Sea's Sorceress (2 page)

For all she had done, Arianne was still her sister. The kindness in Brie wouldn’t allow her to damn her own blood. Tears carried the weight his words lay on her heart. “I know she has good within her. Please give her hope, though she doesn’t deserve it. It will be for her to decide what to do with it.”

He considered. A smile crossed his face when he thought of Devin, his young apprentice, and he sighed.

“Air may scream and howl, but it is her sister’s pleas you will hear now. Fire will come to wrench her free, if he is not bold and Air’s heart grown too cold, love will fail and your chains will hold. Still, if Fire can melt Air’s icy wind, then love will triumph once again. So mote it be, an it harm whomever it need.”

Daemon collapsed into her arms, spent from the spell.

“What have you done?”

“I am the lock, you are the key. Never forget my love for you. Five or five thousand years, my heart will seek yours.”

Catching the tear that slipped down her cheek, her husband smiled and dissolved into the sea, taking her tear with him. Her sister howled as she vanished into the air, forever trapped within the stone circle. An instant later, Briella became dust on the ground where she stood.

Chapter 1

Soft throbs of music hummed through the air of O’Malley’s Pub. Outside, the wind had quieted and rain tapered down to a drizzle. Heavens, she was tired, and the weather wasn’t helping. If Rhia could just have ten minutes off her feet, preferably out of the crowd, to gather her thoughts.
Grrr. I can’t even hear myself think
. Was it a crime to want a few blessed minutes of peace?

She lined up four mugs on the counter and began to build the Guinness for table three. Glancing over toward Amy’s section, Rhia noted everyone appeared to be content for the moment. Good.

“Whew. Sure is busy tonight, boss.” Siobhan passed by on her way from the kitchen to serve the platters she carried to a couple of gentlemen sitting at the bar. As soon as she set down the tray, one hand went to her lower back.

Rhia finished the last Guinness. “It is at that. Sure you don’t mind covering the kitchen?”

“Not at all. It’s a blessing to be out of the racket for a bit.”

“I appreciate it, but get off your feet when you can. I don’t want you to overdo it.”

Siobhan patted her swollen tummy. At four months along, she was still fascinated with her pregnancy. Every kick and flutter was celebrated at length to anyone within earshot. “I’m healthy as a horse. Besides, I’m sure your pet hunk will be back soon.”

“Lord, don’t say that in front of him. His ego is big enough already. And how many times do I have to–Oh, for cryin’ out loud. You’d think that bloody phone could stop ringing for five minutes.”

The pub was really packed this evening and as much as she hated to do it, she would have to call her mother and ask her to run the kitchen for the remainder of the evening shift. Siobhan might put on a brave front, but she wouldn’t be able to hold out another four hours until closing. Maybe her Da would be okay by himself for that long. What else could she do? Skye had all but run out of the kitchen three hours ago, mumbling something about Liv screaming inside his head. He needed to leave.
Family comes first, always
. So she’d told him to go.

Tucking her bar towel in the back pocket of worn jeans, Rhiannon picked up the phone behind the bar. If only she could rip the thing out and smash it against something. Her hands were full just working the bar and trying to keep an eye on her waitresses.

“O’Malleys,” she shouted over the noise of the crowd. “This is Rhiannon. How may I help you?”

“Hello, love.” His voice was silk, smooth, rich and very dangerous. Skye.

“Speak of the devil and there you are.” Her lips curved into a soft smile and her heart did a slow, soft flip.

“Mmm. Sometimes a little bit of wicked is a good thing.”

“Yeah. Sure. You keep on believing that.”

“Want me to show you?”

Yes please
.

“You really are hopeless. How is Liv?”      

“Aww, now you’ve dashed all my hopes of making wild–”

“We all have to live with disappointment and I’m busy, so…” She cut him off before he could paint any more pictures in her mind, and tugged at the collar of her button-down shirt. Was it really that warm in the pub?

“I miss you too, darling. Liv’s doing just fine. I’m holding one of the two most beautiful babies in the world. She gave birth to twins. A boy and a girl.”

Rhia heard the pride and joy beaming in his voice. “Wonderful, Skye, just wonderful. Babies are the sweetest gift of love.” Countless times she’d ached to hold her own child, but the man she loved didn’t have a clue in spite of all his psychic abilities.
Skye, you idiot. Why can’t you see how much I love you?
Desire and temper tore through her with frustration.

Skye gasped, pausing for a moment, his breath audible through the connection.

“Skye? Is everything alright?” she asked.
Tell me I didn’t say that out loud. He couldn’t know. Could he?

When he spoke his voice was thick with emotion. “Little minx, you’ve a secret.”
 
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You can’t lie to me, love.”

Embarrassed and worried she might have ruined their friendship, she ignored the comment. “What did they name them?”

“Aiden Michael and Raine Elisabeth. We were all here to welcome them. It was amazing. Like nothing in the world. I wish you could have been here, Rhia.”

Michael for Liv’s father, she was sure, but Raine was an unusual name, maybe Jack’s choice? “I’m so glad both mom and babies are doing well. Tell Liv if she needs anything to call me, and we’ll be raising a glass for them tonight.”

“Thanks, I’ll pass it along.”

“I mean it. She only needs to ask, but I really have to get back to the bar. The rainy weather has sent all of Ardmore indoors and most of them are here.”

Siobhan caught her eye and put a hand to her chest, mimicking a wildly pounding heart.

Rhia laughed.

“So you do need me.” His voice deepened, honeyed.

Did he realize the underlying seduction in his words? Knowing Skye, he probably did. The devil. And because it was true in more ways than possible, she’d lie.

“No. Enjoy your time with your family. Tomorrow’s soon enough to slave in my kitchen. We’ll manage.” She hated asking for help, or taking it when needed. She was strong enough to do this, could take care of her father’s legacy. Ease his passing by standing in his place.
I will do this
. God, it hurt though, knowing she missed vital moments with her father to run the pub. There were days she wished the place would burn like kindling so she’d be free to sit at his bedside. Would she be the one there when he died? Her mother? Would he die alone? She couldn’t bear it.

“Who is covering the kitchen?”

Hearing Liv laugh in the background, she sighed. “Siobhan.”

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“You can’t–”

Silence. Skye had cut her off before she could refuse him. Then again, it was getting harder to refuse Skye anything. He’d always been an incorrigible flirt with every female who crossed his path, herself included. The playful banter between them was nothing new, but the hovering protective attitude was. It put her on guard. The last thing she wanted was his pity.

Though she had to admit his presence brought in more customers than on days when he didn’t venture out of his studio. Another rare thing. Skye opened at six for breakfast, served lunch, left for several hours, returned at six to serve dinner, and closed up every night. Rarely did he leave before midnight.

Rhia placed the receiver on the hook and shouted over the crowd.

“Listen up, everyone.” The chaos died down until a hush fell over the room. “Okay, Good news. Our Skye has a new niece and nephew. In celebration, enjoy a round on the house in honor of Jack and Olivia Roarke on the birth of their twins Aiden and Raine.”

Her announcement met with a host of shouts, woots, and happy laughter.

She tucked a stray curl behind her ear, smiled, and went back to work.

* * * *

Skye ignored Liv’s curious stare and hung up the phone with an unsteady hand as the wave of Rhiannon’s emotions washed over him. Worry. Weariness, tinged with grief, but for a moment there had been more than the usual array he’d gotten used to tuning out. Desire, longing, love bright as a thousand candles radiating from her.
She’s in love with me.
I
am
an idiot.
He felt a push against his thoughts and quickly blocked his twin’s prying with a firm blank wall. “Where are your manners, Liv? Do you want me to pry into all the naughty secrets you keep carefully hidden? I bet there are plenty.”

“No. What are you up to?”

“Not a thing. Look. She’s smiling at me. Who’s the most beautiful little lass in the whole world? Raine.” Skye tipped his head down to kiss his niece on the top of her downy black hair. The baby grabbed his pinky and squeezed, her dark blue eyes wide and completely trusting him to hold her safe.

“She can’t smile yet.” Liv shook her head. “We’ve another month or so before she starts smiling.”

“Nonsense. She is. You’ll be a heartbreaker, love.”

“Hey now. She’s got a good thirty years before I’ll even consider letting her date. It won’t do any good to argue with him, baby. He’s too stubborn,” Jack shouted from down the hall.

Liv refused to give up her point. “There’s truth in that, and both of you are doing your best to change the subject. You shouldn’t tease Rhiannon. Maegan won’t appreciate your flirting with other women.”

“Maegan and I are no longer an issue and haven’t been for months.”

“Not what she says.”

“Well. She can deal with it. I don’t appreciate a cheat.”

Skye looked into his niece’s eyes and knew the dark blue color would change to the same cocoa brown as Jack’s, while Aiden’s would stay blue like his mother’s. Some parts of the future were as easy to reveal as pulling back a curtain to look through a window. Others were as difficult as searching for a black snake in the dark. If he had seen how crazy Maegan would act when he broke it off, he’d never have gone out–or anything else–with her in the first place. “Let this go. I know what I’m doing. Are you sure you’re feeling okay? I mean, it’s only been three hours since the birth.”

“Yes, I’m fine. So much energy in fact, I feel like I could run for miles.”

“It took powerful magic to heal you, but I think we all got the backlash from it. I feel like I drank ten gallons of coffee. A little drunk, maybe.”

Jack came in through the door off the living room that led into the new addition, with Aiden cradled against his shoulder. “We’re ready. Aren’t we, pal?”

“Ready for what?” Liv asked.

“Ready for your surprise.” Jack grinned and took his wife’s hand. “Come on. I can’t wait for you to see it.”

Skye walked ahead of them and opened the door.

Liv followed him inside the huge nursery.

“Surprise!”

“Oh. Oh. Jack, it’s beautiful.” Tears streamed from Liv’s eyes as she took in the soft shades of the green walls, Jack’s choice. Two white cribs stood at the far end of the room lining the wall end-to-end. Skye had decorated them in pink and blue crib sets with mobiles hanging above each bed. Two matching white rocking chairs sat next to each other, facing shelving units with baskets lined up on them. A fairy tale mural complete with a beautiful princess waving from the tower window of a castle on Raine’s side of the room, and on Aiden’s side, a handsome prince riding a blue-scaled dragon whose bejeweled tail spread around the room against the green background. It had taken almost a month to finish the mural, spending an hour here and there, first drawing, then painting, always dividing his time between his art, his family and Rhiannon. Or helping her, he amended. She wasn’t his, not yet.

“We finished it a couple of days ago but wanted to give the room time to air.”

“Jack, a nursery? You built a nursery? What about all that talk about your own space to work?”

“I lied. I love you, Olivia Corrigan Roarke. You three are my heart, my soul, my life. I want you surrounding me every moment of the day.” Jack slid his free arm around his wife’s waist and pulled her to him.