Warlock's Charm (7 page)

“I guess that’s what the black tourmaline amulet is,” she
muttered, sighing.

Ever since she’d touched that stone she hadn’t wanted any
part of it. Now she often wondered where he’d stashed it after she’d gone and
left it with him on their wedding night.

“Yes, I suppose. I was just a kid, I was no match for a
fully grown warlock armed with a wand,” he muttered. He continued stroking a
path between her shoulders and down to her ass. “When my grandfather hit me
with the curse that gave me this scar, I thought I was dying. I was riddled
with the most indescribable kind of pain.” He sighed and continued, “My father
must have heard the explosion or my mother did for I heard them screaming my name
and then saw them rushing toward me.

“Never again did I see such a murderous glint fill my
father’s eyes. He had bright-green eyes like the color of grass during a rainy
season and they were imbued with his anger and his power. He looked like an
avenging angel. Had I ever doubted my parents’ love, I never did after that
fateful day.”

“I take it he didn’t kill his father. You said your
grandfather lived ’til you were a teenager.”

“No, he didn’t kill him though Dexter walked away with more
scars than I had and we never saw him again. My mother was so shaken she would
not let me out of her sight for a week. My father packed us up and we left with
no delay. The only thing I recall is my grandmother standing at the end of the
lane sobbing her eyes out. I don’t think she was as evil hearted as my
grandfather. I just can’t understand why she never accepted my father’s
invitation to come with us.”

“As hard as it to imagine, maybe she actually loved the
monster. I don’t know how else to explain it, unless he had her indebted to him
in some way. Anyway, let’s think of happier times and of the people who never
let us down.”

Pain shot through her heart. She had to stop thinking about
how Damien had let her down. If only he’d been open with her from the start—she
could have found a way to get over his family relations had he been honest with
her. Even now, she knew she couldn’t give him up so she had to find a way to
get past what he’d done to her. If she didn’t, it would curse their love—and
she couldn’t give them that dire of a fate.

“Needless to say, the only side of the family we bothered
with after that day was my mother’s. She hired me two warlock bodyguards and
they never left my side until I was old enough to defend myself. After that day
she was more determined than ever to ruin the Ashers and all that they stood
for.”

He kissed the top of her head and groaned when his stomach
rumbled. “Looks as if that heavy lunch you served me earlier has wasted away. I’ll
go downstairs and make us some poached eggs or something. I’m not as talented
as the cook but I’ll try to whip up something palatable.”

His idea of palatable probably consisted of burnt toast or
something equally gruesome. She didn’t think he could manage a poached egg but
hey, he could surprise her. She giggled.

“I’ll wait here for you and maybe take a nap while you’re
gone. I haven’t gotten much sleep in the last few months.”

“I wonder why.” He gave her a lopsided grin and slipped out
of bed. Walking naked across the floor, he opened the wardrobe and reached in
for his dressing gown and slippers. “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be back shortly. I
haven’t finished ravishing you yet.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, climbed under the covers
and drifted off to sleep.

Anya woke with a start. The sound of the bedroom door
creaking open put her on alert. She raised her hand in the air and activated
her magic. She threw an energy ball and hit Damien straight in the chest. The
tray he carried clattered to the floor and teapot, cups and plates smashed into
a million pieces.

Grogginess faded as she realized her mistake. She jumped out
of bed and rushed over to him.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” she cried, kneeling down.

Damien looked struck dumb. He sat propped up against the
open door. His eyes were wide open and unblinking.

“Say something, say anything, Damien!” She cupped his face
between her hands.

“It’s a damn good thing I love you, Anya.” He finally
blinked and the sheer confounded look on his face made her giggle. He locked
gazes with her, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I shouldn’t get
after you for it—after all I am the one to blame for it.”

“Goodness, look at you, you’re covered in egg.”

“It gives a whole new meaning to having egg on one’s face,
doesn’t it?” he asked ruefully, looking down at the mess he was covered in.

“I think you need a shower, and I’ll slip downstairs and
make something for us that would probably taste a whole lot better than what
you made up.” She stared in distaste at the charred toast and the overcooked eggs.

She loved him for trying but it was obvious that he’d never
spent a day of his life in the kitchen. His was a privileged upbringing; hers
wasn’t needy but she’d had a much more sensible upbringing than what Damien had
been granted.

He reached out and gripped her hand. “I would like it much
better if you were to shower with me.”

She smirked. “Why don’t we share a shower later, you get
that stuff off yourself first and then we’ll see how appealing you are to me.”
She winked at him and gingerly stepped past him so she was out in the hallway.

She used her powers to collect the mess that was on the
floor and deposited it back on the tray. Reaching down, she picked up the tray
and looked at him in concern. “Do you need me to help you up?”

He looked incredulous. She had probably just hurt his
manhood. “I can handle myself, thanks.” He looked disgusted with himself.

“I appreciate your effort, Damien. I really do, and I won’t
hit you with an energy ball the next time I’m startled awake—or at least I’ll
try not to.”

She turned to walk down the hallway to the staircase and
stopped cold when confronted with the patiently waiting form of Mr. Reeves.

“I heard quite the commotion, mistress. I thought it best to
come and see if all was right with yours and the master’s world.”

She looked in consternation at him. Now she recalled why
she’d struggled with having a staff like the one that was invested at Silver
Gables. They were always in your business no matter what.

“My husband was hungry. He decided he was a culinary expert
and made us this delightful treat.” She grimaced as she stared down at the mess
that was heaped on the tray.

Reeves gave her an understanding smile. “The staff hasn’t
yet retired for the evening. The cook was very shocked to see the master down
in her domain. She decided to make herself scarce so he would think he was the
only one around.”

Anya bit her lip. “Please give my apologies to the cook and
tell her I will endeavor to keep my husband away from her domain in the future.
He’s obviously not suited for it. If she could find it in her heart to make us
something to eat…”

“I’m way ahead of you, mistress. She’s getting a nice little
spread ready for you as we speak. She’ll send it up when you ring for it.”

“I never thought to look—I never imagined this house would
be outfitted with such an antiquated system.”

“That system isn’t antiquated anymore on Vanguard Prime.
Many of the old ways that have gone out of fashion on Earth were resurrected
when the colonists came here and decided to mold this world to a gentler time
in Earth’s ancient past.”

Dryness prickled in her throat. “Yes, they did resurrect
some good things—and some bad things—slavery being one of their worst
resurrections.”

“Begging your pardon, my lady.” He tugged at his collar. “I
spoke out of turn.”

“I welcome you to speak freely, Reeves. Not everyone
suffered as my family did during the Bloodbayne Terror.”

“My family was untouched. My mother had no abilities that
anyone wanted, and my father was back on Earth when all of the troubles
occurred.”

She understood Reeves’ point of view but she felt
uncomfortable talking about it.

“I’ll tell Damien that food is on the way, and I should
probably help him get cleaned up. He was absolutely covered in tea and egg, and
I never thought the tea must have been burning hot. I should go and check him
to make sure he is unharmed. Please give my thanks to the cook.”

She handed him the tray, nodded curtly at him, and turned
back toward the master suite.

Her heart thundered in her chest and reverberated in her
ears. She clenched her hands at her side, and remembered the saying that she
and Dallas shared.

“Keep your head down and your hands steady, Anya,” she
muttered beneath her breath.

She wanted to stamp her feet and have a hissy fit of
monumental proportions but she had to hold it in—she had to keep her emotions
in check. She had to forgive the man his ignorance. He’d simply put his foot it
in it, that was all there was to it. She knew no malice was hidden behind it.
She had to stop being so bloody sensitive.

Maybe she had to tell Damien that she could never make a
life for herself on Vanguard with him. Despite its natural beauty, the ugliness
of what had happened during the Bloodbayne Terror seemed to taint everything
she looked at.

It had its benefits and it had plenty of detractors. She
loved the quaintness of Vanguard Prime. She loved the old traditions and
customs that they had brought back to life on this planet.

She loved it all, and yet she couldn’t get the bad taste out
of her mouth and she couldn’t help yearning for her home. She wasn’t born here
like Damien was, she didn’t have it in her blood, and she found herself wanting
to throw away the tranquil beauty of it for the raw rugged landscape of her
home province.

Walking back into their bedroom, she softly closed the door
and the reassuring sound of the latch clicking in made her smile. She leaned
against the door and took a few large breaths.

She was about to join Damien in the shower when she saw the
light on her personal communicator blinking. Sighing, she moved over to her
discarded clothing and reached for the small communicator. It looked as if she
had an audio-only message that had probably taken a few days to reach her.

She looked longingly at the door that led into the en suite
bathroom but instead clicked open her communicator and activated the audio
message.

Dallas’ voice filled the room.

“Hello, dearest Anya. I’ve heard some troubling news
concerning yours and Damien’s union. I pray it is nothing but gossip, and wish
it was easier for us to communicate, I miss you so. I figured it was better to
send this audio message than to write out a text message for you. Those always
seem too impersonal to me. I long for the day that you come home with your
husband in tow.

“Please don’t throw away a good thing. We all make mistakes,
Anya, remember that. You were so happy when you met him. Light and love
literally beamed out of all of your orifices. I saw your joy firsthand, I know
you love him, and while I don’t understand why Damien had to whisk you away so
you could be married on Vanguard I’ll forgive him after a while.

“You really should have brought him with you when you came
home to tell me you had fallen in love—I know why you didn’t—you didn’t want
him to see your beautiful cousin lest I turn his head.” At this Dallas
chuckled, and it made Anya smile.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there for you when you married
him, so don’t make me wait too long to see you again. If you can’t bear to be
with him, and you think it’s absolutely necessary that you leave him then so be
it, I’ll support you no matter what. Just don’t make a mess out of it, and make
sure you can live with your choice. I don’t think I’ll ever get to be as happy
as you are, so please don’t rob yourself of something that I would dearly love
to have.

“I’d better wrap this up as these messages are quite dear to
send out, and the allowance I get to run the house barely covers the expenses
as it is. I’ll see you in about six months’ time—you would do well to remember
that, Anya. I see you with Damien. There I said it, I saw it. So don’t you
screw it up and make me more of a laughingstock than I already am!” She fell
silent for a few seconds and then Anya heard her speak once more. “I love you,
Anya, and I’ll see you soon!”

The message ended, giving Anya a sinking feeling in her gut.
She couldn’t disagree with Dallas, as she was never wrong when it came to
predicting the future. With her eyes tearing up, she went over to the
nightstand that was on her side of the bed and carefully placed her
communicator on it.

The water turned off, and she braced herself for Damien. Was
he burned? Would he be angry at her now that the water had refreshed his
senses?

He walked out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped
around his midsection. The water glistening on his rippling abdomen made her
almost weak kneed. He was built like a god.

“I…” Seeing him in his current state had
struck her almost speechless and, it would seem, completely senseless. She felt
like a blithering idiot. “The cook is sending up some food for us when
we’re ready. Apparently the staff hadn’t retired yet for the night and they had
to humor the master while he made a huge mess out of the kitchen. Domesticity
doesn’t seem to be your strong suit, honey.”

He winced and grinned widely. “I can’t say I know my way
around a kitchen. If conjured food didn’t taste so damn awful I would have just
whipped us up something that way.”

She laughed. “In that case, I’m happy you didn’t try the
conjuring route. I would hate to eat food that tastes like paste.” She walked to
him and inspected his chest and face for any sign of him being scalded. “I
laughed at you earlier not thinking that the water in the teapot would have
been hot. Are you okay?” she asked, running her hands over his glistening
chest.

Tingly sensations sparked through her hands upon contact.
Anxiety flowed through her as she realized how close he came to being seriously
injured.

He held her hand to his chest. “I am fine. I’ve been on the
other end of much worse, Anya. You mustn’t worry about me. I’m not made out of
porcelain. I won’t break so easily. I’m a tough one, so don’t ever worry that
anything you could do could physically hurt me. However, you do know how to
wound me to the quick—my heart can’t take any more agony. Just as long as I
know I will never lose you, everything is fine between us.”

“I don’t think I can possibly leave you. I tried it once and
found myself wanting to come back to you. An invisible force reached between
us, pulling me back, and no matter how hard I tried to fight it, I knew I would
fail abysmally.”

He took her hand and grazed his lips against her knuckles.
“I heard another woman’s voice while I was in the shower and she didn’t sound
like any of my house maids, as she didn’t have the familiar Vanguard accent.”

Most people on Vanguard spoke with a unique accent that came
from a mingling of colonists hailing from North America, the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It had evolved into a
dialect unique to only Vanguard.

Many who lived in the technologically darkened regions of
Europe, most areas of Asia, and Africa still persecuted those with magical
talents and so there were few colonists from those regions, and those who came
from that region adapted to the language of Universal English, either learning
it themselves or using the Universal Translators that every colonist was given
upon boarding a spaceship headed to Vanguard’s solar system.

There were natives on Vanguard who had been assimilated
during the colonization of Vanguard. They spoke in their own tongue and when
they used the translators to speak a thick accent still clung to their speech.

“That was my cousin, Dallas. She sent me an audio message to
more or less tell me to get my head on straight and realize that I have a good
thing with you.”

“I like her already. She sounds like a smart girl.”

“She is…and don’t let her ever hear you call her a girl.
She’s two years older than me, but in many ways I feel as if she’s the younger
one. We’ve always had to take care of her, my mother and I. I know she’s
missing me desperately. Which brings me to something I need to discuss with
you.”

“Go ahead,” he murmured, kissing her fingertips and then
flipping her hand over so he could gently kiss her palm. He started to kiss up
her arm, and she knew where he was going with this. She wouldn’t have much time
to ask him what she needed to ask him before she couldn’t think clearly
anymore.

“I want to return to Earth. I want it to be our main home. I
can’t think of anything else but getting back there. Vanguard was never my
home, and now given the ghosts of the past that haunt here, I know it can never
be my home. But I know what I’m asking might be impossible for you. You were
raised here—”

His eyes sobered as he raised his head to meet her gaze. “I
also spent a good deal of my youth on Earth. I will go wherever you want me to
go, Anya. Being with you is more important than anything else, and there are
many Forsythes who still reside on Earth, so they will be quite happy to see me
return. As for my dealings here, I will ask my cousin Julian to take over the
business reins. All will be fine.”