A Shift in the Air Read online

  “We’re here,” Liam said. A single-story farmhouse hid behind a stone wall that had seen better days. Paint peeled from the eaves and moss covered the northern side of the building. Caitlin couldn’t see a car, or any means of transportation. A small garden languished to the west with half-rotted cabbages and winter squash drawing a crow’s attention. The bird screeched and took off when Liam opened his door, fleeing to the home’s roof to keep watch.

  “Wish me luck,” Mara said. Cade followed her closely, tension hunching his shoulders around his ears. Liam and Caitlin hung back a few steps with Farren waiting by the car.

  An elderly woman leaning on a cane answered Mara’s knock. “Who the hell are ye?”

  “I’m Mara Taylor.”

  Diedre hissed a breath between her teeth. “Ye’re the one they’re after. And ye’re with Fergus!” She pointed a bony finger at Caitlin, and a gust of wind knocked them all back. Liam stumbled and went down, breaking Caitlin’s fall.

  Oh hell, no. Caitlin leapt to her feet, prepared to throw her own charm back at Diedre. But memory stayed her anger, reminding her of another old woman she once attacked under the influence of Katerina’s charms. Away from the fire elemental’s thrall, she chose a different path.

  “I won’t fight you. Paddy called you the forbearer, and we know you have the elemental charm book we need. Will you let us in?”

  “Please.” Mara got to her feet and held out her hands. “We’re here because I think you can help us. Eleanor Nathem believed in you. Siobhan Barney. You know them, don’t you?”

  “Siobhan.” Diedre’s pale hazel eyes watered. “I haven’t seen her in a decade.”

  “She told me to tell you that your ‘little flower’ sent us.”

  Diedre stared in wonder at Mara. “I called her that when she was a wee lass.”

  “She insisted you’d help us. We all want to stop Fergus. No one more than Caitlin. Please.”

  Whether Mara’s tone or her words helped sell their presence, Caitlin couldn’t tell, but Diedre huffed out a breath and waved her hand. “Fine.

  She shuffled off down a narrow hallway, and the five of them followed into a living room that looked as if it hadn’t changed in fifty years. Lace draped over dark, antique furnishings, and gauzy cobwebs lent an air of deathly stillness to the room. The scent of liniment hung heavy in the air, along with the curling smoke of incense burning in a shadowy corner.

  Glass doors allowed Caitlin to peer into bookshelves crammed full of ancient texts. A trio of faded photographs sat clustered on a table next to a sliding glass door that looked out over an overgrown back yard.

  “I’m not offerin’ coffee. Out of respect to Siobhan, ya can explain what ya need. I’m not promisin’ to help ya.” A gust of wind blew a lace doily off a dark wood end table. Diedre crossed her arms over her bosom and raised a white brow.

  Mara took a seat on a low settee and folded her hands on her thigh. “Siobhan told me that you used to talk about your great-grandmother’s charm book. That book may possess information we need to stop Fergus...and save my life. Fergus started losing his mind after he absorbed Caitlin’s air, Siobhan believes that since I absorbed my sister’s fire, that I may be at risk as well.

  Diedre cast a severe eye at Mara. “Has it started then?”

  “I...don’t know. Maybe.” The humidity in the room doubled, perhaps tripled, in the space of a single breath.

  Cade’s sharp inhale punctuated Mara’s honesty, his worry raw in his gaze, but Diedre paid him no interest. “Aye. Well, ya know truth of it then.”

  “Will you help us?”

  “I know of ya, Mara Taylor. And of Caitlin Brannigan. The loony bastard, Fergus, killed my cousin’s wee girl more than a decade ago. Ya remember her, lass? Claire Donnelly. She carried fire within her. Died up at the edge of the cliffs one stormy night. Ya helped, didn’t ya?”

  Caitlin flinched. Claire. The poor young fire elemental hadn’t stood a chance against Fergus. With her heartbeat pounding in her ears, Caitlin fought her panic. Diedre had to know. Liam’s warm hand on her back rubbed a calming circle, and Caitlin straightened.

  “I had no choice. Fergus compelled me. Can you understand what he did to me? He preyed on a sixteen-year-old girl, told her she was beautiful and special and would do great things. And then he stole my element—reached in and carved me up with some ancient charm I stupidly let him cast. I’ve regretted that decision every day since. Hell, I died rather than let him compel me again.”

  “Ya should have stayed dead.”

  Liam cursed viciously. “That’s my mate—“

  “Stop!” Caitlin held up her hand. “Fighting won’t solve anything. Mara could end up like Fergus, and I could end up dead. Fergus threatened Liam. He tried to kill Farren and her beta. He killed all of those people at the cliffs—to get to me. If you have this book, if you’ll help us, we can stop him and save Mara.”

  “There’s nothin’ in those pages that’ll keep ya from losing your mind. Nothin’.” Diedre cackled. Her papery skin wrinkled further, and she threw her head back with the force of her mirth. Caitlin wanted to slap her. How dare she play with Mara’s sanity like it was a toy?

  “I’ve hidden that book for decades, missy. Protected it with my life. I’m not going to share it with the woman who helped murder my cousin’s daughter. Not even with Siobhan’s blessing. I’m ninety-seven years old, and I could still take all of ya out with a single charm. I let ya in so I could say one thing to ya, and then ye’re all going to leave.”

  A gentle caress stirred against Caitlin’s cheeks, bringing a warm and reassuring peace deep within her. Liam pulled her closer, and a low hum in his throat turned into a sigh. She floated safe in his loving embrace, and a calm infused every breath.

  An uncomfortable pressure settled around her forehead. The world slowed, as if she’d suddenly found herself under water, unable to breathe or hear anything but Diedre’s voice. She didn’t care, except…she had the vague sense she should run.

  The old woman’s low, melodious words seeped into Caitlin’s mind. “Ye’ll leave this place and forget about me. I’m no one. A senile old woman who couldn’t help ya and isn’t worth rememberin’. If anyone asks, ya’ll say I lost my mind and gave away all my books.”

  Farren keened, and Caitlin fought through the waters of Diedre’s charm to see what had the wolf upset. Pain twisted Farren’s features, and she clutched her head, a thin wail escaping her lips.

  A gust of wind blew through the home, and Diedre screamed. “No! Not here!”

  Sound returned in a roar: breaking glass, cracking wood, a cry of intense pain. Motion followed. Bits of lace flew. A lamp hit the wall. Cade shoved Mara to the floor and draped himself over her. Farren’s body heaved forward, then traveled ten feet with a thin scream, an unseen force shoving her so hard that the antique coffee table splintered under her. Her arms flailed, and then she lay still.

  “Liam!”

  His strong arm hauled Caitlin back and down behind the settee. Shards of glass rained down in a violent storm, slicing Caitlin’s cheek and filling her nose with the coppery scent of blood.

  “Come to me, Catie. Come, and I’ll kill the wolf quickly.”

  “No, no, no,” she moaned and clutched her head. Diedre’s calming charm foiled Caitlin’s mind, leaving her dizzy and confused.

  Plates crashed in the kitchen. Diedre crawled forward, her cane embedded in the wall several feet away. “Ya killed us all.”

  “Where’s the fucking book?” Liam tightened his hold on Caitlin’s waist as she strained to obey Fergus’s commands. Though her mind resisted, her body surrendered to his pull. All around her, the off-key notes of Fergus’s charm spun, pushing her over the edge and into his insanity.

  Cade’s wolf shook free of his clothes, howled, and nudged Farren’s unconscious form in the center of the table’s remains. Mara crawled over to the rest of them seconds before Fergus Tharp thundered into the room.

  “Well, no one invite
d me to the party.” His raspy voice sang out over the roar of the wind and the shaking of the house’s foundation. “I need Catie and the old one. The rest of you…” He waved his hand, and shelves filled with the flotsam and jetsam of Diedre’s life toppled over onto Mara’s legs, small glass vials and beakers of herbs shattering around her. Her piercing cry riled Cade’s wolf, and he threw himself towards her while she pulled free. Droplets of water rained from the ceiling as her element filled the room.

  “A water elemental. How convenient.” Fergus’s glee carried over the din of the cracking wood, Cade’s desperate vocalizations, and Liam’s whispered Gaelic in Caitlin’s ear.

  “Fight for me, mo ghrá. Don’t let him win.”

  She struggled against Fergus’s hold as the ancient forbearer’s air charm punished her clarity. Fight, dammit! Don’t let him win.

  Liam released her long enough to get to his feet, then drew her against him, his arm secure around her waist. “Ya’ve got one chance, fuckwit. Leave Caitlin alone and walk away, or I’ll rip your head clean off.”

  “No.” The single, snarled word accompanied Fergus calling on the power of Caitlin’s element and his own. Diedre’s body bucked, and the house’s foundation cracked, shooting the elderly woman two feet into the air. After the sickening pop of her spine and a final whimper as she slammed into the floor, Fergus sent another wave of percussive force towards Cade and Mara.

  The east wall of the house shuddered and crumbled like sand. Cade and Mara labored to extricate themselves as Fergus spoke to the dying old woman, and Liam tried to hold Caitlin back.

  “The book. Where’s the book?”

  Diedre pointed to the bound volumes that had spilled onto the floor in every shape, size, and color. “Next…to the…bible.” Her peaceful smile spread, and after a final, low moan, her eyes fluttered and closed.

  With a nod, Fergus plucked a weathered, leather-bound tome and turned the book over in his hands.

  “I have to shift, luv. Ya can’t go to him,” Liam whispered. Wind still swirled as strong as a hurricane, and Mara sent a weak burst of flame towards Fergus. He jumped out of the way, then flung his hand towards Cade.

  The wolf fell over, his chest heaving. Whining weakly, he pleaded for Caitlin’s help.

  “Try another fire charm, lovey, and I’ll kill your wolf.” Fergus’s voice lowered, the smooth and reassuring tones a siren song no one could ignore. “Fire and water together deserve to be honored. Come with me, lass. Catie, if ya come right now, I won’t punish ya. Leave the wolf. Ya belong with me.” He turned his gaze to Liam. “Let her go. Now.”

  Liam’s arm fell away, and he staggered back with a groan, fell to his knees, and clutched at his throat. Unprotected, Caitlin couldn’t help herself, and her feet moved of their own accord. One step. Two. Three. Liam’s fingers closed around her ankle, and the heat of his touch seared her skin and gave her the focus to draw her element in a protective shield around them.

  “Help,” Mara whispered. Her green eyes clouded, and she stepped around Cade’s struggling wolf. The veins in her neck throbbed against Fergus’s control, and tears fell in tiny rivers from her eyes.

  If only Caitlin could help. Unable to widen the charm to protect Mara, Caitlin strained to suck in enough air to stay upright. Fergus’s charms buffeted her from all sides in a dizzying cacophony, made worse by the long-reaching effect of Diedre’s offense.

  “Fuck…you.” Mara let loose with a guttural cry, and an intense wave of thick, wet heat exploded from her center. The house shook as Fergus stumbled. Fear widened his eyes. Then respect. And finally desire.

  Another blast of flame hit him in the shoulder, and he surged forward, throwing a punch that slammed into Mara’s jaw. A second arc of flame shot into the wall as Fergus kicked her arm.

  “Fucking bitch!” He grabbed Mara’s neck and hauled her up. “Let’s see if ya can fight when ya can’t breathe.”

  Blood vessels popped in the whites of Cade’s eyes.

  Oh, hell no.

  Liam met Caitlin’s eyes. “Run, luv.”

  He yanked her ankle and sent her tumbling back as he leapt for Fergus and tackled the earth elemental around the waist, pulling him and Mara over the settee.

  Mara struggled, and Fergus’s arm burst into flames. Caitlin sent all of her air, everything she had, towards Mara and Fergus. The blast shook Mara loose, twisted her around, and drove her to her knees.

  The oof as Liam’s shoulder hit Fergus’s solar plexus again reverberated in the sudden silence.

  “Get the book!” Liam shouted and chucked the leather-bound tome to Caitlin. Cade gasped for air, finally free of the earth elemental’s charm, and Liam and Fergus rolled towards the hallway.

  “Run!” Mara shouted, flung her hands out, and tipped her head back. “Get. Away. From my family!” A tidal wave of water crashed down and sent Fergus and Liam sliding away.

  “Liam, shift!” With one last burst of fire, Mara sprinted for Cade. The house shuddered, and half the roof caved in, hiding Liam and Fergus from view.

  “No!” Calling on her own air, praying she had enough to save Liam, Caitlin sent a blast towards them and lifted pieces of wood, bits of plaster, and even the remains of some of the furniture. She had to get to him. Cade dragged Farren free, his jaws clamped around her ankle, and Mara stumbled out after them.

  “Liam!”

  The overwhelming urge to take the book and run into the smoldering ruins drowned her. No. You will not control me. Weakened and dizzy, his compulsion drew her toward the flames.

  Mara tackled her. The two women went down, knocking the breath from Caitlin’s lungs. A pile of plaster shifted, and Fergus broke free, shielding himself with Liam.

  “How could ya fuck this piece of shite? Did ya really prefer a dog to me? Ya hid from me for too long, Catie. And ye’re going to pay for that now. I’ve a lesson to teach ya. Ya remember my lessons, yeah? Now bring me the fuckin’ book before I take yer punishment out on him.”

  Liam sagged against the earth elemental, his eyes clouding with pain. Blood stained his white shirt. “Caitlin,” he whispered, battling to draw breath. “Run.”

  With a groan, Mara got to her feet. Caitlin fought the queasy exhaustion overtaking her, and what small amount of her element she could grasp, she fed to Mara’s need. The water elemental’s body vibrated with power, waves of heat and humidity gathering around her. “Let him go, and no one dies.”

  “Give me the book.” Fergus dipped his head and lowered his voice, right in Liam’s ear. Caitlin couldn’t pull the air to her fast enough to hear his words, but Liam’s eyes rolled back in his head.

  “You’re going to burn.” Mara’s voice turned coarse, deep, and the dark tinge sent a lance of fear slicing through Caitlin’s heart. Red locks of hair rose around Mara’s head like a fiery halo as her hands glowed white hot. Waves of heat shimmered. The ground shook with Fergus’s fear, and he dragged Liam back. Fire and water twisted together like ribbons, and Fergus, high on his stolen air element, slung Liam over his shoulder like the wolf weighed no more than a sack of potatoes, and ran. The house heaved a heavy sigh and caved in, Mara’s powerful charm exploding the plaster.

  Liam screamed, a car door slammed, and tires squealed. Caitlin couldn’t breathe. She had to get to him.

  Emptiness consumed her as she darted around the front of the house. A cavernous hole where her element belonged widened, enveloping her heart in a glacier as she found only tire tracks in their wake.

  “No.” Caitlin sank to her knees. “No, no, no.” Utter stillness surrounded her with only the crackle of flames and the sorrowful drip of water breaking the silence.

  Liam wouldn’t survive. And neither would she. Fergus would kill them both.

  ***

  A strong hand wrapped around her arm. “Get up. We have to get out of here and find Liam and that fucking asshole.” Cade’s deep voice shook her out of her daze.

  Oh God. Six feet of solid muscle interrupted only by scars stoo
d in front of her, naked. Mara leaned heavily against him, her eyes dull and red-rimmed, her jaw swollen. Strain tightened her lips. Water dripped from her hair and eyelashes, weighing down her black sweater.

  Farren braced an arm on the hood of the car and vomited. “Fuck me. Bastard broke a rib,” she said.

  Hysteria shook Caitlin’s entire body, and she yanked her arm free from Cade’s grasp. “Liam’s dead.”

  “You don’t know that.” Mara grabbed her by the shoulders. “Look at me, Caitlin.” Flashes of silver and bronze swirled around Mara’s irises. “Fergus ran because he couldn’t fight all of us together. So what does that tell you?”

  “That he’s going to kill Liam. He’ll use him to hurt me as much as he can, and then he’ll kill him.”

  “No.” Cade pulled a blanket out of the trunk and wrapped it around his waist. “Mara’s right. Fergus might be insane, but he’s also a fucking bully. And bullies are usually cowards at heart. Find him so we can kill the piece of shit and get Liam back.”

  “How?”

  Cade snorted. “You’re an air elemental linked to Fergus. You tell me.”

  Taking a few steps away from the car and the smoking destruction of Diedre’s house, Caitlin closed her eyes and let the soft melody of her element wrap her in a gentle embrace. Diedre’s brutal charm still wove a tight band around her mind, but her own power, while unfocused, still functioned. The ensuing eddy brought Liam’s scent, then Fergus’s, followed by blood, fear, burning wood, and rain.

  Bits of dirt, blades of grass, and debris tumbled down the winding driveway. Caitlin prayed. Please. Let him be alive. Please let me find him.

  Nothing. No pull, no subtle vibration urging her in any direction. No fresh scent of her mate, the sweetness of freshly cut wood, the sea air, or the intoxicating spice of his aftershave. Nothing.