Memories of Magic (The High Priestess Trilogy) (2 page)

She silently reached out, allowing his fingers to
connect
with hers. Her hand was shaky; her body still reeling from the kiss. They walked down the pier in a comfortable silence as they made their way back to the boardwalk. Emily gave her head a little shake. She was so completely and utterly caught up in the magic of the evening, she had to remind herself it wasn’t a dream. Although her feet were in the sand, her mind was filled with possibility.

“Look at the full moon.” She stopped in her tracks and stared up at the clear night sky.

Jake shared the view then pulled Emily close. “Sit with me.” He whispered the words in her ear as he pointed to an intimate spot that was tucked away yet still offered a spectacular panoramic view.

She eyed him suspiciously imag
in
ing sand in places she really didn’t want sand to be. But then she thought about the kiss and decided that sitting on the beach with Jake would be more than worth it. Sand and all.

She lowered herself to the fine sand and leaned into Jake’s embrace. They both looked up to enjoy the perfect evening while Emily pulled her knees up closer, rubbing them against his thigh.

The physical contact created a storm surge in Jake, the likes of which he had never experienced. “Emily,” he barely got her name out before his lips devoured hers. In one perfect sweeping motion he gently laid her back on the sand, his jacket falling from her shoulders. “What are you doing to me?”

She pulled herself closer to his chest and draped one leg over his thigh, deepening the kiss. She felt consumed with need as his tongue probed her mouth. The heat from his touch ran the length of her as his soft fingers fluttered across her skin.

Emily felt her skirt creep its way up her thigh as she moved her leg higher on his. She just needed to get closer. That’s when she felt the vibration shoot up her leg. Filled with heat and desire, the sudden rush of cool air between them caught her off guard when he unexpectedly pulled away.

“I am so sorry.” His words were punctuated with a sigh. When he sat up Emily felt the vibration against her thigh once again. “For the love of . . .”

The list of people Jake would allow to come between him and Emily at this moment was very small. Unfortunately the number flashing on his cell phone happened to be the name at the very top of that short list.

“Hello.” He tried not to sound rushed or allow his impatience to show, but Jake wondered if the High Priestess could have chosen a more inappropriate time to call him.

“Yes, the conference is almost over.” Jake answered but his eyes smoldered as they raked over Emily.

She looked away then leaned back into the sand and tried to make sense of this evening. Surely her senses had completely abandoned her.
Hoping to be ravaged by
a guy you just met.
Really?

“Of course,” Jake nodded his head. “I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

He ended the call then met Emily’s questioning eyes. “That was Isisa, the High Priestess...she’s summoned me to Las Vegas.” Concern washed over his face as he continued. “She didn’t give me much information. In fact, she just told me to get to the airport.”

Jake’s presence had been requested by the High Priestess before, but this was different. There was a sense of urgency in her voice that he’d never heard before. With all of the regional bickering and recent political unrest, his concern grew a little deeper.

He turned his attention back to Emily. “Any chance you’d like to pick up where we’re leaving off once I return to San Francisco?” Jake’s body was hard; just looking at Emily awash in with moonlight filled him with need. He took a ragged breath and knew it was going to feel like a long flight.

“I’d like nothing more.” Emily sat up and somehow managed to regain control of her senses, perhaps just not her discretion. He wasn’t the only one filled with unmet desire. She reached into her purse, grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled her number on it.

“Good luck in Vegas. I’m actually kind of jealous,” she admitted. “I’ve always wanted to be summoned by the High Priestess.”

Even though Emily had spent a great deal of time with her aunt, it was always as her niece, never a witch, never as an equal. She’d always wanted the opportunity to prove herself to Isisa. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen tonight.

“I’ll give you a full report,” he promised. “But I should walk you back to the hotel.”

He helped her up from the sand and kept his hand tucked in hers. Emily’s feet remained bare until they were back at the sidewalk. “I hate to put these back on.” Reluctantly she slipped her shoes on once again.

“Thank you for the uh...
walk
.” Emily squeezed Jake’s hand as they started towards the hotel once again.

“I really am sorry I have to leave so quickly.” They stopped outside the entrance to the hotel, neither wanting their time together to end. Obscene as it was, Jake felt a connection with Emily he’d never felt with anyone else.

“Please stay safe,” he whispered before he took possession of her lips once again.

Searing waves of heat penetrated Emily, even their clothes were not enough of a barrier to stop her emotions from being ravaged. Anticipation crashed through her veins yet again as he explored the depths of her mouth. She reached up, running her fingers through his already tousled dark hair. She felt disheveled when he pulled away.

Once she managed to collect her bearings, the only words she could offer were, “Hurry back.”

“I’ll call you as soon as I return.” He ran his fingers up her spine, sending shivers from her fingertips to her toes. It took every ounce of energy to turn away from her, but he only had a few minutes to pack.

Emily felt disconnected as she paced her hotel room. It felt as though her feet didn’t quite touch the ground, like she was floating. The appeal of going to the main ballroom to listen to the last evening speaker had long ago disappeared. With Jake gone, probably 30,000 feet in the air by now, she had lost interest in what little remained of the convention.

Instead of listening to a speaker Emily decided to
wander
down to the lobby to get a drink. It wasn’t a long elevator ride, but by the time it reached the main floor, she had changed her mind yet again. Emily opted to take in a bit of the city.

In no time, with the convertible roof down, she was pulling her rental car onto Santa Monica Boulevard. Still feeling the heat of Jake’s touch, she was grateful for the light breeze. She toured down the boulevard and tried to take in the city and all of its bright lights.

Her eyes saw the sights, but her mind was firmly on Jake and his electric touch when the light turned green and she pulled into the intersection.

The car came out of nowhere. She had no warning, no intuition, and no chance to turn away before it ploughed into her.

Then blackness.

With only his carry-on, Jake was out of the terminal quickly and almost immediately met by a driver for the High Priestess. There were two others on the same flight so they all filed into the stretch limo that had pulled up to greet them. To their surprise Isisa herself sat in the back of the limousine.

“Please come in,” she motioned with a wave of her hand for the three of them to sit. “We have no time to waste. You will be back here very shortly then returning to your respective homes.” As she nodded, red curls spilled over her shoulder.

“In order to ensure complete privacy and utter discretion, I had to request your presence here.” The energy in the limo was charged; they all exchanged curious glances, waiting for whatever news the High Priestess had to share.

With her unreadable expression and piercing blue eyes, no one would have guessed Isisa’s level of anxiety. “You may have heard rumors,” she began to explain, “that there are some among us trying to design a new creature; a genetically perverted beast that is easily manipulated by humans and is without a soul.”

She looked around the limousine at the two men and one woman. She made direct eye contact with each of them; the best witches in her coven.

“I have
asked
you here to tell you personally that it is, in fact, true.” Her blue eyes clouded over as she furrowed her brow. “There are at least two rogue witches who claim to be very close,” she pinched her lips together, “too close, to manufacturing this new creature they are calling
mowart
. Apparently they are going to try and
produce an
army of them.” Isisa leaned back in her seat and placed her hand-carved, quartz-encrusted wand across her lap.

“You need to enlist the aid of whatever resources you have and move with haste,” she emphasized. “I’ve been assured they will stop at nothing. Neither will we.”

Jake carefully eyed the others to gauge their reaction, but they all shared the same shocked expression. There had been rumors for weeks, but it seemed so farfetched. No one actually believed anything would transpire.

“How dangerous would this creature be?” Jake asked the question he was sure each of them had running through their mind.

“It is a chimera bred with a vampire,” the High Priestess shook her head, “so not only highly unpredictable, but deadly by several methods. We must act quickly before they realize how much we know.” Isisa leaned forward and clutched her wand. “It is now in your capable hands. I ask that each of you do everything in your power to protect your Area and all those in it.”

“Where are these rogue witches located?” Simon, the witch with undoubtedly the biggest library of kick ass spells, asked Isisa.

“There have been conflicting reports. Some say Las Vegas, others have suggested San Diego or San Francisco.” She nodded to Simon, “You may want to utilize a locating spell.”

Kate, the only woman the High Priestess had requested, sat quietly in the limo squeezed between Simon and Jake. “Were they, by chance, at the conference?” Kate thought she had felt a dark vortex of energy in the air at one point during the conference, but she hadn’t been able to put her finger on it.

“I think so, but my people haven’t been able to confirm or deny that report yet.” The High Priestess closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “I know it’s not a lot to work with, but I trust you will find a way.” She tapped the glass between her and the driver, signaling them to return to the airport.

Jake’s thoughts immediately went back to the two men that had been following Emily at the convention. He had no way of knowing if they had anything to do with the mowarts, but he was filled with regret at having to leave Emily at the hotel.

In no time the limo was right back at the airport. That was by far the shortest amount of time Jake had ever spent in Las Vegas. And the cheapest.

“I’m sorry to have called you out here for such a remarkably quick trip,” Isisa chose her words carefully. “We have yet to identify the rouge witches and at this point there are no means of communication I completely trust.” She tapped on the window one more time. “You know what needs to be done. Please bring them to me. Alive is preferable.” And with that the doors opened and they were escorted back into the airport terminal.

Jake’s mind was swimming with questions during the flight back to San Francisco.
A new creature? An army of them?
The implications of that possibility consumed his thoughts.

He pulled out his laptop and drafted up the carefully worded e-mail he would send to his list of contacts once he landed. His resources were deep and the High Priestess was aware of that. Jake knew it was one of the reasons he’d been chosen for this job. Being a specialized witch doctor, Jake had befriended many important and powerful witches and sorcerers over the years. It was now time for him to call in a few favors.

Within minutes of the private jet landing in San Francisco, he was in the backseat of a taxi. As he pulled out the cash to pay the driver, his fingers touched the now rumpled piece of paper Emily had given him with her number scrawled on it. He thought about calling her, but decided to wait. Jake knew the convention would just be winding down and he had entirely too much on his mind at the moment.

In the midst of all of the chaos running through his mind, he did manage to smile though. He honestly couldn’t wait to see her again, to pick up where they had left off. He’d call her in a couple of days once things calmed down. Hopefully by then this threat would be long over.

Once Jake was back in the comfort of his own place, he wasted no time in calling in those favors. These were people he
knew
could be trusted. People he wouldn’t think twice about risking his own life for. His next call was probably the most important. He punched Lochlan’s number into his phone. His friend was usually the hardest person to get in touch with, but the most likely to be able to help.

Lochlan was an unbelievably talented bounty hunter. He could find anything or anybody, but vampires happened to be his specialty.

Jake considered himself lucky when his friend picked up on the second ring. “Lochlan, buddy!”

He immediately launched into a conversation filled with code that only Lochlan would understand. “So, do you think you can help us out?”