UNDER HIS SPELL (38 page)

“Unfortunately, I cannot allow her to make that sacrifice.”

Skye’s hackles began to rise at the superior tone in his voice until
she saw the look on his face.
 
Open
desire.
 
Need.
 
A certain sense of fear.
 
She pressed her fingertips against her lips
and waited for him to continue.

“As a wizard,” Rane came to stand beside Falcon.
 
“I am aware of the boundaries and yet, I fell
in love with a witch.
 
The witch who
should be your queen.
 
I am here today to
ask her not to make that choice.”
 
He
stepped even closer to the edge and the witches took several backward steps in
unison.
 
“She and I are proof that
wizards and witches can live together amicably.”
 
He held up one hand.
 
“I am not here to promote intimate unity
among us, merely to point out that none of us were meant to have ultimate world
domination.
 
We are here for a purpose
and with our power and abilities, we should be willing to work together not
against one another.
 
Do we really want
to see a day when neither wizards nor witches exist?”

At the end of his speech, the murmuring intensified, but Rane had
finished speaking, at least to the crowd.
 
He turned back to face Skye, took her hands in his and barely gave her
time to hang on before he whisked her away.

***

Paradise.
 
It was the only
word that came to mind when Skye could finally look at her surroundings.
 
Rane had taken her to paradise.
 

From the filigreed curtains hanging at the floor-length windows to
the sound of the waves lapping against the shore, the room itself whispered
welcome home and Skye found herself drawn to the open door where seagulls cried
out in unison.
 
The clean air tickled her
nostrils and made her lungs cry for more.
 

Her silver gown had been replaced by a flowing white dress
unbuttoned up to her thigh.
 
She’d
removed the clips from her hair and it now cascaded around her face in riotous
waves, giving her an untamed look.
 
She
held onto one edge of the doorjamb and looked out over the sandy beach.

She wondered where Rane was and why he’d brought her to this place
only to leave her alone.
 
More curious
than irritated, she searched the rest of the house.
 
The curtains billowed with the wind and as
she stepped out onto the back porch, birds scattered in alarm.
 
Laughing out loud, she held out her arms,
embracing the freedom.
 

Then, just as suddenly as peace claimed her, guilt swept it
back.
 
Emily.
 
She hadn’t thought of her own sister and…

“She’s safe,” Rane whispered as his arms closed around her from
behind.

“You like sneaking up on people,” she responded with mild rebuke.

His lips sought the sensitive spot behind her ear.
 
“It makes it easier to catch them, especially
those who like running away.”

His words were like a smack on the wrist and Skye turned in his
arms.
 
“I didn’t run away, Rane.
 
I had to do this.
 
Don’t you see that?”

He pressed a finger to her lips.
 
“What I see is you avoiding your feelings for me.”

“What kind of a future can we have?
 
You’re a wizard.
 
I’m a witch with
a fourteen-year-old sister.
 
Besides
that, we don’t always see eye to eye, you know.
 
Any type of relationship between us would be extremely exhausting.”

Rane drew her in closer to his body.
 
“That’s the best part.”
 
He
waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She tried to push against his chest.
 
“I don’t even need to tell you that’s not what I meant.”

He looked down into her upturned face.
 
“Skye, what do you want?”

Tears filled her eyes.
 
“I
have a duty to the witches.”

He captured her face in his hands and forced her to look at
him.
 
“That’s not what I asked you.”

“No one’s ever asked me that before.
 
My entire life has been decided for me.
 
My mother is counting on me.
 
The
other witches are depending upon me.”

“The other witches need to learn how to live in harmony without a
ruler to tell them when they need to shake hands.
 
Come on, Skye.
 
You know as well as I do that your position
will be little more than a figurehead.
 
Your magic will increase and you will gain tremendous power, but I know
you well enough to know that’s not what you want.
 
Your ultimate goal has never been about
power.”

She rested her forehead against his chest.
 
“It’s been about peace.
 
That’s all I want.
 
Peace.”
 
She scratched her nails against his cotton shirt.
 
“And love.
 
I want Emily to spend the rest of her teen years happy and healthy
without having to worry about the Ungers of the world.”

Rane rested his chin atop her head.
 
“That can happen.”

Skye held her breath.
 
“How?”

“Marry me,” he breathed out.

Her heart stilled.
 
“Marry
you?
 
Were you not just listening when I
said we don’t always see eye to eye?”
 
She lifted her head.
 
“We fight
and argue.
 
You’re insufferable and
arrogant.”

“But you like those qualities about me.”

She continued as if he hadn’t spoken.
 
“I don’t follow rules and I’m independent.”

Rane laughed lightly and stroked her back.
 
“And we both know I’m big on rules.”

She smacked him.
 
“You’re not
listening to me.”

“Sure I am.
 
I’m listening to
you try to talk yourself into saying no when your heart wants to say yes.”

“How do you know what my heart is saying?”

He pressed his hand over her breastbone.
 
“Because I feel it.”

She let out a shaky breath.
 
“This is impossible.”

“Wizards specialize in the impossible.”

“Why do you want to marry me, Rane?”

He held her for a long moment before he finally responded.
 
“I would think that would be a question you
didn’t need to ask.
 
I want to marry you
because I love you.
 
Impossible as it may
seem, the night you broke into my home, I knew I wouldn’t be able to let you
go.
 
You captured me that night.”

Skye raised her head to look at him, deep within his ebony eyes and
she saw it then.
 
The truth.
 
He loved her.
 
He needed her as much as she needed him and regardless of the
circumstances, fate had intervened.
 
It
seemed she was the only one thinking a wizard and a witch didn’t belong
together.

She stood on tiptoe and cupped his face.
 
“Yes.”

Rane blinked down at her.
 
“Yes?”

“Yes.
 
As in, yes, I’ll marry
you.”

Rane lifted her off her feet and spun her around.
 
“I knew it was only a matter of time before
you succumbed to my charm.”

“I do have conditions,” she squealed.

He plunked her down and frowned at her.
 
“What do you mean conditions?
 
It was a yes or no question.”

“Nevertheless, here are my conditions.
 
I won’t live at the fortress or anywhere near
Mystique.
 
We need our own space.
 
Second,” she ticked the numbers off on her
fingers, “I have to make a decision about the witches and it will be my
decision.
 
While I appreciate the little
Oklahoma number you did out there bringing in all the wizards from parts
unknown, I have to make the decision that’s going to work best for all the
witches.
 
And,” she smoothed his furrowed
brow, “third, I won’t deny what I am at any time.”
 
She stopped talking and simply looked at him,
awaiting his response.

She hadn’t expected the broad grin.
 
She’d expected the hearty laughter even less.
 
He scooped her up into his arms and carried
her back across the floor.
 
“What are you
doing?”
 
She thumped his shoulder to gain
his attention.

“Taking you to the bedroom.”

“You haven’t commented on any of my conditions.”

“They don’t require comment.
 
You stated your conditions and I have no complaints.”

Skye kicked her legs.
 
“What
do you mean you have no complaints?
 
You’re in agreement that I won’t deny what I am?
 
Wizards and witches are forbidden to marry.”

Rane grinned down at her.
 
“Yeah, well, I’ve always been a rebel.”
 
He winked at her.
 
“By now, my
family would expect nothing less.”

***

“He is going to marry her,” Jaxon said in an almost resigned tone of
voice.

Falcon watched as the couple disappeared out of view of the window
bubble he’d opened.
 
“Undoubtedly.”

“It is against our laws.”

“True.”

Jaxon gave a grunt of disapproval.
 
“And I will not be able to change his mind.”

Falcon smiled.
 
“That is also
true.”

“I should ban him,” Jaxon responded with a glare at the bubble.

Falcon clapped him on the shoulder.
 
“He is your brother.”

“He is a thorn in my side.”
 
Jaxon pushed himself back from the table and stood.
 
“I do not know what he was thinking to begin
a relationship with a witch and he cannot even claim ignorance of what she
was.”
 

Falcon strolled toward the other end of the galley.
 
“You will learn in good time, Jaxon, that not
all wizards will be controlled.”
 
He
directed a smiling look at the floating window.
 
“As your brother will be more than happy to show you.”

Jaxon scrubbed his face with his hands.
 
“It is time to seek another brother, I am
thinking.”

Falcon nodded.
 
“Braeden has
been alone long enough.”

“Hopefully, stuck in some hell hole learning his lesson.”

Falcon gave him a reproving look, but didn’t comment.
 
“I must leave.”

“You will come back for the wedding then?”
 
Jaxon walked to stand in front of his mentor.

Falcon extended his hand.
 
“I
would not miss such an event.
 
It should
be quite the ceremony.”

Jaxon scowled.
 
“Trust my
brother to shame the family.”

Falcon laughed and clasped Jaxon’s hand.
 
“They are in love.
 
It is enough.”

Jaxon sighed his agreement and watched as Falcon faded into mist,
but he couldn’t resist another angry look at the dissipating bubble.
 
“You are going to be the death of me, Rane.”

***

Rane rolled over in the middle of the night and found the other side
of the bed empty and cold.
 
He climbed to
his feet instantly.
 
“Skye?”

Receiving no response, he headed out in search of his
bride-to-be.
 
He found her down by the
shore, sitting on the sand, watching the tide roll in.
 
He sat down beside her, his bare foot bumping
hers.
 
“What are you thinking?”

Skye took his hand in hers.
 
“Believe it or not, I’m thinking about Sabrina.”

“Certainly not what I expected.
 
What about her?”

“What’s going to happen to her?”

“I presume she will be returned to Earth to live out her life as a
mortal.”

“What if I were to make her the queen?”

Rane stared at her.
 
“Give
Sabrina the most power she’s ever had?
 
I
believe we’ve seen what she’ll do with that power.”

Skye leaned back against the sand.
 
“I don’t think so.
 
I think this
has been an eye-opening experience for her.
 
Surely that has to have left some kind of impression on her.”

“Not everyone can be redeemed, Skye.”

She patted his knee in simple encouragement.
 
“Trust me.”

He rolled to his side and kissed her cheek.
 
“I trust you’re going to do something you’ll
regret later.”

Skye nipped his chin.
 
“Well,
then, you’ll just have to be there to bail me out, won’t you?
 
I mean, isn’t that what husbands do?”

He sighed and drew her closer.
 
“Husbands and wizards.
 
I still
think it’s a bad idea.”

“Duly noted.”

He took her hand in his.
 
“What about Emily?”

“I thought you said
she didn’t want it and anyway, Unger took her magic.”
        

Rane pressed her head down to his shoulder and inhaled the fresh
scent of her hair.
 
“That can be
rectified.”

“Do you really think she would want to be queen?”
 
Then Skye shook her head.
 
“It doesn’t matter.
 
She’s much too young.
 
I don’t know what to do.
 
I can’t just walk away from my duty and yet,
I feel this overwhelming need to escape from this pressure.
 
How can I lead witches when I’m just now
starting to realize who I am?”

“I think you give yourself too little credit.”

Skye lifted her hand to Rane’s neck and he felt the soft touch of
her fingers against the pulse point.
 
“I’m going to talk to Falcon about Sabrina.”

Rane groaned.
 
“You never
listen.”

She elbowed him.
 
“And you do
it so well.”

“At least I pay attention.
 
Sabrina is not to be trusted.”

Skye lifted her head and winked at him.
 
“I know, but it was fun to see your face.”

Rane grinned.
 
“Touche, my
lovely bride-to-be.”

She dropped her head back down to his shoulder.
 
“I have no idea how to solve this problem.”

Rane kissed the top of her head.
 
“Well, you don’t have to solve it now.
 
There’s always tomorrow.
 
Or the
day after that or the day after that.”
   

“I can’t keep putting off a decision hoping it will go away.”

Rane pushed her back down against the sand.
 
“Skye, look at me.”

She did and in her eyes, he saw the love and trust he’d never seen
before.
 
The knowledge punched him in the
stomach.
 
“Rane, are you okay?”

He blinked the moisture from his eyes and kissed her gently.
 
“Have I mentioned how much I love you?”

“Not in the last few hours.”

“I do, you know.”

“I can’t believe you fell in love with a witch,” she teased.