Seduced by Magic by Cheyenne McCray Page A

loved surrounding her.
    Buzzing came from around Copper’s head and Tiernan caught sight of a honeybee. He swiped at it, trying to knock it from the air.
    â€œWhat are you—” The bee landed on her nose.
    Tiernan raised his hand to flick it off, hoping it wouldn’t sting her.
    But instead Copper’s eyes nearly crossed as she looked down at the honeybee on her nose and she smiled. She brought her finger up to the bee, which crawled up and onto the back of her hand. “This is Zephyr,” she was saying. “My familiar.”
    He frowned. “A bee familiar?”
    â€œYup.” The bee flew off her hand and buzzed angrily around Tiernan’s head before flying to her and coming to a rest on the curve of her ear.
    She wrinkled her nose as she looked at Tiernan. “He’s a little ticked at you right now.”
    â€œGreat,” he muttered. “But if he stings me, he’ll die like any other bee.”
    â€œAh, that’s where you’re wrong.” Copper pushed her hair back behind her ear, and Tiernan could see the bee more clearly now. If bees had an expression, the damned thing wasn’t too happy at this moment. “As I said, Zeph’s a familiar,” Copper continued. “Familiars always have some kind of magic. He can sting multiple times, and he never loses his stinger.” She gave Tiernan an impish grin. “It’s best not to piss him off.”
    â€œTerrific.” A fat raindrop splattered on Tiernan’s face and he looked up at the swirling clouds overhead. “Do you have shelter?”
    â€œMore or less.” Copper pushed herself to her feet and tugged down a strange tunic that reached her thighs. It appeared to be made of vines and leaves, and caressed and clung to her body in ways that made his cock swell almost painfully against the leather of his breeches. “But I have to take down the circle before we go anywhere.”
    He forced himself up to a standing position as more raindrops splattered both their faces and their bodies. She looked up at him and he realized how petite she was—more so than even Silver.
    Copper picked up a copper and crystal wands then pointed it as she moved counterclockwise in a large circlearound them, murmuring a short, singsong chant. After she reached the point where she had started, and finished her chant, she grasped his hand with her free one and led him toward an outcropping of rock. “Come on.”
    The instant her hand touched his, he felt warmth spread throughout his body and a tingling sensation that went from his head to his toes.
    The witch didn’t seem to notice as she tugged on his arm, and he followed her to a low shelf. He frowned at the sight of it, unsure whether his bulk would comfortably fit beneath the overhang.
    â€œIt’s all I’ve got, but it’s been home for what seems like forever,” she said as they reached the meager shelter. “Come on.”
    She crouched down and crawled beneath the overhang and he almost groaned at the sight of her ass that was barely covered by the vine and leaf tunic. What in the gods’ names was wrong with him? He had just shot through the Veil to Otherworld, found Silver’s sister, and he was having erotic thoughts about her?
    Fat raindrops splattered on Tiernan’s head as he shrugged out of his long black coat and shoved it into a corner of the shelter. He unfastened the sword belt that held both his sheathed dagger and sword. Gripping his belt, he did his best to crawl in beside her. He banged his head just hard enough that a sharp pain shot through him.
    â€œGotta be careful in here,” Copper said as she set her wand in a corner of the shelter and they both settled into the space.
    Zeph zoomed around their heads, then perched on a rock that jutted out in a corner of the shelter.
    Tiernan’s head brushed the top of the rock and he knew if he moved too quickly in any direction he would