Spiritbound Read online

  ‘A book?’ The red-faced Elena gasped out.

  ‘Yes, a book from school.’

  Elena crawled into a sitting position on the floor and rested her head on the sofa cushion. ‘You mean like sex education?’

  ‘That’s the one.’

  Fatigue was wearing Grace down so she wished Elena good night and staggered down the hall. She took a hot shower, climbed into her pyjamas and rolled into bed. Fel wasn’t on the bed cover so she assumed the cat had taken up residence with Elena for the night. A light wind ruffled the curtains and weak moonlight bathed the yard. She laid back on the bed, fatigue numbing her limbs and slowly seducing her mind to sleep.

  Lips on hers jolted her awake. She sat up in bed and scanned the room. No one was there with her. It had seemed so real. After taking a few deep breaths, she calmed back down again and closed her eyes. Lips were on hers again and her eyes flew open. This time she could taste the magic in the air. Lunging out of the bed, she raced to the window and threw it up. ‘Declan?’

  Shrubbery ate the sound of her voice. She stood motionless, listening. It couldn’t be a dream. That was definitely magic. Could he have sent that kiss all the way from the Blue Mountains? Perhaps. Maybe.

  There was no point in going back to bed. Not if she was either dreaming of kisses or being kissed magically. She slipped on a thin robe and stepped outside. Stars flickered faintly overhead, drowned out by the light of the city. The wind had scented the air with salt from the harbour. Leaves rustled and then she turned. A tall silhouette stood there. She closed her eyes and reached out. It was Declan, whole and healthy.

  He was there in an instant, his warm body enveloping her, his face buried in her hair. ‘Grace.’

  Silently she held him, too choked up for words. He released her and she lifted her head to gaze at him, touching his cheek with the back of her finger. It was a sweet face.

  ‘You saved me. I owe you my life.’

  Grace shook her head. ‘No, you don’t.’

  ‘But…’

  ‘Shhh…’ She placed her finger on his lips. ‘You have your life, Declan. You owe me nothing. You are free to go, if that’s what you want.’

  ‘I felt your presence.’

  Grace widened her eyes. She’d thought he might have done, but wasn’t sure. ‘What do you remember?’

  ‘I remember your love for me.’

  ‘Figures.’

  He cupped her face. ‘I love you, Grace. Leaving you was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I realised my mistake and was heading back when…you know. Now after the accident, I realise that life is too short to put off what you want to do, what you must do.’

  ‘What are you saying?’

  ‘I want to join with you. Settle down.’

  Grace stepped back and rubbed at her upper arms. ‘This isn’t you talking.’

  ‘No, don’t go.’ He drew her back into his arms and rested his forehead against hers. ‘It is me talking. I would have died if it weren’t for you. But it’s not gratitude that brings me here. You knew I loved you before I left, but I was so confused and pig-headed that I didn’t value you the way I should have.’

  ‘That’s true.’ Grace smiled to herself. ‘Your parents would never agree to you joining with me. There are stacks of other witches dying to be with you.’

  ‘Not as many as you would think?’

  Grace’s mouth dropped open. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Apparently there is a rumour circulating that I’m rather under-endowed where it counts.’

  ‘Oh?’

  He grabbed her to him so that she draped against him. ‘Really, Grace. Under-endowed?’

  She had a rather healthy impression of his endowment at that moment. ‘Well, you had to be there.’

  ‘Danila? Figures. I didn’t sleep with her. She did take off her clothes, which is where my mother got the idea. I told her to put them back on. I was rather ill-tempered, actually. I may have said she disgusted me, which isn’t very gentlemanly but I was provoked.’

  ‘I knew you hadn’t slept with her. Or if you had, you’d made a poor impression. No one could have been laid by you and been so unaffected.’

  ‘Grace Riordon, if you don’t stop talking like that I’m going to stretch you out on this bit of lawn and have my way with you.’

  Grace kept on talking. She liked the smell of dewy grass. ‘I mean, I could hardly walk after—’

  Declan had her under him so fast she didn’t realise until she saw the stars overhead. ‘Is that a battle mage technique? Because it could come in handy to—’

  Her words were cut off by Declan’s savage kiss. She rather liked his rough and ready approach and responded in kind, tugging his hair as she thoroughly explored his mouth with her tongue.

  Wrestling in the grass had advantages. She wasn’t likely to fall off anything as they squirmed and writhed together. Declan was growling as he aggressively tugged down her pyjama bottoms, gaining access to her more than willing labia.

  However, she wasn’t taking that lying down, so she raked her nails across his back where she’d been previously enjoying his smooth skin under her fingers. Declan grabbed a handful of her hair and kissed her soundly. They tumbled together with her in a pyjama top and he in jeans half down his backside. That wasn’t good enough. Grace gripped a butt cheek until he squeaked. ‘Take them off,’ she demanded.

  Too busy with his hands to comply, he magicked them off. Tugging at her pyjamas was getting him nowhere. ‘Tear them,’ she said breathily as she bit his shoulder. The sound of the material ripping tipped her excitement over the edge. Her heart thudded in her belly before leaping to her throat. She had to have him inside of her. There was a space where he was meant to be and if he didn’t get to it, she was likely to rip his head off from sheer need.

  ‘Take me now.’

  ‘No.’ He paused, cradling her head in his two hands and kissing the tip of her nose.

  ‘No?’

  ‘No.’

  She scrunched up her brows and started flicking through possible hexes she could hurl at him. ‘What are you doing then?’

  He sighed. ‘You don’t get it. I love you, Grace. I want to be with you. Have a life with you. I’m serious. Take a look if you don’t believe me.’

  With trembling hands, she traced one eyebrow and then the other. With a soft inhale she slipped inside. He was golden and warm and a thousand times more powerful than when she’d last shared this space with him. His love for her penetrated her deep. Gone were the confusion and the anger. A kernel of love pulsated for her.

  Grace revealed herself to him. All the love she had stored away. Their minds were still entwined as he entered her. Their bodies moved together slowly, so caught up in the love they shared, a bridge between their essence and their bodies. When they came together, Grace was tugged deeper into Declan and there she experienced his inner beauty and the power of him. He loved her. He wanted to be with her. His hopes and dreams were there. Silently, she assured him that he could pursue them. She would stand by his side.

  Later as the sun rose, they lay together. ‘Declan?’

  ‘Yes,’ he said as he rolled her toward him and kissed her forehead.

  ‘Will you want children?’

  He kissed her nose. ‘Yes.’

  She snuggled into him and he spoke into her ear softly. ‘Do you mind if we hold off for a year or two on having a baby?’

  She drew back, watched his mouth has he spoke, not quite believing they were having this discussion when a few hours ago it had seemed impossible. ‘I know there’s pressure and all that from the coven, but you have things you want to do. I have things I want you to do, with setting up a school for teaching battle mages.’

  She cupped his face and stared longingly into his dark eyes.

  ‘Will that make you happy?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes.’ Her voice was soft, dreamy, sated.

  ‘I take it then that you’re agreeing to join with me.’

  ‘Y
es,’ she said in the same languid way.

  ‘And are you tossing Randy Roger away?’

  Her eyes widened. ‘Not quite yet.’

  He grabbed for her, but she rolled away and ran into the house, putting up a shield so no one would see them running naked. Declan thundered after her.

  Grace hailed Elena to let her know it was just Declan. They headed for the shower, where she took great delight in soaping him all over and washing him off. Declan had a bit more trouble accomplishing the same task with her.

  He’d started with her breasts and before he’d moved to other parts of her body, he flattened her face-first against the wall and took her that way. Grace loved to have him inside her. The water and the soap washed away, leaving his erection piercing her again and again.

  By the time he was done, she was limp. He carried her to bed, dried her off and then rolled under the covers with her. Grace had been ready for sleep until Declan put his mouth on her. It didn’t take long before she was screaming his name. Grace cringed when she realised the amount of noise she was making. They’d have to get a special ward for their bedroom when they joined. She hoped her mother wasn’t home. It had been embarrassing enough the last time.

  Sufficiently alert, Grace attacked Declan’s cock with her tongue. It didn’t take him long to start shouting her name, equally loudly. They were definitely going to need a special noise-reducing ward.

  A satisfied grin on her face disappeared when Declan tossed her back against the mattress and fell on her, dragging her hips and skewering her within seconds. Her breath grew ragged as he pumped into her. She arched her back, meeting him thrust for thrust. Using her witch sense, she touched his mind. A minute touch was enough to send her spiralling into ecstasy herself. Declan was in the moment. It was grind and grind and rippling electricity, from his cock to his gut. Grace’s sex throbbed as her climax broke over her. Utterly shattered, she lay in Declan’s arms until her stomach rumbled.

  ‘You’re hungry. I’ll get you something.’

  ‘No. It’s all right. I hailed Elena. She’ll bring us something.’

  Declan nuzzled with his nose below her ear. ‘Smart witch.’

  It was moments like these where one put up with one’s cousin’s cooking. The smell of coffee and burnt toast reached them a short while later. ‘Maybe I’m not so smart.’

  Declan dragged the tray in that Elena had left outside her door. She sent her cousin thanks and scraped the charcoal off her toast and layered it in jam.

  They were drinking their second coffee when they sensed the others arrive.

  ‘My mother.’

  ‘My parents.’

  Grace cringed. ‘I think your clothes are on the front lawn.’

  Declan dived out of bed and went to the window. Their clothes flew into his hands. ‘Not anymore.’

  Grace climbed out of bed and winced as she stood. They had been rather vigorous. ‘I suppose we have to face them.’

  Grace dreaded meeting Declan’s parents again. Could she have a relationship where the parents of her partner hated her so much? Family was everything to her. It was her life, her centre. Elvira could and did care for Declan. Elena and he had been close since Elena had come to live with them. Could she live within the centre of two circles, where she wasn’t loved? She loved Declan with her whole self.

  A lot could be sacrificed for that love. But in her heart she knew that unkindness, hatred and being shunned would wear her down, would impact negatively on them. What of any children? Could she really bring them into a family that was riddled with such negativity? Right then, she needed the wise words of her mother. Although the decision would be hers, she valued her mother’s council.

  Grace slipped on some jeans and then limped around the room, looking for some shoes. Declan sat on the bed and watched her, a lopsided grin on his face.

  ‘What’s so funny? Meeting your folks is not a joke.’

  ‘I know that. But seeing you limp will certainly dispel the rumours about my…’ He waggled his little finger. ‘My mother was quite shocked when she heard the rumour.’

  Grace bit her lip. ‘You’re funning me. She couldn’t have heard that.’

  He leaned over and tapped her on the bottom. ‘I’m not funning you. Lighten up. You might be surprised.’

  He stood up and bowed and then held out his elbow. ‘Come on. Let me assist you from the room. I believe your mother has summoned us.’

  Chapter Eleven

  Grace’s stomach was doing flip-flops. Her life would be affected by the next ten minutes. She would either be certain of where she was going forward or suddenly bereft. Declan would stand by her, but she couldn’t bear to be the cause of a major rift.

  Her mother stood, moving from foot to foot. On the sofa, Rohan and Delores Mallory sat. When their eyes fell on Declan, they visibly relaxed.

  ‘So good of you to join us. I believe it’s time we all had a little chat, don’t you?’ her mother said, with a layer of smugness in her voice.

  Declan fetched up two dining chairs and brought them over. He grinned at his parents and then grinned at Grace.

  Grace sat down, straightened her top, and fiddled with her socks. She moved over slightly to make room for Declan. ‘So, what is it we need to discuss?’ Declan asked.

  Delores sat forward and quickly dropped her gaze to her knee where she played with the hem of her skirt. ‘Son…is this the witch you have chosen to join with?’

  ‘Yes, I’ve chosen Grace.’

  ‘Are you sure about this?’ his father asked. ‘You were confused before. You told me you didn’t want to settle down.’

  ‘That’s true. I didn’t want to settle down just yet. But it’s always been Grace for me. I told her before I left that that if I was to settle it would be with her. Now, after a near-death experience, I realise there is no point putting off what you want to do. You need to do it and as many of the things you want to do while you can. I didn’t think I could have Grace and the things I wanted. Now I know I will make it work.’ He glanced and her and took her hand. ‘We will make it work.’

  Elvira sat down in a chair and hitched it forward. ‘You see, I told you. What is to be done?’

  ‘Done? Why does anything have to be done?’ Grace asked.

  ‘Well, you can’t stay here accommodating this under-endowed warlock rather noisily.’

  Grace sucked in a breath as her face radiated heat like a beacon. ‘Mother? Who told you about that?’ To Declan’s parents she said, ‘I’m so sorry. I don’t normally say such things…’

  ‘She was provoked,’ added Declan with a wide grin.

  ‘Elena told me.’ Elvira snuck in.

  ‘She’s such a blabbermouth.’

  Rohan and Delores looked from one to the other, a question on their lips.

  Declan took pity on them. ‘Danila.’

  Delores nodded, but appeared none the wiser. ‘My son is not under-endowed. Well, he wasn’t last time I looked.’ Her husband jabbed her in the ribs with his elbow.

  ‘They can have our house. We will move to the house at Leura,’ Rohan Mallory said.

  Delores sought Grace’s gaze. ‘That is, if it is all right with you?’

  Grace opened and shut her mouth and jerked her head at Declan. Picking up her cue, he thanked his parents. ‘I haven’t had a chance to talk to Grace, but I’m sure that would be great. She’s too overcome to speak.’

  Grace was overcome. She was expecting recriminations, yelling, screaming and perhaps hair pulling. She waggled her eyebrows at her mother.

  Elvira inclined her head, a slight smile evident. ‘That is very generous of you. I will assist them with their own furniture. We will need to consult with the council about a joining ceremony.

  ‘By the way, Grace darling, in light of your services to the coven, you have been offered work for the council. Real work.’

  Grace shared an incredulous look with Declan. He appeared to be taking it in his stride. He must have known. This must be the
thing he said she needed time to do. Looking around the room, to her mother and his parents, she was amazed. She’d never in her dreams expected this moment would come. They were discussing her joining with Declan calmly. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Grace wanted to say over and over again that she didn’t understand. It was meant to be difficult. As she listened to their parents discussing their union, she let go of the tension, the ropes strapping her heart up tight.

  It was then the tears started. She wiped at them and sniffed. She didn’t mean to cry. Declan lifted her hand and kissed her knuckle. ‘You knew,’ she accused, sniffing loudly.

  He tilted his head and grinned. ‘I had an inkling.’

  ‘Grace?’ her mother said.

  Grace shook her head, not quite able to speak. She didn’t want to mind speak to her mother either, because the others would know and that would be rude. This was an uneasy alliance at best. She didn’t want to offend them.

  ‘Mother, please thank the council, but I think I want to spend some time with Declan first and then I’ll talk to them about a job. You know, get to know each other. But in a few months, I’ll be ready.’

  Delores stood up suddenly. ‘Please, will you all give me a moment alone with Grace?’

  Declan’s eyebrows twitched and then he stood up. His father led the way. Elvira was not as keen to leave until she got a nod from Grace.

  Delores took a few steps around the room. She scrunched her dress in her hands. ‘Forgive me. I don’t know where to begin. There’s so much…’ She sat back down again. ‘I must thank you for what you did for me. I was a tormented person. I didn’t realise what I had been carrying all those years.’ She made eye contact with Grace. ‘You don’t realise how easy it can be to hate, how easy it is to fester. You were always so full of joy, even when you were young…especially when you were young. I was envious of you even then, of Declan’s love for you. Nothing seemed to separate you.

  She reached out a hand. Grace took it, although she was reluctant. On contact she could tell that Delores spoke the truth from the heart. ‘I can see with clear eyes now and a clear heart. I ask you to forgive me for how I treated you.’