Fire's Ice (6 page)

“Dangerous words, lover.”

“I meant them.”

“The Corrigans fear me because of the legend. They might turn you away if you show up with me on their doorstep. “She turned her back on him, crossed her arms to stave off a shiver. She was afraid. Afraid of how they would treat her. And how would she be able to give him up when it was time for her to return? There would be no happily-ever-afters for her.

Devin’s hands rested lightly on her bare shoulders.
Rough, not smooth or pampered.
“No one will harm you, Ari. I protect what is mine.”

Turning under his hands, Ari touched his cheek and looked deep into those tawny eyes. Searching them for the answer, she asked, “And am I yours, then?”

He smiled. “You’ve always been mine, since my wretched cousin cast that spell. Too bad I can’t thank him.”

“I agree to do whatever is within my power to help Raine. Now flash us out of this damnable circle.”

* * * *

“Hold on to me. Might want to close your eyes. The first time or two will make you dizzy.”

“Will it, now?” Her lips curved into a slow, sultry smile and betrayed her train of thought.

“Not what I meant.” But he was thinking about it now.

“I know, but I can’t resist teasing you. This isn’t going to tear me into little pieces is it?”

“No. Shh. Quit stalling. Just trust me and close your eyes.” He pulled her into his arms and gently touched his lips to hers. Her eyes fluttered closed. Sighing, Devin took the kiss deeper, felt his power swirling around them as he bent space. He felt the magic resist, try to pull Ari back into the dance.
Mine!
With that thought, he held tight and flashed them to Liv’s doorstep.

* * * *

She was drowning, sinking into the dark wicked taste of Devin’s kiss. Invisible hands tried to pull her back into the dance, but she clung tight to him. She trusted Devin to keep her safe. Floating in nothingness, Arianne felt solid ground underneath her feet, heard the swishing of her velvet dress across the wooden porch floor.

“We’re here.” His fingers skimmed from her waist over her arms, down to her hands and laced with her fingers. “You’re just going to be all kinds of trouble, Ari.”

Opening her eyes, she stared deep into his golden ones. “Mmm. Depends on what you consider trouble and whether or not I’m worth it.” She saw a curtain move just a bit in the window. A sprite of a boy appeared in the open space. “A little boy is watching us through the window.”

“Aiden, Raine’s twin.” Devin turned and knocked on the door and squeezed her hand. “It will be fine. You’ll see. They are expecting you.”

A tall man with dark hair and deep brown eyes answered Devin’s knock. Ari watched him eyes take in every detail with curiosity.

“Ari, this is Jack Roarke, Raine’s father. Jack, meet Arianne Farrell.”

“I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. I would have hoped for better circumstances. I am sorry your little one is ill.” Ari held her hand out for Jack’s.

He took her smaller one in both of his. “Hi. Sorry for staring, but you really look so much like my wife. Thank you for helping us. I don’t know how it is you come here or what you did in your past, but I am glad you are here now. Come in, Arianne, and meet Liv.”

“Thank you.”

“Come, Aiden. You should be napping.” Liv called out, and then froze when she saw Ari. “Briella.”

Jack rushed to catch her before she hit the floor. “Well, I don’t know what that’s about, but have a seat. I’ll be back in a minute.” Jack scooped up his wife and carried her into a room off the kitchen.

Aiden tugged on Devin’s pants leg. “Mama sick?”

“Just tired. She’ll be okay.”

“Kay. Hi.” Aiden waved at her.

She kneeled in the floor so she’d be eye level with the boy. “Hello. I am Ari.”

“A-deen. Awee prewty.” Reaching out, the boy took a lock of her hair. “Like mama.”

“So are you.”

That made Aiden laugh and chase after his mother.

“Oh, he is darling. Such a sweet little angel.” She turned to Devin. “If you want to send me back when this is over, fine, but know I do this for the child, not as barter for freedom. Or any other boon you might give me. I would have helped her anyway.”

“I never thought otherwise.”

“You seem to have a great deal of faith in me.”

“All the faith in the world,
a ghra
.”

“Why?”

But Jack came back with Liv and Raine before Devin could give her an answer.

* * * *

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Liv asked from the doorway. “Jack explained everything. Sorry I freaked out on you. It’s odd having a person you dreamed about but never saw walk into your living room. Well, I mean Briella, but you’re twins and–”

“It is all right. There is no need to explain. Just hold her in your lap. She may fight me. If she tears away from the link I open, it might kill both of us.”

“Will it hurt her?”

“Her pride, for it isn’t easy to submit to the will of another." She glanced over her shoulder at Devin. “Don’t try to boost my power with yours. That would be especially dangerous. Raine’s magic would latch on and feed off yours.”

“I won’t intervene.”

“All right.”

“Unless it is clear either of you are in danger.”

“Fair enough. Let’s begin.”

Jack moved to stand behind the couch, his palms resting on Liv’s shoulders as she held their sleeping daughter, connected on every level. “I’m here, baby.”

Kneeling in front of Liv and Raine, Arianne took the child’s hot hands in hers. Pulling on her power, she closed her eyes, focused on the heat of Raine’s magic, on absorbing that fire. Blood began to pump quickly through her veins. She felt alive in every pore as she drained Raine’s magic and took it into herself. And when she had taken all she could safely manage, Arianne took more.

The child didn’t fight her. Speaking an incantation ancient even to Devin’s ears, Arianne stood and drew a symbol with her fingertips on Raine’s forehead. Satisfied her work was done, she addressed Liv. “I’ve drained all that can be safely taken. The fevers will come again and we will have to repeat this process. When they do, send word to me, and I’ll come.”

“Thank you so much. She’ll get better now?”

Truth or lie? “For a time, but this is a temporary solution at best, Olivia.”

“Call me Liv.”

“Liv. For the time being we will search for another way to help Raine.”

“What kind of spell was that?” Devin twined her hand in his. Ari watched a flicker of curiosity cross Jack’s expression before he quickly masked the emotion. She decided he was a calm lake. Cool on the surface and stormy underneath.

She turned to speak to Devin. “Part binding, part linking to siphon her magic. Ancient and complicated.” She felt funny. Maybe she shouldn’t have drained so much of the child’s power.

“Are you all right?” Jack asked. “You look flushed.”

“I am fine.” She felt dizzy, but could handle that.

“How do we send word to you, Arianne?” Liv asked. “Do we go to the circle?”

“She’ll be home with me.” Devin leaned down and kissed Raine’s forehead. She didn’t stir. “Bye, punkin. We should go. Call my cell if you need anything.”

“Sure,” Jack answered.

“Devin?” The room slowly faded into a blur of colors, but her next words were lost. Devin’s strong arms swept her off her feet as darkness consumed her.

* * * *

Sheer panic tore through him as Ari paled and began to collapse. He caught her, slipped one arm under her knees, lifted and cradled her against his chest in one fluid movement. “Damn it, Ari.” Immediately realizing he swore in front of Raine, he apologized even though she slept. “Sorry.”

“Is she all right?” Jack asked and moved to feel her forehead. “She’s burning up.”

Arianne felt like a furnace in his arms. No doubt from absorbing Raine’s power. All they had managed to do was transfer the problem. “Stubborn. I was afraid she’d try something like this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Instead of draining just enough to help Raine manage the power, she took all she could. Her body is fighting not only the foreign magic, but the fever as well.”

“Call Kate, Jack.” Liv stood with Raine in her arms.

“No. There won’t be anything she can do for her. No sense in worrying Allie and making Kate feel helpless. I’ve got to get her home. I’ll check in soon as I can.” Gathering his magic around him, he shifted space and flashed back to the castle into his bedroom.

Chapter 7

Liv carried Raine back into the nursery and laid her on the toddler bed with purple hearts on the pillowcase. Her daughter was cool to the touch now, whereas she hadn’t been in days. “It’s going to be all right, my baby.” Feeling Jack’s presence behind her, she reached back and clasped his hand as he touched her shoulder.

“Whatever it takes, Liv.”

“We have misjudged Arianne terribly, Jack. And why? For a child’s nightmare? For a legend passed down over a thousand years? To give so much for a stranger, even a child, shows her true nature.”

“We’ll make it right, baby.”

“Do you think Raine will be all right? And what if she gets sick again before she’s able to help her?” Dimming the lights, Liv left the nursery door cracked as they moved into the hall.

“I know she will be okay.” He wrapped his arms around her waist.

She swayed into his touch, still strong and steady. Turning in his arms, she smiled, tracing the long thin scar running from cheek to jaw, reminding her of that final gift from Serena–his life. Miraculously, Jack had survived the explosion of his house the night she’d been taken, because his late wife had warned him. So many miracles. Maybe the fates would afford them just one more.

“And how do you know, handsome?” She kissed the scar.

“Devin gave his word. Surely you didn’t miss the way he scooped up our witchy woman back there?”

“I didn’t.” She sighed. “There’s a lot of history between them.”

“And a definite attraction. He was worried sick about her. He won’t risk either of them.”

“Devin worries about everybody. He feels responsible for her. That’s all.”

“I saw them kissing on the porch.” Jack glanced down at her mouth and her lips begin to tingle with the need to meet his.

“Oh, really?”

“Mmmhmm. Not just a little peck on the cheek, but a real ‘get a room’ kiss. The air crackled around them with red and white sparks. I think he’s in love with her, but he wouldn’t admit it.”

“And now he’s sweeping her off to his castle. How romantic.” She smiled. “Do you think she loves him?”

“Don’t know, but definitely in lust. Serious lust. Speaking of that, I have my own witchy woman to seduce.” Liv giggled as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her down the hall to their room.

“A witch, am I? What are you doing?”

“Taking my beautiful wife to bed while our sweet little rugrats are sleeping. We’ll be able to hear them.”

“A nap does sound nice.” She nudged their bedroom door open with her foot as Jack carried her through the doorway.

He closed it with his heel and set her down on the bed. She watched him toe off his shoes and turn the volume up all the way on the baby monitor beside their bed. He raised one dark eyebrow and winked. “A nap isn’t what I had in mind.” His eyes darkened as he stretched out beside her, “It’s raining, baby.”

“It is.” She took his mouth in a soft kiss and remembered the reason for her daughter’s name, a lazy rainy morning spent in Jack’s arms before their world had gone crazy. “I love you, Jack.”

“I love you too.”

Chapter 8

“Off the bed, Tess.” As the cat scrambled out of the way, Devin stirred the air to toss the pillows off his bed. Arianne hadn’t regained consciousness, even during the flash home. Laying her gently on top of the covers, he slipped off her shoes to help release some of her body heat. The heavy velvet dress she wore would only serve to make the fever worse.
I have to get rid of it.