Seduced by Magic (31 page)

She didn't bother to look at anyone. Instead she poured rock crystals into her palm from a clear jar and set the jar back down. She let the salt crystals tinkle and bounce onto the mirror. Not a single crystal fell off its surface, even onto the frame.

Hannah had her answers within seconds. She looked directly at Copper. “Darkwolf doesn't want Silver hurt. Like Alyssa said, he wants her for reasons that are unclear. But she's in danger, and even he doesn't realize the danger he's going to put her in. She's going to be used in a way that could mean her death.”

Chills rolled over Copper and goose bumps pricked her skin. “You don't see us finding her soon?”

Hannah shook her head, her single lock of blond hair a stark contrast against the darkness of her brown hair. “I don't see it. But then, nothing is set. The future is always in question.”

Copper's neck was stiff as she gave a single nod and turned her attention to Sydney, whose lavender eyes were focused thoughtfully on the fat pillar candles she had chosen for her divination. In front of her was a medium-sized, engraved silver bowl filled with consecrated water. The three short pillar candles positioned beside the bowl were silver, black, and green.

“Like Alyssa, I chose a silver candle to represent our Coven sister.” Sydney struck a match and lit each candle. The tang of sulfur was stronger this time. “The silver candle also represents the goddess, mysteries, the moon, and intuition. In addition I chose a black candle for protection and removing bad luck, and green to invoke the goddess.”

As all of the witches watched Sydney, she raised the silver candle and let the wax begin to drip into the bowl of consecrated water. The silver wax looked like blobs of
mercury at first before they chilled into patterns in the water. Again Copper caught the perfume of lilies.

Sydney frowned, and Copper's stomach clenched. The black-haired witch selected the black candle next and tilted it so that its wax slowly dripped into the bowl, on and around the silver wax. The scent of patchouli was strong.

This time Sydney didn't pause after she set the black candle down. She immediately picked up the green candle and tilted it to allow its wax to dribble into the bowl, too. This candle smelled of pine.

When Sydney had set the green candle on the table, she let them continue to flicker in the still air of the kitchen as she studied the wax patterns in the bowl.

She finally raised her head. “The goddess had nothing to do with your dream-vision that told you to go to the wharf, Copper.” Flickering candlelight reflected in Sydney's eyes as she spoke. “Anu also had nothing at all to do with your vision of the wharf. A dark force was involved, and I believe it was Balor.”

“Balor?” Rhiannon said, her face flushed in anger.

Sydney nodded in response, but continued to speak to Copper. “However, the goddess did protect and provide for you in Otherworld. When Darkwolf would have taken you, she sent you to Otherworld to learn something that will aid us in our task.”

“Garran. Of course.” Copper's mind raced as she wondered if anything else concerning her exile could be related to these events.

Sydney brought her attention back to the present when she said, “Silver's captivity will somehow be to our benefit, as well.”

“How can you say that?” Rhiannon snapped, nearly upsetting her teacup as she placed her fists on the tabletop. The cat, Spirit, hissed from her lap. “She's been kidnapped by that bastard Darkwolf, and is in the clutches of the Fomorii!”

Sydney simply looked at Rhiannon and said, “I am only relating to you what the goddess and Ancestors have shown me.”

Rhiannon clenched her jaw and sat back in her seat with her arms folded across her chest. “I'm not liking what I'm hearing.”

“I don't think any of us are.” Copper's voice was on the edge of shaking. “There are only two of you left. Mackenzie, you're next.”

Mackenzie's knuckles were white from clutching her tarot deck so tightly. She looked at Copper, quickly shuffled them again, and began to lay the cards out in the Celtic-cross spread, which consisted of ten cards.

“Copper, this spread is for both you and Silver,” Mackenzie said. She took a deep breath before she began. “The first card—Queen of Swords. It means that you will be rational and logical in this situation.” She frowned. “It's crossed by the Emperor reversed, which tells us that more powerful people or beings are in control of your and your sister's destinies.” She moved on to the next one. “The third card is for strength and this means that you could triumph over the enemy and will fight on others' behalf.”

Unlike how she'd appeared when she'd been white-knuckling the tarot deck, now Mackenzie's voice held no hint of hesitation. “Next is the Moon reversed, meaning you both are dealing with insincere people and may find it hard to distinguish between fantasy and reality.” She touched another card. “Five of Pentacles reversed. You both need to work hard, but your faith and confidence will grow.”

Throughout Mackenzie's tarot reading, Copper's palms were sweating and her scalp itched. Everything she was hearing was confusing, frustrating, and not what she
wanted
to hear. She wanted to know exactly where Silver was and that they would rescue her, and
now
.

“Future events,” Mackenzie continued. “Your hard
work may be well rewarded, bringing new friends. The seventh card is the Five of Cups reversed. This means an unhappy time could come to an end, but pain and struggle will have left their mark. The card also represents happiness coming back to you both in the shape of a friend or lover returning. New opportunities will allow you to make up your differences and restore a relationship.”

Copper blinked. What could that mean?

“Six of Swords reversed.” Mackenzie tapped the card. “Continuing difficulties are of a temporary nature. There are still battles to be fought; courage and strength are required now.” She moved on to the next card. “Nine of Wands. I see that your efforts may pay off, and problems may be overcome. However, there will be one last challenge and you'll both need significant strength to overcome it.”

Mackenzie took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with the movement. “And last, the tenth card—the Wheel of Fortune. You both are approaching moments in your lives when fate takes a hand in your affairs. If fate deems it, the wheel may turn in your favor and a new cycle may begin. Although the problem may be difficult to live through, when the dust settles, you will discover a whole new set of friends.”

Everyone at the table was quiet as they looked to one another. Copper was trying to digest everything she'd heard tonight, and was having difficulty wrapping it into a neat, understandable package she could use to take action. Zephyr buzzed his confusion in her ear, too.

So far she was hearing that she and Silver had battles to be fought, that their cause might be the same, but that they might not be fighting them together.

Did that mean they wouldn't find Silver yet?

Finally, Sydney said, “It's up to you now, Rhiannon.”

Sparks lit the fiery witch's eyes. Rhiannon was sitting next to Copper and grasped her arm. She wasn't surprised,
as Rhiannon normally needed something to channel her energy through.

Spirit, the cat familiar, rose up in Rhiannon's lap and rubbed his head against Rhiannon's chest in a show of support and probably to lend his magic. Rhiannon closed her eyes. Her chest rose and fell as she took a deep breath. For a very long moment she was so quiet that Copper began to feel dazed and light-headed.

“I see Silver and she looks uninjured, just angry,” Rhiannon said slowly when she finally began to speak. “She's in a room like an office, but she's caged in one corner by Darkwolf's magic shield. It looks like she's checking to see if the guards are paying attention. She's reaching into her pocket and slips out her cell phone . . .”

The ringing of the telephone cut through the air and everyone looked up in shock. Copper was the first out of her chair and dived for the kitchen phone. “Silver?”

“How'd you—never mind.” Silver's voice was low and breathless. “Darkwolf
is
looking for the door and he wants to release Balor's physical body. They think they can do it tomorrow!” Silver's voice held fear and concern. “I tricked Darkwolf into mentioning his allies. They are the Dark Elves, the Drow.”

“I know.” Copper rushed to interrupt her sister. “Where are you?”

Silver hesitated. “I don't know, but I think I'm safe for now. I—”

The connection went dead.

“No!” Copper shouted into the phone even as the dial tone rang in her ear. She slammed the phone down on the countertop and whirled to look at her friends. She rubbed her forehead with the heel of her palm. “It was Silver. She doesn't know where she is, but she confirmed everything we've suspected.” She eyed her sister witches. “And she thinks the Balorites and Fomorii are going to be able to open the door tomorrow night with the Dark Elves.”

“The Dark Elves?” Cassia moved closer to Copper. “It would have taken them a while, but yes, they could have tunneled to some kind of cavern deep below the surface where a door to Underworld would be. They've tunneled deeper than they should have before—once they tunneled so deeply they released the earth giants. It would take much time to tunnel even deeper than that.”

“I know the Drow king who leads the Dark Elves who are working with Darkwolf.” Copper met the other witches' gazes. “His name is Garran and he was trapped in Otherworld like I was, except belowground. Rather I thought he was trapped. Apparently, all this time he's been able to travel between worlds while he left the rest of us to live in a prison.” She clenched her fists because her gut told her it was true. It made sense. Darkwolf needed the Drow to tunnel, and no doubt that's what they'd been doing all this time. They certainly couldn't have done it in the two days she'd been free. “I knew he could be an ass, but I never thought he'd . . .
betray
all the Fae trapped in that bubble.”

The sound of the front door to the shop opening, the warding bells tinkling, and the sounds of boot steps alerted the witches to the presence of others in the shop. Copper's wand was out in an instant and all the witches were ready with their hands or whatever form of magic they used.

Tiernan burst through the door of the kitchen, followed by Hawk and a host of D'Danann warriors, until nine of them occupied the now very crowded kitchen, along with the seven witches. Fortunately, it was a large kitchen, but even so it was filled to the brim and the body heat made it stifling.

Most of the D'Danann wore black trench coats over their leathers, to hide their swords and daggers when among humans. Tiernan and Hawk had not put theirs on this evening.

“We searched the city and found nothing.” Hawk's face
was twisted with fury and agony at the same time. “There is no trace of my mate.”

Tiernan raked his blond hair from his face. “No sign, no stench of the creatures.”

Hawk looked to the witches. Copper said, “Silver managed to call us, but only briefly.” She explained what Silver had said.

Hawk looked to Copper, the fury on his face no less than before. “The Drow are in league with Darkwolf and the Fomorii. I will kill them.”

Copper tossed her braid over her shoulder. “Tiernan and I know the Drow king who's behind this, and after I'm through with him you can do whatever you want with the bastard.”

Cassia began bringing big trays of food to the table and the other witches got up to help. Copper remembered from what Silver told her yesterday that the D'Danann were always hungry, even in a crisis. Tiernan had eaten so many apples in Otherworld that she'd worried their never-ending supply of them might just end. Thank goodness the Fae had been kind enough to leave more food than they normally did.

Copper couldn't have touched a morsel of food if she tried, her stomach was so tied in knots. It was all too much. Anger at Darkwolf kidnapping Silver, all that had been said during the divinations, and fury at Garran for helping Darkwolf.

She stood away from the table with Hawk and Tiernan. Hawk had one hand braced against the wall while Copper leaned against it. Tiernan stood just to her right, making her feel caged.

Before the men even had a chance to ask, Copper started explaining all that they'd learned from each witch's turn at divination. There were common themes—Silver would not be rescued yet, but she was safe for now; both Copper and Silver would be used in some way that would
put them in danger; and Balor had been manipulating them all this time.

Tiernan rubbed his temples and Hawk shook his dark head. “I refuse to believe we will not rescue my mate before she is put into further jeopardy.”

“The future is never set.” Copper laid her hand on Hawk's arm. “It's still possible you can find her before she's in danger.”

She took a deep sigh and looked to the clock above the stove. “It's nearing four
A.M
. We all should get some rest so we can figure out what we need to do next.”

“I will not sleep.” Hawk rested his hand on his sword. “I will comb this city for my mate.”

Cassia took that moment to present a mug of beer to Hawk. “If you wish to continue your search, you may as well do it well fed and with your thirst quenched.”

Hawk took the mug and knocked back the entire contents of the glass.

But Copper knew he'd been had. Among the yeast and hops smell of the beer, she'd caught the scent of valerian root and a couple of other things that didn't belong in beer. Yup, it was going to be nighty-night for one very large warrior.

Hawk frowned as he handed the mug back to Cassia who smiled. “That brew was fouler than normal,” he grumbled.

“That's because I put valerian root into it, along with an Elvin sleeping powder of patchouli and poppies,” Cassia said calmly. Before turning away, she said, “Sleep well.”