Authors: Shara Lanel
ATwistedMagick (19 page)
Shylah nodded, but the detective had already backed out of the doorway so one of the cops could shove the bound suspects through. Hain threw a blanket over Shylah’s shoulders, shouting at the closest officer, “Can’t you let her get dressed?”
“Not yet. You can get her clothes and bring them down.”
Suddenly Shylah’s world started spinning and she felt sick as she stumbled on the stairs, but a gloved hand held her up. She made it down, but then she started puking on the floor, at the same time so dizzy she thought she was going to pass out. She felt the blanket slipping but the handcuffs prevented her from pulling it back up. And despite her heaving and everything else happening, the compulsion hit her and she knew the spell had worked on her as much as on Alain.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes.
“Catch her,” Gabe shouted, feeling helpless as Shylah started to crumple. Alain and an officer were in front of him on the stairs, while the cop behind him firmly gripped his arms to keep him moving.
The officer who’d held her steady on the stairs managed to get both arms around her as she passed out.
“She’s preggers! Did you hear her, man?” Alain shouted sarcastically.
Gabe thought he’d heard her say that, but he’d been focused on whether she would fall and maybe she’d said something else.
“Damn truth spell, man. Damn fucking spell.” Alain was propelled into the living room and pushed down into a chair. There were a couple of extra officers downstairs with guns at the ready.
Detective Hain took control of the scene and arrested Alain and ordered an officer to take off Gabe and Shylah’s handcuffs. “Emergency dispatch heard your confession loud and clear.”
“I was under duress. She made me do it.” He couldn’t point his finger, so he inclined his head in Shylah’s direction. She was awake but still shivering under the heavy blanket an EMT had given her. Gabe had his arm wrapped around her and hugged her harder every time she trembled.
“I read the transcript. You were the one threatening them with a knife. They were under duress, not you.”
“She put a spell on me.”
Hain nodded. “I’m sure she did. You tell that to your lawyer.” Hain shoved him into the custody of a uniformed officer who led him out to a patrol car. Then she looked back at the couple on the couch and waited for the verdict of the EMT.
The EMT squeezed the tip of Shylah’s fingers to check for blood refill, checked her pulse and heart rate, and shone a pen light in her eyes to check pupil dilation, all the time asking her things like what day it was, who the president was, her name.
The EMT stood. “She’s coherent, color looks good, not sweating, breathing fine. Get her to drink lots of liquids and keep an eye on her. Get her to the hospital immediately if she starts talking funny or her lips turn blue.” The lady handed Gabe a pamphlet explaining the symptoms of shock. He set it on the side table for safe keeping, wondering why Fate was so determined to get them to go to the hospital.
“I’ll keep an eye on her. She was already supposed to be checking me for concussion.”
The EMT, a different one from the scene at Wann’s, said, “I noticed you had a nasty bump there. Want me to check it again?”
Gabe shook his head.
Hain waved the EMT off. “Let me ask you a couple quick questions and then you all can come in this afternoon to make statements.” She’d mentioned them coming in for statements when they’d been at the scene at Wann’s. “Can you manage not to have any more emergency calls before then?”
“Just trying to solve some murders for you.” Gabe turned to Shylah. “Are you up for a couple questions?”
* * * * *
Shylah fought the urge to laugh. The situation wasn’t funny, obviously, but Gabe treating her like china instead of a suspect was quite a turnaround. She felt a little drunk with power, knowing that her spell had actually worked, scared as hell that she’d shot somebody, scared as hell that someone had attacked her and Gabe, confused that she hadn’t guessed Alain was a killer and ashamed that she’d loved him.
Gabe cupped her chin and turned her to face him. “Are you up for questions?”
Oh had she not answered him? “Uh, yeah.” She turned her attention to Hain, who flipped open a notebook.
“Question number one—why does your guest think you put a spell on him?” Shylah had introduced Alain very briefly at the earlier scene, but not gone into any details.
“Alain was in my coven in New Orleans and…” She cleared her throat. “And my lover at the time. You know we were investigated about an occult killing?”
“Yes, that came up when I was looking into your background.”
Gabe frowned. “Detective Sampson at the NOPD said he’d never talked to you.”
“Actually one of the teachers told me, showed me an article.”
“Who?” Shylah asked, shocked. “I didn’t think any of them knew.”
“Clement Wann.”
“Interesting,” Gabe said.
Shylah went on. “Well, that’s what Alain was confessing to, the murder of Wanda Nance. Did they record everything?”
Hain nodded. “Yes, the call center recorded and transcribed it. Tell me about the spell.”
“You know that’s bullshit,” Gabe said.
Shylah winced but she knew the derogatory comment was to protect the confession. When they were alone, she’d find out what Gabe really believed. He’d seemed more open when they’d talked earlier. She’d need to know since she was going to have his baby, but her dream vision had left her feeling hopeful.
She sat up straighter and pointed at the hearth. “Alain and I did a ritual about the same time Gabe was at Wann’s. We wanted…or at least I wanted to help Gabe find proof about the murders.”
“Why would this guy agree to that if he was the murderer?”
“The wording of the spell was specifically about Lalia, Matthew and Mercedes.”
“Then why does he think the spell caused him to confess?” An officer walked up and handed her a cup of coffee from a fast-food place. “Bless you,” Hain said as she accepted it.
Shylah noticed Gabe gazing longingly at the coffee. She was starting to wish she had a coffee maker. “I’m not sure why he felt compelled to confess tonight. Maybe the guilt got to him after the events at Wann’s.”
“Or he confessed and then regretted it, so he’s now blaming it on the spell,” Gabe said.
Hain shook her head. “Okay, let’s move to the tangible stuff. When did Alain enter your room?”
Gabe calmly went through the details. As Shylah listened to the drone of his voice, she tilted into his side and closed her eyes. He wrapped his arm tighter around her and she knew she was dreaming again when she found she was helping Gabe pick out a coffee maker.
When she woke again, she was stretched out on her couch under a blanket. Gabe dozed across from her in the chair. Sunlight filtered in through the living room curtains. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was around one in the afternoon. When she looked back at Gabe, his eyes were open.
“How’re you doing?”
“The sleep helped.”
He nodded. “Thought it would.” He continued to watch her as she sat up and stretched.
“You hungry?”
“Getting there.” He ran his hand down his face.
“You’re looking a bit scruffy.”
“What do you mean?”
She smiled. “You haven’t shaved in a while.”
“Haven’t thought about it.” He leaned forward. “So you said something last night right before you passed out.”
“Um…” She could play dumb.
“At the bottom of the stairs. Alain heard you, but I was behind him.”
“So you didn’t hear me?”
“I didn’t hear you as well.” He met her eyes and didn’t look away.
“Well, I still don’t know for sure.”
“Yes you do, or I don’t think you would’ve said it in the midst of all the cops and chaos.”
She sighed. “I haven’t taken a test.”
“But you know you’re pregnant.”
“Yes, I know.” She was surprised that he wasn’t the one saying that it was impossible for her to know, that she needed a foolproof test. He trusted her intuition. “I think the spell worked on me too. I could never sense it before that. I think I was too emotional to intuit clearly.”
He stood up and came to sit next to her on the couch. He took her hands. “I’m afraid to ask how you feel about this.”
She smiled. “I’m afraid to ask you too.”
“I kind of like the idea.”
“Really?”
“Well, yeah, if you might be open to visiting California. Well, not just visit. Maybe stay in California…with me.”
“That’s a whole lotta commitment.”
His hands tightened on hers. “You mean you don’t want the baby? Or you don’t want me?”
“Neither. I was saying for you. A baby and a witchy baby mama.”
He hugged her against him. “You wouldn’t just be the baby mama. You’d be my wife.”
“Excuse me? I think you skipped a step.” She leaned away a little so she could see his expression. “You’ve said some pretty derogatory things about magic. I’m not going to give it up because of you.”
“I know that.” He sighed. “But I have to admit I’d really prefer to have my child brought up Catholic. He can go on to argue with the priests and hate the church in his teens, like I did.”
“Girl, it might be a girl. You seem intent on having a son.”
“Daddy’s little girl would be just right too.”
Shylah smiled wide. “But you are having a son and I already know his name. Also, I know what we’re going to do about his religious upbringing.”
He looked doubtful. “You do? Fill me in.”
“Ruben Quinn Niguel.”
“Ruben’s my dad’s name.”
“I know.”
“But I never…” He tilted his head slightly, looking at her.
“And Quinn’s my dad’s name.”
“A vision?”
“A dream.”
“So what about the rest of it?”
“I do go out to California with you. Then there’s a christening in a church, cute white dress and all.” She’d always thought it odd that baby boys wore dresses for the occasion as well as girls. “And a Wiccaning on the beach. It’s very beautiful.”
He hugged her tight. “I believe you.”
A knock on the door startled them both. “If that’s the detective, I hope she managed to get at least a little sleep,” Shylah said as Gabe went to the door.
He opened it and the woman on the other side fell into his arms sobbing. Before jealousy could take hold, Shylah recognized Angela. Her husband stood a little behind her. They were the last people she ever expected to see at her door.
“
Gabrielito, perdóname, por favor
!” Angela cried. “
Lo siento
!”
“It’s okay, Angela,” Gabe said, stroking her hair. “Come inside. It’s Shylah you should talk to.”
Shylah stood but stayed near the couch twisting her hands nervously. Angela’s husband stepped fully inside. He took Angela’s hand and guided her across the room. He was the first to speak. “Shylah, please accept our sincere apologies. Detective Hain visited this morning and told us about Clement Wann’s arrest.”
Gabe walked up next to Shylah and placed his hand on the small of her back. Angela looked up at him. “And she told us what happened to you, cousin!”
“Shylah saved my life.”
Angela took her hands and squeezed as she smiled at Shylah for the first time. “And we are so grateful.”
“No problem.”
“We can pay to fix your car if needed,” Dave said.
“No, I think I’ll be selling it.”
“Really?”
“Yes, along with the house.”
“After everyone was so hateful to you I can understand that you want to leave,” Angela said. “But where will you go?”
Gabe grinned. “To meet Mama and tell her about the coming of her grandchild.”
“
Que
?” Angela went off on a fast Spanish tangent. Gabe responded in Spanish and then Shylah was hugged. A lot.
When they were alone again, Gabe said, “In the name of full disclosure, I need to tell you about my first wife though, and what happened with my father.”
“You have a first wife?” Yeah, that shocked her. Well, it wasn’t as if they’d been together longer than a week. Shylah already knew that she loved Gabe, but she was willing to wait to hear it from him. The baby would keep them close together and allow them to grow their relationship.
* * * * *
“Yes.” Gabe wouldn’t have brought his family history up now, when they had to go to the police station to give statements, and they had so many other plans to discuss. But he felt like she needed to know that going to California wouldn’t necessarily leave prejudice behind. Despite her dream about their baby’s future, she needed to know that things might get rocky.
“Tell me this, Gabe. Will you stand behind me?”
“Of course.”
“Even when you don’t understand why I do what I do?”
“Yes.”
“Why? Why would you?”
He took her hands in his and stroked her palms. “Because I love you, Shylah. I can't imagine a future that doesn't have you in it, as the mother of my child and the woman I will always want by my side.”
“Then I have faith in our future,” she said seriously, but then her face lit up. “And I love you too.”
He decided she deserved a lot of kissing before they went to see Hain, but then kissing her wasn’t enough.
“I think the detective will have to wait, don’t you?” Gabe asked, scooping Shylah up and heading for the stairs. “Because I mean to make sure you believe every word I said.”
The beautiful woman in his arms laughed. “Yes, the detective can wait, but I can’t.”
Gabe leaned down for one more kiss then took the stairs two at a time. The bed was waiting.
The End
At age ten, Shara Lanel thought research meant hopping aboard the local steam engine and writing the equivalent of
The Great Train Robbery
. Nowadays as a multi-published, award-winning author, she gets hands-on research at her local Citizens’ Police and Fire Academies. She’s much better at walking down the side of a building than she is at firing a gun, but she swears her characters are great shots, hitting the bulls-eye with the villains and the heart. Don’t put her in the kitchen unless you want to burn it down, and her green thumb is hit-or-miss, but she excels as a bibliophile, hoping she never has to pack up and move, since her hubby might see just how many volumes she really has.
Shara welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her
author bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.
Tell Us What You Think
We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email
the author
directly or you can email us at
[email protected]
(when contacting Customer Service, be sure to state the book title and author).
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
A Twisted Magick
ISBN 9781419948701
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
A Twisted Magick Copyright © 2013 Shara Lanel
Edited by Victoria Reese
Cover design by Syneca
Cover photography by Alexandr/shutterstock.com
Electronic book publication September 2013
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book.
The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party websites or their content.
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com to find erotic reading experiences that will leave you breathless. You can also find our books at all the major e-tailers (Barnes & Noble, Amazon Kindle, Sony, Kobo, Google, Apple iBookstore, All Romance eBooks, and others).