The Curse of Dark Root: Part Two (Daughters of Dark Root Book 4) (36 page)

“The sex? Eww! I prefer the term love-making.”

“Of course, you do. So, how was our love-making?” He grimaced at the last word and I laughed.

“Never mind. ‘The sex’ is actually better.” I put my finger to my chin, staring off in mock contemplation. “I assume you mean ‘the sex’ we just had and not ‘the sex’ in general.”

He groaned, reaching for his hat. “Why do you make me work for everything?”

“Make
you
work for everything? I’m the one sleeping with a ghost.”

“Ghosts don’t have my kind of moves.”

“I must have missed those moves,” I teased. I straddled him. I looked into his eyes, our chins touching. “It was nice,” I finally answered.

Shane rubbed his jaw. “Nice, huh?”

“Very nice?”

“Great.”

“It’s not your fault,” I continued to tease. “You might just be out of practice.” I immediately regretted my words. I had no real idea if he actually was out of practice. He’d disappeared for months with his wife, Irene. For all I knew, he’d
practiced
every second he could. I sat up straight.

“Before your mind goes there,” he said. “Let me assure you, I’m very out of practice. More out of practice than you are.”

“How do you figure?”

He glanced quickly at my full breasts and nearly flat stomach.

“Oh.” I blushed.

“The baby Merry was holding... it’s yours, right?”

“Yes. His name is Montana.”

Shane’s eyes blazed. “Montana! Woo-hoo! Now that’s a good name!”

I smiled, relieved he didn’t find it weird. “I wanted to remember you. And I wanted my son to know you, too.”

We breathed together, listening to the world around us, content with only this moment. He raked his fingers through the ends of my hair while I repeatedly kissed the top of his head. Finally, I asked the dreaded question.

“Shane, why didn’t you tell me you were married?”

His face paled, his eyes earnest. “I screwed up, Maggie. I wasn’t honest with you, not like I should have been. The truth was, I was afraid that if you knew I was... still married, I’d lose you. I wanted to tell you a million times, but... well, I have no excuses.”

“Did you love her?”

“Irene and I married very young. She was beautiful and fascinating.” He smiled, with one side of his mouth. “She was probably the best tracker I’d ever met. She could find almost anything, given a good description. She didn’t even need a picture. Her abilities were humbling.”

“I see.” Hearing about “the amazing Irene” felt as good as being stabbed with a dinner fork. “Go on,” I encouraged, even as my stomach began to sour.

“I didn’t marry her because of her beauty, or even her abilities. I married her because I thought I could protect her. The Agency, the folks who wanted to use us, had secret plans for her. They were convinced of an impending war––the war to end all wars, literally. They wanted to send her to some of the most dangerous parts of the world. She could have been killed.”

“Didn’t they want to send you, too?”

He laughed, though it was more of a scoff. “I was too unpredictable. They got me to drink their Kool-Aid initially, but I’ll be damned if I was going to drink the whole pitcher. Irene was the logical choice. She was the most gifted of us all, as well as naïve and malleable. I was told by a good friend in The Agency, that if we married, it would be harder to ship her away.

“And––Uncle Joe taught me this––the ritual of marriage has a magickal protection to it. Symbolic magick, if you will. When two people enter into a spiritual union, they share spiritual protection. I thought I could keep her safe, maybe even bring her to Dark Root, where it would be harder for other trackers to find us.”

“What happened?”

“When they discovered we were married, they backed off temporarily, at least until they could figure out what to do with us. I’d caused a few problems already––fights mostly. But it was my resistance to further brainwashing they didn’t like.” He raised his shoulders. “I think they probably would have stuffed me in a quiet little box somewhere if they weren’t worried I’d eventually get out and tell the world about their little secret government operation.”

Shane put on his hat, tilting it to block the sun.

I processed what he said, and I believed him, but I still had so many questions. “Once Irene was safe, why didn’t you get divorced?”

He squinted, lost in further thought.

“I couldn’t risk them finding out it was a sham marriage. We lived together for a few months as husband and wife, biding our time until we could go our separate ways. Our plan was to play it out, disappear separately, then meet up in the future and secretly divorce. I returned to Dark Root and she went to Colorado.”

He sighed heavily, his eyes falling towards a bug scuttling across the ground. “Eventually, they found her staying with a relative in Denver. She didn’t know what else to do so she came here. I gave her money and the names of people I thought could protect her. But we both knew they were going to keep coming after us forever. That’s when we came up with our plan.”

“To fake your own deaths?”

“Yep.”

“That’s really the only way you could get rid of them? These people must be monsters!”

Shane pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me and pushing back his hat. “Monsters is a subjective term, Maggie. They do what they do because they think it will save the world. What are a few lives in exchange for thwarting a war that could end all mankind?” He lowered his head. “We were a means to an end.”

I understood, kind of. Mother had similar notions. The desire to do good often came at a very dear cost.

“Maybe there really is a war brewing? Mother said one is coming, and that it was preventable if we were all diligent. Aunt Dora still talks about
holding back the Dark
.”

“Yeah, Uncle Joe, too. I think they were right, Maggie. All of them. But does that mean we sacrifice ourselves to stop something that may or may not come to pass? When does it end?” He sniffed the air, as if smelling something very far away––something ancient that had risen up from the earth. His nose curled. “Sasha believed the Council’s spells could hold it back. The Agency believed we could track those who would eventually rise up to start it, killing them first.”

“But what if The Agency was wrong?”

“Exactly. They were getting their information using trained psychics. Hell, I’ve been around enough psychics to know they aren’t always right and that fates shift. A person’s destiny can change in an instant. I couldn’t, in good conscience, go along with their plans knowing everything I knew. It wasn’t in me, or in Irene. I decided my best chance at helping the world, if it really was in its final days, was to come home and continue what Uncle Joe helped start.”

I shifted on his lap. “So... you faked her death. But why yours, too? I thought they’d given up on you.”

Shane caught his breath. His face reddened.

I knew he was afraid to tell me something. “Go on,” I gently encouraged.

“Irene and I have a son, Maggie.”

“What?!” I looked him up and down, waiting for him to crack a smile.
Gotcha
. But deep inside, I knew he was telling the truth.

“I never talk about him. Shame, I suppose. I left when she was pregnant.”

You’re good at that.

It was a cruel thought, and I pushed it away the second it arrived, but I could tell by the look in his eyes he sensed my accusation.

“Please don’t hate me. I didn’t know she was pregnant when I left.” He took my hands, folding them into his. “I love you, Maggie, with everything in me. I was afraid you’d look at me, well, the way you’re looking at me now.”

I was hurt and surprised, but who was I to chastise him? I’d kept my own pregnancy secret because I was afraid he’d leave. If we really were Twin Souls, I should expect he’d do the same. We were matched, in the bad stuff as well as the good.

“I just don’t know how to feel right now,” I admitted. “On one hand, I love you and I’m so happy to have you back. But I’m also very upset you have a wife and a son... Oh, god. I just slept with a married man!”

I pushed against him, fighting my way to standing. He latched on to my wrist. “Please don’t run again. It was a marriage of convenience only.”

“That’s what all cheating men say.”

“Oh fuck, Maggie! C’mon! Look me in the eyes––you know I’m telling the truth.”

I looked for a long moment. All I saw was the other half of my soul. “I believe you.”

“Thank you.”

He kissed me. A sweet kiss this time. Taking my hands, he said, “I had to look after my son once I found out about him. If we did it right, The Agency thinks we’re all dead. We disappeared on a Ley Line, which makes us harder to track. Soon, Irene will quietly leave the country and I’ll stay here. Fortunately, The Agency has no clue of my ties to Dark Root.”

“Why didn’t you bring Irene and your son here, then?”

He lowered his head, chewing thoughtfully on his lip. “Irene’s still in love with me. I know I’m being selfish, but I want to share my life with you, not her.”

I continued to digest the news as my eyes kept watch on the world around us. A strong musky scent hit the air. “Maybe she would hit it off with Michael,” I joked, bitterly. “That would solve both our problems.”

“But can you imagine the family reunions?” He grinned. “No, my dear, there’s only one thing I want, and that is you.”

“But what about your son?”

“Daniel.” He stopped kissing me and smiled. “He’s a great kid. Looks just like me, only not as rugged.” He rubbed his thumb across the stubble on his chin. “We even have the same star-shaped birthmark.” Shane lifted his hand to show me a dime-sized blemish near his wrist.

“Your witch’s mark!” I exclaimed, remembering how Jillian had shown me the butterfly mark by her knee. “They are passed through lineage.”

“Yep. I certainly didn’t need a DNA test when I saw that.”

I stepped in, getting close. Shane’s eyes glanced down at my chest. I suddenly felt self-conscious. “Don’t get too attached to how big they are,” I teased as his fingers grazed my bra strap. “They’re only loaners. Soon, they’ll be put back into the vault for at least ten years.”

“Ten, huh? I better make it a memorable visit then.”

“Shane?”

“Yes?”

“Is Irene taking Daniel with her?”

He blinked several times. “She’s bringing him to Dark Root. Or rather, a relative will. Not now, but eventually. We both thought it would be the safest place for him while we ride this out.”

“Are you ready to be an instant parent?”

“You were an instant parent and you seem to be doing alright.”

“You weren’t here for the flood.”

 
“Huh?”

“It was epic,” I grinned. “And if you need any help, I’m here. We’ll have enough kids to fill a school bus in no time.”

“Thanks, Maggie.” He looked at me skeptically, tilting his hat to the side. “That’s not the reaction I expected from you.”

I shrugged. “There’s no light bulbs out here to bust.”

“God, I love you. I’m sure you’re a great mother and I’ll take any advice I can get. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here those first few months. I can’t imagine what you went through. But I’m here now. We’ll get through everything else together, I promise.”

The sound of breaking branches alerted us to Michael’s appearance moments later. I grabbed Shane’s hat from his head, positioning it over my bare abdomen.

Michael stopped several trees away, his hands stuffed into his pockets. “Sorry to interrupt. Merry took our son back to Harvest Home. He was hungry and getting a little warm. I told her I’d find you.”

“Warm?” I grabbed the rest of my clothes, dressing as fast as I could.

“I think he’ll be fine; it’s just been a long day for him.”

“Thanks for finding me.”

“Just being a good parent, Mags. You should try it.” He turned on his heels and left us.

“Your son is sick?’ Shane asked.