Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble (12 page)

I nodded, pleased that Rand didn’t seem to mind animals. “And Christa?”

I guess Christa wasn’t as invited as the cat because he took a while to consider it.

“Does she want to come with you?”

I shrugged. “I haven’t asked her yet, but I hope she would.”

“Very well, then she’s invited also. I want to make this as easy on you as I can, Jolie.”

I sighed, knowing this situation was not only frustrating for me, but it had to be for him as well. “I know you are, Rand, and I appreciate it.”

He covered my hand with his and the electric current traveled up my arm, its familiarity now like an old friend.

“About this vision you had…”

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It took me a second to realize what he was talking about. When I did, I dropped my gaze, hating the flush that was even now claiming every inch of my body. “What about it?”

He grinned and seemed to be enjoying my discomfort. “Was it real, or did you make it up?”

I frowned. “If you mean did I really have the vision, yes I did. As for whether it was real…I don’t know.” But I hoped it was.

He chuckled. “Care to describe it for me?”

I pulled my hand from underneath his. “No, I don’t. You need your rest.”

He laughed again, but his gaze was riveted on me. “It’s easy to make you blush, you know?”

I lifted my eyes and found his wide smile and dimples sexy as all get out. I stood up. “You’re delirious.”

He chuckled, and I started for the door.

“Jolie…thank you.”

I nodded and leaned against the doorjamb while I studied him. “You’re welcome, Rand. Thank you for…everything you did for me.”

He seemed surprised and even a mite uncomfortable. It was pretty funny actually—when I removed myself from the situation. Here I was, a new witch, thanking a nearly dead warlock for disrupting my life and relocating me to England.

Sometimes life is stranger than art.

EIGHT

As Rand, Christa, my cat and I sat in the taxi that picked us up at Newcastle airport, I was overwhelmed with conflicted feelings. It’d been difficult for me to leave the safety of my life in Los Angeles. My mother hadn’t taken it at all well. When I’d told her, she’d burst into sobs immediately, causing me to feel like quite the unfit daughter. Of course, I hadn’t told her the whole truth. I’d just said I had a job offer in England that I couldn’t refuse. And I’d left it at that. Luckily, she hadn’t questioned me as to why England had better legal assistant positions than the States. I hadn’t quite thought that one all the way through…

With melancholic thoughts and homesickness already coursing through my veins, it was hard to find room for excitement. But, that said, I was eager to face the next chapter of my life, even if that chapter was questionable at best. Thoughts of Bella swarmed through my head like angry wasps, but I forced them aside, figuring it would work itself out. Rand knew far more about the situation than I did, so I’d let him handle it.

I glanced across the taxi at Christa who stared out the window, holding her stomach. Pain mixed with carsickness pierced her expression; she’d eaten too many frosted donuts and now reaped the rewards.

I didn’t imagine I would’ve been capable of making such a life-altering change without Christa. In many ways, she was the oak to my sapling—having her with me gave me strength to confront an unknown future. And, as for Christa, she’d been thrilled to finally see her dream of traveling abroad to fruition…and on someone else’s dime.

“Ugh,” she moaned, her face was pale and beads of perspiration decorated her brow like ornaments on a Christmas tree.

Rand sent an amused glance my way, then turned to face Christa. He slipped his arms around her waist and pressed his hands to her stomach, taking the sickness from her as quickly as it had come. A look of surprise paralyzed Christa’s face, and her cheeks colored. She said nothing but thanked him with a small smile and a nod of her head.

A tiny dart of jealousy landed in my stomach, but I plucked it out, thinking such a reaction was ludicrous.

“Just up the way is Alnwick,” Rand said with a gesture toward the window. “Where I live.”

“How long have you lived there?” I asked.

“Sixty years.”

I shook my head, still having trouble imagining he could be so old when he looked so young. What was weirder still, was the fact that if Rand looked his age, there is no way in hell I’d be attracted to him. He’d be over one hundred fifty—yuck! I felt my nose scrunching up at the idea and forced my attention outside the window, not wanting to continue picturing the geriatric Rand.

The view did a good job of grabbing my attention. Northumberland was a land of castles, of thatched-roof houses, buildings dating to the fourteenth century, and it was right on the coast. The English coastline was entirely different from that of California—maybe more similar to Washington’s. The sky was a drab grey, the sun seemingly fighting to break through the shadow of the sky. A light rain had already welcomed us and now sprinkled the rumbling ocean, warning of more to come.

“Hadrian’s wall isn’t far from here,” Rand said.

“I hadn’t realized we were so close to Scotland,” I answered and started to get excited. I hadn’t done much traveling in my life, and I did have to admit that it was pretty darn neat to see more of what the world had to offer.

“Yes, very close.” He smiled, and an image of the Crypt Keeper crept into my mind until I violently shook it away. Sheesh! Just because Rand was over one hundred didn’t mean he’d look like a zombie or whatever that hideous thing was.

After driving for maybe thirty minutes, the taxi climbed a long and steep drive. On my right, a rock fence lay in disrepair, speaking of times past. Beyond that, white sheep dotted the landscape and contrasted against the miles of verdant farmland.

“Nearly there,” Rand said. I could see why he chose such a remote place in which to live. He was a private person, and one could get as much privacy as one wanted out here—his only neighbors a few sheep and some craggy trees.

As the taxi came to a stop before a stately manor house, my attention turned to the great façade. Idn’t meapected it, trying to find an inkling of Rand within the foreboding and immense structure that peered down at me. As mysterious as its owner—its stone face was an exact replica of the stoic strength inherent in Rand’s eyes and the stubborn hold of his mouth.

I stepped outside and craned my neck to inspect the majesty of Rand’s three-story home. It was something you’d see in a fairy tale—imposing and completely constructed of slate and stone. A wide stairwell graced the front and led to a pair of heavy wooden doors, flanked on either side by two large urns that each housed a yellow blooming rosebush. Two stone Gargoyles studied me from their perch atop the third story. Between them and carved into the stone face was “Pelham Manor”.

The name fit. I didn’t know if Pelham meant anything, but it was as English as the home, the countryside, and the handsome man who owned it. I smiled, breathing in the crisp air and thought my lungs had never inhaled anything so pure.

“Wow,” Christa said, already reaching for her camera bag and studying the edifice as if memorizing the angles she planned to capture.

Rand grinned. “Welcome to your new home.”

The driver carried our things to the massive front doors, and then returned to the car. Rand assumed the largest bags and left Christa and me to carry the rest, including the cat.

For as ancient as Pelham Manor was, the inside was the epitome of contemporary modernism with large black leather sofas, oriental rugs and Picasso-looking paintings I could only assume were originals. It appeared Rand enjoyed the most up-to-date of modern conveniences even if his home was anything but. As soon as we stepped into the foyer, he disengaged an alarm and Ravel’s Bolero filtered through the house. As if commanded by the music, a fire lit itself in a fireplace so tall, I could easily stand in it—on my tip toes. What grabbed me most, though, was the way his home smelled—it shared the same minty spiciness that could only characterize Rand.

I inhaled deeply.

“All bedrooms are on the third floor,” he said as Christa and I gaped at the surroundings of our new abode. “Is it to your liking?”

I faced him in disbelief. “I think I need to pinch myself.”

He laughed as Christa inspected the fireplace and threw herself into the lush sofa, almost disappearing into the folds.

“Wow, this is the dog’s bollocks,” she said as I erupted into a fit of laughter.

“Where did you pick that up?” I managed.

“Oh, around,” she said evasively.

Rand just shook his head, but couldn’t keep the smile from his lips.

Reminded of the weight of Plum in her carrying case, I turned to the wide expanse of stairs and wondered what awaited me in the bedrooms. Rand started up the stairs as Christa busied herself with the television.

“Do I have my pick of rooms?” I asked, following him.

<

Rand nodded. “Of course. I did have one in mind for you, though.”

We strolled down the long and dark corridor toward the eastern section of Pelham Manor. The place was quiet, reflective, yet it didn’t feel intimidating in its age and stature. Rand pushed open the last door in the hallway and stepped aside as I entered. An immense canopy bed made of some exotic and dark wood dominated the room. Transparent white panels hung from the bed’s wooden beams and gave the room a certain harem-like quality. In the corner, a fireplace erupted into orange and yellow flames as soon as we stepped over the threshold, and the music from downstairs filtered in through a hidden speaker.

My attention turned to the French doors that opened onto my very own terrace. The veranda was complete with a flowering rose that crawled up the ancient face of Pelham Manor, lending the air a sweet aroma.

I didn’t bother letting Plum out of her case, but deposited her on the bed and neared the arresting view that beckoned to me from the terrace. A brook weaved its way through an endless grove of ash trees only to disappear on the horizon.

I pulled open the French doors, and a breeze coursed into the room, grabbing hold of a brown silk drape. The drape danced as if the breeze were a long-lost lover. The coy breeze then trailed against my cheek, pushing my hair from my face.

“The rooms on the other side overlook the rose gardens, but somehow, I thought you’d appreciate this view more,” Rand said, reminding me he still stood behind me.

“This is…incredible.” I turned to face him. “Thank you.”

“If you want to see the other rooms…”

“No,” I interrupted. “I can’t imagine anything more beautiful than this.”

Silence reigned as Rand and I met one another’s gaze. Like a deer in headlights, I couldn’t pull my attention from the beautiful richness of his chocolate eyes. An angry meow interrupted the wonder of the moment, and Rand turned to the cat in her case. He unhinged the door, and she peeked her orange head out, unsure of her surroundings. He scratched her chin, and she purred, easing herself out of the cage.

“I’ll keep her in here. I’m sure you don’t want a cat traipsing around.”

He laughed. “You can keep her on the condition you allow her the run of the place. Little bugger would be bored to tears in here.”

The scene before me was pretty touching—a great and powerful warlock completely content to scratch a silly little cat’s chin.

“Thank you, Rand.”

He smiled, and Plum jumped from the bed, threading herself between his legs as she purred and clawed at the rug beneath her.

“I’m your family now, Jolie; if ever you need anything—I hope you know I’m here for you.”

My family now. The words echoed through me, and I fought against them. I didn’t want Rand to be my family; I wanted him to be my lover. The realization was clearer now than it ever had been.

“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” I managed and forced my attention to the cat. She pulled at the Aubusson rug as if determined to unravel every last stitch. I grabbed the naughty cat before she did any permanent damage and frowned at Rand apologetically.

He just laughed before changing the subject. “I’ve hired tutors to teach you their craft.”

“Tutors?” I asked in surprise, never having considered I might require actual training.

“Yes, the fairies—they’re excellent teachers and masters of magic. They taught me everything I know.”

I sat on the edge of the bed, scratching Plum as she stretched her paws against my stomach. “Fairies? As in Tinker Bell?”

He chuckled. “Not exactly.”

“Do they have wings?”

Rand neared the door with a grin. “I suppose you’ll have to find out for yourself,” he answered in that elusive way of his.

#

That night, after Christa, Rand and I had excused ourselves to seek the refuge of our bedrooms, I had another dream. Of course, this one was just as erotic as the others and of course, it featured Rand. The dream was so lucid I felt myself tossing about, and a sigh broke from my lips.

I opened my eyes and found night was still upon me. The moon glowed through my window, casting strange and frightening shadows around the room. I closed my eyes against the shadow of a goblin, trying to think of thousands of sheep all in a line and it was my duty to count them…anyone who tells you to count sheep in order to get to sleep has never tried it.

As I lay in the large bed and thought of the dream I’d just awakened from, heat simmered through my body, pulsing under my skin. I pictured Rand’s mouth and how his tongue had tasted me, how his hunger had been ravenous. The sexual tension inside me built to such a degree, I couldn’t stop my hand as it traveled down my leg to rest between my thighs at the very place that demanded attention.

I’ve never been one to masturbate, so I wasn’t surprised that at first I wasn’t very good at it. I didn’t give up, though, and helped myself along by imagining it was Rand between my legs, pleasuring himself just as much as he was pleasuring me.

My hand began an urgent rhythm as my hips jutted upward. I closed my eyes and relished the feeling when the blankets stripped themselves from me. I gasped, my eyes flying open in shock and mortification.

I pulled myself upright and searched for a plausible explanation—maybe I’d pushed the blankets to the side and they’d fallen off the bed? No, something had pulled them off me. Scooting back to the headboard, I couldn’t see anything suspicious and wondered if maybe the shadows in the room had been real creatures, come to do knows what with me. I pulled my nightshirt down over my knees, tucking them to my chest. My pulse echoed in my ears like pounding hooves, my fear holding me immobile. There was something in the room, but I couldn’t see it and couldn’t decide if it were better to dart for the door or remain where I was.

I waited and nothing happened. I was just about to jump up to turn on the light when I noticed an indentation on the foot of the bed—almost like someone sitting there. My heart began to pound in earnest as I watched the indentation shift and another one, closer to me, take its place—as if someone were on his knees and crawling toward me.

I jumped from the bed, lurching for the light switch.