Remnants of Magic (2 page)

“Then who?” He kicked the back of the passenger seat. “Let me go!”

“Stop it!” she hollered over her shoulder, not daring to look. “What’s your name?”

“Kieran,” he snapped out.

“You ever heard of a Sidhe named Rico, Kieran?” London sped up to make the turn into the roundabout, earning herself an angry blare of a horn from the car she’d cut off.

“No,” he grumbled. London risked a quick glance in the rearview mirror. The Sidhe watched out the window, maybe trying to remember the route, or more likely looking for some chance to catch someone’s attention. Just as he turned back, she tore her eyes away, not wanting to risk getting caught up in his gaze again. “Wait. He was the one killed by Changelings, right?”

London pressed down harder on the accelerator as they pulled onto the M9. “Before he got himself killed, Rico cursed me.”

“You’re lucky I’ve not started cursing at you!” He kicked the passenger side seat again. Fortunately, he couldn’t get a good angle on her seat. “Look, I don’t give a crap about your issues with some bloke I’ve never even met.”

“Not cursing
at
me! He cursed me!” she yelled over her shoulder at him. “Cursed, Kieran, as in the Touch.”

The silence from the backseat lingered. And then Kieran leaned forward as far as the seatbelt would allow, bringing his face only a foot or so away from her. The very proximity made her pulse surge. If she released her death grip on the steering wheel, she’d caress his face. His voice, so near, stroked over her and her body reacted with lust. “You mean he enchanted you with the Touch?”

“Cursed is a more accurate term, trust me.”

From the corner of her eye she saw him shaking his head. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“What doesn’t make sense?” London shifted. She felt him looking at her, studying her. Among humans, London estimated that she passed for ‘pretty,’ but by the standards of the fey, she was probably downright homely. Kieran was so handsome and utterly yummy. By all accounts, the fey were as casually sexual as vampires and werewolves. She didn’t even want to begin to guess how many beautiful fey women he’d entertained. The very thought of it left her feeling even more inadequate and hopeless. And yet, his eyes on her now excited a possibility she knew could never be. No way he looked upon her and liked what he saw, no matter how much she wanted that. And then again, she had kidnapped him, so any daydream of romance that the stupid curse coiled within her was wasted effort. She’d burned that bridge when she went for her gun and handcuffs, because despite the lies the curse planted in her mind, no Sidhe was ever going to fall for a human. And these feelings bubbling up inside were lies. She didn’t know this man and didn’t care about him, so she certainly didn’t love him. She craved not so much his magic for some fantasy of romantic fulfillment, as the relief from the torment of agonizing desire.

“If you’re enchanted then you’re supposed to be good. Nice, you know? Helpful.”

London burst out laughing. “What?”

“You’re lying.” Kieran dropped back into the seat.

“I’m not lying.”

“Then you don’t know what you’re talking about. If you’d ever really been Touched you’d not act like this. Not to a Sidhe. No way. No how.”

London laughed again. “Enlighten me, then. How would I be acting?”

“The Touch is the most amazing feeling. Beyond anything you can imagine. If you’d really been Touched, you’d feel too good to even think about hurting one of us. You’d love us. Be devoted to us. Do anything I asked. Fall to your knees before me begging to serve me, like those druids used to do. You most certainly wouldn’t be kidnapping me and you’d have to let me go when I told you to.”

“That’s what you want, isn’t it? Enchanted, indeed! Enslaved is what you really mean. Humans are nothing to you, to any of you!” London shouted. “Well, this is one human who isn’t playing by your rules. I won’t kiss your feet while you walk all over me.”

Kieran slumped down more into his seat. “I’ve been snatched by a complete nutter. Brilliant.”

“I didn’t start this. It’s not my fault,” London assured herself as much as the Sidhe. “I’m just doing what I have to in order to survive.”

“And just what’re you going to do with me? What’s the big plan? Take out your revenge against Rico on me, who’s never done one thing against you? You’re going to kill me?”

“I’m going to make you give me the Touch.”

“Is that all?” Kieran snorted. “You just want the Touch? Nothing else?”

“Nothing else. Just the Touch. Just make this longing go away.”

“Okay, sure. Pull over. I’ll Touch you.”

London furrowed her brows. “Just like that? You’ll just give me your Touch?”

“Sure. If that’s all you want. I’ll give you the Touch and you let me go. Call it a day.”

London pulled over onto the shoulder of the road. She shifted the car into park, unbelted herself, and turned around to look at him. “You’ll Touch me?”

“Yes.”

She reached out and cupped his cheek, the only bare skin she could easily reach. She braced herself for the impact of the magic. She trembled with the anticipation of the wash of pleasure that would lift her out of her despair and carry her away like a riptide. Only nothing happened. Her thumb caressed the smooth skin over his high, defined cheekbone. “Touch me.”

“Small problem.” He shrugged. “Silver prevents magic.”

“If I remove the cuffs, you’ll vanish. Teleport away.”

“No, I won’t.” Even as he said it, London knew he was lying. His expression gave him away. Eyebrows raised a little too high. His eye contact was too focused, unblinking and not shifting in the slightest. The pitch of his voice rose when he protested.

“You’re lying.” London turned around and dropped into her seat. She shifted back into drive.

“No, I’m not!” he insisted. “I’m not, really! Just let me out of the cuffs and I’ll Touch you.”

London pulled back onto the highway as soon as the traffic cleared. “I’ve studied microexpressions. You have all the classic signs.”

“Awe, come on!” Kieran struggled against the seatbelt and the cuffs, throwing himself about and growling with frustration.

“Be still or you’ll hurt yourself.” London accelerated up to speed.

Kieran leaned forward again, as close as he could with the restraints. “If you won’t trust me when I’m not wearing silver, then how the bloody hell do you think you’re ever going to get the Touch from me?”

He had a good point. Damn it.

Normally, she was more levelheaded. Normally, she would have thought out her plan well in advanced. Thus far, all she could think of was finding and catching a Sidhe. Now that she had one, she wasn’t sure what to do with him. Or more importantly, how to get the Touch she needed without giving him a chance to escape.

London fumbled in her jacket pocket for her cell phone. She dialed Selena’s number. The day was late. Some of the cars on the road even turned their headlights on in anticipation of dusk. Perhaps the vampire mistress would already be awake.

No such luck. London left a message in her voicemail. “Hey, I’m going out to the manor. Call me when you get this.”

“Listen to me, lady. You better just let me go right now. You don’t know the trouble that will come for you.”

“Are you referring to this Donovan that everyone is whispering about?” London turned off on the next exit, following the road farther away from civilization. “Even he won’t be able to find you where we’re going.”

Chapter Three

The headlights illuminated the path and the overgrown verge only a few feet ahead of the car. Reaching blades of grass arched into the trail and slapped against the sides of the car as they bumped along toward the manor. Finally, the pathway opened into the lawns that surrounded the manor, the outbuildings, and the moon garden that curved around the side and back of the main building. The motion detectors flicked on the electric floodlights in the courtyard. London stopped a few feet from the front porch. “This should work perfectly.” She switched off the engine. “Selena has wards against teleportation and Glamour.”

She retrieved her gun from the door of the car and then holstered it at her lower back. Taut with the expectation of a struggle, she went around to the other side of the car to fetch the Sidhe. Bracing her forearm against Kieran’s chest, she reached across him and released his safety restraint. Then she drew out her gun and kept it down by her side, ready to use if need be.

“Alright, Kieran. Get out. Slowly.”

“No.” He sat there as though he intended on sitting there for the rest of his life.

She raised the gun and aimed it low, at a leg. “Get out.”

“Are you going to shoot me now? After all this trouble to snatch me? Risk killing me, when you need me so desperately? I think not.”

“Kieran, get out of the car.” She reached in and grabbed a handful of his shirt.

He twisted away and kicked out, catching her hip and driving her back. The power of it sent her falling backward. Before she could recover he caught the door with his foot and slammed it shut. He shouldered the latch into place, locking it.

London smacked the window with the flat of her hand in frustration. “Damn it!”

Without the seatbelt pinning him, Kieran moved quick as a pixie. He slipped his bound hands under his bum and brought them up before him. In his haste to climb into the front seat, his hand hit the car horn, the blast of it startlingly sharp in the silence of the countryside. London dove for the front door, but he beat her to it, locking it.

“I have the keys, you know!” She fumbled for them in her pocket even as Kieran bent under the dash and started hotwiring it.

“Selena?” A voice called from the manor.

London scrambled with her keys, jamming the right one into the lock. Kieran grabbed the latch from the inside so the key refused to turn. Risking a glance over her shoulder, London recognized the man framed in the doorway. As he stepped out onto the porch, more people filtered out after him. “Stephan?” The engine made an attempt to turn over, then died. “No!” London tried the key again, but Kieran gripped the latch when she went for it.

“Having a spot of trouble?” Stephan laughed. With the merest gesture four of his wolves vaulted over the railing. They charged the car before London could protest. One of them gripped the edge of the hood and flung it upward, breaking the metal latch. Even as the engine tried to kick over again, he tore away the distributor cap and wires and flung them toward the bushes. The other three wolves descended upon her car, shoving her out of the way. Both front doors were ripped from their hinges and cast aside. Kieran fought, but to no avail. They flung him down to the ground before Stephan. Kieran made to scramble up, but two of the wolves tackled him and forced him back down onto his hands and knees.

Stephan dropped down each step on the porch with a heavy thud of his boots, and the effect of it was like a judge’s gavel, silencing the growls of his men. “London, I see Selena’s keeping your hands full. Did she send you all by yourself with this treat?”

London crossed between him and her prey. “Stephan, this one’s not for you.”

“Surely Selena would not deny her guests the full hospitality of her home.” He grinned at her, the wolfish canines all too evident. Not the fine points of the vampire fang, these fangs were designed to rend flesh, not cleanly pierce a vein.

London drew her weapon. “This prey is mine.” The growls around her answered her challenge. She was alone, trying to defend the prey she’d caught. They were a pack, with the power and determination to take it from her.

Stephan only laughed and then inclined his head toward her trashed car. “You aren’t taking him out of here in that.” He inhaled deeply. “Fey? Now what could a human want with a fey? Did you swipe him from Selena’s stash?”

“This one is mine. I caught him.” She squared off with Stephan, raising the gun toward him. “Silver bullets, Stephan. I suggest you back off. Now!”

He tilted his head at her, winter-blue eyes watching her, gauging her. “What do you want with him? Selena hasn’t embraced you, has she? You don’t want his blood, so what, then?”

“I need him for his magic. I’ll die without it. Don’t think I won’t kill for it. Stephan, please. You care about Selena, and so do I. Let’s not quarrel.”

Stephan’s eyebrows rose. “His magic? Just what manner of fey have you snared, London Lassie?” He sidestepped her to get a better look, but she moved to stay between him and Kieran.

Her need to protect Kieran spiked like an unreasonable fury within her. “Stephan, back off!”

“Sidhe?” His eyes practically shined with the guess. “You’ve been Touched?” Stephan tisked. “Careless of you.”

A body blow struck her from behind. The impact knocked the gun out of her hand with enough force to send it bouncing into the high grass. The collision with the ground drove the breath from her lungs. Stephan’s wolf drew her hands behind her and then forced her to kneel beside Kieran. London gasped, still struggling to reclaim her breath. “Stephan! You know I’m Selena’s friend. Don’t do this!”

He waved off her concern. “London, no one will harm you. Just prevent you from harming anyone else. Nor will we slay your precious Sidhe.” Stephan crouched before the fey. Gripping a handful of Kieran’s hair, Stephan yanked his head back until he bore his throat. He sniffed Kieran’s neck, and then growled hungrily. His nose brushed through the Sidhe’s hair as he inhaled his scent. “No, we would never slay a prey as desirable as the Sidhe.”

“Let him go, Stephan!” London jerked her shoulders away from her captor, but he recovered his grip on her before she could escape. “Your wolves will turn feral at the scent of Sidhe blood, much less the taste. They will kill him!”

At her warning, Kieran struggled, but it only heightened the excitement of the wolves. If he broke free, they would instinctively run him to ground, and then there would be no saving him from slaughter. She shouted, “Kieran, be still! Yield! Submit or they’ll tear you apart right here!”