Brand caught Rose in his arms before her head could hit the floor, his heart in his throat. “Rose.” What was wrong? She’d gone deathly white and collapsed in a matter of seconds after Sequoia had made that wish. He searched for the head nurse, but she was fussing over the suddenly rambunctious children, trying to calm them.
“What happened?” Sequoia knelt beside him.
“I don’t know.” But he had to help Rose. Somehow. “We need to do something. Get the nurse.”
“Cancel the wish,” Ewan ordered as he joined them, his expression grave. “Now.”
Sequoia blanched. “Cancel it?” She glanced at the children regaining their health by the moment.
“You have a choice. The children can live or Rose can live, but not both.”
From the grimness of Ewan’s tone, he wasn’t joking. Brand grabbed Sequoia’s hand. “Either you do it or I will.” He wasn’t about to let Rose die.
Sequoia nodded and stood. “I wish I’d never made my last wish.” The children abruptly collapsed, calling for the nurse, their former exuberance fading. Sequoia closed her eyes, her fists clenched by her side.
Brand cradled Rose in his arms. Was she still breathing? Shouldn’t she recover now? He darted a glance at Ewan. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s lost too much life force.”
“No.” That was unacceptable. They were in a hospital. Surely modern medicine could do something. Brand grabbed Ewan’s arm. “Can the doctors here help her?”
“Only magic will save her.”
“Then take us to my suite.” If saving Rose was going to require magic, they’d be better off out of here. At this point they could vanish unnoticed. The head nurse was more concerned with the children right now.
Ewan gripped Brand and Sequoia’s wrists with a dry twist of his lips. “As you command.”
They reappeared in Brand’s suite, and he placed Rose on his bed. “What do we have to do?” he asked Ewan. The man was Fae. He had to know what to do to save Rose.
“She needs her life force restored.”
“But I canceled the wish.” Sequoia’s face was nearly as white as Rose’s.
“Not in time. Too much of her power went into the children.”
This couldn’t be happening. Brand ran his hand over Rose’s tousled hair. To see her so still, so quiet, tore at his heart. “I thought faeries were immortal.”
“We are. The Fae are not foolish enough to give away their life force to others.”
Sequoia touched Ewan’s arm. “You can save her, can’t you?”
He eyed her with a haughtiness that made Brand want to strangle him. “Only by doing what I told you was foolish. I have no desire to end my existence.”
“Please, Ewan.” Tears trickled down her cheeks. “She didn’t know this would happen. Don’t let her die. Please.”
Brand straightened. If Sequoia’s pleas didn’t work, he intended to beat the faery into agreement.
When Ewan hesitated, Sequoia placed her palm against his chest. “Please.”
With a sigh Ewan bent over Rose and placed his hand over her forehead. “There’s not much life left.”
“She’s Fae, too. Won’t giving her some of your magic spark the rest?” Sequoia asked.
“Perhaps. I have never done this before.” Ewan closed his eyes, his expression calm at first. After a moment he groaned and his face crumpled with pain and effort.
Sequoia went to wrap her arm around his waist, but Brand kept his gaze on Rose. Was the color returning to her cheeks? Was her breathing stronger?
With a cry, Ewan pulled his hand free and sagged against Sequoia. “I can do no more.”
As Ewan stepped away, Brand settled on the edge of the bed and felt for Rose’s pulse. It beat stronger now and some color had returned to her cheeks. “Is she going to be all right?”
“I believe she’ll be fine. As Sequoia said, once I shared my energy with her life force, it began to revive on its own, but she’ll need a lot of rest.”
“I think you need some rest, too.” Sequoia steered Ewan to the doorway. “Come with me. Call me if there’s any change, Brand. We’ll be in my room.”
Brand nodded, only dimly listening to her, too intent on watching Rose for some sign of improvement. Trust Rose to give her all...even if it killed her. She’d always been selfless like that as a child, giving her lunch to someone who didn’t have one, searching tirelessly for the home of a stray dog.
Taking her hand in his, Brand sought solace in the warmth it contained. Had Ewan truly healed her? What if he’d quit too soon?
Brand closed his eyes. Damn this magic. If Rose had been an ordinary woman...No, she’d never be an ordinary woman.
Opening his eyes, he smoothed back the tendrils of hair along the edge of her face, needing to touch her, aching for some kind of response. Even if she revealed every illusion he’d ever created, he wouldn’t want her dead. She...mattered.
“Damn you, Rose,” he whispered. In a few short days she’d managed to turn his well-ordered life upside-down. He’d always taken pride in his methodical approach to his illusions, his performances, his life.
Now...now all he could think about was Rose. Holding her, kissing her—Lord help him, making love to her. Was it her magic, as she claimed, or was it because he remembered her impish smile when they’d put a garter snake in Sequoia’s sleeping bag?
He shook his head. She was magical—in so many ways—and he was not. Nothing was going to change that. Her hand jerked in his and he tensed. “Rose?”
Her eyelashes fluttered again her cheeks several times before she opened her eyes. “Brand?”
“I’m here.” He squeezed her hand. “You’re going to be all right.” Saying it made it so, didn’t it?
“Tired.” She shifted in the bed, her eyes drooping closed again. “So tired.”
“Then sleep. Build up your strength.”
She drifted off again, but the tight band around Brand’s chest eased. She would be all right. After a few hours’ rest she’d probably be her feisty self again.
Knowing her, she’d be up and around by the time his evening show started. For the first time, Brand wanted to see her sitting in his audience. Needed to see her there.
Otherwise, his biggest illusion tonight would be his smile.
Sequoia lowered Ewan to the edge of her bed, then placed her palm over his forehead. He still felt cool and clammy. “Let me get you some water.”
Returning from the bathroom, she pressed the glass into his hand, then watched as he drained it. “Do you feel any better?” she asked.
“I will recover shortly. I was not so foolish as to give away a large portion of my life force.”
“I can never thank you enough for helping Rose. If she had died...” Tears welled up, ever near the surface. She’d almost killed her cousin.
“It seemed to be important to you,” he said with a calmness that didn’t match the intensity of his gaze.
“It is important. Rose is my best friend as well as my cousin. I love her.”
“Love?” Ewan cocked his head. “Yet you are crying when you know she is healed?”
“I nearly killed her,” she murmured, sending a shiver through her. “It was all my fault.” Her voice broke, the enormity of her wish washing over her.
She turned away, but Ewan caught her hand and held her in place. “She told you to make the wish.”
“But I should have known.” Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she swiped at them with the back of her hand. “Rose healed my arm when I broke it falling off my bike. That exhausted her. Why did I expect she could cure a room full of dying children?”
“Why even try?”
Sequoia stared at him. Could he truly be that unfeeling? “They’re innocent children. They don’t deserve to die so young.”
He shrugged. “All mortals die sooner or later. It is part of the circle of nature.”
“But they’re children.” Didn’t he understand? “They’ve hardly begun to live.”
His expression remained puzzled. “Is this part of your love?”
“You’re impossible.” Sequoia tried to jerk her hand free. “You’ll never understand.”
He only held her tighter and stood, forcing her to face him. “Then make me understand, Sequoia.”
“I only wanted to help the kids. To stop the suffering.” The words tumbled out as guilt ravaged Sequoia. “I didn’t know...Rose said...then she fell...I didn’t mean...” Sobs ripped from her chest. What if Ewan hadn’t been here?
To her surprise, he drew her into his embrace, allowing her to bury her face into his shoulder until her heart-wrenching sobs finally eased. “What have I done?”
“There is no fault.” Ewan touched her hair, then slowly drew his hand over it. “Rose was unaware of the danger to herself, as were you. Would she want you to suffer like this over an innocent mistake?”
He had a point. Sequoia sniffled and lifted her face from his shirt. “No.”
“Very well. Rose will be fine in a matter of hours.” He caught her chin, lifting her gaze to his. “Remember, I cannot lie.”
Sequoia produced a watery smile. For someone who didn’t understand love, he was doing a great job of calming her anxiety. “I might just make a good mortal out of you yet.”
He shuddered. “I don’t think so.”
Surprised that she could laugh, Sequoia placed a light kiss beside his mouth. “Thank you, Ewan.”
“For what?”
His puzzlement made her laugh again. “For being you.” This irritating faery was turning out to have more facets than she’d expected.
A slow smile crossed his face as he pulled her closer, his eyes twinkling. “And thank you, Sequoia.”
Despite the aching heat that pulsed through her, Sequoia managed to speak. “For what?”
He kissed her, long, slow, deep, drawing her into a pool of sensuality where she’d gladly drown. Just as her hands moved to link around his neck, he drew away.
Flames blazed in his eyes and his smile held a mixture of heat and humor. “For making love with me.”
She blinked. “What?” True, one single kiss had her halfway there, but she wasn’t about to jump into bed with him. “I’m not making love with you.”
He let her draw away from him, but his gaze continued to hold her. “Perhaps not now. But you will.”
“I’m not about—” Sequoia stopped herself. Why bother talking to an empty room?
He was gone.
Rose groaned as the mantle of sleep eased. Every muscle in her body ached. Hell, everything ached. She’d been hit by a truck—a truck that had had the nerve to back up and do it again.
Wincing, she opened her eyes but saw only blackness. Had she gone blind?
She blinked several times, then eased out a breath as the darkness molded into shades of gray and vague shapes. Okay, it was night. What was going on? Where was she?
As she shifted, she realized a heavy arm was thrown over her waist. Gasping, she slid from the bed, landing with a plop on the floor. She hadn’t done anything stupid...had she?
She struggled to remember. The last thing she could recall was going to the hospital with Sequoia, the children...the wish.
“Rose?” Brand switched on the lamp by the bed as he sat up. He wore his tuxedo shirt and pants, and his expression was haggard. “You’re awake?”
“I think so.” There had better be a rational explanation for why she was in Brand’s bed and he was lying beside her. “Why am I here?”
“We brought you here after you collapsed so Ewan could heal you.”
“Heal me?”
Brand leaned toward the edge of the bed. “Why are you on the floor?”
“I...ah...no reason.” Rose pushed herself to her unsteady feet. She wasn’t about to admit her fears to him. “What do you mean by heal me?”
“By wishing to heal those children, you gave away your life force to replenish theirs. You almost died.”
“Died?” Rose sank onto the edge of the bed. “I remember feeling weak, dizzy, like I had no energy.”
“You collapsed.” Brand’s eyes were dark despite the nightstand lamp. “Fortunately Ewan knew what was wrong and managed to save you.”
She’d almost died? True, her body ached something fierce, but she hadn’t seen any bright light, didn’t even feel weak any longer. “I guess I owe Ewan, then.” She grimaced. “But I’m still not going with him.”
Brand laughed and rested his hand on her shoulder. “You scared me half to death, Rose.”
His touch was warm, sending slow ripples of heat through her veins. “I would think you’d be glad to get rid of me.” She tried to keep her tone light, but failed.
“Do you really think that of me?”
She met his gaze, then shook her head. He would no doubt be thrilled to see her leave him alone, but he wouldn’t wish her dead. Her pulse jumped as he continued to look at her, and she searched for a change of subject. “What time is it?” He sat between her and the clock.
He glanced around. “Almost two.”
“In the morning?” Had she slept over twelve hours?
“You needed to rest.” Brand ran his hand down her arm, pausing to hold her hand.
How was she supposed to think coherently when he did that? “But your show?”
“I showed up, though I consider it among my worst performances. I was distracted.”
His meaning was clear, but she chose to ignore it. Her heart was already racing. “Did you...did you fly?”
“I did.” He smiled. “It hasn’t worn off yet.”
“That’s good.” She eased her hand free of his and scooted a couple inches away. Any distance had to help at this point.
“I’m sorry, Rose,” he said abruptly.
She frowned. “Sorry?” What had he done now? Her eyes widened. Had he taken advantage of her unconscious state? “You didn’t...?”
“What? No, oh, no.” He produced a wry smile. “I’m not quite that desperate. I want to apologize for this morning.”
The morning seemed like years away. Rose had to struggle to recall the events.
“You were right. I was thrilled when your magic worked for me and condemning when it worked elsewhere. That was hypocritical of me.”
For a moment she couldn’t speak. He was actually admitting it? “I...I’m glad you realize it,” she said finally. “Does that mean you’re not going to hate me for having magic anymore?”
“It means I’m going to try.” Brand pushed off the bed and walked around to stand before her. “And this...this thing today made me think.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” She tried to tease, to break the seriousness of the mood, but the slight smile he gave her in response wasn’t enough to do so.
“Usually.” Brand captured her head between his hands, his hold gentle. She dreaded his next words. “This deal of ours is stupid.”
“I won’t argue that.” But it was necessary for her to gain entry into his world.
He grinned and kissed her, a brief caress that nearly caused her to dissolve into a puddle right there. “I want to cancel the bet.”
“But...but...” Was he throwing her out? Again?
“You can stay. Do your worst.” He dropped his hands and turned to face the patio windows. “But you don’t have to leak magic anymore.”
Rose stood. Was she hearing correctly? “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying the deal is off.” Brand pivoted to face her across the dimly lit room. “You can use your magic.”