Witches' Duel

Fire investigator Kayla Flynn escaped the temptation of the O’Rourke twins a year ago, now she’s returned to Slone, Texas for the town’s annual Halloween Festival. Mages Ian and Duncan O’Rourke have until All Hollow’s Eve to unite Kayla’s magic with their own, forming a ritual tri-bond and sealing the dimensional doorways they guard. Can they stop the hag before she frees her master and has her revenge on the world?

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. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Witches’ Duel Copyright © 2011 Kymber Rowean ISBN: 978-1-77111-009-9 Cover art by Martine Jardin All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.eXtasybooks.com

Witches’ Duel

By

Kymber Rowean

Thank you to my parents and all the J’s in my life for their love and support.

Chapter One Veils of red, orange, yellow and white danced against the

pitch-black sky. From the barn’s seams white, gray and black smoke poured forth to choke the gawkers. Glass shattered. Horses screamed. Heat rolled off the inflamed structure with enough intensity to make her edgy. Her body shivered in stark contrast to the world around her as Kayla Flynn hung back with the crowd. Firefighters fought with ax and hose against wood walls and dry hay. She tilted her head to catch a whiff of the smoke—brimstone, salt, roses and sage. Black and white magic vied for conquest. Her talent sparked. Voices shouted, the exact words lost. The orders, she recognized from experience and from her work with the aftermath of the fires. Once the embers cooled, her team would enter and investigate the cause of the blaze. They held jurisdiction from the city limits of Dallas, Texas to a seventy-five mile radius. They took their job to the next level. Water roared to drown out the Chief’s commands. Didn’t matter. Wouldn’t matter. “The city never should have approved the structure—” “Too damn big—” “Laziness. Greedy politicians—” Texans built things big her co-workers informed her after 1

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her transfer from Chicago. She agreed the barn could have housed an army in comfort. Kayla strained to overhear the rest of the conversation, speculation on who’d want to ruin the owners. Her gaze remained locked on the barn, a web of licking flames and blistering wood. Disgusted by the loss of property, she kept herself and her magic in prospective. She examined the living, breathing monster before her with a professional eye. Scorching wind caused a sheen of perspiration to bead her skin. Prickled and teased her talent with a lover’s skilled caress, she closed her eyes, unfurling her talent, gauging the strength on both sides. Magic, both ends of the spectrum. Good and evil. She sucked in a hot breath and pulled the strands of her magic in before anyone recognized her signature or her. She glanced around and noted the two men near the fire chief’s car, their attention focused on the crowd, on her. The backdrop of the flames distorted them enough to keep their identities concealed except for the aura of power ebbing and flowing around them. Her talent couldn’t have singled her out, she worked too damn hard not use her magic in public. Thwack! The crowd jumped. She jerked her attention away from the duo. The loft door swung open, a yawning furnace of orange and yellow flames taunted those on the ground. “Why build the thing and never buy a damn horse from me.” “Don’t know unless the money stopped with the way the damn gold-digging whore spent it,” he spit on the ground next to her feet. “Sorry, ma’am.” For swearing or the tar-like substance inches from her dusty boots, she nodded and hoped the group of ranchers continued to toss out ideas. Local citizens talked freely with their neighbors, strangers, received a cold and mute 2

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indifference. When the investigators attempted to interview them, they turned into stubborn, hardheaded mules. They witnessed a lot of head scratching and shuffling of feet. To stand amongst them offered her a rare insight into their opinions. Made her a target for questioning by the police later until they started to recognize her. Kayla glanced again in the direction of the car. A second fire truck arrived and blocked their view of each other—good. Kayla focused her attention on the facts she continued to collect. When the team met in a few hours, she’d have a list of gossip threads they could follow and unravel. Kayla tightened her grip on her talent. She’d not interfere this night and save herself from the pain of covering her actions later. “Haven’t seen any kind of livestock, think they’re taking them out another door?” “Maybe, my ranch borders the place, only seen thisgoddamn massive stud horse in the meadow—” Relief tumbled through her, bodies, whether two or four legged, still churned her stomach. Her divided concern melted together to worry about the firefighters battling the lethal blaze. A dangerous job no matter the size and conditions of the fire, something this intense increased the chance for injuries, even death. To stem her desire to bolt forward and discover the responsible party, Kayla curled her fingers into the palm of her hand. Science not magic would show them the criminal and give them the proof to press charges. Kayla suppressed the lick of power and recited her personal code. Those who know understand your worth, those who don’t inflict the greatest pain—and in times like this, she shouldn’t care. Human screams rented the night. Her reasons crumbled to ash. 3

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The weathered face of the man beside her paled with the tortured screams, “What the hell—” The flesh on her arms goose bubbled with icy droplets. Cold shivers rushed through Kayla’s overheated body and raised the hair on her arms. “Holy hell, how many horses are inside?” Her talent flared higher than the flame before her, straining at her control. The flames faded from Kayla’s sight, allowing her elemental magic to fill her at warp speed. The force of Kayla’s talent, a near kick to the gut, was an unnerving sensation, Kayla couldn’t ignore. Instead of the heat of the burning world around her, Kayla grew frigid, a polar opposite. Cold fire breathed within her. The old, tar-spitting cowboy next to her shivered and swore. “Devil danced on my grave—” Wrong. “Kayla,” a voice from near the fire trucks screamed and snapped her talent back into her body. Her breastbone ached from the invisible ice ball growing within her. She swallowed the challenge to contain the blaze—another reason she avoided her power, the searing backlash. A female officer down the line inspected the crowd for arson suspects and stalked toward her. Her hand rested on the butt of a service pistol. Charlie, her boss and the officer converged three feet from the crowd, well out of range of nosy people, her included. Their voices silenced by the fire and chaos. Another chilling wail rose from the barn. Her heart thudded in her ears. She wished the blast of water from the hoses would deafen her from the cries. The spot in her chest throbbed harder as she searched the crowd for the two men she spied earlier. Would they attempt to siphon energy off her talent? Two mages couldn’t control the cold fire any 4

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better than she could control her element. Wild fire, the devious element would bite your ass when you weren’t paying attention, firsthand experience. The crowd pressed forward. “Get them out of there.” “Stay calm,” the police officer shouted and closed the distance, her hand in the air in an effort to summon the crowd’s attention to her. Her gaze met Kayla. “You should have flashed your ID, your boss wants you on the scene. Pronto.” The two men gave her steel-eyed glares. “Fire investigators don’t fight the flames.” Kayla ducked under the tape and met the officer’s gaze. Someone familiar? A member of the coven or someone who’d covered her share of burned out fires, too. Not the time to ask, “Never go where I’m not invited.” “Then we’ll get along fine.” Kayla directed her attention to her grim-faced boss. “Don’t say anything, listen.” An elemental opposite didn’t give her any unusual powers over her element. Sometimes she wondered why the Goddess blessed or cursed her with the gift, until she discovered she could use the talent to investigate fires. Find the source and the clues left behind by the arsonist or the carelessness of others. He caught her elbow and guided her around the trucks and closer to the heat of the flames. Here, the crowd couldn’t see them, the firefighters formed a wall between the barn and house. Secluded. “We—I need to know what’s inside? They don’t have the equipment to go in—” Her gaze flickered from his face back to the inflamed barn. The renewed sheen of perspiration coated her skin in an invisible layer of magic with her proximity to the inferno. She drew her arm out of Charlie’s grip, his dealing with the coven kept her from denying his plea. He valued her secret 5

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and vowed before the coven not to exploit her talent. She glanced around and noticed the four men standing with the fire chief, waiting. The four men possessed an aura of magic. She’d seen two of them earlier, not the owners, therefore, not her concern. She focused her attention back to the fire. “Not with so many witness, not with unknown mages present—” “They can stop the fire if they know where to concentrate their magic.” To keep from pushing Charlie away, Kayla curled her fingers into the hem of her shirt. She wished she could refuse. “You know what this will do to me.” “I’ll be ready.” Bulky clad firefighters waddled from one position to another, axes and hoses gripped in gloved hands. Her talent hummed like a bloated freezer beneath her skin. “We’re going in—” She opened her mouth to voice her concern for the firefighters. Here in horse country, a horse’s life equaled or outweighed a man’s worth. Instead, she focused on the flames, the opening she found and prepared for a stroll into someone’s version of hell. Charlie rubbed his hand on his hip and retreated from her personal space. “Shit, damn, frigid and burning.” She pushed the awkwardness of the situation behind her and focused on the front of the barn. With her arms at her side, her palms faced the flames and her talent burst to life, wrapping a protective bubble around her. Her footsteps were confident. Eyes open to the blinding brilliance and the angry flames, Kayla blinked and replaced them with blues, grays and black—an ugly bruise upon mother’s nature landscape. She strolled into the inferno via the back door. Wood timbers snapped and crackled under the hungry flames. 6

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Every fire possessed a starting point, clues the hottest fire failed to incinerate. Her gaze pierced the walls of flames, tracing back to the first spark. Her body wavered under the sheer size of the structure. She passed the feed room where the grains cracked, popped and sizzled. Smoked leather from the tack room burned her nose. Icy teardrops clung to her cheek. Her talent flowed around her in shimmery shades of blue, not water, flame-to-flame to divide the blaze around her. A path opened to the center of the barn, too small for an arena. Too big for a turnaround, in the center, a charred pile remained. She circled the black smoldering ring. The fire started here with these rags, not rags—her stiff, cold lips turned down into a frown. Horses reared. Her gaze snapped up. Images of men imposed themselves over the steeds to distract her from her task. They tugged at the secured leads trapping them within the stalls. From within, the thickest part of the fire trotted the red-black stallion. Smoke billowed from his nostrils, filling the air with the stench of brimstone. Her talent slammed into waves of heat and demon magic. Hell’s horse stomped the ground, sparks leapt from the stallion’s flinted hooves. She tilted her head back in awe of the horse. His red eyes blazed with hell’s fire. A rider on his back caught her attention, a cloak of long black hair, a woman. Death’s rider grasped something in one hand and the mane of the stallion in the other. Her long black hair, untouched by the fire, whipped over her shoulder. An evil gaze pinned her to the spot where she stood. The hag’s mouth twisted into an evil smile. She prepared for the strike. The demon stallion reared and leapt forward. Kayla dropped to her ass to escape the hooves. Large hands, two sets, caught and lifted Kayla from the 7

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burning floor of the barn. Her gaze remained on the black wood and snakelike tentacles of flame pursuing them as a stranger’s wide shoulder pressed into her stomach. They burst from the barn, not stopping until they entered a shelter of vehicles. She gasped for fresh air, shuddered hard from the temperature change and abrupt popping of her wards. Their bodies pressed against her, the compress aided her composure. Her talent ebbed and flowed away to leave her weak and shaken to the core. Two different hands cupped her face. One thumb caressed her cheekbone, the other her lips. Awareness streaked through her, her retreat halted by the safety of their bodies. Two male faces filled her vision, masked the smoldering barn, their eyes shimmered with magic, ocean-blue and greenish-brown. Someone’s hand. A hand slipped from her cheek to thread through her hair to grip the back of her neck, firm. “What the hell were you trying to do?” More of her talent leeched away. Her lungs constricted. Her lips parted, her voice refused to return. Concern showed in the dark-haired man’s eyes before something registered in his gaze and twisted his full lips into a predatory smile. His fingers slipped beneath her chin to tilt her head away from his intense gaze. Her struggles melted away when his lips covered hers. Firm, warm lips pressed against hers. She gasped. He didn’t wait for permission to sweep his tongue into her mouth. He plundered her, not out of ruthlessness, hunger. Self-preservation vanished under the rough stroke of his tongue. Cinnamon, sage and other earthy flavors swamped her senses. Her nipples hardened. Her panties dampened. Her tongue met his and the kiss ended. Before she could protest, another mouth sealed over hers, different, cooler—he licked at her lips, savored her. She should bite 8

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him, opened her mouth to do so, only to have her senses swamped with the thrust of his tongue. He kissed nothing like the other man, tasted different—tropical. A hand slid over her stomach, another hand over her ass in possessive claiming. Kayla glared at them, would have swiped at her mouth if both men didn’t hold her wrists. Restrained, she couldn’t blast them with anything more than an icy glare. “An elemental—name, tell us now? Your aura—” His knowledge scared her worse than the evil in the barn. She twisted away from both of them. Her body slammed into another. Calloused hands devoid of magic encircled her arm, steadying her. “I could demand the same and more—” “Kayla?” Charlie’s concern stopped her before she could say something she’d regret. Her knees buckled until she locked them and spun to face Charlie. She nodded, confirmed his question from earlier, “Get me out of here.” “No.” Their tone was brisk, demanding. She wouldn’t give into the temptation of their kisses, the sexual desire they awakened within her. She tightened her grip on Charlie’s arm and the thermal blanket he’d wrapped her in. “I can’t be near them, they’ll kill me.” He continued to support her while putting more distance between her and the two mages. “The O’Rourke’s aren’t evil, Kayla.” Didn’t matter, they’d suck her dry like a vampire. Use her talent to fuel theirs until she ceased to exist. She preferred a fast death to a life enslaved to another. “Shades of gray—” Destined to meet again. She shivered.

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Chapter Two

E

ighteen months later…

The truck jerked hard to the left. Kayla’s hand slapped the dashboard with the same force of her eyes snapping open, both hard. The sting in her hand and the bright sunlight streaming through the windshield caused her to wince and tears to flood her eyes. She glanced at her boss, his fingers pushing through the gray hair at his temple. “Everything okay, boss?” Charlie muttered, straightened the truck and wiggled his body back into the seat. “I hate strays, think they own the place.” She didn’t comment strays weren’t the ones to blame for their fate, the owners who dumped them deserved the credit. Kayla twisted in her seat and scanned the edge of the road for the downed animal. Relief flooded her when the cat sat there licking his paw. He lifted his black head and their eyes met. A shiver of recognition sent warning prickles on her skin. Bloody hell, someone owned him, someone who’d attached wards to their pet or their familiar. Charlie would be lucky if the truck didn’t reek with ode de skunk by the time they left town. “I didn’t hit him. I’m not stupid, Rosie told me who lived here,” Charlie assured her and took a left into the town of 10

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Sloane, Texas. A banner that draped across the road announced the seventy-eighth anniversary of their annual Halloween Festival. “Steven owes you for this. I’ll make sure he pays you back.” She dismissed the idea of streaking the cat with a distinctive white stripe and a bushier tail to create the impression of a skunk, who if struck would stink to high heaven and back. She tucked the loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “Her water broke, Charlie. If Steven missed the birth of their twins, Beth would castrate him. Tell me again why we’re here and why the town’s fire inspector and chief aren’t doing this?” Charlie glanced at her, slowing for the red light. Flanked on both sides of the street by sun-bleached cornstalks, stacks of hay surrounded the base of every visible lamppost. Scarecrows posed on top, dressed either in costume or casual garments, added to the population who drifted from business to business. “Curious thing and nothing to worry about, some of the men contacted a virus.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel, whitening his knuckles before he relaxed his grip. “Nothing to worry about, she assured me the doctors contained the illness. Ms. Crewe told me town insisted the festival continue.” Nothing to worry about…reassuring her or himself? “Explains why Beth induced labor a week early, doesn’t it?” She asked the question, she didn’t expect him to answer. She rolled down the window. A ripple of magic sent tingles of awareness over her skin, she closed the window too late. The wispy hairs on her arm rose. She glanced in the side view mirror, awed at the sight of the cat following them, impossible. Dismissing the tom, she studied the town since her last visit. Negative vibes and shadows of ancient fires danced in replaced windows, every city could boast of a half 11

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dozen fires a year. The town of Sloane tripled the number. Heaviness hung in the air the way a wet, woolen cloak settled against one’s body. “Maybe, couldn’t say, Ms. Crewe assured me, the doctors treated and isolated the men in question. To cancel the event would hurt the town in these times.” “She played the economy card?” He shrugged and gave her look of disbelief with an arched eyebrow. “Are you surprised everyone needed outside money these days? Everyone believes their special event’s the best and they’re hoping the festival will improve the town’s reputation for family fun.” Why did evil lurk here? When a family of powerful mages, guardians, and the O’Rourkes lived in the town and took their responsibilities to the limit. Guest, magical guest offered their services and swore a loyalty to the family the moment they arrived. When she wasn’t engrossed in her work, in her duties to the coven, they consumed her thoughts with the memory of their kisses, their bodies pressed against hers. They’d consume her if she didn’t avoid them. She nudged Charlie for more information than the basic inspection for fire hazards. “First impression of her, Charlie, an honest one.” His foot on the gas slipped them into the intersection headed toward their destination. “She sounded mature.” She forced her thoughts away from the fire, the O’Rourke brothers and focused on the conversation. “You mean she sounded old?” The red, brick building ahead of them captured her attention. Blinking twice, she repeated the action when the wards and magical blessings danced over the wall. The sign on the front of the building demanded her attention, O’Rourke & Flynn’s Gallery. Demanded she present herself to their keep. Not the reaction she wanted, they should be 12

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angry with her for disappearing. The Goddess understood she’d released her talent in the name of justice only to have two of the hottest most eligible, magical brothers lay claim to her mouth while bleeding off the effect of her magic. Her nana didn’t raise a fool, she’d fled with body, heart, soul and talent intact. Charlie turned left, driving them away from the building. He glided to a stop in front of a house with a postage stamp size lawn, this time draped with an oppressive shroud conflicted with the tidy bright white paint. A large porch outfitted with rocking chairs completed the picture. “Maybe, she didn’t cackle like a witch when she laughed.” Kayla frowned with dislike regarding the place she preferred not to enter. “Old women and witches don’t cackle, they chortled with suppressed glee. Or so my Nana would say and no one dared to call her a liar.” Charlie gave her a glance that translated into a yeah right. She liked her boss, not in a romantic way, the man carried a curse in the commitment department. Divorced twice with a girlfriend, who believed the third time would break his streak of bad luck. She didn’t have Rosie’s optimism of winning Charlie’s love and loyalty. Kayla’s heart didn’t belong to anyone, she remained celibate after her entanglement with the brothers a year ago. Somehow, the O’Rourke brothers ruined her for other men. Two near perfect bookends, one with sandy blonde hair, the other dark, with personalities to match. Night and day, their single kiss apiece left her breathless. She didn’t want to think about the mind-blowing experience of them together. The slam of the truck jerked her back from a place she shouldn’t have gone. Charlie paused on the pavement in front of the truck to gaze at her in question. She prayed he hadn’t said anything 13

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important while her impression of the house conjured images of her second meeting with the brothers. She’d escaped being present at the finding of the fire, where both government and magical officials gathered. She continued to keep a low profile, tending to fire investigations far away from the brothers. Back in their hometown, she swore the Goddess stacked the odds against her. She exited the truck, but didn’t close the door. She lingered, trying to figure out why the air vibrated with tension. Charlie paused and waited for locals to pass them. The couple bobbed their heads and hurried along. She studied a middle-aged couple who crossed a block down before continuing their stroll on the other side of the street. Kayla paused. Her curiosity peaked when they hastened their pace along the length of the sidewalk and again jaywalked before entering a diner a few doors down. Determined to avoid something or someone— “Kayla, I’d rather not be late.” Kayla slammed the truck door and gazed at her reflection for a heartbeat before burying her wild magic deep within her. A true magical being would sense her immediately. Some enthralled by her talent, while others would be repelled and appalled. She learned to accept both extremes. Had the couple sensed her magic and grown wary? Could she blame them? Even she didn’t trust the wild nature of her talent because cold fire wasn’t normal or predictable. She followed the creed. So far, no one suffered because of her ability, but suppressing the gift might backfire on her, too. Time would tell, not today. Today, she controlled the fire within. She quickened her pace and caught up with Charlie. He gave her an odd expression and she shook her head. She didn’t have all the pieces to give him an explanation and preferred not to make snap judgments when she didn’t have 14

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all the facts. Besides, people tended to avoid strangers, even if the tourists helped the struggling town to survive, not everyone aspired to the title of social butterflies. Charlie held the door for her. They stepped into the foyer, an old structure laced with heavy magic. Through the sound system, the local radio station rambled on about the lack of true seasonal Halloween music and begged forgiveness for replaying the theme song from a popular TV series. A door opened down the hall timed with the eerie squeak of the one on the radio. Kayla was surprised when the woman with the heavy curtain of black hair streaked with gray cascaded to her lower back didn’t snap her finger in time to the song. “Prompt, I like that,” said the tall, middle-aged woman approaching them, who wore a black sweater dress with a cowl neckline. “Shelby Crewe charged with the Halloween festivities for the last two years.” Kayla pressed her lips together. Liar. Bonnie O’Rourke directed the event for the last ten years. Did she take them for novices? Before they put their signatures on anything, they studied the past events, checking for problem areas. What could Shelby gain with the lie? Kayla smothered the information away when Charlie gave the slightest shake of his head. On the way down, he mentioned he’d attended the festival with Rosie last year. “The town looks great, Ms. Crewe,” Charlie accepted the manicured hand offered to him, her fingers slid against his palm in a caress. Goose flesh covered Charlie’s arm and Kayla tramped down the urge to rub the chill from his flesh. “Please call me Shelby since we’ll be working together for the next few days. I feared we’d have to cancel the event if your people weren’t available on short notice. I apologize ahead of time for taking you away from your weekend.” Could the air get any thicker with the waves of lust 15

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rolling off Shelby Crewe? The woman admired Kayla’s boss while she stood there. The urge to protect him rose to the surface. She tramped the desire down. Charlie dated a woman devoted to her craft. Any man stupid enough to toy and betray the affections of a witch deserved their wraith. “Then I insist you call me Charlie, my assistant and someday my replacement, Kayla.” Kayla avoided preening at the complement. Charlie appreciated her ability when she could read the remains of the fire and find the source. The talent allowed the fire ravaged buildings quicker inspections and on assignments like this, she could see the shadows of a fire well before they bloomed. For the first time Shelby glanced her way and the flash of irritation faded under her false smile. She slipped her hand from Charlie’s grasp, not offering Kayla the same curtsies. “You’re—your company mentioned two men would be coming.” Kayla remained alert and guarded. No need to tell her about the babies, for evil magic thrived on the blood of innocence. Not to say Shelby Crewe smelled of evil. Kayla preferred to err on the side of caution until Shelby revealed her true nature. “A personal issue developed.” “I see a natural blonde trying to break stereotyping, are you, commendable.” “As I said, Kayla’s capable to do the job without me hovering,” Charlie reassured her. In a hallway with a table tucked against the stairwell, Shelby retrieved a clipboard. With one hand, she brushed her salt and pepper hair over her shoulder. “Well, then if you have confidence in her, I’m sure she must be good even for her youth.” “Good genes.” Shelby’s gaze locked with Charlie. “Perhaps. Many places 16

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volunteered to do activities this year. I hoped you would be able to divide and conquer.” Kayla didn’t interfere. If something evil occurred, the O’Rourke estate wasn’t far and asking for their aid shouldn’t come with too steep of a price. At least she hoped not, they’d vowed for generations to protect the town and the people living here. The air wavered when invisible streams of magic flowed from Shelby, encircling both her and Charlie before retreating. Shelby scanned them for magic. Why? To interfere would alert the woman to her ability, to her talent, something she didn’t share with strangers, her trust didn’t come easily. Instead, she let her gaze travel round the deserted parlor renovating into an open office space. Shouldn’t there be one or two more people here working with the event scheduled to launch this afternoon? Charlie took the clipboard from Shelby’s outstretched hand. “Yes divide and conquer, allowing us a chance to remain for the events if we choose.” Unexpected news to Kayla, she packed a couple of days of clothing and nothing for socializing with the locals. An image of Ian and Duncan filling out a pair of snug blue jeans and soft shirts stretched tight across their chests popped into her head. Conjure the desire, be warned of the fire. “Wonderful, we’ve earned some stunning reviews over the last couple of years and this year promises to top them all. Haunted houses, a barn dance, you do dance, don’t you, Charlie.” At his nod, she continued. “Then of course the bonfire after the kids have finished their trick or treating with a stunning laser show put on by the local electronics club. Everyone worked to make this year even better than the last.” Charlie nodded and read the two pages of notes. He pulled a pen from his pocket and wrote something on one of 17

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the sheets. Kayla would have peered over his shoulder if Shelby hadn’t position herself between them, drawing Charlie further into her lair. She wouldn’t remind him Rosie waited for him at home until they left the woman’s company, which shouldn’t be much longer. “We made plans to stay until Saturday for sure, we intend to brief the fire department on the condition of the bonfire before leaving.” Kayla observed the stiffening of Shelby’s spine followed by a sweet coiling scent of roses. Why did the scent fill her stomach and throat with sickening bile? Shelby whispered something in the closed confines of the hallway and Charlie pulled a piece of paper free of the clipboard. He fished in his pocket to pull the ring free. “We’ll divide and conquer, here’s your list, Kayla, and the keys to the truck.” “Sorry. Surprised you didn’t bring two vehicles, although I’ll be happy to drive Charlie around if he’s willing to wait between meetings.” “Not an issue, I’ll use one of the desks out here to type up my reports in-between your meeting.” “Thank you, too bad there aren’t more men like you in the world.” If she poured on the sex appeal any thicker, Kayla would choke. She grasped the key and paper in her hands. “See you at the inn later tonight, Charlie.” “Right.” He was distracted by something else Shelby whispered for his ears alone. “We’ll go over your findings after dinner.” Kayla glanced at the first item on the list. O’Rourke’s haunted house. Wonderful. It had an opening scheduled for after school and ran through Saturday night, up until the start of the barn dance. The barn would be undergoing a cleanup process from the schedule on her list, forcing her return for a repeated inspection later. She reread the list, 18

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searching for a way to avoid or at least shorten her inspection of the haunted house. Nothing offered itself in the way of a distraction, including a last minute inspection of the O’Rourke & Flynn gallery before they left town. A peek at Charlie found him gone and the door Shelby Crewe exited earlier closed. The music on the radio played a foreboding tune to match her mood. The earth turned, the sun drifted across the sky and the waves caressed the shore. Each was a subtle reminder of the forces altering people’s lives for good or bad. She shivered with the knowledge that she couldn’t protect everyone. Kayla frowned and pushed open the outer door. The tom brushed against her and awareness of magic sparked up her leg to dance over sensitive areas. She pivoted to see where the black cat ventured. She didn’t have time to hunt for him. He wanted in she’d not deny the witch her familiar. Only she didn’t think this cat belonged to Shelby. Climbing behind the wheel of Charlie’s truck, she backed from the stall and drove toward the O’Rourke’s home. A large Victorian with turret rooms, catwalks and balconies, the inside left a person in awe. One expected a house of gander and historical significance filled with antiques. This house boasted a mixture of styles. Of course, they changed the accommodation for the attending covens. After her second encounter with the family, mainly the sons, she’d done some research. The O’Rourke of Sloan Texas weren’t any different from the other magical families in the area, a family group of two males and one female. Blessed with fraternal twin sons, Ian and Duncan and a daughter, Britana, the family was charged with the honor of guarding the portals into the demon world. She arrived at an open, but gated entrance with a halfmile long drive before the house could be seen. Ready to accept visitors, a sense of peace and worry coated the 19

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autumn air. She parked the car beside the chest high gray picket fence surrounding a mock graveyard. She’d check into her room, start her inspection and then go to the local diner they passed coming into town. The dinner out would allow her to get a feel for the town and explore, while she avoided the O’Rourke brothers. Dreams of a coward, if she thought she could avoid them in their hometown. **** Duncan traveled through the house, activating the harmless surprises for the coming visitors. He strengthened the ward around the closed off wings and private bedrooms. This would keep the lost and curious away from places where they shouldn’t wander. He longed for the day when his— their parents returned. With one of their fathers and mom safely away and their other father missing, the duty of protecting the doorways fell to the three of them. “The inspector’s here,” Britana called from a bedroom at the front of the house. He finished the wards and sauntered into the room where Britana straightened the bedding. With the back of his hand, he parted the lacey white drapes of the window. How a fifty something male continued to let people call him Charlie like a teenager instead of Charles mystified Duncan. He’d meet the man on a couple of occasions over the last few years. He happened to be Kayla’s boss and their contact. They feared she’d fall into harm’s way or met someone. A surge of jealousy ripped through Duncan. She belonged to them, if she didn’t know this previously, she would before they let her leave this time. The ward they’d placed on her a year ago dissolved at midnight on Hollow’s Eve and couldn’t be reinforced or rebuilt again without her consent. With consent, they’d form 20

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the tri-bond, something he hungered for with each waking moment. He and Ian needed to make love to her again and convince her to stay with them to become the keystone of their lives. His breath hitched when the woman who’d haunted his and his brother’s dreams for the last six months circled the back of the truck and withdrew two bags. Her white blonde hair drawn back in a neat ponytail to brush the top of her ass, images of his hand wrapped around the tail while he rode her hard. His cock twitched with eagerness. Pent up desire tented his pants until he adjusted himself. He considered taking care of the buildup, one he hadn’t experienced since their last encounter. A side effect of the spell they wove around her also left them loyal and celibate. Spelled or not, no woman measured up to Kayla. Ian agreed. Kayla belonged to them and the sooner she trusted them with her talent and her body, the better. “I’d prefer not to explain to the parents the reason for purchasing new curtains,” Britana commented. He glanced over his shoulder to see Britana smoothing the comforter. “Wait, little sister, someday a man will desire you the same way, then Ian and I will have to draw him out and test his courage.” “Unfair advantages, since the only men attracted to me have no magic.” Duncan cursed himself for his insensitive comment. He crossed the room and drew his stiff sister into his arms, careful to keep his arousal away from her. “The parents sense the magic within you and when the time’s right, you will bloom. If they didn’t believe that, would they allow you access to the texts?” She withdrew from his arms and headed for the door. “I’ll go down and greet her. I overheard you and Ian mentioning preparing her room.” 21

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He opened his mouth to define what they’d meant, but she stopped him with a delicate lift of her hand. “I don’t want details. I plan to sleep with the stereo on. Any requests leave me a note.” Smartass. “We prepared the room before Ian left this morning. Remy, I don’t think today would be a good time to introduce yourself to her.” Remy slipped head first from under the bed and glanced between them. “You’re probably right besides, I wanna be on my pedestal when the kids start arriving. Did you make my plaque, Britana?” Duncan followed the two of them to the top of the stairs. “What plaque?” Britana’s footsteps never faltered. “He had me write on the plaque Kiss me and I might turn into a prince.” Duncan ushered the family pet from the room. Pet being a loose term for the creature. He’d been with the family well before the birth of his fathers. Thinking of the men who’d influenced his life stirred a mixture of emotions to the surface and he let go of his anger. He didn’t want to meet Kayla again with a veil of desperation in his gaze. He took one final scan around the room. They’d have preferred her to sleep in the master bedroom at the gallery, but she wasn’t ready. So having her here in the family home would have to satisfy them all. Their keystone would allow them to find their father and the other men Shelby Crewe lured into her web in a vain attempt to gain power. Once she consumed their power, she’d try for the doorway—hell and the demons within were not something you wanted to release on the world, any world. “Getting a bit desperate old friend?” **** Shelby lured Charlie further down the hall and away from 22

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the beautiful employee at his side. Her senses told her they weren’t romantically involved, something about the girl made her wary. She’d not have her plans foiled this time. Chanted words fell from her lips. The man at her side fell deeper under her spell, an easy enough task when they lack magic. When he’d handed Kayla his keys with the protection talisman, she suppressed the urge to crow. She cooed, led him to a chair and motioned for him to sit. “Tell me, Charlie, are you magic?” His body folded into the visitor’s chair. She circled him, using her hand and body this time to draw upon her seductive powers. He’d be putty in her hands and she’d take his essence for her own. She paused to see if the air would crackle with her laughter, the Halloween music of the radio filled the space with a haunting melody. “No.” A frown touched her lips. Did she waste her time on him or send him on his way to concentrate on the O’Rourke boys—men. She licked her lips when her lust flared to life. Her gaze dropped to the middle-aged man before her. Still he might prove useful if she needed the demon to burn something down. “The girl, does she possess magic?” “Kayla,” his head bobbed, “don’t tell her I told you, she’ll be mad.” She did another slow turn around Charlie, scraping her nails across his Friar Tuck bald spot on the top of his head. “Of course, Charlie, we wouldn’t want anyone mad at you. One more question, do you or your friends know of the Goddess brooch?” His eyes grew wide and his head did a slow shake. She tapped her fingers on the desk, tempted to kick him out of her office. She sighed, noticing where his gaze settled, a dangling thread she didn’t intend to leave hanging. His answer didn’t matter, but her influence did. “You’re staring 23

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at my breasts, Charlie, tell me the truth. What would you like do first?” A muscle in his throat bobbed and his mouth opened with a grunted sound issued from his lips. He slipped to the floor, his hands grasping her hips while he buried his face between her legs. Good. Her eyes closed with the growing hunger that allowed the binding of her true self to escape into the civilized world. I ache. Feed, grow stronger, so you may release the one who can truly satisfy you, the husky voice whispered. She nodded in obedience. Her nipples hardened, her channel flooded. Damn him, for his inability to fall beneath her spell and yet drive her into a rutting need. Once the master arrived, she’d have them both—cool air touched her bare ass. Hands kneaded her flesh, Charlie licked at her, light little flicks. She could smell the scent of his arousal and a mixture of a rose at the end of its bloom. Are you watching, Mule? She wanted him to witness the sex she enjoyed when he rejected her every advance. What he could have with her. Insulting her seductive powers while he stood in the shadows unaffected, she despised him. Her afterglow shattered by scolding her for her delay in locating the true portal and opening the doorway to release their demon master. She widened her stance, her gaze set upon the empty vase where a shimmering image ghosted into view. “Eat me until I come screaming—”

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Chapter Three The Cooperton Ranch His head ached and mouth tasted of alcohol-drenched cotton. He didn’t drink anything to induce this pain, at least he didn’t remember, which sucked big time. He recalled where he was, the town of Sloane in Texas. What happened to him remained a mystery. Did the damn stray cat cause him to lose control of the truck? Kayla? Was she okay? He fought the darkness, opened his mouth to call out when a gut-deep moan escaped. His throat hoarse from his cries, a woman’s moans fueled his memories with a thick coiling scent of roses—his memory fogged on something important. Rosie. His eyes snapped open wider. The faint light caused him to wonder if he’d closed them at all. His gaze stared straight up into a barn’s rafters. The odor of sex hung heavy in the air and memories filtered in. This wasn’t a dream. He fought the pull of his body for the clarity of his mind. Shelby drove to a ranch outside of town away from the first site on his list to inspect. His head pounded, his hips lifted with another hard suck on his raw cock. Charlie struggled to free his arms so he could push the thing away. He’d agreed to sex because hell, she’d thrown question after question at him until he didn’t know his left from his right. He withered under her talented 25

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mouth and hands, his cock ached and not for release, been there done that more times than when he’d been nineteen. “No, I-I can’t come again.” The room grew lighter, revealing men chained in cells, no, stalls like horses. Naked. Aroused. Their faces lost in the shadows while their proud, hard cocks were bathed in shafts of light. What the hell kind of rabbit hole did I fall into? Another long draw on his cock, his back bowed and his head kicked back. He resisted the urge to squeeze his eyes shut and attempted to focus on anything else. His body responded to the torture of her hand. More pained faces and one bored expression greeted his vision when he reopened his eyes. Charlie concentrated on the men’s expressions, determined to gain back control of his body. This time he bent his head forward to the source, a man’s cock was his best friend once he knew what it could do. The tinges of arousal from someone working him over erupted, again. He strained and tried to pull his cock free of her grip. Shelby showed him her handiwork. Goddess, his cock resembled tenderized meat raw and lifeless. “Stop,” the whimpered sound bled from his swollen, tender throat. How many times did he scream? Did he pass out? His hips jerked. Blood rushed to his aching member, he’d never want to fuck or make love again. Was the woman deaf and blind to his pleas? Her grasp on him tightened. Squeezed, stroked and sucked harder, his body arched under the assault, he couldn’t think. Her appetite insatiable and Shelby’s mouth an unbreakable vise around his cock. His body betrayed him and readied for another release, his throat thick with tears, he begged, “Make her stop.” “Finish him,” the male stepped away. His cock and expression unimpressed showed his indifference with the show. His shift to the right revealed a vase upon a pedestal filled with dead roses. Rosie. He sworn faithfulness, anguish 26

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ripped through his heart. Had he even resisted or did he make the offer? The pain in his cock eased and left him hard enough to drill for oil. Unable to regain his control, his body fought his mind, hands encircled flesh and hauled the woman upward. He pushed her to the side and rolled on top of her, she twisted to her stomach, rose to her knees. “Watch the roses, Charlie,” the voice crackled with the click of gravel rubbing together. “Fuck me, hard…you promised.” He couldn’t refuse and slammed into the frigid body of the woman in front of him. The cold meant something, but the meaning slipped from his grasp. His body wouldn’t stop. With each thrust of his hips, his gaze widened to see the wilted roses straightening, color returned to their petals. He continued to stroke into the woman with the gray hair streaked with black. The dull gray leeched from the locks. His hips piston into her body, bits and pieces of their conversation replayed through his head, he’d agreed to this, boasted of his stamina and whimpered like a little girl when her grip proved too much. Stupid male pride prompted Charlie to prove he could rock this woman’s world and then he’d return to Rosie and beg her forgiveness. His oversensitive and drained balls shrank against his body. His fingers sank deeper into the bony flesh of her hips. He ignored the pained expression of those around him. He didn’t want to know. He’d come and drag his worthless carcass away. He stilled. His cock jerked hard in the vise of her dry inner muscles strangling him. Thick streams of something other than his seed filled her womb. His grunts turned to screams of agony. Blackness engulfed him. **** Shelby dipped her fingers between her folds to withdraw the 27

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essence of their coupling from her body. The sticky goo glistened upon her fingers she raised her gaze and licked her lips in hunger. The gorgeous, smoking hot man doing her bidding remained unaffected. She pouted. She wanted him, but couldn’t have him without the other, their master. Soon she’d brush away all of his excuses. She sucked her fingers dry and glanced at the vase filled with roses. Her little tumble in the hay strengthened the roses and her power. She craved more of both. “Secure him. The stall at the end will do.” The eunuch demon stepped from the shadows. “He will take time to recover.” “Mistress,” she hissed her reminder to him and lifted her hand to lob a bolt of magic in his direction. “You would waste the energy you gained by attacking me?” He arched a dark arrogant brow, the dangerous glint in his eye forced her to back down. Her master freed him with the understanding he would aid her in opening the door. So far, he tended to her stock and reminded her of her debt to a powerful demon. His scorn and unresponsiveness in her attempts to seduce him did little to improve her mood. She scooped more of the cream from her body and averted her gaze to the dozen roses. “No.” “Our time slips away,” he circled the pedestal displaying the roses. “You have yet to bring another O’Rourke stallion into your stable. Without the three of them or the Goddess brooch, you will not have enough power to open the door.” She scowled at him, her nourishment of male essence drained. She’d hoped for more from Charlie. Killing him out right would draw unwanted attention. Her gaze strayed to the perfect body of the demon as she licked her lips. Never one to deny herself anything, his refusal built her determination to have him. Why would the master entrust 28

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him to her if he didn’t want her use his essence to strengthen her power? “Your essence might assist me—us in our goal.” “Possibly, my power means nothing if you don’t have the three O’Rourkes within your control, the reasons why are not mine to explain.” He vanished. Shelby stomped her booted foot. From the shadows, a voice chuckled. Again, she raised her hand to rally against the heckler. She dissolved the fireball and slumped back in the lounge with a huff. She couldn’t do anything and her mood darkened. Crossing her arms over her bare chest, she pouted and glared at the two century old roses, the blue-black one limp upon the stem, his, a reminder of her failing to release her master for the last two years. “Soon, my power will overshadow all of yours combined.” “Promises, promises,” a jangle of chains echoed O’Rourke’s words. **** O’Rourke’s homestead The sun slipped behind the gabled roof the house and caused the structure to glow. Haunted house she corrected herself. The sun wasn’t the only thing making the place glow, the wards and magic swirling around the property helped. She could feel the waves of welcome wash over her, her eyes closed when the warmth penetrated her body. Memories sneaked pass her defenses. She shouldn’t crave the sensation the way she did. She’d slipped away while Ian and Duncan slept. Unwilling to face them with any sort of morning-after conversation, she’d fulfilled her promise to the priestess and the Goddess and aid in sealing the portals to hell. Her magic intact, she fought the sensation of something misplaced like a sock or her underwear, she wore 29

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both. In the hall, she passed an older version of Ian seated at a table, at his feet the family pet. Their gazes met. She didn’t linger long enough for him to break the silence. A small knot of apprehension churned in her stomach. If not for the birth of Steven’s children, she could have gone on avoiding them and protecting her talent, or rather her heart. A few of the coven women bragged and pouted at the change in the brothers. They no longer indulged in the flesh, awaited the return of their true mate. Jealous no matter how small feeds upon itself until the green-eyed devil contorts our features into ugliness. The words of her priestess echoed through her mind, she chose to leave, therefore, her right for jealousy unfounded. They probably didn’t remember the night or her. With no gate to open, the atmosphere surrounding the building lightened, welcomed the innocent. She glanced down and noticed the symbols etched into the cement beneath the pebbles, spelling out welcome. By Hollow’s Eve, the impressive walls would retract themselves in an attempt to keep everything within, truth or fiction. She’d discover the answer if she stayed. She lifted her gaze, gave a bow and whispered her request for entrance. A slight breeze caressed her cheek while a force pressed against her back to hurry her along. Destiny awaits, embrace them— Whatever else the wind whispered vanished with the creaking of an opening door. One of the men who’d haunted her dreams stared back at her, a seductive smile tilted up his lips. His gaze roamed over her. Her nipples tightened and ached. “Welcome, Kayla. I hope you had a pleasant drive down.” His smoky voice drifted over her, sparking the neglected areas of her body. Her inner muscles quivered with the tenor of his voice. 30

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“Yes,” her voice a little breathy, she cleared her throat. Keeping things professional between them would prove hard, especially with his rugged, sexy attitude, standing there with his shirt open and his legs encased in soft brown leather. His blond hair dipped over his left eye. Kayla resisted the urge to push the lock back for the excuse of running her fingers through his silky hair. The right wasn’t hers and not because she’d left them. She refused to become their well source, a fuel to their magic, used and discarded when nothing remained to remind them of their attraction to her in the first place. “I’ve been asked to inspect the house for safety concerns.” “You’ll be spending the weekend with us, or perhaps I— we could convince you to stay longer?” Heat shimmered in the depth of his ocean-blue gaze. She glanced away. Any willpower she possessed would be tested to the breaking point before the weekend ended. She stepped into the foyer, her gaze sought Duncan, she’d learned a lot about them in the last year. They weren’t joined at the hip like some magical sets. They worked together in the recovery of a stolen magical artifact, branching off with the opening of the gallery. She jumped when Duncan’s hand covered hers. “Sorry?” “Taking your bags, Kayla, unless you’d like to hold hands, I wouldn’t complain,” Duncan teased. “I can think of even better uses for them. Should I list them?” “No.” Heat flushed her face, her brain filled in the blanks with her hands. She caressed his shoulders, his chest and then lower. She fought the urge to inspect the front of his pants for his arousal. She released her grip on the duffel, reassuring herself occupied hands couldn’t tempt her resistance. “Warn a person next time, where does the tour start?” Duncan smiled and set her cases on the steps, with a wave 31

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of his hand, the carpet runner awakened to transform into an escalator. “We’ve only managed to make the carpet transport inanimate things.” She would have found the spell useful when she moved into her apartment. Too bad, she wasn’t here to learn spells instead of searching for fire hazards. Her gaze swept the area in front of her and noticed nothing wrong. Her hand twisted the handle of an umbrella to the left away from the path into the rest of the house. “So if I stepped on the carpet or a visitor did, nothing would happen?” “Nothing. The tour will start at the front porch,” he indicated to the closed door behind them. Knife handles and stakes stuck out of the wood. He pulled one free to show the blunt end with a sticky tab. He flashed a mischievous grin, replaced the knife handle back on the black square before dropping his hand to the small of her back. “We’ve childproofed the entire house.” To pull away would have fueled his amusement and confirmed his effect on her. She could deal with one brother better than two, together they proved impossible to resist. “From there the guest will enter the living room, different from the scene of your last visit?” The innocent comment aroused memories she’d rather have not stirred up. Here, in this room, they made eye contact for the second time. Duncan spoke with a willowy young woman who touched his robed arm in a way that conveyed her willingness for anything he might suggest. Other couples chatted in groups of varying sizes, the members of her coven scattered, leaving her in the doorway like an uninvited guest. She blinked the memory away, tamer than those she would witness when the night progressed. Concentrate on your reason for touring the house. Wooden chairs of torture faced away from the fireplace, seated with realistic dummies, “An attempt to keep the 32

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foolish from trying them?” Slipping past her, Duncan adjusted one of the figures, “The chairs have many uses, torture, for one might invoke pleasure for others. An ancestor of ours secreted them away from Spain and spent years reassembling them, erasing the evil within them, while applying them for other uses. Later, Ian and I could show you how they heighten pleasure.” Spanish inquisition. Although she didn’t voice her comment, she could visualize his words. The seat of the chair afforded the occupant a place to sit. Ankle cuffs attached to a spreader and pulley, leading to gears enabling the user to widen the space. She shifted her gaze around the room to inspect the case on the wall, filled with items of torture. She didn’t need them. “I’m surprised you would risk such heirlooms, aren’t you worried about damage?” He spread his arm out, a silent request for her to join him in the dining room. “They’ve been warded. After this weekend, we’ll put them on display in the gallery. You probably passed the building on your way into town.” “Interesting name, a three-way partnership, do they work?” “Those willing to give anything a try succeed.” “Sage words, Duncan, real life and ancient philosophies seldom mix.” He didn’t reply. This time she avoided his touch by keeping the table between them. A red and black scarf draped the chandler lit with flameless candles for her talent registered nothing. She blinked and glanced at the worn and holed drapes. The tabletop itself was filled with delicious treats meant for monsters or a tribe of cannibals. A plaque on the table identified the food contributed from the eighth grade art class. Impressed, she glanced at Duncan, aware of the hunger within him. She cleared her throat and gestured for 33

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him to lead on. Theme rooms occupied the first floor, the library turned into a wizard’s lair complete with a chained dragon whose nostrils smoked. Impressive little guy whose head turned to follow their progress. She carefully avoided touching any of the spell books, she could do without the warning zaps from the ward protecting them from the nosy. “I have to ask who designed all this?” she waved to the rooms when they circled back to the foyer. Duncan closed the space between them, trapping her against the base of the stairs. His arms rested on both sides of her, the heat of his body licked at hers with a leashed passion. He leaned forward, his gaze held hers. She longed to experience the pressure of his body against her own. Instead, she ducked under his arm and went up two steps. The house was safe, the man before her a sexual threat to her and any other woman with a heartbeat. “Any rooms on display upstairs this weekend? “Brit, our sister designs sets for some of the theatres in the area. Three this year,” he climbed the steps until they stood eye level. If she wanted or dared at this distance and height, her hands could have stroked his chest on her way to wrapping them around his neck and leaning in for a kiss. Instead, she turned and jogged up the remaining steps and let him endure the view, only fair. The higher she rose, the stronger the pull of magic. She frowned and waited, avoided the urge to lean against the wall in an inviting manner. She checked her wristwatch, wanting him to believe her schedule filled and wished for a pressing appointment. “Lead on.” **** He preferred to follow the view of her ass, which caused his leathers to tighten in ways he’d rather not to think about. 34

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His need for her intensified. He nodded to the first room on the left. The contents unimportant in comparison to the woman who leaned around the doorframe. The pale blue of her aura spoke of her strengthening talent. Her shoulder and the side of her breast pressed against him. The energy of their magic mingled and sparked. Yes, he wanted to shout, the powers of their combined auras crackled. Kayla choose to ignore the sensation, he did not and stroked her from shoulder to ass. Her body jerked in response. The glare he received fueled his desire to back her into the room and find a comfortable place among the items to sate them both. She retreated, her chest heaving as an icy fire built within her and caused her blue eyes to glow with magic. He frowned and obeyed. The house or rather the magic within wanted her aware of them, the O’Rourke family guard. Four rooms, only one isn’t on the regular tour route he wanted to say aloud. What would Ian make of this development? Why would the room their family guarded for generations open to her? Yes, they’d arranged for her participation when the seal on the portal weakened. Their father agreed their talents blended into a fine match. They’d done incredible things to her body, in the afterglow, they’d used their power to push her into sleep. Then they talked and planned on what they would say and how she would accept her role in their life. He accepted the ache, longed to repeat the event with or without his brother. Wary, Duncan stayed close the house, guarding its secrets with the viciousness of wild animals. Would the wards reject Kayla at the threshold? The magic allowed them to pass in, sighed and whispered the rule to echo in his ear, do no harm or thrice returned. Interesting, he knew the creed, but for the first time the room uttered the words. Usually, the room echoed the wards they installed. She strolled around the room and stopped before a tapestry. Stories whispered of doors and portals lay hidden 35

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in the weave of the fabric or behind the picture. Four times before his birth, someone dared to steal the cloth and each time the tapestry returned after foretelling doom and gloom for the thief. He stepped closer, wanting to see their future in the binding threads, instead, he scanned the ocean and sky blending into a sea of blackness. “Interesting.” Her voice drew his attention away from the puzzle of the tapestry. The image left him chilled and in need of her body heat. Blackness didn’t mean an end, only an uncertain future. Uncertainty he could do without, he wanted confirmation Kayla would be theirs, forever. “To study the shield better, I’ll need to climb on the bed, can you refrain from trying to ravish me?” Her question drained his concern of the bleak future away. “Would you like me to ravish you?” He didn’t add loving her would be more fun if Ian joined them. The brothers agreed, maybe spending some one on one time would ease her into the idea of them, the three of them together. A difficult concept since they’d been sharing women since the age of consent, before their discovery of something essential missing. Until Kayla entered their lives, Duncan and Ian ensured their partners were satisfied before taking their release. “One track mind, probably, forget it. My curiosity, I can go without the satisfaction of knowing something,” her body betrayed her. She leaned forward to admire the piece of molding. Would the edges of the medallion glow with warning? Each day since their father’s disappearance, he or Ian, lay upon the bed and gauged the danger of the door opening. Brit would have done her part, if the power within her awakened and if she dared to lay down, he feared an evil force would attempt to claim her. 36

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Duncan stepped behind Kayla, his hands settled on her waist. She jerked back and spun to push him away. Heat melded their bodies together. Too long since, he tasted her sweet lips, his mouth slid over hers and magic danced between them. Her gasp the opening he needed, he plunged his tongue into the recesses of her mouth and renewed himself with her unequaled flavor. Her taste unique before now aged, matured and sweetened to replenish a starving man. Duncan grew addicted to the flavor of her body. His knee pushed hers wider until he settled in the space between them. He pressed her down onto the bed with his weight on top of her. Kayla’s moan of hunger drove him forward. He rocked into her body, the barrier of clothing spiked their desire. They broke from the kiss, panting. Duncan followed the line of her jaw to her throat and nuzzled her, sucked at the fragile cords of her neck. His hand slipped under her shirt to stroke her exposed skin. Silk. His mouth watered. His body burned. He lifted away from her long enough to push her shirt over her breast. Her expression stunned him, her hunger slammed into him. He jerked when her hands found his cock and rubbed him through the leather. He groaned and buried his head against her breast. His hand shook when he pushed the fabric of her bra aside, exposed the rosy nipple to the air. He teased the bud with his finger and his tongue. Her withering dance drove him insane with the need to bury himself deep, but not until she burned with passion and begged for them both. He closed his mouth over the puckered flesh, teasing and sucking while her hips bucked against him. He switched to other breast and rang the same response out of her. “My beautiful Kayla.” He worked his way down her chest, lavishing her navel with the intention of finding every one of her sweet 37

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spots. His fingers popped the button of her jeans and the zipper slid south to tempt him further. Heat flushed her pale skin. He covered her stomach with kisses, someday she’d carry the next generation of O’Rourke. He wouldn’t believe otherwise. They would find passion together, cement their union and accept the position the fathers and his mother held, protectors. A bubble popped. Kayla’s body stiffened, her tangled hands tugged him up from his quest. He glared at her in question, not finished with her by a long shot. Her face reddened, no longer flushed with passion, but embarrassment and anger. He used his body to shield her and glared at the empty doorway. This wasn’t like either one of them. The power of the room filled Duncan, he could accept control. Their use of Kayla he’d not abide, he’d not allow the spirits of the house to play with her in any way. With his senses under control, he let them fan out for the interruption. The stairs creaked in warning. “Something you need, Brit?” He cursed himself for not shutting the door. The power within the room opened for them, could have closed the door to allow them privacy. They could indulge their thirst only so far. He groaned and attempted to drop his head against Kayla’s breast, instead, he connected with the comforter. A masculine chuckle carried through the room. The amusement didn’t come from him. Kayla arch a delicate brow, he shrugged, his apology died on his tongue. She wouldn’t believe him anyway. The damn ghost. He raised his gaze to the medallion and found the wards intact, the aura of their magic glowed, teased to life by their stolen moment. “The first group has arrived for the tour,” she stepped 38

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into view and managed to remain in the hall. He couldn’t remember Britana ever stepping into the room when her talent failed to manifest. Why? No rules existed to the contrary. Kayla straightened her clothing and dashed into the hallway. “I won’t keep you, the rooms you showed me pass inspection. I’ll check the others and tell you my finding.” Duncan climbed from the bed. Her taste and magic both addictive and potent, he resented the meddling house and visitor’s interruption, the timing wasn’t right. The three of them must be together for the tri-bond/keystone to occur. “I don’t think you’ve met my sister, Britana? Brit, would you show Kayla the remaining two rooms while I start the tour?” “Of course if you’d follow me.” An untraceable evil roamed the town, snatching up the men and discarding them without a second thought. He couldn’t leave the house until Ian returned and took his place to guard the portal. Tonight they planned their future.

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Chapter Four Never one to remain in her room no matter how beautiful,

Kayla found herself drawn to the activities downstairs. A haunted house with all the lights on and afternoon sunshine streaming through the windows wasn’t terribly scary. Intrigue, and Goddess forbid curiosity overruled good sense. She slipped downstairs. Two steps from the bottom, a subtle wave of magic brushed against her. The illusion unfurled, the front door bell sounded and Duncan swept through, stopping at the edge of the foyer and the parlor. He glanced, smiled and graced her with a wink before donning a somber expression. A subtle flick of his hand caused the front door to open, exposing a mixed group of high school students. The girls wore costumes meant to entice a weak man, while the boys strove for the ick factor. The girl’s attention drew to Duncan. She caught the tail end of a murmur. “—Miss O’Rourke’s brothers are so hot, I bet he’s naked under the robe.” “I wouldn’t mind finding out.” Kayla knew for certain, the press of leather covered legs brushed against hers when they’d engaged in the heated kiss. Her body warmed. If not for Brit’s interruption, these kids or younger ones would be scarred for life. One of the zombie football players gave little red riding 40

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hood a shove. “Come on, Candy, the tour won’t start if you don’t move.” She hissed. A wolf’s tail swung into view and Kayla caught sight of the furred wolf ears on the top of her head. “We haven’t been invited in, you moron.” Smart girl. Magic slithered over her skin, catching her attention. Instead of the slinky black dress of a horror TV host, her clothing transformed her into a silver fairy, complete with white wings. “You should listen to the young woman.” Duncan flicked the cuff of his robe back to reveal his hand. “To enter a stranger’s home is dangerous, even more so if the home belongs to one who possesses magic. Enter and be welcome.” Candy preened and pranced into the foyer. Kayla descended the steps and joined the group. Curious, she waited for her chance to speak to Duncan regarding his choice of clothing for her. The girls continued to cast flirty glances his direction. “Come into the parlor.” “Said the spider to the fly. My baby sister wouldn’t be afraid of this crap and she’s three.” Somehow, Kayla believed Duncan would change his opinion before he left. Another girl, this one resembling a vampire, shot her elbow back into the zombie’s midsection. His gasp and fold were enough to silence him. Duncan raised a blond brow. “Parlors represented a formal gathering room used to keep the family secrets private.” They filed into the room. Kayla slipped into a corner near the dining room enshrouded in black while marveling at Duncan’s patience. A chill settled in the room, warm puffs of air escaped their mouths. “Where are my manners?” The hearth exploded with fire. 41

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The skeptic jumped back, surprised by the force of the flames. “Allow me to introduce the rest of the family.” Without touching the chairs, they turned to reveal the dummies who didn’t appear the least bit fake now. “Cousin Snivel and cousin Drusilla, I discovered them planning trickery, apologize, cousins.” Snivel shook his head. Drusilla giggled and raised her hands to cover her mouth. “Puppets?” “No way, we’d see the wires. Look at the way her chest rises—” “The CPR dummy, Dollie, does the same thing.” Kayla jumped when Duncan’s hand brushed her back. “Keep me from showing them the evil side of magic.” She glanced at his features. Duncan hid his anger well, or the comments didn’t bother him. “Oh, I think you’re doing fine. A fairy, Duncan?” “Moth.” He leaned closer to Kayla’s ear so his next words weren’t overheard, his fingers entwined with hers, “Are drawn to the flame. Fairies have a tendency for spitefulness. They’ll bite if you put your finger near their mouths. How else do you think Drusilla creates her delicious sandwiches?” The zombie jerked his hand back when Drusilla snapped her jaws. The tour progressed and even the doubter stopped questioning and fell into awe. Kayla found herself impressed, not by the levitating books in the study. Her attention reminded on Duncan, their joined hands and the way his thumb brushed her skin. He answered real questions with honesty and ignored those questions demanding an explanation how something moved without wires until he could usher them out the door. He leaned 42

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against the wall, favored her with a smile and raised her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. Her stomach fluttered, other parts responded and she pushed them away. “The younger kids haven’t lost their sense of awe.” The squeak of the front door warned them of new arrivals. “I think I’ll sit this group out.” He squeezed her hand before releasing her. “Kitchen’s safe if you’re hungry.” The last tour ended hours ago. The house settled into a quiet hum of Brit’s stereo, the fridge and the warding overall comfort noises. She’d eaten with Brit in the kitchen instead of the diner, forming a bond with Ian and Duncan’s sister. They stayed away from the topic of the brothers other than the trouble they managed to create in their youth. She’d enjoyed the time until the events of the day tugged at her. Once in her room, she lay in bed, staring up at the paint fashioned in a swirl of cursive Os upon ceiling. She pulled her gaze away and dragged her cell from beneath her pillow. The screen lit up. She’d pinged Charlie over an hour ago, no reply. She forced herself to remember if her boss did anything he wasn’t supposed to, Rosie would have him by the short hairs. So why couldn’t she shake the feeling trouble loomed over him? The grandfather clock on the landing chimed the hour. Friday night or early Saturday morning, depending on how you perceived the hour. She rolled to her side. Images of her and Duncan replayed in her head. Her body wanted a repeat performance with an encore. She shifted to relieve the achy tension stealing through her. If not for the double interruption, would she have stopped Duncan? Her nipples tightened with the memory of his touch, her willpower 43

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weakened. Only something—not a something, Ian wasn’t there. No matter how much she might—she corrected herself, she might have wanted sex with him. She would have regretted the deed later. Unable to sleep with those thoughts rattling around in her head, she tossed the comforter back, swearing Ian and Duncan’s scent embedded the material. Maybe the room caused her skin to prickle with hypersensitivity. She closed her eyes, again determined to gain a couple of hours of sleep before tomorrow. Shifting her hands over her body, she summoned the images of the brothers to replay the night she performed the ritual with two men. “I shouldn’t be here?” Her channel grew wet with the memory of the two masked men who signaled her out from the crowd of attendees. A ritual cloaked in secret for non-magical humans couldn’t discover the existence of doorways into the demon realms. They wore half masks and cloaks for anonymity and sexuality entwined their magic to ensure the portals remained closed. One of the many parties she attempted to avoid out of fear of someone tapping into her talent. Charlie and priestess refused her excuses. All coven members participated in no less than three rituals a year. She accepted the mask and cloak, resigned herself to the keeping of the Goddess. Tonight, the Goddess claimed their combined power, for either a mage or witch to break the vow was unthinkable, those who did suffered for their betrayal. Kiss us. If our magic conflicts, we’ll leave you alone. Pretend, she didn’t like the way their auras brushed hers. Easy. She could control her reaction to any kiss they gave her. She consented and lifted her face up to meet theirs. “Tell us with words, sweetheart, tell us…you want our kiss.” Her mouth dried. She flicked her tongue against her dry lips. They leaned closer. Her heart’s tempo changed. Her shortcircuiting brain told her to deny the attraction, her body craved to 44

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sample them even in the smallest way. To see if the O’Rourke controlled her on a night devoted to the Goddess. “Kiss me.” Slow smiles spread across the visible parts of their faces. How they decided, who would be first didn’t matter because she wanted their kisses now. The one with wavy dark hair caught her chin, tilted her head toward him and brushed his lips against hers. Blue flames leapt within her, the tight seal she kept upon her magic cracked. O’Rourke. Her brain screamed at her to fight them, while her body craved more than their kisses. His tongue licked against the seam of her lips, seeking permission to take the kiss deeper. The other man’s breath brushed against the shell of her ear. “Open for Ian.” The revelation of their names was forbidden. She could deny them for breaking the rule of privacy. Instead, she obeyed, starved since the night of the fire. Ian slanted his head to fit them together, his breath filled her lungs. His kiss surprised her, gentle and demanding, hungry yet intent on giving her a thorough taste of him. She moaned, her eyes fluttering open when he broke the kiss, drawing back to gaze down into her face. She expected smugness or even conceit, but found lust and something else in his gaze. “Now, kiss Duncan.” Startled by the second slip in protocol, she turned her head toward Duncan, the anger she remembered in him replaced with desire. A lock of sandy blond hair fell over his forehead. She lifted her hand to brush his hair back into place. He caught her hand and kissed her palm. Sizzles of awareness curled her toes. He closed the distance between his lips, brushed against hers. “My kiss, Kayla, I’ve waited forever for this, for you.” Her eyes closed. A wave of sensations washed over her. Not all sexual or magical, a twining of both. Her hands grasped Ian to steady herself. Duncan’s tongue didn’t explore, no, he plundered with the force of a starved man. Their tongues caressed, coaxed and twisted into an intimate dance. His moan or maybe hers broke the kiss. His arousal pressed into her hip. She recalled the twin fires in their eyes, sending another flood of moisture through her body. 45

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Kayla shivered at the loss of their touch. She licked her lips and tasted the wine they’d consumed. They exchanged unspoken looks. “We wish to continue. Will you allow us to pleasure you, Kayla, as the Goddess intended?” they asked in unison, their voices hoarse with lust. Her body screamed for their touch while her brain seesawed with the dangers. Worshipped for one night in the most basic of fashions, in the light of the morning, she’d release her magic from theirs and slip away. Her body’s desires would once again be hers to control. What would happen when their bodies joined? Her desire from two kisses caused her voice to waver, “Sex only for the Goddess.” “Not sex alone, lovemaking,” Ian stated. “Our combined talents will seal the doorways for another year,” Duncan clarified. They’d given their word the concept of having sex without the other stuff impossible to fathom. “Yes.” Drawn to them, Kayla fell under the hypnotic spell they wove around her, their lips brushed against her neck, one on each side. Warm, firm lips brushed against her veins. Kayla’s head dropped back against the shoulder of one brother, granting them both access. Small zaps of magical energy and desire circulated through her system, rendering her speechless. Their hunger fed hers. They’d asked permission first to kiss her. She’d believed they meant one at a time at first, but they hadn’t. They overwhelmed her senses with their closeness, their experience and the heat of desire they fanned through her body. Her talent feasted. Beneath the edges of her robe, calloused talented hands skimmed her flesh while their mouths took turns to devour hers. The sensation left her longing, even the press of their hard arousal against each hip didn’t frighten her. “More.” Gentle fingers released the clasp at Kayla’s neck, the robe pooled at her feet. Cool night air teased her nipples into torrid peaks lifting her swollen breast in offering. Fingers caressed the slopes of her right breast, missing the sensitive peak. She shimmied in an 46

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effort to guide his fingers. His hand slipped beneath the globe, lifting her breast in offering to his brother. “Suckle her.” Her inner muscles spasm when his mouth covered her breast to feast upon her flesh while her other breast ached under the sensual massage. One plucked at her nipple with his fingers while the other brother tortured her with teeth and tongue. Lips caressed Kayla’s shoulder, teased her with little nips. “How does our Kayla taste?” Her breath stilled when white teeth grasped the nipple. She gasped when the shot of pleasure sent a blast of liquid from her core. He peeled back his lips, releasing the red and swollen nub to lap her flesh with his tongue and blew across the damp surface. “Sweet, ripe.” Her toes curled to pull another moan from her body. “Yes, tell us what you like.” She couldn’t give them power of her. They’d drain everything away. Her hands lifted to push the dark-haired brother away, instead, her fingers curled into his cloak. The word stop no longer part of her vocabulary, she wanted the sensual climb and the soulstealing free fall of her orgasm. They sensed her need and switched, letting the cold, damp air assault the other nipple. Skilled hands caressed every inch of Kayla’s body, front and back. She forced herself not to panic, they’d sworn to uphold the rules of the ritual. “Beautiful.” “Perfect pale skin demands I lick every inch of her.” She shivered and contracted the muscles of her thighs to withhold the sight of her juices coating the inside of her thigh. She ached to feel one of them pounding inside of her. The other people in the room faded from her concern. Duncan’s lips spoke the words of a traveling spell. Her feet left the floor. Her fingers curled tighter in Ian’s robe. “Fear not, the power of our joining must be within reach of the doorway.” “Why?” She shouldn’t complain, the moans, groans and grunts 47

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of bodies deafened her ears. What about safety in numbers, venturing away from the group meant no one could help her. She glanced around at the naked, writhing bodies, the heavy aroma of sex and powerful magic permeated her lungs. “You don’t strike me for shyness.” Duncan uncurled her fingers from his brother’s robe and placed kisses against her knuckles. Ian stepped away and in front of her, allowing her to see them both. Their hands lifted. In harmony to release the clasp at their neck, she held her breath. Their black robes fluttered to the floor, her mind registering the circle dismissed when their masks landed on the heap of cloth. Her gaze lifted to their unmasked incredible handsome faces, sculptured cheekbones called to her fingers. A slight ridge in Duncan’s nose spoke of a break since their last meeting. “What we have we’ll not share with others.” Their possessiveness startled her. She drank her fill, caressing Ian’s wide shoulders and the spattering of dark, crisp curls across his chest led her to his impressive arousal. Long, wide with a deep wine-colored plumed head, wet with drops of his pre-cum. The image of her kneeling before him and taking him into her mouth made her tremble. Kayla licked her lips. “Can you read minds?” “The heat in your eyes and flick of your pink tongue gives away your desire.” “Will you let me suck you?” “Not this time.” A whisper of protest bubbled up within her. There would not be another night. She swallowed her claim and met Duncan’s gaze. His body, leaner with a smooth chest and beautiful set of abs, begged for her touch. His cock identical if not for the curve. Delicious thoughts of what he could caress had her channel weep with pleasure. Any idea of protesting deserted her. She’d deal with their misconceptions tomorrow. She held both hands out to them when an undeniable wave of lust consumed her. They closed the distance between three of them. “For the Goddess.” They could claim nothing in the way of her 48

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magic. They couldn’t ask for any more than the use of her body to strengthen the seals entrusted to them by the Goddess. There would be no condemns between them tonight, only those clean could attend the ceremony. Birth control laced the wine they toasted with earlier, inducing the men to increased stamina and allowing the women a night of unbridled passion. For once, the ritual wouldn’t leave her unsatisfied. With the first rays of the sun, she’d leave with knowledge that her talent didn’t make her frigid. Ian lifted and carried her to the side of the bed. He settled her in the center of the white sheets, the pillows at her back propping her up enough to gaze around the room. Too bad the brothers consumed her attention, or she’d have searched for the portal. They glanced at one another and exchanged positions before climbing on the bed with the grace of twin panthers. She scooted back. A large hand from each of them grasped her ankles to draw her legs open. Moisture flooded her sex. Her racing heart and the heat of their desire warmed her skin. She panted with the intention of regaining control. Logic would save her. They stared at her with unspoken desire and again when they licked their lips. Her womb clutched hard. Her heart pulsed faster, sensitizing every nerve of her body. She wanted this, wanted them—since the fire. Duncan settled between her legs, his hands caressing the length of her calf. He opened her wider with the width of his shoulders, his silky blond hair brushing against her thighs. Ian stretched out beside her. His hand caressed her from breast to thigh before he let his fingers brush her bare sex to tease the three of them. “Again,” Duncan rasped. Rendered mute with the intense longing they stirred, she let her body talk for her. Her hips lifted to guide their fingers closer to the part of her yearning for their touch. Fingers brushed against her curls again, this time tracing the seam of her nether lips, denying her pleasure. “So wet, you must not drink her dry….” 49

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His lips brushed the inside of her thighs with a tender kiss. “Aye, I’ll have my taste of her now.” Shivers of anticipation rippled through her. Her clit throbbed. “Stop talking and do something,” she blurted out and the heat of embarrassment flushed her skin. She wasn’t a demanding lover and earned a reputation for being cool, passive and safe from power-starved mages. “You heard our woman, Duncan, do something.” Two pairs of wickedly sinful eyes drank her in, assuring themselves that she had indeed spoken. Hot air brushed the oversensitive skin of her clit, causing her body to writhe. Ian teased her breast, plucking her nipples to send spikes of desire to intercept those within her womb, creating a hunger only they could fill. Spellbound by Duncan feasting on her sex until Ian’s mouth claimed hers, she surrendered to the sensations. Her eyes drifted shut. Her hips lifted in a silent offering. “Kayla, keep your eyes open.” Duncan lapped at her folds, one finger slipped inside of her sex to draw even more cream from her body. He pumped twice and added a third somehow. Ian thrust his tongue into her mouth in time. Pressure swirled through her, drawing her closer to the edge of release. Her cold fire rolled within, causing her whole body to tingle. Kayla cupped both men’s heads, pinned them there to torture her body with their wicked deeds. Things no one else ever did. In all her years within the coven, no one showed her pleasure before taking their own. Her body shifted, rolled up, her pelvis resting on Duncan’s thighs. Ian’s mouth left her breast, the bed shifted beneath her. So close to coming, she’d scream like a banshee if they stopped, not caring whom in the house or the next realm discovered them. The new position pleased them both if their moans revealed anything. Each man dipped his fingers through her sopping folds, gathering her essence. “Now.” Fingers pinched her oversensitive clit. She screamed. Her inner muscles clamped on nothing. Her orgasm hit hard. 50

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She flew into the abyss, a thousand ashes scattered on the wind. Through her dazed gaze, they scooped at her juices and brushed symbols across their chest. The sight should have disgusted her instead of pulling on something deep inside of her. Her fogged brain registered the act not the reason behind the action. Ian settled on the bed beside her. They couldn’t be done, neither one of them came. She wanted them to come, inside her. “Straddle Ian, take him inside of you.” From her womb to her slit, she clenched with eagerness. She obeyed, rocking her hips against the length of him, coating the hard length of his arousal with her juices while his hands held her hips. He released one hand and held his cock. Pressure touched her slit. Her inner muscles sucked him in an inch. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head with the sweet pressure of him against her entrance. “Tight, hot,” Ian groaned, fought to keep his hips still. Her inner muscles tightened on the invasion. Her body stretched to take him deep within her. A hand stroked her back. Their lips caressed her skin. Ian’s hand cupped and kneaded her breasts. The muscles of her thighs relaxed, her knees slipped apart on the silk sheets, driving her down. Her gasp of pleasure joined Ian’s groan. Hands clamped on her waist. To hold her still while her body adjusted to him, giving her time to explore Ian’s chest. She scraped her short nails over his flat male nipples, his body bucked inside of her. Spikes of pleasure rippled through her. She pushed herself up and then down in a sensuous slide to brush against sensitive, starved tissue. Ian’s arms wrapped around her body, drew her tight against his chest. His mouth sipped from her lips. Warm liquid slipped between her ass cheeks followed by Duncan’s finger tracing her forbidden entrance. “Have you ever been taken here?” Duncan’s voice rasped. Ian released her mouth, his hazel gaze intense, demanding her response. She shivered and arched forward to rock against Ian and 51

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dug at the spot no other man reached, “Only a finger.” More liquid flooded her skin before Duncan slid his finger in. “This big?” Her eyes closed with the pressure of his blunt finger. “No.” the pressure on the tight ring of her ass muscle protested and relaxed with the shallow in and out thrust of his finger. Another orgasm built. She fought the urge to come, she wanted them to come together. She arched her back, grinding her pelvis against Ian. His groan fueling her desire, a dark hunger to feel more than Duncan’s finger in her ass burned hot heavy through her. “Take me there, slide your cock in.” “I don’t want to hurt you.” Fingers dug in her hip, holding her steady. The urge to move rode her hard, forward, back, up or down, she didn’t care when her release hovered within her grasp. She pushed up. “Fuck—” Ian bit out, “something better give, or I’ll explode.” She reached for the hot brand of Duncan’s cock pressed into her skin. “Kayla.” She ignored the warning tone, stroked what she could reach. Her fingers were unable to wrap around him at this angle to do what she wanted to. “Pick a hole.” A hand smacked her ass hard. She yelped, the jolt electrifying nerve endings, causing her to release Duncan. She whimpered with the loss, rotated her hips, not caring if they came together or not. “We will not tolerate crudeness from our woman.” Duncan’s finger slipped from her ass. The ripping of foil caused her inner muscles to clutch Ian’s shaft in a steel vise. He throbbed. Groaned. His jaw clenched tight, resisting his need to finish. She rocked and forced him to dig at the nerves deep within her channel to send her over. Duncan’s hands stroked her back, the blunt tip of his cock pressed against the tight rings of her ass. “Breathe.” Their joint order impossible to ignore, she did and a sharp pain 52

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stole the air from her lungs. Her tight opening protested as she wiggled and pressed back. The head of his cock slipped past and the pain became pleasure. She panted at the fullness of having two men inside of her. She wanted more and contracted her inner muscles to draw them deeper. “Hold still,” Duncan’s strained voice and the feel of his retreat raised a protest. He slid deeper. A moan ripped from her lips. “Are you all right?” She didn’t know who’d spoken and didn’t care. On his next slow slide, she met him thrust for thrust, taking him deep. “Now, I’m good, be better if you move.” The next moments lost in a sensual maelstrom of thrust and retreat, they found their rhythm. Kayla enjoyed the ride sandwiched between them and surrendered to the sensations. They worked driving her pleasure higher. Strands of their magic lifted into the air, twining around the portal doorway. So close. Their thrusts losing control, both of them touching something deep within her, throwing her into her orgasm, she screamed. She lifted her head. Her gaze focused on the ceiling and the glowing medallion in the center. Three strands of their magic entwined to form a braid wreath and settled over the seams of the door. Relief and satisfaction allowed her to sink into oblivion. Her breathing eased and her heart settled to a normal beat. A door creaked down the hall. Oh Goddess, who did she awaken?

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Chapter Five Ian swished his tail, opening the door to Kayla’s bedroom. In

this form, he could enter at will. A smidgen of guilt assailed him. What they knew read like a resume amass of the details. He inhaled her sweet scent of honeysuckle, laced with the scent of her arousal. Was his keystone indulging in an erotic dream? His body shuddered. His whiskers twitched. His original intentions of peeking in on her vanished. He’d never get to sleep without gazing upon her. Kayla denied him—them the chance by leaving before they’d awakened. His tail switched in annoyance. On silent paws, he circled the room, stopped at her duffel bag. The unzipped duffel called to his feline nature and he indulged his curiosity by sticking his head inside. Snuffling at her clean clothes, he pawed at the bi-fold wallet until the cover lifted to expose her fire investigator badge. A stronger layer of protection magic should have surrounded the piece, not the thin, worn spell. They’d correct her error in the morning. He retreated from the bag, proud of himself for not rubbing his nose against her lacy bra. Kayla muttered something, turned and settled. Ian paused, leapt upon the bed and prowled his way closer to her. Seeing her face in the cab window of the truck distracted him. If not for Charlie’s prompt reaction, the O’Rourke would be down by one. Something they couldn’t 54

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afford. Moonlight caressed her face and shone in the blonde strands of her hair. He reached out a tentative paw, petting the lock lucky enough to grace the slope of her breast. His intentions weren’t to awaken her, but to reassure himself that Kayla slept safe under his parent’s roof. He would have preferred her at the gallery, their home—circumstances prevented them from leaving Brit alone. Guilt plagued him for tricking Kayla into coming with evil gaining power in their town. They knew who and the how and discovered they couldn’t challenge her without joining their magic with their keystone. Otherwise, one or both would fall into her clutches, strengthen Shelby Crewe’s ability to open the portal. If Shelby found the Goddess brooch, the O’Rourkes would deal with more than a sorceress and her demon helper. He settled down next to Kayla, content with observing her sleep. Her lips parted and his gut tightened. His head bobbed with exhaustion. He shouldn’t stay, his hold on this form weakened with every tick of the grandfather clock. Magic, no matter how powerful, carried limitations. Rising, he leaned forward until his nose brushed hers. He purred. “Ian?” Holy Goddess. He leapt back into the shadows. Ian wondered if Kayla would be able to see through his illusion, he never fooled their mother. He believed, when Brit concentrated hard enough, she could see through his spell casting. Anytime he questioned her, Brit brushed off his attempts to help and hid her sensitivity over her late blooming magic. Kayla settled deeper into sleep. His heart slowed with a heavy sigh as he retraced his steps, exiting the room while drawing the door shut behind him. He padded into his room and jumped onto his bed. He’d shower once he shed this form. Collapsed on the comforter, he rolled to 55

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his side and fell into a troubled sleep. The image of the Goddess brooch swung before the inside of his eyelids. He batted at the thing, the cause of all their problems. With Brit’s help, they created one to scale with the hope of using one to track the other artifact. Their magic wasn’t strong enough without their keystone to center and focus their power. Kayla’s image materialized, her fleeting smile not directed their way but toward others, friends. He wanted her smile bestowed on them, on him. He longed to hear her laugh, longed for her touch without duty to the Goddess. Without her duty to the Goddess, they’ve wondered if her talent balanced and joined their own. Evil and trickery delivered her into their lives, could they convince her remain for love and truth? His thoughts turned to Duncan, dreams held no rhyme or reason. They left the dreamer none the wiser while he puzzled over or solved their secrets to lose them upon waking. Duncan surfed in the bay. The wind ruffled his hair and the sun sparkled on the surface of the gulf. His brother’s laughter tilted the board. He fought to regain his balance, a natural with his water talent, not this time. He plunged deep beneath the surface. When his head broke the surface, night surrounded him. Ian attempted to rouse himself from this dream. Memories he accepted, where visions left him unsettled. Evil stalked his brother. Duncan turned to gaze back out at the Gulf of Mexico. Treacherous waters filled with treasure designed by the Goddess’ hand and man. The moon glistened on the glass surface disturbed by the sea life drawn to the glow. Fog coasted along the water’s surface, granting the view an impromptu movie screen. Images of a 56

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schooner listing to the port side formed. Duncan blinked. The ship remained. A woman stood on the deck, her hand stretching for his. “Come to me, Duncan, our destiny awaits, swim for the ship.” Ian struggled to awaken his familiar. He yowled. Nothing. He reached for Kayla, spoke to her and hoped by the Goddess’s grace, she consented. Kayla, sense the danger. **** Kayla bolted upright to scan the room for an invader. She sat on the bed, the ebb and flow of the wards protected those within the house. Waves of magic caressed the floor, built up against the walls before bubbling up the sides to race across the ceiling. If she hadn’t possessed magic in some form, she wouldn’t have seen the signature marking of the warding. Her sexual release bolstered the magic already in the room in the form of sparkling embers. Heat flamed her face. By morning, the telltale sparks would be lost in the streams of sunlight she reassured herself. At least she hoped, since the same thing happened in her apartment whenever she gave into her need. She slipped her feet into a pair of shoes and padded into the hallway. The faint strum of music rose from downstairs, Brit’s room, who mentioned she slept with the stereo on because her brothers snored. She slipped into the bathroom at the end of the hall and took a two-minute shower. Story of her life, a scorching dream, cold shower and her choice. She scrubbed at her face. When she finished and donned her clothing, she wiped down the walls and folded the two towels she used over the side of the tub. Left the bathroom the same way she entered, neat. Kayla tugged at the hem of cotton tank and straightened the twist she’d put in her short sleep shorts. Sleepiness continued to elude her. 57

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She crossed the hallway. The door to the room where she’d weakened her resolve not to fall for the brothers opened. Sensations Kayla couldn’t name skittered down her back, dampening her skin. It should have raised goose bumps instead of the subtle sizzle. Her breath stilled. She stepped deeper into the shadows. No one exited. Beside the doorway, a blue-flamed candle flickered on a small table illuminating the shadowed hallway. With a blink, she scanned the area with her talent and sought the telltale signs of old and new fire, nothing. Still she couldn’t account for her restlessness, maybe some of the fruit in the fridge would help her, where her sexual release hadn’t. Brit told her to make herself comfortable. What secrets the O’Rourke family possessed would be safe with fellow coven members and with her. A faint singsong voice and the flickering light beckoned her. Someone performed a ritual, bad karma to interrupt and to eavesdrop was rude. What would have happened if Brit failed to interrupt Duncan? Heat flushed her body, reminding her of the dry spell she’d endured, a necessity with her unpredictable talent. Brit revealed on the continuation of their tour, which rooms belonged to the brothers. Both slept at the other end of the hall, each door stood a jar. With her brain and body cooled, she detected one of them groaning with discomfort. Nightmare or something else? She so wasn’t going to go down there to investigate. She’d been relieved when the brothers failed to corner her after dinner. In fact, they gave her much needed breathing space. She relaxed and filed her report, emailing a copy to Charlie and then ventured out for a walk around the grounds. Her feet shuffled forward, pulled closer to the room leaden with wards, her mouth parting in awe when the door opened wider. Compelled by the muffled voice within, she 58

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stepped into the room. Everything appeared the same except the medallion centered above the elaborate headboard. She swallowed. Her hands trembled when the symbols within the frame glowed. Ebbed and strengthened. She glanced over her shoulder, prayed an O’Rourke, anyone one of the three in the house, stood there, ready to shoo her away. No luck. She returned her attention to the waiting force. A chill danced upon her skin. A voice neither male nor female spoke. She recognized the tone from a year ago. “You have witnessed the warding?” An invisible finger pressed against the center of her forehead. Impossible to deny, she didn’t try, too. “You have read the chant, so ye be charged with the protection in this world, too.” “Not an O’Rourke and my magic, my talent is dangerous,” the second part sounded lame, even to her ears. Cold fingers tightened around her heart. She feared losing control and torching anyone, she dared to love. “I could destroy all of this—” “Obey the rule of three, for better or worse the words will not lead you astray.” Kayla, sense the danger, Ian said. Strength stronger than herself turned her toward the tapestry hanging on the wall. A lone man stood on the sandy shore, the night sky darkening and the waves churning to endanger Duncan. The knowledge stunned her into action, bolting from the room, she didn’t think about Ian asleep down the hall. What the hell burrowed in to disturb the balance of power in Sloane, Texas? She took the steps two at a time, the soles of her tennis shoes slipping on the carpet when she reached the bottom to slap the hard wood floor. Remy sat there staring at her. 59

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“How do I get to the beach?” His brow puckered. “Lady, do I resemble an information booth?” “Yes. Where’s Duncan? The beach, hurry?” “Back door, take the path to the right the pier—” She didn’t wait for the rest or to give her thanks. The danger to Duncan tightened, her heart urged her into a run to find him, unsure of what she would do once she reached him. Key words were find Duncan, assess the situation and execute the plan. What plan? She broke into a jog the moment she left the house. Remy hadn’t steered her wrong, the back gate of the garden stood open. The suction of the wards pulled at her skin until she escaped. The briny scent of the gulf filled her lungs. The evil in the air coated her skin with an oily substance. The beach spread out before her, unwelcoming. Ghost fires dotted the beach, but she ignored them. The warm breeze carried by the current whipped her hair into her face. With one hand, she captured the strands and scanned the darkness. A siren’s song filled the night with a hunting melody. Duncan stood on the shore, his lean body outlined by the moon. The ocean lapped at his ankles, enticing him further into the tide. Waves lapped at the shore, dragging the seaweed closer in an effort to trip her. Her arms swung to keep the stringy stuff away and herself upright. “Duncan.” The wind snatched her words away with a painful shriek. Damn, she winced with the wail and blinked the swell of tears away. Pain throbbed in her head, the cry loud enough to wake the dead she stumbled backward. When her vision cleared, Duncan strode calf deep into the surf and reached for an image only he viewed through the swirling mist hovering over the water. 60

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She raced the couple of feet left to him. Her hand sizzled when she caressed his bare shoulder. She wasn’t sure if her magic caused his skin to glow or the evil enchantment weaving around him. Kayla ducked under his outstretched arm and pressed her hands against his chilled chest. Again, the ripple of magic spread between them. She pushed against the mountain of muscle in an attempt to urge him back before a riptide or undercurrent of magic could take him from her. She looped her hand around his neck and pressed her lips to his unmovable ones. Stone. Cold. Not the way she ever wanted him. Release what’s not yours, bitch, a voice filled with venomous rage ordered. The wind hissed with lethal intent. Right. For her or the voice to understand, she clung to him staying close. “How do I break the spell?” You can’t, you’re no match for my magic, my power— Brag and nag, she countered magic that wasn’t without loopholes. She needed to figure out a way to release Duncan before water claimed them. A tame kiss hadn’t done so because this wasn’t a fairy tale for children. She slid down Duncan’s body, uncaring about the rising water. Once she freed him, he would be responsible to save them both. Her plan stunk. She didn’t have another choice or time to come up with something better. She couldn’t draw a circle in the sand. The powdery salt crystals washed away with waves, eliminating the circle. Her focus shattered with the shrieks of the wind. She could summon a protective circle of ice. Do more harm than good to Duncan, the payback would be a bitch. Naked and semi-hard, she gripped his hips to stop his forward progress from throwing her off balance. Maybe he wouldn’t remember this part once she broke the spell. Maybe she’d be able to forget the feel and taste of him in a few years. She took him into her hand, stroking him, feeling 61

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him swell within her grasp. She raised her gaze. He remained entranced, even in the darkness his eyes glazed and focused on the bay. She leaned forward and licked him from tip to base, down one side and up the other. The salty taste against his skin did nothing to hide his flavor, tangy and tropical. Water crashed and raked against her back, soaking her in the frosty foam. She shivered and licked the wide underside of the bulbous head of Duncan’s cock. A shudder worked through him and back into her, flooding her channel. Precum beaded the surface. I’ve never tasted something so delicious, she goaded to the hag in hopes she’d show herself. She’d like nothing better than to end this game of hide-and-seek and swore the wind screamed mine. With the tip of her tongue, she swept the drop away her tongue tingled with his essence, his magic. The waves slammed against them. She dug her fingers harder into his ass to hold on. She smiled and hummed hard against Duncan’s cock. His groan was loud enough to silence the waves and mock the wind. She savored the shudder of his body. Duncan’s thighs and ass flexed under her hand, desperate to meet his gaze, she glanced up, not yet. Damn. She wrapped her hand around the base of him because she’d never be able to take him all in and opened her mouth around the thickest part of him. She sucked on him, lashing at the tip until he groaned and tilted his hips, waiting for her to take more. She wanted the same thing, opened her mouth wider and began shallow bobs on his cock. She ignored the pounding of waves and the shrieking of the evil force she battled. Her hair lashed with the force of a whip slashing at her skin. More of his magic filled her, empowering her until they both glowed—a flame on the water. A hand settled on the top of her head, distracting her. She let him go with a plop. 62

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“Don’t stop,” he moaned louder, the wind attempting to snatch the words away. Stop, the voice screamed. Thunderous waves crashed around them and over Kayla. Her eyes burned from the salt water. The dual tug of ocean and evil forced her to wrap an arm around Duncan’s thigh. Her other hand tightened on his length. His hand tangled in her hair, braced her, braced them both to keep them steady in the battle they waged. His cock swelled and hardened further inside her mouth. She relaxed her throat when his hips rocked forward, faster, jerkier against the pull of evil. Water stroked her neck. Threatened to spill into her mouth and drown her. She hallowed her cheeks and used her tongue to keep him on the edge. His hips stilled. His thigh muscles contracted. His cock jerked in her mouth. “Kay-la,” the tortured cry warned her seconds before he filled her mouth with his seed and essence. The shriek mirrored a tornado in force and rage. The sonic boom deafened them both. Hands pushed her away and with reluctance, she sacrificed her hold on him. Amazed he remained hard and ready for more, her inner muscle spasm with renewed hope. The water sucked her under. He grabbed her arms, hauled her up against his body and carried her to shore. Duncan staggered. She searched his face and her lips parted to say something when his covered hers. No gentleness in this kiss as the sweep and tangle of their tongue pulled a groan from her deep within. She twisted to wrap her legs around his waist while he trudged higher on the beach. He broke the kiss when they escaped the reach of the water’s touch. Their panting breath filled the air. He leaned his forehead against hers. “Open your eyes,” his voice was hoarse. 63

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She obeyed and met his lust-filled gaze. The hard nub of his cock rubbed against her center, a firm reminder of her empty dream. “How?” Not the question she expected when he climbed the steps and pressed against her aching core, blocked by the barrier of her shorts. “Was there another way?” He stopped and the hand at her back disappeared. The loud squeak of an outdoor shower knob broke the silent night as warm water sliced over chilled skin. Her teeth chattered. “Stand. We must wash the evil from our skin.” “No cleaning spell,” she asked in an attempt at humor when he helped her untangle her legs from his hips. “What or who’s behind the taint I sensed when I entered the town?” Duncan stripped the clothes from her body and tossed them into a garbage bin. “Not out here and we’ll need Ian to explain everything. Suffice to say that if you hadn’t done what you did, I would be the second O’Rourke imprisoned.” Protest died on her lips when the garbage-eating bugs abandoned the bin. She shuddered, disgusted with the idea that evil saturated her clothing and could have fouled the O’Rourke home. Duncan chanted a spell and the bugs stopped their retreat. Questions swamped Kayla while they washed each other. Nothing sensual in the act, plain determination to wash the salt away, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. Like two skinny dipping kids, they crept back to the yard to find Ian waiting. His gaze raked over Duncan, assessing his condition when he handed him his robe. Her body was covered with goose flesh from the chilled autumn air. Ian gave her the same inspection, but his gaze held more heat. He stepped forward to assist her into the thick cotton robe and drew the edges together before he tied the belt. Ian 64

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rolled up the cuff to expose her trembling hands. The gate clicked closed behind them. She opened her mouth. Ian kissed her, swept her into his arms and carried her into the house. From over Ian’s shoulder, she peered at Duncan to ensure he followed them. The moment Ian set her on a stool in front of the counter, she demanded. “What’s going on? What happened out there?”

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Chapter Six

D

uncan wrapped his arms around her and held on for dear life while Ian filled three mugs with coffee. Where did they begin? Her silence helped him organize his thoughts a little, Ian would have preferred to join the embrace, loving her even here in his parent’s kitchen with Brit in the next room. Ian relented and settled both mugs in front of her. Duncan released her and perched on the stool next to her. He wasn’t jealous, but grateful that Kayla saved his brother, he could wait for the chance to hold her. They agreed to have her spend time with one another so it would relax her and give her a chance to know them both individually, then together. He sipped the steaming brew to get his mind back on the problem. “Ever hear of an essence enslaver?” Her gaze darted between them. “Without going into dramatics, this evil force is dangerous?” “Very,” Duncan replied with a shudder. “An essence enslaver goes by many names, hag, emotional vampire and always a woman.” “A wild guess here, Shelby Crewe?” “We always knew you were smart. You proved us correct tonight.” Duncan leaned in to kiss her temple in support. “She arrived in town six months ago, good reference for her position in the Chamber. Our mother wanted a break—” 66

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Her frown marred her beautiful face and tempted Ian to replace the thin press of her lips with swollen ones. He resisted they needed to talk. He wanted do away with the misunderstandings plaguing them. Another year of hellish loneliness, he couldn’t stand to face. “We have three parents, Kayla, two fathers and a mother. O’Rourke’s twins always share one woman, the tri-bond balances the energies to keep the doorways closed.” “Okay and your parents are the keeper of the doors, this isn’t news to me. What does this have to do with Shelby?” “Daddy Spurs or Blade and Mom left on a journey, they didn’t tell us anymore and Dad remained behind, with us present we’ve kept the doorways to the other realms closed.” Her hand trembled when she combed her fingers through the wet links of her hair. “You mean there’s more than the one upstairs?” “Yes.” “Don’t tell me, I don’t want to know, let’s get back to the hag.” He exchanged glances with Duncan. Without their keystone, their talent would recede and leave them with the knowledge of their craft, not the true power they would experience with her. Her reaction proved her lack of interest in discussing her future with them. He’d grant her some time before he forced her to listen. “We learned from the various incidences that she’s enslaving essences to open the doorway.” Kayla’s silence wore on him. An element talent allowed you to believe in many things. Kayla’s gift consisted of an element opposite, balancing them. Duncan balanced his cup on his knee. “She’d need a demon on this side, one to guide her on picking men—not any man would do. She’d have to start with non-magical, 67

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then gifted or talented men to keep from fizzling out.” “Do you know which demon she wants to release?” “No. We’re using the rule of three to guide us, she’s done evil—” “She’s broken the rules, no reason to go back over them. If the demon she servers enters this world, he’ll be a carrier for those clinging to him. Once here, they’ll scatter, breed. We’ll have to hunt them with other mages and witches and we’ll lose many.” Long slim fingers rubbed at her temple while she worked her way through the problem. Duncan caught and drew them to his lips for a kiss. Tomorrow would be his day to seduce Kayla, Ian reminded himself, even if the sun would rise in a couple of hours. She frowned at Duncan and pulled her hand away, settling her slender fingers around her coffee mug. “What about the demon helping her, have you attempted to summon him?” “We did. Our actions caused our Dad’s imprisonment with the hag and we know nothing about him expect he’s not an enslaved, underling to Shelby.” “So, he’s using her to do the dirty work?” “Yes. Maybe? He’s made no demands for himself.” Kayla drained and carried her mug to the sink to rinse out remnants of her salvia. Ian waited. Proud of her and disappointed when she didn’t trust them. The warmth of her slender body called to him, her aura softened his from a deep green to a lighter shade of summer. When Duncan opened his mouth to reply, Ian shook his head. Screwed on so many levels, they’d never dig themselves out of hell if she bolted on them. She turned and leaned against the counter, her silence something neither one of them desired. They wanted her input and gave her the time she required. “How many O’Rourke’s does she need before she can 68

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open a doorway, let alone enter the house?” “Three or a key, which she hasn’t found yet, nor have we.” “A bit of a dominant then and the tom I let into the building belonged to you.” She didn’t point in Ian’s direction. She met his gaze with her beautiful, icy blue eyes. Cold they weren’t, he could see the fire deep within her. “Not belonged, me.” “Hmm. Brit mentioned something about you trying to follow her back to the men without success. Why the failure when you’re the O’Rourkes, one of the most powerful families in Texas if not the magical world.” “Would you attack your own father?” Her mouth opened. Her eyes grew wider while other emotions filtered over her face, paling her features further. He’d hit upon something, something they need to explore if for no other reasons than to eliminate any secrets between them. Her gaze dropped. The cold, professional woman they knew returned. “How long can she continue to feed off your father?” She didn’t answer his question, creating more than a few in him. How much did they know about Kayla Flynn? Professionally a lot, physically she rocked their world and focused them, they—he didn’t have a clue to her thoughts. If they didn’t learn, they could lose her and everything the O’Rourke name implied. Duncan rose to pace the confines of the kitchen, avoiding Brit’s room. Her reasons for sleeping downstairs and off the kitchen when she had a nice room upstairs baffled them both. When they asked, she just shrugged and didn’t answer. “That’s our ace, she can’t until she has leverage against him, one or both of us, then his bond with mother could be broken. Death would follow. Once an O’Rourke has chosen his third, he’s committed for life, nothing short of a 69

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massive overload will stimulate him sexually.” “Fidelity, the rituals, he served the wine, we met in the morning when I left.” Ian lowered his cup of coffee to sit on the counter. He longed to confront her about the night she’d given herself to them so beautiful only to vanish the next day. He’d wanted her again. Shit, he wouldn’t lie to himself, Ian wanted forever with her. “He didn’t participate in the strengthening of wards. He closed himself in the study, content to gather the expended energies to reinforce all the known wards. We invited couples committed to their tri-bond.” Her expressive eyes widened, sparks of anger danced within. “I wasn’t a part of any relationship. Who convinced my priestess I should attend?” Duncan shifted toward a bare wall. He didn’t want to waste time replacing a major appliance in his mother’s state of the art kitchen. The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees and yet the candle sitting on the table flared to life hotter than he ever expected to melt the wax in seconds. “We’re not so powerful that we don’t have to answers to others. The night we found you in the barn, our auras blended. Our magic entwined, allowing us to follow you in and pull you from harm’s way.” Her frown tugged at something deep inside him. Ian braved the icy shell of her magic and stepped into her space. He slipped an arm around her hips to draw her closer to him and marveled at the way Kayla fit against him. Her icy palms burned his chest where they landed to push him away. His talent meshed with hers. “You gave two reports to the coven, didn’t you?” Duncan leaned against the wall, studying his brother with Kayla. Another man might feel jealous, hellfire even tri-bond suffered from bouts of envy when a brother could provide something the other couldn’t. Yet, the risk of forsaking their 70

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heritage to not belong to tri-bond never wavered. “Ian can produce a copy of the report if it would help you. What happened the night of the fire doesn’t change our discovery of you. The ritual sealed the deal for us—” “Don’t.” She pulled from Ian’s arms, striding to the table. Instead of blowing out the candle, she drew the flame into her body. “I’ll help you stop this bitch because something about her magic feels familiar and for Charlie. I’ll even help you release your father,” she held up her hand. “Afterward we go our separate ways, I’ll not tri-bond for magic’s sake.” Ian raised his hand, halting Duncan from following her out the door. “Let her go, Duncan, we’ve thrown a lot at her today.” Duncan’s fist hit the granite countertop, spilling the wax. “How do we overcome her fear of us? Doesn’t she get what she means to us?” “Lower your voice or you’ll awaken Brit,” Ian replied with a tired sigh. He rubbed at the spot where her hands touched, dislodging the bits of ice. “There’s more, something ingrained, solitary in Kayla’s actions.” Duncan raked his hands through his hair, locking his fingers at the back of his head. Rain pelted the window, an outlet for his frustration. “She jumped when I took her bag. Do you think Dad’s at least someplace dry?” “I hope he’s more than dry,” he rinsed out his own cup. “The hag will be after her now. Still going out with the boat tomorrow?” Duncan shuddered, stiffening his spine while raking a hand through his hair. “No choice if we want to secure the relics before the crew of the Nerina claims them. We’ll be leaving her alone since you’re working the tour.” “Can’t be helped, Kayla’s job is vital to everyone’s safety. We’ll have Brit tag along, she’ll be able to get word to us if anything happens to Kayla.” 71

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“I’ll kill the bitch if she touches either one of them.” “You won’t be alone in the task.” They left the kitchen, flicking off the light and hoped they hadn’t disturbed Brit and were surprised she didn’t investigate the earlier chaos. They climbed the stairs, conserving their power for the battle to come. Who remained their toughest adversary, Crewe or Kayla? Neither man glanced into the portal room, neither one needed to view the stark reality of the weakening doorway. Deep, menacing laughter echoed from behind the medallion in ominous warning.

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Chapter Seven Alone in bed, well not alone, something weighted her ankles

down. Pushing up to her elbows, she blinked in the harshness of the bright morning with a groan. The events of last night rushed back to her. She’d challenged another witch—a hag’s claim for Duncan, giving him a blow job in public. Thank the Goddess they’d been on a private beach, her actions surprised her. Her parents hated public displays of affection, called the inability to stand on your own a weakness. Nana agreed to a certain extent and instructed her in the ways of a solitary witch. She scratched at her stomach. She agreed to join Ian and Duncan in battle against another witch. Weren’t witches’ duel a thing of stories, a warning not to do them? Her itch returned on her thigh. One of the few times, she wished for fashionable long nails. Not in her field of work, her dreams returned and meshed with her meeting yesterday with Shelby Crewe. She was the rider atop the hell’s steed in barn fire eighteen months ago, if not for thick long hair shielding her face, Kayla would have recognized her sooner. Ian and Duncan both confirmed their suspicions of them being one and the same. She hadn’t been listening. Her itch moved to the small back of her, distracting her. The number of cold cases regarding recent fires annoyed her, so did the idea of the people she trusted plotting behind her 73

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back. Did Beth induce her labor because she knew Kayla would take Steven’s place out of friendship? She’d transferred out of Chicago for the same reason she didn’t trust others with the safety of her life. She flopped back on the bed, dropped her arm over her eyes. Follow the rules and life will bless you, wrong, nana. “Would it be so bad? You know, loving them?” Kayla raised her head to find Remy, his ugly little demon’s body resting over her ankles. She glanced at the closed door. “There’s a difference between love and sex, Remy. You sleep with Brit, don’t you?” He stretched, shifted off her legs, circled once before he settled to face her. “Don’t change the subject it’s rude.” With her legs free, she pushed to a sitting position and scratched at her ankle. “The sex—phenomenal—but—” “But, such a little word has been known to start many a war,” he extend his needle sharp claws and managed not to snag the comforter. “If I shred anything, the O’Rourkes will give me a damn litter box instead of access to the toilet. Do you have any idea how embarrassing squatting or lifting your leg to do your business is with a damn audience?” “No.” The Goddess possessed a wicked sense of justice and punishment. What she’d done to Duncan rippled through and roused her body. The itch doused her lust. “Women cause wars?” “Yeah, because they told the wrong guy but think about it.” True, on so many levels. “Is this your true form?” “Cute and adorable, I don’t do. The only thing I can get laid by is…” His pink tongue hung out the side of his mouth. “The female bulldog down the street and she’s a shrew, ask anyone. How Brit can stand to work with her owner’s beyond me.” Kayla rolled her eyes, hid her smile and waited. He 74

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reminded her of one of those comics who poked fun at life, his life with mock seriousness. “Four generations ago, I dallied with this hotter than hell woman, nothing like the soul-sucking bitch riding this town mind you. Senia—a goddess, but, see, there’s that goddamn word again. Her admirers and lovers were more than I could handle…I accused her of infidelity. She cursed my seven foot buff body down to this,” he rolled to his back. She wondered what the curse entailed and why the O’Rourkes failed to help him. “Goddess or witch?” He rolled to his stomach and rested his flat chin on his folded paws. “Doesn’t matter, one in the same, something like you, willing to help but not going the distance, if a man leaves a woman hanging their assholes—” Excuse me. Didn’t my actions last night count for something? When he didn’t ask for her help in breaking the curse, she did. “What needs to happen to return you to your true self?” “I might gripe about the lack of sex, but I’m not about to break the curse, why? My, you have very expressive eyes, beautiful, in fact, I see what the boys like about them.” “For someone who lectured me about changing the subject, you’re pretty darn good yourself.” “Thanks, I try—keeps my life interesting. You know, say one thing and do another.” He raised his head, his pug nose twitching. “Brit’s cooking bacon, gotta have my bacon.” He leapt from the bed and raced for the closed door, prancing on little feet. “Kayla, please, open the door—they didn’t put a magical doggy door in this room.” She tossed a corner of the comforter aside and gazed down at her red, scratched skin. “Damn, girl, what did you do use, a sandblaster on your legs, I’ll tell Brit to get you the salve.” “Thanks.” The tightness of her skin constricted her muscles and made the basic act of crossing the room 75

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difficult. “Tell Brit, I’ll be down after I shower.” “You want me to send Ian or Duncan up with the lotion. They’ll be happy to apply it.” She pulled open the door and ushered out the miniature matchmaker. “No.” “Your loss—they’ll be disappointed of course.” So would she, she refrained from speaking the words aloud and proceeded to collect her clothes for the day. Goddess, her skin danced with a thousand fire ants. She hoped the shower helped. She snagged her cell from the bedside table and scrolled through the messages, four from Rosie, she cringed while reading them. Everything okay? C forgot 2 charge his cell again. She wished. Charlie’s text message arrived. C u 2night, will explain when I c u. Kayla replied. Call home. She could wait to talk to him, Rosie couldn’t. She sent up a silent prayer for the Goddess to protect him and hobbled down to the bathroom. Her back and legs burned with the fierceness of a third-degree burn. She hoped Brit ignored her stubbornness and arrived with the salve, soon. She stepped into the bathroom and pulled off her nightshirt. When she turned her back to the mirror, she gasped. **** Ian didn’t wait. He grabbed the salve and floated through the ceiling and into the bathroom. His body tightened at the sight of her standing naked before the mirror. Their gazes met in the reflective glass. Her hand reached for the towel. Didn’t matter, he’d seen her naked before. That was then and this was now. Her other hand trembled when she reached for the jar in his 76

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hand. “Duncan and I showered before returning.” “You won’t be able to reach your back,” he scowled, turning the water on to adjust the temperature. “Shower first, Kayla. On my family’s name, I swear, I won’t do anything unless you ask.” “My luck.” If she knew what her words did to him, she never would have spoken them. He set the jar aside, caught the hand holding the towel and drew the lucky material away from her lush body. She’d been beautiful a year ago. Her body showcased fuller breasts, her nipples were like taunt berries ready for him suckle. Not at this moment, he wouldn’t take advantage of her pain. He would care for her the way tribond would care for their keystone. He helped her climb over the edge of the tub before casting his clothes aside. “What are you doing?” Her trembled voice kept his body in check for the total span of a heartbeat until the water cascaded off her breasts. He swallowed hard, cleared his throat and stepped in behind her. “The attack happened in water.” At her nod, he gathered her hair and draped the lucky strands over her shoulder. “The lotion must be applied while your body soaks up the water.” “What kind of spell did she use?” The rash spread to her shoulder blades. He waited for the water to soak her skin. “Siren’s jealousy, lean forward, so more of the spray hits your back.” She obeyed. Her firm, round ass brushed against him. His cock throbbed. He turned his upper body toward the jar. Ian scooped out the greenish gel, rubbed his hands together to gain maximum coverage and held his hands over her heated, bright red skin. Shelby would pay for the attacks against his family and the woman who claimed him and his brother’s heart. Soul. 77

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With a gentle touch, he applied the gel. The healing lotion darkened to draw the poison from her flawless skin. Evil should never have touched her. If she’d ignored his plea, his brother would be in the hag’s clutches and the doorway would weaken further. He spread the healing lotion down her back, ignoring her soft sighs and the way his balls ached and his cock hardened. He and Duncan could wring those same sounds from her if she would let them. Her body leaned further over, presenting him with her painfully red ass. The hag’s spell of jealousy was complete and left untreated, would cause the victim to scratch hard enough to break the skin, invite infection and leave scars. “Spread your legs and grasp your ankles if you can,” he ordered and dropped to his knees. By the Goddess, they should have filled the tub with the stuff. He swallowed hard. “Raise your foot, so I can do the bottom. She’s probably hoping you come to the dance this way—weakened in your power with a bruised spirit.” “Talent, I only use it in my work, Ian. I told you, I’d help.” Her voice was husky. His desire spiked, his balls tightened and drew up tight against his body when he slid his hand up the inside of her leg. His fingers skimming across a spot on the back of her knee caused her body to shimmy in a delightful way. Nice. They agreed to share everything they learned about Kayla and this was one of those things. He refused to believe otherwise. “Oh,” was followed by a soft moan, which escaped her lips. He liked the sounds she made and repeated the process, avoiding the area he wanted to explore in detail. With her in this position, his quest for knowledge bordered on cruel. He and his brother sought to bind her, not engage in a yearly affair. They wanted her in their lives, to build life and then a family with her. “Why not use your talent for more? Explore 78

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your options.” He ignored the wiggle of her ass and the glistening pink of her nether lips for a moment. He’d show both the proper attention when all other areas where covered and settled his hands on her hips to balance her. “Turn.” She straightened and obeyed gazing down at him, his face once again even with her sex. “You forget something.” His lips lifted in a smile. “I’ll see to your ass and other bits last.” “Why?” she asked and placed her hands on his shoulder when the shower wall didn’t give her the support she needed. The intensity of her questioning blue eyes laced with hints of arousal lashed through him in a hard throb. Her teeth bit into her lower lip, the scent of her arousal in the steam sent his thickening blood south. He wouldn’t do anything unless she asked, even if his brother enjoyed the sensation of her perfect mouth wrapped around his member only last night. Someday, she would do the same for him and more for the rest of their lives. “Because I’ll get distracted and miss something,” he spread his knees wider to support both of them in the tub. He then started with her feet, encircling her ankles, his hands caressing her calves and working his way up her thighs. Her legs spread, giving him a beautiful view of her nether lips and the tip of her clit, which played peek-a-boo with him. He could think of a hundred ways he’d like to attend to her glistening sex and her tempting ass. He worked more gel into his hands to caress her hips and her flat stomach. Her hands slipped to the wide part of his shoulder. Her fingers pressed into his taunt muscles while his hands traveled the length of her torso to the underside of her perfect, full breasts. He tore his gaze away from the 79

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gathering honey, to concentrate on the ruby red skin from the rash on the underside of her breast. His hands trembled when he dipped them in gel. Lifting the globe, he applied the lotion and the dusty rose nipple puckered and beckoned. Kayla’s head fell back and a deep moan escaped her lips. He palmed both breasts, his thumbs caressing the flesh around the nipple to ease the ache of the rash. He wanted to believe that his touch both healed and ignited Kayla’s desire, but didn’t know the exact side effects of the hag’s spell. Kayla’s lips parted. He rose to his feet and claimed her mouth. **** His tongue slipped in and she tasted the coffee he’d consumed this morning. Beyond the rich flavor, she tasted him. She compared him to a mellow, full body wine, rich with secrets and leaving her thirsty for more. She pressed further into his hands delighted with his tender and teasing administrations. If not for the gel coating her skin, she’d have begged him to suckle her. Heat flamed through those parts he’d saved for last. Hot and aching, she wondered how much of her body’s response resulted from the spell cast against her or Ian’s touch. She tilted her hips away when she longed to rub her body against his. Her fingers grazed his heated flesh down his six-pack of abs to trace the waistband of his wet briefs. The white cotton outlined the thickness of his arousal. The waistband separated and his cock peeked at her. A barrier of modesty to ensure her comfort, she smiled. Ian tilted his mouth against hers, seeking and gaining a better fit. Their tongues dueled. She widened her stance, hoping the 80

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cooling water of the shower would ease the burn. Ian broke the kiss and she moaned with the loss of contact. He collected the jar and sank to the bottom of the tub. “Now for those others parts.” Her gaze followed his caressing fingers. Her talent kept her bare and the brush of his calloused fingertips against her naked nether lips caused her hips to swivel in blatant need. “Can the gel be taken inside the body?” His hand stilled and cupped her nether lips. Her hips rocked with a mind of their own. She would have pressed against his fingers if they’d stayed. She needed them…two inches higher and a couple of centimeters north. “Let me tend to your ass and then we’ll assess the true depth of the rash.” A groan escaped her throat with the power of his words. Who needed magic when they could spellbind the person with a turn of a phrase? Large hands cupped Kayla’s ass, stroking downward from the small of her back to the top of her thighs. She sighed when the heat of her skin cooled by a couple of degrees, replaced by moisture trickling through her channel. He returned his hands to her hips, stroking downward, sensitizing her body, increasing her craving for him. The burn between her cheeks intensified with a dark desire. One she’d only ever experienced with the brothers. She bit her lip in resistance to the seductive pull the heated sensation increased. “There, I need your touch, the gel there,” her hoarse cry both a plea and an order. “Shh,” Ian dipped his fingers into the gel, withdrawing them to the place she requested. Long fingers slipped and traced the puckered rose of her ass. The burn eased. She closed her eyes, savoring the tiny 81

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shivers pulsing through her body. “Do you need me to slide my finger in there, Kayla?” She didn’t miss the stark hunger of his need and nodded. He continued to graze her flesh, to tease and drive her insane with dark lust. His fingers disappeared to return and add more gel. Her channel spasmed with his suggestion, sending small shivers through her body. “Yes.” The burn in her pussy grew red hot from the spell and the desire they built between them until her fire threatened to break free. Ian pushed one gelled finger deep into her ass so that the cooling salve eased the burn. A moan of pleasure rippled through her. He pumped once, then twice before adding another gelled digit to her rear opening. The penetration robbed her breath, her sex clenched on emptiness. She whimpered, jerked when his other hand caressed her nether lips, cooling and heating her at the same time. Her hips tilted forward to give Ian better access. His fingers pumped rhythmical into her ass while his other fingers tended to the folds of her sex. Need rushed through her, she angled her hips in an attempt to have his fingers slide inside her. He resisted. She needed to feel his hard cock pounding into her. He withdrew his fingers. Stood up, claiming her mouth in a brutal kiss and she relished the hard press of his lips, the demands of his tongue to ravage her mouth—she didn’t want sweet and gentle right now. Her hands couldn’t remain passive any longer. Dropping to the waistband of his soaked briefs, she freed him, pushing the material down to his feet and out of them. Her hand cupped his tight sac. The hiss of his breath urged her hand to close around his thick cock. Ian broke the kiss with a hard groan. She seized the moment to gaze down at what she held. Her inner muscles clamped and burned with the need to feel him thrust into her, hard and fast. She knelt before him. 82

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“Kayla, we—haven’t finished—” She leaned forward, licking at the weeping, dark head of his cock. She sucked the tip of him into her mouth, letting her teeth graze the sensitive underside. His hiss of pleasure urging her forward in her exploration, she couldn’t have stopped if he asked. Her body silenced her brain on the what ifs of her actions. Her hand fell away from holding him to search until she found the jar. She wanted her next dose delivered this way. The gel’s healing magic tickled her skin. “What are you doing?” His hands bit into the swell of her hips, holding them both steady. She applied the gel liberally to his long, thick cock, rubbing the pad of her thumb over the slit, once, twice and then a third time. Ian’s hips bucked forward, his hand tugged and urged her to wrap her leg around his waist. She didn’t resist the idea of holding onto him, her arms entwining around his neck. He turned their bodies against the shower wall. The shower steam shielded them in a veil of gray. He claimed her mouth the same way he claimed her body, with one powerful thrust into both. Kayla cried out her pleasure. His thrust mimicked his tongue, hard and deep. He broke the kiss, withdrawing until only the widest edge of the mushroom tip rested at her opening. She flexed her hips, drawing him in where she needed him the most, buried deep inside of her. He trailed kisses over her jaw and neck. “Tight, gods, I’ve missed having you wrapped around me, sucking me dry.” She tilted her head to the side. His body pulsed and receded from her sex, building pressure, then pushing her higher toward her pending release. Ian’s words disjointed, lost under the sensations burning through her. Discovering a tender spot below her ear laving, biting and sucking a moan from the depth of her soul, he ventured off to find another. 83

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Her hands tensed upon his shoulders, her hips bucking, wanting the same action with her throbbing sex. His hand cupped her breast, massaging the ache from rubbing them against his chest. She would have rocked against him if not for the strength of his body pressed against her. He drew his hand back, sliding between to tease the nub of her clit, before he pressed down. Slamming his cock home, drove a scream from her and sent her over the edge into orgasmic bliss. “Ian.” Her body liquefied in his arms, but he didn’t release her. He pumped into her three more times, than withdrew to come over her hip. Her mind buzzed with awareness of what he’d done when corded white ropes of his seed seared her hip. She’d forgotten about practicing safe sex in the heat of the moment. “Thank you.” The heat flushing her body had nothing to do with the shower. She let her legs drop to the floor in desperate need to put distance between them. Her brain screamed at her. Ian caught her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. Desire burned deep within those green depths. His mouth opened. She put a finger over them to stop him. “Please.” She didn’t know if she begged him to release her or to stop him from saying something she couldn’t hear right now. His frown burrowed through her chest and seized her lungs. “Issues need addressing, we can’t go on this way. I won’t force you to listen without Duncan. He has a stake in the outcome.” “Why? So one of you can hold me while the other tries to explain to me to why sucking my talent dry is a good thing?” Somehow, she freed herself from his grip and turned her 84

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body into the spray of the shower. With shaking hands, she scrubbed the drying gel from her skin. She jerked when Ian washed her sex, thinking he left when the chilly air of the bathroom curled around her. “Ian?” “Don’t. Say. A. Word. Or, I’ll be tempted to put you over my knee and paddle some sense into you.” Yikes! Kayla glanced over her shoulder and widened her stance when the soft terry cloth material swiped at her sex, cleaning her in the way of a tender lover. Only his scowl didn’t give him the demeanor of a tender lover, but someone who reined in their temper. Why the anger? Because she called him on the truth, the tri-bond drained the power from the third, the weakest link, to infuse the strongest. The moment he released her, Kayla scrambled from the shower, wrapped a thick towel around her body and grabbed her clothing on her way out. She didn’t escape the bathroom fast enough. The dull thud of his fist-striking tile froze her. The fists around her heart constricted with the pain she’d caused. Guilt clawed at her. She didn’t waste any time getting back to her room and shutting her door. If not for the mention of breakfast waiting, she’d have slipped out. Gone where? Hunting for Charlie? Confronting and arguing with the hag, Shelby Crewe, when her emotions were all over the place was stupid and dangerous. Dressed in her uniform, she peeked out her door and found the hallway empty. They wouldn’t be lying in wait for her. Their time and energies consumed with the approach of all Hollow’s Eve to ensure the seals held at their weakest of moment. She headed for the stairs without peering into the special room. Glad everything slept, or remained silent, or whatever the house did in the morning, she followed her nose to the kitchen and pushed open the swinging doors. Kayla sighed when saw the table held two place settings along with a 85

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white envelope with masculine handwriting catching her gaze. Kayla slide into her place, slipping the napkin into her lap. A pot of coffee sat on the table. She filled her cup. A curl of steam provided an instant flashback to the shower. Heat flushed her body from head to toe. “Morning, Brit, sorry about the delay, the rash spread like wild fire.” “No problem. My brothers can be so formal sometimes.” She motioned to the card on the table while she carried over two plates and settled in the chair to the right of her. “I can understand your resistance to opening the envelope, they can both be overwhelming. I should know.” Kayla urged her to continue when her stomach grumbled in a reminder of her need to eat and not agonize over the last few minutes. She dug into the loaded plate of eggs, hash browns and sausage. “You don’t cook for your brothers.” Brit chuckled. “God, no, they’re spoiled enough, we take turns, Dad insisted.” Brit straightened in her chair and mimicked a stern face. “Nothing wrong with Ian and Duncan knowing their way around a kitchen, or any other household chores. That was one of Dad’s favorite saying in regards to a woman’s role. Women aren’t domestic slaves and to assume such makes you the equivalent of a donkey’s behind.” Kayla chuckled. “Oh, nice! I don’t suppose you escaped learning how to do men stuff.” She added the air quotes for emphasis. “No. The Daddy Spur’s, a nickname from mom, ensured I could change a tire, service the cars, I’ve done plumbing, wiring, some home repair, can wield a sword and a gun. I draw the line at cleaning my brother’s room.” “Can’t say I blame you, some things should be private.” Brit nudged the edge of the envelope. “Open it before we’re both too nervous to eat.” 86

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Why delay the inevitable? If Brit was right, and Kayla found no reason to doubt her, then the card would be harmless. After she’d fortified herself with a sip of coffee, she withdrew the card embossed with an elegant O, the letter glowing and then fading to a dull matted color. She withdrew the card, awed when the letters fashioned themselves into sentences. Last night you offered to help us. We want you to stand at our side, as our equal tonight when we face the threat to our town and our family. We understand and support your desire not to use your magic in conjunction to our own. Knowing you support us will always be enough. We ask if you’d accompany us as our date. No strings. No commitments. We’ll honor your choice with our hearts and souls, for they belong to you. Ian and Duncan A glance at Brit revealed her disinterest in the contents of the note. “Daddy Spurs wasn’t the only one who insisted on things. Mom wanted her sons polished. You should have seen the thank-you cards I received for birthday and Christmas gifts. Of course, I had to write them, too.” “Wow, grooming from day one,” she remarked, finding their strengths displayed put her on the defensive. When they shouldn’t have, she’d gained her own lesson in manners once her nana invaded. Her eccentric, solitary ways caused Kayla parents to cringe. Before her parents concentrated on their work and the basics, including showing her love, which didn’t come easy for either one of them. She knew they loved her, words and the action never meshed. Nana stepped up the manners and everything else her parents let slide. 87

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When Brit didn’t respond to her sarcasm, she glanced at her through lowered lashes to find her staring into her mug of coffee, lost in thought. Her plate pushed away, hardly touched. Was she worried about her parents? Duh, stupid question. Who was she to make petty jabs at someone’s childhood? The disgust left a sour taste in her mouth. “Brit, I’m sorry, I’ve no right to insult your family,” she apologized, followed by the whispered words in her mind. Speak no evil. She wanted to blame the brothers for raising her hackles, she knew better. When Brit didn’t accept her apology, she grew concerned and called her name again. A light shade of pink flushed Brit’s face. “Something or someone else on your mind, I may not be family, but you can talk to me? Your brothers will free your father, have faith.” “He’s not the one I’m worried about.” She parted her lips to ask if she wanted to share, but stopped herself. Better not to get involved with the family problems. “If you think there’s a way to help him without compromising what you believe in, do it.” “Do you plan to protect my brothers from her?” “I have and will.” She didn’t add didn’t want the brothers to discover the depth of her feelings for them. Would she grant them access to her talent? Brit carried her plate to a doll-sized table and chair. The plate filled the table’s surface. “Remy breakfast.” “Hot damn, stay out of my way, people.” “Which do you want to inspect first, the barn or the gallery?” Okay, whatever occupied her mind Brit preferred to handle by herself. Kayla’s respect for her grew.

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Chapter Eight Her body hummed. Not once did he speak of their magic.

Or the way the three of them would weave into the tightest of braids, locked together until her magic fizzled into nothing. Once she considered letting them drain her only to change her mind. Her talent scored results for the people who suffered from the destruction of fires and saved countless others when they did safety checks. Could she sacrifice her ability in exchange for the selfish pleasure of having two men fulfilling her wildest fantasies until nothing remained of her? At first, her talent would wean and weaver, then the drain on her physical and emotional energy would dwindle until she was rendered into an empty husk, a shadow of a person. Not a pretty picture and not the future Kayla wanted for herself. Brit pointed toward a tree-lined road for their turn. “Thanks for driving and take your time with the inspection.” The gravel road caused Charlie’s truck to bounce and rock along. Kayla slowed her speed to keep from disrupting the food containers Brit steadied with feet and hands. “Can you tell me anything about the place? History? The notes are vague.” On both sides of the road laid the remnants of community vegetable gardens. From the road, a few dozen pumpkinhead scarecrows decorated the field, the laughter of the 89

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children racing around and dressing them. She directed her attention to the farmhouse, the ghosted image of the place anyhow. “One of the first ranches in the area, you’ll find a historical mark on the barn door and another inside. We didn’t donate the land if that’s what you’re thinking, although the Tennet and O’Rourke’s friendship dates back to before they settled here. From what I’ve been told—what happened the night of the fire remained a mystery. People whispered of a love triangle between the two families. Some believe a witches’ duel occurred within. Which makes no sense to me since magic or fist fights require a lot of room.” Maybe she’d be able to tell, or the mystery would remain unless someone found new evidence and asked for a review of the cold case. Three hundred years would reveal little in the way of new information. She found a parking place and slipped the truck into the space, noticed the steady flow of people who dropped off goods for tonight. A huge, welltended barn dominated the yard. By studying the place, she found three floors required her inspection, than her gaze flickered to the east where Brit pointed. Phantom blue-gray flames rose into the sky, the intensity of the blaze amazing. Two lives within and injuries abound, at least the shadows showed the heat of the flames. She focused her talent and searched the ghost flames to determine the flash point of the fire. “The house burned.” Brit nodded. Local legend involving the family might reveal some intriguing tidbits of information, especially regarding the brown patch of earth untouched by Mother Nature. “What do you see when you stare at the spot?” “I lack the talent, Kayla. My parents call me a late bloomer—” 90

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Brit believed the statement. Kayla didn’t. Why her parents kept something so fundamental from her dumbfounded her? Tempted to have Brit at least try, she stopped herself when the memory of the rash resurfaced. She wouldn’t wish the experience on anyone, although the sex with Ian in the shower left her sated and hungry for Duncan’s touch. How he could go back in the water after last night amazed her and at the same time sent a ripple of fear through her. She cleared her throat. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to push, more of a reflective reaction, comes with the job.” “Forgiven. I accepted the difference a long time ago.” They exited the truck, ending the conversation. Brit strolled forward, her double tray of food balanced in her arms. Voices poured from the shadowed interior of the barn. Kayla paused in front of Charlie’s truck and allowed her talent to fan out in search of external hazards. Fires of the past and those, destined to happen in the future. The foundation of the building held a two-foot wide edging of white stone with unmarred pumpkins decorating the space. Cornstalks leaned against poles far enough away from the buildings to prevent a fire hazard. Sure, people stood away from the building to smoke, but the wind didn’t obey man’s rules. How many fires raged out of control when the wind changed direction, caught on a new fuel source and raged out of control, until the intensity forced the firefighters to stand down while the building burned out. Firefighters claimed the loss of a whole structure tough on the ego, but nothing topped the loss of life, especially children. Satisfied with the entrance and grounds, she moved to inspect the inside of the building. Circling the interior of building was no guarantees there wouldn’t be changes after she gave the all clear. Didn’t matter, she’d be back tonight for the dance and other things. She drew her hair back and secured the locks into the ponytail with the 91

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band she wore on her wrist. Brit waited for her by the front entrance, the wide door gapped open, allowing four people an easy entrance. She followed Brit and scanned the space. With the stalls removed, the interior doubled. The floor was swept clean for the event and tables were set for six to eight people yet framed the dance floor with open aisles to reach the restroom and exits if required. The sound of voices drew her gaze to the loft where the band set up. She shifted her weight to find the soundman also above them on the opposite end of the loft. Brit stood at her side, the trays claimed by a woman with wide hips retreating to a kitchen. “The noise and size of the band would make dancing a challenge for couples, not so for teenagers. Then there’s the fear someone might tamper with the instruments.” “How do they get up there?” “They’re mages and use a bit of magic here. There’s also an elevator tucked between the bathrooms at the back of the barn, they’re given the key the day of set up.” Kayla circled the room, pleased with the placement of containers and tables. Not a single table or chair blocked an entrance. The white tape on the floor ensured the attendees respected the space. Her talent of cold fire allowed her to see nothing amiss while she wandered through the chilly interior of the barn. “Isn’t there conflicts with so many powerful people mingling together, feathers ruffled?” “You would think. The band doesn’t call any one place home, their searching for a special place. They’d be welcome here, family always is. The dad’s invited them to stay. They haven’t said yes, so in the meantime they play gigs.” “What are they looking for? Never mind not my business, think you can get me a tour of the kitchen?” “You don’t need my help there, they’ve been expecting 92

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you. No one wants an accident. We’ve suffered from too many already.” Kayla sensed she wanted to say more and resisted. Shelby Crewe’s name struck fear into everyone. Would Ian and Duncan be able to defeat the hag with her help? Any action or inaction had the potential to harm their father. Her rejection would hurt them all. With the care of the event community to insure they met the laws, she signed off on her area of the inspection. Only the health department remained and if nothing was found amiss, they were clear to hold the dance tonight. They exited the barn, blinked at the brightness of the day and welcomed the warmth of Indian summer. “Did you need to go back to the house?” “No. Ian’s on tour duty. I’ll only be underfoot. Would you like to inspect their gallery while Ian and Duncan are otherwise engaged? I have the key.” The brothers neglected to say anything regarding the gallery. Something else she needed to discuss with them. The town didn’t say tourists welcome, visit our gallery of magical relics from yesterday to those used today. She admitted her curiosity wasn’t professional. She wanted her name, Flynn, off the business, fire investigation gave her talent purpose. “Brit, who’s the Flynn listed on the sign?” Brit flashed a mischievous smile. “I’m neutral, saw the place listed on your clipboard yesterday. If my brother’s accompanied you, none of you would arrive at dance on time—no matter the circumstances.” Heat flushed her face. Honesty. She continued to fight the joining with them on the level they wanted. When their bodies grew close, she fought her draw to either one of them, both impossible to ignore. Talk about scary magic— for each time they did, a rush of power infused her and her talent sharpened. Weren’t they supposed to get the rush 93

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from her power? Perhaps a seductive lure to draw her in before the opposite happened. She admitted no one suffered any ill effect and that included her. They relaxed her and sexually satisfied her and she basked like cat in a sunspot, content. She gave up trying to decide on the difference in the ritual sex and what she did with them. Her desire, for both continued to intensify, crazy even in this open-minded town. She slipped behind the wheel of the truck. The engine purred to life under her touch while Brit settled the seatbelt around her. Something about the fields caught her attention, the ghostly flames of her talent flaring to life with images of gray-blue flames dancing across the unturned field. With a blink, she focused on the road and avoided pondering the what if’s of tonight. No denying the evil, or the realization, she’d have to use some of her talent to some extent. “Here I considered you my friend.” Brit laughed, so did she. They both fell into a comfortable silence, Brit back in the same spot she’d been this morning. Kayla kept her gaze on the road and avoided going past the chamber by turning one block early. She found a parking spot in front of the gallery. Brit didn’t protest the change in route. “Ready, Brit?” she called for the second time. “Sorry.” They exited the truck and crossed the sidewalk to the front door. She inspected the heavy wood doors, resembling those found in an ancient castle. New, solid, lightweight enough for a child or elder person to operate, well within code. She nodded at their choice. She let Brit step in alone to disarm the security system. The windows out front boosted poster copies of Houdini and other master magicians, some who’d been around during the vaudeville days and a few current performers. To her, the window implied magic shop, not a showcase of magical or believed magical items. 94

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Anything could be a good-luck piece depending on the circumstances surrounding the item. “Not the kind of display I’d have in the front window.” Brit glanced at the window. “Look again from inside.” When she did, the windows boosted three stone statues, a gargoyle, a warrior and a woman. “Interesting.” “You don’t notice anything else about them?” At Brit’s question, she approached the threesome with a measure of caution, even in this position they could pose a threat. Rub something against anyone of them and end up pregnant or gain good luck or the reverse could happen, too. She could hear the snicker of an unbeliever, yeah the threat of falling on you. She stood before each one the statues. The dull red aura haloing the warrior unnerved her since he reminded her of the terracotta soldier up close and personal. She inspected the woman, her pose staged and beautiful. “You can see their aura, can’t you? Sernia?” “Not sure Ian and Duncan have tried to identify her, but…” Kayla grinned because of the last word but, the one Remy hated so much. “They have discovered stories placing her back before Greek or Roman times,” Brit explained. “Not Egyptian, Babylon, maybe, I didn’t study ancient civilizations.” “Or Alexandra’s library or even Atlantis, mind blogging work.” Brit shifted around the empty pedestal and leaned on the empty surface. “The winged fellow in the center dropped into my mother’s garden and settled in the gazebo. He requested a place to sleep where he didn’t have to worry about acid rain and bird droppings. We gave him the choice of the basement or the front window where he could see the world pass.” 95

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Kayla examined the thinker’s pose and noted he’d left enough room on his lap for a brave soul to perch. Not her when his aura glowed with lust. “Doesn’t he roam at night?” “Can you think of another creature better able to guard the place at night? Ian and Duncan converted the upstairs into their apartment. They’re living at the house to protect me,” she rolled her eyes. Kayla focused her gaze on the converted warehouse. The walls melted away, revealing an unexpected depth. More than enough room for growing a collection, something she would someday enjoying seeing. “Be happy for your brothers’ protection, they’ll keep the losers away.” She strolled around the displays, which led her to an odd wall built of stone, brick and wood. Inlaid within the wood and stone, a doorway formed and glittered. She circled once, thought of a turret on a castle, or a lighthouse on a smaller scale and paused back in front of the door. She glanced over her shoulder, in search of Brit and found her cleaning up packing supplies. “It’s interesting what I’ve seen so far.” Brit smiled and added, “A bit overwhelming, too.” Kayla focused on the glittering doorway. The detailed molding captured her attention. The thin braid inlaid in the triangle reminded of the tri-bond. She dismissed the connection, many people used the triangle for a number of reasons. Too bad, she couldn’t think of any of them now. The sun caught the encrusted jewels creating a sparkling prism on the floor. She stepped out of the circle. The whole design of the piece reminded her of an elaborate brooch a priestess used to clasp her cloak. “Sunlight doesn’t affect the doorway, while moonlight creates a totally different effect.” She’d avoid coming here at night. Her gaze strayed to the floors to her left where the brothers’ lived. “Do you know the history behind the piece?” 96

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The ruffling of papers against plastic told her Brit continued with the unwrapping of pieces or cleanup. “The previous owner claims the pillar’s embedded deep below the foundation. The dads’ say the column grew the moment they broke ground. A couple of contractors attempted to excavate the thing for another owner. They suffered migraines every time they entered the building, referred to the pain akin to jackhammers in their brains.” “Self-preservation?” Interesting, yes, a throb worked through her and tapped at her nerve endings. She retreated a safe distance when the heat massaged her stomach to inch lower. “What about you?” On the polished floor, Brit’s boot heels clicked as she closed the distance between them. She flicked her braid over her shoulder and tucked the loose dark blonde strands behind her ear. With a flick of her wrist, she produced a dust cloth, wiped the outer edge of the portal before doing the center. “Nothing. None of the pieces in the gallery react to me. Duncan and Ian say something different—what do you sense?” What did she sense? Ian and Duncan claimed so many of her emotions she wasn’t sure how to answer Brit. First impression never failed her before, they wouldn’t now. “Incomplete and protected—no, protective—” Brit’s eyes twinkled and laughter bubbled from her. “Positive sensations. You’re lucky. They compared the sensation to a cold shower. Of course, they blamed the assessment on an incident on sprinkle, they were doused with an icy blast from the sprinkler without cause—and yes, they’ve replaced everything twice without finding a reason before they accepted the fact something or someone protected the shield.” “Odd place for two?” She forced herself to step out from under their range. Drenched was not on her to-do list today. 97

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She couldn’t understand her curiosity. What if by her question alone the door unlocked and swept them inside like Alice down a rabbit’s hole. “Have they ever explored what’s on the other side?” “If they did, they didn’t tell me, par for the course.” Kayla didn’t miss the sting of sadness. Brit wanted a talent to make her family proud. Kayla wished her power allowed her to grant even a small portion of her gift. Her grandmother’s warm chuckle washed over her. One man’s gift is another man’s curse, and how you use your gift deems the purity of your soul. She didn’t caution her on the dangers of envy. Brit recovered with a shrug. “I wouldn’t want the responsibility, my luck, I’d release a sex demon who’d run from me. Did you want to see the upstairs? They did a nice job with remodeling.” “No, not necessary if they’re living here,” her reply was too fast for her own good. If she did see the space they occupied, she’d start imagining them there. She didn’t miss Brit’s amused smile. “Probably something they would prefer to show you anyway. So anything else you need to inspect?” “No. The strength of the protection spell will withstand a nuclear blast.” “Good thing.” Brit traced the indent where the missing piece should be and shook her head. Kayla didn’t have time to ask her thoughts when a door in the back opened. Confident footsteps clicked against the floor, alerting her to Duncan’s arrival. Her heart did a little flip, she couldn’t believe she missed seeing him. “Afternoon, my loves,” he strolled into the room, his gait powerful while taunt muscles rippled beneath his clothing. Pride echoed in his stance and words. “The place needs some work. Once finished she’ll be one of a kind.” 98

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Her mouth watered in appreciation of their rugged and classical faces, strong jaws and intense gazes. Their appeal deepened the longer she spent with them. “We must have two definitions for the gallery, what do you have there?” “Both, sometimes an owner needs a safe and secure place while taking a break from protecting them. They’ll come here for the world to oh and ah over. Once the owners strengthen their power, they’ll collect them and entrust us with something else.” Distracted for a moment while he explained the gallery, she and Brit followed him to a secure area. A heavy-duty lighted table filled the center of the room. A couple of simpler workstations ran the length of the north wall. He laid his prize on the table. She circled the table until she could see his face where a lock of blond hair fell across his forehead. Her fingers itched and she rubbed them on the seam of her pants. “The tapestry hung in the bedroom?” “Family heirloom. This beauty, on the other hand, has been the cause of many sleepless nights.” “Unnecessary drama, Ian finished up the last tour and should be here in a few minutes.” Brit collected a couple of cameras from the shelves. “Did Nerani’s crew give you any trouble?” “Snooki—” “She hates the nickname, Duncan.” “Don’t I know it,” he rubbed at his stomach and graced her with a smile. “She’s Brit’s friend and a thorn in our side, Belladonna is her real name.” “She retrieves items for insurance companies from all over the world. Good at her job, too.” “Whatever,” Duncan fiddled with the cords securing the package. “We weren’t after the same thing this time. We did a sort trade underwater and away from prying eyes.” 99

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Kayla wondered what they’d both been after and why this Belladonna didn’t demand more from Duncan. “What was she after?” “A box about so big and so long while I wanted this,” he tapped the space in front of him. “Hurry up, Ian.” A second beep sounded, this time engaging the alarm. Ian clapped his hands before materializing in the doorway. She’d never get tired of his brooding serious face, a scholar. He clasped Duncan’s shoulder, circled the table, smiling at Brit before closing in on her. “How are you feeling?” She cut her gaze to Duncan to see if he knew a dusty pink covered his cheeks. “Fine.” From across the table, Duncan reached, grasped her hand and squeezed. “I should have asked, forgive me?” “I’m fine, not an itch in need of scratching.” With the application of the gel, the dryness of her skin faded to leave behind a silky smoothness. She’d have to ask Mrs. O’Rourke if she’d supply her with a list of ingredients or a jar upon request. “Package?” Brit mouthed the words I told you so. She’d keep them on track somehow. “Stand at the head of the table so Duncan and I control any of the negative energy. Brit.” An exasperated sigh escaped Brit as she set the camera on the table. “I’ll be at home if you need me.” Kayla reassured her with a smile, ready to follow when Ian and Duncan both pinned her hands to the table. They didn’t hurt her and she could have broken free if she wanted to. “You need to stop treating her like a little girl.” “Protecting her? Never, we take care of our own.” Kayla shook her head, somehow sensing she fell under the same possessive category. “Another difference in definition, you might want to compare pages with her. What did you trade?” 100

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Confusion vanished from their faces, replaced by a somber one. “The Goddess brooch, a talisman of enormous power, if Shelby were to gain control of the necklace, she wouldn’t need the essence of the men she’s imprisoned. This works like a key. There is the concern and a real danger she’s become addicted to the high from draining the men. “ She wondered what the signs of addiction were when she didn’t pull her hands away from their touch. The subtle click of the door didn’t disturb the men. Kayla covered for their eavesdropping sister and hoped the action didn’t bite her in the ass. “How would Shelby know about the Goddess brooch? I haven’t. Brit either and she’s studied under your mother, right?” “Let’s start with the first question.” Ian nodded. Duncan untied the binding. “Inquiries started to pop up about four years ago and after each inquiry produced a little bit of information and I mean a little—like a yes or no. People disappeared and turned up later numb.” “Numb?” She caused people to go numb. Her first sexual encounter within the coven caused the man to suffer from frostbite on his fingers, toes and um, his lack of a stellar arousal. Wasn’t her fault he didn’t arouse her or even try to. Duncan peeled the first layer of heavy cloth back, made her think of a blacksmith’s apron. The first thing she noticed was the lack of water or sea life. With a glance at Ian, she encouraged him to continue with his explanation and found his gaze locked on the package. “Continue.” “Numb, their magic gone, or they couldn’t remember what talent they possessed. Everything quieted, for about six months, then the fires started and your skill with the fires were noted. The coven couldn’t drop you anywhere, so they waited. We asked to join the search for the talisman and every time we gained a lead, she’d snatched the proof we needed away.” 101

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Duncan peeled the black velvet cloth away. The light caught the first shimmer of gold. The air in the room thickened. Duncan withdrew the last covering, exposing the brooch. A collective sigh filled the room. She stared at the miniature version of the portal. Awed. The piece, the size of her fist, pulsed with light and power. She raised her head to gauge the brothers’ reaction. Waves of energy ebbed and flowed. Their gazes meet hers. Kayla’s knees buckled. Strong arms encircled Kayla. Her disorientation faded. The core of her body thrummed. “Your eyes glowed, what did you do?” “Misconception and misinformation messes up most things. Our eyes glowed, so did yours.” Four hands lifted her from the floor, their grip not hard or uncompromising, determined. With a bit of caution, she glanced at the table. The black velvet cloth concealed the piece. She relaxed the best she could and waited. Duncan passed her off—like oh, she didn’t know, maybe the television remote. Her anger simmered beneath the surface. Ian lifted her into his arms. “No place to have a conversation down here.” “I think down here makes perfect sense. Letting me go would help, too.” Ancient words poured from Ian’s lips. Her body took on a lightness, startling her. Her arms wrapped around his neck. “Trust, Kayla, something we need to work on. Do you believe I would drop you?” They hovered between floors. She glanced toward the second floor and the dual offices. She didn’t fly with or without a broomstick. “Look at me before you answer.” His voice firm and waiting, she met his gaze. His eyes shone with sincerity and she found she did trust him. Hadn’t 102

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she trusted Duncan when he’d pulled her from the current and carried her away from the beach? “No.” “About time,” Duncan’s voice echoed from the top of the structure. “I secured the brooch in the safe.” She tilted her head against Ian’s shoulder to gaze up and frowned. “Why are we going up there and why am I cold?” “Beyond being past time the three of us talked, the energy within the brooch didn’t care for our attire.” “What’s wrong with our clothing? I don’t think we’ll have enough time, maybe when we’ve stuck the hag in an iron maiden. You do have one down there, don’t you?” He strolled through the air with ease. “No iron maiden, then we’ll touch on the important stuff, so you have something to think about at the dance.” She counted his steps through the air and wondered about the actual distance he could go without losing altitude. Her gaze locked on the ledge of the third floor until they cleared the railing enclosing the area. He lowered them to the ground, but didn’t release her. Instead, he carried her to a large L-shaped sofa covered in a moss green fabric where Duncan sat, unhappy with her, too. Great, and no one understood her reasons for remaining single. Why should she care? They’re the ones who sipped from her talent, not the other way around. Her own unsteadiness proved the drain, only she didn’t feel like she used her power and frowned. What did she feel then? Empowered. No. Robbed. Violated. Empowered. She attempted to slide her leg out of his arm when he settled her in his lap. “You can put me down now.” Duncan caught her ankles. When they teamed up on her was one of the reasons she wouldn’t challenge them when they were together. The odds wouldn’t be stacked in her favor. “Not fair.” Ian captured her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. 103

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“You haven’t exactly been fair to us, Kayla.” Naked, she sat with two men who’d found time to pull on pants. She gestured to her nakedness. “And you call this fair?” A soft shirt materialized to cover the upper half of her body. Ian’s from the scent, crisp and clean. She could identify him from the mixture of sandalwood and sage, where Duncan was scented of the sea and wind, tropical something she’d noticed in those first few minutes. Roses, neither of them smelled of the flower. So where did the scent of roses figure into this situation. “Fair.” She verified her vital parts remained covered. Why the sudden modesty when they’d both had her in the shower for different reasons? “You shouldn’t waste your talent on simple stuff.” Duncan massaged her feet. “Kayla, say thank you.” She glared at both of them. The arch of their eyebrows scolded her back into remembering her manners. She would have crossed her arms over her chest, but she refused to pout. “Thank you. What do you believe I have a misconception regarding? Your eyes glowed, meaning you used magic or received a surge. Right or spin me another tale.” “Or siphoned off,” he pressed a finger to her lips to silence her. “Something you’ve experienced before?” She frowned, not about to touch the question. Considered biting him to distract him, instead, she drew the finger into her mouth and sucked the digit—hard. Her tongue swirled around the calloused pad until he groaned. She released him, satisfied when his pupils darkened. “Don’t distract.” Duncan grazed his fingers up the inside of her leg. “To be compared to Crewe insults what the three of us share.” 104

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Okay, heat flushed her skin, she understood where they would become offended and before she could censor her mouth, asked, “What makes you different? My talent isn’t stable, isn’t controllable and lethal. Why am I even telling you this? My reasons aren’t open for discussion.” “Wrong. Contradictions,” Ian leaned in to kiss the frown from Kayla’s mouth. His lips and tongue did wicked things and her body shifted to deepen the kiss. Hell, that they could seduce her with their mouth alone sobered her enough to break the kiss. She’d forgotten their discussion. Almost. Ian leaned back. Duncan closed the space, searing her brain with images of where else he could put his tongue. He pulled away and a groan of protest echoed through her. His satisfied smile reminded her why she couldn’t be with them. “Careful, Kayla, or I’ll have to nibble your lower lips.” She sucked the protruding flesh into her mouth and bit to keep from daring him. “First, our eyes did glow and yes, flashes of color erupted around us. Not a normal occurrence with anyone else because there hasn’t been anyone else, not here in any case.” “You guys excel at seduction.” The determination in Ian’s eyes was a clear warning, “Kayla, no more distractions.” Duncan sighed. “We sent Brit away because we expected a surge of something negative, the positive a clear bonus. Without having any real time to study the lore, I’d say the brooch retrained the positive vibes and acted on our emotions.” “Meaning, she-he-it likes the fact we lust after each other enough to slam us with what? Warn me, will you before you rip off your clothing, or Ian’s because you talk to me?” The men exchanged silent glances. They didn’t know what the Goddess brooch would do. Screwed. Ian’s cell 105

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interrupted the silence. Duncan supplied the subject, interrupted in concern for their sister. “Brit?” She shifted, remained seated on Ian’s lap. His approval in the form of a stroke of his hand down the length of her back, they both waited, leaned closer to hear Brit. “Remy says Crewe left the office early, he weakened her.” “How?” Duncan lifted her legs off his before rising. “Is he alright?” It appeared they wouldn’t be having the talk after all. Relief and frustration rippled through her cold fire. She noticed something different, something more. A tingling, confidence in her control, she’d figure out the difference later. Ian switched the phone to speaker, allowing them to join the conversation. Brit’s pause hung heavy in the air. “He received some claw marks from his front legs to his flank with burns. He won’t let me clean the wounds, say I—” Her words were silenced by a woman’s moan on the first floor. She stepped closer to the two men in question and listened. “Meda’s upset,” Duncan offered in a way of explanation. “Where is he?” “He wouldn’t come into the house, Ian, not until Kayla cleanses him with fire.” Her mouth fell open. The number of cleansing rituals she’d conducted could be counted on one hand and never on a living being, cursed or otherwise. “We’re on our way.” Kayla shook her head when clothes materialized on her body. “With practice you could master the spell.” Relieved to find a stairwell to the second floor with a 106

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third staircase tucked into a shadowed area, she chose the stairs over flying air Ian or air Duncan. Halfway down, she sensed the warding to keep others out. The wording of the spell shimmered within the magic awed her. Her name displayed in beautiful lettering, she glanced back at the brothers. “Or I could set myself on fire, speaking of which, I’ve never cleanse another living soul.” “You are free to come and go, Kayla, the only time we’ll object is if the wards on the portal failed. Then—we’d insist you find safety behind the shields.” A part of her heart warmed where another of part of her wanted to rage at them for assuming she couldn’t protect herself. Her protest derailed with the enormity of the cleansing ritual. “Not to sound petty or ungrateful,” she changed the subject, “but why would Remy insist upon me and not the two of you with the double power and skill?” Ian and Duncan both rubbed at the back of their necks. She memorized everything about them for the day when she left. They exchanged glances and annoyance bubbled through her, reminding her of why she wanted a single man, someone who could share confidences and wouldn’t leave her out of the loop. “Fine. Don’t tell me.” “Kayla, truthfully we don’t know. He’s always gone to our mother for things like this and if Brit could summon the magic from within, he’d ask her.” “His curse?” She attempted to downplay her childish reaction, why couldn’t they come out and say he preferred a woman’s touch. “I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable doing the cleansing on a living being without a coven.” “We’ll assist and you’ll see how well our magic entwines.” She wished for Duncan’s confidence. Right. She’d be lucky not to torch their mother’s garden. 107

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Chapter Nine

“H

ello,” Charlie called out from his hobbled position on the floor. His body ached. He didn’t do kink. He didn’t know what hurt worse, his knees or his limp noodle. “I know I didn’t imagine you guys. What, it’s forbidden to talk to each other? I didn’t get a list of the rules.” He wasn’t afraid of the dark per se. His skin crawled when Shelby strolled through to collect her pets, bile and dread churned in his stomach. The body of a goddess with the touch of a soulless snake, she pointed to those selected, their leads materializing in her hands. She ignored him to tug four tethered men to the center of the barn. “You lay there, secure his hands, Mule. You, my little cowboy, take the right—” Charlie clamped his handcuffed hands over his ears to drown out her instructions. Harsh words in a language he didn’t understand bled through his hands to his brain. His heart pumped faster. Some guys liked porn, or at least they did until they witnessed the life essence drained from the men. Men in their prime aged, muscle tone depleted, the healthy glow of their skin took on a sickening pallor. She’d sucked the men dry like a teenager with a milkshake. The air crackled with magic. The power licked his exposed skin to leave his body covered in a cold sweat. Whatever he’d possessed in the way of a cock and balls 108

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attempted to suck back into his body. He lowered his shaking hands, waited. Tension thickened in the barn, headier than the soiled hay they slept in. “The Goddess brooch, tell me what you learned, pet.” “Nothing, tend the docks,” his scream cut through the air. “Return them to their stall,” she ordered. Mule obeyed. The two men Mule led past had been ridden hard, marred from the riding crop and older. Her henchman collected four more and led them to a corner. He couldn’t see over the wall of his stall. Water hissed hard and fast, the men who uttered a protest quieted. “Dress.” With their preoccupation, he returned to his work on the hook in the wall and blamed the spotting on his hand on the magic she’d used. He’d spent more than enough time in this nightmare. No way in hell would he be some crone’s personal fountain of youth. The hook pulled free and his chains dropped to the hay-covered floor. He turned around in time to see the demon guard materialize. Six feet tall and ripped with enough muscles to give a seasoned Marine a run for his money, Charlie swallowed hard. “She hasn’t finished with you, little man.” Charlie resisted the urge to clamp his hands over his ears. A burning sensation raced through his body, his cock hardened to stone. Charlie screamed. His knees buckled and connected with the stone foundation. He clenched his teeth against the painful throb in both his knees and his cock. He reached for himself, ready to deny her what she needed. “I won’t service your bitch.” “You have no choice in the matter. You consented to sex—your essence belongs to her now.” The chains were lifted by an unseen hand as the links slipped over a hook, forcing Charlie to stand on his toes, his arms pulled tight over his head. His cock at attention, he 109

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swore tiny ants roamed and pinched his entire body. “There’s no such thing as casual sex, human. You would be wise to remember it.” **** Brit prepared for their arrival. “Thank you, Brit,” she washed her hands in the kitchen sink. The gallery, a hot bed of magical elements, could mess everything up like too many cooks in the kitchen with a simple pot of stew. She’d have insisted on a long, hot, soak to gather and prepare herself, but not at Remy’s expense. She sucked in a breath of air, slipped off her shoes and stepped onto the porch leading to the back garden. Here goes nothing. The brothers followed Kayla’s actions, toed off their own boots and called upon their magic for the cleansing. Too once again, remind her of her lack of skill and raise the question of why they didn’t pursue someone their equal. Remy laid in the center of a stone table, his once dark skin paled to a pasty concrete gray. He lifted his eyes when he sensed their approach, followed by his head, his tongue swiped across his short muzzle. His gaze locked with hers for few minutes before he blinked. When he opened them this time, they glowed a hot red. He whimpered, “No buts, Kayla.” “Considered it,” she stepped to the left to inspect the wounds, knowing Brit wouldn’t lie or embellish the truth in this matter. The brothers placed the ritual cleansing items on a nearby stone bench within easy reach. Duncan’s anger simmered beneath the surface, dark clouds roiled through the afternoon sky. “By the Goddess, Remy, what did she use, a pitchfork? First, she attacks our mother, imprisons our father and pincushions you.” 110

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“Let us not forget the men she’s used.” The four of them glanced at Brit who remained on the porch while they prepared. Kayla met her gaze, a silent plea to help Remy. “Nope, she’s the personal hands on type, bitch,” he answered, his words broken in places by the pain he endured. His little body shuddered. “Fingernails and thumb nails she used to try and puncture my heart, damn good thing she doesn’t know a gargoyle from a dragon, or I’d be screwed.” “No kidding and I don’t want to know the difference either,” she examined the wounds and ignored the sting of the black magic biting at her fingertips. She inspected each one and found the tip of the hag’s blood-red fingernails broken off in the last. The nail acted like a planter’s wart, pressing inward on nerves, crippling the body until claiming the victim through death. Bitch. Remy might have been a man once cursed because of his mouth, but that didn’t mean he deserved this fate. Remy remarked from where he laid on his side with his eyes closed, his little pink tongue hung over his sharp, pointed teeth, “Never took you for a chicken, babe.” “Shows you how much you know about me,” she remarked, drawing in a breath, tasting the salt of the ocean heavy in the air. The flame of her talent leapt under the extra burst of oxygen. The air crackled around them. “Shelby embedded a piece of her nail here.” Ian stepped closer. The left side of his body pressed against hers. His hand skimmed the length of her back to caress her ass. Thank the Goddess they weren’t conducting this ritual skyclad, which would blow her concentration and prevent her from controlling their reactions, not to mention her own. Ian swore and lifted her right hand to clasp them 111

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together. Her fire talent sparked against her skin, blending with his earthy one. Within her, a surge of magic spiked, enticed and danced around the edge of her talent. The sensation left her awed, more subtle than her experience in the gallery. Duncan’s right hand caught a lock of her wayward hair and tucked the strand behind her ear before his fingers caressed her neck. “Brit, the surgical tweezers and the copper pot with matching lid, this isn’t something to ignore.” The sizzle of steam fizzled in her ear, water—Duncan’s power relied on water while Ian’s power resided within the earth. Something unknown when, she made her flight for freedom. No one could blame her, they descended on her with the combined forces of a tsunami overwhelming her with their passion. She glanced at Remy, her uncontrolled sexual desire faded in the wake of the black magic torturing him. Brit’s bare feet slapped against the stones of the path. Kayla dismissed her concern when the symbols of protection etched in the garden glowed under her footstep. In theory, the stones would protect her as long as she stood on them and magic of any kind wouldn’t touch her, or so the spell promised. Duncan produced the copper pot and, with the brother’s strength flowing through her, she accepted the tweezers. She gestured Ian to open the wound and they worked to extract the wench’s blood-red nail. They dropped the offending piece into the pot and observed the fingernail jump, not bounce within the confines. Duncan slapped on the lid, the nail pinged around inside with the force of a jumping bean. Remy groaned. “Still feeling like I chased a truck driving in reverse here. Whiskey would be good right now.” Jerked from the pings and Ian’s thoughtful gaze, she 112

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returned her attention to Remy’s sorrow-filled eyes. She caressed his brow. “If you want to stroke something, slide those talented fingers lower—” “Remy,” Brit scolded him, her face flushed with embarrassment at his words. “Sweetheart, if you haven’t learned those things, you’re dating the wrong men.” “Be nice, Remy,” Kayla snapped. What Brit did and with whom wasn’t anyone’s business unless he planned to use her. But—damn it, now Remy had Kayla attaching other things to the end. Besides, what Brit did wasn’t any of her business either. When she glanced at the brother’s bookending her, they stared at her with lust in their eyes, remembering. Heat burned through her body. Her nipples beaded the front of her shirt, aching for attention. Her damp panties grew wetter with her arousal. How was she supposed to do a cleansing when her mind focused on getting them naked again? Reality struck. Her desire fizzled and died. They fed her their sexual energy. She wasn’t like this even in her coven circle when performing fertility rituals. She forced her arousal to swirl and tame her cold fire. She was amazed when she held her hand out palm up and single delicate blue flame shimmered into view. Bigger didn’t always mean better and she could lose control of the cold fire. The nail within the pot pinged with more force. “If you put the pot on the table, I’ll turn the nail to ash,” she offered. “No. We’ll implement the thrice rule,” Ian remarked, taking up his position on one side of the table at the same time Duncan shifted across from his brother. Brit stepped away when the brothers raised their arms, forming two angles with her being the top of the triangle 113

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again. Tri-magic, joined magic required Duncan, Ian and Kayla to channel not only their talent, but also the one all three of them needed for life. Air. Air breathed life into the oceans. Air enriched the earth. Air fed the fire residing within her. She inhaled and tapped her energy. With the garden infused with all four elements, she lifted her hands while she exchanged glances with them. Ian nodded, his face one of concentration. Duncan smiled, playful and lethal when the mood struck. Kayla closed her eyes, sought and found the Goddess, extended her hands and shivered with awareness when calloused fingertips brushed her palms. She struggled against her nana’s warning when her element flamed brighter than before under their combined energies. She fought the urge to pull away, to repeat her actions of fleeing before they entwined themselves with her talent. Why should they trust her with their friend’s life? In this one battle against Shelby, she would ally her magic with theirs. “I call upon the earth.” The wind tugged at the cuff of her pants. The wind swept around the garden and gathered up the loose soil around them. A small dust devil formed, thinned into a tight strand of blessed soil. The whirlwind circled until it leapt into the clay and funneled down to expose a pile of soil. Kayla didn’t relax, one task finished, she’d celebrate her success later. Ian winked at her. Ian playful? “I call upon the water.” Beyond the garden walls, waves crashed upon the beach. She dismissed the image of a tidal wave crashing over them. The water from a bubbling fountain sprout doubled in size, then tripled in size to form an elegant arch and to fill the bowl Duncan balanced in the palm of his hand. 114

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“I call upon the flame.” The blue flame in her hand shimmered and melted into the lava bowl. A single spark blazed in the clay bowl floating upon the water. Kayla recited the words to summon the four elements to cleanse the evil inflicted on the innocent beast. “Goddess,” Kayla’s voice rose above the sound of the rising rushing wind and water. “Aid me in cleansing the body of this brave soul, whose loyalty is shone through the scars he wears. Honor those who have sheltered and nurtured him in the good and bad times.” A tear formed in the corner of his eye. The element of air lifted the bowl to hover over Remy’s body. The scent of sage filled the air. A wisp of greenish smoke encircled the table. Upon her last words, the bowl tilted and bathed Remy’s body in the muddy mixture. Together, Ian and Duncan lifted the copper pot to sit upon Remy’s body. She didn’t break their triangle, just listened to their words and refrained from speaking any herself. The nail ricocheted inside the pot and quieted. She rubbed her hands to clear the remains of the ritual away. She hoped wherever Ian and Duncan sent the nail proved next to impossible to remove. “Now, let’s see the hag crow.”

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Chapter Ten With

a desire to confront the hag and unable to attack without hurting the men, they’d arrived a half-hour before the dance started, each of them simmering with pent up anger. Last minute preparations kept them outside. Of course, if she could stop staring at the brothers, both wore dark jeans and button down shirts, one of black the other white, chess pieces. No one would ever mistake them for pawns. Knight and king in this game, she tried not to think about her role in the scheme of things. Was she the pawn for sacrifice or, the bishop, the wizard in the match? Now, she wished she’d paid more attention to the game when Charlie offered to teach her. Duncan’s hand slipped into hers, fingers entwining with a reassuring squeeze. “Have I told you how beautiful you look?” Heat flushed her face. If not with their words, their hungry, molten gazes were intense enough to melt her borrowed clothes away. The brothers made Kayla damp and edgy. If not for the threat facing them, she’d enjoy her dwindling time with them and might have given into the temptation to relax if not for the shadow over the town. Ian leaned closer, brushing his mouth against her ear, and caused her body to shimmy and waver between them both. Their ability to make her swoon should have angered if not 116

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disgusted her, especially after the events of the afternoon. Everything in their lives spelled danger, her line of work wasn’t the safest either. “Beautiful, smart and I can’t wait to hold you in my arms on the dance floor.” She met his gaze, the intensity would have frozen a deer. Instead, her heart raced, made her think of soft sheets and a different kind of dance. Only next time they wouldn’t ask if she wanted one or both, they would take her together. She witnessed their desire in the exchanged glances they shared. She closed her eyes, inhaled, hoping to clear her senses, instead she drew in the clean, masculine scent of them, sultry ocean breezes, sage and heather. Scents of grounding and powerful mages in their own right, they put her out of their league. “I have two left feet.” Brit returned from her scouting mission through the kitchen, her brown skirt stopping before the tops of her boots. Her modest blouse contrasted with the other women who attempted to catch Ian and Duncan’s gaze. “Look alive, people are heading in. We’ll have a better advantage inside. She reserved a table off to the side where she would have a clear view of everyone.” They nodded, allowed other couples to enter ahead of them. “I’ll catch up to you in a little while. Ms. Brig’s canceled and they’re shorthanded.” She didn’t wait for reply, retreating to the kitchen entrance before Ian and Duncan could insist she sit with them. Kayla understood her reasons if the woman responsible for kidnapping her father sat on the other side of the room, snubbing her. The struggle not to confront her posed a real danger to their sketchy plan. She wasn’t sure she understood the details either. If Kayla gambled, which she didn’t, Brit would ditch the 117

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party and find her mystery man. Another stranger within their midst raised her concern. She’d mention the situation to Ian and Duncan if the concern for their father and of men didn’t hover over them. When did she start thinking about this as her town or the O’Rourke family for her own, which meant she claimed the brothers on a more basic level. Would Brit attempt an alliance with someone and not consult her brothers? Her parents? Not something she wanted to ponder when they entered the den of evil. Kayla glanced around. Of the twenty orange and black covered tables, only one of those was occupied with couples flanking a single, distraught woman. Other tables remained empty. Did the fear of losing their men to Shelby’s power keep them away? She peeked at her bookends Ian squeezed her hand while Duncan’s hand rested on her lower back. She noticed the pattern forming between them, if one held her hand, the other claimed the position on her hip or back. “It’s about trust, Kayla. What our parents have, they base on trust, love and cherishing what each one gives to the relationship, balance. Consider the benefit of two men outside of the bedroom,” whispered Duncan from behind her. Ian continued the line of conversation, “Our schedules vary, you’d always have someone with you. Who would also give you space or be there when your job stressed you out. We would both be willing to help you hone your power and give you ours when needed.” Maybe Brit hadn’t intended to escape her brothers, as she first believed. Maybe they hinted at the fact they wanted time alone with her to persuade her, especially with their earlier emergency. “Don’t we have enough to worry about without plotting and planning the downfall of Kayla Flynn?” 118

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“Determination’s not a flaw.” She was relieved when they guided her to a table reserved for them near the dance floor with an unobstructed view of Shelby’s table. “Not determination, maybe singlemindedness.” Interesting. Planned or a coincidence? Did the reason matter? A standoff in the middle of what should be a happy event. Typical of a power hungry hag, what could she hope to gain? Determined not to stare daggers at Shelby, Kayla lifted her gaze to the band getting into position in the loft and glimpsed a simmering of a protective shield forming around them. The warding around them created a static barrier to what they were. When she studied the spell, she could see traces of all four elements. “Tell me about them.” “Not for you, Kayla,” Ian whispered next to her ear. He nodded toward the lead singer who returned the gesture with a salute. “Our cousins seek one woman to share between the four of them.” Was he warning her away from them? The idea of four men wanting her sent her stomach churning and not in a good way. She squeezed his hand tighter. “Why aren’t they helping? Rare for one family,” she muttered under her breath. “What would the woman offer?” “Heart,” Duncan remarked, joining the conversation, his posture too stiff for the night and sure to alert Shelby if she took the threat seriously. She was relieved she wasn’t the one who’d gained their anger. Without thinking about her actions, she laid her hand on Duncan’s thigh and noted the rock hard tension in his muscles. She leaned closer so only the three of them could hear her comment. “Relax, or I’ll be forced to take you to the storage room—” 119

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“What would you do to him?” She shook her head when Ian’s jeans stretched to outline his arousal. “Didn’t you get enough this morning?” “Did you?” Heat flushed her face, giving her away. A dangerous subject for discussion, she didn’t doubt they’d act on the admission. Far too seductive to force her, they showered her with steamy gazes to entice her. It worked, too, she wanted them one at a time or together. She couldn’t end up like the men who hovered around Shelby when the brothers took another woman to their bed. “Not the reason we’re here,” she glanced at the table across from them and attempted to change the subject. “You didn’t answer me, why aren’t they helping if they’re family?” The first notes of a song shimmered through the air, something light and meant to entice the dancers on the floor. Ian lifted her hand to kiss her palm. “They offered, Kayla. We haven’t turned down their offer. If we fail, they’ll pick up the gauntlet and fight the evil she’s determined to release.” Sparks skittered across her skin. Duncan adjusted the chair to face her. “And fail.” She shook her head. “You lost me.” “This isn’t the place, she could have spies everywhere,” Ian hissed with a scowl. “Without a heart or a keystone, there’s a loss of grounding. The magic can be swept away and claimed by the dark forces.” “What if the woman isn’t pure in her magic?” Honest question. “They could attempt to tame her and her magic. Walk away and hope for another, or depending on her strength, they could fall into her ways. A double edged sword for all involved…including the woman.” 120

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Was that what attracted them to her, Kayla’s straitlaced rules of conduct? Shelby sat with her attendants around her. Two leaned against the wall for support, the second set of men who flanked her were pale with dark shadows beneath their eyes. All four men wavered, poised to collapse. Ian’s grip on her fingers told her the eldest O’Rourke wasn’t among the group and neither was her boss Charlie. In her belly, a knot of concern tightened. He didn’t have a chance to fight off the likes of Shelby. Where was he? Brit slipped into the chair beside Duncan. “By the Goddess, I don’t know how long I can sit here without going over there and smacking the smirk off her face.” Both men pinned her with a stern glare, Ian spoke, “You’ll do no such thing, leave the matter to us.” “You said the same thing three weeks ago about finding Dad.” Kayla shifted in her seat, reached over and squeezed Brit’s white knuckled fist. “The three of you told me it was her goal to open the portal and she needs three of the O’Rourke males.” They nodded. She glanced at Brit and gave her a reassuring smile. Threaten her family, then ordered to sit on the sidelines, no way. “You have the advantage while her attention is drawn to your brothers. You can mingle and see if anyone else noticed anything.” The tension in Brit’s shoulders eased a little. A mischievous smile lifted the corner of her lips. Goddess protect the man who dared to pursue her. “I’ll get us something to drink. She won’t do anything yet, she was determined to make the dance a social success,” Duncan squeezed his sister’s shoulder, then switched his attention to Kayla. “I’d kiss you, but I don’t think I’d be able to stop.” 121

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“No?” “No. Kayla, my desire for you is deeper than you can imagine. I intend to hold you in my arms tonight, right out there,” he motioned to the dance floor, vacant of any action in the early hours of the Halloween party. Either people hadn’t drunk enough to lose their inhibitions, or they waited for something to happen, probably the former. Kayla warmed with the idea and squashed the joint fluttering of her heart and belly. Arousal in a room where more than one mage or witch attended would send someone to overdose on the energy. Their luck, Shelby would receive the boost. Ian draped his arm over the back of her chair, his fingers brushing the back of her neck. “He’s not the only one who intends to hold you in their arms tonight.” Kayla attempted to ignore the sensation and the chaos those calloused fingers created. She forced herself to scan the faces of the men entering the barn, hoping to see Charlie. She’d seen him with Shelby Crewe yesterday and other than his cryptic text about seeing her here, there’d been nothing. Yes, an adult, her friend and boss earned her concern. “One dance each, otherwise we’ll be distracted.” Tables filled in at a turtle’s pace. The mood of the night thickened. How many families feared their males would fall to the hag? Goddess, she worried about her men the same way. She’d saved Duncan by sheer chance. What would she be willing to do for Ian? Anything. Fingers constricted around her heart. When did she consider them her men? In her acceptance, she’d lose herself, her talent, her gaze darted around the room for the exit. They existed, she’d checked them, cleared them this afternoon. The walls closed in around her. Breathe. Duncan slipped a drink in front of her before sitting down on her left. His fingers entwined with hers and a calmness 122

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before the storm stole over her. His strength and magic wove around her talent, soothing the temptation to run. She promised to help them and the time to prove herself approached. Ian lifted his drink. “If Dad and Charlie aren’t with her, then she left them guarded by the demon.” Brit winced. “Demon?” “She’s not powerful enough to keep the stronger minded males inline, yet.” Ian continued where Duncan left off. “Demon pair, they share power or draw from one another. She’ll keep a stable of men to draw power upon like those there, her demon companion untouchable until his master can join him in this realm. Or she’s pulled into theirs.” She opened her mouth to comment. Brit spoke first. “Is the demon in service to her?” “Hard to say what his task to the hag might entail, aid her until the master’s released, or is he there of his freewill to bask in the sexual magic pouring off the hag. Why? Don’t even think about trying to make a deal with him, Brit.” Duncan nodded in agreement. “Demons, no matter their strength or who they service, have no honor. Anything agreed to multiplies by three to include his master or his—” “Thrice returned,” Kayla added. “Good or bad, magic wrought will be repaid. A demon will twist the phrase, or agree to his favor. A little like promising your firstborn child—” Brit shuddered, nodded and glanced away from the table where Shelby held court. The band played a creepy melody, building on grim mood. A few brave couples ventured to the dance floor. One of the men within Shelby’s group knelt beside her chair. A gasp sounded from behind them with a high123

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pitched whisper, “I can’t stay here and watch him throw twenty-five years of marriage away over a whore.” “Hush, Terry, we’ll get him back.” Her reply was lost to the raising beat of the music. The male rose from his knees, kissed Shelby’s hand and strolled to the bar, his expression blank and his eyes dulled with the witch’s enthrall. Duncan and Ian spoke of sexual draining, she believed them and to drain sexual magic meant challenging the woman in a duel. Wonderful. Ian pushed to his feet and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll be back after I chat with Michael.” Kayla caught his hand, but left the words unspoken. Her tongue twisted around the words she couldn’t say until they freed the men and stopped Shelby. He gave her a molten smile, melting her and dampening her core. Duncan leaned into her and nuzzled the juncture of where her shoulder and neck met. His warm, firm lips against her skin sent another wave of cream to coat the insides of her thighs. “He has to do this, we’ve hit too many dead ends and time’s running out.” She took a steadying breath and hoped they proved correct. Eyes bored into her, Kayla raised her gaze to see Shelby’s hateful glare. The feeling mutual, she wouldn’t give into the negative emotion. Wouldn’t let blight fester and feed her cold fire. Evil wouldn’t dig into her soul. She did something equally dangerous. She smiled and threw a wave of untainted magic toward the witch. Let her have a sampling of the real thing, something she’d never gain freely. Love. Shelby shuddered and grasped the arm of the man beside her. His face tensed with pain under her nail-biting grip. Kayla gasped. She inflicted, without a thought, never her intention for the man at her side to suffer. “Don’t.” 124

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Her gaze snapped to Duncan. His eyes glowed with untapped magic and desire. She noticed then the weight of his hand settled on her thigh, caressing the inner seam of her jeans, while his other hand draped across the back of her chair. Encircling her, if they’d been alone, she would have straddled his lap. The thought both scared and puzzled her, she didn’t do that kind of thing before a group of strangers. “You did nothing wrong and found a weakness we weren’t aware of.” She strained to hear his words over the steady thrum of the music. A decent band, she would have enjoyed their playing if not for the circumstance surrounding them. “Explain?” “I’m more of the action sort.” He leaned closer. “I can prove the theory right now.” “Later.” In his eyes, desire flamed, he wouldn’t forget her causal promise. She couldn’t wait, cleared her throat when the idea aroused her. Sure, she wanted them, what redblooded woman wouldn’t— she forced her attention back to the subject at hand, the power of given magic over stolen magic. “I can understand love, concern and desire will be returned times three the same way evil—yes?” “Not always.” She tilted her head, waited for him to say more and wondered what he avoided. He lifted his drink and she found herself enthralled with the play of muscles in his throat while missing the warmth of his fingers on her thigh. She shouldn’t enjoy either one. Once she helped Ian and Duncan, her life in fire investigation awaited her. Right, then why did her future look cold and empty even when the coven encircled her? Thoughts for another time, she decided. Brit rose from her seat, slipped behind them with her eyes lowered. “I have something I need to take care of.” “You need to stay here where we can protect you.” 125

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Kayla cringed. She didn’t have to see the frown on Brit’s face to know her frustration. She glanced between the siblings. “That’s the dads’ and Mom’s job—” “When they’re not able, the task falls to us.” Kayla put her hand on Duncan’s leg and hoped to silence him before he did something stupid, like mentioning her lack magic made Brit weak. Something lurked deep within her friend, waiting for release. Had the elder O’Rourke placed an enchantment over Brit to protect her until the time was right? Was any of this her business? Memories of distrust and lack of support surfaced. She’d overcome her father’s failing, his scolding when she couldn’t wrap her head around a simple concept. “You’re planning to follow me to the bathroom, too, big brother?” “No.” A red flush touched his neck and Kayla bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. From her seat, Kayla met Brit’s gaze to weave a protection spell of true friendship and support around her. Whatever Brit did, Kayla would support her and deal with the brothers’ anger later. “Visit with your friends, enjoy what you can of the night.” Another wave of embarrassment flushed Duncan’s face. “I’m not sure you will with these mules I have for brothers.” Brit smiled, patted her shoulder in sympathy and faded into the crowd off to their right. “I’m an ass.” “Sometimes.” “You’re not supposed to agree with me.” The shock in his voice caused her to both smile and laugh. Someone bumped the table, sending a miniature pumpkin from the centerpiece rolling across the black tablecloth toward her. Duncan caught and spun the round, orange 126

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vegetable like a top before setting the pumpkin on the short end of the gourd. Mini branches of wheat stuck out from under the gourd, creating a legless scarecrow. “No. What kind of friend wouldn’t tell you when you were being overbearing and bordering on bully?” “You’re more than a friend and I’ll be happy to prove what’s between us.” A tic formed in his cheek. She reached out and smoothed the tension away. “Maybe, I wasn’t the subject of conversation. She needs to socialize, or she’ll find a path you don’t want her to take.” A wave of icy air passed over them and Duncan snapped his mouth shut before either one of them could say something else. Ian wove his way through the crowd and not toward them—toward Shelby. “Shit.” She pushed Duncan back into his chair her mind raced through plans on how to stop Ian and destroy the triumphant smile on Shelby’s face. Short of dropping to her knees and taking him into her mouth, she didn’t know what she planned to do. But—she sighed and wrapped her fingers around Duncan’s tense fist. “Stay, please, let me stop him.” “How?” She didn’t have time to explain. With agile steps and a near collision with someone’s chair, she managed to step into Ian’s path. Noting the glassiness forming over his eyes, she’d witnessed the same expression of an arsonist caught in his own blaze. She wouldn’t fail Ian the same way, hoped the band paid attention and hoped they could help to break the spell. She didn’t touch him because she didn’t know what the aura of magic surrounding him would do to them without first gaining his permission. Magic ruled with a fine scale, a request could be misinterpreted for a demand or an order. If the victim possessed sensitive hearing, a plea 127

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translated into an annoying whine. “Dance with me, Ian. Take me into your arms.” His gaze dropped to her face and the glaze melted away. Worry remained, but she thanked the band for slipping into something with a slower beat. She noticed they weren’t the only ones on the floor now. Had the women followed Kayla’s lead? Ian pulled her into his arms, the hand on her waist molded her tight against lean, hard arousal. They swayed and twirled around the room. Each couple aware of the other dancers to avoid bouncing into them, she turned her head to examine their faces. Weak smiles from the women greeted her with thanks. Ian’s arousal brushed against her stomach. He leaned his forehead against hers and exhaled. A shudder worked through his body. “You kept me from doing something incredibly stupid.” His husky voice curled around her heart and into her soul. She fought the urge to kiss him. Two for four, she hoped she wasn’t wrong about letting Brit wander. The arm around her waist loosened a fraction of an inch. If anything, his arousal increased when pressed against her soft belly. His other hand grasped hers in a tender hold and folded their clasped hands over his heart. She brushed her fingers along the top of his collar and tilted her head up to gaze at him. They glided together in perfect sync, rousing each other with the subtle brushing of their body. Kayla wondered if others witnessed the sparks of magic coming off their form to mingle in the air. The band caught the tempo and a steady flow of slow love songs, some with vocals and many with none at all, filled the night. ****

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Shelby ground her teeth together. Her nails sank deeper into the male’s flesh until she broke the skin, indifferent to the pain he suffered. He’d given himself freely to her, bored with a wife who failed to thrill him in the bedroom. Idiot. The main reason she used him the way she did now— without remorse. She’d eliminate the girl, Kayla and the way she kept wrapping her magic around the O’Rourke brats. She needed them both to free the master. Her lips twisted with carnal hunger of drinking down their essences. Once she stood at the master’s side, she’d be unstoppable. Her first order of business would be to cull Kayla from the O’Rourke’s house and lure the brothers into her dominion. Once she pierced their flesh, they’d follow her anywhere, then fall upon her and ride her within an inch of her life. She opened and closed her legs as the subjects of her desire and wrath danced pass. She tensed with their low whispers, their closeness and the way they ignored her. Her lips curled back in silent rage when a white and green mage built a shield protecting all those who ventured too close. The musky scent of her arousal rolled over her. The men behind her groaned with growing desire. “Silence,” the single word muted them while she ignored them, no longer in the mood for sex. She ignored the blood dripping down Michael’s arm. She vowed the little blonde bitch would feel the force of magic before the night finished. Beg to serve her and her master, then she would conquer them. When they turned, she locked gazes with Kayla and witnessed her feeble determination. Shelby bubbled over with laughter. Oh, what a fun night this would make. She required a collection of younger men, needed them to fill the well of her hunger and not with the dried up husks behind her. Her gaze raked over the crowd. Her tongue swiping 129

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across her lip in search of a male or two to enthrall, she grew frustrated when nothing worthy sauntered pass. Where had all the young men gone? What trickery did the O’Rourkes weave? Whose magic protected those within? Shelby fumed and fussed, thin wisps of smoke drifted from her nose to encircle her head like a chain smoker. Every time she thought she found a thread to unravel the protection spell, a knot formed and tightened. Other than the O’Rourkes, who dared to challenger her? She would find a willing essence, drain the fool and destroy the blonde witch before she forced the O’Rourkes to bow at her feet. Then she’d take them in front of their father, breaking the noble and honorable Lord O’Rourke to her bed. “Soon the doorway will weaken and I’ll have all I desire— I’ll have him.”

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Chapter Eleven

B

rit couldn’t stay in the same room with the hag and not demand the release of their father. Instead of creating a scene, risk hurting her father and others in some unforeseen way, she’d slipped away. Kayla would protect her brothers and in turn, they would protect her. Kayla danced in Ian’s arms while Duncan held their table, speaking to a couple about their parents. She knew this would be her only chance. She concentrated on the conversation with Mrs. Tollen. “How’s your parents, dear? We’ve so missed having your mother on the committee, her insight always wonderful, always welcome.” No one escaped Mrs. Tollen until she satisfied her questions. Brit was eager to escape when her body pulsed and caused her to fidget. You waste your night with them, when you could spend time with me. Arrogant beast, aren’t you? His deep chuckle caused her womb to clench in a forbidden way. One didn’t toy with demons. “They’re fine, wrapping up some lingering matters, then they’ll be home where they belong.” What else could she say, oh, Daddy Spurs took Mom away because of the threat to her life She’s the weakest link in their tri-bond. They’ll return when the town is safe again. The truth worked if the 131

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news didn’t cause a riot. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.” Will you come tonight? Will you release my father and the others if I do? She countered back in an attempt to keep her body from melting. Was this the thrill men received from telephone sex? He’d tortured her, urging her when she ventured too far from the house or the gallery, the wards strong enough in both locations to grant her respite from his power. Silence greeted her. Why couldn’t they agree? Would she give herself to the demon in exchange for her father? Maybe he couldn’t? Maybe he didn’t find her attractive and he meant to entrap her with his words. Tease and hurt her? Desirable—an understatement— She parked her car in a secluded area off the property and jogged up the driveway. Her intention to search the house again, she’d only explored the east side before the creature toying with her drove her away. Not in a cruel way, but with every piece of furniture they passed, he described how he would take her, leaving her a quivering mess. Her heartbeat picked up a two-step beat and her insides quivered. She shouldn’t desire him because the man served Shelby and her attraction to the voice could prove dangerous if not lethal. Horses neighed. A desperate cry broke the night. Her boots crunched on the gravel. They sensed her. If she didn’t want to alert anyone on the property, she’d need to reassure them of her intentions. The sad and honest truth, she couldn’t hurt anyone or allow anyone else to endure pain. Once she reassured the horses, she’d make her way back to the house. The barn door stood open and a faint light glowed from deep within. She drew a ragged breath and slipped inside. Horses filled the stall on each side of her. Even in the faint glow of the light at the far end of the barn, she sensed the neglected animals. Her heart ached for the 132

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beautiful creatures. Her nose wrinkled with the stench of stale hay and something she refused to identify. Damn the woman to hell. She approached the first horse, holding her hand out and expecting the bite of distrust. He didn’t. Soulful, dark eyes gazed at her. Kayla stepped closer to notice the empty water pail and feed bag. She swore softly under her breath. What kind of monster left an animal without food or water? Shelby might have dismissed the hands and no one could manage a stable full of horse this size alone. Demons enslaved lesser ones to do their dirty deeds and the slime the hag attracted would be dangerous. Beside each stall, she paused and gazed at the horses before she gathered their water buckets. The sixth one didn’t lean into her like the others. This one hooked his head over her shoulder and drew her into his body like a hug. The gesture startled her. When his teeth didn’t take a hunk of flesh and bone from her shoulder, she relaxed. “I’ll tend to all of you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered nonsense to him. Reassured of help coming, he released her. She wished for the night to stand still and grant her time to brush their coats, but couldn’t risk discovery. Clean and fed horses would put Shelby on alert and get the disembodied voice in trouble. She shouldn’t care, but Brit couldn’t stand the idea of someone taking the blame for her actions. Brit crept past the two empty stalls on her right and noted the two on her left. Icy fingers slid down her spine. The empty stalls remained filthy instead of being used for storage until another horse filled the spot. She hurried past because she didn’t want her imagination taking root. The last two stalls would be for the mares in their cycle. Her gaze traveled to the pedestal and the vase of dying multicolored roses. Their color leeched from them, the heavy 133

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blooms hung over the side. Thump. Thump. She jumped a foot and whirled around, her mouth dropping open at the size of the beast before her. Black, he reminded her of a warhorse, fire burned in the depth of his eyes. Her heart galloped. A gorgeous stallion she longed to ride…saddled or bareback. His back would spread her wide. Her sex would rub against the pull and bunching of his muscles, her channel convulsed. His nostrils flared and if not for the chill in the air, she might have mistaken the wisps for steam for something else. She shook her body, releasing herself from the trance of his black eyes. When she approached, he backed into his stall until his rump bumped the wall. Did he fear her? With those massive forelegs, he could crush her skull and turn her body into pulp before anyone could help her. Any of the horses could—this one would only have to strike a single blow to kill her. She shuddered with the thought and forced herself to take and place his water bucket with the others. She uncoiled the hose, filled each one to the brim. Her gaze strayed back to massive beast and the desire to run her hands over him. Why? Her weight upon his back would be nothing like her control at his mercy, why did this suggestion intrigue her. Thrill her. With the buckets filled and back at the front of the barn, she intended to leave the black giant until last. Shelby’s first target was a wealthy widower—she enticed him with the ease of a snake charmer worming her way into his bed and then his house. Brit’s lack of power, magical power to stop what happened, and the tapestry revealed nothing amiss until the fourth man fell ill after a dinner party. He remained in a coma with three others, each attended by wives or girlfriends in the hospital. A baffled doctor admitted he didn’t know how to help the men. The 134

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women sought out the O’Rourkes. Determined to find her father and the other men, she’d worry about freeing the horses once she spoke to Daddy Spurs. He’d know. Maybe she could release the men without magic. She smiled, if so, she wanted to do the deed. A horse neighed and the cries sent shivers over her spine the way a snake wrapped around a rock would. She rushed forward to peek out the barn door and found nothing. The moon emerged in the sky full, bright and almost close enough to caress for next two nights. The other horses whinnied when the scent of fresh water reached them. She delivered all the water except to the two, the one who hugged her and the warhorse. When the hugger dipped his head to drink, she lugged the larger pail toward the black, cooing softly with enough sense to stay on this side of the gate. He refused the bucket of water. Behind her, the noise of slurping water filled the silence. She made a hurried tour in search of stored food. She didn’t have time hunt and stopped herself from opening closed doors. Water would go far in keeping up their strength. She returned to the black and dipped her hand into the bucket, cupping the water and offering the liquid to him. A sign of peace, friendship, to show him not all women represented the evil hag. He used his snout to unleash the gate. A shiver raced the length of Brit’s body and to her toes, causing the water to seep from between her fingers. Trust. The word whispered through her. Silence echoed in the barn. Did he test her bravery? The hugger silenced. The black warhorse quieted. The rise and fall of his chest kept her from mistaking him for a statue. She stepped into his stall, her hand holding the water stretched toward him while the other brushed his neck where she could reach. His breath blew against her hand, lowering to drink. A sizzle 135

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erupted in the air when his hot tongue touched the water. She forced herself not to pull back. He lifted his head and pressed his forehead to hers. A meager handful of water wouldn’t satisfy a horse his size. When she attempted to dip her hand into the bucket, he caught her fingers between his lips. Her gasp echoed in the silence of the barn. He released her fingers and stepped forward to place his hulking body between her and the water bucket. She wasn’t sure what happened. He kept her from searching for her father and the other men. She raised her sucked fingers up to caress his neck, hoping her touch would be enough to make him step away from the blocked opening. She grasped his mane and winced when he shuddered. Twigs, thorns and burrs knotted the long, silky mane. She glanced at the lead tied to the wall and spied the brush and comb. With a newfound wisdom, she left a hand on the stallion and reached for the set. He’d feel like drinking once she freed the worst of the knots. Her calves burned from standing on her tiptoes. Her foot hit a box buried in the stall. She frowned at the location, then stepped up and continued her work on his mane, humming a song while she worked. Even using the box, she couldn’t reach the top of his head and found herself astride the stallion. Her denim skirt pushed high and tight with her legs bent to accommodate the girth of his shoulders. The horse shifted forward and she tightened her hold on his freshly combed mane. When she tried to yank her fingers free, she found herself trapped. Panic swelled within her. He cantered from the stall. Her eyes widened. Bad. Bad. What if someone saw her—them? They still hung people in this part of the country for stealing a horse, a prize stallion taken for a midnight ride. Hanging would be the least of her worries. She happened to like her neck. 136

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As do I, little one. People will see what I wish them to see. Her gaze dropped from the opening barn door to the horse. You’re a shifter. I’m many things to many creatures. Only one horse dared to make a sound when she passed, the one she dubbed the hugger. He nickered, the sound so low she must have imagined it. Did he threaten you? If he had? Then I should probably be scared of you. She glanced at the ground, thinking she should slide off and return to her brothers. He halted inside the doorway, a faint shiver worked through his body. Why would Shelby ward the barn to keep the horses inside? Are you afraid of me, the truth? “No, I’m not afraid, you could have hurt me and you haven’t.” The snort reminded her of an arrogant scoff of someone brushing off an uncomfortable remark. The barn door slid back by an unforeseen hand. Power rippled over her, causing her breast to swell and her nipples to tighten. The night rushed in, cleansing the air. He trotted forward on silent hooves. She expected the ground to tremble under his size. His gait impressive, she expected a bounce instead of the gentle flow of muscles. His legs lengthened their stride. Questions she should be asking vanished when they left the main yard of the ranch. He took them toward the open pasture, the gated pasture. Her experience with horses could fill a teacup. Brit stiffened. Invisible bands wrapped around her legs and waist to make Brit one with the horse. He picked up speed, jumping the fence the way a child would hop over a crack in the driveway. A thrill bubbled up within her. She let him go where he wanted, certain her strength 137

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would be unable to sway him. She leaned forward. Her body pressed against his neck and back. A decadent treat like a forbidden desert, something she would crave and never be able to have again. She pushed the impression away and pressed her lips to his neck. The world around them blurred until he slowed to climb a hill, his body shook with the spent energy. She’d lost count of the number of fences they’d jumped to get here. “Where are we?” she asked when invisible hands drew her body from his back. Her legs quivered and she reached out to steady herself. Her hands encountered the chest of a man. His hands settled on her hips. “Where’s the horse?” “He will return when we need him. For your first question, we’re away.” He leaned closer. Her heart still racing from their run to get here, she stared into his hooded gaze. The shadows of the night kept his face hidden from her. She licked her lips. He’d avoided answering her question. He closed the distance between them. She should turn away, pull away and slap the desire from his face. Halfway never gives you your heart’s desire, little one. She blinked, her toes pushed her up. Their lips brushed. A small protest turned into a moan. Her lips parted under the press of his mouth, her arms coming up between their bodies. Her intention to push him away after the chaste kiss was lost when his tongue slipped into her mouth. One of his hands cupped her head, the other drew her closer until the heat of his arousal burned through her. He caught the thickness of her braid and she prepared for the stinging tug. He didn’t pull her hair. A snap of the band breaking, he combed his fingers through thick links, freeing the mass. Then his hand cupped the back of her head. Leave your hair unbound— He reclaimed her mouth before she could protest. They 138

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moaned in unison. The kiss caused her lungs to burn with the lack of oxygen until he broke the hold on her mouth and trailed kisses along her jaw to her neck. Her eyes fluttered open. “No marks.” “You will carry my mark, little one, for I will not give up what’s mine.” Mine? Her head dropped back to give him better access to her neck while she summoned the strength to push him away. His mouth did wicked things to her, caused her to hum and writhe against him. A couple of men kissed her neck, none made her squirm, in a good way. Boys, not men. Never will they touch you again. His and mine together, we claim you. Her body trembled with his words while her brain worked to figure out what happened. She hadn’t given herself, at least not verbally. I never agreed to two men. Never agreed to a claiming either. Of course, she wanted a relationship like her parents. She wasn’t about to tell the man, horse, or demon in front of her. She expected him to cop a feel and when he didn’t, she bit her lip to keep from begging him for more. Born into a triad, why should you have anything less, sweet one?

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Chapter Twelve Kayla glanced up to find Duncan waiting his turn. A smile

on his rugged, handsome face, he didn’t have to ask. Ian leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, sparks of magic danced between them, his and hers weaving together with a silent promise of pleasure for later. “Will you be okay?” His smile shone in his eyes along with the smoldering heat of his desire. He caressed her check with the back of his hand. “Not until we make you ours,” he pressed a finger to her parted lips, silencing her. “I won’t stumble.” “We’ll be there to pick you up.” The words were out of her mouth before she could censor them. Before she could think too hard about her semi-declaration, Ian handed her over to Duncan’s capable hands. For the first few minutes, they said nothing while arms and legs entwined in a seamless movement. Duncan pressed her head against his shoulder. She accepted the nudge and the press of his lips on the top of her head. She inhaled the clean scent of his body and hint of his water element embedded in his soul. “People will start leaving soon.” She lifted her head and met his gaze. “I asked them, Ian will, too. She’s tossing out feelers like tentacles of an octopus searching for another male. We’re not 140

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going to lose another innocent soul to her greed.” “I don’t feel the magic.” Duncan danced her into a series of turns while the band played another ballad. Realization struck. “Women don’t sense the spell, do they? Making the spell impossible to fight—” She didn’t and curbed the desire to lob a fireball at the hag. The threat of having that ball of flame tossed back at her three times stronger stopped her. She couldn’t get over the rule and knew the handicap would cost her eventually. She pushed the thoughts of when the rule of three no longer threatened her ability to react. With a scan of the room, she found Ian speaking to a group of women who started to clear some dishes from the buffet table. “No,” he slid his hand up the length of her back and pressed her head down. “Once everyone leaves, we’ll lower the shield and confront her.” She remembered the first time they met and hoped it was her last encounter with the devil’s shrew. “Not inside—” “No, not inside, we’ll make our stand in the field between the house’s foundation and the barn.” Questions rushed through her and each time Kayla opened her mouth to ask, she closed it. Frustration flowed through her and she pressed her lips against Duncan’s neck. His body responded with the hardening of his arousal and a thrill of desire whipped through her. A deep moan filled the barn. The music froze. Chairs scrapped the cement floor. Duncan released and tucked her behind him. “I won’t let evil harm you.” She didn’t want to stand behind him, protected. She belonged at his and Ian’s side when they faced this threat or any threat. Kayla grabbed the back of a chair when her knees 141

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buckled with the realization of what she admitted to herself. Ian’s arm kept her from slipping to the floor. When she bounced her gaze between them, they stared straight ahead. Shelby Crewe stood while the men with her withered on the ground like spineless snakes. Kayla lifted her gaze to the band in the loft, her lips falling open. A shield enclosed them and their instruments in a ball—a hamster ball. They’d removed their instruments and stood on the edge, waiting. The leader nodded and flashed a sexy grin. Shelby shifted toward them, her hiss enshrouding them in an inky black substance. Even with their powers, they would have to unravel the spell she cast before they could make good on their offer of assistance. “I take the temper tantrum is because she didn’t notice them before?” Duncan and Ian chuckled, tightening their hold on her. “She figured out where the extra shielding of magic emanated from and her mixed emotions of hate and desire blinded her senses to them.” “The band wove the protection spell into their music? Not their first time either, which song?” They didn’t answer or take their eyes from the enemy. She risked a backward glance to find the other partygoers made a hesitate retreat. Her body relaxed. Her talent flared hotter, fed by the two men beside her. Ready for their use this one time. “I wouldn’t consider this the social success you hoped for, Shelby.” Shelby flicked her long black hair over her shoulder, her composure back in place. The men in her company lay on the floor. Kayla witnessed one man’s hand withered with age. Shelby followed her gaze, sneered at the males before bestowing a wicked, but seductive smile on them. “It 142

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happens when someone fails to use the magic within them— they become prey to those who do. Right, boys? She’ll be the well you draw from because she isn’t strong enough to defeat anyone on her own.” Gourds of pumpkins and squash levitated off the table. Ian and Duncan took a few steps back, carrying her with them. The witch’s words wormed beneath her skin the way she intended, feeding on Kayla’s fear of having her power drained. She’d not deny the times she wished her gift of cold fire never surfaced. The thought of the flickering blue flame weakened or extinguished filled her with dread. They continued to retreat, no one wanted the battle to rage inside the building with Shelby parchment for fire. The hard-shell gourds bobbed and followed them. “Get the feeling she had a hand in the decorations, too?” Shelby’s laughter followed them. “No words of reassurance? No words of how you’ll be able to stop before you kill her?” Their hands tightened on her. Their voices blended into a surreal sound caused her body to respond. “Don’t listen to her.” Her gaze flashed to Ian, the hardness of his face made her heart jolt with fear. Thunk! Thunk! The gourds struck the walls around them, herding them out of the building. The door in front of them slammed shut, leaving them outside in the brisk October night. Kayla shivered. They’d retreated to the deserted parking lot while the suffocating air coiled within the barn receded. Pre Ian and Duncan’s request, they alone would deal with the threat. If they failed, the band would step forward before Shelby could open any portals and release the demons. Ian and Duncan lifted Kayla to carry her a short distance away and used a smaller 143

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building to shield them from probing eyes. Duncan’s low, husky voice filled the air, enclosing them in a protective shield, his hands smoothing over her shoulders and arms. Comfort for her or for him? Shelby rattled her, using her greatest fear against her. Was she transparent enough for evil to read her? Or did she gain the information by other means. Had Charlie learned of her secret from Rosie and the coven priestess? Ian’s hands caressed her cheek before sliding under to lift her chin to meet his gaze. “She’s trying to drive a wedge between us, you know that. She’s afraid of what we can and will do together.” A shiver stole through her body. The need to know the truth burned through her, even evil told the truth when the purpose served them. “Lie or truth?” “Both.” She pulled free of both of them only to have them grab her hands and pull her back. “So to defeat her you’re going to need to drain my unstable talent?” “You underestimate yourself and your talent. We’re all given what we can handle, you’re a keystone.” She shook her head in confusion and frustration. Defensive position, a concept she didn’t have time to ponder. Some part of her brain wasn’t connecting on what they told her. Keystone? Before she could ask them straight out, the barn door slammed. “O’Rourke. Come play with a real woman. I’ll be a patient and fair mistress—” Shelby’s voice grated on her nerves again, she interrupted them when they discussed something important. Kayla glared at the direction of the voice. Shelby’s laughter crackled through the night. “Trying to convince the simpleton of a girl of your devotion? A waste of energy, drain her and join me.” 144

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Clouds drifted away, exposing a million stars. Their time for the full moon growing short and the shields protecting this world from the demon realm weakened with every breath, every word they uttered. “The two of you need a woman, not a girl to satisfy your lust.” Duncan tugged her back into the safety of his arms, raised one hand to brush a strand of blonde hair behind her ear before he cupped the nape of her neck. “We’re the wells.” Her stomach clenched with the blow he delivered. She didn’t have to turn her head to see Ian nodding. “Once the bonding is finished, you’ll be the one to draw from us, not the other way around. Without you, we’re only two-thirds of a whole.” Her mouth must have fallen open for Duncan lifted her chin and let his thumb caress her lips. She didn’t know what to say and backed up. They followed. They left the protection of the shed and stood in the field facing Shelby. The remaining men clung to her legs, ready to crumble. Autumn leaves crushed with the slightest touch. The scarecrows offered too many obstacles for hiding. Shelby slid her hands through the hair of the two men, weak sparks of magic danced up her arms. Instead of a smile, she frowned. “You know what I want, O’Rourke, give me the Goddess brooch or last year’s barn fire will be nothing compared to the havoc I’ll wreck upon this town.” Her fingers curled into a fist and pressed to her thigh to keep her from delivering the first blow. The sheer force of her anger and disgust rolled through her. Her inner flame grew, her magic, tripling. The air around her shimmered and lifted her hair away from her body. Whatever her doubts and secret longings for Ian and Duncan, she pushed aside to face this bitch. When they finished this battle, she’d deal with her feelings for them, but right now, this bitch needed 145

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her ass kicked. “Three firefighters died in that blaze. Three loyal men with loving families—” Shelby shrugged. An energy ball formed in the palm of her hand. Snaps and crackles of power danced off her palm. She tossed the ball into the air. When she caught the orb, she pitched the glowing softball at the closest scarecrow. His jack-o-lantern head glowed with any eerie orange light. “Risks of the job.” Shelby whistled, the shrill set the other pumpkin heads to glowing. She formed another fireball and released. Energy exploded across their shields, knocking them backward two steps. Ian and Duncan remained at her side, their magic rippled through them. They returned the volleys, not with large orbs, but smaller ones the size of a tennis ball. They ricocheted off the scarecrows before they homed in on the witch. Shelby dodged the projectiles and shrieked with laughter. “You’ll have to do better than that, boys.” **** Ian hated to agree with the hag. If they planned to defeat her and free their father and the others, they needed to do better. He’d never give her the Goddess brooch. He exchanged glances with Duncan and shared the nod. If they couldn’t stand together, they would have to trap her within a triangle of elementary energy. The same way they would trap any demon who managed to escape from the other realm. They took those steps away from Kayla and hoped she understood what they couldn’t explain without revealing their plan to Shelby. Shadows layered the fields on either side of the barn, growing deeper with the spread of Shelby’s evil magic. The scarecrows cast their eerie light on the playing field. Out 146

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here in the open, Ian hoped to minimize the damage and lobbed an energy ball at the hag. Shelby lobbed a fireball at his knees and Ian leapt into the air, avoiding the crippling attack. The energy ball punched the soil without even a pop or a crackle. He swore under his breath when the males wrapped around her feet shuddered from the blast. Shelby’s satisfied glare enraged him. He drew elements of power from the earth to strengthen the power behind his magic ball. This time he chanted a spell to make his aim true. “Ian. Duncan.” Ian froze at the sound of his father’s weak voice. What trickery did the hag cast? Duncan tossed the binding spell at the witch, this one dissolving into confetti to rain upon Shelby’s head. Her giggles and clapping hands reminded him of an excited child at a birthday party. He forced himself to focus away from the parlor tricks. He scanned the yard for some sign of his father and drew on the family magic in a vain attempt to reestablish the brief connection. “Ian. You have to find us…neither can fall to her…B—” “We will.” His knee jerk reply caught him off guard when Duncan spared him a glance. “Father spoke to me.” Shelby shrieked and threw a maelstrom of magic at them. Bright, yellow shards intended to impale them where they stood, their glow tossed a surreal greenish light on the field. “No. No. You cannot have him. I’m so close.” **** Kayla’s instinct kicked in. She threw up a shield, protecting the stunned brothers. Her attention focused on Shelby, granting the brothers a moment. Shielding didn’t invoke the three-fold rule, she’d have no fear of her magic coming back 147

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on her three times and biting her in the ass. Well, at least she hoped not, or she’d never entwine her magic with them because what three wrought, three would experience. She used the shield to push the balls of energy balls away. She didn’t care if they struck Shelby or not. “Close to a nervous breakdown yet, Shelby? Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to play with brothers?” **** Duncan raked his hand through his hair, causing it to stand in spikes with the static of his magic. “Did he tell you anything? Like where he is?” Ian shook his head, thinking. The last letter their father spoke, b, could mean anything. A building, a barn, or a bungalow on the beach, or the beach. He could have been trying to tell him to bind Kayla to them, too. Hopeful thinking on his part, no doubt, yet he witnessed Kayla shield them from Shelby’s attack while they shared information. She cared. Even in her anger, she protected them or herself. He preferred to believe in the former. He settled a hand on her slender shoulder, only to have her shrug his touch away. He frowned because she trusted them with her body and her friendship, but not her magic. They’d make her understand after they defeated Shelby. “You didn’t hear him? He called for you, too.” “No.” “You need to get the water out of your ears, brother.” “If you’re done with the family pow-wow, a little help would be nice.” Shelby made a point of rubbing her hands over her hips and breast in a sultry way of emphasizing her feminine contours. “Have they deserted you already, little girl?” Ian answered her by tossing a magic bag over her head. A 148

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minor spell meant to distract and shut her up, definitely not strong enough for him to stop her, if only they could be so lucky. “You dare to treat me with disrespect time after time, boys. Let us see how you fair with this.” The tone of Shelby’s voice shifted to something deep and masculine. The three of them exchanged glances, ignored the eerie pallor cast from the pumpkins. They stepped in front of Kayla, determined to protect her from the attack. They might be the well-source, but the need to protect Kayla was stronger. They’d give her their power, all she had to do was ask. That wasn’t the only gift they offered, they wanted to share their love and family with her and if she desired, they’d teach her everything they knew about magic. Shelby’s raised her hands, fingers spread. The black ocean of shadows undulated around them with energy. The gentle breeze of earlier changed, surged with magical power and the odor of stale, soiled hay filled the air. Ghostly forms took shape in the shadow, some stood while others remained on bent knees in an eerie worship of Shelby. The wind screamed. The sound was so filled with pain, the hair on his bare arm rose beneath the goose flesh. Energy crackled and danced on the hag’s fingertips. She threw the magic, not against them, but against the plowed ground. Scattered with the remnants of broken gourds, the air filled with a mellow rot. Ian breathed through his mouth. They braced themselves for the ground to heave and roll, but nothing happened to the ribbed and rutted surface. “What the—something pushed against my foot?” Kayla’s hands looped into their arms, pulling them off the field and onto the graveled parking lot. They stumbled over the once level ground. Duncan formed a light ball, illuminating the area around them. Thick sprouts the size of a man’s arm erupted from the soil with surprising speed. 149

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The brothers exchanged glances. What did Shelby sow? Shelby flicked her hair over her shoulder, pushing the husk of the two men away from her body. They fell at her feet, resembling the dead rats they were. “I’ve wasted enough time on you, children. If you wish to see your father and what remains of the men of this town, be ready to open the portal. I don’t have to tell you the time, do I?” Duncan opened his mouth to reply and stopped when Kayla squeezed his arm, not hard enough to hurt him, but to distract him. “Just a small sample of the magic I can draw upon, defeat them if you can. The outcome won’t affect me, O’Rourke.” Shelby vanished, leaving behind the two men she drained. Both obscured by the knee-high plants with the doubling in size gourds with five nubs. “Not good.” The light orb rose higher into air, casting a bright glow over the area. They made a visual sweep of the yard, ensuring she didn’t lurk behind them or the jack-o-lantern scarecrows. “She’s gone.” Ian ran his hand over his head, the gesture revealed his tight grasp on his guard. He retreated a safe distance to observe her creations. “Physically, maybe.” **** Kayla let them scan the area while she studied the warp speed of the growing garden. Shelby’s magic acted like a heavy dose of super growth plant food on the harvested land. “The pod in front of us looks like a child— anyone ever see anything like this before.” Ian’s hand covered hers nestled in the croak of his arm, giving her both reassurance and strength. “No and your 150

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child morphed into a strapping teenager.” “No way am I claiming him. I don’t even want to think about what he’d eat.” “Not to break into your discussion of kids, although if we’re on the subject I vote for an even number. Four or maybe six when the time’s right will put the subject on hold. This guy has kin and a lot of them.” Ready to protest she wasn’t a brood mare or a baby factory, she snapped her mouth shut. Their babies, the idea now planted, filled her with both anticipation and fear, something she wasn’t going to think about while they stood on the edge of field facing the product of the hag’s spell. She pushed up on her tiptoes to peer over their shoulders. “Kin?” “I’ve counted thirty ripe for the picking.” Kayla glanced at Ian and noted the determination on his face, the tic in his jaw warning her, the spelled deserved their attention. “Any ideas how we’re supposed to defeat them?” The snapping vines caused her to jump. “Sure, we used to take rotten fruit and vegetables from Mom’s garden and line them up on a fence and blast them.” “Guns on food—very threatening.” Ian and Duncan laughed. Duncan’s arm slipped around her to plaster her body against his. She gazed up at him, stunned by his reaction when his mouth sealed over hers in a hard, demanding kiss. Her lips parted with the first sweep of his tongue and ending far sooner than she liked, the tease. She leaned against him, wanting more. Her brain played tug-of-war with her body, fought the slow achiness which spread through her and demanded satisfaction. Hunger, lust and disappointment rippled through her. She wanted him. Wanted them both with a fierceness deeper and more powerful than sexual need and more about love. She froze. 151

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Jerked back to reality Duncan ducked avoiding the thick, thorny arm of the gourd man who tried to behead him. His hand struck the watermelon-shaped chest with a responding thud. A crack showed in the fruit’s center. The scent of fresh mowed grass and wet woodchips filled the air around them. Mr. Fruit man dropped to his knees and fell backward, cracking open the rest of his body to spill his seeds into the soil. “Not guns. Magic. We used them to perfect our pitches. Throwing orbs without accuracy can cause more damage than the actual battle.” Duncan demonstrated by burning the split produce. He glanced over his shoulder at her. “If the seeds go to ground, we’ll have more than thirty—more than we’ll be able to handle.” “Twenty-nine,” Ian corrected, “we’ll finish this faster if we divide. Not asking you to do anything more than smash some produce, Kayla. The effect later might be nothing more than distaste in fruit, the worst, a short-term allergic reaction. The Goddess doesn’t punish with the thrice rule when we’re defending innocents.” She nodded, pleased with his honesty and consideration regarding her fears, loved him a little more for not mocking her concerns. She leapt to the left, caught and steadied by Ian when two zombie fruit tried to make a sandwich out of her. Only Ian and Duncan possessed the honor. “Why not fry the field and finish the fight?” “Pros and cons, a quickie fix, doesn’t ensure we’ll fry them all and we have no idea how our magic will affect the men she left behind.” Ian smashed two produce monsters to bits, sending chunks of ripe fruit splattering over the field. “I’m ahead, winner makes love to Kayla first.” She pulled away from them, stomped into the field when 152

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one of the creatures rose from the waist-high tumble of plants. The pumpkin head caved in to create a set of menacing eyes and mouth filled with jagged teeth of seeds. The snapping of a vine under the hiss of magic warned her of a pending attack. He spit out a mouth full of seeds, covering the front of her blouse. Eew, she hated pumpkin guts. Drawing upon her talent, she fired. She kicked the legs out from under another one when he—it circled around her—and nodded with satisfaction. “I’m not a prize for the winner. What do I get if win?” “Us. Together.” A ripple of sensual arousal rolled through her. Her talent flared and exploded two more advancing pumpkin heads. Us. Together—their words caused Kayla’s nipples to harden and press against the fabric of her sticky, borrowed blouse. She smashed another lumbering veggie with glowing red eyes and kicked at the arm slithering toward her. “Five.” “Seven. Undeveloped pods don’t count.” Ian ducked, bobbed and weaved his way through the patch, “Should, one less critter to grow up to fight us.” Kayla listened to their banter, which masked a deeper concern for their father. She exploded another lumbering creature, the chunks of fruit splattering into the air and covering Duncan. Laughter bubbled from her with a wave of moisture when Duncan ripped his shirt from his chest. Goddess, even in the glow of the moon his bared skin caused her mouth to go dry. The urge to lick the juice from every inch of his skin left her breathless. A creature exploded inches away from splattering her in the same sticky mess. The stench of sweet, rotten fruit peppered her skin. She glared at the spot where the thing stood. She glanced at Ian, ready to call out her kill shots. Her heart leapt at the sight, and not in a good way, as thorny 153

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vines wrapped around his calves, snagging and shredding the denim fabric, while the seeds of those he smashed grew faster. She raised her hand to wipe her face when Ian captured and drew her fingers to his lips. With locked gazes, he sucked her fingers. Her womb clenched. Her sex dripped with the memory of what his tongue could do. The vines wrapped around Ian’s legs withered, browned and dropped away. “The heat of my longing for you makes me too hot for them to do any damage.” “Not fair. The time you two—unless—I get to help lick Kayla clean. Nine, falling behind, wonder how Ian will like standing there, watching us and denied the ability to touch you?” A flash of hungry desire glowed in his eyes, warning her, the idea aroused him more than he’d let his brother know. Ian smiled and released her hand before putting some distance between them. His wink and silent promise caused her to take a step toward him. She stopped herself when the hair on the back of her neck rose. She spun around to see they’d advanced further into the field and the magic possessed produce circled them. “We’ve picked up a bushel behind us.” Duncan spun around, swore and picked off a limping attacker. “Worse, a bunch of them are headed for town.” Cold fear touched her heart. She didn’t want to think about the havoc they could produce on the town. Sure, people would retreat to their homes to let them fight the battle. What if these things took root in someone’s veggie garden or infected the town. What would they be dealing with then? From behind the barn hailed a barrage of high-pitched zaps and sizzles of magic followed by the popping of ripened fruit. She would have looked in their direction if not for the 154

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advancing horde. The cold fire flew from her fingers, missed the leader in the first row and managed to connect with the two behind. She grumbled under her breath, vowed to change her ways and hone her talents. “Reinforcements, or more trouble?” “Reinforcements,” Duncan laid down a wave of heated water, filling the air with the scent of stewed fruits and veggies. “The band will keep them from reaching the town.” Her stomach roiled from the stench. She wouldn’t be indulging in fruit and veggie kabobs anytime soon. She took a couple of steps back, forming a ball of cold fire to resemble a bowling ball. They swung at her. What should have been a tangle of limbs ended up in a well-choreography swipe. She tossed the ball. Three at the back divided to leave the others to take the blow. They screamed, the roar of anger deafening. Who knew they could reach such a pitch. Seven exploded. Juice splattered the front of her face and arms. Her tongue swiped at her lips, bitter liquid coated her tongue, not like the sweetness of a smoothie. She spit out what she could of the vile stuff, but feared the taste would remain. Disgusted, she wiped the slimy mess from her face before sending a wave of her cold fire over the site, engulfing the field and destroying the popping seeds. This time her blast of cold fire didn’t last longer than a few short bursts. She wasn’t concerned until the wave of lust rolled through her, making every part of her body ache and throb. She reached out to steady herself, connected with open air, catching herself before she tumbled into the plants around her. Another creature exploded and she brushed the chunked fruit away. She moaned with sexual pain, her inner muscles contracting hard on nothing, the sheer torture of denial. Duncan and Ian at her side, the heat of their bodies 155

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and the closeness of their mouths made concentration next to impossible. Her thoughts turned to where their mouths would do the most good. Ian captured her chin and turned her head toward him. His fingers smeared the chunks of the fruit away from her face. “Fuck.” “Yes,” the husky whisper left her mouth before she could censor her boiling desire. This isn’t the time, her brain screamed. Her body leaned closer to Ian’s, willing him to do something to appease the swelling need within her. When her hand settled on his bare chest, her heart kicked up a notch. She feathered her finger over the flat male nipple. Touch more of him, a voice inside of her head screamed. Duncan defended their position, frying the remains without taking a breath. “What’s happening?” Ian caught her hand when she released the snap on his jeans. She made a sound of protest and turned her head, catching his thumb and sucking the digit into her mouth, showing him exactly what she intended to do once she slid his pants down. Ian groaned. “Kayla, this isn’t you. There’s something in the fruit—oh, fuck.” She distracted him enough to get his pants open and stroke the hard, rigid length of his arousal through the barrier of his briefs. Her knees buckled and his thumb popped from his mouth. One part of her brain fought the sexual haze, another…didn’t want to. She leaned forward, pressing kisses against his chest, traveling downward toward her goal. Duncan’s arm wrapped around her waist and drew her away from her treasure. She twisted in his hold. Wrapping her legs around his thigh, she dry humped his hip in an effort to relieve pressure on her clit. Moisture soaked her panties, the friction only heightened her longing. 156

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Duncan’s head dropped back, exposing his throat. Kayla didn’t need a second invitation to lave at the exposed cords of his neck. She hummed her approval. He tasted of sunshine, salt water and caramel…taffy. She nipped him, pleasure roiling through her when his body shuddered and moaned. The effect set the seam of her jeans to her clit. “Kayla, that feels—” “Don’t encourage her.” Duncan’s hand settled on the curve of her ass. She undulated like a cat against his body, rubbing everything and wishing her clothes would vanish. “Damn hard not to— ” “She’ll hate us later.” She traced the shell of Duncan’s ear with her tongue. Her brain gained control. Heat flushed her face with a mixture of arousal and embarrassment. She couldn’t fight without aid. “Help me.” **** “We will. Ian, we need to infuse her.” “If she rejects—shit, how many more of them are there?” “Too many without Kayla’s help, they’ll be reseeding themselves in no time. Three more headed into town.” His body kicked at him. He’d been hard when he figured out her intentions. The image of her lips wrapped around his cock made the press of his zipper painful. Kayla withering in his brother’s arms wasn’t helping him to get his body under control. He glanced around him, hoping the distraction would give him another solution. He sent a volley of magic at those closest to them, destroying a few and pushing back others. Without Kayla’s help at their side or joined with them, Shelby Crewe would force them to surrender. “Goddess bless us and may Kayla forgive us.” 157

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Duncan’s tortured gaze met his. At this point, anything could frighten her away forever. He stepped closer to the woman who completed him and pressed his chest to her back. He expected to have to pry her hands from around Duncan’s neck. “Kayla.” Her body pressed back against him, her arms looped around his neck. Her face turned toward him with lust-filled eyes and parted lips. He resisted for the space of a heartbeat. He closed the distance and pressed his lips against her. The kiss was hard and demanding, the way she needed with the spell wreaking havoc on her system. His hands settled on her hips, holding her in position, while Duncan sliced through another wave of creatures. Vines tightened against his calves, twisting and pulling in an attempt to knock him to the ground. If Duncan stumbled, they’d all fall, tackled and smothered by the enemy. Ian sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Goddess for Brit’s departure and shuddered with the image of her succumbing to this spell. No one was good enough for his sister. No one ever would be. “By the Goddess, I don’t know how much more I can take.” Concern snapped him away from his sister and back to the field they held their own for now. Mage wells took days to drain, they couldn’t have been out here more than a couple of hours. “Your magic weakens?” “No.” He shook his head and let Kayla grasp his free hand to cup her breast. “Kayla will have me soiling my pants and the damn zipper of my jeans embedded into my cock.” New understanding burst through him when Kayla turned her head and bit the corded muscles of his neck hard enough cause his cock to spasm and press hard against the teeth of his jean’s zipper. “If she’d accepted—” 158

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“You aren’t the type to dwell in the past. We screwed up twice by not explaining things to her. The Goddess may not grant us another chance.” A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed hard, knowing life without Kayla would be impossible and unacceptable. Only one keystone existed for each mage pair and those who didn’t find one, chose to live life without her or separated to find mates to keep the line of magic alive and weakened. “You’re thinking, now’s the time explain things?” “Do we have a choice? Unless you want to try blending our magic, which takes time and concentration—my blood’s drained to my cock.” He would have scrubbed at his face if not for his fear of dropping Kayla. He swore under his breath, wished he could blame Shelby for this turn of events. His fear silenced them. Telling her with her thoughts muddled with lust. Goddess. Kayla bit him again and used her tongue to lave the wound. He groaned her name through clenched teeth. “I need you to listen to me.” Her body twisted in his arms with the agility of a cat. He didn’t even think her feet touched the ground before her legs wrapped around him. The scolding heat of her sex pressed and rubbed against his cock. He’d been hard before, incomparable to the beat in his head. With her clinging to him, he cupped her face until her lust-glazed eyes met his own. Between her eyes and her parted lips, he didn’t know whether he should kiss or shake her back to reality. Popping fruit and vegetables along with the endless splatter of juice held him at bay. “Kayla, you’re our keystone.” She turned her head, caught his thumb and sucked the digit into her mouth. A bolt of lightning seared through him, causing a painful throb to his cock. Duncan groaned and cupped himself. Shit, they were sharing—she might not 159

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have a choice in accepting or declining her place. She would always be their keystone. She pulled his thumb free with a pop. Wild images flooded his weary brain to send another surge of desire through him. She shook her head in denial. “Keystone, no—I want you both—want you pounding me—together.” He locked his arms, preventing her from closing the distance the between them. If her mouth claimed his, he’d be giving into her demands. He glanced at Duncan who used his sexual frustration to magically pound on some fruit. He’d fuck things up in his current state of mind. She wanted them, but would she open herself up and accept their magic if she believed doing so would get her closer to her goal. “Kayla.” Her glazy eyes blinked and focused on him. “You can’t have us until they’re all gone.” With care, he turned her head to show the lumbering creatures. Three more exploded, covering them in watermelon and tomato juice. He met her gaze and saw the frown, then the pout. He resisted the urge to kiss both away when firm determination settled through her. “How?” He wanted this, wanted her to understand without her fear. With his thumb, he brushed threads of some plant from her cheek. Duncan stood off to his right, destroying those who dared to venture to close. “Do it.” Duncan’s sharp command steeled him. They didn’t have the time to woo her. They’d forfeited the right with their pride and belief they could seduce her. They’d been wrong. “Kayla, only you can do it. You must take our magic inside of you—” Her lips parted. He firmed his grip on her slippery face and held her gaze. Her beautiful, kissable lips formed a silent no. If she denied them a third time, they would have 160

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to release her. Forever. “Do you want us? For sex?” Her head bobbed, then shook in the yes and no confusion, causing his gut to knot. Her pink tongue swiped at her plump lips. He wanted her tongue swiping other parts of his body. His hips jerked, causing a sharp, high cry of pleasure to break from her throat. A homegrown attacker exploded under the pitch. He fought the urge not to do the same. “Entwine our magic.” “Goddess. Don’t know how.” The husky tone of her voice distracted him with a longing to bury his cock deeply inside of her and never come out. Her lust-filled gaze clouded with uncertainty, revealing once again her level of training and the fear of her power instilled in her. “The Goddess understands. Duncan.” He didn’t have to say more while he lowered their woman, their witch and keystone’s feet to the ground. Her lust receded a little further and he dropped his hand to her breast and cradled the weight in his hand. Perfect weight and size for him, for them, except for the barrier of her stained clothing. He brushed the pad of his finger over her jutting nipple. Her moan music to his ears, he’d worship her breast, her body, when they finished they fulfill their promise to her. Duncan’s hand covered the other beast and nuzzled her neck, causing her lips to part an invitation for a kiss. He resisted, afraid he—they wouldn’t stop until she cried out her release. There should be slow loving, a buildup of sexual tension drawing their magic out, entwining with hers before flowing back into her. A moan escaped her lips under his brother’s gentle assault, his hips thrusting his rigid cock against her soft stomach. He’d earned the role of mentor and shuddered under the responsibility. Magic was a gift, fickle in nature and purpose. If neglected, it would fade away, leaving a 161

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person empty, lost and numb to untold power. “Open your mind, let your element flare within not out.” He forced himself to ignore the growing horde and those who drifted toward the town. Their cousins would deal with them. He hoped. His thumb brushed over her erect nipple, again drawing her attention to him. “More.” “Soon.” He swallowed hard and focused on her face in the semi-darkness. Her aura brightened. Her skin flushed. The burn of the cold fire caressed his skin. Goose bumps covered his flesh, sending a tingling awareness to his core. His cock reacted with a jerk and shudder and if not for the press of his jeans, he would have shot his load. “Very good, Kayla, open your eyes.” A frown marred her lips, her body undulated against his to make them both groan in pain. “Not a child—” Her eyes opened to reveal the beautiful blue of her iris, the color brilliant, brighter glowing with her talent hovering beneath the surface of her skin. He chanted ancient words, ignored the whip of vines against his back. Duncan’s voice matched his—this would be a thousand times easier with a bed beneath them and their bodies not hindered by a layer of clothing between them. The well of magic within him churned and built with the force of storm clouds roiling through a crystal blue sky. Lightning lit the sky. “Forgive me, no one could ever mistake you for a child. Reach for us.” Out of the corner of his eye, her arms lifted. One slender limb encircled Duncan’s neck, the other she draped around his waist, her palm pressed against his ass. His cock throbbed in jealousy. “Now draw on our magic.” He twisted his body to keep the sting of the vines away from Kayla. Duncan did the same. He forced himself to concentrate on his talent and not the press of Kayla’s body 162

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against his, or the vine wrapped around his leg. He wanted to hurry her along. Feared doing so would snap her out of the lust-filled haze. “This twining can be undone, yes?” No. He wanted to scream at her. He couldn’t abuse her trust by lying to her. He wanted her love not her hate. “Yes.” “Will you both fuck me afterward?” “Yes.” **** Kayla trilled with their promise. Fear niggled at the corners of Kayla’s mind, replaced by warm ripple, a ribbon of two magical forces brushing against hers. Her flame dimmed. Her heart stuttered until the flicker of fire burst brighter, stronger within her. Their talents didn’t overwhelm her own, instead, they entwined and braided into a strong coil, a near unbreakable coil. She hissed when Ian took the brunt of a lashing vine. Concern and anger for her men flushed through her, clearing her vision. The maturing veggie creatures with teeth formed of seeds, sported thorns from hearty roses, their red eyes muted before they spewed their seeds on the ground. She’d be the only person to claw at them. The creatures from the garden attempted to separate them. Vines pulled and tightened on her limbs, tugged on her legs, first left, then forward, torn on the direction to take her. On Duncan and Ian, too, she’d not let the hag claim them. Her talent hummed with her resolve. Her men, she’d not give them up without a fight. The flame of her talent crackled and grew with their power, flowing into her first like a trickle of rain down a windowpane, then a larger flow becoming the oil to feed the cold fire of her element. She accepted the merging and 163

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released the dry ice in roiling fog. Icy crystals formed on the vine entangled around her legs. Lightning brightened the sky, casting an eerie glow on the growing fog. Frost glazed the closest creatures. Duncan’s hold tightened when one of the plants dared to pull him away from her. Not happening. Another icy hot blast rolled from her in a dense cloud. A loud crackling of ice mingled with the lightning. Thunder shook the earth, their frozen enemies shattered. Fragments of frozen fruits and veggies rained down to pelt and sting exposed flesh. She hissed. “Draw the power back, like a straw on a thick milkshake.” She shook her head, the thick coil of magic would be too much to carry within her. “I can’t, take back what’s yours, you promised.” Duncan’s teeth nipped at the tendon between her neck and shoulder. She gasped when a bolt of electrified lust shot through her body and pulsed with the force of resounding thunder through her core. Thick waves of moisture coated her thigh with a different need, magic and sexual arousal roared through her. A sharp inhale pulled the remaining magic and air into her lungs and body, invigorating, arousing her to the point of pain. She slammed the door on her talent only to realize, the heavy gate she’d visualized held a few more holes than she wanted. Weakened. She sagged against Ian, exhausted, and if not for the pounding lust within her, she’d demand sleep. “You promised.” Ian lifted her easily into his arms. Her head fell against his shoulder. Rain fell in torrents, icy cold plastering their clothing to their skin. “We need to get off the field before we’re frozen here.” She raised her head to gaze at the frost-covered field and 164

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shivered hard with the magic settling deep within her, filling cervices she didn’t know she had. They’d given her a taste of their magic, strong and addictive like a drug. Duncan bent and scooped up a handful of the seeds, wrapping them in a handkerchief and securing the parcel in a magical spell. His gaze caught her. “For research, our fathers will find them interesting.” She shuddered and tightened her hold on Ian. “I want a hot shower.” “You are on the slippery side.” She smacked his shoulder. “You did this to me.” “You’ll know the difference between us making you slippery and magic.”

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Chapter Thirteen

C

ooperton Ranch

Warm arms encircled and bound her while husky words chanted into her ear. Old magic filled with promise if she gave him what he wanted, if only he’d asked. He requested nothing except her trust. She stared into the face of a demon, his eyes drawing in all available light to glow. Her heart wasn’t racing with fear, but arousal. He spun her around and pressed her back against his hard, hot chest, one hand roaming over her arms in a possessive caress. She wet her lips in an attempt to loosen her tongue and fight the building moan. “You can’t take what I haven’t offered.” His head rested on the top of her head, his breath winded from his run. “True, and if I take you, I’ll be no better than the hag.” She froze when his hand slid from her shoulder to the base of her neck. The number of times he could have hurt her in the last couple of days too many to count. Her breath caught with the anticipation of him fondling her breasts. His hand settled against her racing heart, his palm pressed against her nipple. “You’re using me to get to my family.” His mouth pressed against her temple. “Perhaps, and if you should succumb to the passion we could give each other, you’d hate me.” 166

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Her breath caught but not because of his words. His fingers rubbed against the chain beneath her blouse. The friction of his touch created warmth in the chain travelling up and around her neck. She had to distract him and not by getting her naked. “Don’t you think it’s possible I’d hate you if you’re in any way responsible for my father’s disappearance?” She waited for another arrogant remark to spill from his full lips. She’d received enough of them to fill books, all in an attempt to impress her because she was an O’Rourke. His fingers caressed the back of her neck, causing the delicate hairs there to plead for more. His thumb brushed the length of her spine until he reached the hem of her shirt, dipped under to caress the small of her back. “What if your father chose his position? “Never.” “Do not be so fast to assume.” He pulled and tossed her shirt aside before he spun her around. Brit gasped in surprise. She crossed her arms over her chest in a feeble attempt to cover herself. He caught her arms and drew them out to the side. His gaze narrowed on her chest. She didn’t have to strain her head to see what caught his attention. Her sports bra didn’t frame her breast for seduction. He drew her arms behind her back, clasping them in one large hand. She opened her mouth to speak only to have him place his finger against her lips. With said finger, he drew a line down her chin, brushed his finger against her sensitive neck. She swallowed. He paused only to trace down her breastbone until his fingers could loop around the chain and pull the talisman free. Brit waited for the painful tug of the chain against her neck when he ripped the necklace free. What had she been 167

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thinking? She wasn’t, she didn’t want to free only her father, but the men Shelby enslaved and him no matter what his role. Would he mock her? She deserved nothing else. He didn’t release her, instead he leaned his forehead against hers. She lifted her gaze. He stared down at her with a puzzled expression. “You’ve complicated my life since the first time I laid eyes on you.” Not the comment she expected. How could she complicate someone’s life in two days? She frowned with her confusion, predicting what would happen next wasn’t her strong suit. “What do you want from me?” He leaned away from her to rub his thumb over the center of the brooch, tilting the piece of jewelry until the moonlight captured and reflected in the stones. “More than you know, less than I can say. She’ll not be satisfied with the brooch.” “Why? My brothers said once she possessed the thing, she wouldn’t need them.” “Only half true,” he slipped the brooch back in the cleavage between her breasts. His fingers traced the edge of the sport bra to her shoulder. He released his hold on one of her wrist while he retained his grip on the other. He slid his hand down her freed hand, capturing her fingers. “Yes, the Goddess brooch commands an untapped power source, needing three to balance the magic.” Brit couldn’t stop her eyes from rolling. She’d return the piece to the gallery safe and no one would be the wiser. “Makes sense, my family believes in the power of the keystone.” “Good. You will stay with me until your family banishes the hag to the nine hells.” “Why do I need to stay with you? The wards in my parent’s home have kept her out thus far.” “Three reasons, the first because your brothers are 168

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occupied in claiming their keystone. The second, your father is unavailable and third you’ll discover in time.” “Why? Arrogant men rule and—” His hand caught her chin and tilted her head. Her protest died when his mouth covered hers. His hot tongue stroked the seam of her lips. She refused to open. His teeth sank into her lower lip. She gasped. His tongue thrust forward, explored her mouth with a wonderment of first discovery. His head tilted and melded their lips together as he released one hand to encircle her back, supporting her. She lost track of everything expect the depth of his kiss and the way her toes curled in her boots. Everything else she refused to think about, no future existed for them. He broke the kiss, his open mouth brushing over her jaw and to her neck. His teeth gazed the sensitive spot below her ear. “No marks.” He drew away from her, shifting his hold from her fingers to her wrist. “Think again, Britana.” His arm left her back to draw upon her arm. Symbols glowed in the light of the moon. The brooch pulsed against her skin. Her body responded. Her shirt magically reappeared and proved his disinterest in anything else. She opened her mouth to protest when his finger again pressed against her lips. Next time he silenced her, she’d bite him. His body stiffened. Tortured screams carried on the wind. The meadow vanished. Dizziness swamped her. Arms tightened around Brit, bathing her in security, tenderness. She blinked again to clear her unfocused vision. Instead of the openness of the meadow, they’d returned to his stall in a matter of a heartbeat. Had she dreamed the whole thing? No. The horses groaned and slumped against the wall, their coats duller than before. A sense of urgency filled her. What’s 169

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happening? Your brothers and their keystone have confronted the hag. She’ll return soon, frustrated. She didn’t miss the note of humor and disgust in his thoughts. No. No. I haven’t found my father and if you won’t let me use the brooch, what will happen? Help me. I cannot. Nor can you face her alone. I know I’m magically barren, I’ve accepted the fact. The devil’s mount brayed with laughter. His head turned to nuzzle her neck before he nipped and tugged at the strands of her hair. My sweet one, you will learn soon enough the power you hold. If you speak of your barrenness again, you will feel my hand on your ass. Brit frowned. She didn’t disbelieve him. More of a visual person, actions spoke louder than words, except for the spanking part. You have power, why can’t you cloak me? Keep me close until I can figure out a way to help my family. The shuffling of hay revealed the growing silence in the barn. Would one of the horses betray her? Could they? Open the chest at your feet. Hurry, she’ll be here once she finishes taunting your family. She dropped to her knees, searched and found the latch on the box. Lifting the unadorned lid couldn’t have prepared her for what lay inside. Treasure, jewels, solid gold coins and daggers similar to those Duncan rescued from the depth of the sea. What am I looking for? You’ll have to decide for yourself, once found, wear the item close to your heart. With trembling hands, she pushed the gold coins away. Man’s money meant little in the realm magic and spell casting. Her fingers tingled when they brushed over something deep within the confines of the chest. She pulled the studded leather ties free and before she could make another choice, the chest snapped closed with a loud click. 170

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The barn door slammed open. She donned the piece, jerked when the two pieces slithered around her neck to bind. Fingers caressed the nape of her neck and warm lips pressed to the sensitive spot beneath her ear. Now, none can undo what you have given freely.

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Chapter Fourteen

O

’Rourke & Flynn’s gallery

Kayla held her arms out to the side, sticky and covered with enough fruit and veggie juice to fulfill her daily requirement for a year. Adding exhaustion, embarrassment and horny to the list summed up her night. She remembered plastering herself first against Ian and then she dry-humped Duncan’s hip. She avoided making eye contact. If not for them giving her a jolt of magic, they would have all fallen into Shelby’s clutches. The weakest link, yet they’d said nothing to the effect, even when they jolted her out of a sexual stupor to help them. “We need to debrief and figure out how brainless produce almost defeated us.” Duncan groaned. Kayla couldn’t agree more and vowed not to let someone take control of her body again. She attempted to turn her head. Her hair stuck in lanky links to her back. “Any discussions can wait until after I have a hot shower and no longer smell of fruit salad.” “She has a valid point, Ian. Third floor bedroom is yours to use.” She didn’t wait to see if Ian agreed. With a curt nod, she trudged toward the stairs, her boots squished with fruit. Another wave of suppressed lust rolled through her. Kayla 172

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bit her lower lip to keep from gasping. She’d take the edge off in the shower, they’d never know—she would and feared this time the action would amp up her desire for them. A piece of fruit slid down her calf and inside her boot. She’d probably never be able to wear them again. She didn’t remember climbing the steps or the fact the brothers followed and continued to pass her down the hall. Would she have been able to refuse them if they asked to join her? Maybe the master shower couldn’t hold more than one. Somehow, she doubted that. They’d given her space to work through what happened. She’d thank them later when their every caress didn’t turn her into a slut. She glanced at the bed large enough to sleep three or four in comfort. Longing spread through her while images rushed forward of them tangled together. Until she took a step forward and her legs stuck together. Yuck. She wasn’t about to foul the bed she wanted to sleep in for however long they could before Shelby attacked again. The hag would attack. Her desperation increased with her dwindling chances for opening the portal and releasing hell on Earth. The questions remained. Would they be ready? What would they have to do to stop her? Kayla avoided the mirror like the plague. She refused to validate the sticky, sweet ripeness of the rotting fruit plastered to her clothing and skin by peering in the mirror. Unable to tear her gaze away from the three-person, glassenclosed shower, she might have noticed the three sinks or the oversized tub tucked beneath the skylight. She wanted one thing from the room right now, the hot spray of water scrubbing her body clean. Well, not the only thing, but having Duncan and Ian was out of the question. The water turned on at her approach. She smiled and peeled her clothes off, tossing them into the corner of the shower. No telling what remained to stink up the room. 173

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Something she intended to avoid. She didn’t wait, but stepped under the spray before the first coils of steam curled upward. Tilting her head back, she let the sting of water beat at her face. A sigh escaped her lips, followed by a chill. She spun around to find two freshly showered brothers joining her. Her heart skipped and dove into overtime at the sight of their still damp, naked bodies. Water droplets collected on the ridges of their muscles and down into the thatch of hair encircling their cocks. Lucky water. “Yes.” They hadn’t asked to join her, they didn’t need to, Kayla needed them. Her breast swelled, her nipples hardened to tight points in eagerness. The three of them filled the shower and left enough room for maneuvering. When they didn’t move, two perfectly sculptured statues with their gazes not locked on her body but her face, her binds around her heart dissolved. She wet her lips and smiled with their groan. Would they close the distance if she extended her hands, she didn’t yet. Her gaze returned to their thick, purple erections, both lifted and pointed toward her, neither one of them touched themselves. They waited. Her heart and clit beat in tune with the thrumming water. She’d dreamed of this moment for so long, she feared she’d never get another chance to make the fantasy into reality. One-step back centered her under the water spray. She titled her head back and through half-lowered eyelids, raised her hands to cup her tender breasts. Lust sparked hot within her. Through spread fingers, she tweaked her aching nipples and notched up her arousal. Rivulets of hot water flushed her skin as she gave her nipples the attention they craved, rubbing and plucking at the taunt buds. Moaning when the ache of her pussy demanded attention. She knew her fingers would never give her the satisfaction she craved, only they could sate her. She wanted Ian and Duncan 174

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mindless with lust like she’d been tonight. Ian and Duncan panted, their gazes burned hot with lust and more. The more she wouldn’t think about now. Their cocks bobbed and pre-cum bubbled from the slit. She licked her lips in thirsty anticipation of taking them into her mouth and sucking them dry, later. She wanted to ensure they held nothing back. Leaving one hand to caress and tease her breast, she slid the other down her slick stomach to her bare pussy. Spreading her legs, she moaned when the hot water ran over her tender flesh. “I’ve dreamed of having you see me touch myself like this—” “Goddess, Kayla you’re killing us—” Sexual power rippled through her equal to the sensation of her flaring talent. How would she give it—them up? Did she want to? Wrong time and place to consider a lifechanging decision when the two hottest men in her life waited for her next move. She released a breathy moan. Their fisted hands remained against their muscular thighs. From beneath her lowered lashes, she witnessed their cocks twitching and throbbing with thickening blood. She released the breast she’d been palming and slid her hand down her torso to join the other. Widening her stance, she tilted her hips forward and drew her nether lips apart for their viewing. A purely feminine thrill zipped through her when they groaned and the muscles in their arms twitched. She brushed her fingers across her clit, jerked with the sharp stab of hunger. Unable or unwilling to stop, Kayla slipped her fingers lower to caress her soaked folds. “Kayla.” Ian’s strangled voice paused her finger at the entrance of her pussy, ready to plunge into her. “Yes, Ian?” Surprised by her steadiness, she traced the opening, slipping the digit into her molten center. Her juices coated 175

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her fingers and the tension in their taunt faces kicked her desire higher, balanced her on the fine edge of coming. “Let us, please.” Would she make them beg, or would she give them what they all wanted right now? Her inner muscles gripped at her slim finger, clenching in hunger for something thicker, longer and hotter, a second finger joined the other. She closed her eyes with the sensation, moaned and tapped her clit. Her body tightened, rising faster than she wanted or expected as she teased her clit, again. She exploded with a lusty cry. Her knees snagged. She would have sank to the shower floor until the cold water turned her blue and snapped her out of her stupor. Duncan caught her. He drew her fingers from her creaming pussy, lifted them to his mouth and sucked them clean. An invisible string from her fingers to her pussy pulsed with each long suck, causing her arousal to spike again. Her body trembled with the vision. She wanted him— them, buried deep within her. The water ceased. The door to the shower opened. Ian stepped to the side, his hand sliding along the length of her leg. His calloused fingers on her calf tightened her nipples to hard buds. Duncan crossed the room. “Grab the lube.” Her body shuddered with dark need. “Trust us.” She did. “I do.” “Finally,” Duncan laid her in the center of the bed. “We’ll make sure you’re ready for both of us, Kayla.” Not ready, she caught his hand after he feathered her hair across the pillow and drew those talented fingers down to her core. Her hips arched under the calloused digits sending coils of tightening desire rippling through her. She wanted 176

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them now. The bed dipped on her right. She turned her head to see Ian. Goddess, what a pair of gorgeous men, their eyes dilated with desire. Their mouths closed the distance between them. Duncan’s kiss hard and fast, tongues thrust and vied for the position in the other’s mouth. She lost herself in the kiss, the flow of passion. Her right breast sizzled under Ian’s mouth and talented tongue. She arched her hips, her core, her clit needy for attention. It didn’t matter she’d just come, her fingers no longer counted. Kayla shivered when another hand caressed her stomach. Her hips lifted and rocked to draw him south and ease the ache at the apex of her thighs. Duncan broke the kiss, planting smaller kisses and nips from her jaw down her neck to a sensitive spot below her ear, causing her to gasp and whimper. Another quiver of sensations swirled around in her womb, her cream coated her pussy. Ian tilted her head toward him, claimed her mouth, plundered with his tongue to stroke and drew her tongue into his. Duncan claimed the neglected breast. He didn’t pull the nipple into his mouth, instead, he nipped the flesh around the tight bud, teasing her into insanity. Kayla arched her back, wanting him to suckle, only to have fingers replace his mouth to roll and pinch her hardened nipple. Heat boiled through her, consuming her like a piece of paper caught in an updraft and singed on the edges. What would happen when they finally came together? She broke the kiss with Ian, catching his hair within her trembling fingers to push him between her restless legs. Ian resisted, his gaze glowed, smoldered with desire and magic. A year ago the sight would have scared her shitless, tonight the heat empowered and she intended to make him—them to lose control. “Do you want something?” Damn him, his control when I have none. “Suck me, or fuck 177

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me—do something.” She expected a wicked smile of satisfaction, instead his gaze swept over her. His hand trembled with the buildup of magic and passion. She sizzled when he stroked the top of her thighs and dipped in to caress the folds of her sex. Teasing and kicking up her desire a couple of notches, she wiggled her hips, trying to get him where she wanted, no, needed him the worst. She couldn’t stop the whimper of need. Ian used his shoulders to open her legs wider. Kayla parted her thighs to reveal her cream-slickened folds. Duncan drew back, settled his hand on her stomach and enabled her to watch Ian. Her nerves twitched when she watched him part her folds. His gaze locked on her when he licked her. She moaned. **** “Beautiful, juicy—” Kayla pushed up to her elbows and met his gaze, her upper teeth bit into her plush lower lip. He forced himself not to hurry this, to ensure she enjoyed every moment of their time together, to discover how marvelous the loving could be between the three of them. He puffed air across her clit and spilled more of her sweet nectar to quench his thirst. He blew across her heated skin, loving the undulation of her body. “You’ll not hold your screams back, Kayla. Do you hear me?” Her head bobbed. Another moan escaped her parted lips, no longer held in place by her teeth. He fought the urge to rise and kiss her. Instead, he teased the edges of her sex with tiny flicks of his tongue gathering her sweetness. The urge to plunder and feast on her sweet apple flavor burned through 178

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him. No outside forces would rush loving Kayla the way she deserved—maybe if his control deserted him. Ian drew his gaze back to catch his brother’s movements. Duncan fondled her breast in one hand, while stroking his rigid cock in the other. Her gasps, moans and sighs caused the blood to surge from his head to his cock. When her small pink tongue swiped at her lower lip, Ian groaned with the desire to see her lips wrapped around his cock overwhelming him and something he’d imagined since the night Shelby attacked his brother on the beach. “Suck Duncan.” “But I want to watch you.” “Later.” His tongue and fingers worked their wickedness on her. Duncan’s weight shifted on the bed. A new desire replaced the old when his brother kneeled beside her head. Duncan’s cock long and thick, the purple head oozed with his pre-cum. Ian watched Kayla lick her lips, aroused by the idea of them connected this way. She swiped at the wide head the way she’d eat an ice cream cone. One stroke from the left, one from the right, then a lip sucked from the top. Ian mimicked her strokes, a long stroke of her tongue on his brother earned her the same. When she sucked the tip of Duncan’s cock, he did the same to her clit. His groans of pleasure vibrated through them and caused his own cock to throb with need. Together they kept their gazes. Ian witnessed the tightness of his corded muscles when he threw his neck back in pleasure. Her tongue swiped the underside of the mushroom head of Duncan’s cock and stilled. A hard shudder forced Duncan to grasp the headboard for support. She licked again and gasped when Ian followed her lead. Parting her lips enough to take only the tip of the head into her mouth, she teased the slit with the tip of her tongue. A groan shuddered through her when Ian slid his finger 179

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in her soaked channel. He locked his knees to keep from slamming himself into her. Ian watched as Kayla devoured his brother for a second time, the first time didn’t count. He added a second finger, matched Kayla’s rhythm, two fast and one slow, her lips a beautiful shade of crimson. Duncan’s hand rested on her head, holding her gently to him. She drew back. Ian stilled the pump of his finger, her inner muscles pulsed with a silent urgent demand. He heard her because his body pulsed with the same desire. Duncan slid from her mouth, the disappointment on his face and the hardness of his cock revealed the depth of the bond they shared. “Yes, anything just do me—” **** “Bossy.” Duncan grasped his cock in hand and used the blunt head to trace the fullness of her parted swollen lips. He resisted the urge to plunge back into the depth of her throat. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. Her tongue whipped out and slashed against the head of his cock. The sensation tensed his thighs and curled his toes. “So good.” He stuttered the words out when she leaned forward and sucked him deeper. The warmth of her mouth threatened his control. His balls drew up tight and hard. He caressed her head before slipping his hand down to the nape of her neck to support her. The lash of her tongue to the sensitive underside ripped a groan from his lips. “Do that again.” The drag of her teeth on the underside of his cock shot sparks of fire to his balls. The silky rasp of her tongue caused his eyes to roll. Bliss. “By the Goddess—her mouth is dangerous.” One day he’d watch Kayla suck Ian’s cock while he 180

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buried himself deep in her pussy. He watched her with a glazed expression when she lifted a hand to stroke through Ian’s dark hair before she pushed his head down between her legs hardened Duncan further. “Yes, I’ll feast on your honeyed pussy.” “No, my turn—” Duncan grunted and rolled his brother to the side. He settled between Kayla’s spread legs. Her bare pussy glistened with her cream. A shudder sent a fresh wave of glistening cream his way. He stiffened his tongue, lapping at her juices, and avoided her clit for the sheer pleasure of drinking her dry. Duncan folded his tongue and slipped inside of her channel, her hips lifting with the offering. He accepted. He slipped one finger and then another inside of her, widening her for when he slid home. Fine tremors shook Kayla’s body, not those of an impending release, but a rise to the heavens. Duncan clamped his arms over her hips, determined to hold her steady. He feasted on her cream, she tasted of vanilla. The sounds Duncan heard while she devoured Ian’s cock caused his own to throb and leak against the damp sheets. Kayla wilted to lay flat on her back, unwilling to leave the haven of her mouth, Ian followed with a loud groan. The first ripples of her climax built. Duncan intended this to be first of many and bit down on her clit. She screamed around his brother’s cock, ripe and bright pushing Ian over the edge, his hips pumping faster into Kayla’s mouth until he grunted with his own release. Duncan held her down and watched her throat convulse and swallow his brother’s cum spilling down her throat, sucking him dry. Ian withdrew from her mouth, his hand trembling when he caressed Kayla’s cheek. The air, the magic around them throbbed with every thud 181

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of their hearts. A sliver of jealousy shot through him. He wanted those cries to belong to him and Ian alone, not to the gallery, not to the wards protecting them all. He pushed the negative thoughts away, intending to show her why she shouldn’t leave him and Ian ever again. He gave the insides of her quivering thighs a kiss before rising on his knees. The bedside table drawer slid open, the rustle of foil packets loud in the room. One landed on the bed beside him. Duncan didn’t waste time and slid the sheath on, longing for the day they wouldn’t need them. He sheathed himself and stretched out over Kayla’s body. The tips of her rising and falling breast brushed against his chest. He curled his body and captured the nipple in his mouth, suckling her. Her hips tilted and he drew back to keep from sliding into her. Magic prickled his skin to urge him on. He refused to listen to the rush of blood to his cock. Duncan wanted nothing more than to ram balls deep within her and never come out again. He broke the suction on her breast with a pop, smiling when her nails dug into his shoulders. Duncan gazed down at Kayla. Flushed face, her skin glowed with her fast climb back to arousal and her magic. “Beautiful.” Her lidded eyes fluttered open, the glow of her blue flame made her desire punch him hard. Duncan asked and didn’t know how he’d stop if she said no, knew he’d try if even if doing so killed him, “Do you want this?” “Yes, fuck me.” Her legs wrapped around his hips, her heels pressed into his ass, pushing him forward. He resisted, prolonging the pleasure. Next time, he vowed and pressed into her silken folds. He groaned when her slick inner muscles sucked him deep, he’d gone to heaven. “Tight, by the Goddess, I’m never going to leave.” 182

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Kayla arched her hips to meet his cock sinking into her. The tightness of her channel gripped him, milked him and demanded everything. They’d be complete once Ian slid into her. Her channel clutched around Duncan, held him in a hot, silky vice-like grip, his head nestled against her neck. He panted for control, the next question as hard as the one he’d asked moments ago, “One at a time?” Her inner muscles clenched around him, then released. His balls drew up tight against his body, urged him to move. The desire remained. Kayla’s gaze clouded with her confusion. Duncan couldn’t stop the slow retreat of his cock from her sheath and thought, hell, hoped it would help him hold onto his control. Her gaze widened. Duncan slide deep and a groan erupted deep from within him. He couldn’t do that again and expect himself to stop and wait for her answer. He held Kayla’s gaze, aware of his brother’s held breath. So damn good. Her fingers clutched his shoulders, her blunt nails dug into the muscles of his shoulders, her head kicked back to arch her body. “Harder, faster, Duncan.” “Goddess yes.” **** Duncan pounded into her. She lost the ability to think in the maelstrom of their desire. Emotions and magic swirled within her, building, teasing and yet something was missing. She shook and shattered. Suddenly she screamed Duncan’s name and pushed him over the edge. Her inner muscles milked him for everything he possessed. He slid from her body and Kayla mourned the loss. Considered protesting the loss of cuddle time before she’d even regained her breath. Ian’s hands turned her over, barely gave her a chance to turn her face away from the 183

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sheets. The words she summoned emerged in a slow groan. “Hands and knees, Kayla, now.” Her mouth fell open when she saw his cock sheathed and ready. Her pussy clenched with anticipation. Duncan left his side of the bed. Her attention remained with Ian and the hand wrapped around his cock and aimed for her. His other hand caressing her back, he used his knees to widen her stance, before pressing forward, sliding his cock into her pussy. A hissed moaned escaped her throat when he pushed through her quivering muscles. Kayla panted, her womb shuddered and rushed her head long into another orgasm. They’d ruined her for other men. “Goddess so hot, I’m not going to last.” Good. She dropped her head to the pillow, pushing her hips higher. Ian groaned, driving and retreating into her body. She whimpered every time he slid the head of his cock along her g-spot only to retreat and strike the spot again. His hand slipped around to finger her clit. She screamed his name and shattered. Ian roared his release. He slid from her body and her legs melted. She kept her eyes closed against the swirling colors sparking against her eyelids. She could see the vortex of their magic. Her synapses sparking, her lungs billowing when she sucked in the sex-sweetened air, sleep stole over her. She left her body, talent and soul into their capable hands. A warm cloth brushed the inside of her thighs. She jerked and moaned when the soft cotton caressed her folds. A finger ringed her back passage. She gasped when a second hand settled on her back, holding her in place. Ian leaned closer, pelting her shoulder with kisses. She should demand sleep and yet her body hummed with pleasure. Something cold and slimy touched sensitive skin, she shivered. “What—” 184

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With his tongue, Ian traced the pink shell of her ear and then bit the lobe. “Shh, Duncan’s only preparing you.” The sting of his bite caused her pussy to clench with eagerness. An eagerness she shouldn’t have wanted and knew she should protest, but didn’t because she wanted them both together. Her muscles contracted around the tip of Duncan’s finger. He returned to rimming the tight muscles, pressed and retreated. She tensed, her only experience with anal sex occurred with them upon an altar. Her fingers clutched at the sheet and pressed into the mattress. Duncan settled his finger at the opening of her ass. “Relax.” Their voices meddled. Her nipples hardened in response. Her pussy clenched, notching up her arousal with painful need, lethal when they used the dual voice. His finger pressed forward and the burn faded, replaced with delicious pleasure. “Tight, Goddess, I can wait until my cock is squeezed by her ass.” She shivered, sucking his finger deeper, dark pleasure crawled through her. Would the emptiness leave her once Duncan pounded her ass while Ian filled her pussy? Duncan slipped a second finger in, pumping and pushing more of the gel into her dark hole, stretching her at the same time. Four fingers would barely open her to his girth—add Ian and her eyes rolled. “Kayla, this time we want you, together.” Ian’s words and Duncan’s fingers, all three of them spiked her hunger for the forbidden pleasure. She shouldn’t want this again, not so soon, but she did. She’d worry about the consequences tomorrow—if she survived. Her body screamed yes. Her mind whispered in agreement. Her talent flared, creaming her pussy and making the sheets brush painfully against her nipples, 185

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pebbling them to painful peaks. She withered on the bed in a vain attempt to ease the ache. Duncan’s fingers slipped from her, leaving behind a burning hunger. **** Ian exchanged glances with his brother, neither one of them possessed the ability to hold out forever. Their magic could only sustain their arousal for so long and then they would become ordinary men who’d collapsed into a sated heap, but not yet. He rolled to his back. “Straddle me, Kayla.” Ian wanted to help Kayla straddle him, but rules and restrictions forbid his efforts. She had to want this joining. The bed shifted to the side. They both held their breath, if she refused, they’d respect her request and content themselves with holding her. She levered herself up and brushed her hand down his sweat-slickened chest. His cock throbbed. She swung a leg over him, settling her pussy against the length of his cock. Ian stroked his throbbing cock. Her hands settled on his chest for balance, her bright blue eyes mirrored the desire in her soul. He flicked his cock against her drenched folds, letting her molten juices coat him. He clenched his jaw, uncertain of how long he could hold on before he spilled himself and his magic into her. The siren call of their talents meddled and grew stronger. Ian kept the secret buried in his heart. The magic shimmering around them whispered of her growing readiness for what they offered, of the power of their joining. His gaze remained on her face and the flush to her cheeks returned. When she opened her eyes, the glazed desire caused his breath to hitch. Enchanting. The blue flame of her talent glowed hot within her pupils, her magic bubbled 186

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closer to the surface than he realized. His heart skipped with the revelation, she belonged to them. “Lift up a little higher,” Duncan commanded. Ian’s gaze flickered to and between their two bodies, Kayla’s did, too. The silken curtain of her blonde hair brushed against his body, a new, delicious torture. Kayla moaned. The sound vibrated against his length, begging Ian to thrust into her. He clenched his jaw. “Soon, baby, let Duncan in and then we’ll ease the burn.” Her passion-filled gaze settled on him. Her lips parted. He could read the hesitation in her tense body. They’d stop before they ever hurt her. Ian watched over Kayla’s shoulder as Duncan settled between his legs. Ian slipped his hand between his and Kayla’s body to palm her breast and to grant Duncan access to caress her back and hips. Ian kneaded her breast. In his mind’s eye, he witnessed Duncan stroke her hips. His hands slid down the cheeks of her ass, squeezed them and then gently pulled them apart. With their shared vision, they stared at the tight puckered rose of her ass. “I’ve dreamed of claiming you like this since the first moment I touched you.” Her body shivered and tightened around Ian’s cock. Ian groaned, forcing his concentration to hold. Duncan pressed forward again to check his theory of their joining, mind blowing and soul shattering. Ian groaned and cursed his brother, warning him that he couldn’t hold out forever. Ian’s hips rose to impale his cock within her and send them all to completion. That’s how badly he wanted her, needed her. Duncan pressed the blunt tip of his cock to the tight muscles of her ass. Ian panted with the vision of Duncan sliding his cock into Kayla’s ass. Her nails dug into his shoulders. Ian didn’t care. Sweat dampened Duncan’s brow, his mouth tight with restraint. They wanted her to crave this joining, to 187

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want this unity with the intensity of desiring each of them alone. “Relax, we’ll go slowly.” His gaze met Duncan’s and they exchanged a nod. They couldn’t risk frightening her away again, nor would they be able to stop the binding of their magic to hers. They accepted the truth long ago. She was the only one for them and tonight they would continue what they started at the ritual. By the power of the Goddess, they prayed Kayla forgave them. “Hold her open for me.” A shudder worked through her body, Duncan pressed forward. Ian slipped between slickened pussy lips. Together, they sank into her heat. Kayla hissed. “Good or bad?” “More.” Her moan demanded he give her more as she shimmed upon Ian’s cock, testing his control before he buried himself balls deep. “Swallow us both.” “Oh Goddess—” she did his bidding, pressing both back and down. Duncan steadied her until she could adjust to the sensation of them both filling her, stretching her. Duncan’s cock throbbed, Kayla’s inner muscle quivered and stroked against Ian’s cock. The sensation almost had him coming too soon. He never wanted to leave. “Oh, so good—” Duncan withdrew from her body until only the head of his cock remained inside of her. He met his brother’s gaze with a nod, pressed in and lifted her to glide the length of Ian’s cock. Ian hands covered her breasts, kneading them. Soon he’d slipped his hand between their bodies to press against her clit, but not yet. “Only going to get better—” “You’re beautiful,” Ian said. 188

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Kayla dropped her head back against Duncan’s shoulder, draping one arm around his neck, the other she used to steady herself against Ian. Duncan suckled at her shoulder, keeping the pace slow. Ian’s body demanded he go faster. They resisted the temptation. Neither one of them wanted her to have any regrets about their lovemaking. Ian sat up, digging them deeper into her body. He watched her face for any signs of pain. The flush of her body, her swollen lips a temptation he couldn’t deny. He sealed his lips over hers in a slow, sensual kiss, locking his hips to keep them from matching his brother’s shallow thrust into Kayla’s ass, or the movements of his own tongue. His magic like his seed built within him. They’d waited for this for so long, the three of them together. Her moans into his mouth sent vibrations to his twitching cock, causing him to brush against the thin skin separating him from his brother. For every two shallow thrusts Duncan obeyed the moans and groans and the way her body rocked against his demanding more. “Not going to last much longer.” Ian broke the kiss. Duncan dragged the arm from around her neck while he captured the one on his shoulder. Their hips worked in tandem, the short thrusts kept the three of them on the very edge of desire. Entwining her hands with theirs, Ian and Duncan stopped, their bodies primed on the edge of a climax, one destined to change their lives forever. Kayla’s glazed eyes opened and burned with her talent, her lips moist, plump and bruised from their kisses, “Please.” Ian, as the oldest spoke in the old language, the air shuddered with the force of the magic, which flowed and filled them. The roar of the magic filled the space around them when Duncan spoke the next stanza. 189

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Kayla’s tongue darted out to moisten her lips. The mirror reflected the glow of her eyes when she flicked her gaze to them. They met and matched the glow of her eyes within the mirror. She shuddered hard. Kayla clutched her inner muscles around their cocks, imprisoning them. Her inner muscles clamped down on them hard, stilling their thrust. Pain and pleasure spasm through her, her eyes remained locked on theirs in the mirror. “Thrice the power, thrice the responsibility, thrice the gift—I pledge my body, my soul and talent to the title of keystone.” **** They retreated and drove into her. Her inner muscles quaked and tightened around them. She screamed. Her body detonated. They surged and spilled their magic into her, entwining their lives to hers forever. She melted in their arms, sated in both body and magic. They carefully withdrew from her body and settled her on the bed. Duncan headed for the bathroom and returned after a few minutes to clean her. She winced, her body raw from their loving. They settled in silently beside her. Duncan drew the blonde strands of her hair from her face and kissed her shoulder. Ian leaned forward and brushed his lips across her forehead. “Damn selfish of us,” Ian said, drawing her thigh over his hip. “Are you having second thoughts?” Duncan raked his hand through his hair. “This wasn’t for the portals, but for us.” “Hell no, I love her. I want her with me forever,” he glanced down to lock with her gaze. She closed her eyes to block out the depth of emotion 190

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within Ian’s gaze, knowing without looking that Duncan’s gaze would mirror the same. She wasn’t ready to deal with the after mass. “We’re screwed, aren’t we?” Kayla didn’t confirm or deny, instead she let her exhaustion lull her to sleep.

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Chapter Fifteen Wee hours of Halloween morning Hot rage coursed through her. The band, she’d failed to sense the magic surrounding them. They’d offered aid to the O’Rourkes to defeat her plans for weakening the brothers until they begged her for mercy. Even now, her plants weakened and withered under their power. Curse the girl with them, Kayla, her skin should have burned with arousal until she burned herself up trying to control it. Smother the fire by taking away the source, no fuel no fire. She stalked through the stable, ignoring the snicker of laughter from Lord O’Rourke. She hated and dismissed him by not favoring him with a look. If only her magic increased instead of dwindled, she’d turn him into a mule rather than the brown and gray stallion determined to torment her. She halted before the pedestal holding the vase of roses. Two of the twelve clung to a few remaining pedals, those she plucked and tossed to the side. Done with them, the roses vanished. Weakness she could no longer afford to cling to no matter the skill of their tongues. The untouched black rose of her minion, a strange gift from the demon she fought to release, glowed. Black, but shiny with something else, something she couldn’t identify. She sneered, if he’d bent to her hunger, she wouldn’t need 192

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the O’Rourke brats to open the doorway. He denied her advances with an expression of pity. He’d pay once she told his master what he’d done, how he’d delayed his release. “Mule.” The gate to her right opened with an annoying squeak, causing the hair on her arm to rise. An icy shiver slid down her back with the precision of talons flaying prey. The clip of his flinted hooves set her teeth on edge. She feared him in all his forms for she doubted he wouldn’t kill her if given the chance. He’d suffer the same pain because of her link to their master. Neither of them wanted to risk his wrath when he recovered. But it didn’t mean she wouldn’t use the threat against him. “This form does not please me, change.” “What form does?” “You try my patience, Mule.” “My gift.” She didn’t doubt his statement, he pissed her off. Why the master kept him remained a mystery?. “Change to a man, our time grows—short.” Heat flashed against her back, reminding her Mule wasn’t powerless like she wished, because then she wouldn’t ache to feast upon him. Once the three of them joined, she’d never have to settle for mortal lovers again. “Did you remember to clothe yourself this time?” “Two more have fallen—” Her fingers curled into the black silk cloth on the edge of the pedestal, the gentle whish of his hair telling her Mule scanned the room. If he dared to goad her, she’d smack the twisted sneer from his face. “The door weakens so they matter not.” “If you so believe.” “You’ve dared to second guess me one too many times.” Her head snapped in his direction, her body followed until she stood before him. She curbed her urge to lash out at him, 193

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the master’s favorite until she could take his place. She leaned forward and sniffed the air around them, ignored the rush his scent gave her. Flicking her tongue out to taste the air, Shelby found hay, fresh water and late autumn flowers. “Something’s different. What are you hiding? Tell me.” “The matter’s not your concern.” She closed the distance between them, wishing he feared her. “Must I remind you—you serve me. The Master gave you to me.” “Did he? I remember things a bit different, shall we compare notes?” The arch of his dark eyebrow annoyed her. The magic around him shimmered with the allure of treasure impossible to reach through the guards. “One day—” “You waste precious time with your empty threats. Do you dare to promise him another year? He grows impatient with your promises.” A thick band closed around her heart, her plans interrupted, sabotaged, forted. Every choice she’d made met with opposition from the day she’d found she couldn’t befriend the O’Rourke’s whore to the woman being whisked away by one of her men. The simpleton of a daughter didn’t merit her consideration or a second glance—barren of magic, she refused to stoop to kidnapping. A year ago, this witch dared to mess with her plans, she wouldn’t have it. “Where are they?” He assumed parade rest, his arms behind his back, thrusting his magnificent chest out. “Who? The two men you discarded?” She waved her hand in dismissal, knowing he baited her, tested her strength at every turn to see who would dominate whom in the end. She was stronger. “Since when do you care, you idiot. I want the location of the O’Rourke brothers, Ian and Duncan if I must be specific.” 194

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His head tilted back, his lips moved with the call for information. She stalked the area around him, her gaze scanning the stable, lighting on each man chained within the stall, the magical illusion of them being stallions fading in her presence. She stopped in front of the demon’s mount. “Well?” He lowered his head, his eyes glowed and his stomach muscles rippled from a ghostly touch. Had he done her bidding or snitched on her to their master? “The glow of red and blue lights flashed through a dense fog, two men loaded on a gurney into the back of the ambulance.” She pumped the air and danced in spot. “Tell me the girl fell.” “Lying serves no purpose, the O’Rourke brats displayed impressive control,” his body flinched and his mouth twisted with a rueful smile. Shelby retreated. “Who? Not those sops I left behind?” “Yes. Their compassion for the weak renewed their magic, even I can find respect for helping a fallen man.” “Enough of your righteous drivel, Mule. When the brothers return to their, oh so precarious gallery, you will torch the building. While their magic spent in trying to save the place, we will enter their home and open the portal.” “Another doorway exists in the gallery proper.” “Who said that?” Shelby spun around, seeking the source the feminine voice in a barn dominated by men. “Why was I not told of this sooner? Search the stable, find her.” “I’m incapable of capturing air.” She scowled at him, hating him—she would see him suffer for his arrogance. Stripped and beaten by her hand, Shelby vowed. “Hear me well, slave mount,” she circled the table, wrapping her hand around the thick flourishing bloom, ready to crush the blossom in her palm. She couldn’t— 195

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something, or someone protected the fragile petals from her touch. A flicker of surprise flashed through his gaze before disappearing. “You will answer all my questions or find yourself scattered to the wind. Do we have an understanding, Mule?” His lips twisted into a sneer, his red eyes glowed. “Better than you know, hag. A portal does exist in the gallery, a doorway guarded on both sides by strong magic.” “You and the Master will defeat him since all portals weaken the three days of Hollow’s eve. Take us there now.” “Your wish—is my command.” “You mock me far too much, Mule,” she circled the table and wrapped her body around his left side. The lights dimmed in the barn, fear shone out of the men’s eyes. Lord O’Rourke glared at her with hate and disgust. She smiled. Even an indirect doorway would give her what she wanted. Power. Water dripped on her arm. She ignored the sensation and arched a brow at the stupid beast. Wondered why evil could never find decent help. “Go, you stubborn Mule.” **** Tucked between the brothers Kayla listened to the silence. Total silence existed in a vacuum. The bed she shared with Ian and Duncan offered an array of noises. The hum of the air conditioner kept the temperature of the warehouse and loft comfortable. Magic wove its way through the air, entwining the three of them with sighs of contentment. She’d never argue with the magic again. The idea of them together no longer frightened her. Nausea didn’t curl through her stomach and cause her to suffer dizziness. Fear of being drained to fuel their magic faded. Instead, she drained them both physically and magically, but not in any 196

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way to hurt them. She raised her hand and examined the flesh and flexibility. If asked, she wouldn’t have been able to say what she searched for, age spots or bulging veins. Instead, her skin displayed a healthy color and muscle tone. Guilt whispered through her for not trusting them to explain things. They’d entwined and bonded her magic to hers. She wondered how they’d feel when she told them her heart belonged to them. Her mouth opened. She swallowed hard, then feared she might have awakened them. When no one questioned her, she closed her mouth, searching her memory for the exact moment of when she fell heart and soul in love with them. Them. Her love wasn’t any stronger for one or the other. If forced to choose, she wouldn’t have been able to make the choice because she loved them both. In loving them, she’d protect them with every ounce of her heart, soul and magic. Hag, creature, or human who dared to threaten them, she knew they’d do the same, done the same. No longer separate, powerful mages but equals ready to share the risk. Prove your love and loyalty to them, to me—us. Who? More than one voice, like Ian and Duncan sometimes did a blending of many, but spoke by one. Ian and Duncan rolled away from her by invisible hands. She reached for them only to find them shielded against her touch. Ancient symbols, powerful magic cocooned them from head to toe. Her heart raced. Did the demon escape while they gave into to their emotions, their passion and their lust for one another? Wasn’t their union supposed to strengthen and seal the portal? Had they skipped a step? Would she even know if they did? Who are you? That who’s here, that who’s existed from centuries of spells and love holds the two worlds separate. The family’s guardian? 197

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The deep chuckle held hints of female laughter. A shiver of warmth created goose flesh over her skin. The cover slid from her body. She followed rather than risk the same treatment and landing on her ass. You speak in the singular when you should think of us in the plural. A family guardian represents home and family—a stopping place. If she wasn’t careful, she might annoy the other residents in the gallery. At the edge of the bed, she grabbed and tugged on one of the discarded shirts. The scent of both men saturated the fabric, offering her a reassuring hug and bolstering her nerves to face the guardians and the task they hinted at. You want something. Silence. A sizzle of a bug zapper inside alerted her better than an alarm when someone trespassed through the magical barrier. She glanced back at the brothers, ready to summon them. They remained locked and asleep in the magical cocoons. She won’t touch them, right? You’ll protect them while I finish Shelby for the last time. Silence. The cloying scent of hay and sex stifled the air. “Ian. Duncan.” Her voice a whisper and too low to draw them from their stupor, fear laced her heart. I’m not strong enough to defeat the hag. Do you truly believe evil can overcome love? This time the voice was soft and feminine but again, not solo. The voice reminded her of her grandmother when she asked if Kayla could use her magic and not demand something in return. Evil thoughts and deeds exacted a heavy toll. For everything came with a price, one had to decide if the desire was worth the cost. Today, she’d have to face evil and use her magic to defend the men she loved. She’d traveled full circle in her life and within her magic. She crossed the room without ever remembering to take a 198

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single step. Would they float her down to the first floor and into trouble without warning? She didn’t wait to find out. On bare feet, she descended to the second floor. The low glow of lights on select pieces of artwork created enough illumination to cast shadows. Either Shelby bulked up, or she wasn’t alone. Memories of the fiery mount forced Kayla’s gaze to the ceiling. How sensitive were the sprinklers if they attempted to burn the place down? She hoped they wouldn’t have to find out. Kayla descended the last flight of steps when she couldn’t see beyond the pillars. This forced her closer to the main floor the gallery. The magic shield surrounding the stairwell slide aside by an invisible arm parting the curtain, she kept her thoughts on the gesture silent since they proved they possessed the ability to read her mind. Poised on the last step, Kayla sent a mental thank you—never hurt to remember your manners when dealing with powerful forces. Her bare foot touched the cold concrete and she shivered and tugged on the hem of her burrowed shirt. She wished she knew the clothing spell they’d used earlier. Why hadn’t she thought to dress? In what? Her clothes lay in the bottom of the shower, avoided when the brothers joined her. She froze. The first time they’d examined the Goddess brooch, the magic within snatched their clothing. Duncan believed the safe would block the power of the brooch. She didn’t know enough about the piece. The notion of appearing naked in front of Shelby and her henchman didn’t appeal to her. Would you or someone here grant me a pair of pants, sweats whatever easiest? Nothing. Great, her ass would be hanging out for everyone to see. She pleaded if necessary to gain a stitch of clothing. Please, I’ll be able to defend the gallery and the men I love with my ass 199

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covered. A beautiful ass indeed impaled on the end of Duncan’s cock while Ian filled your pussy— The mental imagine of what they saw flashed through her head, flushing her body with arousal and embarrassment. She didn’t know how she could suffer from both, gazed up at the third floor, and wondered how they escaped the teasing. They aren’t. With your link, although new, the passion and love you have for them gives them a front row seat. Including the sounds you made, they’re hard enough to drill a portal into the nether world. Her inner muscles quivered, cream dampened her folds. Great, she conducted a two-way conversation in her head about her sex life with her men listening on the other end. Where’s the satisfaction of a hard on? Strength. Love. Okay, the second one she wouldn’t argue with, she loved both men. The first she wasn’t sure she understood. Different, she ached in places she hadn’t known existed. Would she repeat the experience? She’d been hoping too until the break in. Shelby Crewe’s interruption annoyed her on so many different levels she no longer found the humor in them. She’d loathed admitting to anyone, including herself. If not for Shelby’s obsession with the O’Rourkes, she probably would never have found herself back in their arms. Kayla released the anger building inside of her. This wasn’t the time to lash out, or to let the hag know how to rile her. The goose bumps disappeared. Thank you. Be warned, we can help you no further. Doesn’t seem fair, she threatened your home. She kept to the shadows and frowned when she saw the sleek male who trailed behind Shelby. Who the hell was he? What power did he offer Shelby? A shadowy form followed behind him, Kayla’s mouth fell open. Why would Brit help the enemy? 200

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Sensing her, Brit turned and raised a finger to her lips, stopping her from calling out to her in any way. Beneath the fabric of Brit’s blouse, Kayla witnessed the faint pulse of a pendant. Okay. Spirits who engaged in voyeurism, Brit consorted with the enemy and evil, could things get any worse? Probably. If they managed to open the portal, who knew what hovered on the other side and they tasked her with stopping them. Right. “Do you sense the portal, Mule, where?” Mule. The man wasn’t anything like any mule she’d ever seen. He wasn’t gorgeous like the men upstairs. He wasn’t ugly either. Roped muscles covered his six-foot frame and the black hair that brushed the top of his ass would have any woman green with envy. Magic floated around him with the effect of a cloak, encircling and shielding Brit from Shelby’s view. Why could she see Brit when Shelby couldn’t—unless Shelby dismissed her because of her lack of magic, foolish. Was the male protecting her, an ally, someone who’d help her defeat Shelby? Why ask when the rules forbid them from helping her. Her battle to prove her worth of the men upstairs, she refused to fail. Her questions and answers would have wait until later. “There, the brick support.” Shelby circled the support, her voice husky with a summoning chant. Her hand caressed the brick and a cold smile formed on her thin lips. When Shelby turned back to the brick wall, Kayla inched forward out of the shadows and behind some of the larger pieces of pedestals supporting the magical items. She didn’t touch anything. With her talent, she had no idea how the magical artifacts would react. Again, the lack of her knowledge annoyed her and she hoped her men would consider training and honing her talent to match theirs. 201

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Under the enemy’s joint magic, Kayla’s lips parted in stunned disbelief when the portal pulsed with energy and shimmered into view. Shelby cackled, a real movie witch’s cackle, while dancing in place. The door pulsed with magic, with wards Shelby would have to unravel unless her illnamed friend possessed the power to open the doorway. Goddess, she hoped not. Mule, remained stoic to Shelby’s display of victory. Did he have his own agenda? Everybody had an agenda. Shelby stopped her jig and rested her hand on her chest to slow the bounce of her breasts. Uh oh, something must have caught her eye. Shelby spun around, searching for something, her skirt and hair flaring out around her, creating a black top. “Where’s the Goddess brooch? Mule, you said—” “I said nothing.” Shelby stamped her foot. “A voice told me a portal existed here, a woman’s voice.” Brit bit her finger in an effort to remain silent. Mule arched a brow at Shelby’s display. “Yes, the voice said a portal existed here. She said nothing about the brooch.” “Why would the fates desert me when I am within hours of my goal?” The muscle in Mule’s arm twitched. Partnership trouble? “Dawn approaches. The wards await your touch.” She’d have to stop them before they unraveled any of the wards. Rebuilding something on this scale required some serious talent and knowledge. Out of her league, whispered through her mind. She pushed the doubts away and forced herself to believe in the magic in the warehouse. Ian and Duncan’s magic and her own for once. Better late than never, she cast a protection spell around her, the same one she’d used before she entered a fire, or a burned out structure. 202

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This time she sensed the difference in her talent. Strength. Her cold fire mixed with the talents of the ocean and those of the earth. Duncan and Ian’s magic flowed through her, bolstering her in their love. The air sizzled around her and if the others noticed, they didn’t react. “I never took you for being stupid.” Mule stepped to the side, his massive body shielding Brit, his height and width effectively blocking her from sight, only her hand settled on the man’s waist revealed her location. Shelby stopped weaving her hands over the jewelencrusted doorway and faced Kayla. Her eyes glowed with magic and hatred, the feeling mutual. “You?” “What, you expected your fruit and veggie salad would stop us?” Her lips twisted into a sneer, the strands of hair around her face streaked with gray. It was something Kayla missed in the darkness last night. Gray hair could mean one of two things—her priestess once explained a weakening of power without time to recharge, or power and wisdom gained. Kayla hoped for the former. “Not them—you? You. My creations failed to wrap my treasure up and drag them to my stable for branding.” Me. Her fingers curled and fisted to keep from throwing the first blow, she glared at Shelby. Her nana’s teaching flooded her with memories of her loss, especially the rule of three and how her nana lost her talent. The strength of Kayla’s attack would rebound three fold unless she remained on the defensive. “Oh well, they wouldn’t have been happy going home with you.” “I wouldn’t have given them the choice. Mule, unravel the next ward while I deal with the girl.” Mule arched a brow and glanced at the door. Kayla didn’t have to wait for the attack. Shelby blasted 203

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her, shattering a piece of pottery against her shields. Shields she’d have to lower when she volleyed her attack. Lifting her hands, she dropped her protective shell and returned the blast. Shelby jumped to the left, letting the male take the force of the blow with amusement gracing her face. Kayla’s magic hissed and sizzled in protest and transformed to steam. Shelby cackled, drawing on the magic in the air when she raised her hands. “Throwing magic at bystanders will anger the Goddess and we know you’re a good little girl, don’t we, Kayla?” Bitch. She raised her hands and opened her palms, ready for whatever the hag decided to toss her way. Kayla prepared herself for the hulking male shielding Brit to attack her. Mule turned his blazing gaze on Shelby. Smoke billowed from his nostrils, his fiery-red eyes glowed. If looks could kill, Shelby would be dead. She didn’t have time to worry about him and who posed a greater threat. Instead of doing her bidding, he crossed his arms over his massive chest, like a demon or djinn waiting worship, not the minion Shelby desired. Kayla forced herself not to react to the truth of Shelby’s statement. She feared the Goddess’s anger, any person would—if they possessed any sense. Didn’t explain how the bitch found out her secret? Didn’t matter now. She refused to let the truth of her past stop her from defeating Shelby. Every fight required a sacrifice, including this one. If she suffered for defending against evil, Kayla seriously needed to rethink her faith. “She doesn’t forgive those who endanger the lives of innocent either.” Shelby rolled her eyes and flicked a length of her gray hair behind her shoulder. Her serene smile cast her face in an evil glow. “He’s hardly innocent—built for sin—and 204

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colder than ice.” Lightning flashed from Shelby’s fingertips, snaking out and round with the precisions of flicked whips. A wood pedestal cracked and splintered to her left. Kayla didn’t pay any more attention than to note the way the edges glowed orange with the heat of the hag’s power. Kayla gathered the energy, she didn’t do flashy. She’d leave the showmanship to the O’Rourkes. “And he corrupted you to do his dirty work—he’s not the one sucking the life force from men, bitch.” Shelby cackled, the wrinkles of her face deepening. “Maybe not, but don’t knock the unknown. Did you ever think you’d like your ass filled with a thick cock?” Heavy footsteps sounded against the concrete stairwell. Shelby didn’t wait. She tossed the glowing energy in their directions. Kayla’s heart hiccupped, her talent didn’t. She threw her gathering magic into a force field around them and deflected the witch’s rage. Pride and love flowed through her. Goddess, she’d reacted out of love. Shelby shrieked and stomped her feet. She’d seen three year-olds do a better job at throwing a convincing temper tantrum. “Kayla. Let us help you. Stronger together than apart—” Duncan’s voice pulled at her resolve. She’d like nothing better than to have them at her side, but not this time. “You already have.” She threw another spell at Shelby. Noted the remains of her dark hair faded to a dirty, stringy gray color. The curve of her back more pronounced and anger touched with uncertainty on her face. Kayla squashed her growing excitement. She might, no, would, defeat Shelby before she succeeded in releasing hell on earth. “Unsure of your power?” Pure hatred glowed in the hag’s eyes. Flames sputtered to 205

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life around her. She smothered them with Ian’s magic, amazed at how easily she could call upon their elements. She glanced their way, concern etched their faces while they both worked to undo the spell holding them there. She wished them luck. Shelby dared to turn her back and blasted a spell against the portal. The magic wavered, weakened. The encrusted jewels glowed, sending a kaleidoscope of color over the room. Her heart skipped a beat. Instead of firing at Shelby, she pushed her magic forward, bracing the door shut. “Nice.” Pride rippled through her at her men’s approval. “You little fool, do you think you’re powerful enough to hold the other realm back?” “Maybe not.” Honesty would keep her magic pure. “I like seeing the real you. I’d think about investing in a good moisturizer though.” Shelby’s hands lifted until she could examine them. Her face distorted into outrage. She lobbed one blast after another at her. Granted when the first one struck her hard enough to break her concentration on holding the door shut, she stumbled backward. Something on the other side wanted out. She couldn’t deal with another uninvited guest, hoped the magic within the building would either help or release Ian and Duncan. She wanted them both at her side. The second blast hurled Kayla across the length of the gallery. She slammed into the wall hard and yet soft enough to keep her from breaking anything. Stars danced before her eyes. Her body slid to the floor. She shook the distortion and pain away, used the wall to support her when she stood up. Shelby stalked her. Her hands curved like claws with threeinch talons. “I don’t need magic to claw out your heart.” 206

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Use the power of love. The various voices surprised Kayla. Their choice of phrases caused her to smile. “Not going to happen.” With the wall behind her, Kayla threw a fireball at the hag. She deflected the flame and cackled when fire engulfed the terracotta warrior. “Now look at what you’ve done. Little girls shouldn’t play with fire—” She might have the strength to smother the fire, but not in time to stop the attack. Shelby sent another bolt of fire toward a painting on the far wall. “Oops, my mistake.” Flames crawled up the wall. The shriek of the fire alarm sounded and by some invisible hand silenced. Where was the water from the sprinkler system? Kayla drew from the well, called on the magic, which shimmered and entwined the forces with her men’s love. When stalling, bluff. “Doesn’t matter, Shelby, everything here is a trick of the eye, an illusion.” She used her magic to push Shelby back, smiled when she stumbled over the pottery she smashed earlier. The pieces trembled and reformed back into their original form, releasing a sweet coiling scent of sage and heather. The heat in the room intensified. Magical items floated or slid across the floor away from the hungry flames. She took a step back when a mate to the set of chairs in the O’Rourke home slid between them. Shelby shook her arms, trying to dislodge the coils of magic encircling her limbs with smoke. Words spilled from Shelby’s mouth, the smoke slithered back into the jar and settled the lid back on the opening. The jar floated by, carried by invisible hands to the seat of a chair and away from the fire. Kayla smiled. Her body and magic a little stronger with 207

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the growth of her confidence, she flicked her wrist, smothering the flames. “Magic takes offense when disturbed by strangers.” The creak and hiss of the portal door opening caught their attention. She sent another wave of magic out in an attempt to push the door close. Something wedged itself in the opening. “Open the door, Mule. Your puny bond won’t keep them imprisoned in their world, you naïve little fool. Mule, summon the master.” This time the door remained ajar, tentacles slithered through the opening, seeking anything within reach. Slime dripped from their thick lengths along with suction cups, some the size of her fist. She stole a peek at the brothers and the fading shield. An idea occurred to her. She hoped her plan proved the right one. Instead of concentrating on holding her magic against the door, she used the blasts to push Shelby back toward those withering tentacles. Maybe, if they latched onto Shelby, they’d retreat with their query, trapping Shelby on the other side. There she’d be someone else’s problem. Shelby brushed the waves away, sending another pulse of magic toward her, weaker than the last, feather light to tickle at her skin. Kayla pressed her lips together to keep a straight face. “You can’t stop me now, give up.” The concrete floor beneath them shivered and rolled. Her gaze shot to Ian, who gave her a sheepish smile and a wink. His magic lapped at Kayla’s core. Invisible fingers brushed Kayla’s nipples, made them pucker against the thin fabric of her borrowed shirt. “Maybe I’ve changed my mind and decided to help you.” “I’ll not share my reward with you.” The tentacle stilled, sensing their approach. The suction 208

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cups continued to contract and relax with the steadiness of a heartbeat. Shelby took another step back, right between two tentacles the size of man’s forearm. She didn’t care about the reward, the love of the two men on the stairwell would be enough. “Ultimate power comes with a big price.” “Save your lectures for the young and naïve.” Another bolt of magic struck her, this time nothing more than a breath of air against her skin. The tentacle wrapped around Shelby’s leg from ankle to knee. The hidden creature on the other end gave a violent tug, throwing Shelby forward and to the floor. Kayla winced. Shelby shrieked, her voice weakened. “Not this way. So close, Mule, stop him…obey he who commands you to release him.” Kayla took a shuddering breath as the magic washed out of her with a whoosh. Low tide and wrung out, her knees buckled. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and Kayla glanced at the faces of Ian and Duncan. “We’ll always catch you, Kayla.” “Good.” She glanced back at the door and the other realm. Shelby lay slung over the beast who claimed her, her feeble fists beating the thing’s back. Kayla scanned the other side of the doorway. Not a place she wanted to see any time soon. Duncan rose to his feet, faced the man holding the portal ajar. “Don’t you think you should tell us where the men are before you join your mistress?” Kayla laid her head against Ian’s shoulder. She wasn’t going to deny anything, she hummed with arousal. Her talent drew on her physical strength, leaving her helpless. Mule’s hand rested on the top curve of the door. “You will find your father and the others already in the hospital.” 209

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She straightened, her hand outstretched, her fingers curled into a fist. What remained within might do nothing but arouse the man’s ire. “What about Brit?” “Brit?” She opened her mouth to tell them Brit’s aid in Shelby’s demise. She’d stood protected behind Mule’s body, holding the Goddess brooch against the door, preventing the opening from widening. What magic blinded them from seeing their own sister? Mule’s eyes sparked with a deep fire. The sprinkler released its icy spray. Hisses of steam filled in the silence. Duncan advanced on the demon. Kayla caught his arm, holding him back. “You will find her upstairs asleep in one of the empty bedrooms.” “If you harmed her in anyway—” Mule pushed the portal door shut behind him, the sound echoed through the room, probably the town and into the next county. She expected the demon to vanish. He remained with an arrogant brow raised. “Only she can decide and condemn,” his form shifted to the stallion they saw a year ago. A monstrous beast, his nostrils flared, the growing smoke and fire flowed into him while the waves of water sizzled on his pelt. His head lifted to the floors above and his heated gaze warned Kayla, Brit and the stallion weren’t finished. He turned, reared and smashed through the front doors. They followed the warhorse into the street. A shimmery tunnel materialized. The stallion leapt through the opening, only to have it snap shut behind him with a boom of thunder. Her body sagged against Ian. “Kayla.” “I’m okay. Let’s locate Brit and then see if your father is at the hospital.” 210

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They turned back to the building between the smashed front door and the water streaming across the pavement. The stench of the fire would take time to clear from the air. A proper cleansing spell should do the job. Ian swung her up into his arms. Duncan captured her face and kissed her with desperation, longing and love. He broke the kiss before she could wrap her arms around his neck. “Don’t ever do something like this without us again, Kayla, we can’t lose you.” She blinked. Did she tell them? No. If she been unworthy of the brothers, she would never have defeated Shelby even with the help she’d gained. “I don’t want to lose either one of you either. I needed to do this,” she pressed a hand over her heart. “I sense you here within me.” They exchanged puzzled glances, sending her heart tripping into overdrive. “I could feel your magic, your love entwining with my own.” “Then you know we completed the ritual. This wasn’t to seal the doorway but to strengthen our connection with you.” His admission and Ian’s hold on her tightened with uncertainty. She couldn’t summon her anger in the wake of their love. The sex, the loving last night, mind-blogging, she’d never deny the experience. What of the spirits who commanded her to fight this battle alone? Her heart and mind whispered that some things are better off not questioned. In this case, she’d go with the idea of less is more than enough. She could ask if the spell could be undone, that she’d changed her mind. Someone would suffer for her selfishness, she wouldn’t hurt Ian and Duncan. She wouldn’t let them off the hook either. “We’ll discuss your methods later after we check on the men.” They entered the gallery. Ian carried her while the broken glass crunched under their booted feet. She longed to master 211

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the dressing spell. They paused at the wall. The portal pulsed with power and remained closed. “Where is he?” They turned at the sound of Brit’s voice. Kayla’s lips parted in a silent gasp. Brit’s magical aura glowed with hints of yellow and red blending into an orange. “Who?” Brit frowned, her hand going to her head only to stop and examine the inside of her arm. Heat flushed her face, her mouth opened then closed, all the while her trembling fingers caressed the inside of her arm. “I won’t call him by that insulting name.” “He returned to his own realm. He’ll not brother you again, Brit.” “Oh.” She dropped her arm to her side when Duncan stepped to her left, flanking her. Kayla opened her mouth to say something when Brit shook her head. If Ian noticed, he didn’t comment. “Let’s head for the hospital, I don’t think the day’s over yet.” “Who will keep an eye on things?” “We will.” Ian spun around with Kayla still in his arms, the move making her head spin. She tightened her grip on him. She blinked to clear her vision and saw the band—the cousins, who’d chased the veggies into town. Hope they made a decent stir-fry out of them. “Thank you, Kayla, our father—” “Save the introduction for later, Ian—our uncle is going to have questions. You can fill us in later over a couple of beers and steaks.” “Deal.”

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Chapter Sixteen Hospital, Halloween In the less than soothing hospital, Rosie and Kayla sat at Charlie’s bedside. The O’Rourkes worked their magic, allowing them to stay with Charlie. She’d venture a guess and say when you saved the town’s male population, rules bent. Seated in a corner, she wondered if she could have done more, acted sooner. Would this have happened if she’d accepted the brothers a year ago? Kayla wished she’d helped them to hunt Shelby, when she’d first encountered the witch in the barn. She’d never know. Thoughts and second guessing memories and places she didn’t dare venture into alone, her head throbbed over her left eye, a migraine with a capital M. Her gaze and mood lifted when Ian and Duncan slipped into the room. They gave Rosie a nod. Shadows under their eyes and across their chins spoke of long hours of waiting for news on their father’s condition, along with the other members of the town. “How is he?” Their voices low when they crossed the room. Concern shown in their eyes, she gave them a reassuring smile. Didn’t matter which brother was with her, both of them 213

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sent her body into overdrive with desire and love. With both of them here, she didn’t know if she should fall into their arms or push them away. Ian crouched down in front of her, taking her hand, her fingers stiff from holding onto the arm of the chair. He kissed her fingers before enfolding them in his long ones. The shimmer of power flowed between them, different and yet the same. Maybe it wasn’t magic at all but the simple contact of three people who cared about each other. Duncan stroked her hair and the pressure behind her eyes eased. She leaned her head back against the solid muscles of his stomach. Damn magic and yet without her talent, they would have lost the men, Charlie, Lord O’Rourke and the others. Her head tilted closer to Ian, his lips feathered across her temple in approval. “Better,” Rosie brushed a lock of gray hair from Charlie’s brow when she spoke. “You saved my Charlie, if ever you need anything.” Charlie groaned before the brothers could reply. They wouldn’t ask for anything, she knew this because friendship outweighed any debit owed. Kayla rose and stepped to the foot of the bed, not wanting to interfere with the reunited lovers. Her boss wouldn’t be the same for a long time. Hell, every man used by Shelby Crewe suffered from an attempt to gain enough power to open the portal. When she fed off their essence, she took years from their physical body, time he’d never get back. Magic good or bad left a mark on everyone, in Charlie’s case, he lost twenty years, others lost even more. “Tell me—they got some good drugs here?” His voice, weak but steady, sapped the tension from the room. “Will you settle for a good woman to care for you?” Rosie’s voice broke with the depth of her emotions. His head turned and a weak smile lit his wrinkled, 214

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leathery face. “My beautiful, Rosie, I’m a bad boy.” “We’ll talk about that later, when we’re alone. Kayla and her men are here.” When Charlie glanced her way, Rosie brushed the threatening tears from her eyes. Kayla pasted on a smile, tightened her grip on Ian’s hand and leaned into Duncan. Later, when they were alone she’d share the sensation of their joined magic, which shimmered through her. Could they feel or sense her love? Would she think of denying them the words? “Aren’t you three a sight for sore eyes,” he croaked before he could even ask for water. Rosie pressed a straw to his lips. Three months ago, he would have brushed off Rosie, attempt to help. Maybe something good developed out of his time with Shelby. Kayla wouldn’t reawaken those memories. “You gave me some sleepless nights,” Kayla remarked. The scoff he attempted escaped in a combination cough and moan. He accepted Rosie’s help, but his pale lips grew whiter from the effort. “Would hope to spread the blame around, their shoulders are wide enough to bear the burden.” Rosie straightened her shoulders, her worried expression changing with a blink of an eye. “They’ll be time later for sharing those kinds of stories and if the O’Rourke brothers are smart, they’ll decline on the details.” “Yes, ma’am,” they chorused. “Couldn’t ask for a better nurse,” Charlie said and squeezed the fingers of Rosie’s hand, instead of making a comment about the attention. Hell of a painful lesson to learn. Kayla motioned to the door, she needed time alone with the brothers. She and Rosie already discussed who should be the one to tell him about 215

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the changes, Rosie wanted to. “I’ll come back after you’ve rested and we’ll talk.” “Give me a couple days, Kayla,” Charlie eyes grew heavy and he forced them open. “I wanna thank the three of you and whoever else is responsible for saving us.” “A part of the job, I think you would say,” Duncan remarked, his arm around Kayla’s waist. “Yeah, hell, give me a fire any day of the week,” Charlie remarked, “now go, I have everything I need right here.” Rosie blushed. “You better not forget this time either.” Cued, she embraced Rosie. They stepped part. She accepted her teary thank you. Ian caught her hand and led her to the door Duncan held open for them. “Kayla?” “Yeah, boss?” she paused. The heat of her men chased the chill from her body. “Take those vacation days, you’ve more than earned them.” “Will do, Charlie,” she replied, witnessing Rosie bury her head against Charlie’s shoulder. Tears of relief glistened in Charlie’s eyes, too. “How many days off are we talking?” Duncan asked. “Four.” “Four days, we’ll have to make do.” When she glanced between them, their faces filled with a variety of emotions bled away to determination. She could stay the four days or return to her apartment and stare at the walls the remaining time. “Four weeks.” “Will you spend them with us?” Before she could answer, they entered a second hospital room to find Brit and their father deep in conversation. She squeezed the brothers’ hands in silent warning. Brit’s role in the battle changed things. She couldn’t help but wonder at the cost to her friend, their sister. 216

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Lord O’Rourke appeared tired, his mouth drawn with concentration. He stopped Brit from speaking and greeted them with a smile. “Come in, just finished talking to your mother and Daddy Spurs, Blade. They’ll be home the end of the week.” Lord O’Rourke continued to hold his daughter’s hand. “Good news, Mom will have you back on your feet in no time,” Ian replied. “Are you going to introduce me to your keystone?” he asked, at the same time raising the bed to a sitting position, never losing contact with Brit. Her brain tripped over the word again, she knew the meaning concerning a building. The keystone formed the arch and firmed the doorway. “You met Kayla a year ago, when the ritual occurred and prior to that when the Sholer’s barn burned,” Ian nudged at his memories. “Ah yes, good to see you again. Heard the gallery suffered some smoke damage. With the right kind of magic, maybe three or four weeks of a steady output and everything should be put to rights.” They agreed. She gave both brothers a tug of their arms when the silence grew, both of them stared at their sister and mirrored the same frown of concern. She opened her mouth to tell them to mind their own business. “Sorry, Dad,” Ian spoke, his skin darkening with the flub of his attention. “Brit, are you all right?” “Yes. Dad’s free, the town’s free.” She shook her head when Duncan opened his mouth to comment. He listened. Her heart tripped a bit. “Brit’s fine if not tired from worrying about me. I swear you’re so much like your mother,” Lord O’Rourke piped in for his daughter. “You three have been here all night, go take care of things. I want good news for a change.” 217

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“Yes, sir. Brit, are you coming—we can drop you off at home?” “No, she’ll keep her old man company,” he said, making a shooing motion with his free hand. Ian ushered them from the room to stand in the busy hallway, the whole wing of the hospital dedicated to those who suffered under Shelby’s hand. “We’ve been dismissed.” Duncan shifted from holding up the wall to weaving their way through the masses all while still giving her the space she once wanted. “Agreed. So where would you like to go, Kayla.” Questions bubbled within Kayla, ones she intended to ask before something or someone else interrupted them. Perhaps a nice, public restaurant. Surprise washed over when they exited the hospital. She didn’t recall the stroll through the hallway, or the elevator ride from the third floor. “I’d like to help with the repairs on the gallery.” The brothers fell silent, heated desire filled their gazes. Duncan cleared his throat, his mouth opening and closing in an attempt to form an answer. “Kayla.” “The gallery rebuilds and strengthens itself on sexual magic. There’s nothing strong other than love and we’ll,” Ian glanced at his brother, whose features remained hidden, and nodded, “we understand if you’ve changed your mind.” They caught her when she stumbled on the smooth sidewalk. A firm, strong arm wrapped around her waist, Duncan entwined their fingers and kissed her knuckles. “Couldn’t your family find portals or doorways to guard that survived on happiness rather than lust?” Ian laughed. Duncan joined him. The deep, hearty sound sent her insides to tumble with a desire and purpose to fill all their lives with love and laughter. She’d be the one who helped them to find the joy in life, give them the children they wanted. Kayla didn’t 218

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want to leave them. She’d share the good and the bad with them. They faced and defeated the sorceress with some fumbling on their parts. Okay, on her part, she admitted before the Goddess could show her displeasure with her. “What’s so funny?” Both men stepped closer and Kayla’s body thrummed with awareness. They didn’t touch. Didn’t try to convince her how things could and would be good between them if she gave them a chance. Ian caught a wayward lock of her hair and tucked the strand behind her ear. “Happiness comes from love given and received. We won’t deny the hunger we feel for you is so much more. Deep and lasting—love.” Duncan brushed his finger along her jaw, the caress feather-light for a strong man. “We decided a year ago we wanted you in our life, our hearts and yes our bed, even if you never choose to entwine your magic to ours.” Her heart fluttered in the middle of the hospital parking lot, the last place she planned to have a soul-deep conversation. Car doors slammed with the arrival of families reunited with the men they feared lost. The sun baked the Earth with the promise of a beautiful day. “What about being the keystone?” “Keystone, the one person who binds us together. We’ll stand at your side, sometimes in front of you if we believe you’re in danger. We’ll love and cherish you, aid you in any way we can.” She reached for Ian’s hand, entwined their fingers and turned her face to kiss Duncan’s palm. They didn’t give her a chance to reply, Duncan’s hand cupped the back of her neck, holding her there for his kiss. Her lips parted, waiting for him. His lips sealed against hers in a hard, demanding kiss and she wanted more. His tongue swept in to her mouth to tangle with hers in a duel of desire. Ian’s body pressed 219

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against her back, their hands remained entwined while his other stroked her body. “Get a room.” They broke the kiss to touch foreheads. Ian took the opening and kissed her neck, sending ripples of desire to her core, damping her panties. “We’re wasting talent by not doing this in the gallery.” “We’ll only go there if you’re planning to stay with us…forever.” They did the strange meddling of their voice, making her body pulse from head to toe. She couldn’t have denied them anything if she tried. “Forever and a day.” Magic shimmered around the three of them in a curtain of blues and greens. Their talents blended to take them where they wanted. The master bedroom of the gallery sounded good to her. The darkened room awash in flickering candles, air conditioning cooled their sun-heated bodies to raise goose bumps along their exposed skin. Duncan dropped to his knees to push her shirt out of way and to nuzzle her stomach. “Woman, you have too many clothes on.” Her core spasm and a new wave of moisture drenched her panties. “You would think strong mages like yourself could dissolve clothing, too.” Ian’s hands moved to cup her breasts, kneading them through the fabric. His lips and teeth did magic of their own to the tender spot below and behind her ear. “Some things shouldn’t be rushed. We’ll leave you to learn the spell.” “Oh.” She pressed back against the hard ridge of his arousal, thinking the lessons couldn’t come soon enough. The snap of her jeans and rasp of her zipper filled the air. Shouldn’t they be doing something more? Her fingers combed through Duncan’s hair. “Our sexual energy will repair the damaged doorway and the gallery?” 220

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Duncan tilted his head until his gaze met hers. The light of love in his eyes warmed her, fanned the flame of her desire and fed her talent with an even stronger fuel. Love. Lust and belonging. “Anything and everything we do will strengthen the gallery, our bond—” “If you want? Don’t do this for them or us, claim what you deserve, Kayla. Your love is all we ever wanted. Do you love us?” Ian’s husky breath brushed against her exposed collarbone while his fingers worked to free her of her shirt. Did she want what they offered? Oh Goddess yes, she wanted them in every way possible. Their mouths and hands stilled, waiting for her answer. Her breast swelled and she pressed them forward to rub against his arm and relieve the ache of her hard nipples. “Yes, I love you both.” “How much, Kayla?” She shook her head, not understanding the question when they stripped her pants from her legs and the shirt from her back. She’d worry about clothes later—right now, she wanted their hands, mouths and cocks. “All.” “You’ve accepted the truth, you’re the keystone of our magic, the one who will draw upon our power and use our joint talent for good?” Thank the Goddess, Ian could multitask and released her breasts from her bra while he spoke. Cool air hardened her nipples to painful peaks. She moaned when Duncan laved the underside of her breast. She bent to let him ease the aching of her breasts, the press of Ian’s body against her froze her. A small sound of protest escaped her parted lips. Her hips swayed, brushing the torrid rigid of his denim-clad cock. She wanted them buried inside of her, one in her pussy and one in her ass. “I’ll be your keystone, now fuck me.” Duncan didn’t hurry. He planted openmouthed kisses on her ribs, down her flattened stomach. He caressed the 221

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outside of her bare legs, first with the back of his hands and then with his work-calloused fingertips. She shivered. Moisture coated the insides of her thighs. “You’ll marry us? Be our lover, wife and the mother of the next generation of O’Rourkes?” His mouth hovered over her womb while his fingers caressed the seam of her ass. Ian’s cock rubbed against her hip, imitating what he wanted to do. She didn’t need the help visualizing, she needed action, lots of it. “Yes.” “Praise the Goddess.” “I can think of a better use for those tongues.” “So can we,” Ian and Duncan said in unison. She’d send the band a thank-you note for slipping away before their arrival. Their bodies lifted from the floor and brought them to rest on the clean sheets of the bed. She settled deeper into the bedding, “Wonderful cleaning service, another spell?” Her heated skin brushed against chilled sheets, causing a moan of pleasure to part her lips. The hot, moist mouth against her shoulder wrung a deeper whimper from the back of her throat. Not enough, for she intended to return every caress. She twisted her body to rest her head on Ian’s thigh. His clothes melted away, exposing his beautiful cock to her watering mouth. She brushed her lips across the taunt mushroom-shaped head, dipping her tongue into the slit, and savored the taste of him. Salty with a hint of musk and cinnamon, Ian’s own unique flavor. She hummed her approval and locked her gaze with his. Duncan nudged her thighs apart, rolled beneath and pulled her hips down. She paused with the first swipe of his tongue against her folds. A moan of sheer pleasure rippled through her. Her eyes closed. Her juices flowed. The magic in the room swirled a little faster behind her eyelids. She blocked everything out except the two men who owned her 222

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body and soul. Loved her body and soul, they didn’t want her magic, they wanted her heart. She’d give them everything, heart, body, soul and her talent in return. Kayla opened her mouth, swiping at Ian’s cock with eagerness. Her hand cupped and gently squeezed his balls. She thrilled under the pleasure she gave him, each moan encouraged her, embolden her in love. Duncan’s tongue dipped into her and drew the cream from her folds, causing her legs to quiver and juices to flow faster. She moaned her approval, then drew Ian deeper within her mouth. His hands teased and fondled her breast, plucking and squeezing her nipples with the right amount of pressure. The gated door to her talent opened, crumbling the last of the wall around her heart. Energy surged through her, the room hummed. Duncan’s tongue slipped inside her while his fingers teased her back opening, caressing her building desire. Magic and pleasure rippled, something only they could give her when she joined with both her men. Pleasure fluxed through her. She shared the exquisite explosion with her men. Duncan groaned his approval by driving his tongue deeper before pulling out to swipe at her clit, notching her up arousal. His fingers grew bolder, fingering her back hole, pressing the tip against the muscles. Kayla gasped. She sucked harder on Ian, taking him to the back of her throat and bobbing before hollowing her cheeks. “You’re killing me, Kayla.” Kayla raised her gaze to see Ian’s head tossed back and the look of sheer pleasure on his face. Her pussy contracted with the erotic vision, sending another wave of cream through her channel. The sight filled her heart until she believed everything within her exploded. She gave him control of her mouth, letting him pick up the pace. Ian’s hand settled in her hair, drawing from her mouth 223

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with a plop. She moaned and leaned forward, her mouth open in an attempt to recapture him and finish what she started. “No, not this time,” he shuffled away from her, his hand grasped his hard, swollen cock. “When I come, I want to be in your ass. Do you want to feel both of us inside of you, giving you pleasure again? Duncan ceased his feasting. “No, don’t stop,” she begged. She’d kill them if they decided another issue required their attention. She wiggled her hips. Close to coming with a couple of licks and the feeling of Ian’s cum shooting down her throat, she’d shatter. Her gaze locked with Ian. He caressed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. The hunger shining in his glowing eyes caused her heart to hitch and beat faster. His magic shimmered beneath the surface. He loved her not only with his heart and body, but his magic—their magic. He awaited her answer. Duncan slid her body down the length of the bed, rolled them until she straddled his hips. The hot brand of his cock brushed against the insides of her thighs. His hands cupped her breast, rubbing the palms over her nipples, shooting desire through her. His eyes mirrored his brother’s. She shuddered with the intensity of his gaze. Her hips rocked forward, riding the length of Duncan’s cock, letting the wide tip brush her clit. Her eyes drifted closed with sensation, she couldn’t wait to feel him inside of her. The bed dipped behind them. She glanced over her shoulder. Ian’s large cock stood straight, thicker when he knelt behind her with his hand fisted around the base, stroking upward. A moment of hesitation rippled through her, then vanished with the force of her trust. Her inner muscles clamped and burned to feel both of them buried inside of her. “Yes.” Ian turned away. 224

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She frowned, wondering where he went until Duncan caught her face. His thumb caressed her cheek. His other hand slipped to the nape of her neck and drew her down for a kiss. He didn’t plunder her mouth, instead, he brushed his lips against hers, teasing, loving and caressing them. He leaned back, his gaze burned and glowed with his emotions. “Take me inside of you, Kayla.” She didn’t, not at first. Instead, she dragged her sopping folds across the length of him. His cock thumped against her opening. She didn’t have the patience to tease him the way she wanted. Next time, she promised herself. She raised her hips enough for Duncan’s cock to rise, nudging her clit, sending spasms of delight to settle in her womb. Her eyelids fluttered. “Watch me.” The husky tone of his voice demanded, she couldn’t have refused if she wanted to and she didn’t want to. She settled the wide tip of his cock against her quivering sex. She locked her gaze with his. His hands slide down to tighten on her waist, holding her there forever, but in truth only seconds. His grip relaxed. She impaled herself on his cock with a hiss of pure pleasure, his width stretching, searing her quivering muscles and binding her to them forever. A smile lifted the corner of her lips when he grunted in satisfaction, buried balls deep inside of her. She raised herself up under his tensing fingers and slid down once more. She wanted to throw her head back and ride him hard except they weren’t complete yet. Ian’s hands stroked her back, pressing her forward, driving Duncan deeper into the core of her body. A whoosh of air left her lungs, captured by Duncan who claimed her mouth in a soul-devouring kiss. She’d never grow tired of kissing him or Ian, of loving them. She let their tongues duel, dance and explore each other, allowing her inner muscles to 225

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quiver and stroke along his length. “Hold her open for me.” She lifted her ass into the air, digging Duncan’s cock a little deeper until he thumped the opening of her womb. Her womb clenched hard and the deep shudder froze her when a cold gel seeped down the crack of her ass. Her heart beat a little faster. The idea of uniting with both of them sent a delicious spiral curling through her. Ian’s fingers caught the gel and pressed it against the tight muscles of her ass. She pressed back, opening to the feel of him, moaning when the taunt muscles relaxed and allowed his finger entrance. More. She wanted his cock. She wanted to feel them both filling her, riding her until she screamed. “Enough. Fuck me, Ian, claim me.” Duncan’s hands tightened on her spread ass cheeks. She felt the throb of his cock in her pussy, showing his approval of her words. The sound of the foil ripping made her hold her breath in anticipation. The wide head of Ian’s cock replaced his finger. He pressed forward. The burn of invasion pulled a whimper of need from her. “Relax and press back.” The resistant muscles and the love in Ian’s voice enabled her to do both. She didn’t think he’d fit with Duncan fully seated. She refused to give up. Kayla wanted them both now as much as she had last night. His balls pressed against her ass. Duncan captured her face, taking her mouth in a near brutal kiss. His tongue swept in to claim hers with an insatiable hunger and she met him stroke for stroke. He dominated her, sucking her tongue into his mouth to explore. His hands slipped down to her breasts, kneading one while he flicked the nipple of the other into a tight bead. Ian continued to pump into her, long, slow thrusts of a man who wouldn’t be rushed by the demands of an outside 226

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world and planned to prove it. His steady stroking of her back passage caused her to hum with tight swirls of a growing orgasm. Every downward thrust drove her inner muscles to clutch Duncan’s cock. They broke the kiss at the same time and stared into each other’s eyes waiting. Duncan caressed her stomach with the back of his knuckles and her pussy contracted, milking him. She caught his hand before he could reach her clit. Her clit throbbed in protest. She held her other hand out for Ian. Large hands engulfed her own. From their fingers, magic flowed, swirling up and away from theirs. She touched their hands to her lips, four kisses, two men continued to thrust into her. They repeated their vows to the Goddess and a surge of magic strengthened the building around them. Within her, cocks swelled and a firm pressure hit Kayla’s clit. “Come.” She screamed and shattered. Ian roared his release, followed by Duncan’s shout. They clung to each other. Keystone to two powerful mages, her mages, and long overdue to hear the words of her heart, Kayla smiled. She didn’t fear their possession, pressed her lips against one and then other. “I love you, Ian. I love you, Duncan.” They melted into the mattress when the magic in the room sparked like miniature fireworks over the bed. They snuggled together, kissed between colliding pulses of magic. “We’ll be granted a chance for indulgence before the next attempt comes to open the door.” In their arms, Kayla twisted to gaze at Ian’s handsome face. “I didn’t know you could see the future?” He shrugged. “It’s not about the future, it’s about those who envy what we have, challenge our worth to have our keystone’s love.” 227

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Sometimes the rules need breaking in the name of love. Kayla understood the priestess’s teaching, it took her while, but she wouldn’t forget the lesson. She gave her love out to return to her three fold. “If they come, we’ll face them in a witches’ duel because I’m not letting either one of you go.”

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About the Author Kymber Rowean lives in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois with her husband, daughter and son and his Golden Retriever. Between her duties as DG—domestic goddess and when the need arises and happy event occurs she crochets baby blankets for expectant teachers and family members. She believes a family who cuddles and reads together grows with love. Writing for her is like breathing, she can’t go a day without plotting, or working on one or more stories, whether it’s a devious villain, alpha males or heroines determined not to fall for their charms until they’ve earned their happy ever after.