UNDER HIS SPELL (17 page)

Rane launched into a retelling of the battle and by the time he
finished, Jaxon’s frown had intensified.
 

“And you say he never became visible?”

“Never.”

Jaxon let out a long, slow breath.
 
“It could not be.”

Rane sat up straighter.
 
“You
know of this enemy then?”

“Falcon and I discussed this once, not long ago.
 
When he and Danni met on Earth, Danni’s’
deceased husband was taken from the grave, resurrected.
 
At first, Falcon assumed a rogue wizard had
performed the deed, but then he determined that something other than a wizard
was guiding the body.
 
Falcon never
located the source of that power.”

Rane knocked the table with a fist.
 
“Resurrecting the dead.”
 
He blew
out a breath.
 
“Then we have an unknown
enemy we had better get to know in a hurry.”
 
He stood up.
 
“Because he is
coming for Skye.”

Jaxon stood with him.
 
“He cannot
bring his evil to Mystique.”

Rane walked to the wall.
 
“He
can bring back the dead.
 
I would not be
too sure of what he can and cannot do.”
 

***

The witches gathered around Sabrina, eager to hear the news about
Skye’s demise.
 
Sabrina held up one hand
and searched the crowd, her eyes glowing.
 
“My sisters, my battle was not a success.”
 
At the low murmurs, Sabrina snapped her
fingers and silence descended.
 
“Let
there not be disquiet among you.
 
It is
only a matter of time before the young witch is dead.
 
Until then, we continue our daily battles.”

The witches exchanged glances, each unnerved by the peaceful tone of
Sabrina’s voice and the calm manner in which she held herself.
 
The rage that had accompanied Sabrina when
she left had dissipated, replaced with a peace, which caused anxiety among the
ranks.
 

“Sabrina.”
 
One young witch
stepped forward to gain the leader’s attention.

Sabrina turned her attention toward the apprentice.
 
“Yes?”

“Why was the battle not a success?
 
Did you not fight Skye as was your intention when you left us?”

Everyone saw the irritation in Sabrina’s eyes as she looked down at
the young woman who’d just given herself to black magic a few months past.
 
“Do you question me?”
 
Sabrina asked, her voice controlled, yet, a
simpleton could have heard the fury vibrating beneath the tones.

The novice took a step backwards.
 
“No.
 
No, of course not,
Sabrina.
 
I was merely curious.
 
I mean, you told us in the beginning if we
had questions to ask you.”

“Yes, well, I’ve changed my mind.”
 
Sabrina gave the witch a look of disdain.
 
“Don’t ask.
 
Just obey and we’ll all get along famously.
 
Perhaps you’ll learn something while you’re
following orders.”
 
She stepped down off
the dais and strolled toward the center of the clearing.
 
“Now we must work quickly if we are to defeat
the wizards.”

Collective gasps sounded and Sabrina quickly corrected her
mistake.
 
“Skye.
 
I meant if we are to defeat Skye, of
course.
 
We all know we cannot defeat the
wizards with the magic that we do have.
 
Oh, do not look so bothered.
 
It
was a simple slip of the tongue, that’s all.”

The witches continued to stare at Sabrina as if she’d suggested they
strike down their own loved ones.
 

Sabrina stood up straighter.
 
“Does anyone have any questions and before you answer, let me warn you
that my patience is growing thinner with each passing second.
 
We have much to do and little time to do it
in.”

A broad-shouldered witch with flaming red hair and icy blue eyes
pushed her way to the front of the group.
 
“You keep referring to time, Sabrina.
 
You have never mentioned a deadline before.”

Sabrina turned ever so slightly.
 
“I see you found your voice, Paige.”
 
She smiled and ran her hands down the long length of her slim-fitting
black dress.
 
“As for the deadline, well,
let’s just say things change.”

“What things?”
 
Paige didn’t
back down.

Sabrina hissed under her breath.
 
“Things only I need to know about.”

“We’re a Coven, a sisterhood, Sabrina.
 
You are our leader because we chose you as
our leader.
 
Don’t forget that.”

Sabrina’s eyes narrowed and she slowly walked toward the taller
witch.
 
“You dare to threaten me?”

Paige came nose to nose with the leader.
 
“I stand up for our sisterhood.”

Sabrina smiled, though the mirth didn’t reach her eyes.
 
“Pity.
 
I really did like you.”
 
Her hand
shot out and caught Paige in the center of her chest.
 

The witch stumbled, gasped for air and fell to the ground, her arms
outstretched.
 

Sabrina dusted her hands.
 
“Don’t bother checking.
 
She’s
dead.”
 
Her eyes swept the cluster of
witches.
 
“And should any of you get the
bright idea to challenge me, please remember this tonight.
 
I do hate to repeat myself.”

***

Emily cracked open the bedroom door and peered out into the
corridor.
 
“What’s going on out there,
Skye?”

“The men are talking,” Skye muttered with more acrimony than she
intended.
 
She raised herself to a
sitting position and smiled at her sister.
 
“I’m sorry.
 
I shouldn’t be so
angry.”

Emily returned to the bed.
 
“You’re upset with Rane?”

“It’s a long story.”

“I’m not a child.”

Skye took her sister’s hand.
 
“I know that.
 
You’ve handled
yourself very well.”

“I’m not asking for a pat on the head, Skye.
 
What’s going on between you and the wizard?”

Skye stood and walked to the door.
 
“Absolutely nothing.
 
Why don’t
you stay here and I’ll go find out what’s going on?”
 
She didn’t give her sister time to protest
before swinging the door wide and stepping out into the hallway.
 
She almost collided with Rane’s chest.
 
She bumped her back against the door.
 
“The hunter has returned.”

One corner of Rane’s lips lifted.
 
Otherwise, he didn’t acknowledge her comment.
 
Instead, he raised one hand over her head and
pushed open the door.
 
“I need to talk to
you about Sabrina.”

“You know as much as I know about her.”

“I doubt that.”
 
Rane ushered
her into the bedroom.
 
He winked at Emily
and led Skye to the bed.
 
“Emily, would
you like to see our city?”

Emily bounced to her feet.
 
“I
know you’re just trying to get rid of me, but I’ll take any opportunity I can
to get out of this room.
 
I’ve been
cooped up in rooms for too long.”

Rane held out one hand to the door and it opened.
 
His mother stood on the other side.
 
“This is my mother, Charlemaine.
 
She will show you around.
 
If you have need of anything, you have only
to ask her.”

Emily practically jumped from the room and Skye bit back her
envy.
 
She’d rather escape, too.
 
Much of this was surreal, almost like she was
on the outside looking in.
 

“I don’t know any more about Sabrina other than what I’ve already
told you.
 
She’s dangerous and…”

“Actually, I wanted Emily to think I wanted information about
Sabrina.”
 
Rane sat on the bed beside
her.
 
“I really want to talk to you about
our new enemy.
 
The one who, for some
reason, wants us both dead.”

“You’re a wizard.
 
Most
enemies would realize attempting to kill you is a futile quest,” Skye returned
with a sigh.
 
She rubbed her temples and
flopped back against the mattress.
 
“I
know even less about this new foe you’re talking about.”

Rane leaned back on his elbow and rested one hand atop her flat stomach.
 
“You are tense.”

She cracked open one eye and peered at him.
 
“You’re astute.”

“You must not let what is happening overtake your life.”

Both eyes opened.
 
“Are you
serious?
 
Rane, you just said it
yourself.
 
There’s some maniac trying to
kill us.
 
I think I’m entitled to a
little bit of anxiety here.”

He scooted closer to her, the warmth of his body branding her left
side.
 
“Fear does not solve the problem.”

“Coming from a wizard who is immortal.”

Rane lowered his head to nuzzle her neck.
 
“I could make you immortal.”

Skye pushed him back.
 
“Is
this where you tell me you have to drink my blood?”

Rane laughed.
 
“I am not a
vampire, ma petite.”

In spite of herself, her curiosity was piqued.
 
“So how could you give me immortality?”

His fingertips trailed along her cheek.
 
“By giving you a child.”

Skye’s breath stalled near her larynx, trapping her speech.
 
She could only stare at him.
 

“Would you not want to carry my child, Skye Logan?”

“It’s not something I’ve thought about,” she managed to say, her voice
rasping like the hinges on a rusty gate.
 

He kissed her temple, her cheekbone before finally sliding his lips
against hers.
 
“Then perhaps you should
think about it.”

“Why would I want to be immortal?”

“To spend your life with me.”

Skye pushed herself to a sitting position.
 
“Who said anything about my spending my life
with you?”

Rane joined her.
 
“I did.”

“I hate to break the news to you, Mr. Wizard, but you don’t make all
the decisions.”

“We are in Mystique,” he said simply.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“In Mystique, the wizards do make all the decisions and I have
decided you are mine.”

Skye shook her head as if by doing so, she could shake Rane’s words
free of her mind.
 
“You couldn’t have
possibly just said what I thought you said.”
 
She waggled her finger at him.
 
“Because it sounded suspiciously like you
said I belonged to you.”

“That is exactly what I said.”

Skye’s temper began a slow boil.
 
“You can’t arbitrarily decide that you own me, Rane.”

“In my world, there is a big difference between owning someone and
having someone.”
 
He trapped one of her
hands in both of his.
 
“It is not such a
bad thing to belong to a man, Skye, especially when that man is a wizard.”

“Have I ever mentioned anything about the size of your ego?”

“I do not believe you have seen my ego,” Rane responded with a
slight twitch of his lips.

“Oh, great, start with the double entendres.”
 
She tugged her hand free.
 
“Look, I want to take Emily home.”

“That is not possible.”

“Of course it is.
 
You brought
us here.
 
Now, you can take us home.”

“I do not wish to take you home.”

Skye gritted her teeth.
 
“It’s
not about your wishes.
 
Emily needs to be
around people she knows and loves.
 
She’ll be safe at home.
 
Even
Sabrina’s magic can’t penetrate the protective spells surrounding our
home.
 
Allessandra made sure of that.”

Rane’s hands dropped to his sides.
 
“Allessandra?”

Skye blinked at the sudden change in subject.
 
“Yes.
 
She and my mother were very close.
 
She was –“

”The first witch to ever gain immortality.
 
Yet, she chose to leave this world.”
 
Rane began to circle the room.
 
“She was a friend to us all.”

Skye stepped into his path to halt his pacing.
 
“You knew her?”

“Yes.
 
I knew Allessandra very
well.
 
Witches and wizards are not
supposed to be in communion with another, but Allessandra was different.
 
She was not interested in owning the world or
controlling anything.
 
She wanted peace.”

“So did my mother.”
 
Skye’s
lips trembled at the memory.
 
“My mother
gave her life for mine.”

Rane’s head snapped up.
 
“What
do you mean?”

“She sacrificed herself so I could live.
 
I don’t understand why she had to die, but
Allessandra told me it was in the cards, that my mother’s life would be
shortened to strengthen mine.
 
When she
died, I took on her magic as well as my own.”
 
Skye walked back to the bed and sat down on
the edge.
 
“I would give the magic back
if it would bring my mother back.”

Rane came to stand in front of her.
 
“You have Ingrid’s magic and your own?”

Skye nodded almost morosely.
 

“So why have you not been using it?”

She shrugged.
 
“I never wanted
to be a witch, Rane.”

He grasped her chin and forced her head up.
 
“Maybe not, but you have to face facts.
 
You are a witch.
 
You will always be a witch.
 
Now you must choose which side you will
serve.”

She smacked his hand away.
 
“I
thought you already knew that.
 
I’m on my
side and Emily’s side.
 
I’m not
interested in fighting a battle between good and evil.
 
I just want to take my sister home and forget
Sabrina, the Coven and . . .”

“Me?”
 
Rane asked in a hoarse
tone of voice.

Skye’s eyes held his.
 
“Forgetting you would be impossible.”

Rane pressed one knee against the bed and leaned down to kiss
her.
 
“Skye, I…”

“Emily could be back any moment,” she warned, though her hands
sought the wide plane of his chest, exploring with casual strokes.

Rane trailed a long line of wet kisses down the left side of her
neck.
 
“My mother will keep her
entertained.”
 

Skye moved her head and gave him full access to her tender
flesh.
 
“But Emily might want to come
back.”

Rane moved one hand up the side of Skye’s thigh and heat shot
through her like a flash in a pan.
 
His
fingers hovered inches away from her center point, teasing or warning, she
wasn’t sure which.
 

“I want to make love to you,” he lifted his head and fixed her with
a gaze unlike any she’d ever seen before.
 
It was pure sex, magnetic and hot.
 
Before her eyes, his face changed, darkening as the power of the wizard
overtook the presence of the man.