Hidden Magic (10 page)

Her head started pounding. The story identified her by name but there was only one still shot of her with Zander and it wasn’t very clear. Thank the Goddess.

Just for good measure she decided to cast a protection spell, something she now did on a weekly basis, ever since she’d left New Orleans. Couldn’t hurt to do it an extra time. She gathered her ceramic pentagram, her wand, a piece of clear quartz and a polished obsidian, and placed the items on the table in her bedroom she used as an altar. Digging through the box where she kept her herbs, she found rosemary, salt, dried garlic and lavender and used her mortar and pestle to grind them up. She sprinkled the mixture around the room, saving some of it to use around her house in the morning. “This home is protected, this place is protected from within and without, from up to down and back again, this home is protected.”

She lit candles and turned off the lights. Then she set a small bundle of sage on fire, blew it out and fanned the smoke to cleanse the area.

Taking up her malachite wand, she cast her circle then uttered the strongest protection spell she knew three times as she walked clockwise around the space.

“All three elements of astral, I summon thee. The strength of the elements by my side, no rules magic I shall abide. Now after my enemy meets his downfall this spell will have no power left at all. In no way will this spell reverse or place upon me any curse.” She concentrated on her intent, nodded when she was satisfied she’d empowered her spell with it. Then she lowered her wand near the floor and circled counterclockwise. “May the circle be open but never broken. So be it.”

She carefully put away all the items from her altar but her hands were still shaking. Chances were miniscule that Jamal would even see the story on the internet let alone recognize her from it. But what about his buddies, his family and neighbors. Had to be a hundred or more people who’d known her in New Orleans. If any one of them recognized her and mentioned it to Jamal, she had no doubt he’d come after her.

She thought about stepping away from the case, packing up her life and moving on. But how could she let Hannah down? Leaving her new home and friends would tear her apart. And Zander…

No, she’d begun this quest with her eyes wide open. She knew from the start that working with Zander carried risks. But the gods would protect her. They had to. She only wished that nagging doubt would disappear, the feeling that whatever she did, however well she hid herself, somehow Jamal would reach her. And when he did he’d make her suffer beyond anything she could imagine.

She climbed into bed and reached under the pillow to touch the hilt of the knife she kept there. If Jamal ever attacked her again—which she prayed would never happen—she’d have to do more than wound him. Next time she’d kill him.

* * * * *

Zander sat at his desk the next afternoon watching the security tapes of Hannah Saxon leaving the library on the evening she’d disappeared. Although he’d been over the footage dozens of times, he kept feeling like he was missing something and he had to figure out what.

“Did your psychic come up with anything yesterday?”

The sheriff’s voice pulled his attention from his computer screen. Zander rubbed his temples. “I took her to Gideon’s Pond. She thinks there were two men with Hannah, both of whom were
important
to her.”

“You mean like a love triangle?” Sheriff Van Horn sat at the empty desk next to Zander’s.

“I don’t know. I’m not all that sure she’s given us anything helpful but…” He shook his head.

“What?”

“I don’t want to cut her loose. She says she gets…I don’t know, vibes or feelings from some of Hannah’s jewelry and then the energy of whatever she picked up on at the pond. Maybe her next vision is going to be the one that leads us to Hannah.”

Van furrowed his brow. “So you think she’s on the level?”

“I do.” The conviction with which he answered surprised him. “Maybe she’s just incredibly perceptive, but she seems to pick up on things she shouldn’t be able to. She did a reading on me before I told her I was a cop and honestly, she was spot on. I believe that she sensed two men with Hannah. Maybe they killed her together, maybe… I don’t know.”

“There are documented cases where psychics have help to solve crimes. Besides, it’s not like we have any other leads. Did you get anywhere with the Saxons this morning?”

Zander’s chair squeaked as he leaned back. “Parents said she didn’t date, didn’t have any close male friends. And her classmates say the same thing.”

The sheriff stood. “Then we need to redouble our efforts, even if that means bringing the psychic with you to speak to the family and friends. If she’s as perceptive as you say, maybe she’ll be able to tell you if any of them are lying or at least holding anything back.”

“Not a bad idea.” Maybe her parents could point him to friends other than Hannah’s schoolmates she might have confided in. As his boss strode away, Zander grabbed his phone from the desk and called Jilly. She answered on the third ring and damned if the sound of her voice didn’t make his day.

“What’s up?” she asked.

He told her about the sheriff’s idea.

“I’ve got readings booked until five. Would that be too late? Then I need to come back for an eight-thirty appointment.”

He checked his watch. That gave him almost three hours to kill until he picked her up. Shouldn’t bother him so much that he had to wait to see her. “That’s fine. I’ll pick you up then.”

After he phoned the Saxons to tell them he’d be over later to speak to them, he decided to blow off some steam at the sheriff’s office gym then he headed home to shower. The workout had done little to clear his mind. Rather than thinking about work, he kept flashing on the erotic dreams he’d had the past two nights.

How the hell had Jilly worked her way into his head so quickly? In his sleep he’d made love to her a hundred different ways. As he washed, a vision from his dreams filled his head.

She wore a sheer white gown that billowed around her, revealing every luscious inch of her. Firm legs that stretched from here to Canada, rounded hips, a flat stomach and full, ripe breasts with peaked nipples. She licked those plump lips and he came unglued. He reached for her but she disappeared in the mist.

The water turned cool, jarring him out of his daydream. Perfect. He had a full-blown erection now and the cold shower was doing nothing to douse his ardor. Muttering a curse under his breath, he closed his fist over his cock.

He imagined her again, there with him, naked and perfect and his. She raked her nails over his chest then pressed her body to his. He smoothed her wet hair off her face and kissed her hard. She backed against the tiled wall and he lifted her, spread her thighs apart with his knee. Then he thrust into her and she clenched him in welcome. Deeper and deeper, every inch was pure heaven. As he started stroking into her, she wrapped one leg around him, then the other.

She sank her fingernails into his shoulders. The pain was exquisite. He let go of his control and spilled his seed inside her as she moaned and writhed.

Opening his eyes, he found himself profoundly alone. And determined to make Jilly his own. In the short time he’d known her, she’d completely bewitched him.

He wanted her with every breath he drew. Despite that he was working with her, he planned to have her. The sooner the better.

* * * * *

Jilly opened her seatbelt as Zander parked in front of
Mind’s Eye.
“Was that the total waste of time as I think it was?” They’d spoken with the Saxons but neither of Hannah’s parents seemed to know anything about her having a boyfriend or about any friends outside of those from her school.

He draped his arm over the back of the seat and she got a whiff of pure male. “No, actually. They were so adamant about Hannah not being allowed to date. Makes me think that if she did have someone in her life she wouldn’t have told them. Maybe she’d even sneaked around with a boy.”

She thought about her own teenage years. She’d have given anything to have had a parent who cared whether she dated. “Mr. Saxon didn’t like me. He was wishing I’d leave the whole time. I saw it in his aura.”

Zander frowned. “Now that’s the sort of thing that can help an investigation. We know from the first time you went over there that he’s not happy about you being involved in the case. Maybe he just fears anything supernatural. Or it could be an indication that he has something to hide.”

“Hmm. What are you going to do next?”

He slid closer and twirled his finger around a lock of her hair. “I’ll have to watch him like a hawk, dig deeper into his past.” His voice was a low, sexy rumble as his gaze fixed on her lips. “Very deep.”

No mistaking that he was no longer talking about Lee Saxon. Muscles inside her core pulled taut. She shouldn’t allow that delicious heat to take root but she was powerless to stop it. When he moved even nearer, she centered her hand on his chest with every intention of preventing him from continuing but his eyes had her mesmerized.

Her first instinct when a man got close was to back away, but Zander meant her no harm. That much she read in his stare. He cupped her cheek in his palm, gently rubbed her skin with a callused thumb. The air between them sizzled with raw electricity. Her breath grew ragged and heat pooled at the juncture of her thighs. Then his lips were on hers, demanding and masculine and completely undeniable. Instead of pushing him away, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and held him there.

He tasted of mint and passion as he slid his tongue around hers, exploring and plundering her mouth. She closed her eyes and gave in to her craving, just this once.

Zander threaded his fingers through her hair and held her head possessively. How could she crave him so much—like air or water—knowing she was taking a chance spending this much time with him. Could she be any more reckless than to get involved with a cop when she was pretending to be someone other than who she really was?

He deepened his kiss and her desire rose tenfold. Passion chased all the objections from her mind and she surrendered to long-denied need.

Zander broke the kiss, but held her face in his hands. “We shouldn’t be doing this, not as long as you’re working on the case with me, but…” He pulled her against his chest.

It felt so good she couldn’t bear to let go. She could feel his heart beating, steady and strong.

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Jilly.”

She forced herself to push him away. “I know. Me too. But…” She could hardly tell him why being with a cop made her nervous. “I don’t do this. I’m not ready to…get involved, with anyone.”

His wounded expression cut through her. She had to look away. “It’s not you, believe me.”

“What is it then?”

She studied her hands. She hated for him to see the regret in her eyes so she kept them downcast. If he only knew how much she wanted him. “I can’t talk about it now. I have an appointment in a few minutes so I should go inside.”

He glanced at the store. “It looks closed.”

“It is. But I take some appointments after hours.”

He flattened his lips. “I’ll stay with you.”

“No, that’s silly. I know my client and I’ll lock the door.”

His expression remained stony.

“I promise. I’ll be fine.” She grabbed her purse and climbed out of the car before she could change her mind. Fishing out the key, she headed to the door then went inside and turned off the alarm.

Her client knocked on the door just as Jilly flipped on the light switch. After she let the man inside, she locked them in and caught a glimpse of Zander’s taillights as he left the parking lot. She allowed herself a secret smile that he’d waited to leave. Shouldn’t matter. She had no right to her romantic thoughts about him.

Half an hour later she finished up the reading and walked her customer to the door. “See you next month, Stan.”

He waved as she bolted the door. She checked Valiente’s food and water bowls then returned to the back room to blow out the candles and grab her purse. Her eyes landed on her tarot cards. It had been ages since she’d done a reading on herself. With all the recent events in her life, a heads up on what lay ahead might calm her nerves. She needed to know if she was making a huge mistake with Zander. Maybe the tarot would offer guidance.

Sinking into her chair, she concentrated on divining her own fortune. She shuffled then cut the deck and laid out three cards. When she turned over the first one—the Knight of Cups—she knew instantly it represented her late teenage years and her early twenties, filled with a rollercoaster of emotional upheavals and wildly shifting passions.

Next she uncovered the eight of cups. Nodding at the validity of the reading so far, she pondered its meaning in her life. The picture showed a man walking away from eight cups toward the moon. For her it was the sobering moment when she realized she’d made an awful mistake by getting involved with Jamal. Her own judgment couldn’t be trusted when it came to men. She’d always fallen for the ones who were bad for her, just as her mother had.

She flipped over the seven of cups next, the third in a row of the suit that related most to feelings and matters of the heart. The card warned her not to let herself be carried away by her emotions. She had to soberly consider any relationships.

Well, one in particular. No doubt in her mind that so far the reading dealt with her love life. She turned over more cards but stopped when she gleaned the hand’s meaning. Someone aimed to hurt her.

The hair on the back of her neck prickled with dread.

Suddenly an explosion of breaking glass shattered the quiet.

What the hell? Her heart slammed against her ribs. Her first thought was that the cat must have knocked something onto one of the display cases. She drew a steadying breath as she rummaged in her purse for her cell and the pocketknife she always kept with her then returned to the main room.

All the counters were intact and there was no broken glass anywhere. Valiente was nowhere in sight.

A heavy thud had her spinning toward the storage room. Then the unmistakable creak of the floorboards.