Page 19 of Touch Of Fate
“I can’t believe she saw us,” she says, tilting her head.
“That is her main gift.” It was annoying when I was younger. I couldn’t get away with anything. “Did you doubt what we should do?”
“A little,” she admits.
“She’s never been wrong. I think there is a purpose to your gift. You could use it to do good.” She looks sad for a moment before she clears her expression.
“I would like to,” she says softly.
“Rome,” Archer says, and I glance at him. He’s looking out the back window, and I follow his line of sight. The black car from the garage is driving down the road.
“He’s coming,” I whisper, and Mara stiffens. I spelled the car so it is invisible to humans. We don’t need a concerned neighbor reporting a strange vehicle in the area. I have a feeling they have a neighborhood watch here. If they do, they're doing a horrible job of noticing their friend is a serial killer.
“He has a woman with him,” Mara says, and I grab her hand, grounding her.
“Fuck,” I grit out. He pulls into the driveway and waits for the garage door to rise. I can see the woman in the passenger seat.
“He’s going to kill her.” Mara turns to me. “We can’t let him touch her,” she growls.
“We need to be invisible until we are inside,” I say, and turn. “Lace, will you stay with the car? I can do a spell, but it will take more energy to cover the four of us. The car is contained. We may need to leave in a hurry. The woman will have to come with us.” I wait, hoping she will agree. Everything I said was true, and I also want to protect her.
“Okay,” she replies.
“Archer, you have to get the woman out. We don’t need her to see everything.” He nods, his jaw twitching. I’m sure he can understand the necessity, but he is always the one beside me.
“He’s in,” Mara whispers, and I look out the window. The garage is shut, and the lights turn on.
“Mara, look at me,” I demand, and her wide eyes meet mine. “I’m going to spell you. He won’t see you until I command it.” She nods. I close my eyes and press my hand to her chest. I guidemy magic, my intention clear.Invisible. Protect. Fade from his eyes.When I reinforce the spell, I remove my hand and hold it in front of Archer. “Brother.” He presses his palm to mine. Archer can do the spell, but he’s not as powerful as I am at invisibility. I have to make sure the protection is stable.Invisible. Protect. Fade from his eyes.I nod. “Lace, stay in the car. If you step out, you won’t be protected.”
“I won’t leave it. Please be careful,” she says.
“We will,” Mara says.
“I wouldn’t let her get hurt. He has no power over us. The spells are to protect our identities,” I reassure her. “Ready, Mara?”
“Ready.” I glance at Archer, and he opens his door. “Lace, crawl into the driver's seat when we leave.”
“Alright,” she agrees, but her eyes are filled with uncertainty. I smile slightly, hoping she can trust me.
When I open my door, Mara follows my lead. I jog around the front of the car to lace my fingers with hers and help her out. I press my finger to my lips, and she nods. Our voices can carry through the spell. It wouldn’t sound the same, more like a weird murmur. I don’t want to take any chances, so it’s best to remain silent. I notice eyes looking through the tree beside the house and realize it’s an owl. Nothing else moves, and none of the neighbors are on the street.
Confident in my magic, I don’t cower or try to hide as I lead the way to the front door. It’s locked, and I quickly disengage the lock without having to touch it. It’s so easy. Archer shuts it softly behind us, and we pause to listen.
The house has two levels. There are stairs directly in front of us, and a long hallway to the right of them. There is an open door at the end of the hallway, with light shining through. I’m assuming the bedrooms are upstairs, and I thought that wouldbe where he took her. I take a step but stop when I hear voices at the end of the hall.
“Drink your wine, sweets.”
“I think I had enough at dinner,” she says.
“Trust me, you want more.” He chuckles darkly, and I move forward.
“Really, Jerry. I’ve had enough,” she says firmly. “Maybe you should take me home.”
“You were eager to come with me,” Jerry says. “You knew what would happen.”
“No. I don’t know what I was thinking. You were nice. I’ll call an Uber.” I hear the rustling of fabric.
“You asked for it, bitch.”
