Lone Star Magic (32 page)

The Warlord cursed, slashing. Alrick
parried.

Tinth appeared, flying straight for them. She
carried something in her talons, swooping to drop it at Carly’s
feet.

“My sword.” Snatching her weapon up, a thrill
ran through her as the crystal sword began again to glow.

“Magic,” Cenrick whispered behind her. “Use
it to help him.”

Apparently having shaken off the remainder of
their lethargic stupor, the two bodyguards jumped from the stage.
They went down the right aisle, running to come around and attack
from behind.

Cenrick met them half-way. The first man went
down quickly, his scream dying in his throat. Seeing this, the
second skidding in his tracks and took off in the opposite
direction.

Bellowing with pain and rage, the Warlord
tried to rush Alrick. Alrick’s blow caught him in the shoulder. He
staggered back, his narrow-eyed gaze focusing on Carly. Rage
radiated from him. Carly shuddered.

“Stay behind me,” Alrick ordered. “He’ll try
for you next. I don’t want you hurt.”

She didn’t move. Though she knew Alrick was
remembering her words – so long ago – when she’d told him she could
never kill anything, she’d changed. Now was the time for her to
make a stand, to prove she could do whatever was necessary to
ensure her future, to protect the babe who grew inside her, to save
the man she loved – her unborn child’s father. Deep breath. Lifting
her small dagger in one hand, glowing sword in the other, she took
a step forward. Cenrick returned to take up the rear.

A soft breeze, carrying with it the scent of
flowers, swept through the temple. The gray light receded, the fog
swirling up and away. From their seats, the people stirred, sighing
with forgotten pleasure.

“Magic,” Carly said. “Not of your doing.”

“Then whose?” Alrick growled. “And why?”

Another soft glow appeared, making her sword
shine even brighter. Above the altar, a bubble of light hovered.
Tinth and the other hawk circled protectively, calling out
softly.

The nameless boy appeared, his gaze dazzling,
his expression happy. At his side sat Kayo, tongue lolling, tail
wagging.

“You,” the Warlord snarled. “You’ve been
haunting my dreams. What ghost are you, that you always must
torment me?”

Carly knew now was the time to act.
Now
. Only she could ensure her babe’s future. Only she could
make her own destiny. The Warlord recoiled from the boy in horror.
Now
.

Taking advantage of his distraction, Carly
lifted her sword and rammed forward and up, through her enemy’s
ribcage to his heart. She felt a stab of remorse, then the
fierceness of righteousness. At the same moment, Alrick struck,
slicing open the Warlord’s throat. Blood spurted. The Warlord’s
expression went blank, shock and death leaching the blue from his
eyes. As he crumpled, his sword fell from his, clattering at
Carly’s feet. Cenrick kicked it away.

“Who are you?” Dying, the Warlord managed to
ask, while blood leaked from his mouth.

Carly wasn’t sure he heard the boy’s answer
before he died.

Alrick moved to her, running his hand over
her hair. “You were so fierce, so strong.”

“I protect that which is mine.” As she spoke
the words she knew a thrill of foreseeing. Apparently Alrick felt
it too. They both turned to face the boy – and her dog – and waited
for him to answer the Warlord’s final question.

“I am Lance, moving between time.” He smiled
fondly at Carly, then focused on Alrick. “Yours. As you are mine.
Take care of my mother, father.” With a laugh, the boy met Carly’s
gaze and winked. “And I’ll take care of Kayo. Thank you for him,
mother. I always wanted a dog.”

Stunned, Carly took a step forward, her knees
buckling. She reached out for him.

Kayo barked. Lance blew her a kiss. With
that, he vanished.

In the ringing silence that followed, there
came a sound. The gut-wrenching sound of someone sobbing.

Alrick led Carly outside.

Cenrick followed. “We’ve got to get back to
Rune. You heard what he said about our father.”

“Lies.” Another voice said. The Mage – Mort –
appeared in front of them. “Nothing but a pack of lies.”

“I thought Fae couldn’t lie.” Carly hugged
the older man, planting a relieved kiss on his lined cheek.
Evidently he too had figured out the secret which enabled him to
return to his own time.

“Humans can. Remember, he was half human.”
Alrick’s arm came around her, pulling her close.

With a sigh, she let herself lean into him,
her sword still clutched in one hand.

“You can put that up now.”

Startled, she looked up to see both Alrick
and Cenrick had already sheathed their swords. She did the same.
“Is it really over?”

“Yes,” the Mage answered. “I can return you
to your time, to your ranch. You may resume your life, exactly as
it was before.” His gaze dropped to her abdomen. “With one little
change.”

She understood, holding her tongue. If she
exclaimed out loud about carrying the baby, it would make things
worse for Alrick when he returned to Rune.

Carefully shielding her expression, she
turned to him and lifted her face for a kiss. “I guess this is
good-bye, then.”

He crushed her to him, capturing her mouth
for a long, deep kiss. When he lifted his head, she was breathless,
her knees weak.

“Good-bye?” he growled, his gaze full of
love. “Didn’t you hear our son? I’ve got a job to do.”

“A job?” Cenrick sounded puzzled, though his
teasing grin gave away his pretense at confusion.

Alrick laughed. “Take care of Carly. That
alone will be a job and a half.”

“Hey!” She elbowed him. “What about Rune? You
wanted to be named heir, to be the future King. I don’t expect you
to give all that up.”

“Who said anything about giving that up?” His
innocent look was ruined by the laughter in his eyes. “I believe my
father has a task for Cenrick next. It may be he will make a better
King than I. Only time will tell.”

Mort nodded. “Mayhap it will fall to Cenrick
to learn how the Warlord accomplished his time travel.”

“You will teach me?” Cenrick narrowed his
gaze. “Won’t you?”

They all looked at the Mage, who seemed lost
in his thoughts.

“Mort?” Carly touched his sleeve. “You are
coming back with us, aren’t you?”

Mort met her gaze but said nothing.

“Or do you plan to remain here, in your own
time?”

“Where he belongs.” Cenrick put in, sounding
desperate. “But you can’t go before you teach me the secret.”

The Mage chuckled. “Obviously not. I must go
where I’m needed the most. With you.”

Carly still wasn’t certain. “Back to Rune?”
She hadn’t meant to sound so hopeful, but Rune was such a beautiful
place.

Mort laughed. “Not you, dear one. You have a
ranch to run.”

“But—.”

“No buts.” Alrick kissed her again. “You
heard the mage – Rune is not your destiny. But you are mine. We’ll
live on your ranch and make frequent visits home. Our son will know
both Rune and Texas.”

She felt a shiver of pleasure at the love in
his voice when he spoke of their child.

“Machines and magic,” the Mage put in
approvingly. “A marriage of two will be fitting training for a
future leader. Are you ready to go?”

“Go?” Cenrick’s eyes were alight with
curiosity. “So you weren’t teasing. You’ve truly learned the
secret?”

“Yes.” Mort smiled. “We can return to our own
time.”

Looking down at Carly, Alrick leaned close.
“Ready?”

She nodded, reaching up and touching her lips
to his. “Are you sure you want to do this? Come back with me to No
Name Ranch? You’ll give up so much…”

“Give up?” He sounded incredulous. “You
forget to mention all I’ll gain. Your love and our son are worth
more than any kingship.”

Still she couldn’t accept, couldn’t believe.
“But with me, you’ll lose your magic. All of that…”

“We’ll make our own magic,” he whispered,
lips against his. “And don’t forget, we’ll make many trips to
Rune.”

“That will be good,” Cenrick said, laughing
at the annoyed looks they gave him for intruding on their private
moment. “What?” He raised his hands, palm out. “I only meant it’s
about time we reestablished human-fae relations.”

“Leave them be.” Mort pulled him away, just
in time for Alrick to steal another kiss. “They make their own
magic.”

“Damn right.” Carly lifted her head to give
both men a content smile. She started to say more, but then Alrick
kissed her again. Wrapped tightly in the muscular arms of the man
she loved, she didn’t even notice when Mort sent them all back
through time. Such was the power of Alrick’s kiss.

When she next came up for air, they stood in
her front yard. She and Alrick, alone. Mort and Cenrick had
vanished, no doubt back to Rune. Her house looked familiar – and
normal. No spiders, no ants, nothing but the sound of the summer
locusts, whirring in the trees.

The sun hovered on the horizon, coloring the
sky in vibrant orange and pink. TM grazed near the barn, Merry at
his side.

“Alrick…” Turning, Carly couldn’t find her
breath. “It’s… home. Like it could have been.”

“Yes.” His expression both fierce and
expectant, Alrick took it all in. The lushness of the green
pastures and rebuilt, larger barn. The freshly painted fence,
stretching as far as the eye could see. The yellow lamp light,
beaming a bright welcome from the front window of her house.
Their house
. “Home. Like magic.”

Her laugh rang out like bells. “Texas magic.
Lone Star, style.”

So it was. So it would always be, as long as
they had each other.

The End.