Spark of Magic

SPARK OF MAGIC

Trista Ann Michaels

Trademarks Acknowledgment

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Bewitched: Screen Gems, Inc.

Fantasy Island: Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.

Harry Potter: Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

Jacuzzi: Jacuzzi Inc.

LoJack: LoJack Corporation

“I can’t do this anymore.”

Rebecca slammed her apartment door behind her and glared at her best friend Tonya, who glanced up from her magazine with a frown.

“It went that bad?”

“Worse than bad,” she said then dropped onto the couch, sinking into the soft suede cushions. “Tell me the truth, Tonya. Is there a sign on my forehead that reads

‘losers welcome’?”

Tonya giggled softly and set her magazine aside. “Didn’t he have any redeeming qualities? At least one? He was gorgeous.”

Rebecca sighed. “Gorgeous does not mean gentleman or even smart. All he talked about was himself and his money. And, of course, let’s not forget his little trick of slipping a drug into my drink.”

Tonya gasped and sat forward, her green eyes widening in shock. “He did
what?
”

“You know that mirror that hangs behind the bar at the Pinnacle Room?” Tonya nodded and Rebecca continued, “I was at the bar and happened to look up into that mirror and see him slip a small blue pill into my drink and then stir it. I guess he didn’t feel confident enough to get me into bed on his own, he felt he had to drug me.”

“Oh God,” Tonya sighed and dropped her head in her hand. “What did you do?”

Rebecca pursed her lips, trying to stop the blush that quickly moved up her neck.

Tonya glanced up at her and scowled. “Rebecca?”

“All right,” she sighed, and dropped her head back to stare at the ceiling. “I just did a little something.” She held her forefinger and thumb close together. “The waiter just happened to be walking by and he tripped, spilling hot coffee all over my date’s crotch.” She winced then studied her nails. “Tragic, tragic accident.”

“Accident my ass,” Tonya said with a grin. “With those powers of yours I’d hate to be your enemy.”

Rebecca pouted at her friend of fifteen years. “I never said I used my powers.”

Tonya raised an eyebrow. “So the waiter just tripped? With no help from you?”

“Well,” Rebecca sighed. “Maybe he had a
little
help from me.”

Tonya put her hand over her mouth to hide her giggle then sobered when Rebecca didn’t join her in laughter. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.”

Rebecca remained silent, staring solemnly at the ceiling. This always happened to her. Every guy she’d ever been out with had turned into a jerk. Just last week she’d 5

gone out with someone who’d tried to have sex with her in the damn parking lot of the restaurant. She just didn’t understand it.

Tears gathered in her eyes and she tried to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. Fatigue weighed her down, made her feel depressed. Would the right guy ever come along? And just who was the right guy? Unfortunately she hadn’t met just one guy who could do it for her. Usually it took two men to really get her going.

The first time it had happened, she’d gone to a bar with Tonya and had a little too much to drink, letting her inhibitions free. Two guys began flirting with her and the next thing she knew they were at a dark corner table fondling each other like they were starving for one another. Lust had screamed through her that night with the force of a tidal wave. Her panties had been soaked, her nipples hard and engorged. Just thinking about it now made her wet.

For a long time she’d wondered if something was wrong with her—if she was weird. Eventually she accepted her little quirk. Fantasizing about two men was only one of her many little oddities. The other was her ability to do magic with the flick her hand.

She’d first discovered her talent at the age of fifteen. Tonya had been the only one she told. Her friend was the only one she trusted for she was an orphan, like her. It wasn’t like she had anyone else. Her foster parents certainly hadn’t been interested. She had no idea who her real parents were and honestly, she wasn’t sure she cared.

She and Tonya had spent months researching her powers, reading everything about witches and witchcraft, extra sensory perception and anything else that might explain her abilities. They finally determined she was what they called a “natural witch”. She could make things happen without the use of spells. Tonya thought it was an amazing gift but to Rebecca it was a curse. Too bad her powers couldn’t help her find what she needed. Too bad they couldn’t give her the answers she’d tried so hard to find.

“Rebecca?”

As a single tear slipped down Rebecca’s cheek she turned her head to stare at her friend. “What’s wrong with me, Tonya? Why can’t I find the right guy?”

“I don’t know, honey. But he’s out there, I know it.”

“I wish you were right but I’m beginning to think he—or they—don’t exist.” With a loud sigh she turned back to the ceiling. “I need a good lay. A really good one, you know? I need something my vibrator and anal wand can’t give me.”

Tonya snorted. “What you need is to have your head examined. I can’t believe you really want to have sex with two men. You just think you do. If you could find the right guy, you wouldn’t need two men. You would just need him.”

“I don’t know,” she whispered then rose to her feet. “I’m going to go take a hot bath, wallow in self-pity for a while then go to bed.”

“Are you sure you should be alone?”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

6

Rebecca waved then headed to the privacy of her bathroom and her huge Jacuzzi tub.

* * * * *

“Tell me you saw that.”

“I think everyone saw it,” Nicholas chuckled then glanced at his twin brother, Darien, across from him. “I’d hate to be that guy. A scalded cock can’t be pleasant.”

The restaurant had settled down, the commotion was over and the young female witch gone. But they knew how to find her. Her powers would lead them right to her door. Now that they’d seen her use them they would be like a beacon pointing the way.

“Not the imbecile. He had it coming. The girl.”

“Yes, I saw it.” Nicholas smiled. “She’s still young, still not in full control of her powers.”

“I agree. She waved her hand. Apparently she doesn’t know yet that’s not needed.

How will we manage it?” Darien asked, his brow creasing in a frown. “There’s only one way to know if she’s the one.”

Nicholas nodded. He certainly wanted her to be the one. The second he’d seen her standing at the bar, her sable hair cascading down her back, he couldn’t seem to look away. She was beautiful and made his breath catch. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had made his heart jerk with just a look.

He’d kept watching her, knew the second she’d realized what her date had done.

He’d seen her expression darken in the mirror behind the bar and her lips thin. Her deep emerald green eyes had sparked fire and his cock had jerked at the intensity he saw in their depths.

He and his brother had searched unsuccessfully for years for the child of Korinda and Shane. Their father had made them promise just before his death to find her, to keep the daughter of his best friend safe from Sebastian’s clutches. This could be her, she had eyes like Korinda’s, but the only true way to tell would be to join with her.

“We should get her to the club,” Nicholas said thoughtfully. “See which fantasy she chooses.”

Darien smiled. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Do it discreetly. We don’t want Sebastian catching wind of her. Not yet.”

* * * * *

Rebecca shifted the bags in her hand and smiled as a breeze blew, ruffling her hair and cooling her heated skin. Downtown Boston was gorgeous and filled with shops and restaurants but all the concrete elevated the already sweltering temperatures.

“I love that top you got,” Tonya said, pulling Rebecca’s mind from the weather.

Rebecca grinned. “You’re just saying that because you want to borrow it.”

7

“Well of course. That’s what I keep you around for after all. You have great taste in clothes.”

With a laugh Rebecca pointed to a small bench. “Let’s sit down for a minute.”

Rebecca dropped onto the bench, sighing as she studied her tired feet strapped into the three-inch heels. “I knew I shouldn’t have worn these shoes.”

“Yeah, but they look great.”

Rebecca snorted. “A lot of good it does me if I can’t walk.”

“Are you feeling better? I know you were pretty upset last night.”

Sitting back against the bench, she adjusted the bags next to her to avoid looking at her friend. She really wasn’t better but didn’t want to worry Tonya.

“I think, but I had a really weird dream last night.”

“What kind of dream?” Tonya asked.

Squinting, Rebecca tried to remember. “There were these two guys. I couldn’t really see their faces but could tell they had long, black hair and I knew instinctively they were identical.” She also knew instinctively she belonged with them. That they were her path to happiness and understanding who she was.

“What happened?”

Rebecca glanced at her friend in surprise. She hadn’t realized she’d been quiet, her mind on the men. “It started out very sexy. Two men being very passionate…gentle.

But then it changed and I was being chased by another man. A man I knew wanted to hurt me. He was evil.” She shivered as the distorted images ran through her mind.

Tonya smiled. “I think you’ve been watching too many scary movies.”

Rebecca laughed as well. “Maybe you’re right.”

“You need to relax, Becca. You’ve been under a lot of stress lately. This isn’t the first bad dream you’ve had. You’re distracted, uptight.”

“I know,” she sighed. “I’m not sure what’s wrong with me. I just feel like something’s missing.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know if it’s anything specific or even material. It’s almost like I’m in the wrong place?” She turned to look at her friend. “Like…there’s something I need to be doing.”

Tonya reached out and patted her knee. “You’ll figure it out, I know you will.”

Something nudged at her leg and she glanced down, surprised to see a small black dog staring at her and wagging its tail. “Oh my God,” she laughed, bending to ruffle the small dog’s ear. “Where did you come from?”

“Is that a Maltese?” Tonya asked. “Those are expensive dogs. Does it have a tag?”

Rebecca felt around the dog’s neck. She shook her head. “I don’t feel one. Are you all alone?”

8

The dog lifted onto its back feet and licked at Rebecca’s face, making her laugh.

“Oh, you’re so cute. Should we take it home with us?”

“Surely it belongs to someone.”

Sitting up, Rebecca glanced around the street. No one seemed to be looking for him.

Was he lost? The dog stuck his head in her purse and she smiled, tugging at the straps to get it away from him. “What are you doing?” asked with a giggle then gasped when the dog removed his head, her key chain dangling from his mouth.

With an almost mischievous look the dog took off down the street.

“Oh my God!” Rebecca exclaimed. “The little devil has my keys.”

Grabbing their bags, they both took off after the dog. He stayed well ahead of them, his small body maneuvering through the crowd easily.

“Rebecca, wait. You can open locks with magic, you don’t really need those keys.”

Rebecca stopped running and took a deep breath. “It has my work keys on it. If I ever quit my job I would need to return them. Besides, I don’t want to rely on magic for everything. I want to be normal, Tonya.”

Tonya nodded and pointed toward the dog, which had stopped and was now watching them with interest. “Check it out. I think the little mongrel is playing with us.”

“This is insane.”

“Can you use magic to stop him?”

Rebecca shook her head. “I don’t know.”

The Maltese took a couple of steps forward, watching them closely. Taking a deep breath, Rebecca tried to concentrate on holding the dog still, until he snorted.

“Did that little dog just snort?” Tonya asked, trying to stifle a giggle.

Rebecca frowned. She had to get those keys. Handing Tonya her two bags, she took off after him again, having to jog to keep up with his little legs. She loved dogs, especially little ones. But this dog… His game of keep away was beginning to grate on her last nerve. She needed those keys.

He turned a corner and Rebecca followed, Tonya close behind her. She scanned the streets, her heart skipping when she didn’t immediately see him. “Do you see him?” she asked Tonya.

“There.”

Rebecca looked to where Tonya pointed and saw the little bugger run into a building. Both girls took off as well. The doors were open and without looking at what type of business they were headed into they barreled through the opening, only to stop and stare wide-eyed at the darkened interior.

Numerous tables surrounded a crowded, circular bar. The room was dark with black walls and red tablecloths. Candles flickered everywhere, flooding the room with 9

soft light. Candelabras hung from the ceiling, thick off-white candles dripping wax onto the wrought iron holding them and giving the room a gothic appearance.

People turned to look at them in surprise and the heat of a blush moved over Rebecca’s face.

“Ladies, may I help you?”

They both turned to face the man who’d spoken. Probably the manager ready to chew them out for barreling into his bar like they had. He was tall and muscular with intense eyes and short black hair. Quite a hunk and Rebecca didn’t miss the way Tonya’s fingers dug into her elbow.

“Oh my,” Tonya murmured.

* * * * *

Nicholas dropped the keys onto the floor and morphed back into his human form.

He worked his tired jaw, ignoring his brother’s amused chuckle. “You couldn’t think of anything better than a Maltese?” Darien asked with amusement.