Tumbling in Time (4 page)

Letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, Arikk closed his eyes and whispered his own prayer. When he looked down at Tasha, he noticed the ring Rafe placed on her finger glowed red. He reached to touch it, but Rafe grabbed his hand before he made contact.

“That’s for her. You can’t touch it until she’s healed.” Rafe said.

“What the heck? Where did you get it?” Arikk didn’t like not knowing what was happening, especially when it involved Tasha. He looked around the room as he awaited Rafe’s answer. He was happy to see that the few demons remaining flashed back to their own dimension. Somehow the angels had pulled off a victory.

Fingers snapped in front of his face. “Arikk, are you listening to me?”

“Ah, sorry, what was that?” The wizard was distracted and worried.

“I’m going to take Tasha back to finish healing. Your Sunshine will be fine.” Rafe’s voice was weary and his movements were sluggish.

“Don’t worry, Sunshine, we will meet again soon.” Arikk leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Take care of her for me, Rafe.”

The angel nodded. Without jostling her, Rafe picked her up and cradled her in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. A Latin chant soon left Rafe’s lips. Before long, the pair was shimmering, their forms dissipating into a mist.

“Damn it! Wait a second – what about the ring?” Arikk was dying to know, and he wasn’t sure when his path would cross with Rafe’s next.

“Ask your mother.”

****

The smell of antiseptic and an annoying beeping sound pulled Tasha back to reality. Her eyes fluttered open. She expected to see Arikk and Rafe hovering over her. Instead a nurse in pale blue scrubs stood beside her bed. The nurse’s cool hand was wrapped around her wrist, checking her pulse.

“That must have been some dream. You were twitching and jerking all over the place.” The nurse recorded the result in her chart and mused, “You heart rate is up. Maybe you were doing some running or something a bit more fun?” The nurse shot her a mischievous glance.

Tasha’s mouth was bone-dry, but she managed a weak, “Maybe. Where am I now?”

“Topeka, at University General. You were brought in by ambulance. From what some witnesses report, you went running right into the storm. We may need to get your head examined while you’re here.” The nurse’s eyes shone with disapproval as she explained, “The twister plowed its way through town earlier this evening. It missed the populated areas and cut a swath through some poor farmer’s field. You’ve got a nasty cut to your arm and some burns on your face and neck. Nothing that will delay your discharge.”

A loud warning siren sounded from outside the hospital, stealing the nurse’s attention from her patient. “Guess we aren’t going to catch a break tonight,” she lamented.

Tasha looked longingly toward the window, a smile gracing her face. Her eyes glowed with anticipation. As she drifted off to sleep, her final thought was
how can I hijack a ride on this twister to get back to Arikk?

A gentle female voice filled Tasha’s head.
I’ve been waiting a long time for this, my child.

“Who are you?” This was the first conversation Tasha had experienced solely in her head. Different.

I think you already know.

Tasha looked into the woman’s eyes. Deep pools of oceans stared back at her, while the woman’s blonde tresses tossed about in the wind like the long branches of a willow tree. Her face held a look of secret promise and deep knowing as her ruby lips parted in a smile that felt like the gentle caress of a lazy summer day. The woman was unlike anyone Tasha had ever seen and yet, she seemed so familiar, the cut of her nose, the twinkle in her eye. Tasha had seen them before in her beloved wizard.

That’s right, my love. You no longer need storms to see my son. The red garnet ring Rafe placed on your hand gives you the ability to return to him as you wish.

No. Way. Tasha had difficulty believing the voice in her head. It wasn’t that long ago that she learned Mother Nature and Father Time were real entities. She had never before received such a special gift; it had to be imbued with powerful magic. This was going to take some getting used to. So many more things were possible in Arikk’s realm that were not in backwoods Kansas. Huh. What would humans do if they knew?

Yes, my dear. We are more advanced and have the benefits of magic at our disposal. As for my stubborn son, he may not have professed his feelings for you as yet.
The voice paused to chuckle, sounding like a brook trickling over rounded pebbles.
Despite being an immortal wizard, he is still a man. But, please trust me when I say that you complete him. Good luck, my love.

Wow. Things were happening too fast for Tasha to absorb. She had always hated waiting to be sucked up by a twister to see her hottie. Now, she was free to travel between worlds and develop their relationship whenever the desire hit. The implications were endless. Tasha wondered if it would someday be possible to live with Arikk and not have to worry about leaving his world.

Tasha waited nearly a week before she followed Mother Nature’s instructions. She rubbed the ring and murmured the strange words as instructed. It only took a moment for the mist to clear and Arikk to come into view after pressing her lips to the ring. He occupied a corner booth in a smoky underground pub. He appeared to be lost in thought – his eyes were unfocused, staring off into space. A glass of whiskey sat on the table before him. Scanning the rest of the pub, Tasha was relieved to see that it was mostly empty. A couple of demon-types sat at the bar carrying on a low conversation with the bartender. Otherwise, no one else was around.

Despite the specific instructions given to her and despite the fact they came from Mother Nature, Tasha wasn’t sure about just popping in on Arikk. She had no doubt that he would be happy to see her, but she would feel awfully silly if she went to great lengths and nothing happened. For now, Tasha was content to observe her hottie and dream.

****

Arikk wallowed in misery at the pub, trying unsuccessfully to drown his sorrows in whiskey. Rafe assured him Tasha survived even if he wouldn’t explain the mysterious gift. He tried to contact his mother, but something screwy was going on. He couldn’t make the psychic connection open. His mother preferred he didn’t visit in person; she had gotten grief for her unplanned indiscretion with Father Time. He would just have to keep trying the psychic connection.

As much as Arikk wanted to believe the fallen angel, he wouldn’t be convinced until he held Tasha again. From experience, he knew that humans were fragile, breakable. Tasha was tough and special, but bottom line, she was still human.
I’ve got to be more patient.
I won’t rush her healing.

“Bartender, another whiskey.” Arikk shouted. He really needed to do something, get into a good fight maybe. Sitting around being miserable was new for him.

“Damn you, Rafe,” he cursed under his breath.

****

Two long, lonely weeks later, Tasha worked up the nerve to try and visit Arikk. She had been checking in on him periodically through the mist. Her cocky wizard was depressed and consuming too much whiskey. “Come on, Arikk. This isn’t like you at all.” Tasha willed him to leave the alcohol behind. No good could come from consuming that much of it.

“Get ready, wizard. It’s time for an intervention.”

The words Mother Nature taught her were now second nature. She had no problem remembering the sequence to activate the special powers of the ring. The mist cleared and showed Arikk reclining in front of a large, brick fireplace. The fire appeared to be dying, but Arikk didn’t move to add any wood to it; he was dozing, dressed only in a loose pair of khakis, his bare feet propped on a worn trunk that served as a coffee table.

Perfect, Tasha mentally applauded her luck; he’s home alone.
Time to put my seduction plan into action.
She donned her recent purchase from Victoria’s Secret: a lacy black corset and matching thong. Next, she pulled out her thigh high stiletto leather boots. As she struggled to squeeze her feet into the boots, she muttered, “He better appreciate this. Poor college students don’t have money to blow on sexy lingerie.” The final piece of her ensemble was a red leather trench coat, which came to mid-thigh. She neglected to button the coat closed, choosing to secure it with the belt.

****

Arikk was lost. He’d never felt this way before and didn’t know how to fix it. He tried to get in touch with Rafe to no avail. “I know it. He’s ignoring me,” Arikk grumbled before pinching the bridge of his nose. All this worrying about Tasha gave him a migraine. Never before in his life had he spent copious amounts of time pining over a woman. A human female to be specific. He rubbed at his rumbling stomach. He didn’t have any motivation to shop for food let alone cook.
I’ll just rest for a bit longer. It can’t hurt – I haven’t felt the pull of evil calling me to battle. Might as well catch up on my rest while I can.
Arikk yawned and stretched, tucking his hands behind his head.

“Need some company, wizard?” A husky female voice grabbed his attention.

His body jerked at the sound of someone so close to him invading his home, making no more noise than a cat stalking its prey. Grabbing for his sword and opening his eyes, he recognized Tasha standing in front of him, hands on her hips.

“Sunshine? How in the heck did you get here?”Arikk dropped the sword, his mouth suddenly parched. He watched as her eyes left his and burned a path down his pecs to his abs. A purr escaped from her parted lips as her gaze lingered on the dusting of hair below his navel.

“Trust me, I’m glad to see you, I just didn’t expect. . . ” Arikk’s voice trailed off as Tasha stepped forward so that her bare thigh was pressed against his leg. She owned him now. He couldn’t look away or even move as she slowly unbelted the jacket. Once the black lacey things peeked out, she paused to lick her cinnamon glossed lips before allowing the jacket to slide off of her shoulders and land in a puddle on the floor.

Arikk couldn’t move; he was mesmerized. Well, all of him except for his eyes, which were now the size of dinner plates. His Sunshine was alive and with him in the flesh. His tomboy fighter had been transformed into a sexy siren, who appeared to have made some quality purchases of late.
I never knew they made lingerie that looked like that
. He had always been happy to see her before, but not quite like this. There was one particular part of him that was
very
happy to see her.

Eyes glued to the sight of all that lace and of all that was left uncovered, Arikk had trouble finding his voice. “Oh boy.”

****

“What’s wrong – cat got your tongue?” Tasha couldn’t help but devil her wizard.
He’s never going to know what hit him once I’m through.
She’d never seen him speechless in any of their prior encounters. She climbed onto the couch and straddled his lap. Skating her fingernails lightly up his bare muscular chest, she purred with pure feminine delight.
I love it when a seduction plan comes together.

Arikk’s half-lidded eyes were focused on Tasha’s painted full lips. He rasped, “Ah, it’s good to see you healthy. I was worried after . . .” His voice trailed off as Tasha trailed a line of kisses up his neck and around his jaw. She had his undivided attention once she nipped his ear.

“Like that do you?” her voice was that of a sexy temptress and not a college student who just finished a calculus exam. She inhaled his scent – evergreen trees with a hint of an exotic spice, maybe myrrh.

Clearing his throat, Arikk croaked, “Sure, what man wouldn’t?”

She moved from his ear to lightly kiss the scar, which bisected his cheek. Arikk tensed, and she pulled back at once. “What’s wrong? Did that hurt?”

“No, Sunshine, you’re fine. I just had this tingling in my head.” He ran a hand through his hair. “My mother has the worst timing. I’m hoping it wasn’t her.”

“I bet it was.” Tasha sighed as she looked at her garnet ring. The gift from Mother Nature blinked white light.

Arikk reached for the silk throw on the back of his couch. “I really don’t want my mom seeing you in that skimpy black lace.” He handed it over, and Tasha wrapped herself up as best she could.

It wasn’t long before they felt the change in air pressure. Tasha knew the popping sound meant a portal was opening. She never knew of Mother Nature to visit her son in the flesh. Dread filled Tasha’s stomach as she wondered what had happened.

“Gee, Mom, nice to see you, too. Ya think you could work on your timing? I was a bit preoccupied.” Arikk’s tone was not the least bit forgiving.

Stress and gravity replaced Mother Nature’s normally serene, lilting voice. “Rafe has been kidnapped.”

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