Embrace the Magic (The Blood Rose Series Book 2) (16 page)

Of course, he would have fought the Fae Guild the entire way, but he never had a chance to bring her to justice. She was gone for ten years before anyone knew she’d settled in Shreveport and remarried. By then it was too late to bring her back; she was under the protection of a foreign government, married to a human.

“You don’t know whether she had a vision of the massacre or not. None of us do.”

“She communicated with my Guard all the time. We always had warnings from her if something big was going down. Why would this have been any different?”

“You really do blame my mother.”

Ethan met her gaze, her unusual, light blue eyes. For just a moment, she wasn’t his blood rose, but something else, the daughter of the woman he blamed for the death of his family. And here was another reason why he didn’t want to do long-term with her. “I’ve never said this to Vojalie, but I’m going to say it to both of you now. Quinlan saw Andrea about twenty years ago, when you would have been a child, but by which time it was legal for realm-folk to travel into the access towns, like Shreveport.

“He’d sought her out, having known her even longer than I had. They’d shared meal, and a couple of bottles of wine. She’d broken down and confessed that she could have prevented the attack at Sweet Gorge, that she’d had a vision earlier that day.”

Samantha’s head shifted back and forth. He felt her disbelief. “But, why didn’t she let someone know? What prevented her?”

“No one really knows. Quinlan said she was wracked with guilt, so there you are.”

Now Andrea’s daughter stood staring at him, a deep frown between her brows, her intense light eyes cloaked with concern and maybe even the despair that her mother had been at fault. “What if I’m the same way? What if I can’t take the visions either? Will you blame me if something goes wrong, if some vision of mine misfires or if I don’t report it in time?”

“She’s asking the right questions, Ethan.” Vojalie had the same worried crease between her brows.

“I already know the answer.” He shifted his gaze to Samantha. “No matter what, you have to do your duty, do what’s right.”

“You’re saying my mother didn’t.”

“Exactly.”

“Harsh words, Ethan.” Vojalie spoke stridently. “You saw her that last year. She’d lost so much weight. Something was wrong, something beyond our understanding.”

“So, you’re holding to your theory?”

“All I know is that the woman who left Shreveport didn’t resemble the woman I’d known her entire life.”

Ethan turned away from both women. Forty years had passed and still the wound bled. He needed to get beyond it, beyond what he’d witnessed that day, but how? And how the hell was he supposed to work with the daughter of the woman he blamed for the deaths of his mother, father and younger sister?

He felt a hand on his shoulder as Samantha’s voice entered his mind.
Ethan, I’m sorry for what happened all those years ago, but I can’t answer for my mother’s sins. However, I can promise that I’ll do my best not to let any personal failings I have come between this gift that’s emerging in me and the attending duty to help Bergisson. For now, let’s focus on my issues because I think there’s something here, something that can be of use to you.

At that, he turned toward her, catching her hand and holding it. “What are you saying? Another vision?”

“Maybe. Ry keeps coming to mind, repeatedly, as though knocking on a door. And I don’t mean
him,
I mean thoughts of him. I think I’m supposed to have a vision about him.”

“Right now? And what do you mean, you’re supposed to have a vision?”

“I can’t explain it. I just have this sense that if I were to really let go, I’d be able to see something about him, or about his current activities, maybe even where he’s located.”

“Is something stopping you?”

“I feel blocked somehow.” She turned to Vojalie. “Would this be normal?”

“In every possible way. First, you’re just learning to access your vision-based power and second, next to Ethan, Ry is the most powerful vampire in Bergisson Realm. He would have some ability to conceal his activities from the fae, especially if he’s able to enlist the help of one of our specie.”

“I have a sense of urgency, like I need to find out what’s going on. Is there anything we can do to enhance what’s happening to me?” She smiled. “Is there an incantation I could use?”

Ethan saw the teasing light in her eye and something within his chest released, a tension he’d been holding. Samantha would need a sense of humor if she chose to stay in Bergisson.

Vojalie chuckled. “No, nothing like that, but do you remember the conversation we had earlier, about the conservatory and hearing sounds like soft, angelic singing?”

“Yes, the first night I slept with the door open. I had such a peaceful night’s sleep.”

She glanced up at the crystal ceiling. “I think you might be the one to embrace this energy, to harness it. Are you willing to try?”

“Yes.”

There was no doubt, no wavering in her response. Ethan valued this about Samantha; the woman had courage.

Vojalie’s expression grew serious once more. “I’ve been waiting a long time to find a fae who could create a connection with the crystal alignments in the ceiling design of the minaret. So let’s see what you’ve got.”

Vojalie held out her hand.

*** *** ***

Samantha glanced at Vojalie’s smooth pink palm. The fae woman had delicate hands and long fingers, beautiful nails. But she’d also just issued a challenge to Samantha, something she couldn’t resist.

Samantha might be an artistic jewelry designer, generally considerate of others, and basically disposed to let life take its own sweet time, but she was also a trifle competitive by nature. So, she slapped her hand in Vojalie’s. “Hell, yeah.”

Ethan chuckled and put his hand over their joined fingers and gave a squeeze. “I like this. I do. Very warrior-like.”

Samantha nodded. “And from what I’ve seen of Ry, besides the mere fact that he’s aligned himself with the Invictus, the bastard deserves to be brought to earth, the sooner the better.” She glanced up at the crystal configuration. “So, what do I do?” She then shifted her gaze to Vojalie.

But the fae, as powerful as she was, merely shrugged. “I have no idea. We’ve all stood in the central red circle, beneath the minaret roof, but nothing much came of it, not for any of us.

“However, you’re a blood rose and connected to a powerful mastyr vampire. Maybe this will make the difference. All I can suggest to you is to go with your instincts, follow your call on your faeness.”

Samantha turned toward the central circle of tile. As she glanced at the floor, she realized she was looking at blood red pavers made up of crystals. She took a deep breath and moved forward quickly, pulling her hand from Ethan’s. This first part of the process she had to do herself, but the moment she stepped onto the round garnet tiles, pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. Her fae vibration became a sudden solid stream within her, a line that ran from her feet through her entire body, flowing up and up.

She gasped, shoulders tensing.

A brilliant flash of light followed.

Then nothing.

She awoke staring into Ethan’s concerned, smoky, light brown eyes. He held her hand. “What happened?”

“You passed out.”

She blinked, trying to make sense of why she lay off to the side of the crystal pathway. “I felt my faeness like a river through my body.”

She turned her head slightly meeting Vojalie’s concerned gaze, but a light shone in her eyes as well.

“Did I experience what you’ve been looking for?”

Vojalie nodded. “I think so, but the power that flowed overwhelmed you.”

“Yes, it did. The last thing I remember was a burst of light.” She sat up expecting to feel dizzy. Instead, she felt good, really good. Alive.

She gained her feet with the help of both Ethan and Vojalie and before they could stop her, she stepped onto the ruby-red disk again. She wanted more and opened her faeness quickly.

Another explosion of light.

When she opened her eyes this time, Ethan’s jaw worked. “Don’t do that again.”

“I have to. And, it’s not bad. It doesn’t hurt. In fact, the sensation is wonderful but I’m meant to do this, to connect with my power through the crystal ceiling.”

“We know that,” Vojalie stated. “But it’s clear to me you need support. This time, let Ethan hold you, be a sort of anchor while the power flows. At the very least he can catch you if you pass out again.”

Samantha let Ethan lift her to her feet and she nodded. “Are you willing?”

He lifted a brow. “Of course.”

Samantha’s breath caught and held. She had so many questions about her place in Bergisson and she had questions about where she should land, whether the Nine Realms or Shreveport. But in this moment, she knew one thing for certain: She could rely on Ethan because he said ‘of course’ without batting an eye, without the smallest hesitation.

This vampire could go the distance. At his most essential, this was his truth.

Moving to the edge of the circle once more, she stared at him, her lips parted.

What is it?
His voice in her head startled her, a sensation that soon gave way to pleasure.

You amaze me, Ethan. I’ve never known anyone like you. I know you’d rather be with Finn and your Guard right now, but instead you’re here. And not just here: You’re fully present. You’re with me.

His brows drew together and he shook his head.
Where else would I be? You need my help, so of course I’d support you.

That the concept seemed as natural as breathing to him, tightened the very bottom of Samantha’s heart. Again, ‘go the distance’ came to mind.

She turned to face the circle once more.

How would you like me to hold you?

The question made her smile.
Tight, both arms wrapped around me, front-to-front, my arms sliding around your neck as you kiss me.

He chuckled.
Enough of that or I’ll embarrass myself in front of Vojalie and you know exactly what I mean.

Yes. And I’m hoping we get to do that again soon.

A slight pause, then his voice seemed softer within her mind as he responded,
Me, too.

He met and held her gaze but no words, telepathically or otherwise, followed. He just looked at her.

Samantha looked back, savoring his smoky gray-brown eyes, the hungry look coming from the depths of him. She could even feel that she would need to donate again. She nodded, wanting him to know that she understood.

He dipped his chin in return.

“Put your arm around my waist, walk me beneath the minaret roof, then hold on. I have a feeling that what will happen will be as sudden as before, maybe even more so because you’ll be with me.”

“Understood.”

He slid his arm quickly around her and without hesitation, she resumed her place. He shifted to stand behind her but enfolded her in his arms. She’d never felt more secure.

As before, her faeness formed a quick river of energy through her body and she connected with the crystals overhead. She waited for the light to consume her, to take her consciousness yet again, but instead, Ethan acted as a ground and the light moved through her and through him.

Power. That was what she felt. A wonderful stream of fae power that she could access, at least so long as Ethan anchored her.

Extraordinary.
His single thought slipped through her mind.

I could stay here forever.
And here was her truth, that being held in Ethan’s muscular arms and at the same time having this power flow, made her want to stay in Bergisson forever.

She couldn’t imagine though, to what purpose such power could be put, but right now that wasn’t important. The only thing that seemed to matter was feeling Ethan, knowing him, embracing who he was in his world.

Was this just the blood rose part of her talking? Was it her faeness in response to his realm-ness? Or was it him, that he could go the distance, that she’d already made love with him and it had been incredible?

She didn’t have answers, none that made any real sense. She’d lived long enough to know that this moment, as amazing as it was, would pass and the cold reality of day-to-day life would return, of waking up grumpy, of PMS, of having a bad hair day. He would become irritable with Finn or his realm-rule and she’d argue with him about why he left his deodorant sitting on the bathroom sink, all those little things that robbed a relationship of its magic and mystery in that thing called life, whether long-lived or not.

So a kind of war waged in her mind, between just enjoying the moment or holding it up for swift examination. Maybe the trick to life was knowing when to do which of the two.

So, she chose in that moment to let the future go and to just savor.

Ethan seemed to know when that happened because his arms tightened.
I need you, Samantha.

And I need you.
More hard truths. She needed him in her life, a man who could go the distance.
But we should step out of this stream. Vojalie will want a report.

He moved her easily, side-stepping them both off the red disk, but once the flow of crystal-energy stopped, he didn’t let her go. Instead, he turned her in his arms and kissed her, a full-blown, tongue-invading kiss that sent her hands sliding over his back, over the buttery leather of his Guardsman coat and beneath his long mass of golden hair. She kissed him back, not caring that Vojalie stood nearby.

She wanted Ethan to know that he wasn’t alone in how he felt.

After a moment, he pulled back and looked at her, smoothing a hand over her face, searching her eyes.
What the hell is this between us?

I don’t know.
And she didn’t, though it felt like
love
. But how could she possibly be in love with a vampire, and one she’d only known for a couple of nights? Yet love was what she felt, flowing through her right now, just as the power of the crystals had poured along her fae pathway.