interfered whenJeremy insisted on having sex before their Binding ceremony. Now she wondered if it had been meant to be. She’d held back. Had he wanted to steal her gift? Something aboutJeremy put her off. Her good sense had told her to wait. The illusionary man she made love to in dreamswasso much more than the warlock in every way. She just couldn’t get excited about binding toJeremy . Just thinking that he’d been ordained to be her initiating warlock at the pre-binding ceremony made her wretch. The man who made her nipples tight and pebbled, who had the cream flowing thickly between her thighs, and her insides hot and aching, held a far deeper promise for her thanJeremy . God, she must really need a sexual reality. The dreamsweregreat, but she needed a real man tonight. She had denied herself sex and satisfaction for too long. Someone somewhere must be able to satisfy her every urge. Her skin burned and her nipples tingled beneath her robe as if someone touched her intimately.Washer body still responding to the pre-bond spell despite the lack of a partner? Orwasher body just prepared because of the approaching Samhain and her designated time? Could it be the pull of the moon, or the one man she really wanted? The man she couldn’t forget, the one she wanted more than breath itself, lurked as a shadow in her mind. Before tonight, he had only surfaced in her dreams.

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Suddenly, she smelled his scent here on the ocean breeze. His essence drew her to the lighthouse path, and her body heat increased in anticipation. She glanced around getting her bearings. Her feet settled into the sand, and she wiggled her toes, enjoying the sensation. His presence called to her. She stilled on the empty beach, waiting for him.

Chapter 3

When she rounded the next sand dune, she saw him materialize in the shadows formed from the pale phosphorescent light reflecting off the waves. Her heart pounded, noting how much bigger he was in the flesh than she anticipated he would be from her dreams. His long black hair fell over broad naked shoulders and around the distinct bulges above his brawny biceps. Thin gold bands defined his upper and lower arm muscles. Wider bands embossed with strange designs encircled his wrists. A pronounced symbol above his heart, enhanced by a myriad of colors, seemed in constant motion, and drewCandace ’s attention to his massive chest. As he walked casually toward her, he dragged a towel with him before he reached to pick up his robe. The shimmering gilt edges of the robe flickered against the flat black of the cloth hanging from one of his powerful hands. He paused to wipe away the moisture on his chest. She recognized his hands from her dreams. Ah, she had seen those hands before, felt them before. Heat rose to her cheeks. Remembering how those hands touched her so intimately had the heat in her cheeks rising higher. She should say something,butnothing except “take me now” came to mind. Even she knew, despite her body’s apparent invitation, how inappropriate that would be. Silver droplets of moisture beaded on the sprinkling of fine hair covering his dark bronze skin. The pearls of salty seawater tempted her before he swiped them away with the towel. She wished she could have licked them off his glowing flesh. His darker body hair below his waist delineated the path to a thicker dark thatch surrounding his impressive naked genitals. They rested passively above his colossal legs and thighs, making her want to touch him and bring him to arousal. As she imagined gently caressing him, his body responded to her thoughts. Candacerecognized the presence of his power over her. She felt it even before she lifted her gaze to his face, the epitome of male beauty. The authority, knowledge, and hunger in his eyes played well with the passion in their exchange.

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Their gazes locked. Thick dark lashes encased the most clear sea green eyes she had ever seen—the eyes from her dreams. His lean face and broad strong jaw, dusky with a day’s beard growth, accentuated his mouth, grim beneath full sensuous lips. He scowled at her. She found her voice and whispered on a hope, “Hello, my name isCandace . Have we met before?”

****

Cian could see her body through the diaphanous fabric of her white ceremonial robe. He wanted it off. After waiting all this time, he wanted an unrestricted view of her. The deep pink buds of her nipples poked through the mist-damp gossamer, begging to be suckled. He would lick, suck, and stroke them. He could smell her ripeness, the inviting wetness of the juices flowing from her cunt. Her mood had wrought the earlier storm, but now the sky took on a different edge. The lightning slashing across the sky snapped in short staccato bursts, mimicking her breathing. He almost smiled in satisfaction, knowing her reaction to his presence caused her arousal and the light show. “Oh, yes, I do believe we have met, but not formally. My name is Cian.” The air warmed as her color bloomed pink. Her breasts heaved, and he heard her breath catch. Her gaze searched his. Liquid silver eyes bored into his and held. When her lashes dropped, checking out his growing interest, his gut clenched and his groin burned hot. His heavy balls tightened, moving higher, riding up until his granite hard cock stood at full attention against his stomach. He knew of her innocence. The virgin watched with fascination as his cock swelled and lengthened. The witch didn’t take her eyes off it, savoring the moment of his weakness. If he wasn’t certain of her inexperience, he would swear she’d cast a spell on his genitals. He’d never felt this much of a sexual pull toward a woman before. If he got any harder, he thought he’d explode. As her gaze encompassed his erection, she absently licked her lower lip. The innocent action, so provocative, so very seductive, had the pre-cum pearling at the opening of his penis. Their psychic connection was potent. He could almost feel her hands caressing his dick, her tongue flicking him, her mouth circling the ridge around the head. More warm wet moisture wept from his cock. It oozed like molten lava seeping from a volcanic cone, as if unable to sustain the building pressure from within. His fluid scented the air with male pheromones. He dropped a hand, cupped his balls, and stroked once to ease the throbbing pulse beating wildly through his cock. Then he squeezed his growing erection to prevent the imminent explosion. After centuries of experience with countless women, here with this inexperienced little witch, he feared embarrassing himself by bursting as she watched. When he didn’t think he could get any harder or bigger, he thickened more. His cock grew wider, longer as she continued to stare with her lips slightly parted. Gods! A fleeting concern flashed through his mind. Would his size scare her? He knew her unique gift could only be released to him through the Binding ceremony in the presence of the Droughan, the daemon possessing him. He growled a low deep sound. The Droughan within struggled to get out. “Too bad, daemon, she’s

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mine,” he snarled, fighting back the monster. Tonight, he would claim her. She would be his—his chosen mate. Theirs was a fatedBond , one for all eternity, if she would agree to take him willingly. He intended to convince her to accept him, all of him in every way, just as he’d planned while he waited all these centuries. He would keep the beast within at bay—he had to. He only had tonight to bind her to him. Tomorrow the Veil between the Otherworld and the mortal world would open. Regan, the earth wizard, would come. Already Cian tried thinking of ways to keep her for himself. The Veil would remain open for one night. On the Eve of Samhain he’d have to share her with another for the sake of all the worlds. With his eyes locked on hers, he sent his thoughts deep into her mind. Mentally his mouth ravished hers, nipping her full bottom lip, and he tasted the salt from the air on her skin as his tongue followed her jaw line to the soft sensitive skin below her ear. He traced a path to her breasts and suckled her nipples through the thin material. She gasped. Her body shuddered. He smiled. She’d climaxed for him so easily. He couldn’t wait to really touch her. Could he take solace in having only this one night while she belonged to him alone? Tomorrow he had to start building her resistance, her strength. For that, he’d need help. He’d need Regan and the Trinity ceremony. After waiting all these years for her birth, he couldn’t lose her to the Droughan, or risk her safety in anyway. Tomorrow, yes tomorrow, Regan would come through the Veil to help. Tomorrow, Cian was certain. Well, maybe he wasn’t so sure, but he prayed Regan would agree to the ceremony. If he didn’t, the mortal world would come to a quick end when the daemons gathered control over the elements and took back possession of the Veil. He finally answered her question. “Yes, I think you remember. We’ve met. We’ve loved myriads of times, in various forms, in a variety of ways, within hundreds of hosts. I am Cian, theChosen , and you are a Keeper. We are meant to be one, finally reborn together again in the same time and plane. We are here to fulfill our destiny—the Prophecy.”

****

He approached her as if stalking prey. Yes, in a thousand ways she knew him. “Yes, I am a Keeper.” Whatever that meant, she felt compelled to reply, willing to risk anything for this man. She opened her eyes wider and felt her nostrils flare as she inhaled him, a unique aroma thatwashim.Candace filled herself with the essence of the man before her—his scent, his appearance, the power emanating from him. Oh my God, what a hunk! And we’re meant for each other? How lucky am I? Her pussy swelled and softened from the orgasm he had mentally pulled from her moments before. It begged, drooled for his attention. Even she could smell the invitation from her folds filling the air. Under different circumstances, at some other time, she might have been mortified. But here, now, with this man, she couldn’t stop herself or her body’s involuntary responses. And she didn’t want to. She burned for

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him, melting from the inside out, and for the first time in her life, shewaswanton and loving it. The moon went behind a cloud, and the night darkened. Small bursts of lightning backlit the clouds, giving the foam on the waves an eerie soft glow. She could hear deep thunder rolling, building as he neared. The sea mist dampened robe dropped low over her breasts in invitation as she moved. It finally slipped very open, revealing everything, even the arousal-drenched curls covering her mound as she walked toward him. She didn’t try to close her robe or cover herself, knowing he stared at her engorged clit swelling through the opening at the top of her hot pussy. She kept reminding herself that as a virgin, this foreign behavior was reckless and bold. What had happened to her? This was so not like her. The relentless attraction drawing her to him forced her to act wild and insistent. She watched him react to her as well, until the evidence of his need for her became ever more obvious in the size of his growing member. He was spectacular in every way, and he appeared to want her as much as she wanted him. She enjoyed the power she held over this fantastic male specimen. When she heard his low growl, she felt it rumble deeply through her body, sensually vibrating between her legs. She could think of nothing but touching him, tasting him, and having him pressing over, under, and in her. She wanted to drag his very soul into hers.Candace needed all that power and all that strength buried deep, pounding relentlessly, and exploding inside her. She wanted the unknown pleasure she had been denied, the pleasure he could certainly provide to her in reality, as he had in her dreams... Their psychic connection pulled at them both. She drew on experiences, sensations of his past encounters, feeling what he felt, knowing what he enjoyed. Their emotions ricocheted between them.

****

Cian stopped before he touched her. He shuddered, visibly shaken by his powerful need for her. He knew touching her now would be a mistake. He wouldn’t be able control himself and the Droughan too. He paused to gather his senses, casting up shields. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to stop the daemon in him from taking her right now, the way it demanded. The beast could kill her, and that would mean the end of everything. He could feel the Droughan’s insistence—feel the rampaging lust growing within him. The daemon took pleasure in projecting. The monster threw out images into Cian’s mind. He blocked them fromCandace , but winced in horror as they overwhelmed him. Images of him ravishing her virgin body, ripping into her with his gigantic hideous cock, pumping relentlessly into every one of her orifices, filled Cian’s mind as he heard her scream out in pain, begging for his mercy. The daemon howled with laughter, enjoying the victory over him. The beast’s breathless lust and enormous erection shamed Cian. The Droughan induced his arousal with his visions of violence, bondage, and mutilation—those actions he planned for his conquest. Cian would have nothing to do with conqueringCandace . He’d protect her with his life. The Droughan fought back. He showed Cian how he would killCandace after fucking her. Long fangs

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protruded from Cian’s mouth. He slashed her throat open and drank her blood until he drained her. Then to add to his horror, he saw himself tear her pale, fragile skin until he’d shred her to pieces. The daemon had held Cian captive in his own body, while forcing him to kill the other half of his soul. Cian would fight the daemon within him with his last dying breath if necessary. So this first time, this once at least, he would showCandace patience. He’d make her wait a little longer, and she would have tenderness for her first time. He put his robe back on and watched the disappointment reach her eyes before her sanity returned. She blushed from her gorgeous blonde roots to her tiny toes. He dropped his eyes from hers. Cotton candy painted toenails matched her erect dusky nipples and the littlepinkclit poking through her wet swollen lips. He wanted to taste them, taste her—all of her. Instead, he shivered with desire as he gently touched her robe, drawing the edges together, covering her nakedness. “Come with me. I’ll show you everything.” It didn’t help much, but he would slow the pace for her. Otherwise, he feared the images might come to pass, fearing he would take her like the animal he knew he could be. The daemon unleashed would want Cian’s mate dead, and nothing would prevent him from claiming her. Nothing else would matter to the evil one after all this time. She nodded keeping her head down, avoiding eye contact. Cian felt the beast fighting him, even now, for control. He pushed the daemon down, refusing to be ruled. His self-control had doomed him to be theChosen , the protector of the elements. The Droughan had possessed him for so long, Cian had learned how to survive with the daemon. After all this time, he’d managed to balance the evil in the beast with his own sense of right. Until he bound his mate to his soul, the beings of the Underworld still possessed him. The Prophecy promised him the hope of sharing eternity with his ordained mate. Only then would he be free. Her soul called to his, even as they stood here on the beach fighting the attraction. He’d waited endless lifetimes for her and finally she stood before him, his mate, a fragile, soft, beautiful, inexperienced young witch—a mortal. She’d never be strong enough to withstand the Binding by Samhain, not without submitting to the Trinity. He sighed, remembering the Fates played silly games with immortals at times. Cian tookCandace ’s hand and walked quietly toward the lighthouse. He pushed her frightened thoughts aside with his mind. He was afraid enough for both of them. Taking her now without killing her would require a control the Droughan lacked for the duration of the sexual ritual. Her safety meant everything. He needed her prepared and that involved enhancing her physical strength to nearly immortal levels. The one thing he dreaded most was also the only way to provide her with that strength before Samhain. They would have to resort to the Trinity. That thought had all his possessive alpha male instincts sparring with his rational nature. Although he hated to admit it, when the Binding time came, he would need a buffer. Only one other Keeper had sufficient power. The only one he trusted enough to participate in the Trinity was Regan.

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Cian’s possessive animal nature roared inside at the thought of sharing his mate with anyone, including his best friend. More than that, he wondered if the daemon within him would allow him to succumb to the Trinity ceremony. Cian and Regan, both being alpha males might present a problem. The Trinity had never before been performed with two alpha males. By the completion of the ceremony, the Droughan would try to maintain his dominance and demand submission from all the parties involved. Maybe Cian could come to accept Regan being withCandace , and maybe together they could even seduce her into accepting both of their gifts, but could he fuck Regan? And could he let Regan fuck him? Suddenly so many questions presented themselves. Could he perform the Trinity with Regan involved, and would Regan ever agree? Could he be submissive to Cian? Or could Cian for that matter? Finally, would they all be able to handle theBond afterwards? How could they not? The consequences would be too dire to contemplate. If he fully understood the Prophecy and the cost of losing the elements, they had to find a way to come to terms with the process. The elements must be bound to Cian before returning them to the Otherworld, and he knewCandace held the secret to unifying them. They needed the Droughan released during the Binding ceremony to take the elements fromCandace . But she had to be strong enough to handle him. If the daemon inside Cian killedCandace before completing the Binding, he would not only lose her, but the elements as well. He would be doomed to wander the Otherworld aimlessly, forever at the mercy of the dark daemons, never dying, just eternally wishing he could. Would Regan let that happen? No. They’d covered each other’s backs too often through the millennia. But thiswasdifferent. She needed power from Regan, and Cian, to complete her. Tonight, he would take the first steps to share his power with her. Then tomorrow, when she completely belonged to him, only then would he ask Regan to share his, to strengthen her before the Samhain ceremony. Certainly, with their lifelong friendship, they’d find a way to handle this. The fire would expose the one who held it before Samhain. Cian wasn’t sure how he could come to grips with all this. But he didn't have a choice. Once the Keeper who held the fire revealed herself, the Prophecy demanded the final step—the Binding.

****

Her heart lurched with disappointment as she watched him gather control around him like the power he wielded. The corner of her mouth quirked while watching him calm the air, the sky, and the very sea around them. All the while, his impressive cock danced to her tune. She couldn’t conceal a twinge of satisfaction. Too bad for him, he couldn’t manage his cock as much as he influenced the basic elements. A resigned sound escaped with her breath. There would be no formal Binding ceremony associated with her loss of virginity. She would never risk her secret to an unknown. The Binding would inadvertently expose her secret. Fire, the second element she held within her, wouldn’t be able to remain

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veiled.Candace vowed she would find mortal sexual satisfaction tonight, here with this extraordinary being, no matter what else happened. He would provide her with the pleasures she only knew in dreams. There was no way this night would end with her virginity intact—not while this male existed—not even if she had to cast a spell to convince him to take her.

****

Night after night lingering in her dream world, making love to her, and bringing her to amazing heights of pleasure hadn’t prepared him for the effect that just standing in her company had on him. What effect would the actual contractions of her climax have while he buried his cock hilt deep in her tight hot pussy? He watched her arousal not only in, but through her eyes. The irises turned colors. First, they turned shades of deeper blue mixed in liquid silver, like molten mercurial swirls of lightning. Then they reflected his own deep ocean color and his power. He saw the sea’s waves, the power, and the mist in her gaze. And then, for just a moment, he thought he saw flames. Could it be the fire? He looked deep into her thoughts and knew there would be no denying her now. She was beyond this mortal world, reaching for the fulfillment promised to her when the world was new and her soul commanded the forces of nature. Her scent called to him, demanding his body’s response to hers, and it wouldn’t be denied tonight. Standing before her, naked beneath his robe, he watched as she drew on her immature power. She barely controlled herself, yet somehow managed to prevent the earth from crumbling beneath their feet with the power of her desire. They would need to be careful. He’d seen something special in her, sensed her gift, and recognized her hidden ancient powers. She may know she held the powers of air and fire, but he doubted she knew the extent of her abilities. Her magical powers mixed with the elements could rock a universe and would be dangerous when out of control. She was very young to be burdened with all this and now him, too. But maybe, just maybe, he’d met his equal, his match, and his salvation. Lightning burst through the air, almost hitting him before he redirected it into the ground beside him. He reached out in self-defense, thinking he’d be safer holding her than standing in front of her like a target. He thought that, until they touched. It was the first mistake he’d made in over two thousand years, but a necessary one. Another bolt whizzed past his head, barely missing him. He ducked sideways, thinking, I better help her gather a little more control before she kills me. When he gathered her up in his arms, the attraction built. As they neared each other, their bodies responded like magnetic poles creeping within opposing power fields. They slammed together, locked in an indestructible embrace. Despite the difference in their sizes, their bodies fit like pieces of a puzzle. They fit comfortably together as if carved from the same piece of stone.

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Okay, so maybe touching her had been a mistake, but one he didn’t regret. Once her body melted against his, he felt complete for the first time in his long empty life. The static electricity flying through the atmosphere fizzled. The waves calmed, the breeze died down, and the air cleared as the external energy slowly transferred into each of them. Carefully keeping their bodies together, they maintained the energized field. Sexual attraction sizzled between them. He lifted her chin and watched her eyes as he drowned in the swirling energy of her gaze. The scent of both of their arousals wafted around them, trapping them helplessly within the circle of their embrace. Furthermore, he was sure the pheromones they emitted spurred the animal magnetism they experienced. Although he successfully fought the need to take her right then and there, he felt the urge almost overwhelm him. As he held her, he couldn’t stop from imagining thrusting and burying himself up to his balls in her body. His inner beast pushed hard at his self-control. The attraction he felt unequaled anything he had ever known in all his years of existence. With a deep breath, a fierce growl rumbled through his chest. Defiantly, he fought his way past the Droughan’s demand. He wouldn’t take her for the first time here in the sand dunes. Instead he visualized taking her in the room at the top of the lighthouse with the deep bass blasts of the foghorn rumbling through their bodies. The sound would add to the sensuality, and her screams of pleasure would be silenced beneath his mouth. He envisioned her under him, her round naked breasts pressed firmly against his chest, the peaks of her tight nipples begging to be suckled. He could almost sense the feel of her juices drenching over him as he entered her. The liquid honey pouring out of her would be forced down his cock to the root with each thrust. It would slip past his balls, dripping between his thighs to his ass. All the while his imagination painted erotic pictures in his mind, his dick mindlessly longed to bury into her warmth. His hips yearned to pump forcefully, taking her roughly until his cock convulsed wildly inside her. He ached to explode, repeatedly spurting wads of his powerful cum into her cunt. Each burst would alleviate the mounting pressure building to a crescendo in his balls and give her strength for the Binding ceremony. He picked her up in his arms and carried her. As he forced his mind back to reality and his body back into control, his rock hard erection twitched. Beneath her sweet rounded cheeks, his cock sought the wet softness in anxious anticipation. He could wait no longer. He would walk, slowly, very slowly to his rooms in the lighthouse. The walk would do him good. It would test his control, give him time to pull himself together and figure out what to do about being cast into this dilemma. He had to find a way to manage these feelings before he took her. The one inevitable fact remained—take her, he would.

****

She became the lightning. The heat from fire, the power from its strength poured from her, and something more raged within her. She felt a quickening. Something happened to her. The world beyond her sight looked like an ocean whirlpool. The man from her dreams carried her. A necessity, because her

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legs felt as if they were made of rubber. She was afraid her knees were too weak to hold her up. His touch set off electrical impulses at every contact point.Candace felt the pressure developing within her, building to a crescendo, like an explosion waiting to go off inside her. This man and this moment were destined for her.

Chapter 4

He elevated and floated up the circular staircase toward the light at the top, while softly murmuring her name against her neck. His voice, gravely with desire, rumbled through her senses. When they reached the room, the candlelight provided soft shadows. The intermittent flashes from the lighthouse beacon strobed into the pea-soup sky, as the previously clear night clouded up under a blanket of fog. The low clouds enfolded them in the privacy of their mist. The foghorn on the rocky point cyclically warned ships away in low sensuous blasts. Against this backdrop, Cian bent to touch his lips to hers, sending heat barreling through her. Suddenly their clothes vanished. Her naked flesh slid against his.Candace thrilled with the sensation and wondered at his power to will away their clothes with a thought. Her nipples pebbled up, pressed against his chest as she rubbed against the short dark hairs, and savored the way the fine curls tickled her nipples. He rubbed back more firmly, sending a bolt of heat to her center core before he dropped his lips to suck first one, then the other peaked tip. Her legs felt too weak to hold her upright when he placed her feet on the floor. She dropped to her knees and closed her eyes as he followed her down, steadying her. His warm breath spread over her body, as he kissed her from her knees up to the tip of each nipple. Gently urging her to her back, his mouth moved back down to her mound. He opened her thighs, lifting each over his shoulders and parted her vaginal lips with both hands. He took her swollen clitoris into his mouth and licked, kissed and sucked until she went mindless, waiting for the impending explosion. She saw the desire in his eyes as he moved to press his erection against her mound. His weight pressing into her felt fantastic, his hard shaft spectacular, rubbing and pressing against her clit. Using the power of his mind, Cian shifted them to the bed inside the protective circle of candles. Kissing her mouth softly to distract her, his cock pressed insistently at her opening. His hands traced and molded each curve on her body. Then he followed the trail of his fingers, caressing each sensitive spot lightly with his tongue, and with his breath. He elicited unbelievable sensations from her, stirring her, arousing her beyond her expectations.

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She felt his lips drop soft kisses back down her lower abdomen to her knees, and on the return trip, his tongue licked up her thigh, slipping between her vaginal lips, parting her, opening her wide for access. She didn’t breathe until she felt his mouth close over her clit once more, knowing this time she would fall over the edge she’d straddled moments before. She screamed at the thrill of lips brushing against her folds, his tongue thrusting into her, his rough beard scraping against the tender flesh on the inside of her thighs. Grabbing his hair, she sobbed aloud and held his head tightly against her cunt as she readied for the explosion. He flicked her clit with his tongue, then drew it between his lips and suckled voraciously. Her juices slipped between her cheeks like tears. Gasping with the experience of a myriad of new and unearthly sensations, every inch of her flesh burst into pinpoint chills as she exploded with her first real orgasm. Then without warning, he lifted his great looming body over hers and bored into her with his thick, pulsing cock. To prevent her virginal pain, he sent his mind deep into hers, removing fear and pain from the event. He maintained their mental touch, fusing their thoughts so they could share each other’s experience. He enflamed her senses. His pumping rhythm built to an unbearable level before he emptied his hot molten cum into her. They simultaneously burst into pure white-hot light and exploded, shattering into a million particles like sparkling fireworks cast into the flat black night sky. Emerging from the climax,Candace felt like starlight itself, no, more like a multitude of scattered stars settling against the soft dark sky, twinkling in her pleasure. She wanted to ask in wonder, What is this illusion ?Only this time when she opened her eyes he was no illusion, he remained here, still aroused within her. This is no illusion .He pressed his still-hard penis into her to prove it and smiled in pleasure when she gasped. And still no words passed between them. Words were unnecessary. She smiled, running a hand over his dear face as he bent to take her lips. His talented tongue probed gently into the farthest reaches of her mouth. His power merged their thoughts and mixed his sensations with hers. She felt what he felt. He knew she smelled and tasted herself in his kiss. He saw that it aroused her. And it surprised her. She experienced a moment of self-consciousness, until she felt a familiar sensation. He rubbed his fingers over her cheek and across her lips tenderly as he had so many times in her dreams. The simple affectionate touch meant more to her than thousands of words. It confirmed their bond. She knew this man. He resided in her mind and in her heart. She had always known him. She rolled him off her onto his back and straddled him. Cian eyes widened and crinkled as the corners as his mouth turned up into a devilish grin. “I’m a witch, daemon boy.” “Yes, you are. But I’m not really a daemon.” He pointed to his chest, at the tattoo. “He is the daemon.” “Oh, sorry.” She distracted him with her hands. “You may have started something you can’t stop. I am sensuality itself. I need to pleasure you now. Put the thoughts in my head so I can learn.” Cian groaned. “My little virgin witch, you very well may be the death of the daemon. I see what you

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have in mind for me.” She touched his face, and kissed his chin. “A virgin no more.” She smiled and lowered her head to his chest, tasting his taught nipples. They puckered in her mouth. She licked them and traveled down his abdomen, dipping her tongue into his navel and followed the trail of hair with her nails to the base of his cock. It stood, impressively waiting for her attention. How powerful she felt to command such a man. It was her turn to bring him pleasure. She cupped his balls in her hands as she licked the tip of his erection, mimicking the thoughts he placed in her mind. Tentatively she explored his cock with her tongue, fascinated with the veins bulging on the sides of his erection. As she watched him inhale and reach for control, she became more bold, experimenting on her own. Happily, he let her take the lead. The symbol on his chest swirled magically. She reached out to touch it, but he gently covered her hand with his and moved it back to his balls, encouraging her to stroke him the way he liked. She returned her mouth to the business of pleasuring him—licking, sucking, stroking. She mouth-fucked him, taking his great size between her lips and into her mouth.Candace ’s hands roamed, exploring his body to find the area behind his sac that made him groan in pleasure when she rubbed him there. She felt his surprise when he realized that he hadn’t directed her. She took him deep down her throat until she felt his cock lurch, begging her to complete him. She sucked deeply in and out, feeling him jerk and spasm before he pumped uncontrollably into her mouth. He came in thick powerful bursts, tasting fantastic—tangy, salty, strong. She swallowed all of his cum, sucking him dry and licking her lips, taking every drop of the essence he offered. She then kissed her way back up his body, nipping and licking along the way, causing his body to shudder with the aftershocks of his orgasm.Candace felt the Power growing within her, and she loved the strength welling up inside.

****

Cian could have cried in relief when she thought of sucking him off on her own. The powerful essence of his cum would strengthen her for the Binding ceremony. The act of spilling himself deep in her womb helped, but it wasn’t as effective as her swallowing his cum. Each time they fucked, the mental and physical bond between them grew. This physical contact achieved so much more than the psychic dreams they’d had before. If only he could resign himself to the process. He was not ready to share her, not even with Regan, not even to save the world. Each time he fucked her, made him more desperate, and made what had to be done even harder for him. He scooped her up against his body, embracing her protectively with all intentions of letting her rest, but he couldn’t. He touched her folds with his finger tips and rolled her to her stomach. Just the slightest touch between them had him hard, and her dripping wet and ready for him again. Her plump, rounded cheeks begged to be kissed. “Do you know what a great looking ass you have?” He bent over and kissed each cheek.

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Candacemoaned, “Mmmm.” Lifting her hips, he ran his hands down between her cleft, and spread her cheeks so he could have a better view of her pink cunt, all shiny, wet, and begging for his fingers. He dipped his finger into her pussy, pulled it out, and watched her body react as he forced it back in, rubbing the inside of her vaginal lips. He smeared her wetness up to her small hole and rubbed the moisture all around, working at the tiny opening, softening her, testing with a finger around the outside, he rimmed it with his tongue. He moved away and watched, pushing forward with a single finger while his larger one cunt-fucked her. She leaned back into his hand and just the reaction had him hopeful. His cock jerked in response. Oh, how he wanted to press into her tiny puckered opening, stretching her to pleasure. Instead he put his dick into her wet, dripping cunt and groaned as she clenched him with her internal muscles. Reaching around to stroke her blonde curly bush, he rubbed her clit to a frantic pitch, playing her like a banjo while he pumped his ever straining cock inside her warm tight channel. As he did, he penetrated her asshole with first one thick finger, then added a second and a third, stretching her to accommodate his size. He removed his fingers, slipped his dripping wet cock from her cunt, and placed his bulbous tip up to her puckering hole. As he pressed the tip carefully and slowly in, they moaned in unison. God, she was so tight. He pulsed with pleasure, threatening to leak more than just the pre-cum seeping from his weeping cock head. She leaned back onto him, rubbing her ass back and forth begging him to penetrate her deeper. He squeezed in up to his balls and buried his thumb in her cunt as he continued to rub her clit with his fingers. “Candace, come for me, now. Come hard. Your sweet ass is so tight. I can’t stand it much longer. I’m so ready.” He pumped harder, refusing to come before she did. “You’re so hot, I don’t think I can hold back.” With each stroke, it became impossible for him to prevent the pressure threatening to burst. He pulled her up on her knees against his chest, one hand on her clit and the other at her breast. His thick cock buried itself deep within the little hole between her butt cheeks. Cian opened his mouth and gently held the muscle between her neck and shoulder between his teeth. He pinched her nipple between a thumb and forefinger and demanded, “Come,Candace , come. Watch my hands on your body. See how I rub your swollen clit and feel me while I pump into you. You’re squeezing me so tight, I’m ready to blow. Are you ready for the stars to explode again, honey?” She didn’t answer, but when his thumb found the sweet spot inside her cunt, he felt a clitoral orgasm grab her. Simultaneously her vaginal walls clenched responding to her release and her anal muscles gripped his cock. He couldn’t hold off, couldn’t prevent his reaction any longer. He spewed his sperm into her, and with it, some of his immortality

****

With each sexual act,Candace felt more and more a part of this man. Psychically linked, the link grew

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with each physical contact. And with each new link, she wanted more. She craved him as well as the sex, loving the way she knew he felt with her. She longed to merge into his very soul, but something prevented it. Drawn to him as if he were a part of her, two parts of a whole, yet she still felt incomplete. Strangely enough, the missing piece to the puzzle felt close by. Something, or someone just barely out of her reach, called to her. The emptiness drew her, this aching soul, like a moth to flame. Only she didn’t understand.

****

Regan waited outside the lighthouse, tense and upset while he felt Cian and the woman making love. Cian’s emotions had called to him, brought him here, as surely as Cian’s message had days earlier. He rubbed his hand over his hard-on to ease his need and adjusted himself. He sensed the turmoil within Cian earlier. Now he felt the woman and something within her, something more... Some deeper need called to him. Regan thought he felt the woman reach out for him. When he realized she could touch his mind, he stopped to wonder. Howwasit possible she searched for him, desiring the mental connection to him? Only his chosen mate could mind merge with him, and he had none. Not now. Not since he’d lost his mate eons ago, and this woman obviously belonged to Cian, not him. Even now, the woman knew he waited nearby. She allowed him to move through her mind. But how? Through Cian’s link? He knew she felt him touching himself. She had no idea what would become of her. Cian had to tell her, soon, before they couldn’t turn back. She had no idea of the consequences or of what would come next. She had to decide how to proceed, or if she would. The decision was hers...and Regan’s now to make. He felt her mind probing inside his, not really understanding where she headed. He groaned as he felt her lush body against Cian’s as Cian’s fingers touched her. And for a moment, when her mouth wrapped around Cian’s member, he felt it as if her mouth ran up and down his own cock, driving him to the edge, sucking him off. He felt the pleasure building as if he’d participated. He exploded with the pleasure. Hell, he’d creamed in his jeans like a green kid, leaning against the outside of the lighthouse. Disgusted with himself, yet there’d been no stopping it. God, what a mouth that little witch has . Tears burned behind his closed lids, tears he refused to shed. Knowing she would never be his, that she belonged to his best friend, he could never touch her again after Samhain. Regan, also a Keeper, held the power of the earth as Cian did the sea.Candace ’s power of the air wasn’t all he sensed within her. He sensed something more. They still had to find the Keeper of the fire, or the Keeper would have to find them to complete theBond

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by Samhain. Timewasrunning out. There would be no fooling one another when the time came for their decision. The elements had to be merged. Cian had already waited endless lifetimes to overcome the Droughan and free himself of the daemon. He had to return the elements to the Otherworld. Candaceheld the power to fulfill the Prophecy, but the price would be high for them all. They would be bound together for all Eternity, and Regan hoped they could live with the consequences after the Trinity. He loved Cian like a brother. All theTuathaDa Danann shared a close bond, some closer than others. Would his relationship with Cian change after the Trinity and the Binding ceremony? Would their lifelong friendship survive the experience? Sexually sharingCandace would be difficult enough for Cian to accept, maybe even impossible with the Droughan possessing him. Possibly even harder because he’d be sharing her with his best friend. For Regan, the additional problem existed. He would have to emotionally, as well as physically, submit to being a physical buffer betweenCandace and the Droughan while Cian’s body experienced the total possession. Could Regan do it? Would it be too much for an alpha male? Wanting to perform and being able to were two separate issues. He wasn’t sure he could even pull it off. Never in his long life had he thought of being involved sexually with another man. That it would have to be Cian’s body made it even more uncomfortable because of his feelings for him. They would just have to find a way to deal with it. Three worlds depended on them. Regan’s other powers would be necessary to keepCandace safe. What he brought her as theTuathaDa Danann wizard would strengthen her. Someone else watched and waited. Someone dark who wanted his or her power for himself. Regan cast out, looking for the evil one, but the essence of the intruder vanished as fast as he had appeared.

****

Cian prepared the stone in the circle of candles for the Trinity ceremony.Candace still rested after their full night and morning of lovemaking. He had sensedJeremy ’s dark presence last night even before he knew Regan merged in his mind. Good. They’d deal with this problem ofJeremy together. Regan remained downstairs in the kitchen. Cian knew he would wait at the bottom of the stairs until called, until Cian properly prepared for both ceremonies. Cian remained withCandace , safely within the circle of candles asJeremy probed the room with his dark magic. What motives did that weasel of a warlock have for spying on them? He must have discovered Princess Jade didn’t hold the power he expected. Cian suspectedJeremy figured outCandace held the power he wanted, and he’d come to get her back. He must have sensed the power in her anger last night and now thought she was worth the risk of the faeries’ fury. She‘d never been meant forJeremy anyway, and Cian had already claimed her, made her his, as the fates had always intended. Claiming her last night had been merely a formality.

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He and Regan could put up wards against any casting, but they would have to watch out forJeremy in the next few days. The warlock reeked of evil. For tonight, Cian opened a daemon hole with his mind and blasted his power at the warlock outside, tripping him and toppling him over the edge of the crevasse where he stood.Jeremy screamed as he fell through the portal into the Underworld. Cian smirked. That should keep the coward busy for awhile. From inside the room upstairs, his mind reached out to Regan, trying to soothe his anxiety. Come up. There is no time like the present to get started with our task. There’s never going to be an easy way to do this, but we can try .

****

Regan appeared in the room seconds later and looked at the naked couple in the circle. Cian’s muscles glistened with sweat from their sexual exertions, andCandace glistened in the candlelight. She looked so beautiful, her magnificence hurt his eyes. Once again, he reminded himself, she wasn’t for him. He would do his duty, service this couple. But he’d never be a part of them, he winced, or anyone else. Regan stared at the faery witch who held all the power of the Prophecy. Does she know? Does she understand what must happen ?he asked Cian, while blocking his thoughts fromCandace . She continued to look at him with interest. Cian shook his head. Does she have a choice? Do we? Regan shrugged, uncomfortable with what would come next. He dematerialized his clothes and waited for permission to enter the circle. Cian flicked off several protective candles to allow his entrance. Then they both held their breath waiting forCandace ’s reaction. As Regan approachedCandace within the circle, Cian watched her inspect and admire his friend’s body. Regan’s cock, already hard, stood erect and ready. Without hesitation, she looked up at the candles and without a backward glance relit them behind Regan, binding him within the circle, a silent acknowledgement of her approval.

****

Some force built in the circle, something more than they expected. Cian felt the power surge when Regan entered. Regan intently watched the flames alight on the candles and frowned. Cian knew the pain his friend felt without a mate. He looked at Regan, then back atCandace . “Candace, look at me.”

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In her eyes, the flames of the fire’s power flickered brightly. It wasn’t the lightning that he usually saw there. Inside the circle with the two male Keepers,Candace ’s special gift exposed itself even before the Binding ceremony. Cian stared atCandace . She lingered in a trance, as if waiting for the men to make a decision. Inside this fragile mortal witch, fire waited for them to draw the gift from her. Candace is the Keeper of a ir and f ire. I know. Once inside the circle, I recognized the pull from her immediately.Regan’s smile looked relieved. Finally , after all these long years, I’ve discovered another soul mate. His smile turned into a frown when Regan looked at his friend. Can we find a way to share her? A wave of jealous greed swept through Cian. He let Regan see it. Every possessive instinct had him warring with the thought of sharing her. His eyes narrowed, and a low growl rumbled in his chest. Do I have a choice? Lose her, damn the worlds, damn my soul to the daemons forever? Fuck you, let you fuck me, fuck her with you, and get to keep her forever. Where’s the choice here, Regan? Fates predestinedCandace , for them both, two alpha males forced into the Trinity and an eternity sharing the same female. Cian relaxed and lifted his chin before speaking directly to Regan’s mind. The Fates have a twisted sense of humor. They have a way of playing silly games with us immortals. The air outside the circle started to spin, creating a vortex. Soon the Droughan would come for the elements. Time was short, and the moon rose low on the horizon. Before the dawn, the first part of the Prophecy must be fulfilled. Regan held himself still. He watched as Cian walked up behindCandace and slipped his arms around her waist. He drew her against his chest and ran his hands up to her breasts. Her nipples peaked beneath his expert touch. Candace’s head fell back on Cian’s shoulder. Regan approached her slowly and took her face in his hands. He bent and kissed her, a deep soul-searching kiss, then lifted his head and looked deep into her eyes for approval. She smiled up at him. Running her hands into his hair, she pulled his head to her mouth. She nipped and laved the seam between his lips before delving inside his mouth with her tongue, dancing and tangling hers erotically with his. She kissed Regan, running her hands over his muscled shoulders, exploring him as if she knew him and recognized his needs. Instead of jealousy, Cian felt aroused whileCandace continued the exploration of Regan’s body. Because the feeling of arousal at the sight ofCandace kissing and touching his handsome best friend confused him, he closed his eyes. Her scent intoxicated him, and he bent to kiss the pulse at the base of her neck. Cian’s hands moved onCandace ’s breasts tweaking her nipples, while he pressed his hard cock between her ass cheeks.

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Regan stepped in closer toCandace ’s body, still holding her face and kissing her. Regan’s chest brushed against the backs of Cian’s hands. He moved his knee between her thighs, sandwiching her between the two men. Cian cupped her breasts, then dropped his hands to her waist, farther down her belly and unintentionally brushed Regan’s cock. Velvety soft skin covered the rock hard interior. It jumped in reaction, but Regan didn’t move away or into Cian’s hand. Cian held his ground. Then he purposely reached down and cupped Regan’s balls, rubbing them and stroking his friend’s erect penis with the knowledge only another man has. Regan leaned into Cian’s touch as if unable to resist the sensation. He groaned with pleasure. Candacepulled Regan against her, allowing his kiss. His long blond hair brushed over her shoulder before he moved past her mouth and kissed Cian. Sticking his tongue down his friend’s throat, he indicated what he wanted, what he would expect from him, and that he accepted his role. That would come later. Now they had to fillCandace with their power. With the ice broken between the two men andCandace , Cian mentally rematerialized a bed within the circle. He movedCandace to the middle of the mattress and encouraged Regan betweenCandace ’s thighs, handling his friend’s dick as if it were a part of his own body. Regan’s knees bent, as Cian pushed his friend’s erection intoCandace ’s hot wet cunt. He felt the sensation in his own cock and the powerful pleasure she felt. Cian’s hands spread her thighs wider. She arched up off the bed to take Regan’s long cock deeper. Cian repositioned himself at her head, and pulled Regan’s mouth to his and kissed the man in a passionate open-mouthed kiss. He wanted her to watch him take Regan’s tongue in his mouth. He wanted her to see them together, to know what they would all mean to each other after this night. Cian tongue-fucked Regan’s mouth soCandace could see what he intended. Then Cian smiled, backed up, and leaned down to kiss her before turning and straddling her head with his cock and balls hanging over her charming lips. He waited for her tongue to stroke him. When she opened her lips and whipped her tongue across the slit of his cock, he moaned. Regan slipped his cock in and out ofCandace with an ancient rhythm, as the illusion of fire consumed him. He fuckedCandace ’s pussy as Cian’s cock fucked her mouth. The pressure behind his balls increased as did his pace until he couldn’t hold back. He climaxed. The cum he spurt into her cunt released the power of the earth, the power he protected. With it, he gifted her with some of his immortal ability. He hoped it would be enough to withstand the Droughan when the daemon consumed Cian. Regan rolled to his side, spent for the moment. Cian shouted as his cum filledCandace ’s demanding mouth, loosening the power of the sea into her, enabling her to withstand the ordeal to come. Their cum gave her strength and knowledge. She needed the power the men gladly shared with her, and suddenly she acted as if she couldn’t get enough. The more she took from them, the more erotic she became. The more sensual she felt, the more needy she became. “Cian, please rub my clit… You know what I need. Make me come again. Something inside feels like it’s going to explode. I need to come again.” Cian smiled and knelt between her legs.Candace arched her back, and he lifted her pussy to his mouth. Turning to wink at Regan before he buried his head between her legs, he wondered if he could bring

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himself to suck off Regan. Her shiny dripping cunt begged him to lick her, and Regan’s musky scent turned him on instead of putting him off. He decided he’d be okay with his friend’s dick in his mouth later. Now he devoured her, licking and nuzzling until he felt her tension build to a frenzied peak and burst. Her hips collapsed limp in his hands. ****

The three lay on the bed within the protected candle lit circle, breathing hard, but still not quite satisfied. While Cian paid close attention to stimulatingCandace ’s breasts, nuzzling and licking her hard erect nipples, she groaned and whimpered and he pulled her against his chest. Her hands on his back traced circles. A desperate sound entered her voice when she finally asked, “When will we be satiated?” Cian released a wet nipple, and nipped the soft skin beneath her ear. He answered with a low husky voice, “Not until after the Binding ceremony, and we still have the Trinity to complete before beginning that undertaking.” Cian looked at Regan with a question in his eyes. “Are you ready?” The earth wizard said nothing in return, but knowing what was expected and necessary to complete the Trinity, Regan began stimulating Cian to another erection. He stroked Cian’s cock, while Cian suckledCandace ’s breasts and fingered her pussy. She watched Regan as he bent over and took Cian’s cock in his mouth, driving the length of it down his throat and followed a few quick strokes by licking his balls clean. SmellingCandace ’s scent filling the air had both men’s cocks more than ready, engorged and throbbing. Regan’s devout oral attention had Cian’s balls high and tight. Cian’s cock stood hard and erect as a granite monument standing between his legs. When his cock began to lurch, Regan stopped. He’d enjoyed the magic of the wizard’s tongue almost too much. Regan rolled to his back and waited, his hands pumping his own cock while he watched Cian rollCandace to her back and spread her legs apart. He lifted her knees and pushed his fingers deep into her cunt as his mouth engulfed her succulent clit. He licked her nearly to orgasm before stopping. As the ceremony of the Trinity required, he flipped her over Regan’s chest, and positioned her so she straddled Regan’s hips. Her soaking wet pussy hovered directly over his friend’s raging erection. He watched as Regan entered her, and Cian pushed her hips down until she had the entire length of Regan’s cock inside her. She let out a satisfied sigh, and Regan groaned with pleasure as she impaled herself on his rod. As she arched her back, Regan and Cian admired her breasts. They were tempting, full, and ripe with large pink areolas surrounding darker pink-tipped nipples. Cian cupped her full breasts from behind, pinching the pretty erect nipples gently, while Regan’s hand steadied her hip. Cian kept one breast in his hand as Regan took the other. Then Cian released her breast to play with her clit. He circled the nub with his middle finger before applying pressure. “I need to be inside you, too.” Cian’s voice was rough with need.Candace nodded. He bent her forward, angling her ass up for better access. Regan took one nipple between his lips and teased it with his tongue.

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Cian held her hips in place struggling for control as his cock jumped. It throbbed with need as he watched Regan’s hard pulsing penis sliding in and out of her bright pink cunt, shiny with her own lube. Regan’s cock pulled out all the way, and she cried out at the loss. Still outside her cunt, Cian jacked Regan’s cock once or twice then he stuck his fingers intoCandace ’s cunt. Pulling some of the dripping pussy juice, he wiped it all over his cock until it glistened, then he wiped more over her puckering asshole and tested her with a finger. Regan re-entered her pussy as Cian placed the tip of his dick against the entrance, watching his cock stretch her tiny hole. He rocked in slowly, gaining ground each time. He could see how tight she was as he pressed into her, and he could feel how full she was with Regan inside her. He watched Regan’s eyes roll back in his head with pleasure as Cian’s cock finally, fully penetratedCandace . Once his entire cock was buried to the hilt in her body, he could feel the ridge of Regan’s cock pulsing in and out of her. They completed the Trinity. Cian began to pump, feeling the complete fullness of being within her while Regan filled her cunt. He didn’t think he’d ever felt anything as good as the feel of Regan’s cock gliding against his own through the common wall of her vagina, while her anal ring gripped him tightly. The sensation of sharing her like this brought him more pleasure than he would have ever believed. Through the psychic bond he andCandace formed last night, he felt all the fantastic sensations she felt, just as she did his. He revealed his own pleasure to her through their mind link. The phenomenon made the sexual experience more complete, totally fulfilling. The love between them swirled around them, in them, and through them. He couldn’t hold back his climax any longer. The powerful essence of the sea poured into her as he climaxed, spilling his seed just as Regan’s last stroke exploded inside her gorgeous blonde pussy. Candace’s power built to a terrifying crescendo. Her experience was so electrifying they could all feel the Droughan straining for release within the circle, demanding the elements. Suddenly everyone sensedJeremy ’s black magic seeking entrance from outside. A lowing humming sound surrounded the lighthouse and the candles flickered as if a breeze threatened.Candace tensed and gave the men a worried look. “I should have finished him off before, instead of just pushing him from into the crevasse.” Cian growled, barely able to speak with anger and the Droughan pressing him. They all knew, to maintain the safety of the elements, the daemons of the Underworld must never know about this ceremony tonight. The balance of power Cian wielded over the Droughan hung by a precarious thread. If the Droughan realized how they were going to use him, he’d take control of Cian’s life and the elements. They had to be careful. “I sensed him earlier, too, when I waited downstairs. I should have taken better precautions.” “Help me locate him, Regan.” Cian reached out with his mind, searching forJeremy ’s location. On the rocks below,Jeremy ’s eyes sought them out for the leaders of the Underworld. With Regan’s help, Cian sent a wall of black outside the tower to hide them. They had to blindJeremy , or anyone seeking entrance to their circle. Regan nodded to Cian. “Let’s finish this. Now!” Then Cian called upon the forces of the sea to grab the warlock from where he cast his dark magic.

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The evil humming around their circle silenced, and the candles flickered once. They all knew the moment whenJeremy had been cast out. He was gone from their plane of existence. The scent of the candles relaxed them so they could resume their task. They were about to take the final steps before the Binding. Somehow,Candace knew to take Regan’s cock into her mouth in submission. As the vortex of the Droughan’s powers swirled around them, Cian stood behind Regan, bending both he andCandace down to the bed.Candace laid on her back and Regan knelt on his hands and knees. Cian moved Regan’s knees farther apart for better access.Candace ’s tongue lapped enthusiastically at Regan’s balls. Her mouth sucked his erection. The satisfaction he felt distracted him from the inevitable. Regan felt the masculine hands on his hips opening his butt cheeks to expose his entrance. He felt vulnerable in this position, until the sensations stimulated him—Cian’s tongue licking him, wetting him and rimming his asshole, arousing him beyond anything he ever imagined. Then once he relaxed, Cian penetrated him with his fingers slightly, massaging him within, rubbing his perineum with his other hand. Soon the sensation had Regan leaning back against Cian’s hands begging for more. Candace’s sweet mouth strummed his dick, licking and stroking him, sliding down his shaft to his balls. She palmed his balls, lifted them to her mouth and sucked first one of them, then the other. She rolled her tongue over and around them until the tension caused his cock to twitch. She stopped and the orgasm threatening to burst from Regan waned. He didn’t think he could take much more of this. His cock felt like it would explode if he didn’t get some relief. “Candace, suck me faster, damn it.” He pushed his raging cock in her face. His heard the desperation in his voice as he begged Cian, “Fuck me now, my friend. Fuck me hard.” Candacelicked the pre-cum from him then started sucking him off with strong deep movements just as Cian stuck his big hot dick in his ass. As Cian filled him slowly, the lightning inCandace ’s eyes changed into flames. The aura surrounding her shifted from her normal whimsical airy light to fiery heat. Her appearance took on the power of fire. For a split second, her image was surrounded by flames so bright he dared not look at her. The flames ebbed, and white hot lightning sparks snapped around her. The change happened so quickly Regan thought he’d imagined the illusion. His vision lost focus whenCandace took his cock fully down her throat. The prospect of having her swallow his essence and become part of him thrilled him more than he expected. He never dreamed he’d find another. A woman, his woman, someone he could be eternally bound to by love. Regan started rocking into her warm, wet mouth, enjoying the pressure and her tongue playing with his crown. He fucked her mouth thoroughly as his best friend fucked his ass, pounding into him hard and fast. He’d been prepared to do whatever was necessary for love, especially when the fates of the worlds were at stake. What he hadn’t been prepared for was enjoying the Trinity so much. He was ready to share his power. His skin prickled all over with the multiple sensations both his mind and his body experienced.Candace ’s tongue caressed his dick while her fingers tugged on his tight male nipples. He couldn’t stop himself. He spurted repeatedly into her mouth while Cian filled his mind with his knowledge and his body with his powerful cum.

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When Regan rolled offCandace , collapsing to his side to prevent crushing her beneath him, he noticed Cian had rolled to her opposite side. They surrounded her in heat and strength. The fire he imagined surroundingCandace had died out, while her soft pastel aura and essence reappeared. There was nothing more than clear refreshing air. When their breathing returned to normal and Regan could speak, he said, “Come to the tub. Let us bathe one another.” Candacelooked surprised. “I didn’t see a tub—“ Cian smiled at Regan and snapped his fingers. The sound of a bubbling hot tub filled the room, so did the fragrance of lilacs and the sound of the ocean waves breaking gently on the rocks below, enhanced with a haunting refrain of a flute. Candaceglanced at the semi-circular tub against the far wall and said, “Hey, nifty trick. Can you teach that one to me sometime?” Cian picked her up, carried her to the tub, and slowly immersed her in the heated bubbles. “Anytime you want.” He grinned at her before joining her. “The ceremony isn’t complete, not yet. There is still more. The tub will help all of us relax.” He nodded to Regan. The water stimulated instead of relaxing them. Cian couldn’t get enough of touching and strokingCandace ’s breasts as Regan paid close attention to the pink little nub at the top of her slit. Her hands played in each man’s lap, but her focus was lost. When they all seemed ready again, Cian blinked them dry and back on the bed. Candacelay like a wanton feast before them. Spreading her legs wide, Regan took the initiative to bend Cian’s mouth overCandace ’s cunt so he could smell all their power within her. He went down betweenCandace ’s legs, suckling her cunt and laving her clit as Regan watched. Cian’s muscled ass lifted to Regan in invitation. He ran his hands between Cian’s butt cheeks, spreading them, bent his head, and licked his asshole to lubricate him. Regan hardened again just anticipating the pleasure of sticking his dick in his friend’s tight virgin asshole. He never imagined the prospect of fucking a man could be so exciting. Men had never appealed to him before, but there was more between he and Cian, especially tonight. He palmed Cian’s balls, knowing how the sensation felt and smiled when he heard him respond with pleasure. Then he started rimming his ass opening with his tongue, preparing to penetrate, first with his fingers then with his cock, which now twitched with impatience. Regan stroked up Cian’s cock and pumped it, bringing him to full erection and finger-fucked his ass until he moaned. Regan desperately needed to be inside his muscled asshole. As well-endowed as Regan was, he knew Cian could take every inch of his cock. He penetrated the tiny puckered hole with the tip of his dick, stroking, stretching, and slowly pressing inside Cian until he filled him. Fully seated inside him, with his balls pressed firmly against his perineum, Regan started rubbing Cian’s balls against his own, rolling the nuts inside gently as he began his rhythm, stroking in and not quite out. Their balls lightly slapped together as Cian lifted his ass for more and pressed his balls back for the full effect.

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In all the heavens, Regan gasped at the pleasurable sensations building in him. He loved how all of it felt...so erotic, so wonderful. HearingCandace ' whimper with desperation beneath Cian’s hands and mouth hardened Regan’s rod further. He wanted to burst, but he had to hold the final eruption off. Soon it would be time.Candace had taken on enough of their strength through their power-filled semen and their merging to safely experience the Bonding. Regan hoped she’d be strong enough now to withstand the rigors of the Droughan when he coaxed the daemon from Cian.Candace ’s elements were about to be released and the worlds put to right. Regan would not only have aBond mate forever, but he’d be part of a Trinity.Candace would be his, and so would Cian when this ended. He’d no longer be alone. He refocused his efforts on Cian’s cock, rubbing his hand up and over the sensitive tip, stroking until a pearlescent drop of liquid seeped from the opening. Both he and Cian groaned. Then Regan heard the first rumble, a low growl, emerge from deep within his friend. Cian grabbed Regan’s hand, stopping him before either of them reached orgasm. When he lifted his mouth fromCandace ’s swollen clit, Regan noticed her legs tremble in anticipation. Cian slid upCandace ’s body, lightly kissing her lips, moving slowly, keeping Regan’s cock firmly inside his ass for stimulation. He took both of her breasts in his hands and simultaneously tweaked her nipples, rolling and tugging them before his lips lavished attention first on one, then the other. She screamed, climaxing when he gently pinched her clit. With Regan still buried balls deep in Cian, both men paused to focus onCandace ’s gleaming pink petals surrounding her swollen nub, as fat and delectable as a strawberry. Regan’s cock jumped inside his friend’s tight channel at the sight ofCandace ’s cum seeping from her slit. Cian carefully lifted up on his knees, kneeling before her entrance. He parted her folds with his fingers preparing to penetrate her hot wet cunt. His tattoo began swirling, covering more of his chest, and spread until it completely engulfed the surface of his body, and every square inch of his skin became a part of the intricate swirling pattern. Regan thrust once more, slapping Cian’s ass, encouraging the daemon to surface. The immortal Droughan emerged, taking over Cian’s body. With Regan pumping his dick slowly inside Cian, and his hand wrapped around the Droughan’s growing member. He couldn’t believe Cian’s cock could get any larger. Finally with a triumphant roar, the daemon spreadCandace ’s legs farther apart. Regan pumped hard and deep into Cian’s dark entrance as he sensed the Droughan prepare to take the elements fromCandace . Regan’s magic held the daemon back and he helped guide the Droughan’s cock into her pliant slit. With their minds merged, everyone felt the instant when the monster escaped Cian’s control.Candace watched his face change slightly before a shadow briefly passed inside his eyes, and Regan felt the increase in Cian’s body temperature. Then Cian’s conscious being disappeared from their collective thoughts, and the Droughan fully emerged. The daemon began to fuckCandace in earnest, apparently stimulated by Regan’s cock in Cian’s ass. As the Droughan pumped persistently intoCandace 's cunt, his surging movements aroused Regan to a volatile peak. The walls of Cian’s ass tightened as if sucking and caressing his dick. He felt his earth power settling in his balls, preparing to surge up into his cock and explode. The volatile need wreaked

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havoc with his control. He lost. His cock jerked spurting cum and his power into Cian. Exhausted and drained, Regan pulled his cock from the grip of Cian’s tight hole and fell to his side next toCandace . The power of the earth had passed into Cian for safe keeping and Regan felt relieved until... Cian turned to him and smiled. His canines had extended to impossible lengths. Suddenly everything made sense. Although he was horrified at the prospect, Regan finally understood what part the Droughan would play, and why he was necessary to the ceremony. As the Droughan heldCandace 's body against his, he leaned into her neck and bit down. His fangs penetrated deep into her jugular. Along with her blood, he sucked the element of air from her body, and ultimately, into Cian’s. Soon the Chosen Keeper would possess all four elements. Regan tried to lift himself off the bed inCandace ’s defense. The Droughan pushed him aside as if he were a feather. Drained from the ceremony, Regan couldn’t respond. He was too weak to move, trapped in his power-drained body. What would happen to them? Surely, Cian wouldn’t let the daemon inside him do anything to harmCandace . Regan prayed their earlier efforts had madeCandace strong enough to withstand the daemon’s onslaught without being killed from the blood-letting. Before he could worry more, he heard a deep booming voice similar yet so different from Cian’s demand, “Fire, come forth. Air, you are released.” The essence ofCandace began to split, separating into two images, two elements—one of air and one of fire. The powers drifted from her and into Cian. Her split image melded back together, merging into her body right before she collapsed next to Regan on the bed. The Droughan knelt betweenCandace ’s spread thighs still buried balls-deep inside her tight channel. Regan grasped one ofCandace 's hands and held on to her as the Droughan disappeared back into the symbol on Cian’s chest. She lifted Regan’s hand to her lips and kissed his fingertips to reassure him. The symbol stopped swirling as Cian collapsed to his elbows, surroundingCandace . He pulled his cock out of her and shifted to his back, straddling her thigh with one of his, One of Regan’s legs was trapped beneath her other leg. The tangle of limbs in this fashion, reminded Regan how their souls were also so entwined, now. Cian clutchedCandace firmly about the shoulder with one powerful arm as a trace of her blood dripped from his lips. Regan wasn’t sure any of them were breathing as he turnedCandace ’s face to his. He placed his lips on hers. Mmm, mine . With the Bonding ceremony completed, they now all belonged to each other for eternity. Nothing could separate them. Their elements, all taken into Cian by the Droughanwerebound safely within him until he could return them to the Otherworld. The symbol on his chest began swirling again before quieting. For a moment, Regan wondered whether Cian possessed the Droughan, or if the Droughan possessed him. At least for now, the daemon was under Cian’s control. Cian opened his eyes, stared at Regan, contemplating an answer. As if sensing the question, he looked up and winked. “I’ll never know who’s really in control. For now, I am.”

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He’d been able to read Regan’s projected thoughts before, but now, they shared their thoughts, feelings, and emotions as one with the Binding. For personal privacy, they’d have to figure out how to erect blocks against each other. “Fear not, Cian, I think we know who is truly in control.” Regan glanced atCandace and grinned. “From now on, between us three and the Trinity, it matters not who possesses whom as long as the elements are one within you, and we can return them to the Otherworld by Samhain.”

Epilogue

Candaceheard the sirens and the voices shouting outside the cracked window of her car. Was that blood she felt dripping? She held her hand to her neck. Then held her hand up to the light. Yes, it was blood. A result of a slight cut from the glass she saw scattered over the dashboard. The car door opened with the sound of metal being torn. A few moments later, she felt gentle hands lift her from the car, and the eyes peering down at her were the deep sea green of Cian’s. “Cian, what happened?” she whispered as she tried to concentrate on the face of the man who held her while sirens screamed and lights flashed around them. He looked surprised. “Do we know each other?” he asked as if speaking to a stranger. Although his words asked one thing, his eyes twinkled beneath his dark brows. She blushed and wondered if everything she experienced tonight had been a hallucination. “Do you remember meeting me before?” he asked warily. Candacelooked at him, puzzled by his questions. If he didn’t know her, she couldn’t answer him. Instead, she panicked, looking around forSamantha , trying to get her bearings and make sense out of tonight. Memories swirled through her head. All of it must have been her imagination. She was back at the scene where her car crashed into the tree. It was still the night before Samhain. His face went in and out of focus as she watched him speak. “I’m relieved I found you. You’ve been in an accident. It’s lucky I passed this way tonight.” He ran his hands over her, examining her for injuries, quieting her. “Calm down, relax. It doesn’t look that bad. Let the emergency crew check you over.”

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While he applied pressure to her wound, others rushed to help. Was she still naked? Her eyes shot to the strangers and then to her body. She sighed with relief when she realized she actually wore her ceremonial robe. When had she put it on? Samantharubbed against Cian.Candace watched her flirt, wanting to shoo the bold cat away. Sam , cut that out. Not on your life. I see why you never told me about this hunk’a hunk’a burnin’ luv. Candacegroaned. Knock it off. Get lost for awhile will you? “Are you in pain?” The look of concern on Cian’s face made her sorry she’d worried him. “No, I’m just a little confused.” Right confused! Maybe yesterday, but I think today, you’re finally clear. Sam ! Okay, I’ll go distractJeremy . I know a hot daemon girl who’d love to make a meal out of him. No! We just went through that and look where it got me. I’d say you’re doing fine. “You’re going to be okay.” The man picked her up and delivered her into the back of the waiting ambulance, turning her care over to the paramedic. Samantharolled her eyes atCandace and flicked her tail. She walked off, strutting her cat behind and waving her tail behind her. TheEMT prepared and situated a space for her. But the man she thought of as Cian didn’t leave. Instead, he kept a calming stream of conversation and information going. “I just moved into the caretaker’s cottage over at the old lighthouse. It’s a great place for a fall vacation.” He stepped back and looked squarely at her. “Hey, you didn’t answer my question. Do we know each other?” “Oh, yes, Cian, we know each other well.”Candace looked at him deeply before shutting her eyes to let them apply the bandage. A huge grin spread across his face. “Well enough, indeed,” his deep voice rumbled. He tenderly rubbed his fingers over her cheek and across her lips, making her lips curl in expectation. Then he returned her smile and mentally linked with her. You kept the memories I planted. When the time comes, it will be easier for you to accept, knowing the outcome, and what we are to one another. Let me handle the officials and get you out of here. Cian spoke to theEMT and cast a mist over the accident area before he scooped her up from the ambulance and winked. He turned and began to walk away. “They’ll forget all about this by the time we’re gone.” “What about the car andSamantha ?”

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“The car will be fine, andSam said, ‘Go for it, girl.’” “Where are we going?” “I’ll take you home and look after you tonight...and then...Regan will come. Will that be okay with you?” She dropped her lashed and nodded, suddenly shy at the prospect of loving two men for an eternity. “Then once the Prophecy is fulfilled, who knows?” She ran a finger across his lips and lowered her lids. “I do.” They could look forward to an eternity together. She thrilled as he hardened against her. A shiver of anticipation ran through her body, and the scent of her excitement filled the air. As soon as he stepped beyond the humans’ prying eyes, she knew he would whisk her away to the lighthouse, heal her, and finally take her. When he reached the beach, she whispered, “Put me down and go to the edge of the surf. I want you to be as you were. I’ll wait here a moment. Then, I’ll come to you.” Candacewaited a few moments, remembering the thoughts he instilled within her. She rounded the same sand dune she had in her thoughts, and then she saw him materialize in the shadows once more. This time her heart pounded with anticipation and with knowledge of what would come. He was even bigger than she remembered, if that was possible, his broad shoulders looked wider, and his black hair darker, longer. Distinct muscle bulges defined his brawny biceps. Wide, embossed gold bands cuffed his wrists, just as she’d imagined. A pronounced glyph drewCandace ’s attention to his massive muscular chest. The tattoo resting right above his heart, swirled as in her dreams. This time he walked casually toward her, naked. He didn’t drag a towel behind him when he reached to pick up his jeans. No, not in this reality, and he had no robe, either. This time, his white shirt lay on the ground. His powerful hands paused to wipe away the moisture gathering on his chest. She recognized his hands from her dreams and from the implanted memories. She had indeed seen those capable hands before, felt them before. Heat rose in her face recalling how they touched her so intimately and gave her such pleasure. “Enough.” He took her shoulders and almost lifted her off the ground as he pulled her roughly against his throbbing erection. His ragged voice ached with desire, his cock seemed impossibly turgid against his belly. “I’ve waited as long as I can,Candace . Now it begins.” The words ground through his teeth as he bent to take her lips gently with his, but she’d have nothing of gentle. “Yes, now. Take me here, now, Cian. Quickly.” They sank down onto his shirt, and he pressed the full length of his body against hers. Gently urging her to open for him, he lifted her hips off the cool sand. Cian only paused long enough to say a healing chant before he sank the length of his shaft into her hot, moist heat. He sighed, and as he chanted the vows to bind her to him, he pumped into her. Intense and explosive, the climax came with the stars and lightning and the spiraling passionCandace remembered from her dream memories. Only this time it was real and wonderful.Candace couldn’t hold back her smile. The grin spread as she imagined all the various sorts of

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pleasure Regan and Cian would provide...forever. “Mmm.” THE END

www.ElizaMarch.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ElizaMarch ... While interning as a search and recovery specialist in her college library,Eliza discovered she could merge her love of reading with her secret ‘NancyDrew’ persona. One day when she discovered the adventures and characters in her head wanted out, she became the conduit for their stories, switching from non-fiction writing to Erotic Romance. The gypsy inEliza 's blood kept her moving until her roots sank deep into the hot white sands ofSouth Florida where she lives with her husband and family, two cat familiars and two foster were-wolves who try to resembleShihTzus . Traveling still influences many of the stories she needs to tell and romance is the food fueling her soul.

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Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

About this Title This eBook was created using ReaderWorks®Publisher 2.0, produced by OverDrive, Inc.

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Witch of Air and Fire

Witch of Air and Fire

Witch of Air and Fire