Catalina stepped carefully through the thick, dry undergrowth, scenting the unfamiliar flora, making certain nothing out of the ordinary lurked nearby. She’d been exploring ShadowDance Mountain, getting her bearings again after her strange experience yesterday. Something about her experience the day before felt too much like a warning for her peace of mind.
Today, she’d followed Brigitte’s suggestion and focused on familiarizing herself with the perimeter, but the directions Alex Lamont gave her were sketchy at best. He’d been dead set against her going alone, only relenting when she’d explained she planned to shift before setting out. Okay, saying he’d relented might be an exaggeration.
The truth was she’d taken advantage of his silence when he’d only stopped objecting after being rendered speechless. It always amused her when the smartest people were the most surprised to learn the world around them wasn’t as black and white as they imagined. Learning the full scope of magic and how it surrounded them always set people back on their heels.
Zach Lamont was less surprised since he’d seen her shift for himself, but he’d still seemed a bit surprised by the sheer scope of magical activity on ShadowDance Mountain. Since she didn’t know much about either man, aside from what Ian McGregor had shared in casual conversation, Cat would reserve judgment about their acceptance.
The men had known shifters exist, but as Zach pointed out—hearing about something and getting to witness it for yourself are two completely different things. Being told was always more abstract and allowed for doubt. Seeing for himself left Zach without that small cushion of the uninformed. A woman’s soft curse brought Catalina to a halt mid-step.
“Damn it all to the sun and moon. I know those clovers grow in this spot. I’ve seen them up here for years. Why the tarnation can’t I find them today?” Peering through the thick branches of a young pine tree, Catalina was grateful she was in her wolf, keeping her from laughing out loud. The woman had to be pushing eighty, but the clothing she wore made her look like a hippy on steroids. Two different color high-top tennis shoes, wild colored striped socks, and frayed bellbottom jeans made Cat blink as she tried to reconcile the elderly woman and her outrageous clothing. Maybe the petite woman fried her brain with hallucinogens in the 60s. Cat knew Colorado had been a refuge for many of those who hadn’t outgrown the counterculture movement of their youth.
According to the report she’d read on the flight from Texas, several of the small towns deep in the Rocky Mountains were originally founded by miners. Years later, the little hamlets were taken over by hippies who lived off the land, relishing the fact they needed little contact with the outside world. Now that she thought about it, Cat realized the woman in front of her might well be the oldest living hippy on earth.
“You might as well come out and say hello. I know you aren’t from around here, or you’d already know I’m harmless. Shazzle, you might even be able to help me find the clovers. If I go back to the store without them, my damned sister is going to lecture me about wearing my specs. Goddess above, those things are a pain in my ass.” Cat didn’t know who she was, but she wasn’t sure the spritely older woman needed her glasses if she’d spotted a wolf hidden twenty yards away.
Shifters had survived for thousands of years by avoiding humans they didn’t know, particularly when they were in their wolf, so it took Cat a few seconds to convince herself it was safe to step out into the open. Taking a deep breath, Catalina ducked under the low branches and emerged into the small clearing. The woman stopped foraging to look at Catalina, studying her eyes without focusing on the rest of her wolf. Most humans were surprised by a shifter’s size, and Cat couldn’t remember the last time one of them looked into her eyes.
“There is something familiar about you. I don’t know what just yet, but I will figure it out. Let me tell you, getting old isn’t for sissies.” She shook her head and chuckled, “I’d like to talk with you rather than to you.” Digging into a satchel so large, Cat wondered how the diminutive woman carried the damned thing. The little spitfire muttered what sounded like an illumination spell before a bright light flared inside her cavernous bag.
With an exclamation of triumph, the petite bundle of energy pulled the ugliest coat Catalina had ever seen from the depths of the satchel and tossed it in front of Cat’s wolf, then turned her back. Before she could think better of it, Cat shifted and pulled the coat around her.
“Thanks for the coat.”
The woman turned around, the huge grin on her face until the light of recognition flared in her eyes.
“Brighten?” Shaking her head, the gesture making her wobble enough, Catalina moved quickly, reaching forward to steady her. “No, that can’t be right. Brighten and her husband were killed in a car accident. Oh, my stars and garters… You’re the Keeper of the Promises. You’re the one the Magic Council has been watching. You’re Catalina.” Keeper of the Promises? The phrase sounded vaguely familiar, but Cat wasn’t sure why.
“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage.” The woman smiled at Catalina’s polite reply before extending her hand.
“Opal Stone. I am thrilled to meet you. My sister and I own a magic shop near here. My sisters and I were friends with your great-grandmother, but that’s neither here nor there and definitely a story for another day. What are you doing here?” When their hands first touched, Catalina felt the distinct sizzle of magical energy. She might not know who Opal Stone was in the great scheme of things, but there was no mistaking the intensity of the other woman’s magical power.
“I’m sorry if I’m trespassing. I was worried I was no longer on ShadowDance Mountain, but Alex’s directions were sketchy.”
“Well, you are still on land owned by the Lamont family, but I’m afraid you’re well beyond what locals consider ShadowDance Mountain.” The witch looked as though she was reading Catalina.
Her expression was one Cat had seen on Israel’s face too many times to count. Taking time to look closely at Opal Stone, Catalina worked to hold back her smile. Opal’s shoes were decorated with rhinestones and sequins, her striped knee-high socks were iridescent—evidently, she’d gotten the teen memo about life being too short to spend time matching socks—and the coat Opal wore dwarfed her, reminding Cat of the times she’d raided her brothers’ closets.
“What did you mean when you called me the Keeper of the Promises?” Catalina saw the other woman stiffen before she’d even finished the question but assumed there was another issue when the witch seemed to be focusing her attention over Cat’s left shoulder.
“Hello, Catalina. I see you’ve met my sister.” Cat had only met Ola Stone a couple of times and hadn’t made the connection between the two women. After all, Stone was a common name in the magical world. From what Cat remembered, Ola was a direct descendant of one of the oldest magical genetic lines.
“It’s nice to see you again, Ola.” Cat spun around and gasped. As a shifter, her enhanced hearing made it difficult for anyone to sneak up on her. She hated being startled and pressed her hand over her heart, trying to make certain it didn’t beat out of her chest. Finding the ranking witch from the Magic Council standing within arm’s reach was damned humbling.
Cat hated being dressed in nothing more than a borrowed coat. She was freezing now that she was back in her human form. Ola nodded once, and with a quick wave of her hand, Catalina found herself clad in jeans, boots, a wool sweater, and a thick down jacket. “Thanks. Did you just happen along, or were you looking for one of us?” Catalina didn’t believe in coincidences.
“I was hoping to speak with you before anyone mentioned what many in the magical world consider your destiny.” Ola’s eyes briefly flickered to her sister, frustration pursing her brightly painted lips before her expression softened and her gaze returned to Cat. “You have the best of your mother’s and father’s skills. The Magic Council wants to speak with you about your future. We’d like to help you fulfill your destiny. Remember… great gifts come with greater responsibilities.”
“I’ve just started a business I love. I have recently mated, and I can’t imagine him being thrilled if I decided to live underground.” Cat knew she was treading on thin ice, but the truth was, she didn’t want to give up everything she’d work for all these years to become a trainee in some real-life version of Hogwarts.
“Cooper is already being actively recruited by the Council. We’ve been talking with him for some time. Your career plans and happiness are the reason our negotiations with Cooper have been stalled for so long. It’s important you know there isn’t a single council member who believes you should give up your career. Even though Ian McGregor isn’t one of ours, the two of you are going to create a unique form of magic, working together. What we’ve seen in your future will keep a lot of people safe. You don’t have to live underground. The apartment is for your convenience during meetings or training.” Cat must have looked surprised when the other woman waved her hand, and a holographic image of a beautifully decorated apartment slowly rotated in front of her. When it disappeared, Ola chuckled. “It amuses me when magicals seem surprised to see magic—it defies logic.”
“Don’t be a snob, Ola. Catalina didn’t have enough time with Brighten to be fully exposed to everything she should have learned. Why don’t you be a mentor instead of a critic?”
“I’m not a snob. If you and Ruby are content up here in the middle of nowhere, selling trinkets and potions, it’s none of my business.”
Catalina might have been offended on Opal’s behalf if she hadn’t seen the twinkle in Ola’s eyes. Cat and her sisters had similar long-standing battles that didn’t mean anything, and she understood the underlying affection behind the banter. Listening to the two sisters bicker made her wish the five of them lived close enough to spend more time together.
“Such a tragedy… so many people killed by the dark forces trying to reassemble the magic totem. Your mother was a shining light among us, and even though all of the losses were felt deeply, hers was particularly painful.” Catalina felt the burn of tears but refused to let them fall. Crying never changed anything. Opal’s eyes seemed to glaze over for no more than a heartbeat before she grinned.
“There’s a man closing in fast. I just got a glimpse of him in my mind’s eye, but he’s a looker.” Opal looked over Cat’s left shoulder, holding up five fingers, then four… three… two… one. Cat couldn’t hold back her grin when Cooper burst through the thick brush.
“There you are. Holy shit, you move fast in your… Oh, I wondered who you were talking to.” Smiling at Ola, he extended his hand. “Nice to see you again, Ola. Are you responsible for my mate’s clothes? I was worried she was naked out here in the cold.” His eyes flickered briefly to Opal, but it was easy to see he’d noticed the resemblance. Without waiting for an introduction, the flamboyantly dressed woman stepped forward to introduce herself.
“I was right—you’re definitely a looker. Nice to meet you, young man. I’m Opal Stone. It seems you have already met my older sister.” Catalina could have sworn she heard Ola growl, and it took every ounce of willpower she possessed to keep from smiling. Ola waved her hand in Opal’s direction, but the sparks flying from the tips of her fingers bounced off what looked suspiciously like a clear shield. “Old tricks for old witches.”
“You have always been a pain in my ass.” Turning to Catalina and Cooper, Ola shrugged. “It’s true. I am older… by ten minutes. You’d think it was ten years the way she carries on. And look at the way she dresses. I swear to the sweet Goddess, it’s like she flunked out of Shriner Clown School.”
“Ignore her, she’s just jealous. Shopping at Fuddy-Duddies-R-Us sucks the happiness right out of people. I’ve seen it happen too many times to count… of course, they were all with Ola…”
Cat couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. She didn’t care if the others were looking at her like she’d grown a second head. Within seconds, she could feel Cooper shaking with laughter from where he’d pressed against her back. When Catalina was finally able to take a breath, she swiped at the joyful tears rolling down her cheeks.
She hadn’t laughed so hard since before her kidnapping. Something about the witches’ banter opened the floodgates of her emotions—it felt as though all the fear and negativity of the past few months drained away. Was it their magic? Probably, but she didn’t care. The only thing she could think about was how wonderful it felt to have her life back.
Ola Stone watched Catalina closely, amazed at the change in her aura. The murky gray that had surrounded her for months evaporated into a mist as the younger woman’s laughter filled the crisp mountain air. As twins, she and Opal had always been able to read each other in ways no one else ever fully understood. They’d sensed sadness lurking behind Catalina’s calm exterior and had instinctively known what it would take to break through the veil the dark side tossed over her.
Ola doubted the young witch understood the curse she’d been living with or how much worse it would have been if Cooper hadn’t gotten her out when he did. The men who’d been paid to detain her had gotten greedy and decided to extract information they could sell. Rather than notifying their bosses where they’d taken her, they’d tried playing both sides against the middle. Thank Goddess, Franklin Cordesi still had enough criminal and dark magic contacts to discover where she was being held. Cooper’s rescue had come just in time. The physical injuries she’d sustained had been significant, but the dark magic she’d been repeatedly exposed to had been far worse. Franklin Cordesi’s anonymous call to Cooper set up Catalina’s rescue, but it had been Brigitte Stafford’s alert last night that brought Ola to ShadowDance.
Ola had hoped to arrive before either of her sisters happened upon Catalina. But, as luck would have it, being the trouble magnet that she was, Opal had been front and center when Ola arrived. It had always amazed Ola how easily her sisters could find themselves in mischief. Ola knew Opal and Ruby would recognize Catalina on sight. The young witch’s resemblance to her mother was uncanny. The dark magic masked some of the similarities, but the two of them had been friends with the family too long for Opal and Ruby to overlook. Some of her physical traits and the unique magical signature of Catalina’s genetic line were unmistakable. Now, with the curse lifted, the resemblance was impossible to miss.
“Thank you. I haven’t laughed so hard in so long, I was afraid I’d forgotten how. I’ve felt like I was living under a cloud since my rescue.”
“Dark magic works in many ways, Catalina. Your mother didn’t have time to teach you everything you need to know, or you would have recognized the spell you’ve been living under.”
“Opal is right. By the time Brighten discovered they were being targeted because of the piece of the totem she was guarding, it was too late to teach you what you needed to know. She was supposed to leave you a letter instructing you to contact the council, but it seems to have slipped her mind.” Ola knew Brighten wrote the letter—what she didn’t know was what happened to it after her death.
“Oh. Well… shoot. I have the letter, but for so long, the pain was simply too raw to think about opening it. After my rescue, I knew I was teetering on the edge of imploding… I couldn’t open it and risk losing my tenuous grip on sanity. I always felt it was slipping through my fingers.” Cooper’s arms came around her, cocooning her in his warmth and infusing her with his strength. She felt the hot burn of tears and knew she was going to lose the battle—damn, she hated crying. Some women looked like Southern belles when they cried. Catalina wasn’t one of them.
“When you’re ready… we’ll read it together, Princess. Remember, you don’t have to face these things alone anymore.”
His words were comforting, but Catalina knew it would take a while for her to fully embrace the fact she was mated. The relationship between fated mates was stronger than nonmagicals who were married. Divorce was unheard of—the bond between fated mates was so strong, most mates died within months of one another.
Are you reminding me to play it safe, so you don’t follow me to the grave, mate?
Catalina was grateful Cooper’s teasing pulled her back from an emotional ledge. Feeling a definite shift in the air around them, Catalina turned her focus to the two witches. Damn, for a couple of octogenarians, they moved much faster than Cat would have expected—before she could open her mouth to speak, they’d each taken a position on either side of where she and Cooper stood. Opal and Ola’s backs were to the couple they were protecting, their bodies braced in the same defensive stance. Their wands magically appeared in their wrinkled hands—not a good sign. The most powerful witches rarely used their wands unless they were facing life-threatening danger.
The hair on the back of Catalina’s neck stood on end as electricity crackled around them. Black smoke began to swirl several yards from where they stood, never fully taking shape. She caught glimpses of a human form, but the icy breeze made her eyes water too much to see clearly. Despite everything, the undeniable sense they were dealing with a powerful entity swept through her.
A feeling of sickening familiarity washed over her, and Catalina knew she’d encountered the same energy before. The moment she recognized it, Cat fought to stay in the moment. The last thing any of them needed was for her to tumble headlong into a flashback-fueled panic attack.
The mist swirled ominously closer but seemed to sense the threat posed by the Stone sisters. Trying to stay focused on the danger surrounding them wasn’t easy when a flash of red lit up the area behind them. Within seconds, a third woman joined them. Dusting off her pants, she grinned before positioning herself with her back to Cooper’s.
“Sorry, I’m late joining your little soiree. I was cleaning in the storeroom and didn’t hear your message.”
“Let me guess, you had your stereo blasting out oldies rock. You’re going to ruin your hearing, Ruby.” Opal’s criticism must have rolled off her sister because all Cat heard from behind her was snickering.
“Don’t get your bloomers in a twist. You know Steppenwolf’s Magic Carpet Ride is meant to be played full-blast. It’s not like you really need my help.”
Holy Herman’s Hermits, you called in the damned Calvary, and they are descending as we speak. Catalina was surprised when the woman’s voice floated through her mind. I’m Ruby Stone, the much younger sister, I’m sure these two have been raving about. Let me guess, Opal didn’t find any of the clovers I need since she’s about a thousand yards too far east. I swear she can’t find her way out of a wet paper bag without GPS.
Cooper’s chest shook with laughter as he continued pressing against her back. Just what they needed, the damned dark magician to think they were laughing at him… or her. It seemed odd Catalina remembered not knowing the entity’s gender during any of its visits while she’d been held in that damned squalid cell. The thought was followed by a more rapid swirling and tentacles reaching for her—the long fingers looking like something from the cartoons.
“Really? That’s just lame. You didn’t need to tell everybody I was in the wrong place. Damn, that’s just mean. We called you so you wouldn’t feel left out. Good grief, we know Mr. Smoke and Mirrors isn’t a real threat.” Opal’s faux offended tone made Cat grin.
“Sister, don’t challenge Little Donnie Dark. I bet he stayed up all night perfecting his scary look.”
Oh, geez, now Ola’s poking the bear.
“Don’t you think it would be better if we waited until back-up arrives?” Cooper’s question made Catalina rolled her eyes. Leave it to an operative to think… well, like an operative. He leaned over her shoulder, turning her face to his, a brow raised in challenge. “Did you just roll your eyes at me, Princess?” Oh, for the love of all things holy. He was going to go all Dom on her now? Did the man have no sense of self-preservation at all?
The dark swirl of energy drew nearer, nasty looking fingers moving closer and closer. The icy feel of the fingers stretching their reach toward her—the smoky tendrils were emitting a bone-chilling energy so terrifyingly familiar, it drove every rational thought from her mind.
I’m so glad you remember me, Catalina. Our time together in your rat-infested cell was cut short. Another day and you’d have come with me willingly.
Catalina’s entire world narrowed to the voice echoing through her mind. When she tried to block it, pain lanced under her forehead. Wisps of memories she’d tried so hard to push out of her mind started to surface.
Aww, I see you are beginning to remember our conversations. Your mother was supposed to be mine. I’d spoken for her when she was still an infant in her mother’s arms, but her family ignored my claim. I would have gained a gifted witch as my wife and access to the magnetic piece of the totem—the piece with the ability to pull the others to it. I didn’t get the totem, but you’ll make a fine wife. Together we’ll swing magic’s pendulum and rule over the dark side.
When no one else appeared to register the dark magician’s menacing promise, Cat realized she was the only one who’d heard it. Knowing she’d been singled out sent ice racing through her veins.
You’ll take her place. Your magic is more powerful than Brighten’s. Purer in your innocence. If you had only stayed in that bloody cell just a little longer, you’d have been mine. I’ve waited, but now the time has come.
“No, I am already mated.” She’d intentionally responded aloud to alert the others to what was happening. “I’ve been claimed. You’ll have to find another.”
“No! You belong to me.” This time the frightening voice boomed all around them, the enraged sound filling the entire area. Everyone around her jumped in surprise. Before Catalina could open her mouth to respond, all hell broke loose. Brilliant flashes of light, the clattering of what sounded like swords, and an unearthly scream Cat knew she’d hear in her nightmares forever. When the smoke cleared, the three women surrounding them were covered in dark smudges and what looked like thick oil.
“Fudge, I hate being slimed.” Opal flicked her wrist, sending a large glob of the foul-smelling goop sailing into the air.
“That kids’ television network thinks they dreamed up sliming—what a joke. And lime green? It’s just pathetic, I tell you.” Ruby moved to stand between her sisters, looking from one to the other and giggling. “Guess I shouldn’t complain, you two look like you got the brunt of it. What do you want to bet Audric looks like he just stepped off the pages of GQ?”
“You flatter me, Ruby.”
Catalina would have laughed if she hadn’t been so damned relieved to see the Magic Council’s most powerful wizard move out of the perimeter shadows. Ruby was right—as usual, Audric Stafford looked like he’d just stepped out of a men’s fashion magazine, not a snow-white hair out of place or a smudge anywhere to be seen. Brigitte stomped out of the shadows, looking much worse for wear.
“I don’t know how he does it. I swear he is covered in the same non-stick coating as those frying pan hawkers sell on late-night television.” With a simple wave of her hand, Brigitte fixed her clothing and everyone else’s as well. “That shit has to go… it reeks of death and destruction… and I’m not in the mood.”
“It happens when evil explodes.” Audric gave them an apologetic smile before moving closer. Catalina laughed to herself at his pristine appearance. Her father had been the same way. He could walk through a burning coal mine and come out the other end with his white dress shirt crisp, clean, and looking as if he’d just picked up at the dry cleaners.
“Too bad the bastard didn’t evaporate sooner. I hate slime.” Opal shook her head in disgust. Audric stopped in front of her and frowned as he took in her clothing.
“Goodness, who dressed you like an old lady?” Audric’s tongue clicked, the scoffing sound so Old-World, Cat wanted to roll her eyes. “This will never do. No, indeed. It hurts my eyes to see you dressed in such depressing garb.”
Catalina snickered as the conservative garments Brigitte had given Opal morphed into clothes Cat had only seen on American Bandstand and The Midnight Special. Good grief, she’d watched some old shows during her travels, and it showed.
Opal looked down at her new clothes and fist-pumped into the air. Bedazzled jeans, a shimmering silk shirt in the brightest shade of pink Cat had ever seen with a faux fur vest, topped pink sequined high-tops with rainbows on the side.
“Damn, skippy. These threads are cool. You always did have excellent taste, Audric.”
“Great Goddess, Audric, don’t encourage her. At some point, she needs to start dressing like an adult.” Ola rolled her eyes, but Catalina noted there wasn’t any heat in her words.
Holding out his arms, Audric grinned when Ruby and Opal didn’t hesitate to loop their wiry limbs with his. “Come on, ladies, let’s go to the Lamonts. I happen to know they are expecting us. If we’re lucky, they won’t cover up that gorgeous glass table, and we’ll get to enjoy some of their kinky foolery like that pretty girl said in that Fifty movie.”
“Dad! Holy shit. Talk about too much damned information.” Brigitte’s full-body shudder made Cat grin. “We’ll meet the four of you there.” Without missing a beat, Brigitte grasped Catalina and Cooper by their upper arms, her grip surprisingly firm for such a petite woman. Before Cat could warn Cooper about what was coming, she heard the unmistakable whooshing of ley line travel. The last thing she heard before Cooper’s gasp was Brigitte’s muttered, “Hopefully, we’ll get there in time to warn the Lamonts about the geriatric hippy invasion.”