“She’ll most likely die.” John looked away, staring out the windows onto the front garden where the fountain that had once been broken and dry, now spewed brilliant water. “Saw it happen once. Pale and feverish just like your Ellie.”
A myriad of emotions bombarded him, anger, denial, fear. Hell, he could barely draw breath. Ellie couldn’t die. No, he was the one who was supposed to be dead.
“Well, it’s not going to happen,” Devon snapped. Ellie was different, Ellie was strong and stubborn. Ellie was meant to be here, gifting the world with her presence. “Tell me how we cleanse her.”
“We’ll need a witch to help.”
And here he was, fresh out of witches.
“Camile isn’t here,” Kipps stated. “She left to find you.”
“My niece might not be here,” a voice raspy with age declared from the doorway. “But I am.”
Devon turned to see a short, round woman standing in the parlor, her graying hair like a turban atop her head, her long dressing gown pea green with pink flowers. A variety of memories rushed through his mind all at once. So many memories it was hard to grasp onto them. But this woman…this dour looking woman stood out clear.
“Rose,” Devon whispered. How had he forgotten her? The old witch had saved his life more than once. Lord, what else had he forgotten?
She waved her hand through the air dismissing him. “Take me tae her.”
Devon didn’t waste another moment with John and Kipps. He left the room and started up the steps, the woman following. “Tell me what happened with the last spell.”
She sighed, clinging to the railing as she shuffled up the steps. “Ashley couldn’t rest. Her guilt was too much and so she came up with the crazed notion tae do a spell that would take ye tae heaven and the demon ye’d bound yerself tae, tae hell.”
At the hallway they paused. He glanced toward the closed door, unsure how much he wanted Ellie to overhear. “Obviously, it didn’t work.”
She shook her head. “Never should have let Camile handle the spell. She’s tae much of a damn novice.”
Devon’s annoyance flared. It was the second time Camile had messed up a spell. “You’ve let the witch do one too many, in my opinion. Look how many times her spells haven’t worked? Why the bloody hell would you let her handle something so important?”
“Easy,” she growled, glaring up at him. “That’s my niece you’re talking about.”
“Because of your niece, a demon is loose.” Devon clenched his jaw, fighting his anger. It wouldn’t do any good to anger Rose. Ellie needed her.
Rose sighed, looking away. “You’re right. Next time I’ll do the spell.”
He wasn’t appeased. “There won’t be a next time. I’m killing that demon once and for all, no matter what it takes. And if I die along with it, so be it.” Devon pushed open the bedroom door and moved into the room. Ellie still laid upon the bed, unmoving, deathly pale under the sunlight filtering through the lace curtains. Devon’s heart lurched.
“Jaysus, the power radiating from that woman is incredible.” Rose crossed herself. “She’ll be dead soon if we don’t cleanse her.”
“How?” Devon demanded, his voice trembling with an emotion he didn’t dare contemplate.
Rose shuffled toward the bed, hesitant, curious, like a person checking on a wild animal, unsure if she wanted to get closer. “Need tae teach her tae control the abilities. If she can get ahold of them, she could be amazingly talented.”
Devon frowned. “I don’t care what she could be, and neither does she. Ellie isn’t here to become some warrior. She’s a person, with a soul, a life.”
Rose shrugged. “That’s for her to decide.” The old woman knelt beside the bed and closed her eyes, pressing a hand to Ellie’s forehead and another to her chest. “She’s ready tae explode.”
His heart clenched. Devon shoved his hands into his pockets, resisting the urge to slam his fist into the wall. “Can you help her?”
The old woman nodded, opening her eyes. “A cleansing is in order, but I’m telling ye now, if she doesn’t learn to control her powers, it will only happen again. And next time I might not be around to help her.”
“So what do you suggest?” Devon asked.
Rose slowly got to her feet. “Let me teach her to block and focus on powers. If I can, she’ll be able to use them to help you fight.”
Staring down at her pale, petite features, it was hard to believe Ellie could do such damage. “She won’t be going with me. She will not fight.”
Rose stiffened, anger crossing her wrinkled features. “Why the bloody hell not?”
“Because…she’s too weak…too…”
Rose’s mouth fell open, the anger giving way to shock. “Yer in love with her.”
“No.” He’d rushed that word a little too quickly. Did the witch notice? Hell, was that heat rushing to his face?
“Well, ye like her enough tae want tae protect her.”
He didn’t respond. What could he say? That the thought of Ellie being injured made his knees weak? Made him sick? Panicked? His gaze went to the empath. Ellie lay still, quiet. Like Snow White after she’d eaten that apple. If only his kiss could bring her back.
“Devon, whether she fights the demon or not, for her own protection she needs tae know these things.”
He sighed, raking his hands through his hair and closed his eyes. He didn’t want her involved. He wanted her as far away from the demon as possible. But Rose had a point. If he wasn’t going to be around to protect her, she needed to be able to protect herself. And he knew without a doubt that eventually the Heavens would come calling for him.
“Think on it, Devon,” Rose said.
“It’s not up to him,” Ellie’s weak voice whispered from the bed, surprising them both.
Devon spun around, facing her. How much had she overheard? Those glassy eyes were pinned to him. Her lower lip trembling with each shaky breath she drew.
Ever so slowly, she pushed herself upright. “It’s up to me and I agree. Whatever you need to do, do it.”
****
“You’re in love with her.”
“No,” Devon had snapped.
“Well, ye like her enough tae want tae protect her.”
Ellie had awoken early enough to hear those important words. Although how she was supposed to feel about them, she wasn’t sure. He didn’t love her, but he liked her enough to want to protect her. Should she be offended, or pleased? Perhaps a little of both.
How had everything become so damn confusing within a week? She sure as hell didn’t need a relationship, with a fallen angel, no less, to complicate her life. So why couldn’t she get him out of her mind? Out of her heart…her soul?
The spring wind was warm, but the water lapping at her toes was freezing. Ellie shivered, wrapping her arms around her waist and drawing her robe closer as Rose chanted something in Latin. The moon was high, crescent shaped and beautiful, really, if a bit eerie.
But she couldn’t appreciate the peacefulness of the scenery. She rubbed her aching temples. Lord, her mind felt muddled, her knees so weak her legs were trembling. She could barely hold herself upright. Somewhere in the distance church bells rang, chiming the hour.
Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong.
Three a.m., when, according to Rose, the powers were at their height. Ellie glanced at Devon. He stood to the side, half hidden in the shadows of the birch trees lining the shore. His legs were braced apart, arms at his side as if preparing for some battle. Rose said the spell should be easy enough. She’d feel free, unencumbered within moments. So why did Devon look so worried?
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, wavering on her weak legs. So many horrible, odd emotions swirling through her body. She didn’t feel herself any longer. Her skin crawled as if worms wiggled through her body. She shivered, opening her eyes.
Rose held a stone bowl overhead, as if offering up a sacrifice to the moon. “Terra, ventus, incendia, unda.” She lowered th
e bowl and stepped closer to Ellie. “Terra, ventus, incendia, unda.” The old woman scooped up a handful of dark clay. “Tersus.”
She pressed her thumb to Ellie’s forehead, the clay cold and wet against her skin. “Tersus.”
She scooped up another handful and spread the clay down each side of Ellie’s face and nose, across her chin. Perhaps it was her imagination, but the clay felt oddly warm, her skin tingling with an awareness she hadn’t felt before.
“Are you well?” Devon asked, as if sensing the change.
Ellie nodded. The whisper of feeling tiptoed through her body, warming her muscles and leaving her trembling with relief.
“Drop the robe,” Rose demanded.
“What?” She was naked underneath. Nudity and moonlight? Wasn’t that a bit cliché for the old witch?
Rose glared at her. “Hurry.”
Ellie ignored her embarrassment and pulled at the knotted belt. If she had to stand naked in front of an old woman and Devon in order to rid herself of the powers, so be it. She shrugged the robe from her shoulders, letting the material fall into a pool around her feet. Rose scooped up a glob of wet clay and pressed it to the center of Ellie’s chest. She sucked in a sharp breath of surprise.
“Terra, ventus, incendia, unda,” Rose murmured once more.
Heat spread from the center of Ellie’s breastbone, across her chest and down her limbs. Her entire body seemed to clear of thought, of feeling. Her hands and feet tingled. She curled her toes into the damp sand, marveling over the feel of her body. Her muscles pulsed with a life and energy she’d never felt before. Renewed, reborn… she felt suddenly alive.
“Better?” Devon asked, watching her closely.
Ellie nodded, studying him with renewed perspective and a clear gaze. A living, breathing, gorgeous man. Rose reached into the basket at her feet and pulled a silver chain from which hung a rectangular crystal that caught the moonlight and practically glowed.
“Tersus,” Rose muttered, wrapping the chain around Ellie’s neck and letting the cold crystal hang between her breasts.
Rose looked her up and down, the clay, dark smudges against her pale skin, then nodded. “She’s done.” Rose picked up her bag and started for the trail that led back to town. “Now make sure to wash in the lake to purify.”
“Wait!” Devon called.
Rose paused and turned.
“What happens when we visit town? When she runs into something supernatural?”
She glanced at Ellie. “The crystal will protect her… for a while. Tomorrow we’ll start working on blocking powers so she doesn’t need the necklace.” She turned her back to them.
“Thank you,” Ellie called out, but the woman had already disappeared over the hill, fading into the shadows and Ellie was left alone with Devon and the sudden realization that she was naked. Completely and utterly naked.
Devon glanced her way. “You should wash.”
Obviously he wasn’t impressed with her nudity. In fact, he seemed utterly underwhelmed. Frowning, Ellie turned toward the lake. Thanking God for the darkness of night, she stepped into the water. A bitterly cold chill moved up her body, leaving her trembling in its wake. Slowly, she stepped further out, the round pebbles at the bottom massaging her feet. From somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted.
“You’re sure you’re well?” Devon asked.
Was it her imagination, or did he sound breathless? Wishful thinking, perhaps. “Well enough, but this water is freezing.”
She wrapped her arms around her chest, shivering as the water lapped at her thighs, numbing her legs. Above, the moon shone on the water, a magical light that called to the romantic in her. She should have been relieved, perhaps even nervous after what had happened to her. Instead, with the soft whisper of the waves against the shore, she felt only need. A desperate need for Devon. His heart pounding against hers. His breath warm against her lips.
They were alone, completely and utterly alone and in the dark, no one would notice them. The water reached the junction of her thighs and she sucked in a sharp breath. For a brief moment she paused as the gentle waves tickled sensitive regions she’d best not mention. Taking in a deep breath and ignoring the odd ache that spread low across her belly, she stepped further into the water hoping it would numb her desire.
“Remember, you have to completely submerge.”
She nodded, wondering over his curt tone. Why did he have to be so damn unemotional about everything? Gritting her teeth, she bent her knees and dropped under water. Icy cold surrounded her, gripping her tightly within its chilled fingers. Oh, she knew Devon had more important things to worry about. But she couldn’t help but wonder if when all this was done, he would still want to be here. Frantically she rubbed the clay from her body, then set her feet to the rocky bottom and pushed toward the surface.
She was gasping for air when she came out of the water. “Oh God,” she whispered, clutching her arms around her waist and heading toward the shore where Devon waited with her robe.
“It’s done,” Devon stated.
How she wished she could so easily wash away her feelings toward him. Her feet hit the gritty sand, the night air that had felt so warm, now chilled her damp flesh. “I’m fr…freezing.”
He wrapped the robe around her and pulled her close to his warm body. As much as she wanted to push away and assert her independence, she could only sink into his form and take his comfort for her own.
“How do you feel?” he asked, his breath warm against her temple.
“B…better. Much.” Even though the robe and his clothing separated them, his body heat brought life back into her muscles, and she realized she felt whole again, in charge of her own being. She took in a deep, shuddering breath and closed her eyes. As much as she wanted to head back to the pub and get dressed, here… now… with Devon holding her close, she couldn’t seem to move.
His large palms cupped her back, spreading warmth down her spine. Hotter than was normal. Surprised, she tilted her head back. “You’re so warm.”
He gave her a crooked smile that tugged at her heart. “I can raise my body temperature. I thought it appropriate, at the moment.”
His gaze dropped to her chest. Frowning, he slipped his fingers under the crystal and lifted the necklace, studying it. The brush of his fingers sent her pulse racing. “Is it working?”
“Seems to be.”
He stepped back, leaving her trembling and alone. “Sit.”
Mostly because she was still so cold, she didn’t argue and lowered herself to the grass, huddling in her robe. Devon sat across from her and wrapped his hands around her left ankle, pulling her leg straight. He rested his fingers around her foot, the heat seeping into her numb toes and making the skin tingle.
“Ohhh, that feels so good,” Ellie murmured, pulling the edges of her robe closer.
Slowly, he worked his hand up her ankle, to her calf, massaging the muscle, warming her skin. “You need to always wear the necklace, at least until you leave the town.”
You not we.
She nodded, but then she would have agreed to anything at the moment, his hands felt so damn good. At her knee, he switched legs, warming the lower half of her right side. Here, with the moonlight shining above, the white stars twinkling upon a black velvet sky, she felt close to heaven. And Devon’s touch, a heated temptation that whispered up her legs, lulled her into a false sense of peace.
“It’s important,” he said softly, his heated fingers lingering at her knee. “To learn to control your powers.”
She nodded, barely hearing his words, barely caring, only interested in the way his hands were moving up her thighs. In his wake, heat whispered over her skin, tingling through her muscles and moving further…further up her body. His fingers brushed the insides of her thighs, his gaze locked to hers. Ellie sucked in a sharp breath, holding her gaze steady. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Being intimate with Devon was supposed to be a one-time thing.
“I was worried abou
t you,” he admitted.
The words wrapped around her heart. “I’m okay.”
As his hands hovered right where the hem of her robe had bunched, so close to her very core, she thought she’d die. She waited for him to pull away, to explain to her all the reasons why they could never be together. Yet, he didn’t.
“We will help you…” He paused, that pulse in the side of his temple thumping wildly. Ellie didn’t dare breathe. She could feel the desire coming from him in waves. Knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Damn it all, why didn’t he just take her?
He cleared his throat, his attention on her legs. “We will help you train, and—”
“Devon,” she interrupted.
He lifted his gaze to her. “Yes?”
“Kiss me.”
He paused for the briefest of moments, just long enough to worry her. Then slowly, ever so slowly she thought she might actually die from anticipation, he planted his hands on either side of her and moved forward.
Ellie closed her eyes as his lips touched hers, savoring the feel. It was a soft kiss, a hesitant kiss. Devon was holding back, and she knew if he thought too much about what they were doing, he’d realize what a mistake they were making. She couldn’t let that happen. Ellie reached up, clutching the front of his t-shirt and pulled him closer. They fell back together upon the soft grass, his heavy body pressing into her. They were headed over the edge, but she wanted to take that fall with him.
“God, you’re so lovely,” he murmured against her mouth.
Sweet words that left her heart pitter pattering against her ribs. His tongue dove between her lips, sweeping into her mouth for a devastating kiss that she eagerly welcomed. If she had been standing, her knees would have buckled. As it was her entire body trembled with a want and need she didn’t fully understand. While his tongue worked its magic, his heated hands moved up her thighs spreading warmth and beauty across her body.
Hesitation fled and only pulsing desire remained.
Devon shifted, his knee nudging her thighs apart as his hand slid down her flat stomach to the soft curls hiding her femininity. “So lovely.”