The Magic Knot (26 page)

Niall’s eyes gleamed dangerously. “Aye, I could, and if you ever go telling anyone what happened in Wales, I will. You’re a bloodsucking opportunist, but you carried Rose out of Ireland, and for that I’ll tolerate you.”

Jacca’s nostrils flared; then his lips twitched and a mischievous sparkle lit his eyes. “Thank you, most noble King.” He inclined his head. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go and find Michael.” He glanced back over his shoulder as he melted into the crowd and added, “I’m feeling like a bite to eat.”

Rose grabbed Niall’s arm as he tensed. “Leave it,” she whispered. They had more immediate matters to handle. With a soft rustle of fabric, the piskies collected around them on silent feet. Niall relaxed and surveyed the gathered troop. Rose followed his gaze.

A beautiful woman wearing a sumptuous blue velvet gown, her flowing dark hair restrained by a circlet of gold, stepped forward. All her life, Rose had known this woman as the Magic Knot tarot High Priestess. Suddenly the reality of what had happened knocked the breath from her lungs. She grasped Niall’s arm as the woman came forward and knelt before them.

“My queen.” The woman inclined her head to Rose in a courtly nod. “I am Cordelia, wise woman of the troop. On behalf of all, I welcome you and offer you
thanks for restoring us. We have always trusted you’ find your way back to us.” She turned to Niall, a small secret smile on her face that made Rose’s hackles rise. “My king. You are most welcome. The noble blood of the Tuatha Dé Danaan will strengthen our royal line.” She tilted her head and glanced up at Rose. “I first saw our king when he entered your chamber at night to steal a kiss.”

“When was this?” Rose stared at Niall, her mouth open in surprise.

Niall frowned and fiddled with his cuffs. “I was only checking up on your welfare after the incident with Nightshade.”

That was when she’d first arrived. “You kissed me while I was asleep?”

He shifted his feet and gave the wise woman a narrow look. She gathered a gray cat into her arms with a murmur of delight and smiled back innocently. Someone in the crowd giggled. Niall flexed his shoulders. “I can see I’ll be having to watch me step with you lot.”

“Did you kiss me?” Rose repeated. If he had, he’d been interested in her right from the start.

Niall tightened his lips. “Aye, but I did not take liberties.”

Absolutely typical of Niall’s warped male logic. He’d kissed her for the first time when she was unconscious and couldn’t enjoy it. She wrapped her arms around him, ignoring his surprised look, and planted a kiss on his lips, right there in front of everyone.

She released a satisfied sigh and stared around at her people. Faces she’d known all her life nodded and smiled back at her. For the first time she felt complete. No doubt there would be trials ahead, but she loved Niall, and together they’ overcome the challenges.

Although she’d come to search for her father, she’d found something far better. She’d discovered who she really was.

All she had to do now was achieve the near-impossible task for which she’d originally come to Cornwall: help Michael sort out the financial muddle he’d made at the Elephant’s Nest.

A few months later Rose sat in the office at the Elephant’s Nest facing the new computer she’d given Michael at the piskies’ December Yule celebrations. With a sense of satisfaction, she entered the details of another invoice into the accounting program and dropped the document onto the heap for filing.

Thinking about the state of his accounts had given her heartburn after the large New Year’s meal they’ just finished. There was no better time than the first day of the year to start sorting the finances out.

The back of her neck tickled, and the familiar touch of Niall’s presence brushed her senses. Licking her lips in anticipation, she swung the chair around to face him. He leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, mouth twitching as he fought his grin.

“What might you be doing closeted in here, lass, while everyone else is making merry in the bar?” As if to emphasize his question, she heard Michael shout the punch line of one of his bawdy stories, and a bellow of raucous laughter followed.

“Didn’t you know? I’m waiting for you, Mr. O’Connor.”

“Me?” he said in mock surprise. “And why would you be waiting for me?”

When Rose surveyed the way his smart black slacks
hugged his hips, desire tightened low in her belly. Provocatively, she crossed her legs.

Blue fire flared in Niall’s eyes as her skirt crept up her thighs.

“Because”—Rose waggled her eyebrows—“you’re the computer expert.”

Niall grinned as he pushed away from the door frame, closed the door behind him, and turned the key.

“Are you going to help me?” she teased in a husky voice.

He sauntered forward and slid his palm up her leg. “Now, that depends on what you be wanting help with.”

He leaned a hand on the chair back and tipped her into a reclining position. Rose squeaked in surprise, then giggled when he pressed his face against the red silk covering her belly and nibbled.

When he raised his head, she framed his smiling face between her hands and examined the fading scars speckling his cheekbone and forehead. Ironically, the imperfection accentuated his beauty. She pulled his head down and pressed her mouth to his, kissing lightly. As he sank to his knees beside her chair, she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Time stopped. Rose forgot where she was. Her brain dissolved into warm mush, so she couldn’t think clearly enough to remember her name, let alone process Michael’s accounts.

Niall raised his head and snatched a ragged breath. “You’re an expert when it comes to distracting me from me task.”

He dug in his trouser pocket and pulled out a red
velvet bag tied with a tasseled gold cord. “I’ve a New Year’s present for you, love.” He took her hand and pressed the gift into her palm. “’Twas passed down through the generations.”

Rose weighed the bag in her hand. The velvet held something solid and surprisingly heavy. “You’ve already given me the bracelet and earrings and my favorite present.” Rose turned her left hand into the light, and green fire flickered within the huge emerald adorning the ring he’d given her at their handfasting ceremony.

He closed his eyes and kissed her finger beside the ring. “This ring is more than a present. ’Tis a symbol of my love and commitment to you.”

Rose stroked the glowing chestnut highlights in his hair, and love overwhelmed her. Ana had been right: Niall was soft as thistledown on the inside. The fact he trusted her enough to let her touch that part of him undid her.

“Check the bag, love. ’Tis a magical gift Troy sent over. If me father had loved a woman and bonded, it would have been passed to her, but Ciar never allowed him a wife. He wants us to have it.”

Rose loosened the gold cord and tipped the bag’s contents onto her palm. A single smooth stone the color of honey gleamed in the artificial light.

“’Tis a cat’s-eye. Sees into the heart, so they say.”

Rose turned the stone in her hands, watching the light ripple through the crystalline layers. “Should I see things in it, like a crystal ball?”

Niall laughed and lifted the stone from her fingers. “No, lass. ’Tis not a tool of divination. Let me show you.”

He stood and placed the warm stone against the
skin between her eyebrows. The familiar thread of connection between them suddenly became as focused and strong as a torch shining in her eyes.

“Cripes!” Rose blinked and gently pushed his hand and the stone away.

He grinned at her. “You’ll get used to the feel. Wherever I am, you’ll always be able to sense me and know me thoughts. Just wanted you to be sure you can always trust me.”

“No more trying to protect me from the truth, then?”

He shook his head seriously, and love bubbled up, filling Rose. She’d forgiven him long ago, yet he still beat himself up over what went wrong the day they’ released the piskies.

“Does it work the other way around? Let you see into my mind?”

“Aye.”

Rose gave him a mock grimace of horror. “I’ll have to stop fantasizing about a threesome with Michael then.”

Niall went deadly still, and Rose chuckled. “You’re so easy to get a rise out of, Niall O’Connor.” She patted his cheek. “I’m joking, darling. Check me out with the cat’s-eye if you don’t believe me.”

He shook his head and dropped the stone into its bag. “’Tis for you, lass. I never thought I’d say this to anyone except Ana, but I love you
and
I trust you.” Turning her hand, he brushed his lips over her palm and, with a smoldering glance, kissed his way up her arm to the sensitive skin inside her elbow.

Rose sank lower in her seat with a sigh as he raised himself over her and pushed the chair back flat. She stroked her hands over the front of his silky blue shirt,
savoring the hard muscles beneath. “I’m so glad you came to rescue me from the accounts.”

He nuzzled her neck, and a delicious quiver rippled through her body. “Aye, I know a far better way to celebrate the start of our New Year as pisky king and queen.”

I would like to thank all the people in many corners of the world who voted for this book in the American Title IV contest. I will be forever grateful for the enthusiastic support of so many kind people who’ve never met me, yet who found the time to vote to make my dream come true. A big thank-you must go to
Romantic Times
, who cosponsored the contest with Dorchester, and my editor Alicia Condon for selecting
The Magic Knot
for the final.

Special thanks to my steadfast friends Mona Risk and Joan Leacott who encourage me to produce my best work. Also, I want to mention my online friends at From The Heart Romance Writers who’ve cheered me on and been behind me all the way, and the members of Mary Buckham’s Super Tuesday Group for their encouragement and belief in me.

Other people who’ve helped me along the way who I want to mention are Joyce Ellen Almond (whose critiques always gave me a boost), Trish Johnson, Alice Audrey, Jaclyn Dibono, and Barbara Turner-Vesselago for her wonderful Freefall writing workshop where my writing journey began.

Finally, my heartfelt thanks to my dear husband Glyn Taylor and my family for their support during the contest. I’m especially grateful to my mother-in-law Janet Taylor (who missed her vocation and should be working in book promotion!), and my sisters Pamela Tuckett and Angela Croudace.

® LOVE SPELL

February 2009

Published by

Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016

Copyright © 2009 by Helen Scott Taylor

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E-ISBN: 978-1-4285-0606-0

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