The Wizard King (12 page)

“No.” Daniel put his hand over hers just before Gareth did, causing all three of them to be holding hands. “No, Gen.” His tone softened. “Gareth hasn’t completed the mate spell yet. If I take the ring and try to cast the same spell…”

“It could cause Gareth’s spell to unravel.”

“Or worse, backfire somehow. Gareth and I would cast the same spell, use the same words, but our energy is different. The woman who would come to me wouldn’t be you, but you’re already feeling the pull.”

“I could wind up mating you by accident?”

Gareth smiled at the horror in her voice even as Daniel scowled. “Yeah, fuck you too.”

“I thought we were trying to avoid that,” she muttered.

Mac coughed out a laugh. “If I may, sire?”

“You may.” Gareth freed Gen’s hand from Daniel’s and tugged her close, making sure the emerald ring was once more firmly on her finger. Anything that brought Kerry home safely, but kept Gen safe as well, had his vote.

“We do have resources not even her majesty has access to. If you wish, I can put out a call and have the council here within the hour.”

Gen froze. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Your majesty—”

“I’ll do the vision quest again. Calling the council should be a last resort only.” She patted Gareth’s hand. “Trust me on this.”

“What price could the council ask that’s so bad?” He kept her close when she tried to move away.

He didn’t like the look she exchanged with Daniel, not at all. “Aunt Vivian is on the council.”

“And the council are the ones who cast the spell that chose Gareth as the king.” Mac wasn’t paying attention any longer. He’d taken back his tablet and was scrolling through something. Probably another one of his lists. “I understand that all of the portents pointed toward King Gareth as the successor rather than Cole Godwin, but that Vivian Godwin objected based on bloodlines and your unfortunate curse.”

“Of course she did.” Gareth had been warned about Vivian Godwin, but he hadn’t realized that she’d disliked him before she ever met him. “I bet my mating of Genevieve has given her some ammunition to use against me.”

Gen started, shooting a guilty look at Daniel, but before he could ask about it Gen pulled her hands free. “I need to set up my spell if I’m going to contact the Goddess.”

“The workroom is this way, your majesty.”

“Gen.”

“Of course, your majesty.”

Gareth wanted to protest, he really did, but unless he wanted to owe Vivian Godwin, he had no choice but to allow Gen to cast her spell. “Shit.”

“Yeah.” Daniel pulled his phone and began dialing. “Chris? Yeah, get your ass up here. Kerry’s missing. Possibly Annabelle as well.”

Daniel had the right idea. Gareth immediately put in his own phone call to the one person who might know what Gen’s price was going to be. “Zach?”

“What?”

His brother’s voice was strangely muffled. “Are you eating?” Zach could probably eat an entire zebra if he put his mind to it.

He heard Zach’s lips smack together. “Maybe.”

“I need you and Jo up here pronto. Kerry and Annabelle are missing.”

“Daniel’s Kerry?” The sound of the phone hitting cloth barely muffled Zach’s voice. “Jo, get dressed. Daniel needs us.”

“I’ve called Mom and Dad,” Daniel called out. “They’re on their way up.”

Gareth nodded to Daniel, but his attention was still on Zach, who’d come back on the line. “We’re on our way, bro. Sit tight, and don’t let Danny-boy do anything stupid. And keep Lana close. If Annabelle is missing she’s going to want to head straight for Philadelphia to check on her. Keep her on the grounds.”

“You have a bad feeling about this?” Zach, as a witch, worked on instinct. If he said Lana needed to sit tight, he’d help Chris duct tape her to a chair.

“Yeah. I do.”

Great.
“Listen, I’m worried about Gen. She’s talking about doing another vision quest, but she told us she’d done one not too long ago. I have no idea what contacting the Goddess twice in one week will do to her.”

“Shit. All right. We’ll be up there in a few. Tell your bodyguards to let us through.”

“Family should have a standing pass, but I’ll make sure you don’t have any trouble.”

“Thanks.” And Zach hung up without a good-bye.

“They should be here shortly.” Gareth was already moving toward the workroom, his desire to see Gen’s spell almost overwhelming.

Daniel’s hand on his arm stopped him. “You can’t cast, can you?”

Gareth nodded sharply. “The mate spell isn’t complete yet.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not.” Gareth glared at Daniel. “I know you’re worried about Kerry, but let this go.”

“You heard what Gen said. Hugh is after you. If you can’t cast because of the mate spell, you’re vulnerable. You need to complete it before anything else happens.”

“Gareth?”

God damn it. Why did she have to step out of the workroom right then? “It’s okay, Gen.”

She bit her lip, her eyes huge and filled with worry. “Is it?”

“It is.” He shot Daniel a look, hoping to stifle him. “We’ll complete the spell when we’re ready, and not a moment before.”

Her slowly growing frown told him she didn’t understand, but a quick glance toward Mac had her biting back her questions. She twirled the emerald on her finger. “If you say so.”

“I do.” The doorbell rang. “They’re here.”

“Your family?” Gen didn’t move toward the door, but she didn’t bolt into the workroom either.

“Yup. I thought Zach might be able to help.” But when he opened the door it wasn’t Zach and Jo who stood there.

“Because I’m chopped liver, apparently.” Chris pulled Gen into a quick hug. “Hey, you.”

She smiled sweetly at Chris. “Hey, you back.”

“Tell me about Kerry and Grammy.” Lana, who’d stayed strong when she’d helped Zach save Chris, was pale and shaking. Kerry was the closest thing she had to a sister, and she adored her grandmother. The knowledge that the Godwins might have attacked Annabelle would drive her crazy with worry.

“Kerry sent Gen an email that said ‘remember the knife’. We think Hugh has her.” Gareth grabbed hold of Lana and hugged her tight, shooting Chris a worried glance at the way she shivered in his arms. “We haven’t been able to contact Annabelle.”

Lana pulled out her cell phone and dialed, the scowl growing as no one answered. “She’s not there.”

“Kerry could be at the hospital.” Chris put his hand at the small of Lana’s back, a soothing gesture that still allowed her the freedom to move if she wished.

“She’s not there. I called and they told me she hasn’t shown up for work.” Gen turned on her heel and headed toward the workroom. “I need to get started quickly. The longer I delay, the worse things will be.”

“Why did she email you instead of me?” Lana sounded confused, but her expression was hurt. Damn it. He prayed Lana wasn’t going to blame Gen for any of this.

“I was staying with her for a while. She knew I was going after Hugh.”

“And she would have known that either Gen or I would be the one to contact if something freaky was going down.” Zach tugged on Lana’s hair. “We’re the only ones who can deal with someone like Hugh without getting our asses handed to us.” He didn’t need to say that Annabelle, strong as she was, wouldn’t be able to hold Hugh off forever. If they’d been caught unaware…

“And that’s why I need to do the spell again.” Gen’s fierce determination told him he wouldn’t be winning that argument. She was going to commune with Hecate, and there was nothing he could do about it but be there to pick up the pieces if she fell apart.

“You’re going to call the Goddess now?” Zach frowned and glanced out the window as he followed Gen toward the workroom. “The full moon was last night. That will cause problems.”

“We can’t afford to wait for the new moon.” The two Own chattered as they closed the door behind them, leaving the rest of the family in the front room. Locking him out.

Gareth was not happy. Not happy at all. But if anyone could keep Gen safe even better than he could, it was Zach. “We need to give them whatever they ask for.”

Daniel nodded. “No matter what that is.”

For once, he and Daniel were in perfect accord.

“This is my fault.” Gen was randomly grabbing things from Gareth’s spell component chest. She’d go through them later, when she wasn’t freaking out quite so badly. Kerry must have called Annabelle when Gen didn’t come immediately home from Vivian Godwin’s, and now both women were in danger.

She should never have allowed herself to get caught up in Gareth Beckett. She was an Own, her task not yet complete. Hugh was still out there, as was Arthur. Until both of them were brought to justice, Gareth was not safe and never would be.

She sighed roughly and grabbed some watermelon tourmaline. Gareth. Everything came down to the man who’d haunted her dreams for weeks. How could she worry over him when both Kerry and Annabelle were missing?

But the truth was, as frightened as she was over the women’s disappearance, nothing compared to the thought of Gareth under that knife, his soul slowly being sucked away while his body died in agony.

No. Gen would do anything to ensure that didn’t happen.

“This isn’t your fault, Gen.” Zach lightly smacked her arm when she snorted in disbelief, startling her. “We’ll find them. Together.”

She blinked. “This is my responsibility. I should—”

“Fuck that. You’re family. We do this together, or you get to find out how sneaky Becketts can
really
be.”

She barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Zach.”

“Gen.” He took the totally inappropriate tourmaline out of her hands and placed it back in its drawer. “Listen to me. This is your brother’s fault, not yours. You don’t get to sacrifice yourself on the altar of stupidity.” Gen snickered. “We’ll get them back, but if you go rushing off after them, what do you think Gareth will do?”

She didn’t have to think twice. “He’d come after me.” Now that he’d staked a claim to her, he would never allow her to go after Hugh alone. But that was what Gareth didn’t understand. Her job was to go after people like Hugh, and if he tried to stop her he’d get himself killed. “He has to learn to trust that I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you?” She stared blankly at the white feathers he held up. “What were you planning on doing with these, then?”

She didn’t want to admit it, but she was far more rattled than she wanted to disclose, especially to another Own. “Fine. You can help.”

“Good. Because you have my help whether you like it or not.”

She began gathering the correct ingredients this time, keeping an eye on what Zach pulled as well. With both of them working together, things would get interesting. It wouldn’t be just one Own petitioning Hecate, but two. With their different styles of magic, they would have to make sure everything blended seamlessly.

“Can I help?”

Zach smiled at his mate, Jo, waving her inside. “Sure. Can you get me the purple chalk?”

Jo bit her lip. “I think…”

“Hmm?” Gen paused, the jasmine incense she’d been reaching for forgotten.

“I think Chris, Daniel or Gareth should be part of this.”

“Why?” Zach didn’t look nearly as confused as Gen felt.

“Wizard, witch…”

“Warlock. The triad of magic, all represented, all with a stake in finding Annabelle and Kerry.” Zach nodded. “I like it.”

Jo shrugged. “It feels right, somehow.”

“I agree.”

Gen didn’t. “You have no idea what’s involved when a warlock contacts the source of her power. There could be repercussions from having a non-Own in the circle with us.”

“I’ll do it.” Gareth strode into the room, his arms going around her waist. He seemed to have this need to keep her close. Of the mated brothers, he was far more touchy-feely than either Chris or Zach. “I can—”

“I’ll do it.” Daniel stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, a scowl on his face. “You haven’t completed the mating, so you can’t spell cast.”

Jo was nodding, agreeing with Daniel. “Besides, if you’re right, he has more of a stake in finding Kerry than you do.” Daniel scowled, but remained silent. “That could boost the signal, if you will.”

Gareth’s arms tightened around Gen. “I need to talk to you.”

His breath tickled her ear as he whispered to her. “Sure.”

He pulled her from the workroom, her preparations forgotten as he led her to his—no,
their
—bedroom. He shut the door, locking it behind them. “I want to finish the spell.”

Her brows rose. “All right?”

He grunted. “You have to fully accept that you’re mine for that to happen.”

She spoke before she could think. “Do you?”

Gareth’s shocked expression surprised her. “Fuck yes.” He yanked hard, and she tumbled into his arms. “You’re
mine
, Genevieve Godwin. And what the Goddess has put together, let no mage pull asunder.”