take care of her, but she was too scared of her own powers and what she’d seen to speak herself. Maybe just once she could rely on someone else.
Except whenever she’d done that before, it had ended up crushing her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“I COULDN’T SEE everything I wanted,” Caitlin said.
Logan wanted to point out she’d seen too damn bloody much if it had left her shrieking like that. However, he had to be the rational one here, use his centuries of practice as a Corps soldier and make sure emotion didn’t usurp logic. She needed him to do that; he owed her that much.
Instead, he nodded as they drove back towards his hotel and looked back at her. “What did happen?”
“Most of the readings were normal. It’s the same as usual, if I see a present for a birthday early or a promotion at work, no big deal. However, this girl is going to die. I was living it. Usually my visions if they’re triggered are vivid, but this was me being bound and hurt. All I know is she’s going to hang out in Fell’s Point tomorrow and some thug with a weird tattoo is going to hurt her. I saw some but not enough. I need to know all the details so I can stop this.”
“Stop it? You need to go back to the hotel and rest. Your powers are growing in ways you can’t understand and are hurting you. The Knights, led by Darren, are hunting you down so you can’t go home. The last thing you need to do is track down a killer.”
Green eyes blazed back up at him, and she shook her head.
“I don’t run. Yeah, everything’s throwing me, but I help people. It’s what I did before you showed up and catapulted my gift. I can do this.”
“I won’t let you.”
She snorted. “You won’t let me? Sorry to tell you this, but it’s not the 1700s. The whole women’s lib thing happened, and I’m not going to stay home baking cookies.”
He sighed but didn’t rise to the bait. “You know that’s not what I meant. You’re too valuable to let get hurt.”
“To your war?”
“No, to me,” he said, his voice quiet. “You’re too important to me. Believe it when I say this. When I talk about saving you, it’s not because I give a damn about your abilities or the war, not about how they pair together. I just want to protect you. I can’t do that if you run off half-cocked.”
“I don’t need protection every second of every day.”
“Maybe not forever, but you’re not trained and you’ve got people gunning for you, lass. Let me help you.”
“How?”
“I’m going to cast a ritual.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CAITLIN HAD WATCHED Logan prepare the “ritual ground” in the center of the hotel room. Five black candles were set in the shape of a pentagram to their left. Circling the candles was one ring of rosemary enwreathing a second thinner line of mulberry and white ash. They were naked and she was sitting in front of him, not entirely sure what Logan was planning, and scared to see what power ritual magic could wield. Logan had a condom on, already erect. He smeared blackberry juice over his fingers. Leaning forward, he anointed her head with three circles concentrically linked
“Mother Gaia, hear us now,” he said.
Nodding, she repeated the incantation as she put the blackberry mixture on her own hand and traced the three circles as he instructed on Logan’s forehead.
“Mother Gaia, hear us now.”
Logan leaned forward and kissed her lips, while smearing the dust of dandelions across her chest and below the curves of her breasts. “We beseech thee for guidance in our darkest hour, much as the candles here send their light to the heavens.”
She followed the action again and spread the pollen on him, marveling even now at the taught ridge of muscles that made up his eight-pack, and repeated the line.
“Now,” he said, helping her to her feet. He gently turned her around, his hard chest against her back. “We bring together power, love and magic for your glory. Help us be your
Except whenever she’d done that before, it had ended up crushing her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“I COULDN’T SEE everything I wanted,” Caitlin said.
Logan wanted to point out she’d seen too damn bloody much if it had left her shrieking like that. However, he had to be the rational one here, use his centuries of practice as a Corps soldier and make sure emotion didn’t usurp logic. She needed him to do that; he owed her that much.
Instead, he nodded as they drove back towards his hotel and looked back at her. “What did happen?”
“Most of the readings were normal. It’s the same as usual, if I see a present for a birthday early or a promotion at work, no big deal. However, this girl is going to die. I was living it. Usually my visions if they’re triggered are vivid, but this was me being bound and hurt. All I know is she’s going to hang out in Fell’s Point tomorrow and some thug with a weird tattoo is going to hurt her. I saw some but not enough. I need to know all the details so I can stop this.”
“Stop it? You need to go back to the hotel and rest. Your powers are growing in ways you can’t understand and are hurting you. The Knights, led by Darren, are hunting you down so you can’t go home. The last thing you need to do is track down a killer.”
Green eyes blazed back up at him, and she shook her head.
“I don’t run. Yeah, everything’s throwing me, but I help people. It’s what I did before you showed up and catapulted my gift. I can do this.”
“I won’t let you.”
She snorted. “You won’t let me? Sorry to tell you this, but it’s not the 1700s. The whole women’s lib thing happened, and I’m not going to stay home baking cookies.”
He sighed but didn’t rise to the bait. “You know that’s not what I meant. You’re too valuable to let get hurt.”
“To your war?”
“No, to me,” he said, his voice quiet. “You’re too important to me. Believe it when I say this. When I talk about saving you, it’s not because I give a damn about your abilities or the war, not about how they pair together. I just want to protect you. I can’t do that if you run off half-cocked.”
“I don’t need protection every second of every day.”
“Maybe not forever, but you’re not trained and you’ve got people gunning for you, lass. Let me help you.”
“How?”
“I’m going to cast a ritual.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CAITLIN HAD WATCHED Logan prepare the “ritual ground” in the center of the hotel room. Five black candles were set in the shape of a pentagram to their left. Circling the candles was one ring of rosemary enwreathing a second thinner line of mulberry and white ash. They were naked and she was sitting in front of him, not entirely sure what Logan was planning, and scared to see what power ritual magic could wield. Logan had a condom on, already erect. He smeared blackberry juice over his fingers. Leaning forward, he anointed her head with three circles concentrically linked
“Mother Gaia, hear us now,” he said.
Nodding, she repeated the incantation as she put the blackberry mixture on her own hand and traced the three circles as he instructed on Logan’s forehead.
“Mother Gaia, hear us now.”
Logan leaned forward and kissed her lips, while smearing the dust of dandelions across her chest and below the curves of her breasts. “We beseech thee for guidance in our darkest hour, much as the candles here send their light to the heavens.”
She followed the action again and spread the pollen on him, marveling even now at the taught ridge of muscles that made up his eight-pack, and repeated the line.
“Now,” he said, helping her to her feet. He gently turned her around, his hard chest against her back. “We bring together power, love and magic for your glory. Help us be your
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