“Indeed,” Jack answered and pulled Belle and the children closer to him.
“This means, I’m afraid,” Cassandra went on, “that all that work I did protecting against magical mayhem was for nothing. We’re dealing with two humans here. And that means anything goes.”
“Shit,” Jensen muttered gain.
“So why are the children real and Jack and Belle are, um… not exactly Jack and Belle?” Lila asked.
Cassandra shook her head. “I’m not sure but my guess is, love’s a powerful thing.”
“What?” Belle whispered and Cassandra’s eyes went to her.
“Love’s a powerful thing, mate. It holds a magic all its own that no one can control. When there’s love, and a lot of it, anything can happen.”
“Oh my,” Joy whispered.
“So we must destroy Caldwell and this witch,” Jack brought the matter to hand.
“You got it, mate,” Cassandra answered.
“And how do you propose we do that?” Jack asked.
“Well, him, he’s not supposed to be here so we can do whatever we want with him. Her, she’s real, from this time but she’s got the reincarnated bitch witch attached to her soul. So we need to get it out.”
“Perform the same ceremony as you did on Miles?” Joy queried.
“Exactly,” Cassandra replied.
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Jack stated, bending to put Myrtle on her feet.
“Uh, we kinda need the bitch that’s got the bitch witch in her to do it,” Cassandra informed him as Jack straightened then pinned his eyes to her.
And his voice was a low rumble when he replied, “Then let’s find her.”
Cassandra grinned.
Belle wet her lips.
Angus began to move to go get his whip.
The doors to the room opened and Lachlan and Lorna, dripping wet, strode in.
Upon arrival, Lorna announced, “Lach should give up the family business and become a race car driver.”
At the same time Lachlan spied the children, his red brows shot up and he muttered, “Bloody, f**king hell.”
* * * * *
Caleb
“As before, you take care of the children, I’ll deal with Brenna,” Caleb ordered.
She shook her head.
“I want Belle.”
“I get Brenna.”
“I want Belle.”
He raised his hand and brought it down hard on her cheekbone. So hard, her head whipped to the side and she staggered.
“I’ll deal with Brenna. Then I’ll dispatch Joshua. You take the children.”
Righting herself, hand to her cheek, instinct caused her to agree, “Oh… okay.”
“Let us go,” he stated, lifting his hand toward her.
Instinct again forced her to lift hers to him, he took hold and dragged her from the room.
* * * * *
Jack/Joshua
“I do not like this,” he growled.
“I do not like it either,” Brenna whispered and with his arm already around her, he pulled her closer.
“Trust us,” the Scot he did not know but still did, assured.
Joshua stopped at the door to the outside that was in the kitchen and locked eyes with the Scot. “My wife and I should be with our children.”
“We have to lure him out there and we also have to lure her to the children.” The Scot got close and his voice dipped low. “We’ll no’ steer you wrong, lad. Trust us.”
Joshua held his eyes but he already knew, though he didn’t, that he could.
Without time to unravel it, he nodded, turned to the pegs by the door and snatched up a rain slicker. He helped his wife into it then he turned her to face him and settled his hands at her neck.
“All will be well, my love,” he whispered.
“I hope so,” she whispered back.
He bent his head to touch his lips to hers, gave her neck a reassuring squeeze then he turned and led her into the stormy night with three men following.
* * * * *
The Other
She opened the door and saw the candlelight immediately just as she smelled the incense.
And she also instantly spied the children huddling together in the middle of the room.
The little girl let out a short, stifled scream before she turned her face into the boy’s neck and she watched the boy’s arms tighten around his sister as he stared at her defiantly.
She grinned her manic grin as she entered the room.
She got four feet in, noting the children didn’t retreat right before the doors swung shut behind her and five women jumped her.
She struggled but only briefly.
She’d long since learned when to give up a fight.
* * * * *
Joy and Rachel
Holding down one of the flailing woman’s legs, Joy turned her head to Rachel who was holding down the other one and whispered, “You didn’t have to pull her hair.”
Rachel looked to her friend. “Yeah I did.”
Joy fought back a grin, considering it might be rude, and continued, “Well, then you didn’t have to pull it so hard.”
“That’s debatable,” Rachel muttered and shifted aside but kept hold on the leg that Lorna had moved toward in order to tie it down.
“By the way,” Joy began and Rachel looked back at her, “have I told you your dress is lovely?”
Rachel grinned a big grin. “Hey, thanks. Belle designed it. And, also by the way, yours is too.”
“Bloody hell,” Lorna muttered, yanked the rope tight and the woman cried out.
Joy bit her lip but it was in another effort to try not to grin.
Rachel didn’t bother.
She just smiled.
* * * * *
Belle/Brenna
Arms tight around each other, they stood together on the cliff, the lightning and thunder gone, the fog surrounding them, the wind whipping at their hair and clothing.
“We must go home,” she whispered into his neck, pressing deeper and his arms got tighter.
“When this is done, we’ll get the children and go home,” Joshua whispered back.
“I’ve missed them.” Her voice was a throb and his arms got even tighter.
“And I too,” he murmured but the low sound was harsh.
Her head tipped back and she caught his beautiful, striking green eyes. Eyes Joshua Bennett shared down the line with his heir, James. “I’ve missed you too, my beloved.”
One of his hands came up to cup her jaw and his face dipped close, his voice was low and rumbly when he replied, “And I you, my love.”
Before he could do what she knew he was about to do, what she loved, what he did so very frequently in their time together, touch his mouth to hers, she felt him.