Bound by Magick 4-in-1 Box Set (Pentacles of Magick) (5 page)

Of course, how could he have forgotten that she felt his
emotions. His little vixen empath knew too much.

“It was my brother, baby. Didn't you hear him come in?” Her
body stiffened in his arms as she frantically glanced around the room. “Don't
worry, Rena, he left. But he didn't go far. I sense him very close by.”

“You don't like him being here, do you?”

“His coming here was a mistake. One he knows better than to
make. It’s too dangerous.”

She snuggled back into his body, letting their energy meld
together, leaving behind only traces of the lighter magic he felt when he was
with her.

“Why is he here? Has something happened?” Her astute
perception of the situation astounded him. Or maybe she knew all about him and
his brothers and had expected this would happen. Was there a plot beyond his
own peril? Damn, what the hell had he been thinking, taking her to bed not once
but twice? No wonder Cash was so pissed at him.

He eased himself from the entanglement of her silken limbs.
It was time to have a heart to heart with his twin.

“Last night when I used magick to free myself, I had to
borrow from Cash to get enough power to break the spell. It's likely that
danger is what made my reckless brother come here.” There was a critical tone
to his voice.

Her brow furrowed as she contemplated what he'd just said
and why. “The cards. They foretold a story of the witches with the dark power.
When used together can destroy themselves as well as those around them.” She
hastily donned her clothing that Graelen had left atop the bureau. “Unless…”

“No Rena, there is no unless. The only way to break the
prophecy is to not use the magick. Particularly together. It's why we all live
so far apart.” He stepped into his slacks, casually dressing himself as he
watched her fumble with the buttons of her blouse. “Every generation of twins
has tried to find a solution and failed.”

“But, Graelen, I think there's another way—”

“No.” He raised his hand to still her words. “I don't think
you appreciate the danger we pose. The four of us have had to live with this
legacy all our lives, nobody understands the risks involved like we do.” Her
spine stiffened at his words as she finished dressing.

“Maybe what you've needed are fresh eyes to look at the
problem.”

“No. It is what it is.”

She sighed. “You know, Graelen, your ego is amazing. How do
you live with yourself everyday? What an ass.” At that she stomped into the
bathroom.

Graelen shook his head in exasperation. She was going to
drive him crazy. He couldn't figure out her game. What was the point of
approaching them at this angle? What purpose did she strive for? Well, he
wasn't going to figure it out right this second because right now he had to go
kick some brotherly ass.

Chapter Five

Cash stood in front of the fireplace, stoking the fire with
his magick. His casual uniform of jeans and a black t-shirt belied the stress
evident in his rigid posture. His back was ramrod straight and his movement
with the fire jerky. The moment Graelen stepped into the room the familiar
cloak of darkness oozed around him, slowly seeping into his body, searching for
his soul. His brother was using, and using a hell of a lot more than was safe.
His heart constricted in his chest at the realization of how close his twin was
to the edge.

How could I have not known that?

“You give yourself too much credit, brother. Not everything
I do has something to do with you.” As usual Cash knew just what he thought.

“Damnit, Cash. If you're this close to losing control you
shouldn't be here and you damn well know it.” He strode across the room to his
desk, putting some distance between himself and his brother. He hated this. His
gut clenched. Hated that he had to keep this distance between his family. But
together the seductive call of the magick was twice as strong, nearly
impossible to resist. The agony ripping through him was proof of that.

“It's a good thing I am. What the hell do you think you're
doing? Fucking the one woman who holds the key to our destruction.”

Anger lit up Graelen's body in an instant as he struggled to
tamp down the darkness. “Cash, you have to trust me. Don't you think I know why
she's here? What we've all known was coming for years.” Graelen braced his
hands on his desk as the fire of rage burned through his blood. His Rena was
smack dab in the middle of all this—

Wait, his Rena? What the hell? No. He slammed his fist down
on the desk and energy flew straight at Cash.

Cash flung his hands up in defense, just catching the plasma
ball before it slammed into his chest. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Are
you trying to kill me?” He flung the energy into the fire and the flames leapt
at the extra fuel. “Graelen, you've got to get her out of here now. Before it's
too late. This isn't going to end well for anyone.”

“Cash, you don't understand. Something's not quite right
here. Last night someone tried to hurt her. I don't think they wanted to kill
her, though. They could have done that if they wanted to before I showed up.”

“Jeez, Grae, are you that blind? Her hot little pussy got
you twisted up already? She's the bait.”

“Shut the fuck up!” Graelen stalked around the desk, his
anger propelling him closer to his brother. “You should have stayed away. I have
everything under control.”

Cash's eyes blackened as the darkness rose.

“You call this control? Give me a break.”

Graelen was so focused on hurting his brother he barely
noticed the office door slam open.

“Graelen, what's wrong?” Rena ran toward him, tears
streaming down her cheeks. “Stop. The anger. The pain.” Her words were
incoherent as she ran blindly into his arms. He thought to simply comfort her
by wrapping his arms around her waist, but the energy immediately fused them
together as his anger and frustration flooded her body. She shook under the
onslaught and even he felt weakened, unsure he could withstand the transfer.

“What the hell is going on? You two are lit up like a
Christmas tree.” His voice was heavy with sarcasm, yet Cash moved forward as if
to help them, touching Rena on the shoulder.

“Wait. Just give us a minute and I'll be able to explain.”
Graelen staggered over to the couch, half carrying, half dragging Rena with
him.

“Grae, what can I do?” There was a slight tremor in Cash's
voice as though some emotion had finally touched him. Graelen didn't even turn
around. His focus was Rena and her well being. Have to protect her at all
costs.

The force of energy that had just swamped her body was more
than enough to take down two men her size. Her face had paled yet her heart
beat strong against his chest.

“You okay, baby? That was a foolish thing to do running in
here like that. You can't keep doing this.” He stroked his hand soothingly
along her arms, marveling at the tremors he got just from touching her silky
skin. “I don't imagine it's very safe for you to keep this up.”

“Graelen, the cards. The story. This missing explanation. I
think this is exactly what I was born to do. You need an empath to save you.”
Her voice died away and her lids fluttered closed.

“No, Rena, you can't be right this time. Someone would have
told us. Someone in our family would know about this if it was even a remote
possibility.” She shook her head but didn't open her eyes. She obviously needed
rest to recover.

“What is she talking about?” Cash's contemptuous tone
threatened to ignite Graelen's anger once again.

“This wouldn’t have happened if you’d stayed away like you
were supposed to.” Rena flinched under his hand but remained still. Taking a
few slow, steady breaths, he reluctantly let go of Rena to deal with Cash.

“You, little brother, need to get that temper under
control.” He stared into the still blackened eyes of his brother, hoping to
reach past his anger and find some reason there. Slowly, his brother’s eyes
lightened to their normal vivid green.

“Such a demanding big brother you’ve become.”

There was an edge to his voice Graelen didn't recognize. He
raked his hands through his hair as he guided Cash back over near the
fireplace.

“She's an empath. Our anger causes her physical pain.” His
brother opened his mouth to say something but Graelen waved him off. “Just shut
up, there's more. She not only feels it but when I touch her she actually
absorbs it. Taking it away. Taking the darkness away.” Graelen proceeded to
tell Cash the entire story behind her visit. The Tarot cards, her mysterious
benefactor, the attack, as well as her empathic theories.

“What a load of horseshit. Please tell me you aren't buying
this crap. She is so setting you up.” Cash paced around, waving his hands
during his little tirade. “Setting all of us up.”

“No, Cash, I think I know our family history better than
anyone. Apparently someone has filled her head with fantasy and sent her here
to distract us. The question is who?”

Cash stood frozen in mid-stride.

“You definitely think someone else is behind this? Are you
kidding me? Why can't you see what is right in front of your face?” Cash waved
and pointed to the couch Rena rested on. Her eyes were open, watching them both
cautiously. Graelen paused before answering, realization slamming into him as
he watched her lie there helplessly.

Oh, Goddess, she is right. How could he explain to his angry
twin that when she absorbed his emotions, his darkness receded. Not only
receded, but lightened him, giving him a sense of balance. A balance he had
never known.

Could it really be true? Was his little vixen born for him?
His balancing half. Did he dare hope that there was an empath out there for
each one of them?

“Graelen,” her voice was fragile and shaking, “the pain.”

“I know, baby. I'm so sorry I did that to you.”

“No, Graelen, it's not you. It's him.” She looked at Cash.
“I can't absorb his anger. His fury is beating at me, breaking me down. I can't
take it.”

Graelen strained to hear her whispering voice.

“Give me a break.” There was a bitter edge of cynicism in
Cash's voice.

“Cash, you've really got to simmer down. Your anger is
painful for her.” He faced his brother. “Look at her. She can't recover as long
as your anger keeps pushing her down.”

“I thought you said she could absorb the anger. Take it
away.”

“She absorbs my anger, Cash, not yours.”

“So, you really are buying into this story. Well, if it's
true, then why won't she tell you who sent her here?”

Graelen winced at his brother's tone. He didn't know what he
could say that would convince him. He just needed some time to think this
through.

“I'm taking her back to bed now. She needs time to recover
and you need time to get yourself under control.”

“Wait,” she spoke with quiet, but desperate firmness. “Let
me talk to your brother. Alone.”

Graelen hesitated for a second, letting her request sink in.
“No.” He scooped her up. “That's not a good idea.”

“Graelen, stop. Put me down right now.” She wriggled in his
arms, fighting like a hellcat and forcing him to put her down on her feet. “I
want to talk to Cash and that is what I intend to do.”

Grae growled at her. Looking over at Cash, he noticed him
struggling not to smile or worse, laugh out loud. Without another word to his
twin or her, he left the room.

 
“I take it
you're not to happy to see me here with Graelen.” She watched him roll his
eyes.

“I think that's an understatement.”

She peered at Cash's face. If not for the slight shadowed
growth covering the lower half of his face, it would be all but impossible to
tell him and Graelen apart. Except for the eyes. Cash had a hard look about his
eyes, probably born of the anger he carried around like a badge. It was
difficult to see a face nearly identical to Graelen's looking at her with such
hatred.

“What are you doing here?” He glared down at her.

“I—” she fidgeted. Something about him just made her
nervous.

“What do you want with my brother?”

“I—”

“Who sent you here? When are you leaving?”

She gave up trying to answer as his rapid-fire questions
continued. He was on a roll and she thought to let him finish, until his anger
began to build to a painful level again.

“Cash, stop!” He stiffened as though she had struck him.
“You're hurting me again.”

“Well, maybe if you would answer my questions, I wouldn't be
so upset.”

“Are you kidding me?” Her hands went to her hips in obvious
annoyance. “I tried to answer your questions but you just steamrolled right
over me.”

As their voices rose, so did the emotional level in the
room. With his anger beating against her body, weakening her, Rena desperately
began building shields in her mind, weaving them layer after layer. She
imagined strong bands of steel protection wrapping around her mind in a last
ditch effort to stop the pain. He didn't stop with his accusations and she
watched his eyes darken, and energy begin to crackle around him. She was
running out of time before she would collapse under the onslaught.

“Rena, are you even listening to me?” His voice came to her
as if muffled in a towel. Her arms and legs grew weak. She couldn't get her
shields built fast enough and she was fading. It wouldn't be long before she
would be unconscious. The dark heavy feeling from Cash raked over her skin as
she frantically worked to fend him off. When the tip of the darkness edged
across her belly, she knew there were only seconds left. With the anger and
hatred oozing over her breasts she got the last of the shield complete, and
with everything she had left she slammed it into place fighting off the wave of
grim emotions.

When her guard crashed into place, shielding her from the
hellish onslaught his emotions had become, all of his energy gathered and
rebounded, slamming back into his body. He flew across the room, smashing into
the wall above the fireplace. His body crumpled to the ground in a heap and
Rena landed on her butt. “Holy shit! That was new.” She was too tired to move
but she had to check on Cash, makes sure he was okay. Rena struggled back to
her feet and staggered over to his limp form.

“Cash. Cash! Are you all right?” She moved his hair to check
his pulse and found his heart thumping strong and wild. Oh, thank God.

He groaned in response before rolling over on to his back.
“You forget to tell us something?” He winced when he sat up.

“Nothing like that has ever happened before.”

One eyebrow raised, he gave her a patent look of disbelief.

“Don't give me that look, you're the one who was beating me
down with that hatred you harbor. Maybe you got what you deserved.” She moved
back over to the couch. She didn't want to fight with him anymore.

“That was an impressive display of power from such a tiny
woman.”

“Don't be such an idiot. That wasn't my power. I don't have
power like that. That was simply you getting back what you sent out threefold.
You know. Ever heard that saying before?”

He smirked. “Yeah, I might have heard that a time or two in
my life.” Satisfaction pursed her mouth as she desperately tried to hold back
her grin. “I still don't trust you.”

“Cash, you don't even know me.”

“Exactly.”

Rena climbed the stairs, anxious to get back to Graelen.
She'd woken a short while ago, restless and in need of caffeine. She'd gone
down to the kitchen in search of coffee. Turning the knob on the door, she
eased it open, trying not to wake him before she got back in the bed. A quick
glance around and she discovered he was no longer in bed or anywhere else in
the room for that matter.

She hadn't seen or heard anyone up and about on her trip
back and forth to the kitchen, so where would he be, she wondered. She poked
her head back out into the hall, looking for any sign of life. She eased her
natural barriers down, seeking out his emotions, searching for him. She was
surrounded by blankness, not even Cash seemed to be around. After the constant
presence of Graelen, she found it a little disconcerting to be alone again. Had
she gotten that used to him already? It had only been a couple of days.

Her skin crawled. She needed to find him, if only to
reassure herself that he was okay. She rushed down the stairs to search for
him, looking into each room only to find them empty. Still, she felt nothing,
and as the minutes ticked by her anxiety ratcheted another level. She picked up
her pace, beginning to run through the house. She had to locate him. Something
was very wrong.