Destined Magic Page 9

  “Elise and Brant were kidnapped off the street in front of the Coffee House last night. I have to get to the office to see the footage from the traffic cam. There were a bunch of witnesses, and the local police are involved in the case. This could get messy really fast. You’ll be safe here. The house is warded. If you need me, just call, and I’ll port in. I’m sorry I have to cut our time short.” He rubbed a hand over his eyes.

  “Don’t be sorry. I understand.” Gabriella smiled in reassurance even though her heart dropped. Was this the life ahead of her—Garrett being called away at a moment’s notice?

  “Come shower with me. I don’t want to let go of you just yet.”

  “Is that all we are going to do?” She didn’t want him to leave.

  He smiled and ran a finger down her cheek. “I have heard that water witches can do amazing things with their element. Want to show me?”

  He wanted to see her play in the water. “I would love to show you.” Gabriella jumped from the bed.

  §

  Each droplet of water felt like lips kissing Garrett’s skin. Gabriella motioned with her hands a graceful flowing movement. A stream spiraled around his shaft, squeezing and massaging. Garrett moaned. It feels so good. He wanted Gabriella to share in the experience.

  Tentatively, he reached for his magic and felt the energy of the water. He merged with the element, then tried to bend it to his will. There was a slight response as the water coming from the showerhead seemed to split into two streams.

  He motioned with his hands and pushed harder with his magic, willing the water flowing over Gabriella to lick at her skin. Nothing happened.

  He merged with the water again. Water flows. He relaxed into merging with the element, letting it fill him up, before causing the water to lick at her skin. Gabriella gasped. “How are you doing that?”

  “We are Destined Ones. I can use your element, and you can use mine.”

  Garrett pulled at a stream and sent it searching between her legs. Gabriella moaned and leaned back against the tiled enclosure. She stared at him, her eyes smoky with desire, as he sent the water diving into her core. First pushing in, then receding.

  “You’re a quick learner. I’m not going to last.”

  “Yes, you are. Come here.” Garrett let the water drop to the floor and gathered Ella close to his chest before lifting her and filling her with his need.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. Her muscles tightened, and he knew she was close. “Now, Ella. Come for me, now.”

  She shuddered and cried out. The sound of her pleasure whipped through him, and he exploded with a groan. “Good Goddess, I’m never going to get enough of you.”

  She smiled and kissed him on the nose. “That’s good, because I’m always going to need you.”

  He slowly lowered her to the floor and touched her forehead with his. “Don’t worry, Ella. You’re all mine now.”

  §

  You’re all mine now. No, I love you, or I can’t live without you. What did she expect? She hadn’t said the words to him, either. But she had hoped he might tell her.

  Gabriella wandered through the empty townhouse, wondering what to do. Garrett had asked her to come to headquarters with him, but she had declined, miffed that he wouldn’t tell her what she wanted to hear. What did he want her to do while he worked? She couldn’t just sit there in the office. Still, she might go and surprise him at lunch.

  She wandered into the library and ran her fingers over the spines of the antique books. Maybe she should read one. The sun glinted off the tooled leather of the covers. In a way, the book covers were a piece of art.

  She wandered to the French doors and looked outside. It wasn’t that long ago that she had run away through these doors. Sighing, she spotted a tree. A sudden idea blossomed in her mind. If Garrett could use her element, then she should be able to use his.

  Gabriella opened the door and walked up to the huge oak. Gently, she pressed her palm to the bark. Hello, she thought to the tree. Opening her senses wide, she waited to see if she got a response. A shiver of awareness went through her. The branches on the tree moved as if a gentle breeze blew through them. A feeling of welcome slowly filled her.

  She sank to her knees and pressed her back to the tree. Leaning her head against the bark, she closed her eyes and opened her senses even more. A piece of her consciousness seemed to sink into the tree and travel down its root system into the earth. Everything was alive. She could see sparks of consciousness in every plant and rock.

  Things seemed to move slowly here. The tree reached for the sun and glorified in the light that fed it. There were no other concerns. The roots reached beneath the soil, seeking water and nutrients. What surprised her more was that they also sought information. Somehow, this lone tree was in contact with the tree in the next yard and the one in the yard after that.

  Flowing along the root system, she realized the bushes were also part of this information system. She pushed her hands against the earth and felt energy crackle under her palms. Below her was a spur of quartz that seemed to be humming.

  Using her magic, she invited it to come to her. A large piece the size of her fist slowly rose through the soil to rest in her hands. She cupped it and felt a shiver of awareness as she connected with the stone, and the stone recognized her.

  The Earth had gifted the stone to her. She lovingly caressed the white opaque quartz and sent feelings of gratitude back into the soil. The Earth was very much alive and aware of the people that walked on its surface.

  Calling on her magic again, she let her spirit burrow down into the soil until she found a seed waiting. She coaxed it and sang to it. Summoning moisture from the lower levels, she fed the little seed. It awoke and quivered. Roots came out and pushed down into the nutrients. Finally, the seed broke open and sent out a tiny shoot. Gabriella continued to coax and plead with the little plant. The shoot shot up from under the dirt, seeking the light. It grew thicker and a leaf unfurled and then another one. Enchanted, Gabriella continued filling the soil with her magic.

  Soon, the shoot had become a young plant. A bud appeared and opened into a purple flower. “Yes,” Gabriella shouted. She wanted to dance and celebrate. A new life had been born, and she had helped it grow. The earth element felt safe and solid. Love for the entire planet filled her.

  She fingered the petals of the flower, feeling their softness. Then, holding the quartz crystal in her hand, she slowly rose to her feet. She swayed, feeling light-headed, and reached a hand out to her new friend, the oak. Using magic took energy on the casters part. She needed to eat and soon.

  §

  Garrett stood, looking at the large monitor, as Seth played the disk from the traffic cam.

  “You can see here where they enter the coffee shop. The time stamp reads 20:40.” Seth pointed to the lower corner. Garrett nodded his head, his jaw clenching.

  Brant and Elise were holding hands. She looked up at him and smiled warmly as he held the door open for her. They seemed much taken with each other. Garrett had never seen Elise respond to a man like that before.

  “I’m going to widen the picture. Look here, this white van parks in the alley. The windows are tinted, so it’s hard to see inside.” Seth looked back at Garrett, making sure he noticed. “I’m going to fast-forward a few minutes.” Garrett nodded again.

  Fifteen minutes from the original time stamp, Elise and Brant walked out of the shop, each carrying a paper cup. The van doors opened, and four men wearing ski masks rushed toward the couple on the street. Brant looked up and stopped and pushed Elise behind him as the men started to circle around the couple.

  Brant linked hands with Elise, getting ready to port them away from harm. Then, one of the men shot Brant in the chest with a Taser. Brant convulsed and hit the ground. Elise leaned down to help him, but one of the men grabbed her and yanked her away. She began to struggle as two of the other men picked up Brant and hurried him to the van. The driver
pulled a gun and motioned Elise to follow the others. She quieted and let the man holding her arm lead her to the van.

  “This is where it gets really interesting,” Seth exclaimed.

  Garrett watched the disk and couldn’t believe his eyes. “Wait, did I see that?” The fools let this show up on camera?

  “Yup, they all ported away, except the driver. He’s the only one who gets back in the van.”

  “So that’s how they knew to use a Taser to stop Brant from using his magic. They’re witches.” The electricity would short-circuit the magic Brant was trying to summon. It might even overload his system so much that he wouldn’t be able to use his magic for a while. “Did you run the plate on the van?”

  “Yes, the van was stolen from a lot not far from the coffee house. It was found abandoned early this morning. No prints turned up, according to the police.”

  Garrett walked into the conference room a short time later and noticed Mabel standing by the window. She turned when he entered. “I’m sorry to call you in, Garrett. This is a bloody mess. The human police are involved, and that is only going to complicate the matter.”

  “It appears things are accelerating at an alarming pace. Either Brant was being followed last night, or we have a spy in our midst.” Garrett clenched his hands into fists. How had this happened? What was going on?

  “Yes, I’m afraid so. Any idea which it is?”

  “Not yet, but I’m going to find out. At least, they didn’t kill Brant and Elise, which means they wanted them alive. Or at least they wanted Brant. Elise could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Great Goddess, please keep Elise safe.

  “We’ll need more evidence to be sure. Do you think this is more of the blood cult’s actions?” Mabel crossed to the table and flung herself into a chair.

  Garrett sat as well. “It seems likely. Who else would kidnap a council member off the street?” What did they want with Brant?

  “Well, the Blacksmith was at the ceremony last night.” Mabel stared at her hands on the table.

  “You think Aiden is behind this? No, he would never take hostages. What would be the point? He can talk to my father any time he wants. I can’t believe he is involved.”

  “Check him out anyway; maybe he is helping someone else. The council is in an uproar, and, frankly, I can’t blame them. This shows that nobody is safe from these people.” Mabel sighed.

  “We’ll find them. We have to.” Elise’s mom must be frantic. Where was she? Garrett expected her to be here demanding he find her daughter.

  “I want you to continue with your plan to pick up Gabriella’s sister tomorrow night. This all started with that anonymous phone call about blood magic being performed at the Blue Dolphin. I want to know why.”

  “Do you think that is wise? I can keep Ella safe until we find Brant and Elise.”

  “Something is going on, and we’re always three steps behind. I want Brenna picked up for questioning.”

  “You’re the boss.”

  “Yes, I am.” Mabel glared at Garrett. “At least, for a little while longer,” she mumbled.

  He looked at her sharply. What was that supposed to mean?

  §

  Gabriella walked into Guardian headquarters and felt her good mood deflate. Everyone looked so dejected. Of course, the starkness of the government-like building would depress anyone. But usually a feeling of good humor filled the place as a reminder not to take things too seriously.

  No one stopped her as she made her way down the halls toward Garrett’s office. She was almost there when she heard Garrett swear.

  “Dammit, they must be blocking their location with magic. Venetia tried all morning, but all she sees is darkness.”

  “We can send up the air witches to fly over the city,” Damek’s dark baritone replied. “Maybe they can pick up a hint of magic and give us an idea of where to search.”

  “We don’t even know if they are in the city. They could have ported anywhere.”

  Gabriella reached the doorway and studied the man who was her Destined One. His red hair was a mess from running his hands through it. His jaw was clenched, and his amethyst eyes looked hard. Maybe, she shouldn’t have come. Would he be angry about her interruption?

  “Hi …”

  The change that came over Garrett’s face sent all feelings of doubt winging away. The color of his eyes warmed, and his face relaxed into a smile. “Ella. You’re here.”

  “I thought we could get something to eat.” She ran her hand down the red dress she had put on especially for him. Sometime yesterday, all her clothes had been moved to Garrett’s closet.

  He started toward her, and excitement zinged through her system. He looked so determined, she almost stepped back. Reaching her, he pulled her into his arms. His mouth came down in a kiss of desperate claiming. When they came up for air, Gabriella was clutching his shoulders to remain standing, her knees weak. The man could melt her with one kiss.

  He steadied her and kissed her forehead. “I’m so glad you decided to come, but you should have called me. It isn’t safe for you to be alone without some kind of protection.”

  “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll leave you two love birds alone. You look lovely, Gabriella. Garrett is lucky to have you.” Damek smiled, then slipped from the room.

  “How are things going with the search?” Gabriella asked as she pushed a strand of red hair off Garrett’s forehead. She chose to ignore the remark about her safety.

  “Not good. We know Brant and Elise were taken by witches, but we don’t know why or where they are being held. Let’s not talk about it right now. I didn’t realize how tied up in knots I was until you walked in the door. You make my world a better place, Ella.”

  “What a lovely thing to say. Can you take a break for a late lunch?”

  Garrett glanced at his watch. “Let me tell Mabel I’m leaving. After lunch, I need to visit my sister Meadow and pick up a potion she’s making for me. I’d love to have you come with me.”

  “I’d love that, too.” He always made her feel special.

  “Then, let’s go, beautiful.”

  Chapter Nine

  Lunch had been wonderful. Because of the late hour, they had missed all the crowds, but Gabriella noticed signs of strain on Garrett’s face. The kidnapping and Elise weren’t far from his mind. He drove Gabriella and himself down the highway away from London in one of the Guardian’s vehicles.

  Gabriella hated to add to his worry, but she couldn’t help but wonder what the Guardians planned to do about her sister. The letter said to meet Brenna tomorrow night at the Blue Dolphin.

  A part of Gabriella’s heart still wanted to save Brenna even though she had sent those men after her. Was it too late? Did Brenna really want her dead?

  “You’re awfully quiet over there. Is everything okay?” Garrett asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  “I could ask you the same thing. I was thinking about my sister. I want to go meet her tomorrow night.”

  Garrett’s jaw tightened, and he gripped the steering wheel tighter. “No. You are not going to put yourself in danger.”

  “Garrett, we don’t know for sure that those men were sent to kill me.”

  “They were sent to collect you for one of their blood-cult ceremonies. That means cutting you up slowly so your pain and terror can feed their madness. I’m not going to let that happen. You are not going.”

  “But what chance will you have of capturing Brenna if I don’t go? She will run at the first hint of a trap. I am the only one who can draw her out.”

  “I am aware of that, and I have a plan. That’s why we are going to see Meadow.”

  “Potions won’t capture my sister.”

  “Ella, I don’t want to argue with you. I’ve had a hard day already. Can we just enjoy the ride to Somerset and visit with my sister?”

  Gabriella bit her lip and nodded her head. Garrett was right. She didn’t want to argue either. They could discuss her sister later. Then,
maybe he would tell her what kind of plan he had worked out.

  She leaned over and squeezed his leg. He glanced over at her and put his hand over hers, holding her to him. Warmth slowly spread through her.

  “Have I told you lately that I love you?” Garrett asked. Gabriella froze. He loved her.

  “No … you haven’t.” Did she stutter?

  “I love you. I think I have from the moment we met. I meant every word we said during the binding ceremony. This lifetime and the next.” He patted her hand resting on his leg. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she blinked them away as a wellspring of emotion washed over her.

  She squeezed his thigh. “I love you too, Garrett.”

  “Whatever comes, we will face it together. Everything will work out.”

  §

  Garrett knew he wasn’t being the best company. His mind kept circling to Elise being kidnapped. Why didn’t she leave Brant and port to safety? Even with one of the men holding her arm, she was strong enough to port right into Guardian headquarters. Was it because they were in a public place and she feared exposing their race? Their laws made exceptions for emergencies. His stomach churned, and he regretted eating the roast beef sandwich at lunch.

  Finally, he turned off the highway onto the road that led deeper into the country. Seeing the trees and green fields calmed him. When he turned onto the dirt road surrounded by greenery, the turmoil of the day slipped away. He lowered the windows of the car and breathed in the smells of the many plants.

  Gabriella seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere as well. She smiled and couldn’t take her gaze off the tree-lined road.

  “It’s beautiful here. They certainly live far out, don’t they?”

  “They live in an old hunting lodge. Brencis’ cousin, Grigori, and his wife, Melisande, own the property. Lycans like to live surrounded by their pack.”

  “It must have come as a shock when your sister’s Destined One turned out to be a lycan.”