Winter Magic Read online

  “It is a nice thought that I might be mourned by you.”

  “You’d be mourned, if you were going to die, which you aren’t. Not on my watch.”

  “Qalbi, listen to me, even a Thorne can only do so much.”

  “Well, I haven’t met a Thorne who couldn’t move mountains when push came to shove.” She checked his wound and felt his pulse. “You’re going to make it.”

  “I’m more than half in love with you, Winter Thorne.”

  “I’m more than half in love with you, Rafe Xuereb.”

  “Hey!” Zane protested softly as he walked up to their tent. “None of that. Stop poaching my woman, Xuereb.”

  Winnie appreciated that the men had put their animosity aside to deal with their common enemy.

  Alastair’s voice rang through her mind. “Tell that Maltese pleasure-seeker that I said to stop preying on children. It’s creepy.”

  “I will not say that! And I’m not a child,” Winnie returned hotly. A blush swept up her neck when she registered the stares of Zane and Rafe. “Sorry. My uncle is in my head.”

  Zane grinned. “He’s on my side. I can tell.”

  “Feel free to tell that buffoon, if anything happens to you before I can get to you, he will suffer a slow and painful death at my hands.”

  “I won’t say that either. Where’s our backup?”

  “Did he just diss me?” Zane demanded.

  Ryker strolled by. “Keep your voices down. Lin is already suspicious that Alastair hasn’t made an attempt to save you,” he said in passing.

  “My bad.”

  Alastair’s use of the modern idiom nearly set Winnie off into uncontrollable laughter. As it was, she had to bury her face into the collar of her shirt to hide her amusement.

  “Lin’s Blockers are making a stealthy arrival impossible. We can’t even teleport into the temple’s grid. An approach by car would be seen.”

  “You’re not coming,” Winnie stated flatly.

  “We are, child. I promise.”

  Zane interrupted Winnie’s psychic connection with Alastair. “Lin is heading this way. We need to get back to work.”

  “Go. I’m okay,” Rafe urged.

  Once Winnie and Zane returned to the antechamber dig, they spent time discussing the best way to uncover the remaining area. Surprisingly, the section of the antechamber that hosted the amulet’s location was intact.

  The opening was large enough for Zane to drop down. “I found it, Win!”

  Excitement bubbled in Winnie’s chest. But before she could reach in to assist Zane back above ground, Lin clapped a bracelet around her wrist.

  “Hand up the amulet, Mr. Carlyle,” he ordered.

  That’s when Winnie understood what the bastard intended.

  “Don’t do it Zane!” she yelled. “Try to teleport.”

  Zane stared at her in confusion. “Win—”

  “Go, Zane! Teleport!”

  “If you do, I will kill her,” Lin warned. He held up her newly shackled arm. “She’s powerless.”

  Indecision was written on Zane’s face.

  “He doesn’t intend to kill me,” she cried. She could tell Zane didn’t understand the significance of the object in his hand and how it would overpower the Blocker’s ability. “The amulet, Zane! You can go!”

  Understanding dawned, and Zane tightened his fist around the necklace. He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I can’t leave you, Win.”

  Frustrated tears flooded her eyes and raced down her cheeks. He’d never understand that one way or another, they were about to be separated.

  “Zane, he intends to bury you alive. You need to go.”

  Lin backhanded her across the face, knocking her to the ground. For a wiry man, he had the devil’s own strength. Winnie could almost feel the bruise forming. But not one to let something as simple as a blow to the face stop her, Winnie launched herself at Lin’s leg and sunk her teeth into the meat of his thigh, ripping with all her might.

  A fist connected with her temple followed by a swift kick to her ribs.

  “Stop!” Zane bellowed.

  The air went still.

  “I’ll give you the amulet. Stop hitting her, you bastard.”

  Lin gestured to one of the guards. “Bring him over.”

  Rafe was dragged to the opening and unceremoniously dropped eleven feet into the room. Zane was quick to break his fall.

  “Toss up the amulet, Mr. Carlyle, or I will have you watch as my men take turns beating Ms. Thorne.”

  Winnie shook her head. “Go,” she mouthed.

  Her captor fisted his hand in her hair and hauled her to her feet. Still, she never broke eye contact with Zane. The sharp edge of a knife was placed against her throat. Winnie never flinched.

  “Go!” she ordered aloud.

  The blade nicked her neck. She wanted to scream from the pain of the blade but remained silent, refusing to give Lin the satisfaction.

  An ungodly bellow from Zane caused the hair on her arms to stand at attention.

  “Go!” Winnie yelled louder.

  The second slice of her skin was longer and deeper. This time, she couldn’t hold back her scream.

  Zane became an enraged animal and surged toward the opening. How he expected to get back above ground without assistance was anyone’s guess.

  With the last of his energy, Rafe grabbed the amulet from Zane’s hand and tossed it to Lin. “Don’t hurt her anymore.”

  “You idiot!” Zane turned on Rafe. “You’ve killed all three of us.”

  “No,” Rafe said softly. “Just you and me as he intended all along.”

  Zane’s head swung around at the roaring sound above him.

  In helpless horror, Winnie watched as Lin used her power to dump the excavated dirt back into the hole. She dove for the opening. Rough hands pulled her back, but she fought like a woman possessed. All the kicking, clawing, and punching did her no good. Her last vision was of Zane bending over and using his body as a protective umbrella for Rafe. “No! No!” she screamed. “Zane!”

  25

  Zane braced for the impact of the debris as he huddled protectively over Rafe. When nothing crashed upon him, he slowly straightened and glanced around.

  Thorne Manor.

  How the hell had he come to be here? He glanced down at Rafe who sat half reclined with his back against the base of the sofa. A flash of white teeth in a sea of tanned skin showed the man’s amusement.

  “I don’t understand,” Zane said. Again, he looked around. “Where’s Winnie?”

  Rafe’s face turned serious. “Lin has her. This…” He waved his hand around to indicate their teleport to safety. “…was a result of the amulet and what I suspect was Alastair’s doing.”

  Alastair strolled into the room. “Slick move on your part, Xuereb.”

  “What move? What did he do?” Zane’s head was reeling.

  “A slight of hand,” Alastair explained. “He swapped the Uterine amulet for another he found at the ruins.”

  “Noticed that, did you?” Rafe laughed.

  Alastair extended a hand down to help him up. “Indeed.” Alastair addressed Zane, “The magic of the amulet countered that of the Blockers. It’s what Winter was trying to tell you.”

  “What about Winnie? How the hell are you all so casual right now?” Zane’s hands curled into balls as he forced down the flame threatening to flare to life inside him. “That bastard sliced her throat.”

  “He knew exactly where to nick her that wouldn’t inflict damage. It only looked like it. And he will pay. When the time is right and my niece is safely back in the family fold, I will hunt that bastard down,” Alastair stated coldly.

  “Where will he take her? That damned monastery where he held Autumn prisoner?” Zane wrapped one of Rafe’s arms over his shoulder and helped him toward the staircase.

  Alastair shook his head and led the way up the stairs to the attic. “No. We compromised his sanctuary. It’s doubtful he’ll return th
ere.”

  When they entered the room, Zane’s mouth dropped. What had previously been the training area for Winnie and Autumn to teach the Carlyles how to hone their gifts now resembled a full-scale military war room. There were charts, maps, and electronic equipment with tables and chairs enough for everyone in both families, all present and accounted for except Winnie and Ryker.

  “Go see Preston. He’ll fill you in,” Alastair told Zane. To Rafe, he said, “Come with me. My sister will fix you up. Thanks to Winter’s fast thinking, you should recover.”

  Without further ado, Zane joined Preston where the older man had set up a scrying mirror in the corner of the room.

  “Glad to see you made it out safely, son,” Preston said gruffly as he clasped Zane on the back.

  “I’m so sorry, Mr. Thorne,” Zane choked out. The trials of the day had caught up to him. “I couldn’t…”

  “She’s not dead, Zane. And she won’t be. Lin seems to have taken a liking to her. That will work in our favor. My daughter’s quick on her feet, and when the time is right, she’ll be ready to fight or flee. My brother-in-law is with her, too.”

  “I never saw any of this coming,” Zane said. Raw emotion made his voice hoarse. Glancing down, he watched as Lin sealed Winnie’s wounds with a touch of his finger before shoving her into an SUV. “He’s harnessed her power with that bracelet.”

  “Yes. But he won’t be able to sustain it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What do you know about our family’s history, son?”

  “Not much. Only the little bit Winnie, Coop, and Keaton have relayed.”

  “Thornes are direct descendants of a goddess named Isis. She was the daughter of Ra and was powerful beyond belief. And still is from where she resides in the Otherworld.”

  Zane ran a hand through his hair, shaking loose the sand that had settled there during Winnie’s sandstorm. “How does this play into what’s going on with Lin?”

  “Lin’s line is from Serqet, sister to Isis.”

  “Shouldn’t he have magical abilities if he descends from a goddess?” Zane asked, confused.

  “Serqet misused her power and was stripped of her gifts, then she was cast out into the desert,” Preston explained. “She became lovers with the man who found her and bore him children. Zhu Lin is of that line. Serqet’s lover was a non-magical human. And although any descendants would retain the longevity of life like a standard witch or warlock, they don’t have the power we have.”

  “The history lesson is all well and good, but how does that affect the here and now?”

  “Lin believes, because his genetics are those of a warlock, he should be able to steal the magical energy of those around him and utilize it on behalf of the Désorceler Society he’s been rebuilding.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “Because he tried it once before—with my wife,” Preston revealed quietly. “The Fennell line is pure, but it isn’t as strong as our line. Or yours, for that matter.”

  Zane considered himself quick on the uptake, but for the life of him, he couldn’t sort through this mess. “I thought Aurora had been shot by Lin?”

  “She was,” Alastair said from behind him. “In a misguided attempt to save my life.”

  “She did save your life, brother,” Preston snapped.

  “Yes. But she need not have. Had you not allowed her there that day…” Alastair curbed his angry outburst. “My apologies. None of that is important right now. Saving your daughter is.”

  “When this is over, you and I are going to have a discussion in regards to how blasé you are about throwing my children into dangerous situations,” Preston promised his brother.

  Zane waved an impatient hand. “Can we get back to the part where Lin is trying to harness Winnie’s magic? She’s not a damn nuclear power plant. What can he really hope to gain?”

  “He has already gained it,” Alastair said as he moved a palm over top of the mirror. “See that? If you look closely, you’ll see more graying of his temple.”

  The mirror replayed the scene when Lin had hauled a hysterical Winnie away as the antechamber collapsed under the weight of the sand and debris Lin had directed toward the room. Sure enough, a thick white streak formed along Lin’s left temple where only a smidgeon of gray existed previously.

  “What Preston was trying to say, is that because Lin isn’t a Thorne, he won’t be able to contain the power if it builds to full force within him. It will take its toll on his body. He’ll age rapidly, and his spells will go awry.”

  “He doesn’t strike me as a fool. Surely he’s done his research?” Zane protested.

  Alastair shrugged. “Oh, I have no doubt he intends to only steal a little at a time, but he’ll give into the dark temptation to draw more and more power as time goes on. It will become a disease to him.”

  “But we don’t have time for him to self-implode,” Zane argued. “Anything could happen to Winnie by then.”

  “We’ll get her back.” Alastair’s gaze connected with his brother’s. A type of silent communication happened between the men.

  These warlocks, along with Lin, all played a game with much higher stakes.

  From his vantage point, Zane felt as if he was missing a larger piece of the puzzle. Without it, he had no chance of seeing the whole picture.

  Winnie paced her opulent cage. Periodically, she’d smash a Ming vase against the silk papered wall to leave Lin in little doubt of her fury. If he intended to pen her up like an animal, she’d give in to the urge to act like one. She hoped he cringed every time she shattered one of his priceless pieces.

  As she stared at the fragments littering the floor, an idea struck There was little doubt the cameras in the corners of the room tracked her every movement, but she could be covert and crafty if the need arose—as it now had.

  What little power she had left, Winnie channeled. She surreptitiously touched her pocket to feel for the large shard she’d transferred. When the time was right, she intended to gut Lin like a pig. If she died in the process, what difference did it make? Zane was lost to her.

  Her rage had kept the grief at bay, but inch by inch, the reality that Lin had buried Zane alive crept in. There was no way either Zane or Rafe could’ve escaped the cave-in. Lin had made sure of that. After he’d ushered her to the vehicle and healed her neck, he’d made her sit and watch for nearly two hours. No movement. No Zane breaking through the debris.

  Without oxygen in that little chamber, Zane didn’t stand a chance. And while Rafe was experienced enough to create an air bubble, it wouldn’t have lasted long in his condition. Any magic he performed would accelerate the poison in his system and effectively leach the life from him.

  Desolation swamped her. Except for taking Lin’s life, Winnie’s own life meant nothing anymore, and the only thing keeping her upright was her need for revenge.

  Her hand went to her throat and cradled the tanzanite pendant there.

  “Uncle Alastair? Are you there?”

  “I’m here, child.”

  She sighed her relief. “Bind my powers.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve had time to think about it. If you bind my powers, Lin doesn’t have anything to draw on.”

  “Clever girl!”

  Winnie didn’t have it in her to bask in the praise. She was wallowing in the misery of Zane’s death. A harsh sob wracked her body. “When the area around the temple clears of Lin’s men, will you recover Zane’s body for me?”

  The door to her room opened before Alastair could answer. Lin crossed the threshold and took in the ruination of the bedroom.

  “I expected better from you, Winter Rose.” Disapproval and anger vibrated in Lin’s tone.

  “And I wish you would drop dead, but hey, we can’t all get what we want.”

  His pale eyes hardened. “You would be well advised to keep a civil tongue in your head.”

  “And you’d be well advised to go to the devil.”
/>   In a flash, he was across the room. The flat of his palm connected with her cheek and made a loud clapping sound. Burning heat infused her abused cheek, and she involuntarily touched the skin there.

  An ugly kernel of rebellion rose up within her soul and found its way to the surface. Looking him square in the eye, Winnie spit in his face.

  White-hot rage radiated off Lin. His hand closed around her throat and pinned her to the wall. Winnie clawed at his wrist for all she was worth. But he had the additional boost of her magic to give him strength.

  As her airway was cut off, she registered the cold fury of his gaze. Behind those pale eyes also lurked a simmering excitement. He was getting off on hurting her!

  She wasn’t escaping death. It was written there in his eyes. She scrambled for the sharp shard in her pocket, but she was too late. As blackness encroached on her peripheral vision, she gave over to the darkness and slumped. Perhaps, if the Goddess was kind, Winnie would see Zane in the afterlife.

  Zhu Lin looked down on the body at his feet, disgusted he’d let his anger get the better of him. Yes, he liked inflicting pain. The feeling of total control was heady. Yet, he’d made a misstep. Even now, he could feel the magic ebbing from him. In strangling Winter, he’d cost himself her power.

  Furious with himself and with her, he delivered a final kick to her still form. Without a backward glance, he left her where she lay.

  26

  “He’s killing her! Do something!” Zane shouted and slammed his fist against the wood slats of the attic wall. “What the fuck are you waiting for? All of you together have to be stronger than the Blockers.”

  The moment Zane saw the resignation in Winnie’s gaze, and the realization that death awaited her, he dropped to his knees. As if he were physically connected to Winnie, Zane’s own breathing became labored.

  After her body ceased to move, Lin released her to crumple to the floor.

  Silence reigned. Not a person in the room who’d witnessed Lin’s brutal attack could move. A keening wail echoed in the rafters above.