Missing Magic (20 page)

“Nope.” She kept her fingers linked with his.
“What are we going to do?”

“I’m going to try again.” With one final
squeeze to her fingers, he began the spell again.

Again, she felt that tingling down to her
toes. The desert landscape vanished. The gray and black and
multi-colored rainbow swirled.

A second later they stood on the side of a
winding road. A warm wind blew, sending enormous clouds scudding
across a bright blue sky. Tree-covered hills surrounded them.

“This is more like it.” The Texas Hill
Country, so named because of the rolling, tree-covered hills. One
of the most beautiful parts of her home state.

Flashing a quick smile, he pointed to a large
wooden sign over the metal gate. “Look. We’re there. This is where
my brother and his wife live.”

“The No Name Ranch,” she read. “Interesting
name.”

“Carly named it. She was living here alone, a
widow, when Alrick met her. He’d been given the assignment of
guarding her, as the child she carries is important to the future
of the world.”

Dee nodded, wondering at herself. These days,
she greeted even odd statements like that with casual aplomb. Of
course Cenrick’s brother knew the future. He was Fae, after
all.

Above them, a bird screeched. Close. Despite
herself, Dee jumped. When she looked up, instead of the buzzard
she’d expected, she saw Tinth. Again, she could have sworn she saw
recognition when the hawk looked at her.

“Tinth.” Cenrick sounded amused. “She chased
the buzzards away. Mort must have sent his pet to keep an eye on
us.”

Hearing her name, the huge hawk landed on
fence post, preening herself. Dee could have sworn the bird was
laughing at them.

“Tinth, go tell Alrick we’re here.”

Immediately, the hawk flew off.

“She’s trained?” Despite herself, Dee was
impressed.

“Not trained.” Still holding her hand,
Cenrick opened the well-oiled gate. “Just extremely intelligent.
She does what she wants.”

Dee thought she probably should tug her
fingers free, but she holding his hand felt right.

As they walked up the dirt drive towards the
freshly painted, one-story ranch house, Dee couldn’t help but
admire the place. She’d always secretly longed for a ranch, or at
least some acreage of her own. A place to raise horses and dogs
and… kids someday. She felt a pang. Odd how now, when she pictured
kids, they all had Cenrick’s beautiful eyes and his finely hewn
features.

What was wrong with her? Blushing, she was
glad Fae powers didn’t include mind reading.

Before they reached the porch steps, the
front door opened. A broad-shouldered man with long, dark hair
stepped out on to the porch. Despite knowing Cenrick had a twin
brother, Dee couldn’t help but stare in awe. Realizing she had her
mouth open, she closed it with a snap.

“I know.” Seeing Dee’s expression, the pretty
red-headed woman who’d emerged after Alrick laughed. “It’s
unbelievable enough that there’s one of them. Two is really, really
amazing.”

Startled, Dee felt her own mouth curve in an
answering smile. She stepped forward, holding out her hand. “Dee
Bishop.”

The redhead eyed her hand, and then grinned
and shook her head. “We’re not so formal here.” She grabbed Dee
close and hugged her. “Welcome. I’m Carly, Alrick’s wife.”

And, judging from her the size of her rounded
belly, soon to be a mother. Dee felt a pang of envy, pushing it
away and smiling back at her. “Wow. Cenrick said you were pregnant,
but he didn’t tell me you were so close to delivering. When’s the
baby due?”

Carly grinned. “Any day now. He’s past due,
actually.” She shook her head. “I’m getting tired of all this
waddling.”

“Congratulations.”

“I’m relieved Cenrick has found someone,”
Carly continued. “I was getting worried about him. You two looked
so in love, walking up here holding hands.”

“Oh.” Dee swallowed, shooting Cenrick a
glance. Talking earnestly to his brother, at least he hadn’t heard
Carly’s remark. How much more awkward could things get? “We’re not,
I mean—.”

Carly blushed. “I’m sorry. I assumed and I
shouldn’t have.”

“Assumed what?” Cenrick swooped in between
them, grabbing Carly up for a quick hug. “You’re looking well.
Positively vibrant. Being married to my brother must agree with
you.”

“Either that or pregnancy agrees with her.”
Alrick laughed. “She’s always been beautiful.” He kissed his wife
on the tip of her nose, making her laugh. Turning, he came closer,
studying Dee intently. When he smiled, she felt like he’d socked
her in the stomach, his smile was so much like Cenrick’s.

“You really are identical twins,” she said,
knowing her comment was lame, but not caring.

“We are.” Alrick hugged her. “You’ll be
fine,” he told her, sotto voce. “He’ll take good care of you.”

Before she could ask him what he meant, he
turned back to Cenrick, grinning broadly. “Welcome, little
brother.” His voice sounded so eerily similar to Cenrick’s that Dee
couldn’t help but stare in disbelief.

“Little brother?” She looked from one to the
other. “I though you two were twins?”

“We are.” Cenrick clapped Alrick’s shoulder.
“But he was born first, by a matter of minutes. He never lets me
forget it.”

Dee laughed and Carly joined her. For just a
moment, Dee let herself bask in the warm feeling of friendship and
family. Something she’d never had and always wanted. Odd how
meeting these two made her feel as if she’d known them for
years.

Taking in their rumpled appearance, Alrick’s
grin faded. “What brings you here? Is Father all right?”

“He’s fine.” Cenrick clapped his shoulder. “I
need your counsel.”

Alrick cocked his shaggy head. “Did father
finally give you your task?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“Let’s go inside,” Carly interrupted. “We can
talk better there.”

Even without hearing the words, Dee caught
the implication. Safer, Carly meant. As though someone might be
watching them.

She scanned to horizon, seeing horses and
fence and trees, but nothing else. Still, who was she to question?
After all, Cenrick had proved there were Fae and Rune. Who knew
what else might exist.

Shuddering, she realized she didn’t actually
want to know.

As they filed past into the house, Carly held
the door open, smiling as Cenrick touched her swollen belly.

Inside, a black and white puppy emerged from
the kitchen. He peered at them sleepily, his fur mussed. Plumed
little tail wagging, he sniffed at Dee’s feet, then Cenrick’s,
before turning a circle and going to sleep.

“Meet Jasper.” Carly smiled. “He looks just
like Kayo, my other dog,” she explained for Dee’s benefit.”

“Is he Kayo’s pup?” Cenrick rumpled the dog’s
fur. The pup opened one eye, regarded him lazily, then went back to
sleep.

Alrick nodded. “Most likely. We found him on
our front porch a couple of mornings ago.”

Inside, the farmhouse felt even more homey,
with a good solid feeling of permanence and family. From the
homespun rugs to the lovingly polished, antique furniture, the
ranch house spoke of comfort. Dee looked around with approval. She
could easily imagine bringing up a child in a place like this.

After settling them down with tall glasses of
lemonade, Carly took the chair next to Dee. Cenrick told them what
had happened so far, asking for his brother’s opinion of the
Oracle’s words.

A comfortable silence fell while Alrick
pondered.

Glancing across the table, Carly smiled. Dee
smiled back, forcing herself to remain motionless and wait. In her
years of working as a police officer, she’d learned to listen
carefully. Sometimes a fresh, new outlook could pinpoint something
obvious.

That included women as well as men.

Dee touched Cenrick’s shoulder. “I’d like to
hear what Carly thinks as well.”

After a startled look, Alrick laughed.
“Believe me, you will,” he said dryly.

“Hey,” Carly protested, laughing. “Not
fair.”

“We want all the help we can get.” Cenrick
remained serious. “This is a huge problem for us.”

“Of course.” Alrick leaned forward. “As for
me, I’m most intrigued by the fact that Dee’s touch appears to
negate the power of that… thing on you, Cenrick.”

“Yes,” Carly agreed. “That’s
significant.”

“We don’t know why,” Dee put in. “Especially
since I’m not Fae. I don’t have any magic of my own.”

“Not Fae?” Alrick’s brows rose as he looked
from her to his brother. “I could have sworn you were. Everything
about you, but especially, your aura—.”

“I changed her. Temporarily.” Cenrick
explained the spell and his reasons for using it. When he’d
finished, Alrick nodded.

“That seems a good plan.” Alrick included Dee
in his approving smile. “You’re trained in law enforcement. And if
this spell or machine only works on Fae, then you won’t be
susceptible. Most important, at least to me, you can protect my
brother.”

Cenrick made a rude noise. “What’s most
important is stopping this. You haven’t seen what happens to those
Fae who’ve been… erased.”

“It’s awful.” Dee put in, going on to
describe Peter and the other, mindless Fae.

Carly and Alrick exchanged a long look.
“You’re engaged to be married?”

Dee looked down at her ring less hands. “I
was. Not any longer. I’ve had a lot of changes in a short period of
time.”

“Once we have stopped these people, I will
make certain Dee gets her job back.” Cenrick sounded fierce. “And
her fiancé as well.”

Dee couldn’t look away from him. This
beautiful man had come to mean so much to her, in such a short
period of time. She wasn’t at all certain she’d even take Peter
back, even if he wanted her again.

She didn’t want Peter. She wanted
Cenrick
.

Good lord. She closed her eyes. How had this
happened? She swayed. She was in love with Cenrick.

“Dee?” Carly sounded concerned. “Are you all
right?”

“Fine.” Clearing her throat, she forced
herself to look at the other woman and focus on the topic at hand.
“We’ve got to find them.”

“I agree. They’ve got to be stopped.” Alrick
looked grim. Dee guessed he was itching to be able to go with his
brother and fight the nameless threat. But one glance at his
pregnant wife and his expression softened.

“But what about the others?” Carly echoed
Dee’s thoughts. “Do you think their minds can ever be
restored?”

“The Oracle has promised to try.” Cenrick
looked his brother full in the face. “This brings us to the reason
we’re here.” In a few words, he told them of the Oracle’s
prophecy.

“Two halves required?” Carly looked from one
man to the other. “And you believe she’s speaking of you two
brothers?”

“It’s possible,” Cenrick said. “We’re twins,
after all.”

“I don’t know.” Alrick didn’t seem at all
convinced. “The Oracle’s prophecies have never been direct. She
could have meant anything.”

“Usually, when someone speaks like that, they
are talking about fated lovers.” Hand on her stomach, Carly looked
from Cenrick to Dee, her eyes bright. “Have you considered—.”

“Carly,” Alrick warned. “No meddling.”

Still grinning, she shook her head. “Fine.
You two figure it out.”

“What if she meant you and I?” Cenrick stared
at his brother. “If I need your help, will you give it?”

“First, I don’t believe she meant you and I.”
Alrick seemed unperturbed. “We are two vastly different souls, and
you know it. Second, you must know as well that I cannot leave
Carly. The babe will be born any day.”

“True.” Cenrick’s tone said he didn’t like
it. “But if the Oracle didn’t mean you and I, twin brothers born of
the same mother, what did she mean?”

Alrick shook his head. “Maybe you should ask
her.” Unfolding his long legs, he clasped his arm around Cenrick’s
shoulders. “I’m afraid you’re on your own for this one, little
brother.”

This was getting exactly nowhere. Dee began
jiggling her leg. She caught Cenrick watching her and pushed
herself to her feet, taking Alrick’s hint. “I think we’ve been here
long enough. We’ve really got to get going.”

Cenrick stood also, taking Dee’s arm but
still intent on his brother. “It was good to see you,” he
began.

“Wait.” Disengaging herself from her
husband’s arms, Carly drew Dee aside. “I want to talk to Dee.
Alone.”

She pulled Dee into a back bedroom which had
been made into a nursery. “My son’s room,” she said, while Dee took
in the crib and brightly painted walls.

“It’s beautiful,” Dee told her. Then, unable
to contain her curiosity, she asked, “What did you want to discuss
with me?”

“The Oracle’s words. Despite my husband not
wanting me to meddle, I’ve seen the way you look at Cenrick when
he’s not watching.”

Dee blushed, but said nothing.

With a broad smile, Carly squeezed Dee’s
shoulder. “It’s okay – I feel the same way about Alrick. Anyway, I
think it’s possible there is another meaning to this two halves of
the same soul thing.”

“Soulmates?” Restless, Dee shook her head. “I
don’t know about that.”

“Sometimes, when two who were meant to be are
brought together, great magic can result.”

“How do you know this? You’re human, like
me.”

“I’ve been around the Fae and I’m married to
Alrick.” Carly grinned. “Mort told me his people’s history. One of
their most long-held beliefs is this – if you can find the one who
is the other half of your soul, you are capable of great
things.”

“Cenrick and I are not soulmates.”

“Really?” Carly cocked her head. “Then what
about the other Fae man? Didn’t you say you were engaged?”

“Peter?” Dee recoiled, wondering why the
thought now horrified her. “No! He and I aren’t soulmates either. I
know we were going to marry, but—.”