Blonde With a Wand (35 page)

A quick stroll into the bedroom reassured him that Anica had laid out his clothes. His shirt no longer reeked of chicken noodle soup, so she must have washed it. Earlier in the afternoon he’d smelled heated fabric, so she must have pressed both his shirt and slacks, since they had no time for dry cleaning. He’d been so tired he hadn’t hung anything up, and then he’d turned into a cat who couldn’t hang anything up.

Anica bustled around the apartment dusting and fluffing pillows and generally looking nervous as a . . . well, as a cat. That made two of them. He’d given up on his nap and was pacing, since there wasn’t much in the way of activity for him.

Anica had lit a few more of her beeswax candles, and the scent reminded him of the great sex he’d had with her in her candlelit bedroom. A bottle of red wine and four glasses sat on the kitchen counter. Jasper assumed that was in preparation for toasting a successful outcome. He hoped they’d use those glasses.

At five fifty-five, Jasper went into the bedroom. Anica could have followed him but she didn’t. She’d obviously picked up on his reluctance to be observed during his change. He could only imagine how traumatic that would be. Once implanted, certain scenes could never be erased from a person’s mind.

Lying on the bed he waited for the familiar dizziness to come over him. Maybe this would be the last time. He wouldn’t want to give up the past five days. He’d learned a lot about himself and the world around him. And he’d come to love Anica with a fierceness that scared him a little.

But he couldn’t be what she needed until he became a man twenty-four/seven. As the dizziness began he said a little prayer that the spell would be lifted tonight.

 

At six, Anica felt a pulse of energy move through the apartment. She must be attuned to Jasper’s change because she could almost feel it in her own body. When she heard him rustling around in the bedroom, she knew he was getting dressed.

He appeared wearing the same shirt and slacks he’d worn for a week. It had become something of a uniform.

“Once this is over, you’ll probably burn that outfit,” she said.

He glanced down at his clothes. “Or keep it forever as a reminder.”

“You’ll want to be reminded?”

“Of course.” He walked toward her and laid his hands gently on her shoulders. “It’s been the most memorable week of my life.”

She stepped closer and wound her arms around his neck. “I’ll bet.
Memorable
doesn’t always mean ‘good.’ ”

“In this case it does.” He looked into her eyes. “Assuming I don’t have to stay half cat, half man forever, I wouldn’t trade this week with you for anything.”

“I wouldn’t trade it, either, although I have to admit I’ll be glad to get my magic back. I never realized how much I depend on it. It’s more a part of me than I thought.”

“I’m sure.” He massaged her shoulders. “I can hardly wait for you to get those powers back. It’ll be fun to watch.”

“Really? You’re not freaked about it?”

“How could I be freaked? It’s part of you. I cherish everything about you, Anica.”

This is the moment.
She recognized the emotion in his golden eyes and knew it was mirroring hers. She drew a shaky breath. “Jasper, there’s something I want to tell you before Dorcas and Ambrose arrive.”

“Hm.” His smile was soft. “Might be the same thing I want to tell you.”

“Wouldn’t that be a coincidence?”

“Indeed.”

“Jasper, I—”

The street door buzzer rang. Orion leaped from the sofa and ran off toward the bedroom.

“They’re here.” Anica gazed at Jasper, wondering if she should put off her declaration, after all. A moment like this shouldn’t be rushed.

And yet . . . she’d screwed up the moment before. She decided that he needed to hear it now. “I’m going to say it anyway. I love you, Jasper.”

He sighed with pleasure. “And I love you, Anica. I wanted to tell you before, but—”

The buzzer rang again.

“I haven’t made it easy. I was afraid this situation was blurring our thinking.”

“If anything, it’s clarified my thinking.”

The buzzer rang a third time.

Anica smiled. “We’d better let them in.”

“Yeah.”

Anica released the downstairs lock and stepped into the hall to greet the Lowells. As she ushered them into her apartment and made the introductions, she was gratified at the impression Dorcas and Ambrose seemed to be making on Jasper.

And no wonder. As usual, they looked like an ad for successful seniors—Dorcas in her purple cape similar in style to Anica’s, and Ambrose in a gray wool coat with a forest green scarf tucked inside the collar. Dorcas had a large black purse over one shoulder and Ambrose carried a small leather briefcase.

Dorcas glanced at Anica and Jasper. “Everything seems to be going well here.”

“Extremely well.” Anica gave Jasper a quick smile. “Let me take your coats.”

“You can have mine.” Dorcas set down her purse and began taking off her cape. “But Ambrose will be leaving with Jasper, won’t you, sweetheart?”

“Exactly.” Ambrose helped Dorcas with her cape. “I noticed a restaurant called La Bohème about three blocks away. I thought I’d buy you a beer, Jasper.”

“Hey, it’ll be on me, Ambrose. It’s the least I can do.”

Anica gave him a questioning look. Ambrose had picked out the very restaurant where all of the madness had begun. She wondered if going back there might be painful for Jasper.

“I can give you a key to Wicked Brew,” she said. “It’s three blocks in the other direction, so it’s the same distance, and you’d have complete privacy.”

“But then I can’t buy Ambrose a beer,” Jasper said. “The restaurant’s fine with me.” He looked strong, resolute, as if he could handle whatever happened.

She understood the feeling. Because he loved her, she could face most anything, too. “All right, then I guess we should let you both be on your way.” The minute she said it, she had the urge to grab his hand and beg him not to go.

But that was silly. Jasper would have his talk with Ambrose, and then they’d return.

On his way to the coat closet, Jasper offered to take Dorcas’s cape. Then he hung it up and pulled his tweed coat off the hanger.

It was going according to plan, and yet having him leave seemed wrong all of a sudden. “Do you have your BlackBerry in your pocket?”

“Yep.” He shrugged into the coat and grinned at her. “Gonna call me? Come to think of it, we could bring food back. Think about what you’d like and we can get it to go.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” But she still didn’t want him to leave. Also, she’d never asked why they had to be separated to conduct these discussions. That seemed like an important point.

“How about if we all talk together right here? If we get hungry we could order pizza. I don’t see the point in you two leaving. Jasper and I don’t have secrets from each other.”

“That’s wonderful,” Dorcas said. “But the reversal of the spell can only take place if you are interviewed without being influenced by the other person.”

“So you and I can go in the kitchen and close the door, and Ambrose and Jasper can have the living room. How’s that?” The thought of Jasper leaving with Ambrose became more frightening with every passing second.

Dorcas shook her head. “Not far enough away. You’d still sense each other’s energy field.”

“Then . . . then you and I can go to the end of the hall. It won’t take long, right? We can—”

“Anica, it’s okay.” Jasper finished buttoning his coat and walked over to her.

“I just don’t see why we have to be separated.” She sounded like a whiny little kid and she couldn’t seem to help it.

“If Dorcas says we have to be, then that’s how we’ll play it. Until now you’ve shouldered complete responsibility for my welfare, so it’s probably hard to let that go.”

She searched his eyes, which were so full of love and compassion. “You could be right.”

“I am.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Don’t worry. This won’t take long, and then we can eat some good food and drink that wine you have sitting in the kitchen.”

“Okay.” She managed to smile, but as he went out the door with Ambrose, she couldn’t control the churning in her tummy. No doubt he’d pegged the cause, though. She wasn’t used to him going anywhere without her. She’d have to get over that, and now was as good a time as any to begin.

She gestured toward the sofa. “Let’s get started.”

“All right.” Dorcas picked up her purse and carried it over to the sofa.

“Can I get you anything? We could open the wine. I have more. Or I could make coffee or tea, or I also have some—”

“I don’t need anything, thanks.” She glanced up at Anica and smiled. “Come over and sit down. I have something to explain.” She pulled a sheaf of papers out of her purse.

Anica’s feeling of dread wouldn’t go away. “Something you didn’t want to tell me on the phone.”

“Right.”

Heart pounding, back stiff, Anica perched on the sofa.

“I know you’re nervous, and I wish I could tell you not to be, but the fact is that spell has serious consequences. Because I’m a member of the Wizard Council, I have the authority to offer you this contract, which will address those consequences. Ambrose and I have researched this spell using every known resource through magical channels and the Internet. A contract is definitely necessary.”

Anica told herself to keep breathing. “But you said Jasper could regain his human form.”

“He can, but as the witch who imposed that spell, you must agree to give up something in order for him to return to normal.”

Anica’s heart felt as if it would hammer its way right out of her chest. “What?”

“Your magic.”

She closed her eyes. She’d known it would come to this. Somehow she’d always known. “Forever?”

“Yes, forever.”

The sentence was harsh, very harsh, but for Jasper’s sake, she’d bear it. She realized that instantly. She would be strong, resilient. “At least I’ll have Lily around. I can watch her do magic and get a vicarious thrill.”

“That’s the addendum, I’m afraid.”

“What addendum?” Anica tried not to panic.

Dorcas flipped through the contract. “Here it is. Section four, paragraph six.
Aforementioned witch, having voluntarily given up all use of magic in exchange for the lifting of Transformation Spell Four Hundred Seventy-seven, will hereafter have a negative effect on any magic done in her presence.
”

“A negative effect? What does that mean?”

“You’ll give off antimagic vibrations that will interfere with attempted spells. You’ll cancel out any and all magic.”

“That seems so unfair!”

“It’s one of the terms.”

Anica swallowed. She wouldn’t be able to ask for magical favors, and she thought she could live with that. But could she live with being a pariah, unwanted at any magical gathering?

“I’m sorry, Anica. I wish there could be another way, but I’ve researched the spell six ways to Sunday, and this is all we have.”

“Right.” Anica struggled to accept what must be if Jasper was to be permanently transformed.

“There’s one last provision, one that might be even harder on you than the other two.”

“I can’t imagine what would be harder than being cut off from all magic.”

“This is a result of that. Your antimagic vibrations mean that you have to stay completely away from Jasper. Any contact will result in him reverting to his cat form.”

“Those are the conditions.”

“I can’t accept that! I can’t!”

Dorcas shrugged. “Then everything stays the way it is now.”

Anica closed her eyes as the bad news hit like a fist to her diaphragm. She was not only losing her magic, she was losing Jasper. Dear Zeus, how this hurt. She hadn’t known there was this much psychic pain in the world.

After what seemed like a long, long time, she opened her eyes and took a shaky breath. There was no debate, really. She felt the grief massing an army on the borders of her mind. She’d hold it off for now, so that she could do what needed to be done.

She cleared the emotion clogging her throat and faced Dorcas. “Any contact? Including phone and e-mail?”

Dorcas frowned. “I can’t imagine e-mail would matter, but I wouldn’t take a chance, if I were you. It says
any contact,
which covers a lot of territory. I might be able to get more clarification, but—”

“Never mind.” A phone call or an e-mail would only increase the pain. “I agree to the terms.”

Dorcas put her hand over Anica’s, which was clenched in her lap. “You’re absolutely sure?”

“Of course I’m sure.” She met Dorcas’s gaze. “I love Jasper. I would do anything to reverse that spell. I would . . .” She swallowed. “I would give my life.”

Dorcas regarded her with sympathy. “Giving up your magic and the man you love can’t be easy for you.”

“This isn’t about me. It’s about Jasper and what he needs so he can get back to normal.”

“And that’s your final decision?”

“Yes. I . . . assume Ambrose will make sure Jasper doesn’t come back to the apartment?”

“Of course.” Dorcas pulled a purple folder out of her purse. “I’ll need you to sign this contract, which waives all your rights to practice magic of any kind, and stipulates that you will take every precaution to stay away from the recipient of your spell, Jasper Steven Danes.”

“Steven,” Anica said softly. “I didn’t even know his middle name.”

“We had to look it up.”

Anica stood, needing to move. “I’ll get a pen.”

“No, I have a pen.” Dorcas dug around in the bottom of her purse. “I know I put it in here.”

“Let me get mine.”

“No, you need to use this one. Remember, this was a really old spell. Aha. Here it is.” She pulled a black feather from her purse.