Spiritbound Read online

Once in the hall, the bubble and crash of noise and people was overwhelming at first. Grace tried not to appear chickenhearted, even though she kept behind her mother as she threaded her way through the crowd, searching for her cronies.

  Elena slipped her arm through hers and led her off to a corner before Elvira had reached her goal—a group of coven council members. ‘We don’t want to get stuck with that lot. We’d never get away.’

  With a laugh, Grace patted Elena’s hand. ‘You’re right. I forgot about that technicality.’ With Elena sheltering her from view, she stood in the corner, looking at the crowd but not actually seeing it. ‘You think you can score me a drink?’

  ‘Sure, I think sparkling wine tonight. I’m feeling bubbly and happy because well…just because.’

  Grace grinned at her and waved her away. ‘Hurry, I need that drink.’ When Elena disappeared into the crowd, Grace composed herself, trying not to meet anybody’s eye. She was here, but not socialising. Being there was enough effort for one evening.

  A familiar voice reached her.

  ‘Grace?’ Declan walked up to her. ‘You look amazing.’

  Grace didn’t want to look into his eyes so she kept her gaze lowered. ‘Thank you.’ She hoped he would go away, hoped Elena would come back quickly.

  Declan didn’t walk away as she’d expected he would. She lifted her head and saw him studying her, a smile on his face, genuine interest in his gaze.

  Music started up, the beautiful flowing notes of a flute, the rhythmic beat of a drum. A violin started, adding its clear notes to the melody.

  Declan edged closer. ‘Will you dance with me, Grace?’

  She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. With a large smile, he encircled her with his arms and drew her into the dance. Their movements were slow and sensual. He held her lower back so that she pressed against him, whether she wanted to or not. She could scarcely pull her wits together. Being this close had her thoughts in broken bits. She couldn’t assemble them.

  She’d not expected him to want to speak to her, let alone dance with her in front of everyone. They danced in front of his parents. Grace looked away but not before she caught the look of hate on his mother’s features. It really was too much.

  They’d angled round the floor near to where she’d first been standing. ‘Please can we stop now?’

  Declan lifted his head and put distance between them. He studied her face. ‘If you’re sure.’ He went to walk away and paused. Running his hand through his hair, he said, ‘Look, Grace, I wanted to apologise for what happened, for my part in it.’

  Grace couldn’t look at him. Her heart was thumping loudly, her stomach coiled with tension. ‘It’s okay. You don’t need to say anything.’

  He leaned in close, kissing her on the ear lobe. ‘I’ve missed you. It’s so good to see you again.’ Those dark eyes glinted as they studied her face.

  There was a cough behind them and Declan swung round. ‘Elena. You look fantastic. I love the whole peasant look.’

  Elena laughed. She turned around, letting her peasant skirt flow out while keeping the contents of the two champagne glasses she held in place. ‘I made it myself.’

  Grace’s jaw dropped. ‘You did?’ How had she missed that?

  ‘Yes, I made it in my craft class. I’ve taken an option to learn how to sew and it’s so much fun.’ She passed over a glass of champagne.

  Grace took the champagne gratefully and gulped down half of it. Her nerves were getting the better of her. They both kept their gazes on Declan and he shrugged. ‘Best be going. I can see your mother heading this way.’

  Declan disappeared into the crowd. Elena scanned the room, keeping a look out for him. After a few minutes, she observed, ‘He wasn’t going to get away that easy. Elvira has cornered him by the bar.’ Elena clinked glasses with Grace and then laughed.

  ‘What’s so funny?’

  ‘Life in general,’ Elena replied.

  Grace nodded, taking another sip of her wine. A few other acquaintances waved and headed in their direction. She couldn’t deal right then. ‘Can you excuse me for a minute, Elena?’

  ‘Sure,’ Elena said, lifting lifted her glass in a salute. ‘I’ll catch up with you later.’

  Grace kept on the edge of the room, working her way around the crowd, only occasionally having to divert around a table full of witches and warlocks chatting away animatedly. She stopped by the bar to get a refill of her sparkling wine. It was there she felt a hard tap on the shoulder. ‘Yes?’ She turned around to be brought up short by Delores Mallory. Declan’s mother grasped her elbow and dragged her to the back door. Grace clung to her glass, hoping not to lose all the contents.

  Dumbfounded, Grace didn’t have the wits to wrench her arm free. Delores let her go when they reached their destination, a quiet room. His mother leaned in close. ‘Stay away from my son, you harlot.’

  Putting distance between them, Grace took two mouthfuls of wine and placed the glass on a nearby table, readying her thoughts. ‘I am staying away from your son.’

  ‘It didn’t look that way to me. Before you try for him again you should know he is with Danila now. They are going to join with each other. He had her naked on our back lawn just the other night.’

  ‘How nice for you all. It’s got nothing to do with me. I understood that Declan didn’t want to settle down, but if he’s changed his mind, I’m happy for you all. Now, if you’ve got nothing else to say, I would like to re-join my family.’

  Grace turned away. ‘You come from bad blood,’ Delores shouted. ‘You’ll never be good enough for my son. You’ll never be good enough for any warlock. I’m glad the line dies out with you.’

  Shaken by the vitriol in her words, Grace ran out the back door instead of joining Elena. She had no time to find her mother and was too upset to hail her.

  She ran down the long drive and smack into the back of Declan. He spun and caught her before she fell. ‘Are you hurt?’

  Grace had banged her nose. Drops of blood spanned the skirt of her dress. ‘Don’t touch me. I’ve had enough of you and your horrible family.’ She burst into tears.

  Declan had a hold of her and wouldn’t let go. ‘What are you saying? What’s happened?’ He glanced up the drive to the hall then back at her.

  ‘Can’t you leave me alone? She told me you’re joining with Danila and I don’t care. I don’t care that you had her naked on the back lawn. I don’t care how many of those bitch-witches you fornicate with, I just want to be left alone.’

  She pushed out a surge of magic and he let go, leaving her to continue her flight down the driveway and out onto the road. Leaning over, she took deep breaths until she calmed enough to hail her mother. She wanted to be taken home.

  By the time the car cruised down the driveway Grace was in control of herself, although she still wanted to leave. Elvira did a double-take when Grace slid into the front seat but said nothing. Elena was less restrained. ‘What happened to you?’

  She realised they were wondering about the blood on her dress. ‘It was just an accident. I couldn’t stay in there with blood on my dress.’

  ‘I guess not,’ Elena commented from the back seat. Grace noted the look her mother shared with Elena. They both knew she could have spelled it off in a flash.

  Grace was past caring what they thought. Rubbing at her upper arms, she stared out the window, trying not to think about what a bad idea it had been to come out. Part of her cherished that moment in Declan’s arms, knowing that he had forgiven her in some small way. But his mother, she was beyond cruel. She wanted to hurt, and hurt Grace deep. That was repulsive to her on every level.

  They remained in silence all the way home. Grace wanted to go straight to bed, but Elvira pressed her to drink a cup of hot chocolate. They were quiet, but she knew they would talk about her after she’d gone to sleep. Both of them had seen her dancing with Declan.

  ***

  Declan took long strides down the driveway, heading into the hall. He didn
’t know what had upset Grace but the change in her demeanour from when he’d danced with her until she’d bumped into him was so pronounced, he suspected that either Danila or his mother had said something to her. When he got to the door, his father was waiting. ‘Do you mind driving us home? Your mother is not well.’

  Declan chomped down on the angry retort he was about to let fly. ‘Sure, I’ll go get the car.’

  When he pulled up, his father assisted his mother into the back seat and then slid in beside her. It must be bad, he thought. Although his father was very attentive when his mother had one of her spells, he usually let her sit in the back on her own.

  Declan looked in the rear-vision mirror. ‘Are you are right, Mother? I’ll get you home soon.’

  ‘Bad blood!’ she hissed, then spat. Declan’s eyes widened. ‘She’s a monster with bad blood. She even looks like him. Same eyes. Same skin.’ His mother looked up, her face transformed by a twisted mouth and bulging eyes. Her voice rose in pitch. ‘The same evil, ugly, dark hair.’

  Fear trembled in Declan’s gut. His turned his head towards his father, who was stroking his mother’s head, whispering soothing words. ‘Dad?’

  His father shook his head. ‘Don’t listen to her, Son.’ Their gazes locked. ‘Seeing the Riordon woman shocked her. Wasn’t expecting to, I’m guessing.’

  ‘Grace?’

  ‘I told her,’ she began to chant. ‘She can’t have him, she can’t. He had Danila on the lawn. I saw them. I saw her naked. She can’t have him. He’s joining with Danila.’

  ‘Dad? What is going on?’

  His father shook his head, his jaw slack with surprise. ‘Er…I believe there must have been a confrontation.’

  ‘You bet there was. I bumped into Grace. She could barely speak she was so shaken.’

  His mother continued to chant. None of it was making any sense, but he guessed what had happened. His mother’s wishes and dreams for him had all twisted up with her hate. ‘You need to get her seen to, Dad. She is not well.’

  ‘She is convinced that Danila is the one for you. Can’t you consider it, for her sake?’

  Declan turned around and stared out the windscreen. The suggestion shocked him. Deep down he knew he couldn’t do it, no matter the loyalty and the love he had for his family. He couldn’t give up his future happiness like that.

  He didn’t want to settle down just yet and he really didn’t like Danila. There was no connection, no joy in being with her. She was like some sucking vine, with the potential to drain the life and hope from him. He shook his head. He wasn’t normally driven to such lengths, but he had a real aversion to that woman. He sucked in a breath, deep into his lungs. Danila had been unbearably cruel to Grace. That was the first cut of dislike and it only got worse at each encounter, until he had an open, festering wound where that witch was concerned.

  ‘I hate that witch with a vengeance. I’d rather be celibate and live in a cave until my dying day than join with her.’

  His father spluttered. ‘Steady on. What’s got into you?’

  Their eyes met through the rear-view mirror. ‘Dad, I have no feeling for that stupid little witch that mother’s taken a fancy to. She’s shallow and nasty. More importantly, I will choose my own mate.’ He gripped the steering wheel. ‘I’ve told you both and I’m telling you again, I don’t want to settle down yet. I have other plans. One day I’ll have kids. But not now—not because you want me to. If I want to join with a woman, it will be because I want to, because I love her and want to be with her. Can’t you understand that?’

  His father coughed. Declan’s eyes slid to his mother. She was out of it, eyes unfocused, mumbling away incoherently. ‘Yes, Son. I do understand.’ He drew his wife to his shoulder and she relaxed, breathing deeply. Declan reached out with his senses and realised his mother slept. His father spoke in hushed tones. ‘I joined with your mother because it was how things were done in those days. Parents and the coven decided who would be together. I’ve stayed with her because she can’t exist on her own. She needs me. She needs you.’

  Declan threw his head back, hitting the headrest. ‘Dad, you have to get some help for her. There’s got to be something that can be done to help soothe her mind. I have to tell you now that I’m wise to the emotional blackmail. I’ve lived with it for years, but here and now I draw the line. You, both of you, stop meddling in my affairs and leave Grace Riordon alone.’

  ‘You can’t be serious. After all we’ve done for you.’

  Declan let out a sigh. ‘I’m perfectly serious. We’re heading for a major breach here. If I walk away I won’t come back. You get her seen to.

  His father reached through from the back seat and clasped him on the shoulder. ‘But I need your help. I can’t do this on my own.’

  Declan started the car and headed for home. He gripped the steering wheel so hard his wrists ached. It was as if he hadn’t spoken. Was his father as far gone as his mother? The future looked bleak. His heart was heavy with guilt, love and duty.

  By rights he should go to Grace and apologise for what his mother had said. He didn’t want to give rise to expectations with her family. Elvira had warned him not to break her daughter’s heart. If you’re not serious, she’d said, stay away.

  He cursed under his breath as he took the corner and then braked suddenly as a stray dog ran across the road. He cared for Grace, deeply. More deeply than he’d realised until he’d seen her so distressed. Yet he wasn’t ready to commit.

  Chapter Six

  Grace lay awake for most of the night. Every sound had her springing off the pillow and her gaze to the window. He wasn’t coming. He wasn’t coming to soothe her hurt or apologise for his mother. He wasn’t coming to tell her that the story about him and Danila was a lie. Scenes of him making love to Danila in the dark, under the moon, with the scent of grass in the air played out in her mind, Danila’s long, blonde hair dancing against her back as he thrust into her.

  ‘Stop that!’ she grated against the pillow, her fists clenched tight. ‘Stop tormenting yourself.’

  As she fought her emotions, fought the disappointment, she realised it had to stop. No more angst, no more drama. She had to get back her equilibrium, restore order to her mind and stop upsetting those she loved. As the morning sun speared through the windows, Grace was sitting on the bed, ready to start the day.

  With a look in her mirror, she saw that the slight bruising that had come out around her eyes was fading and the self-healing she’d administered had dispersed the pain. She ran a finger down her nose. All good, as far as she could tell. No break. She checked the date. It was a teaching day. She sent off a hail to the head witch, letting her know that she was happy to take the class. The reply was rather tetchy. Grace giggled into her hand. It was 5.30 a.m. Oops.

  After taking a shower, she sat at the kitchen table and had her lesson planned before her mother or Elena stumbled into the room. The aroma of coffee had lured them there.

  ‘Grace?’

  ‘Morning. I made an omelette. Coffee is ready. I’ll be teaching this morning, so is there anything you want me to do on the way home?’

  Elvira poured a cup of coffee, sugared it and then nursed it in her palm. ‘It’s way too early to be thinking.’

  ‘Are you up to cooking for us tonight?’ Elena asked.

  Grace took a sip of her own coffee and then sighed with delight. ‘I am. You want my special?’

  Elena nodded. ‘Sure do.’

  ‘Mexican feast, sure thing. I’ll pick up all the ingredients on the way home.’

  Elena sat down next her. ‘Great.’ Then as Elvira headed to the bathroom, Elena leaned her head against Grace’s. ‘I’m so glad you are feeling better.’

  ‘Me too.’

  ***

  Her students were very cooperative that day. The smell of fresh-baked bread filled the classroom. They had made No Prove Bread and fresh butter. Not waiting for the bread to rise a second time meant they could complete the lesson during
class. A bit of help from Grace in speeding things up also made sure the families got to taste the freshly prepared food. The butter had been churned with sour cream and joy; the bread kneaded with good health balm, enough to lift the eater’s spirits. It was all gentle magic and fun for the class.

  Although she wasn’t looking forward to bumping into Declan, she was a bit surprised that he wasn’t teaching the older children that day. As usual her pupils took all her attention, and she was quite surprised when the first parent came to collect their child. For the next twenty minutes she was saying goodbye, chatting to parents and tidying the room.

  Pat Leahy, the head witch, came in before she left. ‘It’s good to have you back, Grace. The children missed you and your gentle magic.’

  Grace looked up from groping in her cavernous handbag for her keys. ‘It’s good to be here. They were particularly well-behaved today.’

  She picked up her handbag from the desk, the sack of leather that held a goodly portion of her possessions, and shook it, hoping to dislodge her car keys.

  ‘Declan won’t be around for a while.’

  Grace stilled and lowered her handbag to the desk. ‘Why? Has he given up teaching the children already?’ She didn’t mean for that to sound waspish. She chewed her lip and faced Pat.

  The head witch shook her head. ‘They’ve taken Delores to the Blue Mountains. There’s a healer up there. Apparently, she had a bit of a meltdown at the joining celebrations the other night.’

  With raised eyebrows, Grace nodded, trying not to let on that she was hurt or surprised by the news. ‘I’m sorry to hear Declan’s mother is not well. I hope things improve. The children liked his lessons.’

  Grace turned back to her bag and used a little spell. The keys leaped into her palm. Pat moved toward her, hand outstretched, pausing before actually touching her. ‘Declan asked me to relay to you his regrets about anything his mother might have said to you. He asked me to assure you that she wasn’t herself.’

  Grace’s eye widened. ‘I…er…I’m not—’

  The other witch smiled. ‘I best let you go. Pierre will be here soon to run the adult class on medieval magical history.’