By the Enchantment of Moonlight (The Forbidden Realm #2.5) (11 page)

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Available Summer 2016

G
wynn steadied herself against the boat railing and let the wind ruffle through her hair. The Caribbean sunshine was heavenly and the salt spray sent a tingle through her as it dotted her skin. She was convinced she should have made this move years ago. Of course, her aunts were worried about her, but that was never going to change. They were sweet and she loved them both dearly, but it was time they let her go. She needed to make some of her own decisions for a change, live her own life.

Hopefully she wouldn't regret this first big decision she'd made. Abandoning her quiet, suburban life in Ohio to commit herself to two years working for a medical charity on a tiny tropical island was a pretty drastic step. Despite the fact that everything she'd encountered here so far felt like paradise, she still couldn't quite ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She'd only been brave enough to tell her aunts she was going for a vacation. No matter how beautiful her surroundings, a part of her was not looking forward to finally arriving at her destination. She'd have phone access again and there'd be no excuse not to call and tell them the truth about what she was up to.

It was
not
a conversation she was looking forward to.

“Not long now, missy,” the man piloting the boat she'd hired called to her.

They'd already passed by several small islands, but her attention had been focused on one in particular. Lined with white sandy beaches, the land mass rose up into the blue sky. It seemed to be nothing but jungle, although at one end of it Gwynn could make out a pier where several elegant yachts were docked.

“Is that Santa Almita?” she asked.

“That? No. Santa Almita is just a little bit farther. You'll be able to see it soon,” he replied. “This is Isla Escalda. Hot stuff, little missy. Shocking things go on there, let me tell you.”

She could tell by the tone of his voice exactly what he meant by “hot stuff.” She didn't need to ask for explanation, despite the dull, sheltered life she'd left behind when she hopped on that plane two days ago. Images and ideas flooded her mind fluidly and without invitation. Her aunts would scold her for thinking about such things.

But she couldn't help it. Whatever this Escalda Island was, it fascinated her. As they neared it on their journey past, she could catch glimpses of huts tucked into the foliage around private inlets and secluded groves. Deeper into the lush jungle she noted the roofline of a Mediterranean-style building—a hotel, maybe. If people were looking for a tropical getaway to engage in uninhibited activities, this certainly looked like the place for it.

“What sort of shocking things go on there?” she asked.

The captain laughed. “Oh, you'd be surprised. Hotel Plaza del Fuego caters to some pretty kinky clientele, or so I hear. There's a little cove over there where you can catch them really going at it sometimes.”

“There is? Where?” She hadn't meant to sound so very interested, but already she was searching the shoreline of the verdant island, scanning for any sign of this so-called
kinky clientele
.

The captain was clearly amused. He changed the course of the boat and pushed up on the throttle.

“Over here, just around this little peninsula,” he said.

The water lapped at the side of the boat and the engines ground out loudly. They were picking up speed, moving toward a little jut of thickly vegetated peninsula. Gwynn's heart beat faster.

She knew she shouldn't care about this, but as usual, it seemed like her insides refused to pay heed to common sense. Her aunts warned her about this all the time—her carnal nature was bound to get her into trouble. They had drummed that caution into her since childhood.

But she wasn't a child anymore. She was twenty-five years old, and her aunties were more than a thousand miles away. She and her carnal nature were on their own here.

A semi-circle of pristine beach came into view. The blue, blue water rolled into this isolated little cove, the verdant green of jungle embracing it on three sides. White-capped waves rolled rhythmically in, crashing like a pulse on the tantalizing sand. Gwynn wanted to throw herself off this boat and revel in it. She glanced back at the captain, wondering what he would think of such behavior.

He stood at the controls and watched her closely. Damn it, but she made the colossal mistake of catching his gaze. His dark eyes met hers. She didn't look away even though she could practically hear her aunts screaming at her to get the hell out of there.

The captain's eyes narrowed. He was a good twenty years her senior, at least, and not really her type. She had nothing against him, though. He'd been friendly and fatherly toward her since she'd hired him for this journey yesterday. There was a photo of his wife affixed to the dash beside his controls and he wore a silver cross on a chain around his sun-weathered neck. Everything about him declared he was a good man.

She shouldn't tempt him this way.

“It looks like we're all alone here,” she said, hating herself even as she undid the top button of her blouse. “You don't suppose we could sneak in for a dip, do you?”

Dex followed the air currents, hot and salty, as his disembodied wraith form drifted over the island. The few actual molecules that made up his mass were held loosely together. What was the point in using up his energy to maintain physical cohesion right now? It felt so good to simply relax.

His mistress Miranda hadn't returned yet from her trip back to the states, so he had some free time. All she required of him was that he keep his allegorical eyes open and watch for anything unusual. As if there were very many
usual
things here on Isla Escalda. It was safe to say that nearly everything here would be considered
un
usual by most people.

Not that it mattered one way or the other to him. He was completely unaffected by the topless volleyball games, sensual massage parties, bondage play, and various ménage arrangements. He spent little time in a corporeal body, so things of a sensual, carnal nature usually meant nothing to him. Sure, when he did need to inhabit someone's body in order to accomplish a required task for Miranda, he supposed he enjoyed some of the sensual activities. He never remembered much of it, though, when he was back in his usual form.

That's the way things worked for a wraith. Life had left him years ago; he was little more than a thin vapor of existence, a practically useless amoebic blob of formless energy. It was all he knew and there was no reason to regret. He simply felt nothing and he did what he was told.

So, he let himself drift on the breeze, watching the greenery toss and churn below as tall branches and dense leaves swayed in the wind. He almost ignored it when he noticed a boat bobbing out in the blue mouth to one of their private coves. He recognized it as a local shuttle, hired to carry passengers from island to island. Not at all something a client of their island would make use of.

An outsider.
Miranda forbade outside traffic. No doubt, if she had been here her coastal guard would have already been out on their jet skis to chase these intruders away. With her gone, though, things had gotten a bit lax. It was always that way.

Dex gathered his particles to become slightly more solid. This caused him to sink lower on the currents. He'd better check this boat out, just to make sure. Miranda had warned that there could be unwanted fairy activity in the area and she seemed kind of worried about that. Dex had promised to let her know if he sensed anything, but with all the magical things Miranda had going on around here lately it was going to be next to impossible to discern unwanted magic until he got right up next to it.

Still, he would try. Miranda had explained that the Veil was in danger of failing. This was the ancient magical barrier that protected the Forbidden Realm from human detection. Everyone knew bad things would happen if the Veil failed. Miranda was working with a coalition of magical creatures trying to fix it, to make it strong again so humans could not see through it and try to take magic for themselves. Humans had done very bad things with magic in the past and no one wanted a repeat of that now.

So, they all did what Miranda instructed and hoped it worked out. Dex doubted he had anything to fear from humans since wraiths possessed little magic and wouldn't be much of a target, but he'd rather not take any chances. Miranda offered a reasonably comfortable existence here, so he helped where he could.

And this boat was something he could help with. He concentrated his senses and floated closer to it. Did he detect magic here? He didn't expect to. This was clearly a human vessel, nothing special. It was just one of hundreds of small charter boats in the area.

This particular chain of islands was not a hub of tourist activity, aside from Isla Escalda, and most of the locals couldn't afford any of Miranda's accommodations. They'd pass by occasionally and stop to admire the beauty of Escalda—or catch a secret glimpse of some of the activities—but then they'd be on their way. Nothing magical about that.

But Dex did sense something as he searched the air. Magic was strong here near this boat. He collected himself and focused more energy on detection. What sort of magic was this? It felt jumbled, confusing. He'd have to put real effort into figuring this out.

Sagging downward, he was close enough to the boat now to see that two humans were on board, one male and one female. They didn't look magical at all. In fact, the way the female tossed her long dark hair—and the way the man's eyes flashed as he watched her—was nothing but human. So where was the source of this magic Dex was feeling?

It had to be a powerful source to feel this strong. As the wind shifted he could get a clearer sense of it. Yes, it was powerful magic, indeed, and tinged with something familiar. What was it he sensed? Ah, it was Dark Magic, but just a hint. He sensed it for a moment and then it was gone, replaced by the feel of a brighter, lighter magic. Very unusual. Where could this be coming from?

He glided with the air as it flowed over the bulky hull and the weathered deck. He came closer to the female. She was attractive, by human standards, with supple curves, long glossy hair, and pale green eyes that glittered in the sunlight. It was obvious the man liked what he saw. He was moving toward her as she toyed with her clothing, displaying her feminine assets and teasing the man with gratuitous glimpses of tender flesh.

Ordinarily Dex wasn't interested in such things, but the strange magic in the air made him curious. He would watch the woman and hang around long enough to understand what he was feeling. Well, he would
try
to figure it out. He wasn't actually sure he could do that. The conflicted Dark and Light Magic he felt was like nothing he'd encountered before and he honestly didn't know what to make of it.

He certainly would give it his best effort, though. And that meant lingering here and observing. That, of course, would be no hardship. Even for a bodiless wraith, this woman was well worth a second glance.

“It's a private island,” the human male said, making no attempt to hide the appreciation he had for the woman's form. “We're not supposed to stop here.”

“We won't stay long,” she replied, her voice husky and warm. “I don't need a long time. Do you need a long time?”

“You don't have a swim suit, missy,” the man said, his voice gone thick. “You'll get your nice clothes all wet.”

“Not if I take them all off. Would you mind helping me with these buttons?”

It appeared that the man would not mind at all. Dex really couldn't see what trouble the woman was having, considering she nearly had her shirt completely off by this time. She claimed to need the man's help, though, and he seemed eager enough to give it.

This female was quite the accomplished flirt. If Dex didn't know better, he'd have assumed she learned her tricks from someone as skilled as Miranda.

But Miranda didn't share her tricks with anyone, especially not human females. They wouldn't have been able to master them even if she did offer a few lessons. No human could ever be as irresistible as Miranda. After all, Miranda was a succubus.

That thought had barely run through Dex's mind when he suddenly realized why the magic he'd been feeling was so utterly confusing. It was Miranda's Dark Magic, only Miranda wasn't here. He was sensing the same smoldering sensuality, though, that Miranda exuded. Her magic demanded a reaction, and human males were helpless around her. It was really unexpected to find this beautiful young human radiating the same sultry demands.

Who was she? Dex felt himself drawn to her with an almost magnetic pull. If he'd been inhabiting a physical body right now there was no doubt he'd be experiencing a strong response to her. Whatever power she possessed, it was remarkable. The human male was helpless against her. He was responding with obvious vigor, just the way everyone responded to Miranda.

Dex circled around them and let little bits of himself reach closer. The magic emanating from this woman indicated she could not possibly be human, despite how she appeared. It could only mean one thing.

This female was a succubus.

She was toying with her human prey now and it would be just a matter of time before he gave her what she needed. Every seduction would make her stronger, enhance her power. From what Dex could tell, this particular succubus was powerful enough already.

But by the Skies, what was she doing here? Miranda would definitely not approve. This was
her
territory. The succubi were notoriously selfish. Was this one here to try and usurp Miranda's position? That would not go very well. Dex needed to find out everything he could about her to report to his mistress.

The young succubus was busy with the man, luring him closer and offering him coy smiles and pretending innocence even as she teased him mercilessly. There was no way to guess who she was, where she had come from, or what her ultimate plan was. A succubus always had a plan and it generally served no purpose but her own.