Chapter Seventeen
“I seem to be spending a lot of time here,” Saintcrow muttered the next day as he followed Izabela into her living room. “Kadie’s going to think we’re having an affair.”
Izabela looked at him, a broad smile on her face. “It might be interesting. I’ve never taken a vampire to bed.”
“I’ve got enough trouble on my hands,” Saintcrow said, with a wry grin. “I don’t need a jealous wife.”
“Nor I.” She laughed. “I’m not sure there’s enough magic in the world to defeat a jealous woman, especially one who is a vampire.
Now, on to more serious things, like the talisman we talked about to hopefully help subdue your violent outbursts.
It took a lot of trial and error, but I think I may have finally succeeded.
” Reaching into one of her voluminous pockets, she withdrew a copper-colored cuff.
It was close to three inches wide and half an inch thick.
Saintcrow grunted softly. “Do you think it will work?”
“We won’t know until we try. Copper is believed to bring balance.
Iron is often associated with people’s primal urges, inner power and rage, all of which you seem to have in abundance these days,” Izabela explained, as she slipped the cuff over his right wrist. “If I have concocted the spell correctly, the cuff will help you control your anger. If it doesn’t work,” she said, with a shrug, “you’ll still have a nice ornament. ”
It was heavier than it looked. The moment it touched his skin, he felt the power within it sink into him. But would it work against Elowynne’s dark magic? Only time would tell.
“Thanks. What’s the charge?”
“If you were a mortal man, I would ask for your firstborn child,” she said, stifling a grin. “But for you, there is no charge. Unless, of course, it works.”
“And if it fails?”
She shrugged. “You will not be here to pay the debt.”
With that cheerful thought, he left the witch’s house and headed home.
~ * ~
Kadie ran her fingers over the copper band, which was similar to hers and yet different. Glancing at Rylan, she said, “Are you sure we can trust Izabela? I mean, she is a black witch. Who knows what kind of power she’s magicked into these things.”
“Getting suspicious in your old age, darlin’?”
“It was just a thought.”
“I trusted her with your life,” Saintcrow reminded her. “And mine.”
Kadie nodded. They had both put their lives in Izabela’s hands not long ago. Still, she wasn’t as comfortable around magic as Rylan appeared to be. And these days, there seemed to be witches everywhere – Izabela, Alara, who she still hadn’t met, and Elowynne, who was the scariest one of all.
Lifting his right hand, Saintcrow regarded Izabela’s handiwork.
Even if it helped, it wasn’t a cure. He didn’t like knowing Elowynne’s magic was affecting him in ways he didn’t understand, and perhaps in other ways not yet manifested.
His first instinct was to destroy her and only Izabela’s warning that killing the witch might very well destroy him, as well, kept him from pursuing it.
So where did he go from here?
~ * ~
The next new few days passed without incident.
There was no word from Alara or Izabela.
As far as Saintcrow could tell, Izabela’s magic cuff was working.
When he hunted, he didn’t have the urge to kill his prey.
His temper didn’t seem any worse than usual.
Kadie, who had been hunting with him each night, was no longer on edge.
Everything seemed fine. And yet...he was filled with a restless urge to be doing something.
He considered reopening the town, thinking it would give his days some purpose.
There had always been something to do – disputes to settle, food and drink to be ordered, repairs to be made, bills to pay, staff to be hired.
Or fired. Opening the town would keep Kadie busy, too.
She was the perfect liaison when a customer had a complaint.
Unlike him, Kadie liked people and found it easy to mingle with them.
Being able to read their minds was an added advantage when deciding who was in the right and who was wrong.
He thought about it another day and then decided to talk it over with her.
~ * ~
Kadie frowned when Saintcrow finished telling her about his idea to reopen the town.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? It’ll take a lot of work and there’s no guarantee that Izabela’s charm is effective.
Just because you’re feeling all right now doesn’t prove it’s working.
Maybe Elowynne is just plotting her next move. ”
Saintcrow grunted. “You could be right. But we’ve got to do something. Sitting around waiting for that damn witch to strike is driving me crazy.”
“I know.” She laid her hand on his arm, sighed as he pulled her into his embrace. “Maybe we could take a trip.”
“Where would you like to go?”
“When I was a little girl, we used to go up to Northern California to Lake Almanor. It’s beautiful there.
We took hikes, swam in the lake, shopped in the nearby towns.
” She smiled at the memory. “We hiked up to the volcano, fished in the streams. We went to the Copper Kettle for breakfast and sometimes for dinner, and then to Pine Shack Frosty for ice cream ....” Her voice trailed off.
“I guess none of that appeals to you, does it?”
“Not really,” he admitted. “But if you want to go, we’ll go.”
~ * ~
They left the following afternoon. Saintcrow had made arrangements for a cabin and a rental car. The lake was as big and beautiful as Kadie recalled. the air crisp and clean, the sky a bright, bold blue.
The next couple of days were idyllic. They went for long walks, occasionally seeing a deer.
There were squirrels and chipmunks everywhere.
They went to see the volcano and the mud pots, and pools of water that were fiery hot and deadly if you fell in.
There were rivers and waterfalls and lakes. And trees everywhere you looked.
They spent one afternoon at the lake. With their vampire strength, they easily swam across to the other side and back.
Later, they wandered through the shops in the town. Rylan shook his head when she bought a sweatshirt, a hat, a jacket, and a tee shirt, all with the Lake Almanor logo.
“Who knows when we’ll be here again,” Kadie said as she picked up a pair of salt and pepper shakers and a couple of post cards on the way to the cash register.
“Come back soon,” the proprietor said. smiling as he handed her the bag with her purchases.
They were on their way back to their cabin when Saintcrow’s grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles went white.
Kadie let out a startled gasp as he suddenly veered off the road, turned off the ignition, threw open the door, and lurched out of the car, only to fall to his knees in the dirt.
Kadie was beside him in a heartbeat. “What is it?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”
He doubled over, arms crossed at his waist. A low, keening wail issued from between his clenched teeth.
“Rylan!”
He let out a harsh cry that sent an icy shiver down her spine.
She stood beside him, afraid to touch him as he rocked back and forth. Time seemed to stand still as she waited, uncertain of what to do. Gradually, the tension drained out of his body. His shoulders relaxed. He let out a long, shuddering sigh.
“Are you all right?” she asked anxiously.
Nodding, he gained his feet. “I have a feeling Izabela’s magic is helping me hang on to my sanity and my temper. Unfortunately, it doesn’t keep Elowynne from exerting her power to cause me pain.”
“Maybe Izabela can....”
He shook his head. “I think the only way to stop Elowynne is to destroy her.”
“No!” Kadie exclaimed. “Izabela said that might destroy you, too.”
“I know. But, dammit, it’s a chance I’m gonna have to take.”
~ * ~
They left Lake Almanor and returned home late that night. Jake knocked on their door two minutes later.
“Come on in,” Saintcrow said, stepping aside to let Kincaid in. “What’s up?”
“That’s what I was going to ask you.” Jake nodded at Kadie as he sat on the arm of the sofa. “I felt your pain a short while ago. I was about to come after you when it stopped. What in hell happened?”
“Elowynne happened,” Saintcrow said. “She gave me a little nudge to remind me that she still has the power to hurt me.”
“Well, shit,” Jake muttered. “What are we gonna do about her?”
“I wish I knew.”
Kincaid’s gaze moved over him. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. Damn her hide.”
“Rosa wants to go dancing. You in the mood?”
“I’m always in the mood,” Saintcrow murmured, slipping his arm around Kadie’s waist.
“Yeah,” Jake said, with a lopsided grin. “I’ve heard that about you.”
~ * ~
It was Saturday night and the dance club was crowded.
Saintcrow held Kadie in his arms, thinking she was by far the most beautiful woman in the place.
She wore a white sweater that outlined every delectable curve and a long black skirt with a tantalizing slit up one side.
A deep breath carried the scent of her perfume, mingled with the familiar scents of her hair and skin.
She was undeniably the sexiest thing he had ever seen. Or ever wanted.
Kadie smiled up at him, the look in her eyes assuring him that she knew exactly what he was thinking. Whispering, “Later,” she winked at him.
“I’m not sure I can wait,” he muttered as he drew her closer, until her body brushed intimately against his.
“Patience, love,” Kadie said. “The anticipation will make it even sweeter.”
“I’ve never been a patient man,” he reminded her.
Kadie laughed softly. Hard to remember he’d been in agony only a short time ago and now he was flirting shamelessly, as if there wasn’t a vindictive witch out there hoping to destroy him.
They had to find a way to defeat Elowynne, she thought. Because she couldn’t imagine a life without him in it.
~ * ~
The witches met in neutral territory – an Italian restaurant in Cheyenne. Over spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna they discussed Elowynne and her hold on Saintcrow.
“My cuff is helping calm his rage,” Izabela said. “But it isn’t preventing Elowynne from physically torturing him.”
Alara nodded as she speared a meatball. “Physical spells are far more difficult to thwart than mental ones. Sometimes they backfire.”
Izabela nodded. “I think we’re going about this all wrong. Instead of trying to protect Saintcrow, we need to find a way to destroy Elowynne.”
Alara frowned thoughtfully then nodded. “It won’t be easy. If she was just a witch, it would be no problem. But her vampire powers give her an edge we lack.”
A slow grin spread over Izabela’s face. “Have you ever thought about becoming a vampire?”