Indigo Spell (18 page)

“Then why did you bring me here?”

“Because I couldn’t let you die and that night, the night of the hurricane, my only thought was to protect you. Bringing you here was instinct. I didn’t know my presence would be required once I arrived. This is where I come when I need to regroup, to relax. It’s rare for me to be needed here. I thought only of helping you.” Jaxon pressed a kiss against the wealth of chestnut curls. “Perhaps, in the Assembly’s eyes, I have made a mistake. But I do not believe so. I wanted you with me.”

Jaxon’s hands kept up a steady rhythm in an attempt to soothe her. “Tess, I cannot have a mortal wife. Facing the Coven is only the beginning. Now that the Allesandra witches have decided to rise, there will be more risings, more battles. I cannot risk your life and I cannot always be around to protect you.”

“Just spell it out for me, Jaxon. What exactly are you talking about?”

“You will have to achieve immortality.”

He drew back to watch her visibly swallow, digest the information. Her eyes flickered while her teeth gnawed on her lower lip. “And how would I go about doing that?”

“By conceiving my child.”

Tess’ breath shuddered out of her lungs. “So I would have to get pregnant right away.”

“Soon after the marriage ceremony, yes. The Assembly would not be willing to risk waiting too long after that.”

“Okay, so if I become your wife, get pregnant, I’m immortal. That doesn’t sound too bad. What’s the down side? There’s obviously something you’re not telling me.”

He released her and eased her back against the mattress. “Your life will be your own no longer. You will not be able to simply get in a car and drive to the store. You will always be under guard, under protection because your life will constantly be in danger.”

“But if I’m immortal, how can I be killed?”

He cupped her chin in his hand. His eyes held hers, needing the contact. “The witches do not take away your life, sweetheart. They take away the quality of that life.”

Tess closed her eyes. “Stop beating around the bush and just tell me how they do that.”

“They will take the child from your womb and raise him or her as their own.” Jaxon saw the horror before she masked it. “It has been done before. The mother was never the same. She lost her son. He was raised as a warlock, practiced the black magic and in the end, he used it against his mother. She chose to end her own life. The Assembly lost her and her husband once he took the life of their son. Wizards cannot kill one of their own. To do so brings about their banishment from the Assembly. They leave stripped of their powers, forced to live as mortals until old age claims them. Most of them do not survive past the first year.”

“But the boy wasn’t one of their own. He had turned.”

“He was of their blood. That is the witches’ trump card. Once they gain control of a wizard’s child, their chances of ruling the universe increase tenfold. To that end, they are constantly on the lookout for a child. As long as they get them before the child turns three, the witches can raise that child as one of their own.”

Tess kept her eyes closed but her hand reached out to grip Jaxon’s. “So you’re telling me I would have to get pregnant right away to ensure my own immortality but if I do that, I increase the chance of providing the witches with a wizard’s child.”

“Yes.”

“Would you kill your own child, Jaxon?”

“I would not want my child to live and be raised as a witch.”

“But if that child was returned to us—”

“It doesn’t work that way. Once the child is gone, unless he is saved within seventy-two hours, the child is lost to us.”

“Who makes these rules?”

Jaxon lay down beside her, resting his hand on her hip. “They’ve been in place for centuries.”

“Yeah, well, remind me to have a talk with your governing body.” She shivered.

“You just did. I don’t think it went over so well.” He tried to inject some levity in his voice but the gravity of the situation prevented it. She had to understand what would happen…and that she had no choice.

Tess sat up cross-legged on the bed and clasped her hands together. “So if I’m following you correctly, I’m not going to be able to really talk to my friends or family. I have to get pregnant but I could lose my child if the witches get to him or her first and the only woman who will understand any of this will be my mother-in-law. You don’t know how enticing this sounds.” She rolled to her side to fit her body close to his. “That’s giving up a lot, Jaxon.”

As she spoke, he saw the reality of the situation and the inequality pummeled him. Why had he never seen it before?

She continued speaking but he was barely able to focus on her words, her questions. The pain ran deep within him and the knowledge of what he must do was nearly crippling him.

“Is there anything you have to give up or am I the one doing all the compromising?”

“The risk of banishment is higher with a mortal wife, one not born of a wizard but that does not matter now.” Jaxon dipped his head, kissed her, savoring the taste of her lips. “I have never talked about this with another woman, a mortal woman, and now that I have, I see what the future will look like for you. I cannot do this to you simply because I love you. I have chosen my wants over yours and the risks are too high. Your life will never be the same here and I fear you will never be happy again. Women who are born into this life can accept our ways. It would be more difficult for you to do so.” He kissed her again, a gentle brush of his lips over hers. “I shall take you back to South Carolina in the morning.”

“And if I told you I don’t want to go back to South Carolina?”

“The decision has already been made.” Jaxon got to his feet and moved around the bed. “I will love you forever, Tess, but I cannot, in good conscience, bring you into my world.”

She reached for him but he was too far out of her grasp. “You’ve already brought me here. Do you think this is something I want to forget?”

“Do you think this is somewhere you can actually live? Have you considered what will happen in the future?”

“You mean without you? Yes, I’ve considered it.”

Jaxon shook his head. “Without your family, your friends, the life you have known these past thirty years.”

“First of all, let’s leave my age out of this, shall we? Second, how about giving me a chance to make a decision for myself?”

“Because your emotions may rule you.”

She glowered at him. “Are you telling me you can read my mind now? You have no idea what I’m going to say or what’s ruling me.”

“Eyes really are the mirrors to the soul. And wizards have always had extremely superior eyesight.” Jaxon’s lips tilted upward in a mocking grin.

“At first,” Tess scooted to the edge of the bed, “I didn’t want to love you. I was scared to love you. You know with the hurricane thing and all, but now I’m beginning to see I need to love you.”

His eyebrow arched. “You need to love me?” Was he hearing her correctly? Could she really walk away from her life, all that she had known in South Carolina, to be his wife?

She bobbed her head. “Because you need me.”

He folded his arms. “I need you.” It was true but he wanted to wait for her analysis before he gave in.

“Exactly. You’ve been living without a woman for far too long, Jaxon, and while you may well be a superior wizard, your decorating skills leave a lot to be desired. I mean for a man who doesn’t want to draw attention to himself, you’ve done a hell of a job encasing this house in gold and silver. Not exactly muted stuff.” She climbed to her feet, crossed the room to stand in front of him. “You also need a woman to balance you. If not, you’re going to end up like that old wizard up there. What’s his name again?”

Jaxon’s lips twitched. “Andion.”

“Yes, that’s him. Andion. I mean it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the man needs a woman. He’s way too much into spells and magic. He needs to find the love of a good woman. She could help with his manners.” She tapped his chest. “And I can help with yours.”

“I don’t think you really understand what you’re getting yourself into.” Jaxon felt himself weakening even as he felt the push of the Assembly to let her go. His eyes darkened, shot fire toward the ceiling before settling back on her serene face. His shoulders relaxed, the tension easing from his body. Indecision evaporated as his destiny sealed.

“Why don’t you let me worry about that?”

“Because you’re a mortal and you have no concept of the changes which will come.”

“You’ve prepared me for some.”

“But not all. Some even I cannot share with you…at least not until the proper time.”

“More of those damnable rules, right?”

He touched her hair, her face, just needed to touch her. “Something like that.”

“Jaxon, I love you. I want to be with you. If that means accepting this way of life and your freaky family, then so be it.”

His eyebrow arched. “Freaky?”

“Well, even you have to admit they’re not even close to normal. I mean two of them didn’t even speak while I was up there. You would think they would have something to say about a mortal being in their midst.”

Jaxon tucked her closer to his body. “You will come to know their ways all in good time.” He felt her shoulders droop. “But no matter what happens, no matter what you learn in the next few weeks or months, know this one thing. I love you. I will always love you.”

She leaned against him. “And that’s as much as I need to know right now.”

“That’s nice to hear.” His breath brushed the hair away from her cheek. His hands began to stroke her spine and like the powerful engine of a sports car, she began to purr, moving in time with the sensuous movements.

“You’re hot, aren’t you?” he whispered.

“Do you really have to ask that question?”

He leaned back to see her face, twirling one lock of her hair around his finger. “You know, it so happens that I don’t have anywhere to be right now.”

Tess snagged hold of one of his hands. “Actually you do.”

One eyebrow lifted as he waited for her to finish the thought.

“You need to be right here.” Slowly she began to unbutton his shirt, sliding her hands across the muscles of his chest, ever so gentle as if he were a fine piece of porcelain.

“You have something naughty in mind, don’t you?” Though Jaxon asked the question, the dilation of his pupils told Tess he had the same thought.

Giving a little laugh, she pushed him backward onto the mattress. “Sit.” The thrill of the command intoxicated her. She was in charge and for now she would call the shots. “Take off your shirt.”

Keeping his eyes trained on her face, Jaxon obeyed, easing his shirt off his shoulders, allowing it to fall on the bed behind him.

Tess undressed with agonizing slowness, torturing him, teasing him with each sway of her hips, each flash of skin and when she finally stood naked in front of him, Jaxon’s cock throbbed against his zipper.

“Get rid of those pants,” she demanded, standing with her legs apart. As he stood to follow her dictate, she wet her index finger and reached down between her legs. Her clit was already moist and sensitive. Each nerve in her legs tingled—like electric shock waves.