Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

I n love? Of course not. Tristan was not in love with her, and she wasn’t in love with him. It was after-sex talk… yes, definitely. After all, what could they possibly base any kind of feelings on? Well, other than the fact that she admired his courage and honor. She liked his ability to make her feel special, and how he bravely defied the odds to try and find freedom not just for himself, but the other men. She had to admit, she found him irresistible and couldn’t stop thinking about him. Loved how their conversations trailed off into comfortable silences. Then there was the chemistry, totally through the roof. Yes, definitely, not love.

When the seatbelt light finally blinked off, Gwen jumped out of her seat, her carry-on satchel already in-hand, and shuffled quickly off the plane. Spotting her sisters first, she dashed towards them. If only she’d asked them to meet her with the book, so she could turn around and fly straight back.

“Oh God,” Tammie exclaimed, jumping up and down, her ponytail swinging back and forth. “She’s in love!”

“What?” Gwen stumbled losing her balance. Sabrina reached out and steadied her.

Both sisters studied her briefly. Sabrina nodded. “Yes, I believe you’re correct Tammie, our little girl is head over heels.”

“How long have you two been at the airport, because you’ve obviously hit a bar or two?” Gwen asked them, hugging each, before they made their way out to the parking lot. “I’ve only been in Scotland two weeks. Barely enough time to fall in lust.” Her laugh rang hollow.

Tammie linked an arm through hers and leaned into her. “Is it Derrick McRainey? Please say no. He is a well-known player who’s still got a few years before he settles down.”

When Sabrina stepped to her other side and took her bag, then joined arms with her as well, a sigh escaped Gwen.

“We need to know the details, every itty-bitty detail of what this man has done to make our overly cautious sister fall so hard and so fast.” Sometimes having two sisters with special gifts could be a pain.

Thankfully, the inquisition stopped until they reached Sabrina’s sleek silver Mercedes.

Sabrina, a successful photographer who specialized in shooting male models for high-fashion magazines and ad campaigns, collected cars like most women collected purses. Right now she owned three, including a Jaguar, a Jeep, and the Mercedes.

Sliding into the back seat, Gwen took a deep breath and didn’t wait for her sisters to bombard her with questions. She decided to speak first.

“I am not in love, at least I hope I’m not. The man in question is a great guy, brave, handsome, caring, great in bed, and seems to care for me as well.” She smiled at her sisters’ jaw-popping expressions.

“So why are you not excited? Why didn’t you bring him with you? How could you bear to be separated from Mr. Wonderful?” Tammie exclaimed, dramatically clutching her hand over her heart.

“Well, he can’t exactly leave the country,” Gwen hedged. “He isn’t happy about me leaving Scotland, that’s for sure.”

“Who is he, already?” Sabrina’s eyes met hers in the rear-view mirror.

Gwen didn’t get a chance to reply, because the Mercedes swerved sharply, coming to a stop so abruptly the car rocked back and forth several times before finally stopping completely.

Tammie screamed and hit Sabrina on the shoulder. “Are you trying to kill us?”

Gwen fell across the back seat laughing hard, not sure when it turned sobbing until Sabrina climbed into the back seat and began to soothe her.

Tammie twisted around giving them a confused look. “What am I missing? What happened?”

“Shh,” Sabrina replied patting Gwen’s back. “Gwen’s in love with McRainey.”

“Oh,” Tammie replied. “Oh, I’m sorry, honey, maybe he’s not that much of a playboy. Maybe you’ll be the one to settle him down.”

“Not that McRainey,” Sabrina hissed.

“Oh. My. God.” Tammie shrieked, “She’s in love with the dead guy?”

Back at their large townhouse in Buckhead, Gwen sat on a stool in the kitchen drinking a glass of wine, while her sisters pretended to keep busy. Interesting that both of them found so much to do in the same room as her.

Sabrina tossed a salad, Tammie whipped up salad dressing, while talking on her cell phone. She was in the process of canceling her plans for the evening. Her evening plans must have been complicated, because she made a third phone call.

“You don’t have to stay home,” Gwen told her youngest sister again. “There is really nothing to tell.”

“Oh no, you’re so sharing, and we are going to help you free that man,” Tammie told her, her bangs bouncing with every word. “You’re in love, for the first time ever. We can’t waste any time.”

“She’s right,” Sabrina piped in, carrying the salad to the table. “We’ll discuss the facts over dinner. As soon as we eat, we’re going to begin going through the spell book and find the right spell to break the enchantment. If that doesn’t work, we’ll call in the big gun.” She referred to their mother, Iona.

Gwen didn’t argue. One thing about the Lockhart sisters, as different as they were in appearance, they were identical when it came to their stubborn streaks.

As Tammie began to set the table, she paused, her brow pinched. “Gwen, did Tristan say what you had to do, after chanting the spell, to break the enchantment?”

“He said something about a sacrifice. Giving up something dear, something hard to part with. I asked him who had to do that part. He said, it would be clear once the time came. I think it’s him, but I’m not so sure.” Gwen dug her journal out of her large satchel. “I’ve already written a spell. It seems right, but something is missing.”

“Come sit down,” Sabrina told her, pushing a bright-red tendril behind her ear before lifting a platter of steaming risotto and peas and putting it on the table.

“What do you think?” Gwen asked, after reading her spell to her sisters.

“It sounds right. I sense emotion has to be put into it,” Sabrina said, sitting back, her wine glass in hand. “Add a sentence, like Mom always says, like “Be now evermore.”

“I can’t believe I forgot that.” Gwen exclaimed, scribbling it into the spell, she began to chant it, but Tammie jumped up and stopped her.

“Don’t! If it works, you’re too far away to do whatever comes next.”

The sisters stayed up late into the night, going over every piece of Gwen’s notes. She didn’t share her time with Tristan in bed with as much detail, but told them enough that they understood how compatible they were in lovemaking.

Tired, but not wanting to give up, Gwen flipped through the pages of the spell book, then stopped abruptly when reaching a passage that referred to Meliot. Her eyes widened seeing a depiction of the wizard. “This is him.”

Both sisters peered over her shoulders.

“He’s evil-looking,” Tammie whispered. “Beady eyes.”

“I think he looks like a grumpy old man,” Sabrina said, her voice low.

“Well, he is evil, and has trapped Tristan and the other four knights for almost four hundred years. And he does have beady eyes,” Gwen agreed, shuddering.

“According to the book, he’s a powerful bugger, but needs to procreate in order to stay powerful. It is a rare occasion that the window opens for him to trap women through which he hopes to father boys who would help him take more power.” Gwen shuddered,

“Ewwww!” Tammie put her hand over her mouth. “That’s gross.”

“He almost did it, until Tristan and the others rescued the young women when they defended that village.”

“I wonder why he didn’t just go back to get them later?” Tammie asked.

“Tristan said the timing had to be just right, and I think the wizard needed some sort of preparation. Knowing how magic works, he probably had to perform some type of ceremony or ritual. After the rescue it was too late to do his evil deed.”

“Oh God,” Sabrina paled, “I think I know what the sacrifice is going to be.”

The knot in her stomach made Gwen afraid to ask.

“What?” Gwen finally asked.

“The sacrifice could have something to do with Tristan’s kids. I’m willing to bet Meliot has them and since Tristan took away from the wizard the ability to have children…” Sabrina didn’t finish.

“Oh no,” Gwen gasped. “That would be terrible. I hope you’re wrong.”

“Well, if he’s the one to sacrifice something then I’m sure I’m right. However, if you’re the one to sacrifice something, then it could be something totally different.”

“Me? You think I may have to be the one to give up something?”

“Like Tristan McRainey said, it will come clear once the time comes.”

“I’m heading back tomorrow.” Gwen closed the spell book. “I’d appreciate it if one of you came with me.”

Tammie shook her head. “I can’t, I have an opening at the Bennett Art Gallery—it starts tomorrow night. I can fly over next week.”

“I’ll do it.” Sabrina placed her hand over Gwen’s. “I have a Marc Jacobs photo shoot coming up soon. Why not scout Scotland for the perfect location?”

“I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you two in my life,” Gwen stated, blinking away tears.

“Oh Soppy, stop it,” Tammie grinned, giving her a stern look, her shiny eyes giving away the fact that she felt the same.

Sabrina let out a loud laugh. “I’ll go pack and then we’re off to rescue the hunky man in distress!”