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A Touch of Prudence

Magic, New Mexico Kindle World Novella

By Evelyn Lederman

Chapter 1

Outer World Planet: Coalition Class C

Dreyden’s heart skipped a beat when he saw colors swirl across the nameless, faceless woman’s arm. Last night must have been a complete blur if he had not noticed the colors cascading over his mate’s skin. It was the sign she was his chosen one.

Disappointment radiated from his inner core when Dreyden realized the shifting hues caressing her skin were the result of light reflecting off a prism hanging from the window. He had spent so much time on space stations, he forgot what happened when natural light hit crystal.

Too often he woke not knowing what planet he was on. Such was the life he chose being a Star Ranger. The woman beside him would join the large volume of women who entered and exited his life to placate his body’s craving. A constant need he never seemed able to satisfy.

His thoughts were interrupted when his communicator vibrated. It appeared he would not require an excuse to leave the sleeping woman before she woke. The chances of seeing her again were slight, if nonexistent.

He grabbed the device and headed for the restroom. The communique would be confidential. Besides, he did not want to run the risk of waking his bed partner.

As the overhead lights illuminated, Dreyden stared into his light blue, icy eyes reflected in the mirror. That particular characteristic identified him as a Glacian. It had been years since he saw the icy planet of his birth.

“What?” Dreyden barked into the communicator. He knew who was on the other end of the call and what she wanted. The display revealed his boss, Passion, ready to give him another assignment.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Passion crooned. “Drey, I want you to head to Earth and covertly check on Frost. It is imperative those strange beings in Magic, New Mexico, did not let the rest of the planet know that extraterrestrial life exists. The Ruling Director had no business making a special deal with those creatures. There are protocols to follow to allow new planets into the Coalition.”

He hated when Passion used the informal “Drey” when she addressed him. No one else dared to call him that. There was nothing casual about their relationship. It was strictly business between them, regardless of what Passion thought. She read too much into one drunken night’s activities. Memories of that night were still sketchy.

Dreyden was used to retrieving dangerous criminals, not fulfilling personal vendettas. Passion had not taken well to Frost’s retirement from the Star Ranger ranks. He had made his intent to leave clear long before he ventured to Earth. Frost’s life changed dramatically when he met his chosen one on that distant, primitive planet.

“I will journey to Glacier and travel to Earth through the intergalactic portal between our worlds,” Dreyden informed his superior. He had not witnessed the portal produced from a magical spell, but certainly heard about it.

“No,” Passion barked. “I do not want anyone on Glacier, or that backward planet, to know about your mission. If there is a breach in the ill-conceived agreement between them and us, they will attempt to hide it from you. You need to mingle with residents and tourists alike and listen to what is being discussed.”

Dreyden did not understand Passion’s obsession in destroying the accommodations made for the citizens of Magic. But she was his boss and he had no choice but to follow her orders. Maybe a change in his routine would be a good thing, regardless how distasteful he found the assignment. He was tired of chasing the scum of the universe across galaxies.

“Affirmative,” Dreyden said and turned off the device. He had no desire to lapse into a personal discussion with Passion.

He crept into the bedroom and collected his discarded clothing. Faint memories of the previous night started to return. His eyes once again caught the light playing tricks on her naked back. Dreyden mourned what could have been.

He left the sleeping woman and dressed in the living room. When he finished, he headed for the faucet in the kitchen and quenched his thirst. His ship was fully stocked with packaged nutrients and he would break his fast after he left this planet.

As he drank, he looked around his surroundings. The unit was the typical moderately priced apartment similar to many that flanked space ports. His companion for the night was also representative of the women who frequented bars near the port. They did not have the resources to go off world, so the women connected with men who were short-term visitors to add a little excitement to their otherwise boring lives.

This particular unit was sparingly furnished and did not include many personal items to add life to the sterile space. He pulled out several accepted currency bills for Coalition space and placed them on the kitchen counter. The money was not payment for sex, but recognition of the good time they experienced together and the night’s accommodations. Sharing a bed with a willing woman was preferable to sleeping alone in some flea ridden, cheap motel room.

Dreyden slipped on his boots and left the apartment, making as little noise as possible. If the girl was awake, she was probably waiting for him to leave before she started her day. No doubt, she was anxious to see how much he left her. The momentary realization she could have been his chosen one made him unusually generous.

When he reached the space port, his Tridbarrian transport was easy to find. There were not many ships docked on this isolated planet.

His former quarry must have felt home free escaping to this world few Star Rangers knew existed. Dreyden always did his homework and arrived here before the fugitive did.

His bounty was wanted dead or alive and the escaped prisoner made it clear he would not be taken alive. The authorities on this planet disposed of the body and paid him handsomely. Their willingness to pay for a dead criminal would discourage others from escaping to their world.

He walked up the ramp and jumped onto the hull of his ship. One of the port’s attendants had washed the space debris from the craft. The clean metal reflected the sun’s rays and he squinted as he entered the security code to gain access to the upper hatch.

Dreyden lowered himself into the craft, shutting the hatch above him. With the revenue from his last job, he had an automated closure mechanism installed. He listened to the suction clamps engage before he continued to the cockpit.

He fired up the engines and put Earth’s coordinates into the ship’s computer. Orange lights flashed, indicating he had entered an unsanctioned world. Dreyden overrode the system and buckled himself in for takeoff. Regardless of how many times he exited a planet’s atmosphere, he could never stand the strain it placed on his body.

The docking clamps released the ship and Dreyden navigated out of the structure. The craft’s boosters engaged and launched him through the planet’s gravitational pull. He gritted his teeth as the G-forces attacked his body.

He activated the automatic pilot as soon as he was in open space and sat back in his seat. He closed his eyes and envisioned his perfect female. She was his constant companion during long space journeys. His imaginary mate kept him sane. If he were truly blessed, one day she would become a reality.

Chapter 2

Earth: Magic, New Mexico

Prudence Hardt pulled over as soon as she felt the protection spell that enveloped Magic, New Mexico. It had been years since she felt such power and needed a moment to collect herself. She had not been exposed to magic since the break with her mother.

When her mom, Sara Hardt, passed away eight years ago, Prue had been a sophomore at Indiana University. She had not been home since she started college and had cut all ties with her mother. Her mom had abused the art of magic and Prue wanted nothing to do with that world.

Stopped on the side of the road, she was tempted to turn around and return home. Forget the two-week vacation she wrangled at work. No inheritance was worth being exposed to magic again.

Her eyes roamed to the passenger seat with the letter from her grandmother’s attorney informing her she had been left a large house and a hefty bank account. The lawyer refused to settle the estate remotely, demanding she return to Magic. She promised herself to sign the papers and meet with the real estate agent who already had the house on the market. The woman who ran the broker’s office was at least flexible and willing to work with her.

Prue put the car in gear and headed into town. The people walking the streets appeared normal, but she knew it was all an illusion. A powerful spell masked the appearance of werewolves, trolls, pixies, and other fantastical creatures who populated the town. Tourists would come into Magic and interact with mythical creatures and be unaware they were not human.

A familiar structure appeared on the right and Prue parked in front of the mercantile store. She had lived the first six years of her life in Magic and her childhood friend’s parents owned the establishment. She wondered if Patience would recognize her after all these years.

The store bustled with activity. People were shopping, and the far side of the store was under construction. The magical spell disguised the dwarfs working on the addition making them appear human. Her trained eyes saw them for what they were.

“Can I help you?” a tall, athletically built black man asked. He was extremely good looking and had the most incredible green eyes. They reminded her of a photograph she had seen in a National Geographic of a South American jaguar. “Excuse the mess, we are adding on to the store. Patience wants to increase inventory she offers.”

“Actually,” Prue said, “I’m looking for Pati.” She used the nickname her best friend went by instead of the more formal version the man used.

“Prudie?” a voice from behind uttered. “There were rumors you’d return after your grandmother passed away. I’m sorry about your loss. She was a sweet old woman.”

Pati still had light blond hair and striking green eyes like those of the man standing before her. Something about Pati’s eye color bothered her, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.

The girls’ favorite color when they were growing up had been purple. They used to beg their mothers to buy them matching outfits in that color. Today, Pati wore a violet tank top and a colorful short skirt. Prue’s wardrobe transitioned to a lot of black and white, plus earth tones. She had a couple of daring outfits in red that hung in her closet, never worn.

There was a wedding ring on Pati’s finger. How Prue wished they had never moved and she could have been part of her best friend’s wedding. She never connected with anyone like she did with Pati. For years, she attended weddings of work associates and sat at the business acquaintances’ table at the reception. The parties were painful from the start and she was always one of the first guests to leave.

“Thanks,” Prue responded. “I should have come back and visited my grandparents, but my mother would not allow it.”

Since they were not alone, Prue didn’t go into her family’s dirty laundry. When her mother died, her grandmother did not call or even bother to send a condolence card. Any thoughts of visiting Magic was quashed at that point. It surprised Prue her grandmother had not left her estate to a charity.

“Well, nothing much has changed,” Pati admitted.

“Obviously, something has,” Prue said as she took her friend’s left hand to get a better look at the ring set.

“Oh,” Pati exclaimed. “This is my husband Danyal.” Her friend came closer and whispered in her ear. “He is from a parallel dimension and is a jaguar shifter.”

Her first reaction to Danyal had been eerily correct. The abilities Prue had as a child seemed to have already re-manifested themselves once she returned to Magic. There was something about this place that pulled magical energy she had long abandoned. Her mother discouraged her from using magic, but lost herself in trying to become a more powerful witch any way she could.

Prue knew nothing about her father and her mom never shared information about him, no matter how many times she asked. Whatever she inherited from him lay dormant as long as she stayed away.

A hand took a hold of her wrist. “Prudie,” Pati said, pulling her from her train of thought, “Are you all right?”

“Just daydreaming, I guess,” Prue admitted. She did not elaborate on what.

“Don’t worry, you’ll find the right guy one day,” her friend said. “I wasn’t even looking and the next thing I knew, I’m hurdled into a parallel dimension and a large cat is in front of me.”

“I knew you were my soul mate as soon as I saw you,” Danyal interjected.

Wouldn’t it be nice to find the right man? She did not believe in soul mates, but there had to be someone out there besides the losers she always ended up with. Losers was probably a strong word, but they always left her wanting more.

A chime sounded, indicating another customer had entered. Pati got a mischievous look on her face. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”

Prue watched Pati approach a handsome man and carry on a short conversation. The stranger looked in her direction and she wondered what Pati was up to. It didn’t take long for the two of them to join Prue and Danyal.

“Hello, dog,” Danyal said.

“How is the little kitty doing today?” the dog asked.

From their tone, she knew the men were involved in some harmless banter. Prue remembered she had gone to school with werewolves before she moved.

“Prudie,” Pati said, “do you remember Chase?”

She couldn’t help but smile at memories of the rambunctious boy who was her first crush. Chase had not shifted at that point, but during a full moon, he had more excess energy.

“Of course, I remember Chase,” she said as she awkwardly went into his embrace.

No fireworks or skyrockets went off while being held by him. After hearing about soul mates, Prue was disappointed she was not immediately impacted by Chase’s touch. He was certainly drop dead gorgeous!

“I should head to my grandmother’s lawyer’s office before it closes,” Prue said. It was a good excuse to make her exit.

“Join us for dinner tonight, Prudie,” Pati said. “Chase, you are invited too. Why don’t you pick her up at her grandmother’s place at seven?”

Before Prue could object, Pati had gone off to help a customer and Danyal went to assist with the construction. She tried not to have Chase see how rattled she was.

“Pati is a shameless matchmaker since finding her own soul mate,” Chase told her. “Now she wants everyone to be as happy as she is. Sorry about the dinner ambush. If you want to take off, I will make some type of excuse for you.”

She couldn’t help missing the look of disappointment on his face. What was one dinner, anyway? “No, I’d love to join the three of you. A girl has to eat, after all.”

“Super,” Chase said, excitement replaced his earlier disappointed expression. “I’ll pick you up for dinner at seven.”

Prue smiled. “Let me write down the address.”

“There is no need,” Chase commented before she could pull out a pen. “I used to ride by your grandmother’s house everyday as a kid hoping to see you.”

Prue never realized her crush had not been one-sided. She wondered what would have happened had she not moved away. Maybe she would be hearing the pitter patter of little werewolf feet if she had stayed. Too bad there was no immediate chemistry between the two of them.

The chimes rang again, indicating another customer had entered.

Something within her stirred. That piece of her that was awakening was once again activated. Prue got an uneasy feeling. Leaving the store, she still felt anxious. What about, she didn’t have a clue.

Chapter 3

Dreyden landed his ship in the canyons outside Magic, New Mexico. He found a location where the craft would not be visible overhead and was off the beaten path. Only small animal life was evident in the area. No sign of human inhabitants for miles.

Frost had earlier navigated through the blind spots in the Earth’s array of satellites and radar capabilities. The Coalition automatically downloaded new navigational information each time any ship docked in a facility within their large alliance of planets. Now, any member of the Coalition could use the route first plotted by Frost. Closer to the surface, Dreyden switched on his ship’s cloaking functionality.

Per procedure, he set his craft’s self-destruct programming. If anything happened to him, his ship’s advanced technology would not fall into Earthlings’ hands.

He hooked his communication device to his utility belt and unbuckled the straps that bound him to his chair. Dreyden was not looking forward to the assignment. There was not a subtle bone in his body. He was used to finding and retrieving a target, not the clandestine garbage Passion wanted.

Impact tremors sounded as he walked along the metal grill leading to the hatch’s stairs. He pushed the button releasing the ship’s single exit. A code was required to enter the craft, not to evacuate.

Dreyden landed on solid rock after he jumped from the top of the craft. The cave entrance was fortunately dry and his footing steady. He surveyed his surroundings to ensure his ship’s location was as hidden as it previously appeared from above.

He checked the latch’s security from his utility belt, then navigated his way out of the canyon. Various systems within his ship were readily available to him through the small device. Unfortunately, the self-destruct functionality required he physically be in his vessel. Dreyden gave himself five days to survey the area and report to Passion before he left this primitive planet. He was due a vacation before he took on his next assignment. It had been too long since he felt the comforting chill of Glacier.

Solid rock gave way to smaller rocks, dirt, and plant life. There was a serenity about this section of Earth’s surface. It was so different from the frozen mountains and vast ice plains that covered his home world, but he felt a strange sense of home. If Earth ever became part of the Coalition, he would have to come back and explore more of the planet’s beauty.

He quickened his pace, now anxious to meet the people who lived in this enchanted land. Dreyden wondered if they were partially responsible for the odd things he was feeling. Animals popped their heads out of holes in the ground and around rock formations to witness him moving toward town.

Two boys on two-wheeled conveyances approached him as he came near the outskirts of Magic. Dreyden pulled his sunglasses out of his pack to hide his unusual light blue shimmering eyes, at least where Earthlings were concerned. Contact with primitive planet inhabitants revealing extra-terrestrial life was forbidden. He did not want to have to wipe the dark-haired boys’ minds or worse. It was obvious he was their destination.

“You here to see Frost?” one of the boys asked.

Nearly cutting off his brother’s speech the other twin asked, “Why didn’t you take the magical gateway?”

The boys clearly knew Frost and figured out where he was from. “I wanted to surprise my old friend,” Dreyden lied. “Will you keep my secret until Frost’s birthday?”

He had no idea when Frost celebrated the day of his birth, but it seemed as good as any cover story.

“Yes!” the boys exclaimed in unison. Their eyes grew large with excitement.

“I’m Jonah,” the boy with the white hat said. Communication from his home world spoke of the unusual residents of Magic, including the two boys. One of them had spent time on Glacier and was a reason the treaty between his world and the town was enacted.  He knew which was which without assistance. “This is Joseph. We’ll keep your secret. Is there going to be ice cream?”

The boys walked beside him until they were just short of town. They asked numerous questions about the party, most of them he could not answer. It was a good thing the event was not going to be held. From what the boys told him, celebrations were more complicated here than on Glacier.

His traveling companions said their goodbyes and pedaled off. Dreyden was sad to see the boys go. He unexpectedly enjoyed their company. The young Earthlings were so full of life and energy. Maybe he had been a Star Ranger too long. He was used to seeing the worse aspects of life in the universe.

When he entered town, he moved to the small walkway to avoid the vehicles cluttering the street. The planet had rudimentary transportation conveyances. They still had not discovered a means to move people at any speed without polluting the air they breathed. Such technology would get them closer to being invited to join the Coalition.

A naked man jogged past him. Several people stopped to gape, but most people took his appearance in stride.

“That is Jerry Jenkins,” a woman beside him commented. “On the third Thursday of every month, he runs beside a visiting relative no one else seems to see.”

Dreyden turned in the direction of the voice. A pretty, pale woman in her early thirties stood before him. “You would not have happened to see two boys on bicycles? They were supposed to stay on the main street, but they never seem but to wander off.”

“I saw them outside of town,” Dreyden said. “It appeared they were heading to the cemetery.” He had noted the boys’ destination when they separated. There were very few unique ways to deal with a planet’s dead across the universe.

“Thanks,” the woman said. “It’s not Wednesday, I don’t know what is going on with those boys. Anyway, welcome to town. Tourists are always welcome. We’ve got great shops and restaurants. Tours are available if you are interested in seeing more of the desert or canyons that surround our beautiful town. Hit the mercantile store. Pati is always getting cool new inventory.”

Dreyden walked in the direction she pointed. There was no reason to draw attention to himself by not taking the woman’s recommendation. Nothing he had seen so far indicated the citizens of Magic, New Mexico, had broken their agreement with the council.

In the store’s parking lot, he stopped mid-stride when a woman exited the shop. He distinctly saw the patterns on her arms swirling in the direct sunlight. This time what he saw was not due to grogginess or a prism playing tricks with the light. His chosen one was before him.

She entered one of the vehicles parked in front of the store and slowly backed out of the space. He brushed beside the car as it slowly entered the traffic lane and planted a locator chip. Before she could note his presence, Dreyden was back on the walkway.

The vehicle turned right at the light and he quickly followed. Aware he was on a primitive planet, he did not run full-speed behind the retreating conveyance. The last thing he wanted was to draw the notice of anyone in the unusually busy town. The locator chip would allow him to know wherever she ended up.

To his surprise, when he turned the corner, the woman had parked and entered another building. He pushed a switch on his glasses that contained the universal translator. Earth’s language was entered into the Coalition’s database. He learned the oral language on his journey here, but did not recognize all the writing on the door.

His mate had entered a law office. What was she doing with the dregs of any society? He waited outside and watched her through a window as she spoke with the man, signed some papers, and collected a portfolio full of documents she signed. When she exited, he was positioned to follow her.

“If you have any further questions, Prudence, don’t hesitate to call,” the attorney called after her as he waved.

Prudence was his chosen’s name. Now that he had gotten over the temporary shock of witnessing the patterns on her arms, Dreyden soaked in the rest of her appearance.

Her legs were long and muscular. He could almost feel them wrap around him. Just those thoughts made his cock hard. Her torso was well proportioned to her legs, making her roughly five-foot-eight if he were to guess. She had short golden brown hair which grazed her naked shoulders. Red highlights shimmered as the sun hit her tresses. The shirt she wore hugged her breasts and provided no visible support. It left most of the skin on her back and shoulders exposed.

Dreyden watched her get into the vehicle, her short skirt riding up her thigh. Unconsciously, Dreyden licked his lips. His mate was a delectable dish. Hungrily, his eyes devoured her. All he wanted was to take her into his arms and drive deeply inside his chosen one.

Once again, the conveyance took her away from his immediate proximity. Fortunately, Magic was on a desert plain, so he watched as she pulled into a driveway three blocks away. He quickened his pace to reach his soul mate as she exited her vehicle.

***

Prue struggled pulling her suitcase out of the trunk. Why had she over packed? Her trip to Magic, New Mexico, was supposed to be quick, yet she packed enough clothes for weeks. For some inexplicable reason, she packed every pair of shoes she owned. At least she left her snow boots behind. That would have been proof she had lost her mind.

“Let me help you with that,” a deep male voice uttered. It had a melodic, soothing tone to it. She could wrap herself in the baritone sensuality of his voice.

When she turned, she was stunned by the male specimen before her. Good God! He must spend every waking hour in a gym. His chest was broad and the black sleeveless shirt he wore highlighted his muscular arms. Prue had an almost uncontrollable urge to rip off the shirt and run her hands across his rock-hard chest. She was stunned by her reaction.

“Welcome to Magic,” he said as he lifted her suitcase.

If he was the welcome wagon, she was surprised Magic was not overrun with horny, single females. Prue could not help sparing a glance at his naked ring finger. Her panties were already wet from her arousal. His nose flared as if taking in her scent.

He stood before her holding her suitcase as if it weighed no more than an ounce. She watched with interest the tightening of his muscles and tendons at the effort. He was sex on a stick and she wanted him. Her reaction to this stranger was so out of character. Odds were she was never going to return to Magic, so why not enjoy herself with a one-night stand?

The stranger followed her to the front door carrying her suitcase. She appreciated the small town charms and closeness of the residents in Magic. In the city, no stud would volunteer to carry her bags. Nor would she ever consider opening her door with a strange man beside her.

After the door closed, he put down the bag and pinned her to the wall. His lips were on hers and he was lifting her skirt to remove her panties. Rather than insisting he stop, Prue wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. She opened her mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss and penetrate her mouth.

There was no denying she wanted this man. She stepped out of her panties and wrapped her legs around his waist. Two of his fingers slid through her slick opening and rubbed against her clit. Prue let out a deafening scream as she came. Never had she climaxed so quickly or powerfully, if she even was treated to an orgasm.

She was shifted in his arms as he released his cock from its confinement and drove home. Strange thoughts of belonging to this man assaulted her and her muscles clenched around him. He uttered a moan as she continued to milk him.

A second orgasm rocked her body seconds before he found his own release. She had never had multiple orgasms before and figured he was used to giving women a satisfying sexual experience. It bothered her that he had been with other women and she would soon be a distant memory, if he remembered her at all. When had her self-esteem hit rock bottom?

He had released his seed within her. Thank goodness for birth control pills. She was not promiscuous, but practicality warranted protection for the occasional fling. Her visit to Magic was to be short and she did not plan to take anything back with her, including a baby.

He was still buried within her core and he tightened his hold around her body. They both needed to recover from their intense experience and she was relieved he had not rushed out the door after he was satisfied. It felt natural to be held by this man. To her horror and shame, they had not been introduced. She had just had the best sex of her life and she didn’t even know his name.

Prue leaned her head against the wall and stared into the face of her lover. His short brown hair glistened with sweat. He had a slight circular scar on his right upper cheek and he was still wearing his sunglasses.

“I think we can take these off,” she said as she removed his glasses.

Icy blue eyes glowed back at her. She screamed in reaction to his unworldly eyes. Prue was familiar with the various beings who lived in Magic, but none of them had eyes that shimmered.

“What the hell are you?” Prue asked.

Chapter 4

“What the hell are you?”

Her words played over in his mind. He was not a romantic buffoon, but his dream of finding his mate did not include her screaming in terror at his appearance.

Despite his chosen one’s reaction to him, Dreyden did not release her. If anything, he tightened his hold on her. He was still inside her and his dick was hardening once again. His body wanted more, but Prudence did not.

Her eyes widened as she felt his rod stiffen. She struggled to escape from his embrace and free herself from his still engorged dick. Reluctantly, he slid out of her.

Prudence pulled down her skirt and he bent to retrieve her panties. He brought them to his nose and took in her scent. Her face reddened with embarrassment and rage by the action. She grabbed the delicate material and stalked off.

Dreyden followed. Regardless of her actions, he could still smell her arousal. She could not hide her reaction to him. There was much they needed to discuss.

“Prudence,” he shouted after her.

She stopped and turned. “How do you know my name? I grew up in this town and never encountered a creature like you. Are you Fae? I apologize for my reaction. I haven’t seen a non-human for decades, I overreacted.”

He had no idea what a Fae was. Dreyden could not admit he hailed from another planet and not endanger his chosen one. However, if he took her back to Glacier, there was a possibility he could keep her. The discovery of aliens on Earth would not be an issue if he removed her from the planet. They could not leave until he completed his mission. Earth could not know about the Coalition’s existence until they achieved a certain level of technological sophistication and were officially approached regarding membership.

“Well?” Prudence asked as her toe tapped the floor. His mate was adorable when she got worked up. “I need to shower. I don’t have time for this.” She muttered additional words, but he could not understand what she said.

Prudence opened her suitcase and pull out several items. She entered another room and he heard the door lock. He pulled out his communicator and pulled up a link to his ship’s computer. He needed to research the Fae and determine which he could pass himself off as. There was little information on the mystical creatures and nothing he could use.

His mate had not thrown him out of the house. That was encouraging. She was willing to listen to his explanation. The puny door between them was not an obstacle, but he wanted her to feel safe. Under different circumstances, he would break it down with a simple kick. No barriers should exist between him and his chosen one.

He imagined her naked while she bathed. Her bare breasts were now exposed and available for him to touch. He should have removed her shirt when they made love earlier. His cock strained against the pants he had just adjusted. She still desired him, but he needed to give her the space she appeared to need for now.

She had not been alarmed by his speech patterns and did not think anything was off until she saw his eyes. Dreyden had listened to translation programs during his trip to Earth. He was a quick study. Once you knew as many languages as most Space Rangers did, additional ones took little to no effort to learn.

His attention was diverted when someone knocked on the door. Dreyden put his glasses on and went to see who was there. He opened the door to find a man waiting to be invited in. The visitor seemed surprised by his presence.

“I’m here for Prue,” he said.

The name he used must have been a more casual usage for the name Prudence. Dreyden did not like the informality or the fact the man had a faint scent of his mate on his skin.

“She is in the shower,” Dreyden said. He wanted to give the impression he belonged here. “What do you want?”

“I’m her friend, Chase, and we are going to a mutual friend’s house for dinner. Prue didn’t mention she was traveling with anyone.”

“My name is Dreyden,” he responded. “Prudence and I are intimate mates.”

Chase seemed taken aback by his choice of words. He got the impression he was standing before a non-human resident of Magic. The man did not seem to exhibit any signs of aggression toward him.

The shower shut off. It was just a matter of time before Prudence joined them. He already claimed this female before his competition. If he could not convince this creature, how would he deal with the council once he returned home with Prudence?

Both men stood there, conversation a thing of the past. The dynamics would change once Prudence joined them. He was at a temporary loss about what to do next. His instincts were to carry her off to his ship and leave this planet. Passion could find another spy to complete the mission.

Prudence entered the room, still towel drying her hair. He picked up a floral aroma he did not recognize when she stood next to him. There was also an underlying scent of chemicals used to purify the water. After running her fingers through her hair, she threw the towel next to her opened suitcase.

He shifted his hips, bent down, and kissed her lips. Prudence did not back away and accepted his kiss. If he was not mistaken, she let out a barely audible satisfactory moan in response. The kiss was a means to clear up any confusion in Chase’s mind that Prudence belonged to him.

“Chase came to take us to dinner,” Dreyden informed her. For all she knew, he was a resident of Magic and was friendly with Chase. Her date looked uncomfortable, but did not say anything. She would learn otherwise once they reached their destination, but for now, he was relying on his charade.

Prudence gave both men a questioning look, but did not comment. He took her elbow and guided her to the door. As she locked it, Dreyden took in the sight of his chosen one.

Her hair was several shades darker when it was wet. Strands started to curl perfectly as it dried, first around her oval face. She had on a sleeveless white dress that came down just above her knees.

Prudence appeared several inches taller, courtesy of shoes that had thick soles. Although her strides walking to Chase’s conveyance were steady, the footwear had to be uncomfortable. He was half tempted to pick her up and carry her.

“Prue, sit in front,” Chase instructed. “Dreyden can sit in the back.”

“Yes, Dreyden, sit in the back,” Prudence said. She turned her head and glared at him. It was her way of chiding him for not telling her his name before their little interlude in the hallway.

Dreyden observed how she opened the door and used the same process to get in the vehicle behind where she sat. The large seat and headrest cut off his ability to see her. He was surprised how spacious the backseat was; it gave him plenty of room. For a Glacian, he was on the shorter side, but compared to male humans, he was enormous. He was only six-foot-two, but had excessive muscle mass characteristic of his species.

The vehicle roared as Chase started its engine. There was a slight vibration, but nothing compared to his ship. Neither Chase or Prudence appeared concerned about how the conveyance was performing.

He sat back and looked at his surroundings as Chase navigated. Dreyden was surprised when they parked in front of the store he had first seen Prudence exit earlier. It was such a short distance from where she lived, he was surprised they had not walked. He had to traverse longer distances in some worlds where the local town was a distance from the space port.

Dreyden followed Chase and Prudence as they went around the closed entrance of the store and headed for the rear of the building. They entered through a well lit entryway directly into a living area. Their hosts for the evening lived behind the store they ran. Such arrangements were not uncommon in the various worlds he visited.

A beautiful blonde with bright green eyes was there to greet them. This planet certainly contained a population of lovely women. Such considerations would expedite the planet’s entry into the Coalition when the time was right. Many planets had higher percentages of males in their population and needed women to immigrate to their worlds.

“Hi,” the woman said. She looked at Dreyden, not sure what to make of him. He had entered behind the others and tried to look like he belonged.

Their hostess came forward and her nostrils flared. She took another step closer and took in his scent. Her eyes opened in surprise. He knew exactly what she smelled. Prudence’s aroma still clung to his skin. His chosen one had bathed, he had not.

“I’m Pati,” she said as she took his arm. “You need to tell us all about yourself.”

***

Pati had switched her matchmaking focus so quickly, Prue almost suffered from whiplash. She had not missed her friend sniffing Dreyden. Poor Chase stood there looking like the odd man out.

Her friend was one-quarter jaguar shifter, but had not experienced any of the shifter characteristics of her ancestors. Prue now figured out what had bothered her earlier about her friend’s appearance. Pati’s eyes had changed from the blue she had as a child to green. A lot had occurred in her absence.

Suddenly the earth shook. Prue’s head spun and she grabbed ahold of the kitchen counter to steady herself. When everything settled, she noted the others stood around her as if nothing had occurred.

“What is wrong?” Danyal inquired.

“Didn’t you feel that?” Prue asked incredulously. How could they not have felt that jolt?

“Feel what?” Dreyden and Pati asked in unison.

Prue felt the color leave her cheeks. She had always been sensitive to magic, but nothing to this extent. The plates below the Earth’s surface must have shifted. That was the least scary of the two alternatives.

An alarm sounded. What the hell was going on? Prue looked to her old friend for an explanation.

“The protection spell is failing,” Pati warned them. “We need to go to the center of town and see what we can do to reinforce it before it fails and our citizens are exposed. You need to join us, Prudie.”

It was a powerful spell she had felt, not an earthquake. Prue had not practiced magic in years and was not sure what she could add to the town’s defenses. Magic was populated with strong practitioners.

“It’s too close to a full moon,” Chase said. “I need to head home in case the shield fails.”

Prue remembered drills conducted when she was a child, where the town practiced what to do should the magic shield collapse. Human witches would congregate to bring the spell back to full-force and everyone else would hide in their homes.

The town was brimming with tourists. It was the worst possible time for the town’s protection to be attacked. She knew it was not failing on its own.

Without words, Dreyden took her hand and they followed Danyal and Pati to the town’s center. For some odd reason, she was glad Dreyden was there. She had no idea what he was, but he did not seem concerned by what was occurring.

When they reached their destination, Dreyden became agitated. He scanned the crowd as if he sensed something. Prue was not sure what was going on. She just knew she felt safe beside him.

A woman with magenta colored hair approached. Even after all these years, Prue recognized Topper immediately. She was one of the most powerful witches in town.

“A note was left for me,” Topper said. “The protection spell will be reinstated if we turn over the mage’s daughter.”

“Is it the albino?” Pati asked. “Who the hell is the mage’s daughter? There has not been a mage in town for decades.”

“Who is the albino?” Prue asked. She had an uneasy feeling she knew the answer to Pati’s second question. No wonder her mother never spoke of her father, if in fact, he was a mage.

“He arrived in town shortly after Danyal entered my life,” Pati responded. “Remember Morgan Needles? The bastard befriended the albino, who managed to negate my magic. We never dreamed he would return to town after Morgan was dealt with. He must have come to Magic to exact revenge related to Morgan and found something more alluring.”

Prue could feel Topper examining her. She had felt a strange presence earlier today and the impact of strong magic that almost toppled the protection spell was something to fear.

“What are you doing here?” a voice deeper than Dreyden’s asked, startling Prue. She knew he was addressing the man who held her hand.

She turned and saw a huge man with sunglasses shielding his eyes. Prue knew if he took them off, she would see the same icy blue shimmering eyes Dreyden possessed.

“Guess,” Dreyden said. “All of that is irrelevant now. My chosen one is in danger.”

Prue knew he was referring to her and came to the same conclusion that the albino wanted her. She had no idea what a chosen one was and now was not the time to ask. Whatever it was, it must explain the physical need she felt for the man. But she could only handle one catastrophic event at a time. Was she the mage’s daughter?

“Topper, what do you know?” Prue asked.

“A mage came to town years ago,” Topper said. “He did a great job of hiding what he was. But the elemental power he possessed interfered with many of our spells. The snake charmed and impregnated your mother. Sara had such an innocent light about her and the mage changed that. Very few of us knew who your father was, including your grandmother. Your mother became obsessed with magic, wanting to protect her child. You know the rest.”

Guilt consumed her. If only her mother had been honest with her. They would have confronted any threat her father presented together. Instead, her mother died alone.

“Does he still live?” Prue asked. She could not utter “father” aloud. Sick with rage, if he still lived, she wanted to hurt him. Her fingers itched with power. For once in her life, she was comfortable using the incredible power she knew was contained within her.

“Can you counteract the damage done?” Dreyden asked. “Turning Prue over to this albino is not an option.”

“We will try,” Topper said.

She did not seem startled by him or question who Dreyden was. The old witch had probably seen him coming days before he arrived. Whatever he was, there was another one in Magic and appeared to be part of the community.

“In the meantime,” Topper continued, “if Prue is no longer in town, the better off we will be. The albino will be too focused on finding her to notice we have restored our spell. We can all be reintroduced to her when the danger has passed.”

Dreyden tightened his grip on her hand and practically dragged her away from the crowd. No one seemed interested in stopping him. Their focus was on restoring the shield and safeguarding themselves from whatever else the albino had planned. Instead of heading to her grandmother’s house, he walked in the opposite direction.

“Where are we going?” Prue asked, pulling on his arm. She tried to back away from him, but he was too strong.

“To my ship,” Dreyden curtly responded. “I do not know how much time we have. There is no time for explanations or your fighting me.”

He pulled out some kind of weapon, adjusted a dial and fired. Prue stood frozen in place as a shot of energy came toward her.

Chapter 5

There would be no apologizing for his actions. He did what had to be done. Dreyden had no idea what a mage was, and did not care. The people of Magic would have to deal with the mystical force. His only concern was Prudence. He acted on Topper’s recommendation without waiting for others in the town to object.

Regardless of her muscular legs and athletic build, she was a comfortable weight to bear. Considering she was his chosen one, that should not have been a surprise. Prudence had no problem keeping up with him this afternoon. He finally had the world shattering sexual experience that eluded him to this point.

He shifted her in his arms when he reached the mountainous terrain. After several steps, he placed her over his shoulder. The position would be less comfortable for Prudence if she were conscious, but it gave him improved dexterity to get through the cavern passages.

When he arrived at his ship, he boosted Prudence to lie on top of the craft. He quickly punched in the hull’s security code. After taking two steps down the ladder, he reached for Prudence and embraced her body as he maneuvered deeper into his ship. The automatic hatch closer paid for itself today.

Rather than heading to the cockpit, Dreyden made his way to the containment units where he stored the prisoners he captured. He wanted Prudence to sleep until they arrived at Glacier. She would not be pleased with his kidnapping her or how lousy she would feel when she was revived from stasis. All her complaints would be dealt with when they were worlds away from Earth.

After he secured his chosen one, he headed for the cockpit to prepare to leave. His ship’s computer was blinking green, indicating numerous messages were contained in its limited recording system. Without checking the detail log, he knew they were all from Passion.

“Why have you not reported in?” he heard Passion screech as he retrieved the first message. “If you do not contact me with a status within an Earth’s day’s time, your ass is demoted.”

Dreyden had been on the planet for less than half a day. He had no idea what had set off Passion. Only a gross disregard of the agreement between Magic and the Coalition’s council would be evident at this point.

Message after message were similar to the first. Had he not turned off his communication device, he would have spent all his time dealing with Passion, not investigating a possible breach to the agreement. It was tempting to head to Glacier without checking in with her. However, once he reached his icy home, there was Prudence to be dealt with. He did not want Passion to interrupt getting his chosen one settled.

He fired up his engines and flipped the switch that would activate interstellar communication. The canyons would negatively impact their connection, so he waited until he was free of the porous rock. After activating his cloaking device, Dreyden initiated communication to Passion.

“It is about time you contacted me,” Passion screamed.

“I barely had time to make it to town and investigate,” Dreyden said calmly. When Passion was worked up, she did not handle a placid personality well.

His statement was met with silence. It appeared Passion still had the capability to reason. Things continued to work out in his favor.

“What did you discover?” she inquired.

“Nothing,” Dreyden reported. “The human visitors are as ignorant of the true nature of Magic’s residents’ true identities as they are about alien life.”

There was no reason to share with Passion the town’s failing protection spell. Frost was too smart to get discovered with the rest of the creatures who resided in town.

“I am heading to Glacier,” he informed her. “You keep demanding I take time off.” Once again, he did not bother to tell his supervisor the whole truth. The less Passion knew about Prudence, the better off he would be.

There was mandatory leave required for Star Rangers to deal with the fatigue of space travel and stress related to fugitive retrievals. Dreyden was past due and Passion would get a hefty fine if an audit was performed. An inspection officer was expected any day.

“Fine,” Passion replied in a clipped tone. “You are authorized to take twenty Glacier solar days once you arrive. I will send another ranger to continue the investigation.”

Ordinarily, he would have warned Frost, but his actions related to Prudence prevented that. The former Star Ranger had been aware of his presence and knew Passion well enough to know she was not done screwing with him.

After leaving Earth’s atmosphere and validating the proper operation of the autopilot, Dreyden headed to the cargo hold where Prudence slept. His body still suffered the negative impact of the G-forces, but he needed to see her. Finding his chosen one felt like a dream he had to validate was a reality.

Dreyden found her sleeping peacefully in the unit. He had removed her clothing before activating the chamber. His knowledge of Earth was not broad enough to know if any of the clothing fibers would react adversely to the chemicals used to put a subject in stasis.

His eyes roamed her naked body. She was perfect. Her face relaxed in slumber, no longer concerned by the mage or the albino who wanted her. Her breasts were full, the perfect size for his hands to caress. Next, he looked at the thatch of light brown hair between her legs. He grew hard just looking at the entrance to her tight paradise.

The ship took them farther from the dangers present in Magic and closer to what they would find on Glacier. The express portal that existed between their worlds would have brought news of Prudence’s abduction. There was no telling what he would find when they arrived.

***

He massaged her breast and his tongue lathed its hardened nipple. What an incredible dream she was having. Her body warmed at his ministrations. So why couldn’t she raise her hand to slide her fingers through his hair?

Prue’s mind refocused when she realized she was not dreaming and there was something wrong with her body. Lethargy impacted every part of her physical being. Waves of nausea assaulted her as she attempted to move her head. She tightened her already shut eyes and let out a complaining moan.

The attention he paid to her breast ceased, leaving her mind to deal exclusively with the paralysis of her body. Her anxious cry of fear barely resulted in any sound. At least she had the ability to breathe.

“You are coming out of stasis,” Dreyden’s deep voice uttered. “Your body’s nervous system is slowly awakening.”

She could do little more than moan in response to what he shared. When did they develop the ability to put people in stasis, anyway? He lifted her hand and massaged each finger with a masterful technique. Slowly, she was able to move each finger after he worked on them for what felt like an eternity. When she could make a loose-gripped fist, he moved to her other hand. She still could not lift her hand from the hard bed.

Dreyden moved on to her feet when he was satisfied with the progress he made with her other fingers. At this point, she could lift her wrist for a short period of time, but she was making progress.

“Harder,” she managed to say. Prue could not feel what he was doing to her feet. He needed to apply more pressure. When she felt mild pain emanating from her foot, she let out a sigh of relief.

Once again, Prue tried to move her head and met with the same unsatisfactory result. She did not want to vomit in her present state. It would be wise not to move her head again until Dreyden indicated it was time.

He was irritably quiet as he continued to work on her feet. He was responsible for her present state. Dreyden should be begging for mercy and he knew it. Perhaps his silence was a sign of guilt.

As if reading her thoughts, he began to talk. “I needed to remove you from danger. You are now my responsibility to safeguard. The patterns on your arm prove you are my chosen one.”

What patterns? Prue thought. She needed to have her body back to normal so she could escape this madman. Prue was not sure what he had given her, but she hoped it would wear off soon. Based on how he was still massaging her foot, it was going to take a while.

“We will be at Glacier in several hours and I wanted to ensure you could exit the ship on your own,” Dreyden shared with her.

She must be on some type of boat. Was Glacier in Alaska? How had he managed to get her out of Magic and then to the West Coast? Question after question bombarded her mind with no answers forthcoming.

Prue lay helplessly, unable to move. She could twist her arm slightly, a vast improvement over where she started. She did not have the confidence yet to try moving her head again.

“The council will already be aware I abducted you,” Dreyden said. “Once we land, I imagine we will be taken before them.”

Maybe she was on a private plane. Planes landed, ships docked. Regardless, it was encouraging to know if she could not rescue herself, the authorities on the other end would ensure her release.

Dreyden elevated her leg and bent her knee. She cried out in pain. Nerve endings throughout her leg seemed to be on fire.

“Sorry,” Dreyden said. He actually sounded apologetic.

Her scream had jarred her head and the now familiar illness came upon her again. Regardless of the resulting pain, Prue shifted her head to the right and vomited. Her head felt like it was going to explode. Dreyden quickly moved her to her side and positioned her head over what appeared to be a bucket. The sudden movement made her sicker.

After a while, she only suffered dry heaves. Whatever had been in her stomach was gone. Her body convulsed and pain continued to rocket through her. Dreyden held her as she lost control of her seizing body.

When the convulsions stopped, Dreyden lifted her into his arms. The walls echoed the clank his boots made on the metal flooring as he marched toward wherever he was taking her. In the time she was ill, Prue had gained control of more of her body.

They entered a small chamber and soon her body was caressed with warm droplets of water and a slight breeze that blew the remnants of her illness from her skin. She needed to get one of these showers for her condo in Chicago.

“The liquid is a disinfectant,” Dreyden told her. He still held on to her tightly. It was doubtful she could have stood on her own.

Although she still felt terrible, the nausea was gone. She rested her head against his powerful chest. He was fully dressed and to her horror, she was naked. Her nudity was added to the long list of grievances she was compiling.

The taste in her mouth was atrocious. “Is the mist safe to consume?”

“Yes,” Dreyden answered. “You will experience a slight foaming when it mixes with your saliva. Just spit it out. What little you swallow is harmless to your system.”

Prue leaned her head back and opened her mouth. Dreyden adjusted his hold on her, allowing her back to bend, relieving the stress on her neck.

When the liquid interacted with the juices in her mouth, the solution foamed as Dreyden said it would. She could feel her teeth, tongue, and gums gently being cleansed. Her taste buds picked up a faint taste of mint. As instructed, she turned and spat the liquid from her mouth. The abhorrent taste was gone and she felt like she had just been to the dentist. Her tongue slid across her cleaned teeth. She would have to see if the stuff was for sale when she freed herself from this man.

Suddenly, she noticed the position she found herself in. Her breasts were on full display and her nipples were already hard. Dreyden leaned slightly and took one of her breasts into his mouth. Rather than crying out in outrage, she cried out with pleasure. Her body temperature soared. She wanted more, not to have him stop.

Her feminine core ached for him. She became wet, anticipating his entry. A reasonable person would have stopped him right then and there. But there was nothing rational about how she felt and how she was reacting.

When he sucked harder on her tit, Prue screamed out her enjoyment. All thoughts of breaking free of him fled her mind as she grabbed for his erect member. She wanted him regardless of what he had done. He was an addiction she could not explain, nor fight.

His cock came alive in her hand. It jerked and became harder. She applied more pressure while caressing him and she heard him groan in response. Prue wanted to make him as crazy as he was making her. Before she could continue, Dreyden shoved her against the chamber’s wall. Prue had enough control of her legs to wrap them around his waist.

Dreyden’s finger found her slick passage. Discovering she was ready for him, he entered her with a powerful thrust. Her cry reverberated throughout the enclosed space. Her back slid up and down the smooth surface as he entered and exited her body.

Her next expression of passion was silenced by his mouth. Prue wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. He tasted of mint, of a spice she could not identify, and a flavor uniquely his. She could not get enough of his taste.

Sensations continued to rock her body as she came to the edge of her climax. He increased his frantic rate, but she still had not shattered. How much more could she take? She howled as a powerful orgasm hit her. Her response was animalistic, as if she connected with some primitive side of her being. Something within her knew she had found her mate.

Dreyden tensed and then came, spilling his seed within her womb. His face went from extreme tension to euphoria. Prue felt a strange sense of pride knowing she had been responsible for his rapture.

An alarm sounded, startling her out of her thoughts. Dreyden was not disturbed by the loud beeping, so she started to relax.

“We are close to our destination,” Dreyden informed her. “Can you stand on your own?”

Prue reached out to steady herself against the wall. Dreyden slowly released her and finally let go when she nodded she was all right. He gave her a critical look before he reached for the chamber’s latch. It was the first time she had not seen lust in his eyes, only concern.

“I will be right back with your clothing,” he said before he left.

The stall was small enough for Prue to reach the side of the exit. Her legs were wobbly, but continued to hold her weight without collapsing. She was feeling better. She was not sure if it was the disinfectant or the sex they just enjoyed.

Dreyden was true to his word. She quickly dressed, not sure what happened to her bra or panties. He had changed his clothing in the short time they had been separated.

They walked side by side along the metal grating. She was still a little unsteady on her feet. His grip around her waist was gentle as he guided her progress down the corridor.

When they reached the bridge, she sat in the chair be placed her in front of. They definitely were not on a plane. If she was to guess, they were on a submarine, but how was that possible? Private citizens did not own subs. Who was this guy?

She let out a gasp when the steel protecting the outer display glass lowered. They were orbiting a white planet. Prue grabbed the armrest. Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her.

“Welcome to Glacier,” Dreyden said. “I was born on this planet, although I am rarely here since I am a Star Ranger.”

Prue continued to stare out the cockpit’s window in disbelief. She had racked her mind over what type of being Dreyden was. She never considered him being an alien. How the hell was she going to get home?

Chapter 6

The Planet Glacier

Dreyden saw the wonderment depicted on Prudence’s face as she stared at his home planet. He always felt a slight awe when he arrived home after being away for any length of time. There was no planet like Glacier in the known universe.

His eyes shifted from the icy planet to the patterns on her arms. Had Passion not ordered him to Earth, he would never have found his chosen one. Returning home had been eclipsed by the miracle who sat beside him.

The ship’s navigation system chirped, alerting him that the craft had been picked up by Glacier Space Command. He had purposely taken a popular orbital route. Today was not the time to sneak onto the planet. He did not want to make a single move that could be misinterpreted. He had too much to lose.

“This is Star Ranger Dreyden Skye requesting permission to dock at Icela’s main terminal.” He rarely used the last name given to him as a child at the orphanage.

Icela was the capital city of Glacier. Although he never considered the children’s facility home, Icela provided the only connection to anything or anyone until he found Prudence. It seemed fitting he brought her here.

Glacier Space Command would already be aware of the type of ship that needed to dock. As soon as their defense system discovered his craft, all the information regarding the Tridbarrian transport became known.

“What’s taking so long?” Prudence asked anxiously.

“They need to find a place for us to dock that would accommodate the ship and not already assigned to an incoming craft,” Dreyden said. “If I had contacted them when we left Earth, a slip would already have been selected.”

Prudence squinted slightly and wrinkled her nose. He noticed her make a similar face when she concentrated. It was comforting he was beginning to learn her mannerisms. There was an intimacy knowing someone well enough to understand how they felt without words being exchanged.

“Are you in trouble?” Prudence inquired.

Was that concern he heard in her voice? No one ever cared before about him, just whether or not he completed his assignments[EL1]. Something warm stirred his heart.

“There is a magical portal between our worlds,” Dreyden explained. He did not want there to be any secrets between them. It was obvious she was unaware of Magic’s residents’ recent interaction with his people. “A fellow ranger landed on Earth and violated our policy that no planet in an undeveloped star system should know of our existence.”

He heard Prudence take in a deep breath. “The man who approached you in town.”

“Yes,” Dreyden replied. “His name is Frost and his chosen one is Lacey.”

“Lacey Adams?” Prudence asked.

“I am not familiar with her family name,” Dreyden responded. “Once the interesting creatures who live in Magic interacted with my people, a special agreement was crafted between the town and my world. It was an unprecedented act.”

Prudence laughed. The sound helped to soothe his frayed nerves. Dreyden had so much to lose if things did not go well on the surface.

“That is a diplomatic way to describe Magic’s citizens,” Prudence said.

He debated telling her about his assignment. She was in a good mood and he did not want to sour it. Besides, it was doubtful they had time to discuss what had brought him to Earth.

Momentary static came across his communicator, interrupting their conversation. “You have permission to dock at spot 957. The Ruling Director will be present to meet you.”

Dreyden stared at the instruments before him. Glacier was ruled by directors, one elected by each province. The Ruling Director was the most powerful person on the planet. There were rumors the newly elected Ruling Director was romantically involved with one of the residents of Magic, New Mexico.

“Are you in trouble?” Prudence repeated her earlier question.

He turned and looked at her. Prudence looked pale and worried. It appeared she was more concerned than she had been when the town people gathered to discuss the failing protection spell.

All concern for his own wellbeing was eliminated when he saw the fright in her eyes. A sickening feeling consumed him. Concern for Prudence made it difficult to function. Was this what being in love felt like?

“Everything will be all right,” he reassured her. Dreyden doubted Prudence understood what the Navigational Technician shared with him. “We will be met by a member of the ruling council. I imagine the government is aware of my actions.”

A slight blush painted Prudence’s cheeks. Dreyden belted out a laugh. “Not those actions, sweet.”

Her face brightened at his use of an endearment. He heard lovers call each other all sorts of horrible pet names over the years. Now he understood the feelings behind the ridiculous monikers. Dreyden got a strange satisfaction by her reaction to what he called her.

“Sit back and enjoy the ride,” Dreyden said. “I will take the scenic route.”

Glacier and Icela had many beautiful ice formations that would momentarily distract Prudence. Dreyden was aware he never answered her question. There was no telling what he would face when they reached the surface. The Ruling Director’s presence would assure Prudence’s safety.

He entered the desired route into the ship’s navigation system, as well as the docking coordinates. Now he would sit back and enjoy the wonders of his home world. It had been years since he saw some of the formations they would fly by.

His attention continually shifted between what lay below and studying Prudence’s expression. She was utterly gorgeous. All these years of dreaming of the ideal woman, he never imagined the perfection before him.

Dreyden’s heart raced as Icela’s main terminal came into view. His time had run out. There was little activity around the structure to delay their entry. He had been assigned an internal slip, one highly desirable. Whoever would join the Ruling Director would not have far to travel to meet them.

The view screen lowered and he heard the external clamps adhere to the ship’s exterior. Dreyden powered down the engines and sat for a moment, collecting his thoughts. He did not want her aware of his anxiety.

After unbuckling himself from his chair, Dreyden rose to release Prudence. His hand brushed her bare arm. He wanted to touch her, memorize the feel of her skin.

As expected, the Ruling Director was present once they descended from the ship’s hull. His hands mourned Prudence’s absence when he placed her on the dock’s metal floor. Topper, Pati, and other residents of Magic were also there to meet them.

If the looks on their faces were any indication, he was in a lot of trouble. Then he realized they were not looking at him. Their focus was on Prudence. Dread consumed him when he came to that realization.

***

Her first impulse was to run to Topper, but Prue held herself back, needing to support Dreyden. After her temper cooled, she knew everything he did was to protect her. He was ignorant of the power she had within her and the witches that stood before them. Besides, the sex they had together made her want to safeguard him. She had looked for a man like Dreyden her whole life, even if she had not realized it.

After reading their expressions, Prue’s heart fell. “What has happened?”

“The protection spell has been eradicated,” Topper responded. “We announced a highly contagious strain of flu has crippled our town. The lie caused tourists to leave town with little fanfare. Now we are just holding off the CDC from coming to investigate.”

It was a smart ploy. Nothing would evacuate a town faster than a possible contagion. However, it was only a temporary solution to their problem. The mage and the albino had to be dealt with.

“I will help as long as any charges related to my abduction be dropped,” Prue demanded. “It was all a misunderstanding. I am his chosen one and I went willingly.”

For the first time, Prue uttered aloud what she was to Dreyden. Nothing else could explain her insatiable physical need for him. Just his proximity excited her.

A person she recognized, but could not name, poked the alien standing beside her in the ribs. Prue figured he was the Ruling Director Dreyden had mentioned. In reaction to the nudge, he nodded his head in agreement.

“We do not know if the mage is aiding our attacker,” Pati said. “The albino may have come to town and sensed your power. He already proved the incredible magic he could wield during his last visit.”

“Your father returning to town may be a total coincidence,” Topper said. “I sensed him a few days before your arrival.”

Prudence grunted. “I don’t believe in coincidences.” She was jaded when it came to anything related to her father.

She was too worked up to take in her surroundings. All Prue wanted to do was return to Magic and deal with the threat. Her powers were rusty, but being around other magical beings would fuel whatever her capabilities might be.

“Let’s go,” Prue commanded.

“Slow down, child,” Topper said. “How much do you know about mages? Ignorance about what we face will result in meaningless deaths.”

Prue knew Topper was right. She could not run blindly into battle, especially if her father was aligned with the albino, a powerful warlock. Her body hummed with power, but she did not know how to activate it. Witches and wizards used wands or something to activate a spell. Mages did not require anything to initiate their magic.

“My mother was obsessed with legends related to mages,” Prue admitted. “I don’t know why I didn’t consider one of them could have been my father or I had access to elemental powers.”

“We need to find your dad,” Pati said. “Whether he is an enemy or an ally, we’ll know what we are up against. No one is in a better position to teach you to use your powers than another mage.”

For the first time, the people around her considered her a mage, not a witch. She had the capability to draw energy from her own body, as well as from others. Fortunately, they did not change their attitude toward her. She could not sense her friends now feared her.

Prue knew Pati was right. She didn’t have a clue where to start. How would they locate her father without alerting the albino? No one wanted to face him until her father could be considered an ally. She needed to count on the powers of others, something she had not done in a very long time.

“Do we develop a plan here or return to Magic?” Dreyden asked. “My species have special abilities that can be used to contain anyone who presents a threat.”

Dreyden extended his arm and ice shot from his wrist. Prue stood mute, staring at a little robot, who had been unloading the ship next to them, encased in ice. It was certainly a handy trick.

For the first time since arriving, Prue noticed all the activity around her. Aliens of different shapes and sizes were entering and exiting the port. A variety of robots were loading and unloading cargo from ships docked nearby. She would have to return with Dreyden one day and explore the universe outside the limited scope of existence on Earth.

“Where is the magical portal I have heard so much about?” Prue asked. “I have an idea how to locate the mage.”

Chapter 7

Magic, New Mexico

Dreyden had traveled to countless worlds but never experienced anything quite like the magical portal that transported them back to Earth. He had a hard time coming up with words to describe the incredible journey. It was over in a manner of seconds, but it was life-affirming. There were powerful beings in the universe and they were called witches.

When they arrived in the center of town, there was little time to ruminate about magical portals. They had a mage to locate. For Prudence’s sake, he hoped her father did not represent a threat. Although his chosen one never knew her father, she had strong feelings concerning him.

It was an opposite reaction to the indifference he felt about his own parents who had abandoned him as an infant. They had not even bothered to name him. Prudence became incensed when she learned the truth about her mother and father. He figured it fueled her current obsession to find her father, beyond what was happening in Magic.

The witches decided to convene at Topper’s home. Whatever they needed to initiate Prudence’s plan would be most likely found at Topper’s. He did not understand what was involved in casting a spell, but these women had created the portal, so he had complete faith in their abilities.

Topper lived in what was referred to as adobe architecture. He admired how the house blended into the desert environment. Very few worlds tried to build shelters that had any symmetry to their surroundings.

“Please remove your shoes,” Topper requested as they entered her house. “The spell that cleans footwear as people cross the threshold is no longer working.”

That statement reminded Dreyden magic could not be used to locate Prudence’s father. He did not understand her confidence related to finding the mage. Dreyden gazed at his mate who was examining various items laid out on a table. There was a faraway look in her eyes. Somehow he knew she was thinking about her mother.

He decided to give the women room to do whatever Prudence required. There was a sitting area not far from where the witches congregated. Dreyden sat on a reddish brown sofa. The couch was large and easily accommodated his girth. It was unusual to find furniture comfortable for Glacians outside his world.

The women moved to a round table in the center of the room. Prudence placed various items she had spotted on it. He rocketed from where he sat when he saw her pick up a dagger and move it toward her wrist.

“What are you doing?” Dreyden shouted.

He was beside Prudence before she had a chance to answer. It was the first time she had witnessed his incredible speed. Dreyden had a firm hold of her wrist, preventing her the opportunity to harm herself.

She blinked her eyes, taking in what had just occurred. Her focus rotated between his face and her wrist. He had not applied enough pressure to cause her to drop the lethal looking dagger.

“A locator spell requires something belonging to the person we seek,” Prudence explained. “We have nothing my father once possessed. So I am going to use my blood. He contributed to half my DNA.”

“Could you not just spit on something?” Dreyden asked in disbelief. The idea of her drawing blood bothered him on so many levels. There were other ways to capture the building blocks of life. A single strand of hair would do the trick.

“Blood is our life force,” Topper answered. “It is rarely used in white magic, but these are desperate times. We may have only one chance to cast the spell. There is nothing more powerful to fuel the magic we hope to conjure.”

“I thought the albino cut off your ability to use magic,” Dreyden said.

He needed to find a way to stop this insanity. Anything that required Prudence to shed blood was unacceptable. If his chosen one could not protect herself, he would.

She must have sensed the turmoil brewing inside him. Prudence placed her free hand over his hand that held her wrist. A calming smile graced her beautiful face. His racing heart slowed in response to her tranquility.

“Only one drop of my blood is required,” Prudence said in a steady, relaxed voice. “Because of the possible involvement of the mage, we believe elemental magic will not be impacted. Other magic requires something to initiate the spell, elemental magic does not. It comes from within. All I have to do is figure out how to call it forward.”

It was awe-inspiring how confident Prudence was. The last thing he wanted was to have her doubt her capabilities because of him. Reluctantly, he released his hold on her. Although a part of him wanted to control everything she did, he had to respect the decisions she made where magic was concerned.

His eyes fell back to the dagger in her hand. “If only a drop of your blood is required, why the dagger?”

“Powerful crystals are embedded in the handle,” Topper answered. “We are hedging everything on this single spell. The strongest witches with a past relationship to Prue are involved. Anything we can do to pull as much power from her essence is being attempted.”

Dreyden had no idea what she just said, but he needed to be part of what they had planned. “If you must draw blood, let me do it,” he said.

He dreaded cutting her skin, but he would have no one else do it. She would only bleed the single drop required for the spell, not a minuscule amount over that.

Prudence handed him the blade. It was a well-balanced weapon. He admired the workmanship of the primitive craft. Few worlds supported the lost art of metallurgy. Various gems were embedded in the dagger’s handle. He wondered what power each of the crystals provided.

“Prue needs to be surrounded by our world’s four elements,” Topper said.

Four women stepped forward, carrying items that reflected what was required to simulate the elements Prudence needed to generate the magical power within. These four elements were universal for life to exist regardless of the world, although the chemical makeup may vary from planet to planet.

Pati held a lit candle, which represented Fire. The witch sheltered the flame with her other hand from the breeze caused by a small electrical fan a second woman held. He recognized her as the one who had nudged the Ruling Director when Prudence demanded he be pardoned for abducting her. It was unclear the relationship she had with his chosen one, but he did not need to know now.

He turned to see how the other two elements would be represented. Pati’s mother, Martha, had a pitcher of water in her grasp. Dreyden had been introduced to the older witch briefly before they entered the portal. The resemblance between the two women was startling. Martha must have watched Pati and Prudence play when they were little girls.

Topper pulled a plant from a pot, prepared to use the soil that remained. All four elements were in place. With her free hand, Topper handed Prudence a crystal attached to a necklace chain.

“It’s time to start,” Prudence stated.

Dreyden placed the edge of the dagger across Prudence’s wrist. With the precision of a surgeon, he cut into her delicate skin.

***

A single bead of blood formed above the barely visible cut. She had not felt the blade penetrate her skin, unlike the prick of her finger to test if she was eligible to give blood in the past. Prue spared a quick glance at Dreyden’s face before dragging the crystal through her blood.

Once the stone was lifted from her skin, Dreyden ran his finger past the cut. A small piece of ice lay on her wrist, preventing further bleeding. She barely felt the cold. Now she understood why he demanded he be the one to draw the blood. What other abilities did he have hidden?

She closed her eyes and let her senses react to the elements surrounding her. Although she should not have felt the effect of the lit candle, her body warmed. There was a spot within her that absorbed the heat. It was there she concentrated. Prue now knew where her elemental gift lay.

Her ears picked up the sound of water poured from the pitcher and dirt falling on the floor. She envisioned air reacting with the other three elements as a slight breeze swept over her skin. That spot within her continued to grow in strength. Over the years, she had sensed something stirring within her, but had not fathomed the extent of what it was.

In unison, the five women moved toward the side table with a map of Magic, New Mexico, and its surrounding area. She held the crystal in the center of the map and closed her eyes. All her focus was directed to her magical inner core. After a few minutes, Prue opened her eyes and noted the crystal hung motionless from its sterling silver chain.

They only had one chance to locate her father. She could not fail calling forth her elemental power. Once again, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the power of the witches around her. Mages were able to not only pull power from themselves, but those surrounding them. Topper had hand selected the four women who supported her.

She pulled from her memories of each of the four witches. As she recovered the connection she had with each woman, Prue drew in the elemental magic contained within each of them. The reservoir of power within her grew, warming her entire body. She concentrated on directing that power to her hands and transferring it to the crystal.

Prue could understand how a mage in the past had fueled stories about Zeus and Odin, beings who could generate bolts of lightning. It was a struggle not to release the power she was generating within herself and pulled from the others. She thought of her mother and directed the power where it needed to go.

Time had no meaning. Had seconds or minutes ticked away? Her blood would lead Prue to her father. He was part of her regardless of her feelings to the contrary.

Someone gasped and Prue opened her eyes in response. The blood soaked crystal now spun in circles, although her hand was steady. It changed its momentum as she moved it, indicating the direction she should go.

To the best of her knowledge, she was doing nothing to direct the crystal. Whatever magic she provided, the stone had taken control. She tried not to think, but let magic lead the way. Rather than staring at the map, she focused on the crystal until it finally stopped.

“That’s odd,” Topper commented.

Prue looked to see where the crystal indicated her father currently was. That location couldn’t possibly be right. “How can he be at my grandmother’s house?”

Chapter 8

Prue approached her grandmother’s house with apprehension. It was one thing thinking about confronting her father, but it was totally different actually doing it. The procession was led by Dreyden and Frost, followed by Danyal and Pati in their jaguar forms. She was surrounded by a number of witches, each carrying one of the four elements.

The men tried to dissuade their mates from investigating her grandmother’s home. When Pati pointed out the albino was still hidden somewhere in Magic, they ceased their objections. There was more to deal with than just her father.

Had the mage been present when she had sex with Dreyden? She felt violated. Not by having intercourse with a perfect stranger. That had been her decision. The idea of an uninvited presence in her home was what disturbed her.

A beautiful gray tabby on the edge of her property caught her eye. Although the cat wore no collar, he was obviously well cared for. His tail was puffy, probably having just reacted to the jaguars invading his territory. She would put food out later in case her assumptions were wrong.

Prue entered the house and noted her opened suitcase was still in the hallway. It did not appear anyone had touched it since she pulled out the dress she currently wore. If the house was clear, she was going to shower and change into something else. She was too worked up to sleep. Besides, who knew how long she’d been unconscious during their trip to Glacier.

The jaguars sniffed around the living area and then headed upstairs. Each step was scrutinized as they ascended to the second floor. Neither Danyal or Pati gave any indication they had caught an intruder’s scent.

It did not take long for Danyal and Pati to rejoin them in their human forms. They brought clothing that was left on the stairs for them to change into. The group was now in the kitchen. If her father had been there, he no longer was.

“What now?” Pati asked.

There was no designated leader among them. If magic was involved, it would be Topper. The town had a council, but the beings were scattered about, afraid to expose themselves as long as the protection spell was not in place.

Magic, New Mexico, had been founded centuries before by their ancestors to escape persecution they were subjected to in the Old World. Humans had changed little over the years. Societies still struggled accepting members of their own species because of the color of their skin, their religious beliefs, or their sexual orientation. Now was not the time for trolls, werewolves, dwarfs, vampires, and other creatures to come out to the world.

“We deal with the albino,” Danyal finally said. “For the time being, we have to believe the mage is in league with the witch. Theo needs to be brought into our plans.”

“Who is Theo?” Prue asked.

“He is the town sheriff,” Pati replied. “Theo is a dragon shifter. Like Danyal and my ability to shift, Theo will not be impacted by the spell affecting the other’s magic.”

“When the albino first came to town, I was unable to shift,” Danyal shared. “His magic negated my ability. But Patience found a way around his earlier spell. She shifted for the first time and saved my life. We now use the part of our ancestral magic that allows us to shift. I believe it can be compared to Prue’s elemental magic. The albino would not be aware we found a workaround.”

Topper looked at her watch and put on her sweater. The sun would be setting soon and the temperature would drop. Prue remembered that aspect of living in the desert.

“The doctor from the CDC should be arriving at my home anytime,” Topper said. “I should be there to meet her.”

“I will get the cultures my husband created to trick the CDC,” Pati’s mother said. “Fortunately, whatever spell is affecting Magic, didn’t extend to our farm. It’s amazing what a little magic and a degree in chemistry can produce.”

“Danyal and I can spend the night,” Pati said. “There is plenty of space in this house. My magic is worthless, but my jaguar can help protect you if your father returns.”

Dreyden had been quiet since they left Topper’s. She saw the anger in his face directed at Pati’s words. Based on what little she saw of Dreyden’s capabilities, she felt safe in his presence.

“We’ll be fine,” Prue answered. “The albino only felt my presence earlier. If he knew who I was, he would have used my name. Instead, he referred to me as the mage’s daughter. Unless he does a house to house search, we are safe here. Regardless, Dreyden will see to my safety.”

She had to give him that. Earlier he had gone to the extreme of kidnapping her to keep her from harm. The tiny piece of ice he placed on her skin she imagined was just a small indication of what he was capable of.

“Meet us at eight tomorrow morning at the sheriff’s office,” Danyal suggested. “We will have breakfast together after we meet with Theo.”

Prue and Dreyden walked everyone to the front door. After wishing them a good night, Prue turned to head back inside. The tabby was on the far side of the porch grooming himself.

“Go home, boy,” Prue said, “unless you want to be a coyote’s dinner.”

The cat ran off, either startled by her voice or her tone. Her mother always had cats when she was growing up. Although she longed for one, she had not thought she was home enough to properly care for a cat. Maybe when this was all over she’d adopt a gray tabby.

Fatigue started to set in when she closed the front door. Everything that occurred today had finally caught up with her. She had been on an alien planet, traveled through a magical portal, and used her elemental powers for the first time. No wonder she was tapped.

“I’m going to take a long, hot bath,” Prue said. “We can screw like rabbits tomorrow morning before meeting with Theo.”

She looked at Dreyden’s fiery eyes. All thoughts of relaxing fled as his blue eyes shimmered with more intensity. A second wind fueled her with energy, thanks to her libido.

Prue walked into his arms and brought her lips to his. She opened to his kiss. His taste was intoxicating. Would she ever tire of this man? If anything, her desire for him multiplied with each physical contact.  At this rate, they were going to kill each other if things did not stabilize on that front.

When Dreyden stopped their kiss, a small cry escaped her. She regretted her earlier words. Now, she wanted nothing more than have him planted deeply inside her.

“Go, restore yourself,” Dreyden said. “Although I doubt I can wait until tomorrow morning before I bring us both to rapture.”

Dreyden caught her as her knees buckled. What this man could do to her with just words! She was not sure if her elemental powers were adversely impacted by sex, so Prue stepped out of his embrace.

Prue made it up the stairs, leaning on the banister. Her body was humming with need, although the rest of her was close to exhaustion. It was a strange, contradictory feeling. Almost like putting chilled hands in warm water. Her body tingled in a similar manner.

Her eyes looked longingly at the bed. Topper told Prue she had used the keys her grandmother left in her custody to freshen-up the house. That included putting fresh linens on the bed and lavender-scented bath products in the washroom.

Topper had purchased her favorite brand of toiletries, from the bath tissue to the shower gel. Prue twisted off the plastic top and breathed in the aromatic liquid. She had not missed Dreyden sniffing her from almost the moment they met. The odds were good as soon as he slid in bed next to her, all restraint would be forfeited. They had yet to make love in a bed.

Those words played in her head. Was it just sex or a physical means to show more intense feelings growing between them? She had never reacted to anyone with the same abandonment. It was a little frightening her lack of self-control where he was concerned.

Bubbles tickled her fingertips. She was lulled from her thoughts as the gel’s foam subtly indicated the tub was quickly filling. Yup, she was in deep! No wonder they called it falling in love.

Prue undressed and lowered herself in the near scalding water. She should have paid attention to the temperature when she was running the bath rather than daydreaming. Slowly, she started to relax. As long as she didn’t move, the water was perfect. The lavender scent further helped to soothe her nerves.

She took in several cleansing breaths and closed her eyes. If she wasn’t careful, she’d fall asleep. Dreyden had been right to let her rest. There was a possibility tomorrow was going to be as hectic as today. She needed to be in top form, both mentally and physically.

When her fingers were beyond prunes, she decided to get out of the bathwater. Topper had left fresh towels and a cushy robe. The woman was a saint.

Somewhere along the way, Prue had managed to pinup her hair. She had no memory of it. Only the hair that rested against the back of her neck was wet. She wrapped herself in the violet terrycloth robe. There were still bubbles on her skin she did not bother to wipe off.

When she entered the bedroom, a cool breeze greeted her. Dreyden must have come upstairs and opened a window to air out the room. She was surprised he was not waiting in the bed, impatient at how long she took.

Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood up straight. Something wasn’t right. A dark shadow crossed her peripheral vision. Before she could scream, a hand covered her mouth.

Chapter 9

Dreyden finished his second tiny glass of an amber-colored beverage called Scotch. The small glass was next to the bottle. It burned on the way down, but managed to relax his tense body.

His cock was painfully hard and he was anxious about the threat to his chosen one. That part of his body was certainly not controlled by his mind. They should have stayed on Glacier. Part of his problem would be relieved if he stopped envisioning her naked.

Tired of waiting for Prudence to call him, Dreyden downed the remainder of his drink and headed upstairs. The bedroom was freezing when he entered. There was no sign of Prudence in either the bathroom or the frigid bedroom.

“Prudence,” he yelled. Somehow he knew there would be no reply.

He frantically checked all the rooms on the upper floor. Due to his superior hearing, he would have heard her come down the stairs. The old staircase had a number of steps that creaked when pressure was applied.

A window had been opened in Prudence’s room. He looked out and scanned the night for any sign of her. There was a faint scent of that lovely fragrance he picked up from her earlier. Someone had taken her and exited through the window.

There was no doubt her father had taken Prudence. Nowhere along the way had anyone conjectured what the mage wanted with his daughter. Dreyden doubted it would be anything positive.

With no place else to go, Dreyden left the house and ran to Pati and Danyal’s home. They would gather the others to initiate a search for Prudence.

When he reached the back of the structure that housed both their store and residence, Dreyden banged violently on the door. It did not take long for Danyal to arrive.

“Someone took Prudence,” he announced before being asked why he was there. Danyal opened the door and Dreyden entered.

Pati came running into the kitchen, still wrapping a robe around her body. “What happened?” she asked.

“Either the mage or the albino took Prudence,” he answered. “Maybe both, I do not know. Would you be able to follow her scent?”

“Yes,” Danyal responded. “I will head to the house and see if I can pick up anything. Pati, contact Theo and the others. We cannot afford to keep the sheriff in the dark any longer.” Within seconds, the jaguar left the house.

Pati picked up Earth’s version of a communication device. He believed Prudence called it a phone. Dreyden paced the kitchen like a wild animal while Pati made several calls. The blonde ran her hands through her hair, apparently sick with worry. Prudence had just returned to Magic, yet she had people who cared deeply for her.

He asked himself once again if anyone would be concerned if anything happened to him? How had he managed to live this long and not developed any ties with anyone? Had his life been meaningless until this point? Once they found Prudence, his life was going to radically change. He would put down roots in this town or anywhere she desired. Dreyden would deal with the ramification and censure from his world.

“The sheriff is coming right over,” Pati informed him. “Topper has activated the phone tree.”

Dreyden had no idea what that was, but if it would help them find Prudence, he was pleased. It drove him crazy that he was helpless in the quest to find his mate. He had no ship, no friends of his own, and was totally dependent on these people.

Every minute felt like an eternity passed waiting for Danyal to return and the others to arrive. Pati made him a warm beverage to help calm him down. The herbal tea tasted interesting, but did not reduce his anxiety.

Theo, the sheriff, arrived. He was a big man, a little smaller than Dreyden. The sheriff collected information, but did not have anything new to share. Since the threat was first made, the sheriff had tried unsuccessfully to find the albino. The powerful witch hid his location well. With the protection spell no longer in place, Theo could not fly through the canyons looking for possible hideouts. They could not take the risk any tourists still remained, undaunted by the contagion threat.

As it grew late, Dreyden’s frustration mounted. At least it was a good sign that Danyal had not returned. The jaguar must have picked up her scent and would soon find her. If it was not for that hope, Dreyden would go mad.

A horde of women entered the kitchen. Frost was the lone male among them. Over the years, he had little interactions with the other Space Ranger. Now, he was grateful Frost was present.

“Whoever took your chosen one values her power,” Frost said. “He will not harm her. From what little I know of her, she will not do anything stupid. Prudence will wait for us to rescue her. If she knows anything about our people, she is aware you will never rest until she is found.”

Prudence knew nothing about Glacier or the legends associated with the chosen one. However, he had already demonstrated the hoops he would go through to protect her. He was confident she would do whatever was required to survive. Prudence would cooperate and not risk being harmed until he could get to her. From what he had been able to ascertain, his chosen one’s behavior mirrored her name. It appeared she had the ability to govern and discipline herself by using reason.

All conversations ceased when Danyal returned. The shifter did not have to say a word. Defeat was written over his face. Even if he had picked up a scent, it had not led him to Prudence.

***

Prue woke slowly. She was able to move her limbs, so she had not been in stasis. This time she was coming out of a spell. As if she’d been drugged, Prue was groggy and disoriented.

“Don’t fight it,” a male voice said. “Let your mind and body naturally wake. If you do it properly, you will feel refreshed.”

His words angered her. Only a victim would not fight an attack, natural or unnatural, against their being. Prue was many things, but she was not a victim.

“What do you want?” she managed to ask.

“Only the honor of finally meeting my daughter,” he replied.

Her eyes shot open. The rapid movement resulted in a piercing icepick-like sharp intense pain. A more intense version of an ice cream headache.

She swallowed several times to bathe her parched throat. “Why after all these years?” Prue asked. “You seduced my mother and then abandoned her. Now you are here and I am supposed to welcome you with open arms? You kidnapped me!”

Yes, Dreyden had abducted her, but he was trying to protect her. The mage only meant her harm. After twenty-six years, she doubted he merely wanted to meet her. There had to be more.

“You only know your mother’s side of the story,” the mage said.

“It was the only version I was given,” Prue replied. “Where have you been all this time? Do you really think you can reappear out of the blue and all would be forgiven? How much of a fool do you take me for?”

By now her anger had manifested itself in tears. She could not control the emotions overwhelming her. Now that her vision had cleared, seeing her father only fueled her heartfelt reaction. This was the man who ruined her mother’s life.

The mage had jet black hair with graying temples. His eyes were a rich dark brown and deceptively warm. She could not drag her sight from his face, regardless of how hard she tried. Although Prue resembled her mother, she had her father’s eyes’ shape and color. He appeared to be in his late thirties, certainly not old enough to be her father.

“Your mother cast a spell to drive me from her life,” her father claimed. “While Sara carried you, she used your elemental gift to get rid of me.”

“That’s a lie,” Prue cried. “You abandoned us.”

Her father let out a little snicker. “Untrue,” he said. “She reveled in the power she borrowed from you, stronger than my elemental gift. I told her the borrowed magic was only temporary. In a fit of anger, she cast me away. I imagine she spent the rest of her life trying to restore what she lost.”

He didn’t know what he was saying. What her mother did was to protect her from him. Sara went to such extremes, even giving up her own mother who had forsaken her. But she could not deny there was a hint of truth in what her father said. In the end, her mother’s abuse of magic had driven her away.

“Let me guess,” her father continued. “Your mother practiced dark magic when she couldn’t manifest the spells she desired. Wasn’t that what drove her from Magic? The witches here only use light magic. That was what caused the division between your grandmother and mother.”

Everything he said was true, but he had to be wrong about her motives. Sara loved and protected her. She taught her white magic and never how to call upon the elemental gifts she possessed. It was Prue who finally pulled away from her mother after she abused black magic. Sara was not the power hungry witch her father tried to depict. Besides, Topper and the rest of the witches would have intervened or at least set the story straight when news of the mage’s return was known.

“I sensed when you used your elemental gift earlier this evening,” her father said. “It was quite impressive you found me with your first attempt.”

“But I didn’t find you,” Prue replied. “You weren’t at my grandmother’s house.”

“Sure, I was,” her father said with a dazzling smile plastered on his face. “You even spoke to me.”

The man was imagining things. The only creature at her grandmother’s house she talked to was the gray tabby. Prue sat up, still wrapped in the oversized robe. Nothing about the cat and her father appeared similar. When Danyal and Pati shifted, their eyes remained the same.

“Are you telling me you were able to shift into a cat and not even a black one?” Prue asked.

“Witches and black cats are such a cliché,” her father crooned. “I used my elemental gift to temporarily take the form of a cat. Once upon a time, I had a gray tabby I was particularly fond of. Unlike your friends, I do not have an animal side. I can transform into any animal I desire.”

Prue knew the witches here could use magic to turn themselves into animals. She did not know why that fact was slow to return to her memory. Her mother had never performed a transformation spell. Her mind was cluttered with too much information and too many questions she had no desire to ask her father. Prue wanted her freedom and time to consider everything he said.

“Am I prisoner here?” she asked.

“You are my guest,” her father answered. “However, if you wish to leave, I will not stop you. Since I have no desire to mingle with your friends or the alien you are fornicating with, I will be nearby if you wish to renew our acquaintance.”

Her lover was from another planet, but her father was the true alien. Had his self-exile made him awkward in social situations? The longer she spent with him, the more confused she became.

“What about the albino?”

“Who?”

Chapter 10

Prue left her father and found herself two houses down from her grandmother’s. How had he been so close and she had not felt the power contained within him? He must have erected some type of shield around the dwelling. Dreyden would have yelled bloody murder when he found her missing.

After finding her new home empty, Prue headed to Pati’s. It was the most likely location for Dreyden to go. If she was mistaken, she’d head over to Topper’s house. Those two were the only places he knew the people who lived there.

There was a lot of activity around Pati’s place. She had guessed right. Prue saw Danyal and Frost deep in a discussion as she approached. She imagined they were talking about her disappearance.

She saw the relief depicted in both their faces when they spotted her. Danyal yelled for Dreyden with excitement in his voice. Dreyden appeared at the rear door shortly after her eyes roamed to that spot.

Prue ran into Dreyden’s arms. Now she felt safe. His body temperature heated to warm her. She imagined it was just one of his many abilities she’d learn with time.

“We should get you inside,” Dreyden said. “There are a lot of people who have been looking for you who will want to know where you have been. I am at the top of that list.”

They entered Pati’s house and Dreyden had not been exaggerating, the place was packed. There were several faces she did not recognize. A number of maps were laid out and whiteboards filled with information littered the room. How did they manage to do all this work in the short period of time she was gone?

“Oh my God,” Pati said as she came over to embrace her. “Where the hell have you been?”

“My father took me after my bath,” Prue said. “You have really assembled an army in a matter of hours. I’m impressed.”

Pati looked confused and glanced at Dreyden for an answer. The alien shrugged his shoulders in response. People around her were acting strangely.

“You’ve been gone for a week, Prudie,” Pati said. “We literally turned the town upside down. Our checking everyone’s health for the CDC was a great cover. But that is all beside the point, where have you been?”

Prue sat at the kitchen table. Several bottles of wine were open, so she poured herself a glass. She didn’t care if the glass was clean, she needed a drink. Dreyden sat beside her, taking her hand in his.

“As far as I was able to perceive time after I woke, I had a short conversation with my father and left,” Prue informed the people around her. “I couldn’t have been asleep for a week.”

In order to prove her statement, she ran her hand down her smooth shin. If she had been unconscious for that long, the little hairs on her leg would have grown. Somehow time had been manipulated.

“All I know is I walked out of the house two doors down from my grandmother’s and came straight here,” Prue said.

“Sweetie,” Topper said, “where you described is a vacant lot. A house has not stood there in decades.”

“A protection spell disguises this town,” Dreyden said. “Why not erect one just down from where your daughter would one day return?”

“That would explain the lack of help your grandmother required,” Topper commented. “Normally, older women living alone require handyman-related work performed and some degree of companionship. She had her own mage nearly next door.”

“Children never played in that lot,” Pati said. “They give that spot a wide berth.”

It was comforting her friends and neighbors believed her story. She was beginning to think it had all been some kind of strange dream. The people around her were trying to make sense of what she experienced.

“My father said Sara cast him out of her life and her abuse of magic was to replace the elemental power she lost when I was born. Is that true, Topper?”

If anyone knew, the old witch would. Nothing happened in this town she didn’t know or had not seen coming. Topper poured herself a glass of wine and joined her at the table. Maybe she was finally going to hear the truth. No one had been straight with her; it was about time they stopped lying.

“We didn’t want to destroy memories of your mother if it wasn’t necessary,” Topper told her between sips. “There were rumors your father was a mage, but most of us dismissed them. That changed when your mother became pregnant and started to cast spells without whistling. None of us knew much about elemental magic and we were frightened.”

“Your father came to me for help,” Pati’s mother Martha continued where Topper left off. “Sara was our friend, such a sweet girl. He told us she’d lose the power when you were born. Your father believed that his elemental child should be given to him and he’d leave town. The type of power you possessed should be isolated, and if you stayed, you’d endanger what we built here.”

“Yes, your mother wanted to protect you,” Topper said, “but she also wanted the power she lost. Sara swore to us she’d only teach you white magic. That you would never know what you were capable of. In return, we helped to drive your father out of town.”

Her father’s version of the story was true enough to absolve him of guilt in her mind. He was as much a victim as she was. The witches’ interference was out of loyalty and friendship; how could she fault them either? Sara had sealed her own fate, and she was ignorant of what occurred to help her mother.

“I assume my grandmother did not reach out to me when my mother died because of my father’s proximity,” Prue said. “But why leave me the house and draw me back home?”

“Guilt, I assume,” Topper said. “Your father lived in Magic for years and we sensed nothing. She probably felt he was your only living relative and you proved the power you possessed could be contained.”

“So the mage is not a threat to Prudence?” Dreyden asked.

“I don’t think so,” Prue answered. “But there is still the albino that needs to be dealt with. My father knew nothing about him and I believed him. The albino sensed my power when he was near me and covets it. He needs to be found and eliminated. Once that happens, the protection spell can be reinstated. This town has suffered enough.”

Voices shouted with her in agreement throughout the kitchen and the sound migrated into the living room. She would eventually have to figure out how she lost a week, but for now, they needed to focus on capturing the powerful witch who continued to threaten the town.

“Let’s get you something to wear,” Pati said.

Prue forgot she was still wearing only a robe. She gladly followed Pati upstairs and borrowed clothing from the slimmer woman. Too much time had already been wasted for her to run home and change. They had an outlaw witch to catch and she would not hesitate using her elemental gifts to make that happen.

***

Dreyden stood outside the room where Pati had led his chosen one. After Pati left the chamber, Dreyden entered to spend a couple precious minutes alone with her. At a minimum, he needed to hold her in his arms.

The last week had been a nightmare. He had been going out of his mind imagining all the terrible things the mage was doing to her. Star Rangers were sent after the worst criminals any star system produced. The men and women he hunted had perpetrated horrendous crimes.

She was fiddling with her bra. Prue turned when she sensed his presence. He captured her lips before she could say anything. Her taste already soothed some of his pent up frustration.

“We can’t,” she muttered between kisses, “practically the whole town is downstairs.”

His nimble fingers unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor. Her full breasts were crushed against his chest and he brought her further into his embrace. Dreyden shifted his head and ran his tongue along the rim of her ear.

“Just for a few stolen moments,” he whispered. “You need this time as badly as I do.”

Prudence must not have realized she had been shaking from the moment she entered Pati’s house. In his arms, she began to relax. It was not a sexual release he sought, but a means to calm his chosen one.

He ran his hands up and down her naked back. Tight muscles began to relax at his touch, particularly around her neck and shoulders. Her hips were also in need of his attention.

“How could I have been gone for a week?” Prudence asked in a voice that reminded him of a child reaching out in fear.

“I don’t know, baby,” Dreyden admitted. “With the existence of a magical portal that can cross the universe in seconds and the existence of parallel dimensions, anything is possible.”

In the last week, he worked closely with Danyal. He learned about the dimension of shifters he hailed from. The magic would have transported her to another realm. He knew very little about the intricacies of time and space.

“After we are done dealing with the albino, we will seek out the mage and ask him,” Dreyden said. “The people of Magic are in crisis and that powerful witch has marked you as his. He wants your magic. We should give it to him, just not in the fashion he is expecting.”

Prudence lifted her head and smiled. Her face illuminated with that one simple act. It took his breath away.

“I want a rain check on getting naked and rediscovering each other,” she said. “For now, I need to dress and we should join the others.”

Pati’s clothing was skimpier than what Prudence normally wore. The top barely contained her full breasts and the skirt showed too much of her upper thighs. He did not like that she would be on show for other men to admire. Once they hatched a plan, they would head to her grandmother’s home and she would redress after they got reacquainted.

As soon as they joined the others, Prudence got right to business. “Has the albino been back in contact since the original demand? Maybe he left town.”

“Our magic is still impacted,” Topper said. “That requires he be a certain proximity and continually reinforcing the spell. With the number of witches in town trying to use their craft, he has to continually focus energy on what is stopping us.”

“Another threat was delivered to my office moments ago,” the sheriff said as he put his cell phone back in his pocket. “He must have sensed your presence when your father released you.”

Prudence frowned. Her eyes squinted and she wrinkled her nose. She was adorable when she was thinking. He wished he could get inside her head and listen to what she was debating with herself about.

“Did anyone leave right after I arrived?” Prudence asked. “He needs to be close to me to feel my presence. I didn’t see anyone on the streets when I walked here.”

The group looked at each other trying to determine who was missing. People came and went with such regularity, it was hard to keep track of their comings and goings.

“Bryon Wabash just went up front to start his shift at the store,” Danyal volunteered. He sounded hesitant to share that information. The shifter was loyal to his employees.

“How long has he been in town?” Prudence asked.

“About a month, I guess,” Danyal answered. “Several jaguars from our lost pride have moved into town. Bryon was the last to arrive.”

“A convenient cover story and a means to get close to you both while he set up what he originally planned,” Frost said. “When we tried to figure out who was in the store when Prue first arrived, we did not consider the employees. For the albino, it would’ve been a simple spell to hide his true appearance.”

Dreyden did not like that his enemy could change appearances whenever he chose. He never encountered such a challenge before. How would he know if he captured the right man and Prudence was truly safe?

***

The men in the room headed for the entrance of the store from the living area. Prue and the other women followed. She sensed her magical core building in power, inherently preparing for battle.

“Where is Bryon Wabash?” the man in uniform asked the first clerk they encountered. Prue hadn’t met the sheriff, but assumed the big man was Theo.

“He wasn’t feeling well, so he went home,” the jaguar shifter answered. Danyal and Pati hired staff from their pride. That was the reason Danyal was fiercely loyal to their employees.

“Frost and I will check it out,” Theo said. “The rest of you stay here.”

For the first time, Prue noticed the weapons Frost had hanging from his belt. She was not familiar with them and assumed Dreyden had the same weaponry hidden somewhere. They would have to retrieve his arsenal from wherever he stashed them.

She hated waiting around while she was the target. It also bothered her that the clerk was eyeing her breasts. Prue wanted to go home and change. In addition, she wanted to check out the property her father used. Would there still be a house there or a vacant lot?

“Can we move this party to my place?” Prue asked. “If the albino is going to attack, it will be at my grandmother’s, now that he knows who I am. I want this over with.”

Prue needed to burn off excess energy and she knew exactly how she was going to accomplish that. Hopefully, she and Dreyden would have a little time alone before the onslaught of help arrived.

They said their goodbyes and headed to her house. The albino had to know Theo and the others were after him, which bought her and Dreyden some time. She glanced down the street and noted a vacant lot where a house stood earlier. Prue had no idea how to contact her father if she needed him.

As soon as they entered her grandmother’s house and Dreyden closed the door, Prue launched herself on him. She sprinkled his face with kisses until her mouth landed on his parted lips. Her tongue assaulted his mouth, craving his taste. Every care dissolved when she was in his arms.

Dreyden carried her gingerly up the stairs. By some miracle, he managed to get them to the master bedroom without ramming her accidentally against the wall. He was so steady on his feet and had total control of the valuable cargo he carried.

As soon as he placed her on the bed, he started to remove her clothing. “Careful,” Prue managed to say, “we don’t want to rip Pati’s clothing.”

“I will buy her new ones,” Dreyden grunted as he ripped the tight top from her body.

Her breasts were almost free of their constraints. She still had on the bra that was too small. Dreyden unhooked the bra with the finesse he exhibited earlier. Prue was thrilled to be released from the lingerie that bit into her flesh. She was too caught up with what Dreyden was doing to see if she had red marks on her breasts and her back.

Dreyden pulled down the skirt and her panties with a single tug. It felt wonderful to be naked and she wanted to feel Dreyden’s bare flesh next to hers. When his lips returned to hers, Prue grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt and lifted the material toward his neck. He broke their kiss when she pulled the shirt over his head.

His kisses became awkward as he attempted to rid himself of his pants. She couldn’t help smiling under his lips. How she enjoyed this man.

The tender thought fled her mind when his finger entered her feminine folds and his erection rubbed against her upper thigh. A loud moan escaped her when a second finger entered and grazed her clit. Her passion lubricated his digits, informing him she was ready.

She cried out as he entered her with a powerful thrust. He wanted to be in her core urgently as she stretched to accommodate his size. Her muscles compressed to embrace and milk his cock. Dreyden moaned each time she tightened around him.

He drove in and out of her, ever increasing his rate. Prue was covered with sweat, a result of the effort she spent trying to keep up with his rapid pace. Her breathing became labored as she struggled to take in enough air. Sensation after sensation erupted within her core, building to an orgasm she was certain would rip her apart.

Her cry echoed through the room as she fractured. Dreyden shortly erupted within her, experiencing his own climax. They held each other as their bodies recovered from the intensity of their lovemaking. It was not a primitive drive she experienced, but a coming together of soul mates. Two beings made specifically for each other. Regardless of what a culture called it, she knew Dreyden was hers.

His member was still buried deeply within her core. They were truly one for the time being. The extremity felt part of her. She finally felt complete.

Although she was physically spent, Prue still wanted him. She moved her pelvis in an attempt to revive that part of him still within her.

“Woman, you are going to kill me,” Dreyden growled, placing his forehead against hers.

He grew harder in her and began to move when someone banged on the door. Dreyden collapsed on top of her in frustration. There was no telling how long their guest had been knocking before they finally heard it.

Dreyden rolled off her and rose from their bed. He put on his pants, ready to see who was at the front door. She had invited their allies to her home, after all. Prue couldn’t quite make out what Dreyden mumbled to himself as he left the bedroom.

She quickly dressed, grabbing her most comfortable clothing. Dreyden had unpacked her suitcase in the week she had been missing. Ironically, he placed things exactly where she would have had she unpacked. In the drawers opposite of her clothing, Prue found men’s clothing. He must have purchased the items in town while waiting for her to return.

Prue headed down the stairs and stopped dead in her tracks. A man she did not recognize stood over Dreyden’s unconscious body. Before she could react, a ball of energy came hurdling toward her.

Chapter 11

Someone was shaking him. Dreyden slowly returned from whatever had put him under. He knew he was not waking from a natural sleep.

When he opened his eyes, Theo and Frost were kneeling over his body. His brain had problems figuring out why they were here. Everything was still a bit foggy.

Suddenly he shot up and shouted, “Prudence!”

“She was taken,” a female voice from somewhere behind him commented. “This time I doubt it was her father.”

He turned to see an older woman he recognized, his confused mind could not remember her name. One would think he would remember a woman’s name who had magenta colored hair. Only one name echoed in his mind. Without Prudence, life was incomplete. Topper. Her name was Topper.

“The front door was open when we arrived,” the sheriff said. “We must have just missed the albino. Frost searched the house after we arrived. There is no sign of Prue. The bastard finally got what he demanded.”

“Danyal and Pati just took off following their scent,” Frost said.

“They can finally pick up the albino’s trail?” Dreyden asked.

“No,” Frost answered. “Prue gave off the scent they were following. The two of you just had sexual relations. As long as he does not get into a car, they should be able to follow them to wherever he is holding her. The fugitive has been in town this whole time.”

Dreyden rose and headed for the kitchen. He was thirsty before, but now he could barely swallow, his throat was so dry. Sitting beside the sink was a glass he proceeded to fill with water and quenched his thirst.

What kind of mate was he? This was the second time Prudence had been abducted since he met her. Naturally, he did not count the time he had taken her.

He nearly choked drinking the water. His whole being was impacted by the loss of Prudence. If he did not pull himself together, he would never find her. Frost and Theo were more than competent, but it was his responsibility to safeguard his chosen one.

His communication device vibrated. He had started wearing it in order to communicate with Frost. Only one other person would be calling and he was not in the correct frame of mind to talk with her.

“What?” he barked into the communicator.

“Maybe I need to extend your time off,” Passion whined. “Unfortunately, I need to have you return to Earth. Something happened related to the Ruling Director. No one is saying anything, but I know it has to do with the freaks living in that town. I cannot reach the Star Ranger I sent to replace you.”

Dreyden started to turn off the device, but Frost grabbed it before he accomplished the simple task. Her whole vendetta started with Frost’s retirement. Up to that point, he was one of the most successful Star Rangers, which allowed her to bask in his achievements. If Frost spoke to Passion, Dreyden’s career was over. Based on everything that had occurred, maybe that was not such a bad thing.

“This stops now, Passion,” Frost warned his former boss. “I intercepted the last poor soul you sent. He is now lying in stasis on my ship. All I have to say is one word to the Ruling Director and I effectively get you out of my life. Due to our years together, I have held off involving him in the war you started between us.”

There was silence on the other side of the communicator as Passion considered what to do about Frost’s threat. She was a thorn in both their sides.

“Drey still has time remaining on his contract with the Star Rangers,” Passion informed them, confident evident in her tone. “Desertion is taken very seriously.”

Fortunately, before he left Glacier, Dreyden had a long talk with the Ruling Director. He was aware of his last assignment and was granted a leave from the Star Rangers. The Ruling Director even suggested stationing him on Earth and creating a secret base in anticipation of Earth joining the Coalition. If the protection spell could protect a whole town, it could be extended to a small space port.

Dreyden put out his hand and Frost returned his communicator. He took several breaths to calm his anger. The last thing he wanted was to set off Passion. She still had powerful friends. Political power could easily change.

“The Ruling Director has extended my leave,” Dreyden informed her. “When I return, my contract will be transferred to the council. He has outlawed all travel to Earth without a dispensation from him personally.”

Once again, Passion did not immediately reply. She had to be aware of the Ruling Director’s dictate, one she grossly disobeyed. Either he or Frost could turn Passion in for her last order and she would be arrested.

His communicator documented every communication. Storage space was freed up after past data was downloaded into his computer’s database, which was linked to the Coalition’s system. Data stored was not actively reviewed, but could be retrieved to substantiate an allegation.

“It was a pleasure working with you, Drey,” Passion finally said. “Stop by and see me sometime. I would not mind a repeat of our last time together. Frost, I hope you rot in a hot, desolate world somewhere.”

Passion ended the transmission. Dreyden hesitated looking at Frost after what Passion said. He knew the former Star Ranger would give him crap. They had more pressing matters.

“We need to find Danyal and Pati,” Dreyden said.

Their focus needed to return to finding Prudence and dealing with the powerful witch who took her. Dreyden opened one of the cabinets and pulled out his weapons. In the week Prudence was missing, he returned to the canyon where he had hidden his arsenal. He believed at the time, he would be returning to Earth and wanted to make sure he had the advance technology that would give him a decisive advantage.

“You had sex with that heartless, coldblooded bitch?” Frost asked in disbelief.

“If you drink enough alcohol and are depressed, even you would have had intercourse with Passion,” Dreyden claimed.

“I do not believe any amount of alcohol or drugs would get me in that woman’s bed,” Frost said. “But I agree, we should resume the search for your chosen one.”

They joined the women in the living room. Fortunately, none of them had been in the kitchen to overhear the conversation they just had. The ladies were attempting a locator spell, hoping the restriction on their magic had been lifted. Based on the aggravated expressions, it had not.

Danyal and Pati arrived. Prudence’s scent had led them to a small parking lot several blocks away and then dissipated. The albino put her in a car and drove away. Dreyden was disappointed, but not surprised. There was going to be nothing easy about retrieving his mate.

“He could be heading out of state, for all we know,” Topper claimed.

“No,” Danyal responded. “He originally came to town with a purpose. Prudence distracted him for a time. Now that he has her, I believe he will revert back to his original intent.”

“Prue will try to fight him,” Pati said. “He will take her to a spot she cannot pull from the elements and will be helpless to fight him. Morgan Needles found an old cabin in the canyons. I figure the albino will do the same.”

“When we triumphed over Needles, the albino was already gone,” Danyal added. “He has full command of his magic, we do not. We have the ability to shift, but he still has the greater advantage.”

Dreyden released a frustrated sigh. His instinct was always to be the aggressor, going to his intended targets. He did not like being on the defensive. They needed to find a way to get the upper hand.

There was a knock on the door. Topper was closest to the front of the house and went to see who came to join them. At this point, he was used to people’s coming and goings. By now, he had met most of Magic’s residents who were not impacted by the malfunctioning protection spell.

A tall man dressed in black entered alongside Topper. What struck him about the black-haired man was he had Prudence’s eye color and shape. It was at that point Dreyden knew the mage had entered the room.

***

“I have come to see my daughter,” the mage said. “The resentment she has for me needs to be overcome. She is my flesh and blood. I am all she has left.”

Dreyden charged forward and grabbed the mage by the neck. “Prudence is missing,” he snarled. “Stop playing your games. I want to know where the albino took her.”

The confusion on the mage’s face seemed real enough. Dreyden released him when the mage squinted his eyes and wrinkled his nose. He shared the same mannerism as his daughter.

Dreyden extended his hand to the mage in friendship. He believed the man had nothing to do with his daughter’s latest abduction. Maybe they finally had the edge they needed.

“I am called Dreyden,” he said. “Your daughter is my chosen one. I have failed to protect her.”

The mage’s eyes scanned him. “Then we share the same fault. I have failed her since the day of her birth. People call me Merlyn.”

“That is an interesting name. You can call me Topper.”

Merlyn gave Topper a slight bow. “I have another name, but when I came upon my powers, it was no longer adequate,” he admitted. “Merlyn was the greatest mage of all time, so I took his name. What can you tell me about whomever took my daughter?”

“He is a powerful witch,” Topper said. “He destroyed our protection spell and prevents us from using our magic. Prue’s elemental gift was not affected.”

“I sensed the disruption in the magic you described,” Merlyn said. “It was not my place to interfere. But now that he has my daughter, I have no choice. I still do not understand why he targeted Prudence. She just returned to town.”

“The witch sensed her elemental abilities,” Pati said.

The mage’s eyes grew large. “Then we are, in fact, dealing with an incredibly powerful witch. In my lifetime, I have only encountered two other witches who sensed my powers. I returned to my magical realm to escape their further attention.”

Another realm would explain the time disruption Prudence experienced. In fact, it was the only explanation Dreyden had come up with. He did not like unexplained phenomena. Eventually, anything could be explained and the mystery about it solved.

“Prudence found you with a locator spell. Can you find her in the same manner?” Dreyden asked.

“Very easily,” Merlyn answered. “I just need anything she held, the more recent, the better. An extremely personal item would provide a more precise location.”

Dreyden raced upstairs and retrieved a ring Prudence always wore. It belonged to her mother. She had taken it off after she met her father.

He returned to the others and handed Merlyn the ring. A map of the canyons outside of town was added to the map they used the other day. Topper handed the mage a fresh crystal and Merlyn attached the ring to the chain holding the stone.

“Does he not need items that represent the elements?” Dreyden inquired.

“Silence!” the mage shouted.

“He has been practicing elemental magic for decades,” Topper whispered.

“I need quiet to perform the spell,” Merlyn screamed.

No one uttered another word. The mage chanted and the crystal spun in circles similar to what occurred when Prudence performed the spell.

As expected, the crystal indicated Prudence had been taken to the canyon where Dreyden had once hidden his spacecraft. The spell located Prudence deep in the array of chasms.

Now they just needed to come up with a plan to rescue Prudence before she was moved or the albino came after the town. Surprise was on their side. The witch would not expect a frontal assault by a mage, two aliens, and an army of pissed off witches.

Chapter 12

Prue pounded her fist against the wood door. The bastard had locked her in a closet. When she woke, she was leaning against a shovel, coats, and a number of other items. Something had been poking her in the hip.

There was no light, so she had to feel for something to aid her in escaping. A handy axe would have been nice. The closet was small, so she had little room to maneuver.

At least this time she was not wearing a robe. She was fully dressed and fortunately not seductively. The albino wanted her for her powers, not her body. At least, she hoped that was the case.

It was also a good thing she wasn’t claustrophobic. That was one anxiety she was relieved she would not have to suffer during her captivity. She needed to find a pole and stick it up his ass. If only she were daring enough to do exactly that.

Bottom line, she needed to wait to be rescued by Dreyden and the others. They were not dealing with a mage, only a witch. He had to have a weak spot. A vulnerability they could use against him. It would have been wonderful if they shared a telepathic gift like Danyal and Pati did.

“Prudence, I am going to open the closet door,” a male voice said. “The last thing I want to do is harm you. But if you force me to, I will punish you.”

The door opened slowly. Prue wished she had the training to kick open the door and kick his ass. Unfortunately, she was happy when she was able to walk a straight line, even sober. Coordination was not her strong suit.

This time the albino did not try to mask his appearance. He was five-foot-eight-inches to the best of her ability to estimate height. He had shocking white hair that disappeared behind his back. His pallor was absent of pigment and his eyes were hidden by a pair of sunglasses. She imagined they were sensitive to light.

He was the type of person she always reached out to because he would have been bullied in school because of his appearance. Because of his behavior, she only had contempt for him.

“Don’t look at me with those scornful eyes,” the albino said. “You know nothing about me.”

“I heard plenty from my friends,” Prue countered. “The people of Magic did nothing to you, yet you have exposed them to the prejudices of the outside world. You don’t deserve my compassion.”

“Your so-called innocent friends killed someone close to me,” the albino said. “Morgan Needles was one of the few people who was ever kind to me. He didn’t care what I looked like.”

She imagined from the beginning, Morgan had planned to manipulate the desperate man. Being different caused people to latch on to individuals who did not necessarily have their best interests in mind. Prue did not have many memories of Morgan, but they were all bad.

“No,” Prue said, “he cared about the power you possessed. I just arrived in town, but I heard all about Morgan’s last visit. He would have killed Danyal and forced himself on Pati. I have no idea what happened to him.”

She ventured a look around. The room was constructed of cinderblocks and was sparingly furnished. He planned her prison well. Only the element of air was present. Even the floor was some plastic laminate artificial tile, far divorced from the once organic materials.

“I don’t blame you for what your friends did,” he said. “Mages have apprentices. I wish to be yours.”

Prue could not help the laugh that escaped. She did not want to antagonize the man before her, but he grossly overestimated her abilities. However, the longer she strung him along, the more time Dreyden had to rescue her and the albino would delay whatever he had planned for the people of Magic. She needed him to believe she was as powerful as he imagined.

“Being a mage’s apprentice is a much sought after position,” Prue said. “I have seen the magic you are capable of, but I don’t even know your name. Strangers do not enter such intimate relationships as master and apprentice lightly. Kidnapping me did not start you off on the right footing. But I am willing to listen to your pitch to study under me.”

The albino seemed encouraged by her words. “I am Jerome Smith,” he said. What an ordinary name for an extraordinary man. “That was the name I was given at the orphanage. Therefore, I have no knowledge of what or who my parents were. When you entered town, I felt your power. There must be elemental magic within me.”

Shards of pity started to bud in her subconscious for this man. She needed to remind herself of what he had done, not his tragic history. If she handled this correctly, maybe she could dissuade him before anyone died. The people of Magic were compassionate people.

“Jerome, do you practice only light or white magic? Mages pull from the forces of nature. I will not pollute the purity of that with dark or black magic.”

The albino glared at her with contempt. “I have done what was necessary to protect myself and those few I cared about. When you are desperate enough, you will do what is required. Maybe you need a lesson to understand that.”

Another energy blast came at her, pushing her back against the wall as Jerome left the room. What had she done? Prue got up and ran toward the door. She banged her fists on it as she called out his name.

***

A blood curdling scream echoed throughout the house. Dreyden ran from the kitchen to investigate. One of the jaguar shifters was writhing on the floor. Something had interrupted his normally instantaneous conversion to his feline form.

His body was terribly twisted, part cat, part man. Pure agony was depicted on his face as he continued to scream. Dreyden could not imagine the pain the man experienced as human bones contorted to feline.

“No one else shift,” Danyal warned. “Gerry, concentrate through the pain. I have seen our kind shift without magic. It is painful, but you can make it through. You are young and strong.”

From the look on Danyal’s face, Dreyden knew he had not spoken the truth. Danyal talked to the young man in a soothing, calming voice, hoping to aid his stricken pride member through the excruciating process. On planets he visited, many of the inhabitants would have put the poor man out of his misery.

Merlyn came forward, chanting. The shifter’s magic had failed, perhaps the elemental magic would help complete the process. A scream quickly turned into a triumphant roar.

“No more shifting until all magic has been restored,” Pati ordered. She petted the large jaguar, trying to soothe away any remnants of pain. “Gerry needs to stay in his jaguar form until this is over.”

Mumbles of agreement followed the statement. After witnessing the partial manual conversion, no shifter would willingly go through the process. They would all remain in their human form for the upcoming battle.

Danyal rose and stood before the mage, extending his hand in friendship. “I owe you more than I can repay. Every jaguar in our pride is family, as you are now. Although I will not force her, I will help you rebuild the relationship with your daughter.”

“The albino must have left the canyons to perform the magic that affected Gerry’s ability to shift,” Topper said. “If only we could fly, there is a possibility we would get to wherever he is holding Prue before he returns.”

“I have enough strength to power your brooms,” Merlyn said.

“Is that possible?” Dreyden whispered in Frost’s ear.

“Oh, yes,” Frost replied, “and very disturbing.”

It seemed realistic, if these witches could open an inter-planetary portal, they could make a broom fly. Somehow he figured he would feel more secure in his ship, rather than a small wooden rod. He was a large man; he just could not picture how it was going to work.

The broomsticks were brought to the front yard and Merlyn started chanting over them. Frost stood next to him, shaking his head. Topper, on the other hand, looked excited. She was obviously fascinated by the elemental magic being practiced before her.

Slowly, the brooms rose in unison until they were three feet above the ground. Witches went to their brooms and sat on them with their legs hanging from one side, rather than straddling the pole.

“Come on, sweetie,” Topper said, “you’re flying with me. I’ll get you to Prue before you know it.”

Dreyden walked beside Topper, still doubting he would be able to fly on the small household cleaning product. He passed Danyal sitting cozily next to Pati on one of the brooms. The couple shared an intimate moment, comfortable in their environment.

Topper placed her behind on the stick, not struggling for her balance. She indicated for him to join her. Frost was not far away, already beside Lacey. Dreyden took a deep breath and followed the same motion Topper had just performed to sit erect.

As soon as he was on the broom, it was as if a force embraced him. Dreyden felt stable on the rod, not struggling to maintain his balance. The broom lifted and he grabbed ahold of Topper, but did not shift or fall to the ground.

“Hold on tight, sweetie,” Topper said. “It’s not necessary, but I don’t get much action anymore.”

Dreyden could not help but smile. These people had taken him into their community and treated him like one of their own. He had never met a more giving, caring group of characters in his life. Giving up being a Star Ranger and staying here with Prudence became more attractive with each passing day. Now, they just needed to rescue his chosen one.

“What about our being seen?” Dreyden asked.

“The people from the CDC left this morning,” Topper said. “They posted signs that the city was under quarantine for the next three weeks. If no new cases of the “flu” arise, the town will be open to tourists again. We just have to make sure that things are back to normal by then. You and Frost can wipe the mind of any tourists still lagging behind who happen to see us.”

By the time Topper finished speaking, they were flying over Prudence’s grandmother’s house. The magic that fueled the broom also continued to embrace his body. They accelerated as they flew over the town and headed into the desert. At this rate, they would be in the canyons in a manner of minutes.

Merlyn led the parade of broomsticks across the desert into the chasms. The mage had memorized the layout of the gulches and where the spell indicated his daughter was being held. Dreyden was relieved the powerful being was on their side. A shudder ran through him just thinking if that had not been the case.

They flew over a number of wooden cabins until they caught sight of one made of concrete. The mage brought them down just short of the small house. He stepped off the broomstick like he would have off the hull of his ship.

“We need to make sure there are no magical wards protecting the dwelling,” Merlyn said.

Dreyden did not have a clue what magical traps could be in place and was glad he had not come alone to rescue Prudence. He may have done more harm than good attempting to free her. Merlyn, Topper, and Pati’s mother were huddled together discussing their next steps.

“You need to be patient,” Frost said. “I have seen things I can still not believe related to magic. We need to take the mage’s and witches’ counsel before storming into where Prue is being held.”

He had already come to that conclusion, but it was nice Frost was here to support him. Frost had come to this world alone in pursuit of a deadly criminal. Dreyden would be a fool not to take anything Frost said to heart.

He consciously suppressed his desire to charge the structure where Prudence was held captive. His soul cried out for hers. Dreyden placed his hand on the weapon hanging from his belt, making a silent promise to himself he would kill the witch who had abducted his chosen one.

Merlyn, Topper, and Martha did several experiments, testing the area around Prudence’s prison for traps. The mage would enchant an object and one of the witches would throw it toward the dwelling. Everything they attempted indicated the area was free of magical wards. Topper gave them two thumbs up which he gathered meant all was clear, since everyone began congregating around the mage and the two witches.

“I am going to do a locator spell to determine where Prudence is in relation to the front door,” Merlyn said. “If she is a safe distance away, Dreyden and Frost will blast the door with their weapons. However, I will use magic to open the door if she would be in any danger. Using a spell will take longer.”

“Our magic is still ineffective here,” Martha said, “so the albino guarded against our finally reaching this point. However, he was overconfident in when we would arrive, since we did not detect any magical traps. If we blast the door, Merlyn will hold back just in case we were wrong.”

Dreyden’s patience was wearing thin. He pulled out his weapon ready to destroy the door when Merlyn indicated Prudence was not in the blast radius. His fingers itched to fire the weapon.

Merlyn walked the circumference of the building at a distance as far as he could comfortably get a reading. The back of the structure was too close to the canyon wall for the mage to use the spell. If Prudence was in the back, he may not be able to detect her presence. They could only hope she was there and had not been removed from the area.

Martha pulled out a satellite phone and called the sheriff. Theo remained in town, visible, in case the albino was still there. No rescue attempt would be executed without the town’s chief law official. At least, that was what they hoped the albino would believe.

“Blow the door,” Merlyn called out. “I have a weak signal toward the back of the building--”

Dreyden and Frost fired their blasters before Merlyn finished his sentence. Pieces of cement and wood splinters flew in all directions as a good portion of the front section of the structure exploded. He ran for the opening they created, not caring if there was a magical trap waiting. The time for caution was over. He needed to see Prudence and make sure she was all right.

He entered the building and found a barren room. Directly in front of him was another wood door. Without bothering to determine if it was locked or not, Dreyden charged the door and put all his weight into the shoulder that made contact with the barrier. His forward momentum drove him into the room as the door was compromised.

The second room was barely furnished. There was a small cot, a table, and two chairs. No rug was placed on the floor to provide color or warmth if anyone was not wearing shoes. Prudence was nowhere in sight. He was not sure what Merlyn picked up, but it wasn’t his mate.

A sound of another door opening grabbed his attention. He watched in wonder as Prudence stuck her head out from behind it.

“Oh, thank God,” Prudence said as she ran into his arms. “I thought we were having an earthquake. What the hell did you do?”

Prudence was shaking in his arms. Her voice trembled when she spoke. They had not considered the possible terror she would go through in their attempt to rescue her.

“Frost and I blasted the front door after your father determined you were a safe distance away,” Dreyden told her. There was no reason to tell her anything but the truth. She was in his arms and no apologies about how that happened would be forthcoming.

“Is she all right?” Merlyn asked from the broken doorframe.

Prudence looked up when she heard her father’s voice. Tears still ran down her cheeks. He was not sure if they were there because she was relieved or still reacting to a natural event she thought would end her life.

“Daddy?” she whispered.

Dreyden released her. Merlyn earned this moment with his daughter. Had it not been for him, they would still be at her grandmother’s trying to figure out where she was and how to rescue her. Now, she was safe.

Prudence took several small cautious steps toward her father. It was as if she were approaching a wild animal, wondering if he was going to pounce. Her stiff posture showed her discomfort.

“We would not be here if it was not for Merlyn,” Dreyden told her, hoping it would build her confidence concerning the mage.

“Merlyn?” Prudence repeated. He was unaware she did not know her father’s name.

The mage held his daughter and closed his eyes. For an instant, Dreyden feared he would carry her off again to another realm. When Dreyden saw a spark in the mage’s eyes, he lunged forward before they disappeared.

Chapter 13

This time Prue knew she was whisked away to whatever realm her father brought her to initially. Her former surroundings faded away and were replaced with another reality. A tug on her back during the transportation alerted her Dreyden had tried to stop them or tagged along.

She turned slowly, fear embedded in her stomach, to check on how Dreyden faired. Relief poured through her as she saw a fully formed, furious Dreyden. He seemed unharmed by being an unintended hitchhiker on their trip. Prudence whirled around to confront her father.

“Take us back now!” Prue demanded.

“Absolutely not,” her father replied.

“Merlyn, those people are stranded and the town is defenseless without you and Prudence,” Dreyden added.

It warmed her heart that Dreyden started to care for the people of Magic. No other place had ever felt like home than that small desert town. She could see them both settling down there. Why not add a second alien to the other beings that called Magic home?

“You can lead a solitary life without friends,” Prue said. “I can’t. They could have turned me over to the albino to get their magic back, but they didn’t. Their way of life is at risk, but they still stood behind and protected me.”

“How can you abandon the people who worked beside you to rescue Prudence?” Dreyden asked in disbelief. “Every minute we spend here is hours to our friends. They are without food and water in the canyon.”

Her father considered their words. Rather than returning them to Earth’s realm, he pulled out three glasses and poured some type of green beverage into each. Prue was so angry, she wanted to throw one of the glasses against the wall. Instead, she picked one up and took a healthy sip. She had not realized how thirsty she was.

The liquid was minty and sweet. It revived her fatigued mind and body. Prudence picked up a second glass and handed it to Dreyden. He swallowed the beverage in a single gulp. She witnessed his pupils grow larger and he stood a little taller in response to the stimulant contained within the tea.

“I can return us to the same point in time,” her father replied. “The timeline will be interrupted and consequences might ensue.”

Prue could not wrap her mind around the magnitude of what he just said. She just knew they could not stay here while her friends were in danger. However, it was her decision if she would risk any time anomalies.

“End of discussion,” Prue said, “we’ve wasted enough time. Take us back without disturbing the timeline. They will give us a couple of hours before they take action realizing the time distortion we face.”

“There is no reason to involve yourself anymore with them,” her father said.

“Now!” Prue screamed. “We’ll discuss this after the witch is dealt with and the protection spell is back in place.”

Dreyden came to stand beside her and took her into his arms. God, it felt good being held by him. She knew he would come for her. What she had not expected was her father’s involvement. After working so closely with her friends, he would have just abandoned them. Prue couldn’t comprehend how he thought and viewed the world around him.

Her father approached and placed his hand on her arm. A strange sensation, like before, overcame her for the duration of a single breath. They were back in her former prison and no one was there.

How long had they been gone? To her relief, she heard voices in the distance and they did not sound distressed. Prue, Dreyden, and her father left the nearly destroyed structure and saw their friends not far off.

“You owe me your caramel brownie recipe, Martha,” Topper said. “I told you it was going to be two and a half hours.”

Prue laughed at how the witches handled their disappearance. Rather than panicking or starting back to Magic on foot, they placed bets. Prue was going to have to finagle an invitation to Topper’s the first time she made those brownies.

Pati approached, her hand on her hips. “You couldn’t have argued with your father a little longer?” Pati barely containing her own mirth. “Topper’s leg of lamb recipe was an hour away from being up for grabs.”

“Crap, I really would have loved to make that for Frost,” Lacey said.

“Let’s refocus on how we are going to find that witch and deal with him,” Prue suggested. “We can have a large party when the shield is up and swap all the recipes in celebration. The albino’s name is Jerome Smith and he was a close friend of Morgan Needles. All we have to do is get him in contact with Morgan and hopefully we rid Magic of him, once and for all.”

From the reaction of the people around her, producing Morgan Needles was not going to be possible. She really didn’t want the end of this standoff to result in Jerome’s death. Life had dealt him a difficult hand to play.

“Jerome never had what we have in Magic,” Prue continued. “He was bullied for how he looked and didn’t have any friends until he met Morgan. If he came to Magic earlier, we would have welcomed him with open arms. A witch of his power would have strengthened the protection spell and no one would have belittled him because of his lack of pigment. Kids can be so cruel.”

“I don’t know if we are past the point of no return related to Jerome,” Topper admitted. There was a sadness in her voice, but also a touch of acceptance.

“No one has died yet,” Martha admitted. “It has been a terrible inconvenience and the town lost revenue when we had to drive the tourists out of town. But I see how he can be incorporated into our community. There is so much we can learn from him.”

Dreyden sighed loudly next to her. He had been shifting from foot to foot while they were discussing Jerome Smith. Obviously, he was not in agreement with what she suggested. He was holding back saying anything, probably not wanting to stall her efforts.

“What’s on your mind, Dreyden?” Prue asked. She really wanted to know. If they were going to live together, she needed to know him better. That included how they would deal with each other when they had disagreements.

“Frost and I are Star Rangers,” Dreyden explained. “We are used to capturing our prey, dead or alive. Our focus should be on capturing him, even if it means we use deadly force to protect our own. If we manage to take him alive, then you can start discussions about whether you assimilate him or send him to a parallel dimension to rid yourselves of the danger.”

“Our primary objective is the safety of our loved ones,” Frost added, reinforcing Dreyden’s view on how to handle Jerome Smith.

Prue was an innocent bystander who got swept into the conflict between the powerful witch and the town. They did what they had to do to protect Pati and Danyal against Morgan Needles. She could not fault them on how that particular battle ended. However, now that she was involved with Jerome, she had a hard time coming to grips on how to stop him. They’d possibly have to kill him. How could she live with herself if that happened?

***

Dreyden knew Prudence was struggling with what was happening around her. He never considered the families or the other lives a fugitive touched when he went after a criminal. It was his job and he believed he was making the universe a safer place. Now he saw a different side of crime, the innocent victims. If he or Frost took Jerome Smith’s life, there would be psychological ramifications impacting the people of Magic.

If it all possible, they needed to capture Jerome Smith alive and let the people of the town determine his fate. Dreyden pulled out his weapon and changed the setting to stun. However, if the situation changed and lives were at risk, he could easily change the magnitude of the blast the shooter would produce. Just that simple action seemed to pacify his chosen one.

Topper and Merlyn prepared the broomsticks for their trip back to Magic. This time he rode next to Prudence and held her in his arms as they flew over the canyons, through the desert, landing safely in the town’s center. He did not want to release her when they arrived, but knew from a practical standpoint, he did not have any other options. They would have time to continue their physical relationship after Jerome Smith was dealt with.

“Now what?” Pati asked. “My cat wants to prowl and I can’t risk shifting. I am responsible for Morgan’s death. This is all my fault.”

“You had no choice,” Danyal said. “He would have killed me had the jaguar hidden inside you not taken action. It was a natural reaction for an animal to protect her mate and territory.”

“But we are not animals,” Pati cried.

“Humans have instinctual reactions when extreme danger is present,” Danyal said. “Fight or flight. Our animals are not much different. However, our jaguars do not needlessly kill. I cannot say the same for humans in either of the dimensions I have dwelled.”

Prudence still fought what was inevitable. He needed to find a way to make her an observer, not directly in the line of fire. Because the witch wanted her, Dreyden also required she stay by his side. They both had issues they were struggling with.

“We need to do something to draw him out,” Frost said. “I am tired of this cat and mouse game we are playing.”

As if called in by Frost, Theo walked toward them. It was obvious the lawman had little sleep since the town came under siege. His step was a little slower than it had been when he first met the sheriff. The poor man had racked his brain trying to find ways to trap Jerome Smith, continually coming up short.

“I’ve got a plan,” Theo said, “but you are not going to like it. We set a trap with the one thing he desires, Prue. Now that you have her back, the albino will be enraged. An angry criminal will make mistakes. That is what I am counting on.”

If he was objective, Dreyden saw the logic in Theo’s plan. However, since Prudence was involved, he could not allow her to be the bait. They would have to find another way.

“I am sorry, but I cannot allow my chosen one’s life to be endangered,” Dreyden said. “It’s time I call out the bastard and have done with it.”

“What if I have a way to make both Theo’s plan and Dreyden’s terms possible?” Merlyn asked.

Chapter 14

Dreyden looked down at Prudence’s breasts prominently on display in the red dress that hugged her body. He could have had her keep on the comfortable, unrevealing outfit she had on, but she needed to change anyway after her short shower. He had selected the dress himself.

They had joined the others in town after she bathed and changed. She had high heels on and had no issues walking in them. Now that the transfer spell had been cast, he regretted not having her change shoes. He could barely stand in the red heels.

The mage’s magic transferred their consciousness across their two bodies. She was safe in his body, waiting with the rest of the group inside Pati’s store. He was now exposed in a body that was not his own.

When Merlyn first suggested the transference, he did not hesitate to agree. She was at risk, not him.  He was able to take away that particular burden from her. His only regret was he could not truly enjoy being in his chosen one’s body. Dreyden had to direct all his attention toward the mission, capturing the albino.

What he had not expected was to feel the magic contained within her body. The elemental capability was within her DNA, not her consciousness. Merlyn had given him some instructions how he could wield that power if they were successful and Jerome Smith showed up. Her power continued to grow as he concentrated on the core of her elemental gift.

He shifted where he stood and his ankle turned, almost falling out of his shoes. Well, officially, it was her ankle and her shoes. Dreyden was just present for the time being. When they transferred back to their own bodies, he did not want her dealing with a twisted or broken ankle. If Prudence could wear the torturous shoes, so could he.

Dreyden was caught off guard when the albino turned the corner and walked up to him. He had been too absorbed by Prudence’s body and not paying attention. “How did you escape?” Jerome asked. Doubt and anger laced his voice.

The albino reached out to grab his arm, but Dreyden moved back out of his reach. He was not sure if he moved as Prudence would have, but he managed to evade capture.

“Why are you doing this?” Her voice coming from lips he controlled sounded strange. Prudence’s voice sounded lower in her head. Well, his head for now.

“You know why,” Jerome Smith snarled.

When the albino went after him again, this time Dreyden took action. He was used to firing ice from his wrist. Now he used Prudence’s elemental gift and produced the substance that completely encased his enemy in ice. The sensation he always felt after he released frozen water from his system radiated down his arm.

For the first time in over a week, the people of Magic, New Mexico, entered the square without fear of being exposed to the world. However, no one was brave enough to try magic at this point. They merely came to observe the albino’s capture. The nightmare was over.

“Try a simple spell,” he said to Topper.

Topper picked a single flower, muttered some words, and then snapped her fingers. The plant she had stolen was now covered with a myriad of blossoms. She kissed the flower in her hand, whistled, and a beautiful butterfly flew from her palm. Both means the witch used to activate her spells were intact.

Danyal and Pati removed their clothing and within an instant, two beautiful jaguars were before him. They both ran toward the open desert, free to run as they wished.

“Great, now change me back,” Prudence said from his body. It appeared she was less enamored being in his body as he was being in hers.

Her father jumped at the opportunity to get his daughter back within her own shell and access to their ancestral magic. Dreyden blinked and now saw the world through his own eyes. He had to admit, he enjoyed seeing Prudence in her own body. His cock immediately hardened.

“How long will he be like this?” Topper asked.

“His body is in stasis for forty-eight of your hours,” Dreyden answered. “I wanted the town to be able to resurrect the protection spell and get some rest before Jerome Smith’s fate is determined. You all deserve some time to relax and get some sleep.”

“I’ll get some help carrying Smith to the jail,” Theo said. “If he defrosts early, it won’t hold him, but symbolically, I’ll be happier knowing he’s locked up.”

“We’ll get the council together and the protection spell will be put back in place,” Martha said. “Bring the albino to the courthouse in twenty hours. The town council and interested parties will determine what to do with him.”

Dreyden took Prudence’s hand and they walked toward her grandmother’s house. Her father followed. It would be awkward having him in the house considering what Dreyden had planned to do to his daughter.  However, he could not stand in the way if Prudence wished to open her home to the mage.

“Dad,” Prudence said, “can you bring the house back into this dimension? It would be nice having you close by and get to know you under better circumstances. We need you during the trial in case we cannot control Jerome.”

“A simple spell is all it will take,” Merlyn said. “However, I am not sure how I feel about living in this dimension.”

“You have friends here,” Dreyden said. “I have never met a more giving group of people in my travels across the universe. If you give them half a chance, I am sure you will be surprised. Ignorance fuels too much hate and fear. Give these interesting beings a chance.”

Merlyn’s eyes roamed over his daughter’s face. Dreyden had a feeling this man would do anything to be near his daughter, but understood there were limits where their relationship was concerned.

The mage disappeared and the gray tabby stood in his place. A sound grabbed the cat’s attention and he took off running. Merlyn was going to stay here a little longer, but on his own terms. Dreyden had to respect him for that.

Dreyden draped his arm over Prudence’s shoulders and they continued walking the short distance to her grandmother’s. Maybe it was time he started to think of it as their home. He had no intention of leaving and Prudence did not seem eager for him to depart. They had not had the time to talk about the future.

“Damn,” Prudence said. “I could use a little of that green elixir my dad had. I’m exhausted, but the last thing I want to do is sleep. You came for me.”

She stopped and lifted her head so he could capture her lips. He wrapped his other arm around her and brought her securely into his body. They had a small window of opportunity to be together before they had to join the others. He was going to take advantage of every precious moment.

***

Although Jerome had not touched her, the first thing Prue wanted was a scolding hot shower. She knew Dreyden had other ideas, but she needed a little time alone. If he truly cared for her, he’d understand her need for solitude now.

Jerome was literally under ice, but she would not feel truly safe until he was dealt with. Now that she was free, her feelings about Jerome’s fate became harsher. She would never again be his captive.

When they entered her grandmother’s home, the place looked like a cyclone hit it. This must have been the hub of activity planning her rescue. It gave her father easy access to join the close knit group. Nothing brings a group together like an emergency. She just wished it was not continually her rescue they dealt with.

“I will make you hot chamomile tea,” Dreyden said. “Pati said it is very soothing.”

A small grin crossed her face. She could imagine Pati telling this huge man how to properly care for her. Amazingly enough, Dreyden listened and was following her recommendations. The town had come together in more ways than she anticipated.

Prue kissed Dreyden gently on the lips. “I am going to draw a bath while the water comes to a boil.” She hesitated for a moment, debating how much she wanted to tell Dreyden. “Tea sounds lovely, but I need a little time to deal emotionally with everything that happened to me. It feels more like a vivid nightmare.”

“Pati told me about her and Danyal’s abduction,” Dreyden said. “She told me you would need space to deal with everything that occurred. I am not going anywhere, Prudence. Whatever you need from me, I am yours. We entered a sexual relationship before you even knew my name. If you need to, we can slow down the physical side of things until we know each other better. I want you comfortable with what we are to each other.”

She was speechless. Maybe she was dreaming, because the perfect man stood before her. For the time being, his needs were secondary to hers. Prue almost pinched herself to validate she was awake, but Dreyden was so hypersensitive, he’d think she was doing harm to herself.

“Go,” he said, “I will bring the tea upstairs when it is ready.”

Prue walked up the stairs she had done so many times as a young girl. She ran her fingers along the banister, trying to illicit a memory from that time. All her memories of her grandmother were of a loving woman. When they left Magic, an emptiness within her was created that only recently was refilled. She promised herself she’d never again feel that loneliness.

The bath products she used the last time were still on the counter. She had not placed them back in the cabinet. This time, she paid attention to how hot the water was. The lavender scent spread throughout the small room.

She removed her clothing and entered the tub. She lowered herself into the water. It was the perfect temperature. Her head rested against a plastic pillow. Topper thought of everything. She closed her eyes and willed herself to relax. It always drove her crazy at work when people told her to relax. Maybe she was just wound too tightly.

A soft knock on the door pulled her from a state just prior to drifting asleep. At first, she thought she had imagined it, until the knuckles lightly hit the door again. She was amazed he could rap on the door so lightly.

“Prudence,” Dreyden said in a barely audible voice, “I have your tea.”

“Come in,” Prue called out.

Dreyden entered and purposely diverted his eyes from her naked body. He held the hot ceramic and extended the cool handle toward her. She grabbed the mug and took a tentative sip. The tea had cooled enough to drink without continually blowing on the mug’s rim.

“Stay,” Prue requested as Dreyden turned to leave. “Tell me about your world. I only got to see sections of it when we landed. How can you live in icicles?”

Dreyden sat on the floor beside her, still not sparing a glance in her direction. “Vents from the planet’s core warm the interior of the ice structures. Our thermoregulation system allows us to withstand freezing temperatures.”

“How can you stand our desert heat?”

“Our bodies are more efficient at regulating cold, but we can also adjust to heat,” Dreyden replied. “That is why our species is sought after to be Star Rangers. It is not only our size, but we are uniquely suited to adapt to different world environments.”

“It took me years to get used to the weather in Chicago and Bloomington,” Prue admitted. “That would have been a handy trick to have available.”

His head now rested against her naked shoulder. She placed the mug in the large soap dish built into the tub. Her fingers itched to touch his silky hair. It was the only part of his exterior that was soft. Dreyden’s muscles had muscles.

He leaned his head back and moaned. Prue liked that she could give him pleasure. Her body temperature rose and it had nothing to do with the cooling water. Need pulsed through her, a desire she had no plans to squash.

She rose from the tub, soaking wet. Dreyden stood and reached out his hand as she stepped out of the bath. Prue went immediately into his arms. Neither cared he would become almost as wet as she was. Beads of water fell to the floor and were soon covered by his discarded clothing.

Her breasts were compressed into his chest. She tried to get as physically close to him as possible. Her skin cried out to touch his naked flesh. Prue immediately opened to him as his lips found hers. His taste drew her tongue farther into his mouth. If it was possible, she would have devoured him.

Dreyden lifted her into his arms and carried her to their bed. The linen was pulled down. She wasn’t sure if he was responsible or if Topper foresaw their needs. Regardless, they were not slowed dealing with throw pillows and a comforter.

He positioned them so she would be on top, giving her control of how intense their lovemaking would be. His consideration of the trauma she experienced made her burn for him that much more. A burst of energy drove from her core, further fueling her need for him.

“How do you regulate your temperature during sex?” she asked as she took possession of his engorged shaft. “I’m going to get you so hot, your system is going to be pushed to its limits.”

A predatory grin replaced his earlier all too serious demeanor. He was enjoying the verbal foreplay as much as she was. If they kept this up, she’d come before they began.

“Do your worst, baby. I’m ready for you,” Dreyden responded.

His cock jerked in her hand, announcing its desire to be buried in her warm, inviting passage. It was as impatient as she felt. She wanted to hold off just a little longer to heighten their experience. Could she find the perfect balance between mental anticipation and physical need? She never had in the past, but she never tried. Everything was different where Dreyden was concerned.

Prue noticed his blue eyes were glowing with a heat she had never witnessed before. It was almost like a gas grill’s pilot light ready to initiate an intense flame. She quickened her hand’s attention on his cock and straddled her body over his, ready to take him inside her core.

She lowered herself over Dreyden, taking him in as slowly as she could stand it. Her muscles contracted causing him to cry out in pleasure. Sweat began to cool her body at the effort she was exerting.

“You are killing me, Prue,” Dreyden said through gritted teeth. It was the first time he had not called her Prudence. Whatever awkward formality existed between them was gone.

She continued the slow torture until he was fully embedded inside her and then intensified the pace, thereafter. They both caught their breath in unison as she started her frantic ride. How much longer could she continue at this rate before she fell spent on top of him? Her magical core could be used if she ran out of steam. His hands roamed up and down her slick body, finally ended up capturing her plump breasts in his large cupped palms.

When Prue couldn’t hold on any longer, an explosive orgasm rocked her body. She cried out at the intensity of her climax. Dreyden’s release came seconds after hers, while her body still pulsed from the most powerful rapture she ever experienced.

Somehow, she knew this was just the start of what they would have together. She struggled to understand what was happening between them.

“Is it an alien, Earthling thing or because I’m your chosen one?” she asked as she collapsed on top of him.

“What?”

“Sex,” she replied. “Each time is more intense than the time before.”

A knowing smile crossed his face. “I think you can start calling me Drey.”

She fell back and her head rested on a soft goose down pillow. It would have been a perfect moment if it weren’t for Jerome Smith defrosting in the town’s jail. He needed to be dealt with and she knew her desires would strongly weigh in determining his fate.

Chapter 15

“Is he really alive under all that ice?” Prue asked.

Prue stared at Jerome’s body in wonderment. His body was still visible through the substance that held him prisoner. The ice had barely melted. Whatever it was made of had a different melting point than Earth’s frozen water.

She couldn’t understand how his blood had not frozen with his body encased in a thick layer of ice. Dreyden gave her a cursory answer initially when she asked. It was doubtful she’d understand his explanation now.

Dreyden sighed as a patient parent was apt to do after numerous unsuccessful attempts at making their child comprehend a simple topic. Their backgrounds were so diverse, there was going to be a learning curve. She had the steeper mountain to climb.

“Did you see The Empire Strikes Back?” Dreyden asked.

She looked at him in disbelief. Who didn’t see those movies, but more importantly, how did he? For now, she just nodded her head.

“It is similar to when Han Solo was frozen and given to the bounty hunter, just not as mechanical. Oddly, we transport our fugitives in the same manner when the Star Ranger is Glacian. The journey is less stressful for both parties.”

A single minute did not pass without Jerome Smith being somewhere in her mind, except when she was having sex with Dreyden. Physically, she was free of him, but mentally, he still held her captive. All she wanted were her thoughts back and Smith out of her head.

“Does his brain have the capability to think?” she asked.

“Only to the point it can regulate his body’s biological system’s needs,” Dreyden responded. “Higher brain function is suspended. There are not enough neuron firings to support it. No prisoner coming out of ice stasis has ever admitted to being aware of their former condition.”

She laughed to herself. Ironically, Jerome was in a better state of mind than she was. He didn’t have a care in the world, until he was free of his ice prison. The bastard wasn’t locked in a closet worrying about his fate. It didn’t seem fair.

“How much longer?” she asked.

“He will come out of it naturally in twelve hours or I can release him earlier when the town is ready to deal with him. Prue, you don’t have to be present. Your father and I will make sure he gets what is coming to him. Lacey can take you to Glacier to stay with Frost’s parents. I would like you to know my former world.”

She did not miss the word “former” when he referred to Glacier. Eventually, she would love to explore that world, but she knew she needed to attend Jerome’s trial. She needed to see it with her own two eyes to rip him from her mind, once and for all. Besides, she was only one of two people capable of elemental magic if things got dicey.

“Another time,” she finally replied. “I want to discover your world with you beside me. As an adult, I have never run from anything. I don’t want to start now.”

Prue never considered divorcing herself from her mother as running away. Her mom was toxic and Prue finally had to think about herself. There was no sense in both of them being brought down by the darker side of magic.

Frost entered the jail and announced, “They are ready for the trial. We are to take the prisoner to City Hall. Merlyn will erect a containment field around the witch and we will release him from the ice thereafter.”

Dreyden grabbed Jerome’s upper body while Frost took hold of his legs. Neither man was impacted by the ice. They exited the jail and were hit by a blast of heat.

“Will he defrost faster?” Prue asked, not bothering to elaborate why. She couldn’t help notice her heartbeat a little faster out of fear.

“Rest easy, Prue,” Frost said. “The short duration he will be exposed to this heat is irrelevant. Merlyn will have plenty of time to prepare once we get the prisoner there.”

Her mind was calmed by Frost’s words, but not the anxiety building within her. She was going to face her abductor. If she could will this part of her life over, she would. Even a trip to the dentist was preferable to what she was feeling. Her tongue slid over the molar she had a root canal on earlier this year.

Pati and Danyal met them at the building’s main entrance. It was Jerome’s magic that almost resulted in Danyal’s death and an unspeakable existence for Pati. They had lived in fear of the albino’s return.

The hall was teeming with the residents of Magic, all in their true forms. After Jerome’s capture, the city’s elders erected another protection spell. There were still no tourists in town and the creatures who lived here wanted to confront Jerome as they truly were. They came close to losing everything that had been built over the centuries.

From the roar of anger she heard in the hall, mercy was not in their hearts. They made their way to the one courtroom in City Hall. Having a jail, a sheriff, and a courtroom were all for show. Until now, there was no serious crime in Magic.

They brought Jerome to the front of the room where Topper and Merlyn waited. There was standing room only, but seats were reserved for them. Pati grabbed her arm and guided them to their chairs while the men and Topper dealt with preparing Jerome.

There would be no jury of peers, no defense attorney, just a discussion of the facts. Prue was not even sure who would officiate. She was not altogether certain she would have to testify.

“Let’s get started,” Topper said. “Merlyn put the containment field in place. Frost and Dreyden release the prisoner once Merlyn has tested that the magical constraints will hold.”

Prue could feel the pull of magic as her father began to cast his spell. She could sense the part of her that contained the elemental gift as it grew in power. It was almost as if she was drawing strength from her father. He did not seem concerned as he continued to work.

Her father’s words swam in her head, although he did not utter them aloud. She learned as he wove a powerful spell. His capacity seemed endless. Learned was probably not an adequate word to describe what was occurring. Prue knew how to generate the magic. Was that what was involved in being a mage’s apprentice? He didn’t teach, her father transferred the knowledge. She was like a giant sponge, soaking it all in.”

“It’s ready,” she whispered as her father vocalized the same words.

Pati grabbed her hand. Prue was not the only one intimidated by what was about to occur. A wave of sound rolled from the back of the room. Angry shouts and cries rang out as Dreyden released Jerome Smith from his prison of ice.

The prisoner’s eyes grew large as he realized where he was. Jerome lashed out with magic. He snapped his fingers after he uttered his spell, but the containment field held. The fact he needed to snap his fingers proved he only had access to ceremonial or folk magic.

“From the perspective of human law, you are guilty of kidnapping and extortion,” Theo said. The lawman took it upon himself to facilitate the town’s version of a trial. “However, you are also guilty of attempting to destroy a way of life which is the foundation of this town and our very existence. How do you plead?”

Jerome glared at the sheriff. “How dare you try to judge me. None of you are my equal, except for the mage and his daughter.”

“You are a horny toad,” someone screamed from behind. Those words were followed by a whistle.

A spell was cast, but Jerome did not turn into a toad. The containment field that protected them from Jerome also created a barrier to safeguard the prisoner. Her father would have to lower the shield once a judgment was agreed upon.

The room became quiet as the realization of what they were facing was internalized by each of the spectators. Unintelligible whispers rose as people shared their concerns with their neighbors. Prue imagined they mirrored the anxiety churning in her stomach.

“People,” the sheriff shouted, trying to regain control of the courtroom, “let’s take one thing at a time. There will be no more outbursts! Now, Jerome Smith, how do you plead?”

Rather than responding, the prisoner started chanting. If Prue was to guess, he was initiating spells that would activate as soon as the containment field fell. This was all new to the people of Magic and the room became eerily quiet.

“If he will not defend himself,” Topper said, “we have no choice but to find him guilty. It’s time we get on with our lives and leave Jerome Smith in the past. Are there any objections?”

There was no enthusiasm in Topper’s voice, only sadness. These witches only practiced white, light magic. A select few over the years had to reach in the dark recesses of their minds and draw upon dark magic to protect the town. It appeared Topper was stepping forward to do exactly that. Prue knew it would take a toll on the normally flamboyant woman.

By his own words and actions, no mercy would be forthcoming. Prue could have spoken up and fought for her former captor, but she remained silent. Now they needed to dole out a punishment and execute it.

The town’s council came forward and huddled together to discuss what was to be done with Jerome. They had the ability to turn him into a harmless animal, but there was no guarantee he could not conjure up enough magic to change himself back. Only his death would guarantee no reprisals.

Voices grew louder within the group debating Jerome’s fate. She did not envy their position in having to come up with a just sentence. Prue could hear snippets of what was discussed.

“He didn’t kill anyone,” a male with a deep baritone voice uttered. “How can we sentence him to death?”

“Our friends would have died if others had not intervened,” another voice with a higher pitch countered.

Prue closed her eyes and tried to drown out the fragments of discussion she was picking up. She imagined herself near an ocean and waves crashing against the rocks that bordered the shoreline. For several seconds, she could visualize the scene.

Her tranquility was lost when a voice broke through the world she temporarily created. “What should we do, Prue?” one of the town council members asked.

***

Dreyden saw the color drain from Prue’s face. The town council had taken the coward’s way out. Rather than sharing the burden between the small group, they laid it on his chosen one’s shoulders.

“Since when does the victim get saddled with coming up with the fate of who victimized them?” Pati asked. “You are the supposed leaders of this community, so lead!”

“We are all victims,” a member of the town council weakly replied.

“Then everyone has a vote,” Frost said. “Majority rules and anonymity will lessen anyone’s residual guilt.”

Dreyden watched Prue release the breath she held since she was asked to make the decision. She sat back in her chair, clearly relieved by Frost’s suggestion. Now they just had to figure out how a whole town would vote.

“Those who wish to participate remain, those that don’t, clear the room,” the sheriff said.

Dreyden was surprised by the number of people who left the room, including half the council. Magic would need to hold new elections after the trial and vote out the cowards who left. Prue stayed in her chair.

Once word got out related to how a sentence was going to be determined, a new crowd entered the courtroom. They had been forced to remain outside in the hall because of the earlier crowd. Now they would be part of the group that represented the town.

While people came and went from the room, Topper and Merlyn whispered back and forth in a corner. Merlyn did most of the talking and Topper nodded. Occasionally she spoke, probably asking a question.

Topper navigated to the front of the room and muttered some words, then whistled. She raised her head, speaking loudly and clearly. “Inside this box are two discs. Touch the blue one if you wish to sentence the prisoner to death. We have two Star Rangers among us who are used to carrying out galactic justice. If you wish to banish Jerome Smith to a magical void, press the red disc.”

“Can he escape from such a void?” Prue immediately asked.

Dreyden wondered the same thing, but did not react as quickly as Prue. It seemed like an elegant solution to their problem. Although, Dreyden would not hesitate to act on the town’s decision to execute the man who haunted his chosen one.

“As long as another mage does not free him, it will hold,” Prue’s father responded. “There are endless dimensions in existence. Even if the prisoner has a mage as a friend, it would be next to impossible to locate where I send him.”

It took little time for the people in the room to vote. Only a few stood before the voting apparatus and debated with themselves over which of the two choices they would make. When it came time for Prue to vote, she did not hesitate in making a decision.

Topper pulled out the two discs when everyone finished.  She examined the top of each round sphere and headed toward the sheriff. Since Dreyden would be partially responsible for security when the sentence was ready to be executed, he joined Theo, Topper, and Merlyn. Frost walked alongside him and joined them as well. Danyal was the last to come forward. He represented his pride and also had a stake in Smith’s fate.

“They voted to exile him to the void,” Topper said in a lowered voice. “It was closer than I had thought it would be. Only five votes separated the final decision.”

“How will Merlyn lower the shield and send him to another dimension without Smith attacking?” Theo asked.

“Jerome Smith is bound to attack Merlyn first,” Dreyden reasoned, “since he is the greatest threat to him.”

“Not us?” Frost inquired.

“His world is magic,” Dreyden said. “In his mind, Merlyn wields the greatest weapon, elemental magic. I doubt he even considers our blasters a threat. When the shield comes down, we aim our weapons at him and he so much as breathes, we kill him. In fact, I would like to evacuate everyone from the room before the containment field is eliminated.”

“That’s a good idea,” Theo said. “I will start evacuating the crowd. You three decide if you want Prue, Pati, and Lacey to remain. They are powerful witches and I admit, it would be nice having them present. Topper, you make up your own mind.”

“I’m staying,” Topper said. “I imagine the rest of the girls will remain as well.”

Dreyden headed toward Prue as the sheriff started to herd people from the courtroom. No one seemed to put up much of a fight. A few brave souls decided to stay. When he was right in front of Prue, he did not like the determined look on her face.

“Don’t even think about asking me to leave after everything I’ve been through,” Prue said. “I need to see justice done before I can get a decent night’s sleep again.”

He would be a fool if he attempted to argue with her. There would be no swaying her. It also appeared Pati and Lacey were also going to be present when the containment shield was eliminated. Dreyden removed his blaster from his belt and set it on its highest setting. If Jerome Smith so much as twitched, there would be nothing left of him but ash.

For the first time since meeting Prue’s father, Dreyden noticed the fear in his eyes. Although he did not voice his concerns, it was obvious Merlyn was worried about the time period between lowering the shield and conjuring a spell to send Jerome Smith on a one-way ticket to nowhere.

Each of the women stood beside their mates and Topper was between Theo and Merlyn. The women chanted their own spells, as their voices harmonized with Smith’s. Dreyden was not altogether sure what the women were doing, but if it confused the prisoner, he was all for it.

When the containment shield was removed all Dreyden could see was a force of light coming toward the center of their group. Without hesitation, he fired his blaster and hit Jerome Smith in the chest. In the next instant, Dreyden realized the energy stream Smith had released was headed directly toward Prue.

Chapter 16

Prue stared at the light coming toward her, frozen in place. Her mind cried for her to move, but her body was paralyzed with fear. A solid mass took her to the ground, while a second crossed before her vision. Rather than hitting the floor hard, she landed on the muscle mass of the man she loved. It was almost as hard.

She lifted her head to see where the blast hit, but did not notice anything disturbed behind her. Although Prue was freaked out, she knew she was unharmed. Her immediate thought was if Dreyden was harmed from a blast she knew was meant for her.

Frantically, Prue got on her knees and started to run her hands up and down Dreyden’s body. She couldn’t see his back. “Are you all right?” she cried.

Dreyden got up slowly. “I am fine. How is everyone else?”

Various voices chimed in that they were unharmed. One voice was missing. Her father’s. The blur she saw cross in front of her body before Dreyden pushed her down was the mage’s.

Prue crawled a short distance and knelt before her father. He lay there, not moving. She had just found him, she could not lose him now. Not after saving her life.

“Daddy,” she cried.

He was on his stomach and she carefully turned him. She had not tried to take his pulse to determine if he was still alive. There was a giant black scorch mark where his chest had been. Only a portion of his heart and other organs were visible. No blood was evident. The blast had cauterized the damage left behind.

She sat in shock, not believing her eyes. Her father had sacrificed himself for her. The energy within her cried out. He had transferred power to her and she would return it. Prue grabbed his hand and started to chant. The words came naturally to her.

“Stop, Prue,” Topper said. “The wrong kind of magic is required to bring back the dead. You don’t want to go there.”

“He gave me the power to bring him back,” Prue cried. “How can I not try? If it was wrong, he would not have given me the ability.”

“Necromancers have no soul,” Pati said. “The body is just a shell. Your father is gone. He died so you could live. We all have our time and we need to respect that.”

Prue understood what her friends shared, but she wasn’t thinking with her mind. Her heart was breaking. Little by little, he crept into her life. She had fought his invasion and her father still managed to adhere himself to her soul.

“It is over,” Dreyden said.

There was such finality in his tone. Dreyden was right, she had to let her father go. Resurrecting him would be wrong. It pulled upon a type of magic she swore she would never use.

He extended his hand to her and helped Prue to her feet. She looked down at her father’s gutted body. They couldn’t leave him like that.

As if reading her mind, Topper started to chant. The words were familiar. Prue just couldn’t remember where she heard them before. Her voice joined with Topper’s. After repeating the spell three times, Prue motioned her hand over her father’s body. She did not use anything to activate the spell, just her elemental capabilities. Soon energy glowed from her father’s corpse and then it disappeared.

“Matter is never lost,” Topper said. “Our souls are immortal. The magic of our ancestors stays with us. Perhaps one day you will come across someone who reminds you of him. Your father could come back into your life at any time, but he chose the point you needed him the most. He transferred his knowledge and his mission in life was over.

“After making several mistakes Merlyn lived a solitary existence, paying for his sins along the way. In the end, he had a purpose and the love of his daughter. It was not such a bad way to end a life of regret.”

Prue didn’t know if what Topper said was true, but it sounded lovely. It was the story she would continue to tell herself and one day her children. For now, she needed to leave this place where memories of her father were so fresh.

“Take me to Glacier,” Prue asked Dreyden.

She had considered exploring magical parallel dimensions, but she needed to be near Dreyden. For the time being, his world made the most sense. When she was ready, she would return to Magic and determine where she wanted to spend the rest of her life and learn to use her father’s gift to her.

“My parents are expecting me and Lacey,” Frost said. “They would be thrilled if you joined us. Pati and Danyal, you are welcome as well.”

Pati shook her head. “Not now,” she said. “Danyal’s world is calling to me again. I think we need to spend time with his people. Now that the danger is over, we need to find his sister.”

“One day, I would love to see your frozen paradise,” Danyal added. “Although, I am not sure how my jaguar would enjoy the cold. But when the melody plays in our heads, we need to follow its lead. It is a different type of magic, but it brought us together.”

Frost shook Danyal’s hand. The two had grown close and supported Dreyden during her abductions. For that, she loved them both. She was happy her two childhood friends had found such wonderful mates to share their lives with.

“We will meet at the center of town in an hour where the portal between our planets exist,” Frost said.

Prue watched the two couples leave the courthouse. She had barely moved from the spot where she had stood over her father’s body moments before. His magic was within her. He left a piece of himself with the elemental gift.

It was not long until only Prue, Dreyden, and Topper were left. In the short time she had been in Magic, Topper had been a surrogate mother to her. There were witches as powerful, but Topper stepped forward to take responsibility for her. Prue was not sure how she would have gotten through the last two weeks without her.

“Will you join us on Glacier?” Prue asked the older witch. “You have become a part of my family and I need family now.”

“Of course, I will visit you there,” Topper said. “It’s easier to get to Glacier than it is to Albuquerque. Besides, Lacey and one of my other nieces will be there. I just need to take care of a few things here with Theo, then I’ll join you.”

Prue knew Topper’s business with Theo dealt with cleaning up after Jerome Smith. Unlike the aftermath with Morgan Needles, no one was going to come looking for Jerome. After everything he had done, including killing her father, Prue could not help but feel regret that no one other than Morgan befriended him. Things would have turned out differently and her father would still be alive if someone had.

They left City Hall and headed home. Her grandmother’s death had heralded her home and her father’s drove her away for the time being. Prue knew Magic would always be her home and something would always call her back. She figured it was like the melody that played in Pati and Danyal’s head that drove them between dimensions.

Her father’s house was once again in this world. The spell that kept it in the magical realm brought it back to Magic upon his death. When they returned, Prue would investigate the belongings her dad left in the house and perhaps learn more about the man she was just getting to know.

“We can stay,” Dreyden said. “You are under no obligation to return to my world. I have no family or ties to Glacier. My home is wherever you wish to be.”

Maybe she just needed to lie in his arms. It didn’t matter where they were, as long as they were together. Perhaps the best way to deal with her father’s death was to learn to use the elemental magic he left her.

“I know that, Drey,” Prue said. “A change of scenery would do me good. Your world is about as different as they come. Damn, I left my boots in Chicago.”

After they stepped onto the porch, Prue’s eyes focused on the spot the gray tabby had been. Yes, she needed to get away for now. But she knew they would return to Magic.

When she returned from Glacier, the first thing Prue was going to do was adopt a cat. A gray tabby would be perfect. Her grandmother always said a house was not a home without a cat.

The End

Other Titles from Evelyn Lederman

Worlds Apart Series

The Chameleon Soul Mate: Book 1

The Crystal Telepath: Book 2

The Warrior Woman: Book 3

The Mind Control Telepath: Book 4

The True Ruler: Book 5

Nightshade Saga Series

Nightshade: Book 1

Feral Nightshade: Book 2

Lethal Nightshade: Book 3

Deadly Nightshade: Book 4 (8/2017)

Drake’s Nightshade: Book 5 (12/2017)

YA Scifi Series: Zaratan Trilogy

Selected: Book 1

Chosen: Book 2 (5/2017)

Magic, New Mexico Kindle World

A Touch of Patience

A Touch of Prudence

Southern Shifters Kindle World

A Twist of Fate (2/17/2017)

About the Author

When Evelyn Lederman retired from her career as an insurance executive, she cheerfully anticipated the freedom to finally spend as much time reading as she’d always wanted. The twist in her story came when as-yet unwritten characters started cropping up in her thoughts, asking her to tell their stories. These characters ended up being the heroines of the Worlds Apart series. Now, she spends her days in Florida on the beach…with her laptop.

Evelyn has two adult fantasy/paranormal romance series: Worlds Apart and Nightshade Saga. She also has a YA sci-fi adventure series The Zaratan Trilogy.

Please visit her on Facebook and her website. Make sure to like her Amazon author page as well. You can sign up for her newsletter on her website.

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