Authors: Ann Macela
Tags: #General, #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Paranormal, #Romance, #Suspense
Wild Magic (36 page)
“I’m so sorry you lost your family Those are terrible things to live through. I can only imagine how it felt. But, Jim, listen to me. None of what happened is your fault.”
He sighed. That’s what he expected her to say. “Yes, it was. I couldn’t help any of them when they needed it the most. I should have been there. I should have listened to my hunches. I should have protected Charity. I should—”
She put a finger on his lips. “You couldn’t. Your parents’ deaths are a terrible tragedy. Your sister’s is, too. She made a lot of bad choices and didn’t take your help, and it killed her. You and your aunt couldn’t have locked her up. This may sound harsh, but
you
are
not
to blame. You did everything you could. What happened afterward—to you? What did you do?”
you
are
not
to blame. You did everything you could. What happened afterward—to you? What did you do?”
“Afterward, I went out for revenge and started looking for the people who provided the drugs to my parents’ killer and to Charity’s suppliers. Ended up in the DEA as a result. Found out the ultimate supplier was Finster, and now Ubell.”
He smiled, a small one generated by one of his best memories. “Found you, burglarizing a safe.”
“And I found you, a wild talent. So, here we are, full circle,” she said after she gave him a kiss. “I don’t understand, though, how any of the past affects our situation today”
“Because I’ve learned how to trust my hunches. Even when they’re vague at times, they’re right. The ones I’m having now are all bad. You’re in terrible danger, and I won’t be able to help you. Like with my sister, I don’t know
what
to do. Unlike with her, I know I have to do
something
. I’ll try my best, but I could end up doing the worst possible thing, and my actions could get you killed.”
what
to do. Unlike with her, I know I have to do
something
. I’ll try my best, but I could end up doing the worst possible thing, and my actions could get you killed.”
Her expression turned to one of sheer exasperation, and she poked him in the chest. “No, you won’t. These hunches are too vague to be meaningful. Besides, we’re in this together. We’re soul mates, and if whatever happens is too much for the two of us, we have a lot of people to help. I’ve just found you, and I’m not letting you go. So if you have some idiotic idea about taking on Ubell and the Stone by yourself, forget it. We’re a team.”
“Yes, ma’am.” What else could he say? Her declaration of their togetherness gladdened his heart. On the other hand, her words also meant she didn’t completely understand. His hunches were never wrong.
What could he do? Hell, what would he do when he had to go back to work? Could he depend on Whipple and the rest to take care of her, restrain her recklessness? Was there another way to protect her—by keeping her away from the fight altogether? “Is there a single chance in the world you won’t be part of Ubell’s Stone’s destruction?”
She shook her head. “I don’t see how. I don’t have a choice. The evil in the item has targeted me. When the Defenders destroy it, it will come after me no matter where I am. I’m much safer with the team and fighting back. I’m sure Fergus will bring in all the Swords and Defenders around. Besides ...”
Her expression changed from the previous sympathy for him to anticipation—excited anticipation. He almost groaned. He didn’t need a hunch to tell him what she’d say next. Sure enough . . .
“Besides, I’m a Sword, and destroying evil items is my duty. I must do this, Jim. It’s my calling.”
Jim opened his mouth and shut it again. What could he say to change her mind when her reckless side was in control? Not a damn thing. The worst part of it was he understood deep in his bones what she meant. He had his own calling.
“Be careful, that’s all I ask,” he told her. He sighed and held her close. Now he only had to figure out how to protect her despite her nature and his hunches.
If determination counted for anything, he’d be successful. She was his soul mate, damn it! Of course he would protect her—or die trying.
His center began to heat when he kissed her. Time to change the subject.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
That evening for dinner, Irenee and Jim joined Fergus, John, the high-ranking visitors, and the others working on the problem of Ubell’s Stone. Irenee was so excited, she thought she’d burst. Wow, both the head of the Defender Council and a member of the High Council itself. She told herself to be on her best behavior, especially with her soul mate at her side.
Surely, these experienced practitioners would be able to handle Bruce Ubell and his piece of the Cataclysm Stone. Jim’s fears would prove groundless. She just knew it.
The poor man had been through so much. How her heart went out to him for the loss of his entire family. She couldn’t imagine how she’d feel in his circumstances—probably hardly able to function. He’d held all his grief in, of course. She saw the proof in the difficulty he had telling her the story. Today was probably the first time he’d cried in a long time—if he had let himself cry at all when it happened.
If it hadn’t been for Charity’s death and his search for the drug suppliers, she might not have met him at all. No. She squashed that horrible thought. The soul-mate imperative was at work here. It would somehow have brought him to her, no matter what the previous events.
Besides, he was alone no longer. He had her now. In fact, he had her whole family, if he stopped to think about it. They’d already welcomed him with open arms—although he might not think so from her mother’s interrogation. When the current mess was over, they’d have the chance to get to know each other. Dad already liked Jim, she could tell. Did Jim realize it? She made a mental note to emphasize their togetherness—she was learning her “obvious” and his were often two different animals.
Her soul mate did have a strong overprotective streak, though. She understood where it came from, but he had to stop blaming himself or taking on the responsibility for those tragedies.
What was all his nonsense about not being able to help her? They’d proved he could. Men could be such wrong-headed thinkers at times.
He hadn’t mentioned his hunches again, even though she knew he was still having them. His aura remained a faint blue. Yes, she found them disturbing also, if too vague to take action. He was simply feeling the effects of Ubell’s using his Stone and those horrible dreams, and his hunches were coming from that.
Well, until he became sure of their meaning, she could do nothing. Besides, she had a bunch of other problems to think about—like learning how to use her upgraded powers for the battle to come.
When they destroyed the Stone, of course she’d be there, with him right behind her supplying energy. The shoe would be on the other foot then—
she’d
be protecting him. After the difficult episode with Finster’s Stone, all the Swords and half the Defenders in the country would be there, too. Nobody was going to get hurt.
she’d
be protecting him. After the difficult episode with Finster’s Stone, all the Swords and half the Defenders in the country would be there, too. Nobody was going to get hurt.
Irenee snuck a look at her soul mate sitting next to her.
Her soul mate!
The thought was still mind-boggling. The reality even more awesome. All the love scenes in all the romance novels she and her friends read in high school? Put together they didn’t come close to the true experience. How could they? She had the soul-mate phenomenon and a truly magical connection on her side. Simply the thought of making love again tonight was enough to get her blood flowing.
Her soul mate!
The thought was still mind-boggling. The reality even more awesome. All the love scenes in all the romance novels she and her friends read in high school? Put together they didn’t come close to the true experience. How could they? She had the soul-mate phenomenon and a truly magical connection on her side. Simply the thought of making love again tonight was enough to get her blood flowing.
Jim glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, turned to wink, and whispered, “Later.”
She coughed and hid behind her napkin. She was sure she’d turned the color of the tomatoes in the salad. Was he reading her mind now?
She composed herself when Fergus clinked his spoon against his glass to get everyone’s attention. Thank goodness, Fergus was to her other side so she didn’t have to look past Jim to see the head of the table. The man, in even an unfocused glimpse, was a distraction to her thought processes.
After reporting on the meeting at the Finster mansion, Fergus said, “In light of Ubell’s intransigence, we must use other means to obtain his part of the Cataclysm Stone. We’ll begin with the legal. After we finish here, Rachel, Miriam, and I will fly to Washington tonight to meet with both councils tomorrow. We have already ordered the legal masters to find every precedent that would compel a search of the property.”
“From past experience with these items,” Miriam stated, “we know Ubell will not abandon his, nor will he ever be physically far from it. The object is in the Finster mansion. He won’t leave without it. Conversely, we don’t want him to leave and take the Stone out of its shielding, even though it would give us actionable proof of its existence. The Stone might precipitate a fight in the open—a situation to be avoided if possible.”
“It’s too bad,” Rachel added thoughtfully, “we went after the first Stone clandestinely. A direct confrontation with Alton Finster under council warrants would have put us in the house and automatically given us search rights.”
“We followed proper procedure, but I do understand the attraction of putting the question to him in person,” John said. “You, however, didn’t take part in the struggle with the smaller remnant. In the light of that battle, I would have hated to face Finster’s piece,
in the hands of its possessor
, opposing its confiscation. We could have burned the house down, at the very least, and a worst-case scenario would have involved
both
Finster and Ubell
and
their Stones fighting us.”
in the hands of its possessor
, opposing its confiscation. We could have burned the house down, at the very least, and a worst-case scenario would have involved
both
Finster and Ubell
and
their Stones fighting us.”
“What do you mean?” Jim interjected.
“Destroying an item by itself is difficult enough,” Fergus answered. “Battling a practitioner wielding the item from within a pentagon fortress, using it to focus offensive and defensive spells, is a long, dangerous, nasty fight. You saw Irenee’s test. Multiply it by ten or twenty, throw in our blades and their energy beams, and you’ll have an idea of the possible damage.”
“I’m going to make some calls tonight,” John said, “to put other teams and unaffillated Swords and Defenders around the country on standby. Ubell’s larger Stone will be stronger than its smaller third. Once we have our hands on it, we’ll need every ounce of firepower we can get, and in very short order.”
After John’s statement, the discussion changed to revolve around tactics—which depended on the type of precedents they found and the strength of the orders from either council. Irenee listened carefully to the experts. She’d need every bit of knowledge when they faced the Stone.
“Oh, damn, my phone,” Jim whispered, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. After he looked at the caller ID, he excused himself to take the call out in the hall. When he returned, he had a grim look on his face, and Irenee’s center vibrated in a way she hadn’t felt before. Was it anger? Or trepidation?
“Folks,” Jim said into a break in the conversation, “I have some news of another kind. Ubell’s revved up his drug business again. A lieutenant of one of the biggest dealers paid a visit to the Finster mansion late this afternoon after your visit. Drugs have already appeared for sale on the street—by the truckload. Ubell’s wasting no time making up his losses. I have to report to my headquarters tomorrow morning.”
An icicle of apprehension ran down Irenee’s back, and her center quivered again. He wasn’t going to stay with her in the safety of the HeatherRidge.
“Any ideas what brought on his activity at this particular moment?” John asked.
“Several possibilities from my task force, but nothing definitive,” Jim answered. “Could be Ubell got tired of not making money. The pent-up demand created by withholding his merchandise raised prices, so he stands to make a bigger profit. Could be pressure from upstream, if more inventory is headed here and can’t be stopped, and the warehouses are full. Could be he has some big bills due or his distributors are unhappy. Or ... my idea, because it’s happening so soon after your meeting, he could be sending a message he can do what he wants and you can’t touch him.”
“Isn’t your last reason a little far-fetched?” Miriam asked. “We’re not involved with the drug business or law enforcement.”
Jim shrugged. “Anything’s possible here.”
“I agree,” John stated. “The Stone’s influence could certainly have warped Ubell’s reasoning.”
“Jim, keep us apprised of events on your end. Ubell’s drug business is out of our jurisdiction. His preoccupation with it may work for us, however,” Fergus said. “If he uses the Stone to enhance his dealings, he may trigger our sensitives to pinpoint its location. In the meantime, I suggest everyone use the lull to clear calendars and finish outstanding tasks at your regular jobs. Get some rest. We’ll need to move fast and in full strength when we get the go-ahead from the councils.” He rose and walked around the table. “The rest of you keep on with the contingency plans. Jim, Irenee, let’s talk in the hall for a minute.”
Once in the hall, Fergus came straight to the point, “Do you want a Sword for a shadow, Jim?”
“No,” Jim answered. “I have no way to explain one, and if I’m with another agent, or worse, an informant, and he notices somebody tailing me, it will cause even more problems. By the way, our surveillance people noted your visit and are making nothing of it at the moment. You looked like normal business traffic.”
“What if—” Irenee started to say.
Using his cop voice, he cut her off. “No, honey, you can’t come, either.”
“That wasn’t what I was going to say” She folded her arms over her chest. Well, maybe she was going to suggest it, but she had another idea, too. “What if you call in on a regular timetable? Then we’ll know where you are.”
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