Beauty and the Beastmaster - Linda Winstead Jones Page 0,67
“You know damn well what I plan to do. Why would you be so foolish as to think…”
He moved quickly, and soon had her throat in one hand. He held her in place, but did not squeeze.
“Change your plans. Stop trying to shut this town down and find a spell that will allow us to take our magic beyond the town limits,” he insisted.
“Impossible.”
“Sounds to me as if what you plan to do on the equinox was once thought impossible.”
“If I open the town instead of closing it down, people will leave. There will be nothing left of Mystic Springs, and eventually that will mean the end of all magic that was born here.”
“You can’t know that.” He squeezed. Jenna lifted her eyebrows in censure and he relaxed his grip.
“On Thursday evening, at the precise moment of the Vernal Equinox, I’m going to cast a spell that will trap us all here. If you want to keep this power you’ve found, you’ll stay. Or you can leave before then and revert back to the little man you’ve always been. There is no other option.”
She was foolish to insult him while he had her life in his hands. Did she think her own magic would save her?
“If you can close the town off from the rest of the world, you can do the opposite. You can open the town up, you can fix it so I can be myself anywhere. Everywhere.”
“That would cause chaos.”
“I like chaos.”
“I’m sure you do.”
Her smile faded. “To be honest, I don’t have the power required to remove the protections that keep the magic of Mystic Springs contained. All I can do is strengthen the shield, take it a step further. Maybe after we’ve had time to heal I can do as you ask.”
“Why wait? You just need a little help.” He stroked one side of her throat with a once-threatening thumb.
“No one can or will help me,” she said, pouting. “Well, no one powerful enough to be of any real help. I’ve been hiding, planning, working on the sly and getting those with lesser magic to play a small role. Non-Springers like your ex-wife make the job infinitely more difficult. That’s why I wanted her out of town.”
He was powerful enough, he knew it, felt it. “If I kill her…”
“No,” she interrupted. “Violence this close to the spell will taint it. It’s not a spell that calls for blood.”
“There must be another way. Surely it would be better to open Mystic Springs than to close it down.” He didn’t want to stay in this little town, and he didn’t want to give up what he’d found. One way or another, he always got what he wanted.
Jenna hesitated. “Some might think so. The results could be devastating, if the spell doesn’t go well.”
He smiled, stroked that thumb again. “Teach me what I need to know.”
Judge led the search party of six down sidewalks, across yards, through hedges and across residential streets. Too often the bloodhound was confused, got turned around, lost the scent. Since Judge never lost the scent he was focused on, he was soon frustrated.
So was Silas.
The obstacle was magical, he was sure of it. Some sort of ongoing interference was the reason no one in town had latched onto Jenna’s spell before now. That was why she’d been able to put her plan into motion with little opposition.
He knew, had known all along. He should’ve told.
After going around in circles for several minutes, Judge led the search party across Main Street, toward The Egg a ways, and then into a quiet neighborhood. They were moving toward the river, and everyone present was well aware of that fact. Gabi started to walk faster, to urge Judge on with encouraging words.
When the dog took a turn that led them all at an angle, Gabi breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t the only one.
Judge stopped in the front yard of the Bed and Breakfast Elaine Forrester had once owned. The old woman had been run out of town after her attempt on Marnie’s life last year. No one had cared to take the place over, not with tourism at an all-time low in Mystic Springs.
How many tragedies had been connected to that damn spell? It had started with the old librarian’s murder, last year. Then the excitement with Marnie as others tried to find the spell Alice had discovered. Now this.
Who knew how long it had been going on? Before his time, before his father’s time,