A Touch of Magick (3 page)

“Really, Rhi,” her sister chided. “The problem with your magick.”

“Oh, that problem.” Squinting at the door, she wondered if she had enough energy to roll out of bed, race to the kitchen and turn on the coffeepot. The timer wasn’t set to go off for another two hours.

“Yes, that problem,” her sister continued, undeterred. “I’ve been doing some reading in Grammy’s library.”

Rhiannon stifled a yawn and snuggled beneath her covers. There was a definite chill in the air this morning.

“You’re not listening.” Her sister’s frustration was palpable.

“It’s hard to listen when I need coffee,” she mumbled.

“This is important.”

Sighing, Rhiannon forced her eyes open again, not that she could see much. It was still dark outside. “Okay, shoot.”

“You need to have sex.”

“What?” Rhiannon sputtered. Okay, so now her sister had her attention.

“There was a book at Grammy’s that talked about magick being caught within a person, not being channeled properly. That’s your problem. The magick is there, you just can’t seem to access it.”

“What does that have to do with sex?” Rhiannon sat up, leaning against her headboard as she scrubbed her hand over her face. She really needed a cup of coffee.

“Don’t you see?” Gwen continued, excitement in her voice. “One of the ways to release the magick is to have sex.”

Rhiannon shook her head in disbelief. “I hate to break it to you, Gwen, but I’m not exactly a virgin.” Not that she was vastly experienced either. She’d had sex with two men—her college boyfriend, Thomas, and her last boyfriend, Jeremy. Both times had been pleasant, even enjoyable at times, but the earth hadn’t exactly moved.

Her sister gave a huff of frustration. “I know that, Rhi, but neither of them were the right man.”

She raised her eyes to the ceiling and prayed for divine intervention, but when nothing happened she knew she had to ask the obvious question. “Okay, who is the right man?”

“I don’t know.”

Rhiannon groaned, pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face against them. “You woke me at five in the morning to tell me I needed to have sex with an unknown man. Great. I’ll run right out and grab the first guy I see and have hot, mind-blowing sex with him.” That brought thoughts of last night rushing back. She still couldn’t believe she’d talked her friends into that impromptu spell in the garden. And she couldn’t even blame the wine, not really. None of them had drunk enough for that.

“Yes.” Gwen was silent for a moment before continuing. “Rhi, you’ve always picked men who were safe. No, that’s not the right word. Men who were weak.”

“What do you mean by that?” Now she was getting annoyed.

“Well, Thomas was just a boy. And Jeremy…”

“What about Jeremy?” Rhiannon stiffened her spine, her entire body beginning to vibrate with anger.

“He wasn’t worthy of you.” Gwen’s quiet answer deflated her anger. “We all knew from the start that he only wanted to use you.”

“And no one felt it necessary to tell me.” Rhiannon had been head over heels for Jeremy, or at least the man he’d pretended to be. She’d thought he was
the one
. The reality of the man had been much less than the suave façade he’d projected to the world.

“Would you have listened?”

She started to retort that of course she would have, but she stopped before the words left her tongue. Would she have listened to her family? Probably not. She’d been naïve in many ways and desperate for a connection with someone outside her family. She’d wanted to be
normal
, if there was such a thing. She’d wanted to fit in somewhere, with someone.

“I love you, Rhi,” her sister continued. “But you hold yourself back from others. You turn away from men who might challenge you. That’s part of your problem. You’re afraid and you don’t really believe in yourself. Therefore, you don’t really believe in your magick.”

Rhiannon tried to ignore her sister’s words and the little voice in the back of her head that said Gwen might be right. The sky was beginning to lighten outside her window and she knew she could forget about getting anymore sleep. It was much too early to be psychoanalyzed by her well-meaning sibling. “I don’t know what to say.” And she didn’t. Her sister had given her a lot to think about.

“Don’t say anything. Just consider what I’ve told you.” Gwen cleared her throat. “Maybe I should cast a spell to help you out, bring you the kind of lover you need.”

“No.” Rhiannon threw back the covers and stalked to the window. The hardwood floor was cold against her feet and she curled her toes. Her thin nightgown was little protection against the chill. It was definitely time to break out the flannel.

She could see the patio stone in the dim light, could still feel the power pulsing in the air from last night’s candle spell. For such a simple spell, they’d certainly raised a lot of energy. “Absolutely not.”

“But, Rhi.”

“No, Gwen. I need to think about this. And if there is any spell casting to be done, I’ll do it.”

Her sister paused. “Do you think that’s wise?”

Rhiannon rubbed her forehead, feeling the onset of a headache brewing. Her sister’s doubt in her abilities only made her feel worse. “Wise or not, it’s my decision.”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe? What the heck does that mean?” Her fingers tightened around the phone as concern filled her. Surely her sister wouldn’t cast a spell without her permission. She almost groaned aloud, swallowing it at the last second. Of course she would. This was Gwen. If she thought it would help Rhiannon, she would do whatever she thought necessary and the heck with the consequences.

“It means that I worry about you and if I can do anything to help, then I will.” She could hear the stubbornness in Gwen’s voice.

“Promise me.” She stalked back to the bed and sat on the edge, the phone gripped tight in her hand. “Don’t do anything.”

“We’ll see.”

“Gwen?” She had to make her promise. Once she’d given her word, she’d never break it.

“I love you, Rhi. I’ll talk to you in a few days.”

The line went dead and Rhiannon was left listening to a dial tone. Sighing, she stabbed the button to end the call and tossed the phone onto the mattress beside her. Burying her face in her hands, she heaved a sigh. She was pretty certain Gwen wouldn’t do anything without her say so.

At least she hoped her sister wouldn’t do anything drastic. The last thing she needed was for Gwen to cast a spell to attract a lover, not after what she, Esther and Maggie had done last night.

“This is crazy,” she muttered. “This is October, not spring. Love shouldn’t be in the air.”

But power was. She knew October was a powerful month with the Samhain holiday only a little more than a week away. There was lots of energy all around her just waiting to be tapped.

“Coffee.” She pushed herself off the bed, knowing she would never get back to sleep now. Not with all the thoughts racing around in her fertile brain. Abigail came out of nowhere, twining her lithe body around Rhiannon’s ankles. Reaching down, she scooped her cat into her arms. Abigail immediately rubbed her head against Rhiannon’s chin and purred.

“Let’s turn the coffeepot on and then I’ll get a shower.” She padded on bare feet toward the kitchen. “This is going to be a long day.”

Rhiannon had no idea just how prophetic her words would be as she stood outside her store two hours later and stared at the graffiti smeared across the front of her building. The decorative haystacks and pumpkins that had sat just outside her door were smashed beyond repair, the remains littering the walkway in front of her shop.

The sun was up, barely, and most of the world was still sleeping or just stirring. She’d decided to come in early to do some inventory and check on the last of her Christmas shipments. She already had most of it ordered, but there were a couple of items she wanted to make sure she had enough of while there was still time to send for more.

Tilting her head to one side, she tried to figure out what the drawing was supposed to be. It was more stylized letters and color than an actual representation of anything. Although the words “witch” and “devil” were plain enough.

Her stomach clenched, the coffee she’d drunk suddenly sour. This was the last thing she needed. She’d made a life in this town and she liked it here. It was a good thing she’d come to work early. It would take a while to clean the red, black and blue paint off of the building.

She wondered if she could cast a spell to get rid of the paint, but decided against it. With her luck, she’d end up with the entire building covered in the graffiti rather than just one wall.

She’d dressed for success this morning, needing the boost of confidence after talking to her sister. Her black skirt was long and flowed around her legs. She’d matched it with a soft sweater in a flaming red that hugged her figure and showed off her subtle curves. Her jewelry was simple—silver bangles on her wrist and silver hoops in her ears. The other pop of color came from her shoes. Bright red Jimmy Choos that had cost her a pretty penny, but had been worth every cent she’d paid for them. Now she wished she’d worn her jeans and a pair of sneakers. This was going to be messy work.

She dug out her key, unlocked the store and let herself in. As always, a sense of calm and well-being descended on her the moment she stepped through the door of A Touch of Magick. The air was redolent with the fragrance of incense and candles. The space was inviting and homey. She flicked on the light switch and headed to the back room and the cleaning supplies.

She took the time to store her coat and purse before starting a pot of coffee brewing using the hazelnut vanilla beans that were her favorite. She stared at the phone, debating whether or not she should call the police. On one hand, she didn’t want whoever was doing this to get away with vandalism. On the other hand, she didn’t want to call even more attention to herself and her store. The locals were finally accepting her and this would only start trouble.

The store hadn’t been broken into and nothing had been stolen. Other than the poor pumpkin that had perched on the display outside and was now nothing more than pumpkin spatter, nothing had been permanently damaged.

She stalked into the bathroom and filled a bucket with hot, soapy water. After grabbing a scrubbing cloth, she headed back to the front of the store. She opened the door and stepped out onto the walkway, taking a deep breath.

Rhiannon loved this time of the day. The sun was a golden ball just edging above the horizon and the world was still. There was a slight breeze that whipped up the leaves that had dropped from the trees and sent them skittering down the road. You could practically taste fall in the air.

“Morning.”

Rhiannon whirled at the sound of the male voice. The bucket tipped precariously and water slopped over the side. She jumped back, just missing getting her shoes wet. Swearing under her breath, she laid the pail down and swiped at the water trickling down the front of her wool skirt.

“Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

She looked up. Way, way up. Not that the man was overly tall. He was probably about six feet tall, give or take an inch or two, but when you were only five-foot-two most people were taller than you. The high heels helped, but not much. “Well, you did.”

One corner of his mouth kicked up in a half smile. Rhiannon immediately noticed his full, very kissable lips. She shook herself. What the heck was wrong with her?

“You going to clean up this mess?”

“That was my plan.” Her voice was sharper than usual. Something about this man set her on edge, yet she wasn’t afraid of him. Not in the least.

“Shouldn’t you wait until the police examine the scene?” It was then she noticed the uniform.

Sighing, she wondered if she should have just stayed in bed this morning. “I didn’t call the police.”

“I didn’t think so.” He held out his hand. “Ryland Stone, Deputy Ryland Stone.”

Seeing no way out, she reached out and took his hand. An electrical shock surged through her body, going straight to her breasts and arrowing down between her thighs. She yanked her hand back with a yelp, cradling it against her chest. Her entire body tingled with awareness.

Ryland was shaking his hand too, his pale blue eyes never leaving her face. “Sorry about that. Must be static electricity.”

Of course it was. What the heck had she been thinking? For the briefest of moments, she’d thought the spark had been one born of magick. Instead it was something as mundane as static electricity.

Obviously last night’s spell and the conversation with her sister this morning had muddled her good sense. She had sex and magick on the brain. Ignoring the tingling in her breasts and the way her nipples were pushing against the cups of her bra, she focused on the problem at hand.

The deputy was standing there just staring at her and she realized she hadn’t said anything. “I’m sorry. Rhiannon Sparks.”

He blinked and suddenly broke into a full grin. She was immediately struck by his masculine good looks. His blond hair was cut short, but the style suited him. His jaw was square, and stubborn if she was any judge of character. There was a scar bisecting his left eyebrow that kept him from looking too pretty. His shoulders were wide, his body lean and fit. All in all, a very nice package.

“Sparks, huh. Figures.” He shook his hand again and then motioned toward the wall.

They’d certainly struck sparks off one another, but she assured herself that meant nothing. “I didn’t think there was much point in calling the police about this.”

He shook his head. “This is vandalism, pure and simple.” His eyes went to the words “witch” and “devil” before returning to her. “Plus, it’s just plain nasty.”

Rhiannon rubbed her hands over her arms, suddenly feeling the chill through her sweater. He noticed immediately and in a couple of strides was by her side. “Why don’t you go on inside while I call this in. We’ll take some pictures, have a look around and then I’ll come and talk to you.”

“I don’t see what good it will do.”

He shrugged. “The vandal might strike again.” He pointed to a small blob in the far corner. “These graffiti artists always sign their work. He might have targeted other businesses last night. Even if he didn’t, if he’s ever caught we can tie him to this scene and a few others.”