Summon the Wind

Summon the
Wind
by Abby Wood

Breathless Press

Calgary, Alberta

www.breathlesspress.com

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or

persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Summon the Wind: Book Three of Within the Circle

Copyright© 2010 Abby Wood

ISBN: 978-1-926771-77-9

Cover Artist: Justyn Perry

Editor: Sandra Rychel

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in reviews.

Breathless Press

www.breathlesspress.com

Chapter One

“To the east and to the west,

I ask that you would bring the best.

Not simple, not slow, but fair and strong.

Bless me, Goddess, don’t do me wrong.

The three we be, the three we might

Upon the air, do what is right.”

Alexis flung back her hair and gazed up at the night. Gentle at first, the wind grew stronger. Her open robe slapped against her naked body, caressing her in the most delightful way.

“You’ve blessed my sisters, oh gracious Goddess. Please bless me.”

Bonnie and Carly joined Alexis in the middle of the circle, and they linked their arms around each other. She closed her eyes, d
i
recting the power of the wind to sweep over all three of the Jacobson triplets. Calmness filled her body. It was her turn for the Goddess to bless with a man to love.

She opened her eyes and kissed Bonnie, and then she turned t
o
ward Carly and gave her a peck on the cheek. “It is done. We can go.” The air stilled, and the sweet scent of cedar coming off the trees that lined the clearing where the three of them always came to cel
e
brate with the Goddesses once again filled the air.

“How do you think they handled seeing us perform the blessing tonight?” Carly gazed past the circle, where Max and Dirk sat on the old fallen tree. “I don’t think Max really believed me when I told him we could draw on the elements, even when I showed him how I could make the fire grow in the fireplace.” She giggled. “He blamed the rise in temperature on a sudden draft down the chimney.”

Bonnie laughed. “I bet tonight probably scared the shit out of them.” She squeezed Carly’s waist. “You should have seen Dirk out on the boat when I raised the water and splashed him off the bow.” She snorted. “He thought a storm was coming and went all manly on me. He turned the boat and took me back to shore to make sure
I
was safe.”

“Give them some credit, you two. They’ve accepted everything you two have thrown at them so far, haven’t they?” Alexis led her sisters toward the men whom the Goddess brought into Carly’s and Bonnie’s life. “Besides, you should be happy the Goddess gave you a regular man to love.” She shivered. “Male witches always seem so…so hard to control. I can’t imagine how much energy would be used trying to set
that
up.”

Chapter Two

With the last book put back on the shelf, Alexis pushed the cart back behind the librarian’s desk. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw it was time to dim the lights to let all the patrons know the library would close in five minutes.

Standing at the counter, she checked out an elderly couple’s choice of reading material and waited for more stragglers, but it seemed as if everyone had left. She unlocked the bottom drawer of her desk, removed her purse, and stepped out to make her rounds before locking up for the day.

She had the weekend off, and tomorrow was Halloween. Bu
b
bles of anticipation rose in her stomach. Besides being a special time for witches, time was running out. The Goddess should be delive
r
ing her one true love at any time.

The children’s area lay quiet and empty, and she shut the lights off. After moving over to the adult fiction section, she flipped the switch and headed to the nonfiction area closest to the exit door. She paused with her hand on the wall.
He must be reading a good book.

A man sat in one of the upholstered chairs with his back toward her. She cleared her throat and waited. Lifting her brows, she walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Excuse me, the library is now closed. You’ll have to leave.” She stepped back from the chair, prepared to follow him out the door, but he didn’t even acknowledge her. “Sir, the library is closed. You can walk out with me, but I need to lock the doors now.”

“Sit down, please.” He remained in the chair.

She cocked her head. “Pardon?”

“I’d enjoy it immensely if you’d sit down and talk with me for a few minutes.”

Not understanding why he wasn’t getting up or turning around, Alexis walked around the chair to tell him to his face that he must leave. “The library closes at—”

“Hello, Alexis.”

She stepped closer and studied the man. Something about his blue eyes seemed familiar. He grinned, and she gasped.
Oh Goddess, Lance Garvis.

“Aren’t you going to say hello to an old friend?” He motioned for her to take the seat across from him. “What’s it been? Ten…twelve years since we’ve seen each other?”

“Fifteen. It’s been fifteen years.” She plopped down in the chair. “Y-you look great.”

She closed her mouth and swallowed. He’d grown up. No lon
g
er the ten-year-old boy she and her sisters palled around with all summer at Camp Enchantment. His cheekbones were higher, and he’d lost the pug nose. The Lance of today had regal features, longer blond hair, and a dominant chin. He could have doubled for a Norse god.

“W-what are you doing here?” She inhaled and clamped her bottom lip between her teeth.

“You haven’t guessed?” He uncrossed his legs, leaned forward, and placed his elbows on his knees. “I’ve waited for the day when you are ready to find a man to love, hoping…” He paused and smiled. “I never told you, but the summer we were the best of friends, I had asked the Goddess to let me know if you ever asked for love to come to you. I didn’t want to cast a spell that would tie you to me if it wasn’t your choice, you see.”

Lance stood up, stepped in front of her chair, and held out his hand. “It seems like I have waited my whole life for the day I could finally show you how much I love you.”

She sat in stunned silence. Shaking her head, she glanced away from his mesmerizing gaze. This wasn’t what she had asked the Goddess for.
Oh sweet mercy. He’s even cuter than he was as a child.
She pushed away all thoughts of Lance the man and concentrated on what was important.

Lance was a witch.

Not only that, he’d asked for
her
in a spell?

Her gaze ran the length of his body. Goosebumps broke out on her arms, and her nipples hardened to rock-hard nubs. She followed the line of buttons on his shirt back up to his face, and it seemed as if every erogenous zone on her body fluttered in pleasure.

She swallowed.
He’s using magic on me. It’s not him that is affecting me like this.

“You are even more beautiful than I imagined.” The pink tip of his tongue came out to wet his bottom lip.

Stifling a moan, she stood up. “There’s been a mistake. We were not meant to be together. You can’t manipulate me with your ma
g
ic.”

He nodded his head. “I’d never do that, and yes, we are destined to be together.”

“No!” Crossing her arms, she turned away from him, unable to resist the power he had over her. “This is not…”

Lance placed his hands on her arms from behind. She flinched. An incredible urge to lean back and let him wrap her in his embrace washed over her.
I can’t do this. This is
my
spell. He took away my co
n
trol over my destiny by interfering with
his
magic. Oh Goddess, help me. This isn’t right.

“Don’t you see? We both wished for the same thing.”

Alexis flung her arms out and turned, narrowing her eyes, and she summoned the wind. Her hair blew out in front of her, blocking her vision, but not before she caught sight of Lance flying through the air and landing ten feet away from her.

The huge gust left a split second later. Her breath came in great heaves. “You played with love, Lance. You asked the Goddess for
me
…not love, but
me
!” She stepped over the books that had fallen off the shelves and stood over Lance. “I wanted pure love, not this…this magic conjured up by another…
witch
. You’ve manipulated my spell!”

Turning, she only made it two steps, and the building shook. She reached for the back of the chair, unsure of what was happening.

More books toppled from the shelf, furniture skittered across the floor, and Alexis stared in utter horror. The power from the floor seemed to move through her feet and consumed her body, giving her a good, hard shake.
Oh. My. Goddess.

The tremors ended the same way the wind had left—suddenly and without warning. Alexis turned back to Lance, panting. “Look what we’ve done. The Goddesses are upset.”

“It’s not us, but you.” Lance bent over and tipped the chair he sat in earlier back on its legs. “Go ahead Alexis, ask them.” With his hands clasped behind his back, he flashed a wicked grin. “You a
l
ways were the strongest of your sisters. Ask them, so I can be with you the way we were meant to be. Stop fighting me.” He lifted his arms. “Don’t deny what you know is right.”

She stared at him and debated whether to do what he requested or to go on trying to ignore everything that had just happened. Sighing, she closed her eyes.

“I call the wind to guide.

I will not hide.

From the north is fate.

Give it to me straight.

Oh gracious Goddess, I will wait.”

Her eyes remained closed. She held her breath, willing the a
n
swer to come. Gently at first, the slight breeze grew stronger, cares
s
ing her face. She wasn’t outside. This wasn’t Mother Nature doing her thing. No, this was the answer she wanted.

Excitement built up in her chest, and she opened her eyes to find Lance standing mere inches from her. Everything she wanted to d
e
ny but knew was true showed in his eyes, and the aura of love su
r
rounded him.

“It’s true,” she whispered.

He cupped her face with both hands and claimed her lips. She mewed. It wasn’t their first time doing this.

She’d kissed him years ago, on the last day of camp, and quickly ran away, never to see him again. No, this was a I’ve-dreamed-of-this-moment-my-whole-life kiss that literally rocked her world.

She fell against him with complete abandon. Her lower stomach fluttered. The way he buried his hands in her hair and held her to him gave her such a rush of belonging, it took her breath away. The ramifications of his coming here were huge.

Alexis shuddered and broke the kiss. Gasping, she laid her for
e
head on his chest. His heart beat fast, and he swayed from left to right, holding her. It was almost too much to absorb.

“Is this real?” She closed her eyes. “Oh Lance, I can hardly b
e
lieve that we’ve been so blessed…that this has happened for us.”

“Yes, this is love, darling.” His chest shook. “We are together. That is what is happening. You feel it, I feel it, and the Goddesses know their children have come together. This is how it’ll be for us always.”

She opened her eyes and leaned back. “I never dreamed… I’ve thought of you over the years, but…” Gazing down at his chest, she raised her brows. “You were never a man, but a boy. The Lance I loved in my childhood.”

“You asked for love. I asked for you when you were ready.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ve always known, but the Goddess wanted me to wait. It is time now. We’ve always belonged together. Think back, Alexis. In your heart, you know it. There were little signs, even back when we pulled childhood pranks with our magic. Do you remember?”

“I do.” She bit her lip and concentrated. Energy flowed between their bodies, every nerve stimulated by his closeness. “Yes. You are the one, Lance.” Her face broke out in a smile, and she held him closer. “It is you who I need.”

He chuckled. “You don’t know the half of it…”

“What aren’t you telling me?” She wrinkled her nose. “What don’t I know?”

Lance kissed her forehead. “I’m your missing link.”

Alexis gasped. “You mean…you have…?”

“Yes, darling. I draw power from the earth.”