Caress of Magic

Caress of Magic

by Katrina LaFond

copyright 2015 Katrina LaFond

Smashwords Edition

Edited by: Laurie Williams

Cover by Abstractionz

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Table of Contents

Prequel

Beginning

The Lockwood Chronicle series

Other books by this Author

Connect with the Author

Six weeks ago—The burst of green energy enveloped her body and she screamed, her back arching in pain. She felt her feet leave the ground as the power lifted her. The agony was intense, clawing at her flesh, tearing at her skin. She screamed again. Through a red haze, she saw the necromancer fall to his knees, wailing. They’d cast at the same time and their spells had intertwined, combined, and hit them both. The only satisfaction she had was that he was suffering as she was.

"Kate!"

She managed to turn her head, and she could see Ethan rushing toward her. The panic in his eyes was heartbreaking. He was reaching out and she knew he was going to try to grab her, to pull her out of the energy bubble. No, she breathed, certain he wouldn’t hear her.

"Ethan!" another man shouted. She saw him grab Ethan and hold him back.

"She’s dying, Russell! Ethan hollered. Let me go, dammit!"

"You can’t help her," Russell told him.

Kate was beyond screaming. Her limbs were rigid and her back ached. She tasted blood. She knew it wouldn’t be long. Take him away, she pleaded silently. Don’t let him watch. Please.

Tears were streaming down Ethan's face as he struggled with Russell, who was trying to drag him away. No! Let go! Kate!

Kate saw the necromancer drop face first to the floor and knew that he was dead. But before she could feel any satisfaction, there was a terrible wrenching at her body. Pressure, building inside her until she thought she would burst. She couldn’t see or hear. And she was falling. Faster and faster she fell. Then suddenly she was lying in cool grass and she could see and hear again. The pain and pressure was gone.

She sat up and looked around. Where was she? Why was she covered in blood? She got to her feet, trembling, and wrapped her arms around herself.

Who was she?...

Kate woke abruptly and found herself sitting up in bed, sweating and gasping for breath. She was shaking. What the hell was that? It was more than a nightmare, it was a memory. And then it all came flooding back. Kate. Her name was Kate. She remembered! She remembered everything.

She looked at Scott, lying beside her. He stirred. Tracy?

Shhh, she whispered. Go back to sleep.

He rolled onto his side, and a moment later he was snoring softly again. Kate eased away from him and climbed out of bed. She stood there and stared at him for a long time. What was she supposed to do now? Scott had taken such good care of her when he’d found her, bloody and battered, unable to remember who she was or what had happened to her. He’d given her a place to live, a job, a life. And now she remembered.

She remembered Ethan, the love of her life.

She remembered who she was. She was Kate Fox.

And she remembered what she was… she was a witch.

* * * *

Ethan leaned across the table toward Susan. What should we do tonight?

She shifted closer to him and took his hand. I have a few ideas, she said softly.

He saw the blatant invitation in her dark brown eyes, and he sorely wanted to want to take her up on it, but he couldn’t. It had been months since Kate died, and people kept telling him to ‘get back out there!’ and find love again. Kate wouldn’t want him to be alone, would she?

Susan, I— he started.

Oh, my God! Susan interrupted.

She was looking past him at something that had obviously scared the hell out of her, and she scooted away from him. Ethan turned around to see what was going on and his heart stopped. It was Kate. She was standing by the bar, staring at him and Susan. She looked furious, but he didn’t care. All he saw was that she was standing there and that she was alive. Before he could do anything, she spun around and stalked out.

Without a word to Susan, Ethan jumped to his feet and ran after her. He burst out of the bar into the chilly night air and saw her heading for the parking lot. It was unmistakably Kate. He’d recognize that slender form anywhere. The sway of her hips, the long black hair. He thought he’d never see her again, that she was dead, and yet somehow there she was.

Kate! he shouted.

She kept walking and didn’t look back.

Ethan chased after her. Kate! he shouted again.

She stopped at a beat-up old green Chevy and stuck her key in the lock. She was opening the door when he reached her and slammed it shut.

Didn’t you hear me? he demanded.

She looked up at him and his heart thudded. She was alive. It was really her, standing there in front of him. Alive. Breathing. And glaring at him with a fiery hatred in her beautiful sapphire eyes. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her fiercely.

I can’t believe you’re alive! he said, laughing. I can’t believe you’re here!

She shoved him away. You seemed to be getting along fine without me, she snapped.

What are you talking about?

Susan, she said, spitting out the woman’s name like it was poison. You two looked pretty cozy in there.

Guilt swept over Ethan when he realized what she’d seen and what she thought. Nothing is going on with Susan, he said.

That’s not what it looked like.

Kate, there hasn’t been anyone else since you…

Died? she finished for him. You honestly thought I died? Without a body? Did you even look for me?

Ethan frowned. There was so much blood, Kate. It was everywhere, and the magic scorched everything. There were so many bodies around, and… well, there was… it was horrible. I didn’t want to believe you were dead.

Kate could see the pain in his amazing green eyes, and the joy when he looked at her, but how could he have believed so easily? How could he have left her alone?

Kate? he said. You didn’t see the carnage. There was no trace of you. I thought you’d been… you don’t want to know what I thought.

You should have thought that I was out there and I needed you, Kate said. I was alone, Ethan. And I couldn’t remember anything.

Ethan stared at her. What happened to you?

I woke up, bloody and beaten, with no memory of who or what I was, or how I’d gotten there, she told him. If it hadn’t been for Scott, I probably would have died for real.

Pain lanced Ethan's heart. Scott?

Kate looked away. Don’t you worry about Scott, she said. She glared at him again, her blue eyes sparking. He took care of me when you abandoned me. He saved me.

I didn’t abandon you, Kate. I thought you were dead.

The logical part of Kate knew that he was telling the truth, but the part of her that was hurt was louder. She was so angry with him. Angry that he could go blithely on without her, angry that he would leave her in the world, defenseless. And to take up with Susan! Hatred coursed through her like a fire and she wrenched the door of the Chevy open again. Go back to Susan, she bit out. Go back, and don’t worry about me. I have a life to get back to. I thought this was it, but I was wrong.

Ethan watched helplessly as she slid into the car and started it up. She glanced at him one last time before she drove away. He stood there for a long time, staring after her until he couldn’t see the tail lights anymore.

* * * *

Now—Kate was at the back of the store stocking a shelf when she heard the bell over the door jingle. Be right there! she called. Sliding the last box onto the shelf she got to her feet, brushing off her hands and shaking out her skirt. She ran her fingers through her black hair to try to straighten it as she hurried to greet her customer. He had his back to her as she rounded the corner, but there was no mistaking those broad shoulders. She was rooted to the spot, staring, in shock.

What are you doing here, Ethan? she demanded when she found her voice.

He turned around and the pain in his green eyes was so raw that her heart flipped. He seemed to regain his composure and he offered her a lopsided smile, the sexy kind that used to turn her knees to water. Apparently, it still worked. She laid a hand on a nearby display case to maintain her balance and glared at him, waiting for an answer, hoping that her expression was one of irritation rather than showing that what she really wanted was to jump into his arms.

I’m sorry, he said, taking her completely by surprise.

What?

Ethan took a step toward her, his arms open, ready to pull her into an embrace, but she retreated quickly. His arms dropped back to his sides, and he shoved a hand through his dark brown hair in an old, familiar habit. It cascaded back down, brushing the tops of his shoulders and Kate's gaze was riveted to it. Her skin tingled as she vividly remembered the feel of its silken strands brushing against her body. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

What do you mean ‘you’re sorry’? she asked.

I should have looked for you, he told her. When you went missing I should have torn the world apart looking for you. I should have moved heaven and gone to hell if that’s what it took. I should not have taken the evidence at face value and believed you were dead. I abandoned you, and I’m sorry.

Kate stared at him, unheeded tears running down her face. What are you saying? she asked, softly.

Ethan reached out, maybe to wipe a tear from her cheek, but she leaned back, avoiding his touch. He lowered his arm again. The disappointment on his face was plain this time, and he took a deep breath. I’m saying that I love you, he said. I’m saying that I’m sorry, and I’d like a chance to prove it.

Kate's heart thumped and she took a step away from him. Something close to panic welled up in her and she took a shaky breath. I can’t do this, she muttered. She looked down at the floor, around the store, anywhere but at Ethan. I can’t do this, she said again. She finally looked at him again. How dare you? she hissed. I’ve been trying to get over you since I got my memory back. Since I realized that you abandoned me. Do you know how hard it was to push the thought of you away? Do you realize that you were the first thing I thought about when I woke up and the last thing I thought about before going to sleep? And now I’ve managed to forge a life here for myself, with a good man who loves me and who will always be here for me, and you show up again? You show up with those eyes and that smile and what? I’m supposed to swoon and throw myself into your arms? She stepped closer to him and gave him a push. "How dare you!"

Ethan was completely taken-aback at her outburst. He’d expected anger, but he hadn’t expected the sheer hatred he could see sparkling in the depths of her sapphire eyes. He supposed he couldn’t blame her though, after what he’d done.

I’ll go, Kate, he said. I just wanted you to know. If you change your mind or whatever, you have my number.

Kate watched him turn away, her fury warring with her desire to stop him. His broad shoulders were hunched, but even in defeat, the man knew how to move his body. He walked with an easy stride, like a man comfortable in his own skin. His skin. She was suddenly assaulted with memories of the feel, the heat… the taste of his skin. She shivered and stubbornly clenched her jaw when he hesitated at the door. He waited a few seconds and then left.

Tracy?

Kate turned around and found Scott standing there, frowning at her. How much had he heard? She tried to smile but she was blinking away tears, so she doubted he’d believe she was happy.

How long have you been standing there? she asked breezily.

He glanced at the door when the bell jingled as it closed, then looked back at her. Who was that man?

Him? Nobody. Just somebody I used to know.

He called you Kate.

She fell silent and her heart sank. She couldn’t think of anything to say so she just stood there and waited.

You remember who you are, don’t you?

She nodded. I have for a while.

And you stayed?

Where would I go? she asked. She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head against his chest. He was thinner than Ethan, not as muscular, and he’d always been so gentle with her. She knew he loved her, despite the months of amnesia, despite not knowing who she really was. All the searching they’d done to find out who she was, and they’d never found a clue, not even online. She’d wondered for so long how she’d made it to however old she was without even an online presence. Eventually they’d stopped looking. And then, a few weeks ago, she’d woken up and she’d just remembered everything. It had all come back to her at once, and all her questions had been answered.

That was why she’d never told Scott. She just couldn’t bring herself to tell him who, and especially what, she really was. That what was a normal day on the job for her ended with blood and amnesia. How would he react? She hadn’t wanted to know.

Scott draped an arm around her shoulders but she knew he was only humoring her. Who was that man? he asked again.

She closed her eyes. You don’t want to know.

So I’m just supposed to pretend that you haven’t remembered? he demanded. I’m just supposed to pretend that a living, breathing piece of your past didn’t show up here today and declare his love for you?

She lifted her head from his chest and looked at him. Yes, she said simply.

He met her gaze, his hazel eyes full of fear, and her heart broke for him.

And what about when you decide to go to him? he asked. What am I supposed to do when you decide that you want your old life back? And that you want him back?

I won’t.

He wiped a tear from her cheek with a gentle touch and offered her a sad smile. I saw the way he looked at you, he said. "And I definitely saw the way you looked at him. You will go, Kate. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when."

He pulled out of her embrace and walked away, his shoulders and