Authors: Virginia Reede
CarnalHealing
Carnal Healing
Leonore has always known she’s a witch—the direct descendent
of the legendary Witch of Caernathen, whose power flowed from the sensual
pleasures of sex. After years of searching, Lenore has found six women, each of
whom has one of the magical gifts of their mutual ancestress. The circle of
seven now prepares to perform the ritual that will restore all of them to the
awesome power that is their birthright.
Dr. Jeff Carson thinks Leonore is only interested in a one-night
stand. But he soon learns the mysterious woman is impossible to forget, and not
only for the astonishing—and puzzling—sensations that he experiences during
their lovemaking. For once, Leonore is having a hard time leaving a lover
behind once she’s used him to restore her power.
Jeff and Leonore barely have time to explore their new
connection when an ancient enemy appears. The
Draíodóir,
an order of
sorcerers who will do anything to stop the ritual from happening, threaten not
only Jeff and Leonore’s love, but their very lives.
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica
Publication
Carnal Healing
ISBN 9781419927775
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Carnal Healing Copyright © 2010 Virginia Reede
Edited by Shannon Combs
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication May 2010
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of
Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not
be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written
permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home
Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this
copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or
distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without
the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including
infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is
punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
(http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print
editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of
copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons,
living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The
characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Carnal Healing
Virginia Reede
Author Note
If you would like to know more about the original Leonore
and Geoffrey of Carnaethen, you can read their story in
Witch’s Knight
by
Virginia Reede, another Ellora’s Cave title.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark
owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Boston Red Sox: Boston Red Sox Baseball Club Limited
Partnership
Volvo: Volvo Personvagnar AB Corporation
Forward
In the time of King Arthur there lived a powerful witch
named Leonore. A woman of legendary beauty and wisdom, she had many lovers, for
she drew her magic from the pleasure given to her by sex. Leonore’s adventures
were numerous and varied, as were her powers, and she was content to live her
long life in the company of the men—some powerful, some humble—from whence her
strength was drawn. It was, however, not until she met her one true love, Sir
Geoffrey, that her powers reached their full potential.
Despite her belief that she had grown too old to conceive,
Leonore and Geoffrey had many children together, for her magic preserved her
youth and his love made her fertile to the seeds he planted. These children,
having sprung from the potent magic created when they were conceived each grew
to discover they carried at least one of their mother’s powers. This was
especially true of the daughters, who were numerous and inherited their
mother’s beauty along with her magic.
Hundreds of years later, the female progeny of Leonore and
Geoffrey still carry the seeds of her magic. When they are fortunate enough to
find one another, they can become a powerful force for good.
But in their lifetimes, Leonore and Geoffrey made enemies,
and they too, have passed something along to their descendents—a dark power
that has been nourished and honed for centuries. These warlocks—for the seeds
of resentment flourished best in the hearts of men—have one purpose that unites
them: To find and destroy the Leonoreans.
Chapter One
“She won’t come,” said Ludmilla, noisily sucking the foam
from her cappuccino. “She thinks it’s all a bunch of hocus-pocus.”
“She
says
that’s what she thinks,” said Letisha. “She
knows it’s real. She just doesn’t want any part of it. But I agree with you,
she won’t come.”
Leonore listened to the other women as she sipped her own
coffee. She sincerely hoped they were wrong. “She’s showed up before, even if
she argued beforehand.”
Letisha’s snort expressed a world of disdain. “That’s
because we all browbeat her into it.” The foam from her chai had left a
mustache that contrasted with her cocoa-colored skin, and Leonore suppressed a
smirk before replying.
“Then we’ll do it again. She’s too important to the circle.
She’s probably the most powerful of us all.”
Ludmilla shook her head. “I don’t think you realize how dead
set against it she is this time. And
you’re
stronger than she is,
Leonore. You’ve even got the Ancestor’s name.”
“Coincidence,” said Leonore. “My mother just thought it was
pretty.” This comparison always made her uncomfortable. She knew her own magic
was strong.
Letisha snorted again. “Your mama knew exactly where that
name came from, girl. She studied the legends too. Ain’t no coincidence and you
know it.”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Leonore, dismissing the subject.
“Millie, would you try to talk to her? She’s still mad at me from the last time
and she’ll listen to you.”
“I’ll try,” said Ludmilla. “But I’m not making any
promises.”
“Well, do it soon. We’re running out of time. The equinox is
in less than a month, and she’ll have to request the time off work. You two
already take care of that?”
“Yeah, I took care of it,” said Letisha. “It’s gonna use up
the last of my vacation, though. And Jamal’s pissed off—he wanted to take me to
Jamaica. Why do we have to go to England, anyway? It always worked just fine
right here in Massachusetts.”
Leonore sighed.
Getting seven of us to agree on anything
is like trying to herd cats.
“We’ve been over this all before, Tish. The
stone circles here are replicas and, although they do seem to help magnify the
power in rituals, it’s not the same as the real thing.”
“So? I mean, this is all just an exercise, right? It’s not
like we’re gonna save the world or something.”
“Maybe not,” Leonore conceded, “but that doesn’t mean we
won’t have to someday. And we need to be ready, in case the
Draíodóir
decide
to cause trouble.”
“The Dr—gawd, I can never pronounce that word.”
“Dry-oh-dwar,” Millie enunciated, rolling her r’s
elaborately.
“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, the
Draíodóir
are a myth,” Tish
scoffed. “My grandmother used them and the word ‘bogeyman’ interchangeably.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you paid attention to the
writings,” Leonore argued. “They’re all over the Vycerian manuscripts—”
“Which were written six hundred years ago,” Tish
interrupted.
Leonore ignored her. “And when the sisters of that age
united against them, saving the world might not have been too far off the
mark.”
“The
Draíodóir
were more interested in wiping out the
Leonoreans than the Earth,” When Leonore raised her eyebrows, Tish continued.
“Yes, I read the damn Vycerian manuscripts. All eight volumes, if you must
know. And even if you believe they’re not about three-quarters fairy tale, the
sisters destroyed the
Draíodóir
. Totally kicked their collective asses.”
“Defeated, not destroyed. Depending on the translation, they
may have just been driven underground.” Leonore said, not backing down. “If
even one survived, he could have passed on the powers. We need to be ready.”
“Which we will be,” Millie cut in. “I was trying to find out
more about this henge we’re going to use. It’s not very famous. I would think
you’d want to try Stonehenge or another one of the big ones.”
Tish laughed aloud. “Girl, can you imagine what Stonehenge
would be like on the autumnal equinox? Half the Wicca wannabes in the world all
trying to jam in there at once, covered in crystals and chanting some spell
they got off a website. Most of them wouldn’t know a real witch if they tripped
over one.”
“Some of those wannabes might be Leonoreans, and just not
have been as lucky as we have been, to know one another,” chided Millie. “You
shouldn’t make fun.”
Leonore looked with affection at the two women, closer than
any sisters. Ludmilla’s high cheekbones and almond eyes gave her an exotic
look, especially when she had her waist-length hair coiled up in the elaborate
coif she favored for work. She claimed eastern European royalty in her
ancestry, and it was probably true—some Leonorean women had certainly formed
liaisons with men of power.
Letisha, on the other hand, was pure American home-girl, and
even the stern lines of her police uniform couldn’t disguise her lush curves.
Contrast the two with Leonore’s own freckled face and too-curly red hair and
she figured they probably looked like the cast of a politically correct sitcom.
“Tish is right, though,” she said. “We need to make sure we
don’t have to compete for space in the circle when the time comes. The equinox
happens at exactly nine minutes before noon, and we need to time the ritual
precisely or we’ll miss the peak of power. You
have
been practicing your
parts, haven’t you?” Leonore eyed Millie pointedly—she was notoriously sloppy
about her spells.
“Relax, Leonore, I’ll be ready. Why are you so cranky,
anyway? When was the last time you had sex?”
“Too long ago,” admitted Leonore. “I’ve been busy, and it’s
such a pain in the ass to go out and find someone.”
“If you kept a regular guy around, you could just make a
booty call whenever you need a little pick-me-up.” Letisha grinned wickedly.
“Did I tell you girls how fine Jamal’s ass is? And his cock—”
“Is so long he can’t even wear shorts,” finished Millie,
rolling her eyes. “You may have mentioned it twenty or thirty times. Spare us
another description. Leonore prefers anonymous lovers, don’t you, darling? Less
complicated—gives you more time for all your precious research.” She stretched
like a cat. “Me, I like to keep a few on the line, begging and pleading for
it.”
Leonore laughed out loud. Mille’s lovers really did pursue
her endlessly, which would have driven Leonore crazy, but she seemed to thrive
on the attention.
“Whatever,” said Tish, pouting a little at Millie’s rebuff.
“But you gotta get laid, girl. You keep telling us to practice the rituals, but
you know it takes power even to do that. And you can’t make any sparks if your
battery’s dead. Besides, it’s fun. Go on out tonight and get you some.
Promise?”
“Okay, okay. It’s time, you’re right. I just need to figure
out where to go.”
“Try that new sports bar over near the hospital—Jake’s.
Wednesday is ladies’ night, so of course it’s all men.” Tish looked at her
watch. “I need to get back to the station. Sisters?” She offered one hand to
each of her companions, and Leonore and Ludmilla each took one, then joined their
own to form a small circle.
They chanted softly and quickly, so that no one else even
noticed the small ritual that always marked their parting. “
Dominatus
consociatum
. I give to you and I accept your gift.”
As Letisha headed down the sidewalk in the direction of her
patrol car, Millie stood and gathered the assortment of accessories she always
seemed to carry—handbag, sunglasses, scarf, cigarette case and lighter—and
looked at Leonore with concern.
“Your powers
are
weak, Leonore. I didn’t realize how
weak until we joined. You need to keep strong.” Ludmilla’s special power was
the ability to sense emotions and even read thoughts through touch.
“I’ve already told you I would do something about it
tonight, Millie. It’s not like you to be concerned about my ability to perform
spells. You barely practice your own.”
“It’s not that.” Millie made no move to leave, and her face
was uncharacteristically serious. “I think you need to stay strong all the
time, not just to get ready for the equinox.”
“What’s wrong, Millie? Is there something you’re not telling
us?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.” Ludmilla’s brow furrowed, and Leonore
felt a mild sense of alarm.
“Tell me.”
Without putting down her burdens, Millie sank back into the
chair. “I had a walk-in customer yesterday—a man. He said he was from out of
town, and he wanted a manicure. All my technicians were busy, and I was done
with the bank deposits, so I took care of him.“
Leonore nodded. She knew that Millie’s day spa had grown to
such a size that she only handled a very few favored customers personally, but
would sometimes do a manicure or pedicure when things got especially busy.
“He was very handsome, if you like that too-smooth
Latin-lover look.”
“Which you do,” interrupted Leonore, who was surprised when
her jibe did not draw a smile.
Millie just shrugged. “Yes, sometimes. But there was
something about this man that gave me the squirms. And not the good kind,
either. He sort of scared me”
Leonore was intrigued. “Did you read him? Did you find
anything bad?”
“That’s just it,” replied Millie. “I started to, and an
image was just starting to form, and then
wham
!” She made a sharp
gesture with the hand still holding the scarf. “It was like a door slammed
closed right in my face. I got the impression that he…that he felt me reading
him and blocked me out intentionally.”
“Really?” Leonore was surprised but not shocked. “Well, it’s
not common, but it certainly wouldn’t be the first time this happened to you.
What’s different about this incident?”
“It wasn’t the blocking me out that scared me, although I
don’t think anyone has ever done it that violently before. It was what I was
starting to see just before the wall came down.”
“What did you see?” Leonore felt a chill, as if she was
catching a bit of her friend’s apprehension.
Millie shook her head, a gesture of frustration. “I’m not
sure. Something bad. It felt like…hate. I couldn’t really tell. It was over too
fast.”
Leonore considered. “Well, that’s not very pleasant, but I’m
sure you have clients who have negative thoughts like that every once in a
while. People have a tendency to open up to you, even when you don’t read
them.”
“This was different. This felt…” Ludmilla seemed to search
for the right word. “Directed. Personal, maybe.”
“Directed toward
you
?” A frisson of alarm prickled
the back of Leonore’s neck. “Did he want to hurt you?“
“Not exactly,” Millie said, sounding less than confident.
“But I thought about it afterward. I think…I felt like if the image of his
thoughts had come fully into focus, I would have seen something I recognized,
and that’s why he cut me off.”
Leonore took a deep breath and asked the question. “Millie,
do you think he could be
Draíodóir
?”
Again, Millie shook her head. “No, nothing like that. I’m
probably being silly. I mean, I didn’t really see anything, and he was
perfectly pleasant to me. Gave me a huge tip, even though I told him I owned
the place and it really wasn’t necessary.”
Leonore wasn’t convinced. “Maybe when you talk to Vinnie
about the equinox, she can conjure up a vision—see if this guy shows up.”
“I doubt it.” Millie got back to her feet. “Denial about her
power is the reason Lavinia doesn’t want to participate in the ritual in the
first place. I’ll have enough trouble talking her into the trip to England
without trying to get her to predict the future.”
“You’re probably right. It would be a long shot, anyway.”
Like most Leonoreans blessed—or cursed, if you took her word for it—with the
sight, Lavinia had little control over the subjects of her precognition. “Call
me after you talk to her, okay?”
“I will,” promised Millie, and the two women both headed for
their cars, parked in opposite directions.