If Wishes Were Horses (16 page)

“A week,” she said, staring up into his eyes  as his touch caressed the rapid pulse in  her trapped wrists. He lowered his head to stroke her throat with his tongue. “Give me  a week.”

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Joey W. Hill

Chapter 11

A day was harder than she expected. Three days were unbearable. Even with thehundred things she was doing to help Chief Wassler with the investigation and  thedetails of running her own town, the passions Herne had awakened in her body madeher as physically stimulated as a teenager, coupled with the emotional agony of being hopelessly infatuated with the man.

Herne did cooperate with the investigation  in other ways, helping to calm some of her concerns about his connection to the case. He gave Wassler the name of the woman who'd been priestess at their Beltane Rite on the night Lorraine Messenger was murdered.

At Eric’s request, Sarah sat in with Wassler on the interview. Linda Egret was anengineer and middle manager at the county  nuclear plant. The woman who showed up in dress slacks, soft lavender blouse and heels was far different from the naked priestess  Sarah had seen. However, her green eyes  were steady and compassionate, and she answered their questions and came up with a similar technical analysis of the ritual depicted in the crime scene photos. She did  not dip her toe into the waters of what might have  been called or how the woman had died, as Herne had. She had never met or heard of Lorraine Messenger.

Sarah passively listened to the interview between Eric and Linda Egret until thatmoment. “Mr. Herne didn’t mention the woman  had asked to be part of the coven?” sheasked. “Wouldn't the  two of you, as head priest and priestess, make those decisions together?”

“Perhaps.” Linda hesitated. “But I trust Justin's judgment. He's never given me reason to doubt that he has the best interests of the coven at heart. He can be fairly arrogant about some things,” a familiar smile touched her lips and Sarah was annoyed at the twinge of jealousy she felt, “but he  sets aside his ego in matters of faith and  thewell-being of the group. He's a caring friend  and a very spiritual man. That's what thisis about, isn't it?” Her eyes darkened with  anger as she  studied the two impassive cops before her. “You suspect he's somehow involved  in this. I can tell  you that Justin Herne isn't violent, nor is he  deceitful. He will do  everything he can to help you  solve thiscase.”

“Miss Egret,” Sarah leaned forward, “I was a witness to the Beltane ritual you performed with Mr. Herne earlier this week. I know you  two are lovers.”

Linda sat back, her gaze frosty. “You were on private property, Chief Wylde.”

“Yes, I was,” Sarah said calmly, though  she was very aware of Eric's sudden  attention on her. “Mr. Herne and I have already resolved the mistake. I apologize for

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invading your privacy. However, it occurs  to me you may be withholding information  because you have a lover’s desire to protect him.”

“No, I'm not. Justin Herne doesn't need protection. He didn't harm anyone. I know that as a friend and as a spiritual partner.  We are not lovers, Chief Wylde. The sexual  coupling of  the Great Rite doesn’t require that. It’s most powerful when it is done by lovers, but  it only requires two people  comfortable enough with each other and  themselves that they can lower their shields  and permit the spirit  of the Lord and Lady  to come into them.” Linda laced her fingers on  the tabletop, met Sarah’s hard gaze with  a steely one of her own. “It is the Lord and Lady you saw come together to bless the  Earth that  night, not me and Justin Herne.  Lovers are those who share heart, mind and  soul, outside the circle as well as inside  it. Justin and I do not share that bond.”

* * * * *

It was a struggle to shift gears, going from  three days of non-stop work on a murder investigation to a presentation at the Marion Middle School auditorium. Sarah sat backstage and looked over her program offered by a courteous teacher. The kids were getting a ninety-minute marathon on every social issue related to personal health. Family planning was right before her ten-minute bit on illegal drug use. She almost bit off her tongue when she read the  presenter's name.

“Chief Sarah, this stalking of yours has got to stop.” Justin slid down  into the metal chair next to hers.

“You're the speaker on family planning?”  She eyed him. “Do they know what kind  of shop you run?”

“You, the moral barometer of the community,  already told me I had a nice place,”  he pointed out. “So why are you shocked? Did you miss me?”

She had, every raging gland. “You really need to get over yourself, Herne.”

“So you did. I’ve missed you, too.” He settled back comfortably, stretched an arm along the top of her chair. He just hooked  his fingers  on the metal back, didn't even  touch her, but his nearness made her skin itch. “How about you go to an erotic film festival with me tonight? It's just a five  minute drive from here, far away from the disapproving stares you imagine would be  on the faces of Lilesville citizens.”

“Didn't I say a week?”

“Don't consider it a date. We'll even keep one seat between  us, just like straight  guys going to the movies together.”

She had to tighten her lips against a smile. “Charm won't work on me, Herne.”

“Mmmm.  I'll keep that in mind. There's  my cue.  Now,  where did  I put that bag of  complimentary hopping penises and discount  coupons for my adult video selections?”

He rose, slipping easily into a professional manner with the teacher who came to  escort him out on stage. Sarah shook her  head. He  was such  an ass. And she was  moving from lust and an as-yet-undefined emotional attachment into liking him. It was

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revolting and worrisome, because her gut  wouldn’t let up. She knew there was a  connection between him and Lorraine Messenger, and that nothing could be more  stupid than  a cop who got into bed with someone connected to a murder. Her hormones and her heart couldn’t care less.

She expected him to start with the basic  building blocks of contraception, diseases, pregnancy. However, as with most things, he surprised  her.

After his brief introduction, he pointed to a  girl and boy sitting together in the thirdrow of the auditorium. “I’d like you two to come up here with me, if you will.”

There were the expected whistles and catcalls, and teachers hushing their assigned rows as the two teenagers reluctantly came  on stage and he extracted their names fromthem. Mary and Travis. Mary was pretty in  a quiet way. Not the cheerleader, but moreof the nice girl that  everyone liked. Travis  was gangling and a bit pimpled,  but had a beautiful  head of chestnut hair and hazel  eyes. Sarah wondered if anyone other than

Mary noticed how handsome he was, or would be. Looking at him critically as ateenager would, she knew he was probably  considered a geek, and Mary was a bit plump.

“Mary, Travis, how long have you been going together?” Justin asked. He didn’tuse the microphone because he  didn’t need it. That sensual voice of his penetrated every corner of the auditorium as easily as it penetrated  Sarah’s defenses.

“Three months,” Travis mumbled. Mary blushed.

“I knew they were dating,” Justin explained to  the audience, “because of  their body language. They were sitting together in their seats, leaning so their arms were touching, from shoulder to elbow.”

Justin smiled, waited for the jeers and oohs  to settle down. “Physical contact is one of our most important ways of communicating with one another. Right now is an incredible time for all of you.” He paused, looking out at them, creating a sense of intimacy with just one steady look, as if  he  were talking to each of them personally. Sarah leaned  forward and saw even the teachers looked  pulled into it.

“There will never be another time  in your  life when you will be so aware of the way someone's hand feels holding yours.” Justin  stepped behind the two, picked  up Mary's hand, and placed it in Travis's. He closed  their fingers around one another, turned them  so they were facing each other instead of  the watching audience. “Feels pretty good, doesn't it?”

The two kids grinned, embarrassed but unable to deny their feelings. Sarah foundherself smiling.

Justin pointed a finger  out into  the audience, swept it across them all. “Someone's foot covering yours under the  desk, that stolen kiss  between  classes. That  very first kiss.” He shook his head, took a deep breath and  rolled his eyes, eliciting nervouslaughter. “It’s all so exciting, and yet it is the oldest  ritual we know. The search for connection through touch, the desire to create  a circle with a mate and become united.

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And because it is the oldest ritual, it is very natural to want that to progress to a complete physical union, a consummation of two bodies. What we call, clinically, sex.”

He dropped his  tone  to a dramatic whisper and quirked his  brow at them. The students reacted in appropriate teenage fashion. He moved back to Mary and Travis, put a hand on each shoulder while  the students calmed back down.

His voice settled into that riveting cadence Sarah was beginning to recognize and enjoy far too much. It possessed a quality  that conveyed something important andmysterious was about to be said and shared, and they would all be part of it, joined in its truth. He pulled something out that was  inside  of  each  of  them,  touching  on  ayearning that they each had, no matter its individual shape and form. Two hundred teenagers in an auditorium were as attentive  to it as Laura Crittenden or members of  a  Tantra class. The night of the class she had likened it to the skill  of a gifted priest, but ithad been a comparison only. Now she acknowledged it. Justin
 
was
 
a priest.

“Sex is a never ending adventure, the exploration of a lifetime between two people who love each other. You are no longer children, so it is normal for you to be thinking about it. There are many things you do not  know yet, because you lack experience, but there are many things you do.

“Now, in a  minute, I'm going to  talk about  the things you expect me to talk about.  Protection, disease. How abstinence is an  acceptable choice and the only surefire  protection against pregnancy or  disease.  You'll need to think about those things, because each of you is responsible for your own actions.”

He stopped again, nodded, and got some return nods from the students in the first  few rows. “However, when you feel for somebody the way Mary and Travis feel about  each other, it’s like a huge shouting inside of your heart.  The practical stuff hardly rises above a whisper in comparison. But contained  within  that shout of feelings is a very, very powerful force.”

Justin turned to his two companions on stage. “Travis, if you and Mary were out  one night, and some guy jumped you with  a knife, you'd fight him to protect Mary,  wouldn't you?”

Travis nodded, tightened his grip on Mary’s  hand. “You bet.”

Mary showed her first spark. “And I'd help. I wouldn't let him hurt Travis.”

Justin slanted a glance  toward the wings and Sarah was immersed in warm and  confusing feelings at the very brief look he sent her way.

“If this were six hundred years ago, Travis  might be a knight of  the Round  Table,  and Mary would be his chosen  lady. She would tie her favor on his arm before he went  into battle and pray for his safe return. He  would fight any evil to protect her, to save her from a wizard or two.”

Justin used his hands to good advantage, gesturing out at the audience in a subtle

but dramatic manner that kept their attention.

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“They would know then, as they know now,  that the best part of each day is getting  to be part of each other's lives, no matter what else they face. There’s a lot to face out there, isn’t there?”

When he got a wave of verbal assent, he  nodded, his expression sober. “And we get  to my point. The reality of what we face with each other day-to-day requires just as  much heroism, even though it might not seem as dramatic.” He returned his hands to  the young shoulders of Mary and Travis. “Travis, you want to make Mary happy and  protect her from harm, and she wants to do the same for you.” His attention went outward again. “So I want you, all of you,  to keep two things in mind when you think  about whether or not you will have sex.

“First thing. Sacrificing your own immediate needs to protect a lover from a choice  that can change both of your lives in unpleasant ways forever is as brave and admirable  as jousting a dragon or saving someone  from a mugger. You’re old  enough to know how to take care of each other. Protecting  each other is an act of love, and courage. Never forget that, no matter what someone else tells you that you should do.”

He stepped back. “You  can sit down, Mary  and Travis. Thank you.” Justin watched  them leave the stage hand in hand and return  to their seats. Then  he raised his serious gaze to encompass his audience again, focusing them with that aura of dramatic  stillness that clung to his shoulders. “Now for the second thing.

“We can't dictate when and if you have sex. But I can tell  you,” his glance  went  deliberately to Sarah, “if you wait and do it  with someone for whom you feel a strong  emotional and spiritual connection, someone with whom you know love and forever  might be possible, who has a respect and caring for you that surpasses their desire  merely to claim your flesh, you will have a  memory worth carrying for the rest of your  life.”