Solstice Heat Book 2 Magic Seasons Romance Series

Separated by two different life styles yet their passion and magic ignite sparks hotter than the Solstice heat. Can they work out a way to be together as they try to stop a killer from striking again? Kasey is a woman that exudes energy and brightness;...

Chapter 1

Kasey had checked her bag four times now. What time were they supposed to be picking her up? She was tired from working a spell all night. Nervous about going to Solstice, where they expected a killer, she glanced at the clock and tried to exhale slowly. The thought of spending some quality time with Chris just added to her excitement.

Tired of waiting for him to make a move, she had no idea how to make any move, but the time was now.

You can do this, Kasey girl, she told herself for the umpteenth time. Maybe, just maybe, if she could manage to take a midnight stroll with him, she would come back looking as thoroughly kissed as Lee had at Beltane.

Her stomach lurched. The thought of kissing Chris, other than a quick one, tied her stomach into a complete macramé project of knots.

Owen’s Jeep pulled up, and she was halfway out the door before it stopped. She smiled at Leena briefly, but her eyes quickly focused on the dark-haired man in the backseat as he pushed the door open for her. She stroked over the fairy pendant hanging at her waist, then looked back to Chris to give him an inviting smile.

Chris glanced at his watch as they entered the highway. Not bad, only half an hour behind.

Chris looked over at Kasey, his mind still stuck on how she looked running out of her house. Her hair wasn’t helter-skelter for once. The short, choppy ends were soft and flitted about with each movement of her head. She’d done something with the color too, it was darker than normal. He wanted to run his fingers through her short locks to see if they felt as silky as he had imagined.

In the front, the newly engaged couple were talking softly and holding hands. This only made him turn back to look over at Kasey again. What was this, the tenth time he’d glanced at her since she got in the Jeep? She almost looked sleepy.

“You look tired, Kase.”

She nodded. “I am. I ended up staying up most of the night trying to charm a talisman, took me forever to work everything out.”

He touched her hand softly. “We’re going to recharge the gris-gris bags...”

“Oh, no, it’s not for me. I made it for Cassidy, only she’s going to think it’s a gift, which works out for the Solstice gift exchanges.” She rubbed her eyes. “If I did it right, it will keep her safe.” Her eyes were so sad when she looked back at him. “I don’t want her to be the next victim, especially since we saw her in that vision...”

Squeezing her hand, he grinned at her. “I’m sure you did it right, Kase. Your gifts are getting stronger each day and soon you’ll be able to take on anything you want.”

“Thank you, Chris. Gosh, I am tired!”

He reached over and undid her seat belt. Without effort, he slid her over closer to him. “Lie against me and catch a nap.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll keep you from slipping off the seat.”

“Thanks.” She slipped down to rest her head in his lap. Shifting around until she curled her small body into a comfortable position in the backseat next him, she closed her eyes.

Resting his hand on the bare skin of her exposed waist, Chris grinned down at her. She was already drifting off.

“So...” Owen said, drawing his attention forward. “What is this about gift exchanges at Solstice?” He glanced in the mirror at Chris, and then turned to look over at Leena.

Chris nodded., “It’s an old tradition, exchange a magical gift or tool at Summer Solstice with friends.”

“Oh.” Owen’s eyebrows moved down before he looked towards the road again. “I didn’t get gifts.”

“Yes, you did,” Leena whispered quietly beside him.

“I did?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Thank you, baby.” He lifted her hand and kissed it.

“You’re welcome.”

Owen turned back to watch the road. a puzzled look on his face. He was trying to figure out where to get something for Leena.

Chris studied the woman sleeping on him. She looked like a cherub when she slept and he stared intently at her face for several moments. Her small hand rested on his bare thigh by her head and he noticed, she had perfect hands.

Lightly, he ran his hand over her hair and almost groaned out loud. It was like silk.

An ugly, aggressive feeling came over him when he’d thought of Kasey being at risk at this gathering. Were they all crazy to be going if the killer from Beltane would be there? They did have advantages that few were aware of; hopefully the killer wasn’t in the know. He pictured Leena and how she looked when she and Owen returned from finding the bodies. He’d die before he ever let Kasey go through that.

His eyes caressed her bare waist, imagining his hands doing the same thing. His long fingers lay across her belly button. He could feel the fairy he’d given her dangling there, keeping his fingers still was taking all of his self-control.

He had to curb the urge drop to his knees and kiss it, when she came out dressed in a tight belly top and short skirt. As she walked to the jeep, he’d seen her hand caress the fairy, making eye contact, ensuring he would notice wore his gift.

He had no fear she wouldn’t like the Solstice gift he’d spent days deciding on, it was meant for her.

While allowing his eyes to wander leisurely over her bare legs, he noticed she’d kicked off her shoes. Her toes were painted at least four, no five, he counted, different colors.

Chapter 2

By the time they pulled into the gates at the gathering, Chris wanted to jump out and stretch. He’d barely moved a muscle the whole trip, not wanting to disturb Kasey’s sleep. Running a hand up and down her arm, he spoke softly. “Kasey, we’re here.”

She opened her eyes and turned to look up at him. His heart hammered in his chest when he caught her sexy, sleepy expression.

“Thanks,” she whispered with a raspy voice.

He touched her cheek with the back of his hand, brushing his knuckles lightly over the soft, glowing skin. “Anytime, sweetheart.”

Kasey smiled as she pushed herself up. “I feel so much better.” She brushed her lips against his cheek, lingering for a short moment. “You are quite a comfy pillow, Chris.”

“You can use me anytime you need, little Kasey,” he said in a low voice, almost drowning in her pale green eyes.

“Are you getting out sometime today?” Dade looked in the window at them.

Steven winked at Kasey as she got out. “Kase, you look good enough to eat today.” He walked over and hugged her, ignoring the glare from Chris.

Chris was almost certain Doc was doing that, just to annoy him.

“Oh! I love the belly ring, Kase! Where did you get it?” Rachel squeaked as she was bending down to look closer.

Kasey smiled up at Chris. “It was a gift.”

Chris grinned down at her, liking the way she kept it between the two of them.

Cora walked over and looked too. “Oh my, those have to be real diamonds. Fake ones wouldn’t sparkle like that.” She reached out a finger to touch it and got a small zap. “Oh!” She put her finger in her mouth and laughed. “This dry weather is so awful for static charges.”

Chris stuffed his hands into his pockets when he noticed Owen raise an eyebrow at Doc, and they both turned to stare at him. He glanced down at the ground, pretending he didn’t understand their knowing looks.

Kasey chuckled. “I’ll have to call her the electric fairy.” As everyone started moving towards the registration, she pulled him and whispered. “The stones are not fake, are they, Chris?” He just shook his head. “Great!” She puffed out her cheeks. “I need an insurance policy on my belly button!” He threw his head back and laughed as she headed to join the others.

Chris followed along behind, still close enough to hear Owen as he leaned close to Steven. “Can he do that?”

Steven nodded. “Yes, and I’d say he definitely did.”

Owen laughed.

“Who did what?” Dade asked, pushing between them.

Steven glanced towards the women and then whispered to Dade.

“No way! Really?” Dade chuckled. “Sneaky bastard,” he muttered and then immediately walked ahead of them when Cora turned and gave him that look.

Leena stood by the registration, noticing that this site was more beautiful than the pictures on the website had shown. There were herbs and grasses growing wild around the whole camp. She couldn’t wait to wander through the trees and along the creek to discover what was there. Harvesting herbs for her magic was very important whenever she had the chance.

She started a list of the herbs she most wanted to find. Wild catnip, of course, was always better than cultivated. Would there be motherwort here? Oh, and ground ivy would be at the perfect point to harvest. Grinning, she sighed and leaned back against Owen. Now seemed as good a time as any to get him playing in the weeds. She was just turning to tell him of her plans when Gwen, in her vintage, flowing, hippy skirts, came flying out of the little building. She ran over to Leena and hugged her tight.

“Cora just told me. Congratulations!” She picked up Leena’s hand and looked at the ring. She then kissed Owen. “This is so lovely!” She smiled at them both. “It makes my heart so much lighter to know something this wonderful came out of the Beltane gathering.” She kissed both of them again. “Oh! You’ll be dancing your first coupled union tomorrow night. Oh, this is wonderful!” She sniffled as she walked back into the building.

Owen looked down at Leena. “Coupled union?”

Leena laughed and started towards the building. “I’ll explain later.” Justin was walking towards the group and she could see the strain of the past few months in his eyes.

“Justin, how nice to see you.” She hugged him briefly.

The older man grinned back at her. “Gwen just told me the news, congratulations you two.” He shook Owen’s hand and grinned. “You’re a lucky man, but you know that.” He turned to nod to the others. “It’s great to see all of you here. Thanks for coming back.” He rubbed his jaw and glanced around. “You’ll need to meet Mr. Blaine, the detective. I’m not sure where he is at the moment, but stop by at dinner, and I’ll point him out.” With that he offered a small grin. “It’s certainly drier this time.” He turned and went back into the building.

“Poor guy,” Cora mused as she followed him into the registration building.

When Chris walked out to where the others waited, he noticed a few tense stares.

“Chris,” Kasey said in her sweet tone. “Did you happen to pay for all of our registrations and the cabin?”

He grinned down at her. “What could be more magical then the eight of us together at a gathering? My Solstice gift to you all.” He looked at them with a slightly smug expression, they couldn’t refuse this gift.

Owen stepped forward until Leena put a hand on his arm and shook her head. “You can’t refuse a Solstice gift, or you’ll bring bad luck to the season.” Unhappy blue eyes looked at Chris, and then Owen looked back at Leena and sighed in defeat.

Chris walked past them. “Shall we go check out our lodgings?”

Cora caught up to him and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

Rachel did the same.

Kasey just looked up and frowned.

The outside of the cabin didn’t look like a typical cabin. A simple square building with dark siding and white trim with a deck, or the white boards that could be referred to as a deck, were large enough for two or three people to stand, but not sit.

Once inside the cabin, they all stood in the small sitting area and looked around. There was a woodstove in the corner, with a well-polished wood floor that had seen many feet over the years. Two large armchairs, one of faded blue and one in red and a large brown wicker chair, with a green couch loveseat meant that gathering comfortably would be a challenge.

“Well, at least we all won’t have to sit on the floor,” Dade muttered as he walked over to open a door. “And people, we have a bathroom. Okay, a tiny sink and a toilet.” He turned to grin at Owen. “You, big guy, might have to go in and out sideways, but at least it’s not a sixty-foot hike outside.”

Leena stood there and looked at the four closed doors. Sighing, she went and opened the first. “Double bed and a tiny TV-table-sized table. The wall is a foot from each side of the bed,” she reported.

Opening the next, “Single, possibly a twin-sized cot in this room. Nothing other than that, including space.” She lifted her brows at the others as they peeked in the rooms after her. The next door revealed two cots and a tiny window the size of a vent.

Chris looked in the last door over her shoulder. It had three narrow cots and almost a half-sized closet. “Well.” Leena grinned at him. “We have four rooms, double bed, a single bed, two singles, and three singles, in addition to a closet sized space.”

Owen grinned. “I’m calling the double bed that I’ll be sharing with my fiancée.” Everyone smirked, not arguing because it did make sense.

“I’ll take the single then,” Chris added as he stuck his head in and looked at the tiny space and realized Leena hadn’t been exaggerating. He leaned against the wall beside the door.

Dade walked over and looked into the other rooms. “Guess Doc and I’ll take the two beds in there, unless you ladies want to mix it up?” He lifted an eyebrow at the three women.

They laughed and walked into the room with the three single beds.

Leena dropped her purse on the chair. “Guess we’d better go haul everything in.”

Dade shook his head. “I’ll just drive the van over and park it beside the cabin. There’s enough space.”

Chapter 3

It only took half an hour to get everything sorted out. Cora set the last package on the shelf they’d discovered behind a curtain they thought was a window. She looked over at Owen. “Were you expecting us to feed the whole camp?”

Owen shrugged and then grinned at Chris. “Just didn’t want anyone to go hungry. You never know when those middle-of-the-night munchies will get you.” Cora laughed.

Rachel was already putting some of the food back in bags. “If no one objects, I’m going to take this to the children’s area. Munchies always come in handy there.”

Steven nodded. “I’ll go over with you and see if any of my fest kids are here.”

Straightening from setting up the little travel table, Leena glanced at the women. “Before anyone goes anywhere ladies, shall we cleanse and protect?” The women nodded and went into their room. Leena looked around at the men. “A little tradition, although we could use this to recharge the gris-gris too.”

Cora nodded as she walked back out. “Yes, good idea.” She stepped forward and placed a wooden carved mask on the table. “To watch over all,” she said and stood to the side.

Rachel stepped up and placed her large blue and black candles down. Holding her hand over them, they smoldered and then caught fire. “To protect and repel negative.” She took her place beside Cora.

Kasey stepped up to set a large piece of raw jasper down. “To bring courage and tranquility to us all.” She stepped over next to Cora.

Leena stepped up and opened her hand over a small dish. Herbs floated from her palm, then settled in the dish, immediately smoldering. She waited for the smoke to rise and then lifted her hands. “To cleanse and protect us all.”

Chris watched as the smoke swirled around the small table, then around each of them before circling the room and coming back to the dish.

Cora motioned them to form a circle.

The four women joined hands with the men and as soon as the circle was complete a warm tingle shot through their hands before everyone let go.

“That should also strengthen the gris-gris bags,” Cora said as she went to sit down.

Chris raised his eyebrows at Kasey. “Tranquility?”

She nodded. “I didn’t know if everyone else was as uneasy as I was after Beltane, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt.” She looked down at her clasped hands.

“A perfect choice, Kasey, thank you.”

Dade sat on the edge of the little couch and sent Chris a determined look. “To test your stone out, Kase, now would be as good a time as any to discuss what Justin asked the men to do, before we all head in different directions.” All eyes were on him at once.

Dade glanced once at Cora. “Justin says this undercover cop asked if the four of us would help by making rounds, off and on throughout the next few nights.” The other three men nodded, but none were jumping in to help Dade explain.

“Alone?” Cora asked. Dade nodded and started to speak when she stepped in front of him and looked down at him, hands on hips. “I don’t think so.”

“Coralee, the killer isn’t after men, obviously from that vision...”

“No,” was all she said and then sat down, crossing her arms in front of her.

Chris looked around at the women. He had been sure this wasn’t going to go over smoothly. “I have a suggestion.” Everyone looked at him. “We could take turns going out as couples and wandering around. It would look less suspicious.” He grinned over at Kasey. “I don’t know about you, but I’d feel safer knowing Kasey was with me. If we saw anything, she could work a confine spell while I ran for help.” Kasey laughed and put her hand over her mouth.

Owen chuckled. “He’s right, well, for the most part. I’d feel better with Leena beside me than worrying about her.”

Dade laughed. “You just want to sneak off and have sex in the bushes with her, bro. Tell the truth.”

Owen grinned back at him. “Hadn’t thought of that, but not a bad idea, thanks.” Leena lifted a cushion from the couch with a brush of air and tossed it towards him.

Ducking, Owen laughed and walked towards her. “Behave, woman.” He grinned.

Steven stood up. “Other than the sex thing, which does have some merit, I agree with the idea.” He looked over at Rachel and smiled. “Well, warrior woman, you want to protect me from the dark shadows?”

Rachel laughed and then shrugged.

Cora stretched. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m going to go try to grab a nap. It’s going to be a long night, and getting up at dawn to light the Solstice fire will be even more difficult if we’ve all been in and out all night.”

Dade nodded. “I’ll head over and let Justin know our plans. I also want to see what this undercover cop looks like, so we don’t attack him thinking he’s the killer.”

Leena sighed. “See if you can get the list of registrants too, Dade. We could check them with the Beltane list before dinner.”

Dade saluted her and walked out the door grinning.

Rachel grabbed the bag of munchies and headed to the door. “You know where to find me.”

Steven followed her. “Me too.”

Leena grinned at Owen suggestively.

Owen held up a hand. “I know that grin, it says, ‘Come get me,’ but the eyes are saying, ‘Owen, honey, I need a hand with something.’”

She laughed. “I do need your hand, to hold mine while we walk through the woods and meadows, foraging.”

He shrugged. “I can do that.” He took the bag she held out and opened the door.