Meadow's Keep (The Gatekeepers Series) (14 page)

“I know
, but I’ve been starving ever since she got pregnant.”

Jasmine set aside her drink. “Ok
ay, spill. What is it that you two have been hedging around and that caused Bask to run out of here like we were a bunch of hungry mosquitoes?”

“I guess there’s no way to do this delicately.” He finished off the bun, wiped his mouth, and took a drink
from Morgan’s glass, then reached over to fill refill the glass.

“Have you two slept together?”
Dorian asked without looking at them.

“What?” Jasmine squeaked, her body shifting in her chair.
“That is
none
of your business.”

“I know that,” he defended
, still not meeting her gaze. “Unfortunately, it’s Ruthorford business.”

“How so?”
she asked, although she knew the answer, or at least part of it. She was, after all, a descendant.

Eryk
watched Dorian and Jasmine avoiding eye contact. Jasmine was obviously being defensive with Dorian. Her eyes flashed. When she squirmed, he wondered if it was because of the closeness she and Dorian had once shared. Or, was Jasmine feeling a little guilty about the attraction that was building between them.

He watched as
Dorian and Jasmine finally looked at one another and some sort of silent communication passed between them. Eryk looked away. The very idea of Jasmine with Dorian set his blood boiling. He turned his attention to Morgan, whose beautiful green eyes, which looked so different from his, being offset by her complexion and auburn hair, showed only love and concern.

“No
,” Eryk said, ending the rising turmoil.

Jasmine threw a frown at him.
Dorian however, looked relieved.

“Good
,” Dorian said.

“Dory.” Jasmine gripped Dorian’s arm
, mistaking his statement for possessiveness. His muscle flexed under her touch. Just muscle and sinew, not tingles and permeating warmth. She looked at her hand still resting on Dorian’s arm. It was nothing like when she touched Eryk. When she touched Eryk, it was as though she touched his very soul.

Dorian patted her hand. “Let me explain.
I put Morgan through hell, since I was determined to save her the anguish and not tell her. All it did was make things impossible. And then we did and shouldn’t have and when she left—”

“TMI, sweetheart,”
Morgan interrupted, trying to rescue Dorian before he became a blithering idiot, “way too much information. Let me try.” She turned to Jasmine and Eryk. “What my husband is failing miserably to impart is that once you sleep together you are match-mated, which, Jasmine, you should know. Bound forever. What you might not know—” she stopped at Jasmine’s frown. “Let me try again. What you know intellectually, but not in experience, is that, once you are mated, and then separated, even for a little while, it can be devastating. When together…” she let the words soften into silence and got a dreamy look on her face.

Dorian coughed. “
Now who’s imparting too much information? All we’re saying is to know what you are getting into. I did, sort of. But she didn’t at all. I caved and we did it before we’d discussed the implications.” He pushed his hand through his hair. “I’m not explaining this very well. You have to understand, the attraction between you will only get stronger, become an obsession, until you have no choice.”

Jasmine’s looked at Eryk
, saw what looked like panic and, at that moment, wanted to be any place but here—someplace far away, like Virginia, safe in her room. She rose and, when Eryk rose as well, she held up a hand. “Please. I just need to be alone for a while.” Without waiting for an answer, she turned and left The Shoppe, closing the door behind her.

Morgan caught Eryk’s arm as he started past, shaking her head. “Let her go. She has some things to think through.
I’m going to let Dorian give you the male perspective of the descendants’ match-mating compulsion while I go take a nap.” Morgan rose, waved Dorian to stay as well, and slowly made her way up the stairs.

None too happy,
Eryk returned to his seat, looking out the window every now and again, hoping Jasmine would come back and rescue him from the birds and bees lecture.

****

Her mind on the mortification she felt seeing Eryk’s panic at the idea of being bound to her, Jasmine pulled open the alley gate to slink inside, when she heard her name called. She closed her eyes and silently wished to be invisible, knew that wasn’t going to happen, and plastered a smile on her face before turning to face Miss Alice. The round little woman looked the same as she had all of Jasmine’s life, beautifully ancient. She bent and enfolded the old woman in a gentle hug, careful not to crush the package she was carrying—probably for the bed and breakfast. Miss Alice smelled of lavender and lilac, that special blend Dorian still concocted for her, even after Melissa’s death. She was glad some things never changed.

Miss Alice held out the package. “I was going to leave
this in the Flair for you, dear. I didn’t want to disturb you and that young man who’s been courting you.” The woman’s eyes twinkled.

“He’s not…” she
stopped when she saw the glint form in Miss Alice’s amber eyes. Never could lie to the woman. She’d get that look and the truth would just spill right out. “His name is Eryk Vreeland,” she said and took the package.

“Oh, my,” she said, fluttering her hands. “
You mean the magician?”

Jasmine couldn’t help but smile at the old woman’s
excitement.

“The one and
only.”

“He’s so handsome. We saw him once.” Then she leaned in conspiratorially. “And he looks an awful lot like our sweet Dorian.”

Jasmine forced her lips together and nodded. It was Dorian’s and Eryk’s place to disclose their relationship so, even under Miss Alice’s
truth spell
, as generations of kids had called it, she kept her mouth shut. Instead, she opened the bag and let the aroma waft out.

“Mmmm,” she said and
let her eyes close in appreciation. “Muscadine scones?”

Miss Alice grinned from ear to ear, clearly thrilled. “Miss Grace said she
just had to make those for you, since they were always your favorite.”

Jasmine
gave her another hug. “Tell Miss Grace thank you. You know how I love your treats. I’ve missed them so much. In fact, I was just heading in now. I’ll make some tea to go with the scones.”

“
Be sure and add lemon. It enhances the flavor,” Miss Alice said, pleased.

“I will. You take care.”
She kissed the woman’s soft cheek, turned, and headed down the alley, letting the smile fade as she walked. Even an interruption by Miss Alice couldn’t keep her mind off Eryk. He’d looked as though the last thing he wanted was a commitment to her. She pulled up her shoulders in defiance. Well, maybe it was she who didn’t want a commitment. They didn’t have to have sex to do Bask’s bidding. Her conviction strengthened with each step she took until she was stomping up the steps.

She heard the bird call as she unlocked the door and grabbed the handle, just in case.
However, her vision remained the same. She slowly turned and saw a hawk flying overhead. “No way,” she breathed, feeling a familiar pull. It couldn’t be. It circled twice, called loudly, and flew off. She watched until it was out of sight. Glancing around, Jasmine made sure her sight didn’t shift, then headed inside, setting the scones, unopened on the table.

She walked over and
lifted one of the slats of the blinds, looking across the street at The Shoppe of Spells. She couldn’t see any movement inside and chided herself for even wondering. Still, she did. Like some starry-eyed schoolgirl, she wondered what they were discussing. She let go of the blinds. Well, it wasn’t an adolescent game and this wasn’t a crush. This was serious business. They were talking match-mated. She’d grown up in Ruthorford and she knew damn well what that meant. It was forever. It was no one else, ever. It was never wanting to be apart.

She walked back over and plopped down on the couch.
Why hadn’t she realized what was going on? The instant attraction. The irresistible pull. Probably, because it hadn’t been that way with her and Dorian. Or with her and anyone else, for that matter. She’d had sex, good sex, before Eryk. Before the attack by Rob.

She shuddered.
Rob. That’s what it had been with Rob—an attack. She’d been assaulted. She’d come to terms with it. Moreover, with her abilities, it was highly unlikely anyone
normal
could assault her again and get away with it. Jasmine felt the energy tingle in her fingertips.

The thing was,
Eryk wasn’t normal. He was like her. No, he was like Dorian and Morgan combined, which was a hell of a lot stronger than she was. That should put the fear of God in her, but it didn’t. She felt safe around him. When she backed away, it was because she wanted to take her time, give him time. Jasmine rolled her eyes at her own babble. The real problem was that, when she was around him, all she wanted to do was get as close as possible and put her hands and mouth all over him.

Jasmine jumped up from the couch. Gee
z, just thinking about the man skewed her brain. She walked back over to the window and looked out. Why hadn’t he followed her? Probably one of them told him to give her some space.

Good! She’d take the time and a hot shower
. That would make her feel better. More in control. Then she’d figure out just what she was going to do about Mr. Magician. She started stripping on the way to the bedroom, hoping Eryk sensed that she was just across the street, naked as a jaybird.

****

“Come on. Concentrate.” Dorian called as the third ball of energy went wild, hitting the side of the cottage.

“I’m trying,” Eryk called back. That was a lie. He knew damn well he could send that ball careening back at Dorian and flatten him. One more snide remark and he would
, too.

“Stop groping Jasmine in your mind and concentrate.” Dorian yelled.

That did it. Eryk’s green eyes became slits and he threw up his hand. The sparkling ball of energy stopped right in the middle between him and Dorian, hovered a second or two, and then flew back at Dorian, like a flash of lightning.

Dorian ducked,
the energy ball missing him by an inch. The ball stopped right behind him, hovered, swung a bit, until it was over his head and burst, allowing sparkling bits of sizzling energy to rain down on his twin.

“Damn,” Dorian called and dodged away from the tiny bits of fire zapping his skin.

Morgan stood on the porch, hands on hips, staring at them. “If you boys are finished playing, I want you to try the portal. See if there’s a male/female necessity.”

The two men turned sheepish grins on her and spoke over one another, pointing,
“He started it.”

Morgan shook her head and headed back inside, letting the screen door
slam behind her.

Dorian looked at his
brother and let out a laugh. “Probably a good thing we weren’t raised together.”

Eryk followed hi
m to the cottage. “Yeah, probably.” He followed Dorian inside and stepped on the rug. “Are we gonna have to hold hands?”

“Let
’s try a more manly hold.” He clasped Eryk’s wrist. Eryk, in turn, clasped his.

“Now what?” Eryk had no idea what to do. “Before, Jasmine did the mojo.”

“Let me try. Since I’m only energy and you have the aura energy like Morgan, see if you can pick up mine and latch on.”

Eryk felt power surge up his arm. His first instinct was to repel it, not join with it. He had to dampen his own energy. The energy coursing through his body seemed to seek a different level.
It stung like crazy. He tried to heighten his aura energy. He could feel the energy from Dorian try to weave with that. The crystals about the room started to glow, as did the rug, just like before with Jasmine. Unfortunately, it was damn uncomfortable, like thousands of bees stinging. He held on, waiting for the portal. The violet glow flickered, burst into the room between them, catapulting them apart. Dorian landed none too gently on the bed behind him and Eryk slammed into the edge of the couch, falling over it. “Crap,” he yelped as his head hit the coffee table.

“You okay?” Do
rian stepped back into room and offered his brother a hand up. Eryk just looked at Dorian’s hand and pushed himself up, dropping down onto the couch he just fallen over, rubbed his head, and look about the room. The rocks and rug looked just like they had before they’d started. The burst of violet light had totally dissipated.

Dorian sat down beside him. “I’d say that was a y
ea and a nay.” He wiggled his hand back and forth, his fingers splayed. “We’d have to work at it, but I think we could do it.”

“Did it sting you?”

“No, but I only have one type of energy to deal with.”

“Good. I was worried I had hurt Jasmine.”

“Doubt it. If she’s like me, then she only feels the energy ebbing and flowing.”

“
Hey,” he said, studying Eryk, “want to try it by yourself. You do have both energies.” Then he gave Eryk a croaked grin, “Maybe I’m just too much for you.”