Destined Magic (14 page)

“It’s easy to think you might have done something to save her. But when it comes right down to it, there was nothing you could do under the circumstances.
Venetia locked you in the workroom to protect you.” Damek moved into the hallway and picked up the phone.

“She told me she loved me. She said she
had wished for a daughter like me.” Gabriella looked up at Garrett, her face ravaged with grief.

“Don’t let her love make you feel guilty. Venetia made her choice to protect you. Your sister made her choice to kill. What choice will you make?” Garrett held his breath.

“Brenna has to be stopped. The Red Wizard behind all this has to be stopped. I won’t rest until I know their evil is removed from the world.”

“Good girl. I’m proud of you. I know seeing someone you love choose to blacken her soul
hasn’t been easy. We’ll capture Brenna tonight at the Blue Dolphin. Then, we’ll make her tell us what this Red Wizard has planned.” Garrett wouldn’t let it turn out any other way. He needed answers, and Brenna was the key.

“Garrett, Calder and
Kendria are porting in,” Damek said from the hallway. “Venetia was their aunt. They’ll take care of the body.”

“Why don’t we go back to the townhouse and get you cleaned up?” Garrett wasn’t sure Gabriella was ready to leave.
Would she want to wait for the family to arrive?

“Damek will stay with
Venetiauntil they arrive
?
”

“I’
m not going anywhere, little one,” Damek said. “Go home and let Garrett clean you up. I’ll make sure Venetia is taken care of.”

Gabriella nodded her head. Garrett wasn’t taking a chance on her changing her mind. He
picked her up and ported them immediately to the master bathroom in his townhouse.

He set Gabriella
down and turned on the water in the shower before slipping off his shoes. Then, he pulled the blood-soaked shirt off over Gabriella’s head. Tears continued to flow down her cheeks. Next, he reached for her pants and pushed them off. Still wearing his clothes, he thrust his hand under the faucet to check the temperature before picking Gabriella up and carrying her into the shower. Nothing mattered except getting Gabriella clean. The warm water turned pink as the last of Venetia’s blood washed away down the drain.

Gabriella had cried until no more tears would come. She walked naked into the master bedroom and to the dresser to get clothes. Garret cleaned up the bathroom. He tried so hard to care for her.

Anger warmed her skin and reddened her cheeks. What
had she ever done to her sister to deserve this? Hadn’t she tried to help, tried to save her from making the wrong choices? She had devoted her life to giving her sister a chance at a good future. But the one thing she couldn’t do was control her sister’s choices. Garrett was right about that. The only person she could control was herself. She slipped on underwear and moved to the closet for a clean pair of jeans and a shirt.

Garrett stood naked in the doorway of the bathroom watching her, his face lined with worry.

“I’m okay. I can do this,” Gabriella said.

“I would feel a hundred times better if you would stay home tonight. Let me take care of Brenna. I promise you, we will take her alive.”

“No, I have to be there. I need to know I did something to stop her before she kills another innocent person.” Gabriella slipped into her jeans.

“
I wish you would use the potion. I can’t control what will happen tonight. Someone might get hurt, even killed.” Garrett walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of briefs.

“I am aware of that, but I refuse to hide behind magic. It’s bad enough that you are taking my place.
” Gabriella slipped on a pink cotton shirt before fastening the buttons.

“Dammit, don’t you understand? I need you to be safe. I don’t want to lose you.” Garrett ran his hand through his wet hair.
Then, he crossed the room and grabbed her by the shoulders.

“Silly man, I don’t want to lose you either.” Gabriella reached up and smoothed his mussed hair. “I need to be there, Garrett
, for my own peace of mind. I should have taken you to Brenna that first night at the Blue Dolphin. I didn’t realize how evil my sister had become.”

“You did take us to Brenna. You sent your waitress
, and we followed her. Brenna’s getting away wasn’t your fault. The fault lies with the Guardians.”

“You’re missing the point. I need to know my sister can’t hurt anyone else.”

“We have only a few hours. My father and Mabel should be almost finished protecting the armor. I want you by my side until the last possible minute. Then, you must promise me that you will do what Damek and Josiah say.”

“I promise. Believe me
. I know I’m not Guardian material.”

Garrett quickly slipped on a pair of jeans and pulled a cotton T-shirt over his head. “Don’t sell yourself short. You tried to distract Brenna from hurting Venetia. You weren’t cowering in
a corner. I’m proud of who you are, proud that you are my Destined One.”

Gabriella felt warmth fill her heart. “You always know what to say to make me feel better. Thank you.”

Garrett finished tying his shoes. “Baby, I love you. I want you to be happy.” He pulled her close and kissed her. Their tongues tangled, and Gabriella felt her body light up at his closeness. She melted into him as her arms went around his neck. He held her a moment longer before pulling back. “We need to get to Guardian headquarters. There are still a few matters that need clearing up.”

§

“I’m telling you that isn’t me. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the Guardians.” Haytham Luften’s face was a mixture of disbelief and misery. Gabriella felt sorry for the man but sat quietly by Garrett’s side.

“He’s telling the truth, Garrett. At least the truth as he knows it.” Mabel wiped her hand over her eyes.
From her slumped posture, Gabriella could tell she was exhausted. Garrett’s father had already returned home.

“It could have been an e
arth witch taking on his form,” Calder said from across the table. He squeezed his twin’s hand and passed her a tissue. Kendria wiped her nose. With her delicate bone structure, she resembled Venetia strongly. Kendria and Calder were still grieving for their aunt but refused to be left out of apprehending her killer.

“Or it could have been an air w
itch producing an illusion,” Josiah said from the end of the table. Damek was downstairs guarding the armory.

“Does he bear a mark from the magical branding iron?” Safara asked. “He might have been ordered to sabotage the armor and not even know it.”

Everyone in the room turned to look at Haytham. He gazed around the gathering. Hurt crossed his face, but he yanked his T-shirt over his head.

Gabriella was relieved to see that his chest was unmarked. It would have been a shame if it had
been. His bronze skin had a light dusting of blond hair. His muscles rippled as he reached for his shirt to redress. He could have been a model for a commercial with his yellow-blond hair in disarray and his troubled blue-grey eyes.

“I’ve been a Guardian for four years.
Magic chose me.” Haytham sat straight, looking around the room as if he dared anyone to believe ill of him.

Mabel sighed. “We needed to be sure, Haytham. Right now everyone is suspect.”

“That could be part of the enemy’s plan. Make us suspicious of each other. Break our morale,” Vahni Brenton, fire witch, said. Gabriella had never seen this man before with his caramel-colored skin and dark eyes. He sat next to the lycans, who had been suspiciously quiet during the interview.

“What do you think, Tolya?” Garrett asked suddenly as if realizing the same thing.

“I think young Haytham is innocent, and yes, as Vahni suggested, the enemy could be trying to plant seeds of doubt among the Guardians. Seth and I haven’t been Guardians for very long. But I don’t think your traitor is a Guardian. As you know I can scent a lie. I can also smell other emotions. Deceit gives off a strong odor, as does malice. None of you reek of those emotions. Least of all, Haytham.”

“It appears to me that Haytham is being set up.” Seth sat forward at the table. Gabriella remembered th
at he was rumored to be a computer genius even though he was the youngest Guardian.

“I checked the camera outside the armory
,” Seth said. “There is no sign of tampering. No paint or scratches. The security disk clearly shows Haytham spraying something on the lens. But there is nothing on the lens now.”

“
All right,” Mabel said. “Seth and Vahni, I want you to stay here at headquarters and make sure no one else sneaks in while the rest of us apprehend Brenna. The rest of you armor up. I want everyone in position before Gabriella ports in to meet her sister. Garrett and Josiah, I need to speak to you a moment.” Mabel waved her hands, and the Guardians around the table got up and headed out of the room.

Josiah rose and walked
over to stand next to Mabel. Garrett reached and squeezed Gabriella’s hand but made no move to stand.

Mabel sighed and ran her hand over her eyes. “I’m not going to last much longer.
All my strength went into the spells for the armor. Since I know Garrett is going to change places with Gabriella, I am appointing Josiah as lead. Until we know more, I want Garrett’s transformation kept a secret. Only the four of us will know that the Gabriella meeting with Brenna is actually Garrett. Now I need someone to port me to the Earth-House. Rodric is insisting I stay there until we find the traitor. He doesn’t think my apartment is safe enough.”

“He’s probably right.” Josiah squeezed Mabel’s shoulder. “I’ll take you to the house.”

Mabel stood, and Josiah took her arm before both of them disappeared.

“What now? Didn’t Meadow say you needed some of my hair and nail clippings.” Gabriella reached for her purse.

“I’m not going to use the potion. I’m going to take your form.”

Gabriella gasped. “But she might Taser you. The spell would break if she does.
The potion would work even if you are unconscious.”

“She won’t. She wants you awake and aware. If she electrocut
ed you, you might pass out. No, she wants you to see her evil, to know that she holds power over you. Since I am taking your place, that works to our advantage.”

Josiah reappeared in the room. “Mabel is safely delivered. Your father assigned her the suite next to his. I could hear him snori
ng as we passed his door.”

“Father likes the attentions of a woman
,” Garrett said. “He remarried only a year after my mother passed. It’s been two years since the twin’s mother died in that boating accident. I’d say he is due for a new wife.”

“You think your father has a thing for Mabel? He’s old enough to be her
father.” Josiah’s face scrunched up in disgust. Gabriella couldn’t help herself. She laughed.

“You are about to go on a mission
, and all you can think about is Mabel and Rodric?” Gabriella laughed harder. Maybe it was the strain of the day, or maybe she was losing her mind, but the situation seemed ludicrous to her.

“Gabrie
lla is right,” Garrett said. “We need to get our heads in the game. Josiah go down and armor up and then bring Gabriella’s armor back here. We’ll wait until you return. Have the others take the positions we discussed earlier. I don’t want any slip-ups. Brenna is not going to escape today.”

§

Garrett fastened the last buckle on the breastplate around Gabriella’s chest. The arm and leg pieces were already strapped on. The armor had spells on it to protect from magic attack and to deflect bullets. It was the best he could do to keep her safe.

“Whose armor is this?” Gabriella asked
as she gazed at the shiny metal.

“It’s a combination of Mabel
’s and Elise’s. Don’t worry, it won’t be missed.”

“Is there any
more news about Elise? I know you worry about her.”

“We have people out searching. But so far nothing has been found. I hope we can figure out where they’ve taken her. But right now
, my only thought is making sure you are safe. Remember what I said about staying with Josiah and Damek. They’ll keep an eye on you and port you out at the first sign of trouble.”

“I can port myself out. I’m not a child.”

Garrett swept his cloak around her shoulders and fastened it at the neck. “I know that. But you might not recognize danger. This is our job, remember? You’ve got to trust our judgment.” Nothing could be allowed to happen to her.

“Where’s your armor?”

“I’m not going to wear any. I can’t hide it when I take your shape. Besides, they wouldn’t expect you to have armor.” He wasn’t taking any chances. Brenna would be caught tonight.

“But how will you stay safe? What about my vision of you being shot?”

“I’m willing to take the chance. Josiah and Damek are here now. You have to go with them to get into position. I’ll give you fifteen minutes, then I am porting in. You said to meet her in your office in the pub, right?” Damek and Josiah entered the room, wearing armor and cloaks, two large swords attached to their belts.

“Yes, that’s where she would expect me to be. But Garrett, you can’t take a chance like this. I need you to be safe too.”

It warmed his heart to hear her say so. But now wasn’t the time to discuss it. He grabbed her close and kissed her. “Remember, I love you. Go now.” Garrett nodded to Damek and Josiah.

“Don’t worry
, cousin. She’ll be safe with us.” Damek grabbed Gabriella by one arm, and Josiah grabbed the other. Gabriella opened her mouth as if to argue, but the three of them were already becoming transparent and porting away.

Garrett ran his hand through his hair.
Great Goddess, he loved that woman. Shaking his head, he moved into the middle of the room. He began to chant the shape-shifting spell as he visualized Gabriella’s form. He knew everything about her now, her smile, the way light caught in her hair, the color her eyes turned when she was troubled. He built the image in his mind and finished the spell.

He felt his body start to shift. White lights exploded in front of his eyes. He blinked several times. When he looked down
, he saw Gabriella’s shapely legs encased in her favorite jeans. His hands were smaller with long slender fingers and polished nails. Testing his voice, he thought he caught her tone and inflection perfectly.

“Well, it’s now or never.”

Picturing the inside of Gabriella’s office at the Blue Dolphin, he ported.

§

“Garrett,” Gabriella called. “We have to go back. He has to have some kind of protection. My sister and the other cult members could do anything.”

Gabriella looked around in the darkness
. Josiah had lit the tip of his wand, and she recognized one of the smaller rooms of her basement. Chanting could be heard coming from the room next door.

“Shh, lower your voice. We can’t take a chance of being discovered
,” Damek hissed in her ear. Gabriella nodded her head in understanding. She gritted her teeth in frustration. What about Garrett?

Damek carefully opened the door and peeked out. No one was in the hall
. The pale light from the other end lessened the darkness, but it was still hard to see. Gabriella pulled her willow wand out of her pocket. She wanted to be ready for anything. Somehow, she needed to stop Brenna from shooting anyone.