Missing Magic (30 page)

Once this unfinished part of her former life
had been closed, she could look to the future – and Cenrick.

Rune. Her new family. And, she briefly closed
her eyes, swallowing, the man she loved.

Not knowing how he felt about her was
torture.

“Follow me.” Smiling broadly, the Chief led
the way into his office, closing the door behind them. Dee waited
until he’d taken his seat behind the desk. Then, she extracted her
paper and handed it to him.

“I’m leaving,” she said. “No regrets, no hard
feelings. But I’m done.”

“Dee,” he protested, exactly as she’d known
he would. “Don’t let this incident discourage you. Stuff happens.
Always has, always will. We’re targets simply because we’re cops,
you more so because you’re a woman.”

She’d thought her heart would pound, and that
her hands would tremble. Instead, she felt cool, calm, and very,
very certain. “I’m doing the right thing. I no longer want to be a
cop.”

“Mick will turn up. Every officer in the
state is looking for him.”

This time, she simply nodded, knowing Mick
would never be found, at least not here.

“Please. Read the letter.”

With a disappointed frown, he did as she
requested. “You have vacation time coming to you.”

“Yes. I’d like to use that as my notice. I’d
like to quit, effective today.”

His bushy eyebrows rose. “So soon?”

“The sooner I can put all this behind me, the
quicker I can move forward.”
And across the veil
.

“You were born to be a cop.” He was fishing
now.

Slowly, Dee shook her head. “No. I became a
cop for the wrong reasons. I followed Mick into law enforcement.
Not because I had any calling for it, but because he did.”

He nodded, his gaze steady behind his
wire-rimmed glasses. “What will you do now?”

“I’m not sure.” She shrugged. “Maybe I’ll
sell shoes.”

He laughed at her joke. Her obsession with
shoes was well known around the department.

The department. Dee shivered. Once, she’d
thought of them as her family. Fellow officers, always there to get
her back.

She’d been wrong.

Back at her apartment, she took one last look
around at her possessions. Things, that’s all they were. Nothing
here that she couldn’t live without.

When she was ready, she took out the stone
the Mage had given her. All she had to do was hold it, he’d said.
Hold it and think of him, and he’d come to take her home.

Home
. Even thinking of Rune in that
context made her shiver with mingled longing and fear.

It was time.

Drawing the stone out, she studied the smooth
blue surface. The color felt soothing, the temperature cool, though
warming in her hand.

She thought of Mort, picturing him appearing
in her living room, ready to take her hand and lead her back to
Rune.

Nothing happened.

She tried again.

Sparkles of light swirled on the edges of her
vision. Ahhh, now something was happening.

The sparkles became blinding. Blinking, she
shielded her eyes with her hand. “Mort? Is that you?”

“No, it’s me.”

That achingly familiar voice.

Cenrick.

Her heartbeat stuttered.

Once he’d materialized, he stood staring at
her, his gaze dark, his expression tortured.

She let her gaze roam unabashedly, taking in
each beloved detail. His chocolate eyes, his raven hair.

Cenrick. The other half of her soul.

“You called?” He asked, grinning.

“I was expecting Mort,” she said stiffly. “He
told me if I called upon him, he would come.”

“I had to see you,” he said. “I’m sorry, I
know I should let you resume your life, but I couldn’t stay
away.”

“Why have you?” Glad she could ask the simple
question, she held herself utterly still, afraid she might
shatter.

“I’ve been waiting for you to come and get
me.” Her voice caught, faltered.

“He's all right?” She couldn’t contain her
happiness. “The way Natasha was talking, I feared he might be
dying.”

The heat in his gaze scorched her. “She’d
hidden him in a motel room in Houston. We had to employ ancient
magics to learn where we might find him. I researched the spells
and helped Mort work the magic.” Satisfaction rang in his voice.
“In this a scholar was needed, rather than a warrior.”

“You’re both,” she told him, tentative hope
flaring into joy. He hadn’t forgotten about her after all. “How is
King Roark?”

“He’s recovering. And,” he lifted his head,
his expression full of pride. “He’s announced I’m to be the next
King. I’ve proven my right to lead.”

Just like that, the faint flare of hope
inside her was extinguished. “Congratulations!” So what if her
smile felt a bit wobbly? She couldn’t let her love for him destroy
his life. She guessed she’d better get used to once again being
completely alone. After all, she’d had lots of practice.

“Will you come with me to Rune, where you
belong?” he asked, shocking her.

Tentatively, she took a step towards him.
“Why? Wouldn’t it be easier on us both to say good-bye now?”

“Good-bye?” His dark brows rose. “Is that
what you think I came here for?”

Biting her lip, she held his gaze. “Isn’t
it?”

In the space of a heartbeat, he closed the
distance between them, covering her mouth with his. His searing
kiss sent heat all through her entire body.

When they broke apart, he touched his nose to
hers. “There, Dee Bishop. Do you still doubt the way I feel about
you?”

Again hope, that traitorous longing,
blossomed. “I—.”

“Let me also tell you.” Satisfaction and love
rang in his deep voice. "You are all I ever want and need, the
woman who fills my nights with longing. You are the mate I want to
stand beside me – as my lover and my friend. I love you, Dee
Biship. You, and only you. You are the other half of my soul. You
complete me.

He kissed her again, and this time she kissed
him back, pouring every bit of her love for him into the kiss. But
then she remembered. Cenrick was to be King.

Immediately, she broke the embrace. “Wait. I
can’t think when we do that. What about the throne?”

The look he gave her was thoroughly male and
supremely confident. “Do you have objections to becoming my
queen?”

“But I’m—.”

“Half-fae. Warrior to my scholar. And my
soulmate.”

For a moment she couldn’t catch her
breath.

“I love you,” he said.

Dee raised her head, deciding finally to
simply follow her heart. “If you’re sure…”

“I’ve never been more certain of
anything.”

She took the plunge. Wrapped her arms around
him and gazed up into his eyes, letting him see the depths of
emotion in hers. “I love you too, Cenrick of Rune. And I will
joyfully become your queen.”

“And return to your rightful place, where you
belong?”

“Yes.” Her smile was full of wonder, and
love. “Home.”

A look of joy crossed his features. Covering
her mouth once more with his, he kissed her. “Now that I’ve found
you, know that I will never let you go.”

At the fierce look of love in his gaze, her
own tears spilled from her eyes, while the awful tightness in her
chest eased. “Nor I you,” she swore, sealing their bond. “You are
mine.”

“As you are mine.” Pulling her to him, he
held her tightly, while her tears dampened his shirt, and the beat
of their hearts spoke of one rhythm, one soul, one love.

“Cry no more, beloved. We’ve found each other
now. We’ll never be apart again.”

When he slipped the crystal ring on her
finger, the clouds lifted. Every last scrap of missing magic had
now returned to Rune.

The End