MagicalMistakes (10 page)

“Rouke would never come here. He considers the human realm
beneath him.”

Mikayla moved closer, careful not to touch him. “Why didn’t
you go back when your brother died? Shouldn’t you have been next in line?”

A cold smile twisted his lips. “Not exactly.”

Mikayla frowned. If she didn’t know better, she’d say Ciar
was hesitating. What was so bad he didn’t want to tell her?

“Whatever you’re hiding, you can tell me,” she told him. “I
can take it.”

“You want to know all my darkest secrets, hmm?”

She nodded. “If you want to share them.”

He shook his head, a cold smile twisting his lips. “My
father was the Clan Lord, it’s true, but my mother was not his wife. She was a
servant in his home.”

Mikayla frowned as she processed the information. “So you’re
illegitimate.”

His face was an unreadable mask as he nodded.

Mikayla waited for more but he merely watched her. After a
moment, she asked, “That’s it?”

Ciar blinked in surprise.

“I’ve got to tell you, Ciar, I was prepared for something a
hell of a lot worse.”

He shook his head with a rusty chuckle. “Mikayla, Mikayla.
Where have you been all my life?”

“Seriously, this is your big secret?”

When he looked back at her, she caught her breath at the
expression in his eyes. No one had ever looked at her with such gratitude, such
tenderness. The man of her dreams stood before her, looking as if he’d just
realized she was the woman of his dreams.

“The demon realm works differently than the human one,” he
explained to her, moving closer. “Your bloodline is everything. A bastard son
could never rule and Alina wanted to be the Clan Lady. She switched her
affections to my brother and no one blamed her. Not even me. It’s simply how
things work in my world. Power is life.”

“But instead of pursuing power, you chose to come here
instead.”

He shrugged. “I’d always been fascinated by the humans. This
seemed as good a place as any to start over.” He ran a hand along his jaw. “But
when Teivel died the clan was left without an heir. I have half of the
bloodline, which was a stronger claim than anyone else.”

“Why didn’t you go back?”

He smiled ruefully. “I have no desire to rule a bloodthirsty
clan. Besides,” he added, settling his hands on her waist and pulling her into
his arms, “I made a life for myself here. There were things I didn’t want to
leave behind.”

Mikayla swallowed hard, trying to focus on what she was
learning and not on the perfection of being in his arms. “You think Rouke took
over when you didn’t go home.”

He shrugged. “Rouke is strong.”

A chill raced through Mikayla as she put the last piece of
the puzzle together. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a revelation she wanted to share.
Not when he was finally treating her the way she’d always dreamed.

“What?” he murmured, studying her face.

Slowly she raised her eyes to his. “I think I know where
Alina fits into all this.”

Ciar clenched his jaw but made no protest to stop her words.

“Alina has already proven she does whatever is necessary to
get to the top. She left you because you didn’t have the power she craved. But
when your brother died she was left without a power base. Along comes Rouke,
taking over the position her late husband had held. A position she probably
became very accustomed to.”

“You think she is involved with Rouke.”

Mikayla nodded. “When my sisters tracked her down she must
have seen an opportunity to live the life she wanted with the man she—” She
stopped, the last word locked in her throat.

Ciar looked away from her, no doubt well aware of the
unspoken word. The man she loved. Or at least claimed to.

“She means for us to go back, and for me to take over my
brother’s place,” he said.

Mikayla flinched from the heartbreak in his voice. How many
times was this woman going to betray him before he got the message? “I’m
sorry,” she whispered.

“Demons,” he joked, desolation clear in his eyes. “Can’t
trust any of them.”

“I disagree.” Reaching up, she cupped his face between her
hands.

Closing his eyes, Ciar turned his head and pressed his lips
to her sensitive palm. “What a mess this is.”

“All of it?”

He opened his eyes and met her stare. Mikayla tried to stay
strong and ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she waited for his answer.
Never before had she been so vulnerable to a lover. When had she given him the
power to shatter her so completely?

Ciar didn’t reply to her soft question but he did lean
closer. Mikayla caught her breath as his lips nearly touched hers.

An enraged screech rent the silence of the park. Ciar spun
with the trained instincts of a warrior, prepared to take on the unexpected
threat.

Alina stood behind them, her eyes blazing with anger. “How
dare you,” she hissed.

“How did you get past my sisters?”

A vicious grin curved Alina’s lips. “They may be strong but
I am no weakling.”

Ciar shifted, putting himself in front of Mikayla. “Did you
hurt them?”

“Only a little,” she replied with a shrug. “I didn’t do
anything you wouldn’t have. At least, not in years gone by.”

Rage filled Mikayla. With a snarl she lunged forward, bent
on extracting her vengeance from Alina.

Ciar wrapped a deft arm around her waist, holding her back.

Alina strolled toward them, her gate smooth and confident.
“I came to help you, Ciar,” she said, not taking her eyes from Mikayla. “She
has damaged you enough. I didn’t want her to have another chance to bespell
you.”

Ciar shifted to put Mikayla behind him. “I am more than
capable of looking after myself, Alina.”

She shook her head. “You are strong, Ciar,” she breathed,
stopping before him. Lifting her hands, she ran her fingers over his chest.
“But around this woman you lose all sense of reason. The death of a witch
reverses her magic. You know that as well as I. Why haven’t you freed yourself
from this curse?”

Mikayla flinched. Taking a step back, she shifted into a
defensive position, ready to fight if she needed to.

“Some freedoms are not worth any price,” Ciar said. Grabbing
Alina’s wrists, he forced her hands from him.

“Why do you protect her?” Alina asked.

For the first time Mikayla heard the thread of pain in the
other woman’s words. No matter what other lies she had spun for them, that
faint glimmer of emotion was real. Perhaps she truly did love Ciar. In her way.

“Do you care for her?” Alina whispered. “As you once did for
me?”

Mikayla leaned forward, desperate for the answer as much as
Alina.

“You left me,” Ciar replied. “You have no right to care
now.”

“Then what am I doing here?” she demanded. “I came for you.
To make amends for how I ended things. If you don’t want me, why haven’t you
sent me home before now?” She tried to move closer but Ciar kept her firmly at
bay. “You remember how it used to be with us,” she murmured. “We can have that
again. Forget Mikayla. Look to our future. We can have everything we’ve ever
dreamed of. Choose me.”

“Don’t you dare.” The words were out of her mouth before
Mikayla realized what she’d done.

Ciar twisted to look back at her.

She hesitated for a moment, wondering how to phrase her
protest. “She has betrayed you over and over. You are no fool, Ciar. You can’t
really go back to her.”

“And he’d be better off with you?” Alina snarled.

She didn’t look away from Ciar’s gaze. “Yes, and he knows
it. You and I, Ciar. Tell me you don’t see the future I do.”

Alina hissed at her, baring her teeth in an inhuman gesture.
“You speak of betrayal? Despite what you think you heard, you know nothing
about me.”

“I know you like power,” Mikayla said. “And I know Rouke is
your latest meal ticket.”

She stiffened at the accusation, her eyes widening.

“Is it true?” Ciar asked her. “Are you involved with Rouke?”

Alina clenched her jaw and stayed mutinously silent.

“He’s dangerous,” Ciar told her. “As well you know. He’ll do
anything to get ahead, including eliminating anyone in his path.”

“Your little magical pet is trying to set me up,” Alina
charged. “She’s trying to turn you against me. Don’t let her succeed, Ciar. You
know me. Far better than you know her. Trust
me
.”

A slight smiled curved his lips. Hope leapt in Alina’s eyes
at the sight. “Yes,” he murmured, lowering his head. “I do know you.”

Rising on her tiptoes, Alina tried to kiss him but Ciar
pulled back.

“I know how vicious you are, Alina. I loved you for it
once,” he told her. “You would risk anything for power.”

Growling, she twisted her hands free from his grip and
pushed away. “Mikayla is warping your mind.”

“No,” he said. “This is about you and me. I trusted you once
before and look where it landed me.”

“It’s different now.”

“It’s not,” he replied softly. “Even if we might wish it
was.”

Mikayla flinched, pain stabbing her.

Desolation filled Alina’s face. She looked like a woman who
had finally realized she couldn’t have all her dreams and didn’t know which
ones to leave behind.

“Do you care more for your witch than you do for me?” she
asked finally.

Ciar opened his mouth but had no answer. He glanced back at
Mikayla as if trying to decide what to say.

As much as she wanted to hear his answer, a brush of cold
magic played over her skin.

“Ciar,” she snapped, calling up her power in case she needed
it. “Something’s coming.”

Both demons stiffened as if they too felt the approaching
storm. Something was moving toward them with a power darker than anything
Mikayla could command.

“Demon magic,” Alina hissed. Black nails elongated from her
hands as she prepared to defend herself.

Across the playground a tear appeared in the air. Black
space lay beyond the rip, a portal to a dark world. Mikayla flinched as the icy
magic battered her. Witches did not deal well with energy that black.

A hand emerged and gripped the edge of the tear. As the rip
between worlds widened, a body dragged itself from the darkness.

A man dropped from the portal, landing awkwardly in the
sand. Behind him the portal closed with a last pulse of dark energy.

“Rouke,” Ciar growled.

The man stood, brushing the sand from him. “Hello, cousin,”
he replied. “I believe you have something of mine.”

With a puff of smoke, Ciar turned back into a poodle.

“Crap,” Mikayla breathed.

Rouke looked the way Mikayla had always imagined demons
would look. Big, powerful and mean. He towered over them all, Ciar included.
Whereas Ciar had the compact body of a fighter, Rouke was far heavier. Thick
muscles filled his large frame, making him appear more beast than man. His
black hair was cropped short to his head, leaving nothing to soften his scarred
face. Mikayla could easily see why Alina had wanted to cause a coup and replace
this man with Ciar. She couldn’t believe any woman, even the power-hungry
Alina, would want him. Cruelty shone from his silver eyes and Mikayla hated the
way he stared at Ciar like a bug to be crushed.

“When I was told you’d cut all ties to our world and made a
new life here I had no idea you’d changed so drastically,” Rouke said, eying
the growling fluff ball at his feet.

“For hell’s sake, it’s a spell, Rouke. That’s why I’m here.
I’m helping him,” Alina snapped.

“You didn’t have permission to come to this world.”

Drawing herself up, Alina stared at him with icy rage. “I
need no man’s permission. I was a Clan Lady. None dare to stand in my way.”

Rouke took a threatening step toward her. “How do you think
it looks to have my betrothed running off to her old lover?”

“Betrothed?” Mikayla demanded.

Ciar snarled at their feet.

Alina arched an aristocratic brow, not looking the least bit
ashamed. “Nothing is set in stone yet, Rouke,” she declared. “Ciar needed my
help and I came.”

“And I am here to bring you back,” he snapped. His eyes
drifted down to the dog at his feet. “However, since I’m in this cursed realm
anyway, I might as well eliminate the competition. Especially as it comes in
such an easily breakable package.”

“No,” Alina cried. With a growl, she launched herself at her
betrothed. Her nails sank deep into his biceps as she physically blocked his
way with her body. “I won’t let you hurt him. Leave it alone, Rouke. Ciar is
doing no harm in the human world.”

“No harm?” he demanded. “Even from this world he consumes
your thoughts. Did it even cross your mind not to run to his rescue when you
were asked? Did you never consider your loyalty should be to me?”

Regret shone in Alina’s expression. “He needed me.”

Rouke’s eyes narrowed with rage. “I can barely count the
number of years I have waited for you,” he snarled at her. “And now when I
finally have you, he crashes back into our lives. I won’t allow him to do it a
second time.”

“Rouke, no!” she yelled, trying to hold him back.

“Let go, Alina,” he ordered, ignoring the blood running down
his arms from her attack.

“No.”

With a growl, he pressed his palm to Alina’s forehead.
Mikayla winced at the dark magic that flooded the air. It coiled around Alina,
dissolving into her skin. Rouke caught his betrothed as she dropped like a
stone. He lowered her to the ground before stepping over her prone body.

“Alina,” Mikayla said, jumping forward. She might not like
the woman, but Rouke’s trick was underhanded at best.

Before she could get near, however, Rouke appeared in front
of her. His hand shot out to wrap about her throat.

“This is all your fault, isn’t it?”

Mikayla’s lungs contracted in protest as she tried to draw
in a strangled breath. Clawing at the arm holding her, her nails scored deep
grooves in his skin but Rouke didn’t even flinch.

A vicious growl sounded from the poodle on the ground as the
dog rushed them. Mikayla would have called out a warning had she been able. As
it was, she was helpless to do anything but watch the tiny dog barrel toward a
full-grown demon.

Ciar launched himself into the air, teeth bared, but the
flying fur ball never made contact. Instead the black mist enveloped him in
midair. It wasn’t a dog that emerged from the smoke but a fully formed Ciar.
The two men collided and Mikayla wrenched free from the hand at her throat.

Tearing away from Rouke, she sprang clear from the fallen
men.

“Ciar,” she breathed. He was back, which meant the spell had
to be broken. But had he realized his feelings because she’d been threatened or
because Alina had?

Rouke thrust Ciar away from him, pushing to his feet. Ciar
tried to follow suit but his arms gave out under him. He fell back to the
ground with a groan.

“Oh hell,” Mikayla whispered, watching as he tried again to
rise with a body too exhausted to move.

“What’s this?” Rouke demanded, triumph already ringing in
his voice. “Helpless as a babe.”

Ciar rolled to the side, his eyes seeking out Mikayla. She’d
never even considered the reversal of her spell would have such an impact but
obviously she should have. The curse she’d laid on him was a powerful one,
bound deeply to his very essence. It had been taking him longer and longer each
time to recover from his shifts. Obviously this last one had used up more of
his energy than he could afford to lose. He needed time to recover.

And time was something none of them had.

“If I had known you’d be this easy to defeat I’d have come
after you years ago,” Rouke declared, grabbing the dagger at his waist.

Mikayla sprang into action. Twirling before Ciar, she struck
out. Her foot caught Rouke in the chest and he stumbled back.

“Touch him and I will end you,” Mikayla vowed.

Rouke looked at her in surprise. “You?” he asked, a mocking
smile on his lips. “Little girl, you don’t want to play with me.”

“Even demons don’t mess with witches if they value their
lives,” Mikayla replied.

As Rouke strode toward her, she cast her hands out to her
sides. “Fire, fire burning bright, I call thee to my aid this night,” she
chanted. Balls of flame burst to life on her palms. With a cry she hurled the
flaming weapons at her enemy.

Rouke howled in pain as the fire scorched him. He tried to
bat the endless stream of fireballs from the air but he could not escape the
torrent of flame.

Leaving Ciar kneeling on the ground, Mikayla advanced on
Rouke. She struck out with her magic, never letting him escape her volley.
Rouke cursed as his vest caught fire. He tore the garment from his body and
flung it to the ground.

“Neat trick,” he growled, dodging a fireball. “But fire
doesn’t do much against knives.” Grabbing two daggers from his belt he threw
them at her with unerring accuracy.

Mikayla dropped to the ground to avoid the blades, but she
wasn’t fast enough. One dagger sank deep into her shoulder before she could
twist out of the way.

She hit the ground with a cry of pain. Warm blood stained
her white shirt as dark rivulets ran down her arm.

“Mikayla,” Ciar hissed, pushing himself unsteadily to his
feet.

“Vines rise and come to me, tangle round my enemy,” Mikayla
called, slamming one hand against the ground.

The earth rumbled around them. The look of triumph vanished
from Rouke’s face as the ground broke apart beneath him. Thick roots shot from
the earth and wrapped him in a crushing hold.

As he battled her magic, Mikayla stumbled back to Ciar. Her
left arm was almost completely numb which, given the amount of pain she should
be in, was probably a blessing.

“What new trick is this?” Ciar demanded.

“You broke the spell. This is the backlash,” Mikayla said.
“You should be back to normal in a few minutes.”

“I seriously doubt we have that much time,” Ciar replied.
Before them Rouke fought against the vines holding him. He hacked at the plants
with his knives, desperate to be free.

Mikayla drew a deep breath. “Okay, then I’ll have to finish
this.” Never in her life had she used her magic to purposely hurt anyone, but
if she didn’t do something soon they’d all be dead. It was up to her. Ciar
caught her hand when she tried to step forward.

“Mikayla,” he breathed, pulling her back to him.

She fought against his hold. “We don’t have time for this.”

“Stop,” he commanded her. “You can’t do this.”

“Someone has to.”

Ciar shook his head. “Listen. I may not be the biggest fan
of your magic but I know very well you could never kill anyone.”

“I can to save us all.”

He smiled slightly. “My champion, eh?”

“Let go, Ciar. We’re wasting time,” she replied, tugging on her
arm.

Rouke slashed out against the vines. He’d managed to free
one arm and was clawing ever closer to escaping Mikayla’s trap.

“Mikayla, this is not your fight. It’s mine. Rouke is a Clan
Lord. Do you have any idea what would happen if a witch killed him? Not only
would you have a clan of demons gunning for you but your sisters would also be
in the line of fire. Depending on the rage of the clan, it could even escalate
into a demon-witch war. You can’t be anywhere near this.”

She swallowed hard, fear racing down her spine. “I have to
help you,” she argued.

Ciar laughed softly. Leaning forward, he pressed a gentle
kiss to her forehead. “Ah, my witch,” he murmured, “you have no concept of how
much you already have.”

Before them, Rouke had almost broken completely free. Only
one ankle was still trapped by the vines.

“Help Alina,” Ciar commanded, his eyes on his cousin. “And
do not interfere, no matter what happens.”

Mikayla wanted to protest but she knew how stubborn her
lover could be. “You get hurt and I will kill you,” she hissed at him before
grabbing his neck and forcing his lips down to hers.

It wasn’t a goodbye kiss, full of sentimental longings.
Instead she summoned up her magic and forced it from her body into his. Mikayla
had never tried to transfer her energy this way. She didn’t know if it was
possible but skin-on-skin touch was a powerful connector. It was a gamble,
giving up her strength with an enemy so close, but this was Ciar. A man she
loved, and more importantly, one she trusted. Completely. If they had a chance
of coming out of this alive, he would need every drop of strength she could
spare.

Her lips turned icy as her magic flowed into her lover.
Demon and witch magic didn’t mix and energies clashed as they tried to combine.
Still, Ciar didn’t push her away. Pain gripped her, invisible claws shredding
her insides. Her magic didn’t want to leave her and she had to tear it from
herself and force it into her lover.

When she’d given all she could afford she slumped away from
him, trying to catch her breath. Until she recharged, she was almost as weak as
a human.

“What the hell did you do this time?” he demanded, his voice
stronger.

She grinned as she gasped for breath. “Better?”

He hesitated for a moment, no doubt taking stock of his
body.

“You might hate my magic,” she said. “But you gotta admit,
sometimes I get it right.”

His brief grin was her only reward as they heard the roots
tear away from the contained demon. Ciar pushed to his feet, striding toward
his cousin as Rouke kicked away the last of the vines.

“Hello, cousin,” Ciar said. “I’m feeling better.”

He struck out without warning, his fist catching Rouke in
the stomach. He went sailing backward only to crash into the plastic slide.
Mikayla grinned viciously. Looked like her powers had served her well this
time.

Ciar advanced on his fallen enemy. There was no mercy in his
eyes.

“I left the demon realm to avoid a situation like this,” he
hissed. “But you had to be stupid enough to follow.”

“You started this, half-blood,” Rouke snarled as he rose to
his feet. “You stole my fiancée.”

Ciar snorted. “No one can make Alina do anything against her
will. Keep that in mind if you truly mean to take her as your Lady.”

Rouke bared fangs before throwing himself at his cousin.

Mikayla watched the two men grapple in the middle of the
playground. It went against everything in her to sit back and leave Ciar to
fight alone. If the fight turned against him, she didn’t know if she could stop
herself from interfering, even if her actions brought trouble to the witch
community.

Forcing herself to turn away from the battle, she glanced at
Alina. The woman looked out for the count.

“Hey,” Mikayla called as she forced her battered body to
move. She stumbled to Alina before dropping to the sand at her side. “Wake up.”
Mikayla checked for a pulse and found Alina’s heartbeat was strong beneath her
fingers. “No time for a nap.”

Trying not to take too much glee from her actions, she
snapped her fingers. Her depleted magic was still strong enough for a few
simple spells. An electric shock raced through the prone demon, bringing her
around with a painful gasp.

“Sorry,” Mikayla said unsympathetically.

“What the hell did you do to me?” Alina demanded, panting
for breath.

“Helped you. You need to get in the game.”

Alina flicked back her tangled hair and looked out across
the playground. “Ah,” she murmured when she saw Ciar and Rouke fighting.

“Apparently I can’t do anything because I’m a witch, but
you’re not. You need to go help Ciar.”

But despite her order, Alina stayed curled on the ground,
watching the men battle.

“Go,” Mikayla demanded.

Alina glanced at her. “No.”

Shock froze Mikayla. “Excuse me?”

“This is their fight.”

“How can you say that?” she said, noting the calculating
gleam in Alina’s eyes as she watched her lovers war. And in one clarifying
second everything made sense. “You want to see who wins,” Mikayla said dully.
“You don’t want to help in case you accidentally pick the losing team. Do you
even care who is victorious?”

“I want Ciar to win, of course,” Alina replied. “But if he
doesn’t, I’m not letting him pull me down with him.”

“Selfish bitch,” Mikayla hissed. “How can you say you love
him?”

Alina smiled cynically. “Don’t give me your self-righteous
lecture on the virtues of love. Love is all well and good but it doesn’t help
you survive. Power does. And in the demon world, that’s all that matters.”