A Touch of Magick (2 page)

Esther blinked and Maggie gasped as the candles flickered out, plunging them into darkness. Rhiannon concentrated on re-igniting the flames, but it was no use. As always, she got a sputter and a spark and then nothing. She supposed two successes in one night was asking too much. She’d raised the wind. She’d have to be content with that.

Mumbling under her breath, she flicked on the overhead light. Both her friends blinked, staring at her.

“How did you do that?” Maggie asked.

“I’m a witch. Just not a very good one,” she added honestly. “But I come from a very long line of them.”

Esther just gaped at her.

“Say something,” she pleaded with her friend.

She rarely told anyone about this part of herself. Inevitably most people had one of two reactions—either they thought she was a total nutcase, not wanting to believe her, or they wanted to use her powers for their own gain. Neither reaction was particularly pleasant. Rhiannon’s memories of childhood were littered with such episodes, along with being called nasty names or shunned totally.

“So you can really do stuff. Like in
Bewitched
?” Esther asked.

Rhiannon wrinkled her nose and shook off the old memories. “Not quite like the television program. That’s fiction. But my family does have skills.”
A heck of a lot more than I do.

Esther nodded slowly. “Okay.”

“Okay?” She’d spilled her deepest secret and all her friend could say was okay. She glanced over at Maggie who was finishing the last of her wine in one gulp.

“Yes, okay.” Esther stood and began to finish clearing the table. “My family isn’t exactly without its oddities.” She scraped a plate, letting the debris fall into the garbage before setting it down on the counter. “There’s a legend in my family of a great love that was cut short by a fire that killed one of them. It’s said that they will be reincarnated at some point in the future and find one another.”

“That’s so romantic,” Maggie sighed. “And so sad.”

“It is.” Esther picked up the plate, rinsing it with brisk motions. “There’s even a journal, which has been handed down through the women in the family for generations. It was started by my however-many-greats grandmother.”

“That’s incredible.” The hair on the back of Rhiannon’s neck stirred as she stared at her friend. She’d always thought Esther might possess some psychic ability, but had never asked her about it. There was power there and now she knew why. Destiny couldn’t be outrun, and when the time was right it would have its way, one way or the other. Whether it turned out good or bad, only time would tell. She shook off the impending sense of inevitability to concentrate on the here and now.

“It’s fine for you two, but I don’t believe in anything I can’t see or touch.” Maggie pushed away from her place at the table and added her glass and plate to the dishwasher.

“How can you say that?” Rhiannon wiped the crumbs from the table and carried the cloth back to the sink. The three women worked in tandem, never getting in each other’s way as they put the kitchen to rights. “I knew your grandmother, and if ever a woman believed in magick it was Bride O’Neill.”

Maggie gave her a sad smile. “I’m not my grandmother.”

Rhiannon rinsed the cloth and draped it over the faucet to dry. Wiping her hands on a kitchen towel, she took in her friend’s sad countenance. “Whether or not you believe in magick, it exists.”

Maggie looked stricken. “I didn’t mean to imply that I didn’t believe you.”

Rhiannon went to Maggie and wrapped her in a hug. “I know you didn’t.”

“It’s just that I’m so damn normal and boring and the two of you are…” She waved her hand in the air. “I don’t know. You’re both special. Anyone can see it.” Her voice got more thoughtful. “Or feel it.”

“Not everyone knows it, Maggie,” Rhiannon informed her. “The fact that you can
feel
it shows you’re special.” She stepped back and looked at the two women she loved liked sisters. “I still think we all need to get laid.”

They both laughed, as she’d hoped, and the atmosphere was lightened once again. “What do you propose?” Esther appeared intrigued by the idea.

“Something simple. Like I said, I’m not a very good witch. I’ve got issues.”

Maggie giggled. “You need a self-help group or something.”

Rhiannon laughed in spite of herself. It wasn’t a topic she usually found funny, but she supposed it did sound a bit ridiculous.

Esther shrugged. “I’m in. What can it hurt?”

Both of them looked at Maggie, who held up her hands in mock defeat. “Okay. I don’t think it will work, but I’m game.”

Pleased that her friends were willing to try her experiment, Rhiannon went over to the large oak cabinet dominating almost one entire wall of the dining area, and pulled open one of the drawers. This was where she kept all her magickal supplies. It only took her a moment to collect what they’d need.

“Let’s go outside. The moon is almost full and will add power to our spell.”

She headed out the back door with her friends tight at her heels. Abigail slipped out with them and raced ahead, down the steps and into the secluded yard.

The long cotton skirt she wore fluttered in the light breeze. The air was crisp, but it wasn’t too cold. The moon hung like an orb in the sky, illuminating the garden. Rhiannon loved this time of year. There was so much magick in the air you could almost touch it. An owl hooted in the distance.

The large yard was one reason she’d bought this house. With mature trees and no close neighbors, it gave her the privacy to practice any rituals or spells she chose. Plus, she enjoyed the feeling of being alone in her garden.

“So what do we do?” Esther was on her right side trying to see what she was carrying. Rhiannon could hear the slightest bit of nervousness in Esther’s voice. Maggie walked silently on her other side.

They reached the center of the garden and she stopped and handed both women a red votive candle. “First, we’ll anoint the red candles with rose oil. Both are representative of passion. Start in the middle of the candle and stroke down to the bottom. When you’re finished, go back to the middle and then stroke the oil up to the top of the candle.”

She handed off the oil and they all began to rub the fragrant scent into the candles. The night was cool but not overly cold. Maybe it was the remnants of the wine keeping her warm. Or perhaps it was the thought of having sex sometime in the near future that heated her blood. “As you do this, think about the kind of man you’d want to have sex with. Be specific without naming a person.”

“Why?” Maggie stopped what she was doing.

“Because you should never try to manipulate anyone with magick. That’s bad and will rebound on you in ways you won’t like. What you want to do is draw someone with the characteristics you want. They’ll only come if they’re willing.”

“Okay.” Maggie went back to her task. Rhiannon noticed Esther was concentrating fiercely on her candle.

Rhiannon focused her attention on the candle in her hand. It warmed as she ran her fingers up and down its length. Her bangles tinkled with each stroke she made, like wind chimes blowing in the breeze. She pushed them high on her arm, wanting to be able to concentrate solely on what she was doing.

Closing her eyes, she thought about the kind of man she wanted. She wanted a man who was honest and loyal, one who had morals without being self-righteous. He’d be strong, with wide shoulders and piercing blue eyes. His fingers would be calloused, but they’d be gentle as they stroked over her body. A shiver skated down her spine. Her breasts felt heavy and a low pulse of desire began to throb deep in her belly.

Her eyes popped open and she sucked in a breath of the cool evening air. The breeze caressed her skin like a phantom lover, teasing and touching her everywhere. In spite of the chill, a bead of sweat rolled down the length of her spine. She shuddered and wrapped her hand around the small votive candle, envisioning all her sexual frustration flowing from her and into the wax.

Thankfully, both of her friends were focusing so hard on their candles, they hadn’t noticed anything amiss. When they were all done, Rhiannon placed her votive candle on the patio stone that sat in the middle of her garden for this very purpose. She motioned to her friends and they did the same. The three red candles now sat in the middle of the stone, the scent of rose perfume surrounding them. “If I was doing a big ritual, I’d cast a circle and do more elaborate preparations, but this is simple candle magick.”

She stepped forward and lit her candle, then handed off the matches to Esther so she could light hers. Esther then passed the matches to Maggie. The flames leapt into the air, diffusing the scent of the rose oil into the air.

Rhiannon stepped up close to the candles and raised her hands in the air. The other two women did the same, and they all touched their fingers together, forming a circle around the burning flames.

Tipping her head back, Rhiannon stared at the moon, drawing its energy down to her. “Lady Moon in the sky so bright. Lend your power. Lend your might. Bring to us a love that’s true. And one that one day we won’t rue. In this time and in this hour, we three ladies ask this of thee. We ask this done and harm to none, what we have wrought here now is begun.”

A breeze came up suddenly, whipping around them, but not extinguishing the flames. Rhiannon could sense the power building in the center of their circle, spiraling upward and outward. Her fingers tingled and her entire body vibrated. Tension stretched her nerves to the breaking point. The energy shot upward and outward, flinging itself toward the heavens. The breeze subsided and the candles flickered and died. The women slowly lowered their hands back to their sides.

“Did it work?” Maggie glanced nervously around the yard.

“Only time will tell.” Rhiannon didn’t want to tell the women of the huge amount of power she’d felt welling up between them. She nibbled her bottom lip. Maybe it wouldn’t work at all. Maybe it would work too well. She had no idea what had possessed her to ask for a true love instead of a lover. She shook her head. What was done was done. Her magick tended to not work that well anyway, so there was really no need to worry.

Rhiannon bent down to pick up her candle. Beside her, Esther suddenly let out a bloodcurdling shriek and stumbled back, her eyes wide with terror. Rhiannon jumped back, her gaze darting around the garden, trying to find the threat. Maggie was turning in circles trying to figure out what was wrong.

“What is it?” Maggie finally demanded.

Esther plastered her hand across her chest and began to laugh. Abigail calmly brushed up against Esther’s ankle again. This time she meowed. “You scared the life out of me,” Esther scolded as she lifted the slender gray cat and tucked her under her arm. The cat just purred, totally unmoved by the commotion she’d caused. Rhiannon and Maggie both gave a nervous laugh and the tension slowly dissipated.

Rhiannon’s heart was pounding as she berated herself for acting like a schoolgirl. She was supposed to be a witch. Instead, she’d acted like a scared child when Esther had screamed. Her magick had been known to have frightening results. But not this time. Of course, only time would tell what would come of tonight’s spell.

Each of them bent down and picked up their candle before starting back to the house. A chill raced down Rhiannon’s spine and it wasn’t from the cold. A sense of surety enveloped her. They’d released something tonight. Something powerful. She nibbled on her bottom lip, her agitation growing with each step she took.

She rolled her shoulders, trying to shake off the sense of…something impending. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It wasn’t dread, more like nervous anticipation. She was being silly. There was nothing to worry about.

At best, one or all of them might get a night or two of hot sex. At worst, nothing would happen and they’d all commiserate over it next time they got together. As she opened the back door, she glanced up at the unusually bright moon before they all trooped quietly into the kitchen.

Maggie was the first to break the silence. “Should we keep the candles?” She laid hers on the table.

“Only if you want to.”

“I think I’ll keep mine.” Esther deposited Abigail in her usual spot on the windowsill. She grabbed her purse from the floor and tucked the candle inside.

Rhiannon laid her candle on the counter, ignoring how hard it was to make herself release it. Really, it was just a candle, a symbol of the magick, but certainly not the magick itself. She realized then that she really wanted this spell to work, not just for her, but for her friends as well. A night of hot sex would certainly help work off a lot of stress. It would be good for all of them.

She took a deep breath and then released it slowly. There was nothing more to be done but forget about it and wait. She turned to her friends. “Anyone want coffee or tea and another piece of cheesecake?”

Chapter Two

Rhiannon tugged the blankets and comforter over her head, trying to ignore the ringing coming from her nightstand. When it didn’t subside, she pushed the covers down and squinted at her clock before grabbing her phone. “What?”

Silence greeted her and then her sister’s familiar voice came over the line. “That’s no way to answer your phone.”

She flumped back onto her pillow and yawned. “Do you have any idea what time it is?” She didn’t give Gwen a chance to answer her. “It’s five o’clock in the morning.”

“Oops.” Her sister didn’t sound the least bit penitent. Instead, she sounded excited. “It’s only one here on the West Coast.”

“I’m aware of that, Gwen. Is there a point to this call? I have to work in a few hours.” A belated thought occurred to her. “Is everything okay?” She bolted upright in bed, all need to sleep suddenly gone. “Are Mom and Dad all right?” Rhiannon’s heart was racing now as she clutched the phone tight.

“Everyone is perfectly fine.”

She groaned and dropped back down onto the bed, tugging the blankets around her. “Then why are you calling at this ungodly hour?”

“I’ve been thinking about your problem.”

Rhiannon was finding it hard to concentrate. What she needed was coffee, but that was all the way out in the kitchen. She could feel her sister waiting patiently on the other end of the line and knew from experience that the only way to get rid of her was to let her have her say. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. “What problem?”