Spellbound by Michelle M. Pillow Read Free Book Online Page B

surprise, part in warning and part in worry. “What are ya doing? Get out of here.”
    His ma began yelling at him in a long string of Gaelic, chiding him for bringing the woman home, cursing the woman and threatening to cast a spell on her.
    “Ya are in no condition to do such a thing,” he told her. His ma could barely manage to wield her fingers to pick up a cup, let alone summon the power it would take to throw Jane to the trolls.
    “I’ll go,” Jane said, pushing past him. She paused, unable to leave while his ma blocked the door.
    “Jane, I’m sorry, she’s not well. She—” Iain tried to explain his ma’s strange behavior.
    “No, it’s all right. I have a lot of work waiting for me back at the—” Jane flinched as Margareta swung a hand at her.
    Iain, unsure what else to do, swooped his ma in his arms and held her struggling form as Jane bolted for the door. The sound of her running footsteps faltered, and he heard Rory exclaim, “Easy, beautiful, not that I mind holding ya, but I usually get a name first.”
    Iain grumbled in frustration and set his ma down. “I’ll deal with ya in a moment.”
    By the time he made it to the hall, Rory was following a running Jane down the stairs.
    “Seriously, lassie, tell me which one of my kin scared ya and I’ll be sure to hex them good,” Rory offered.
    Iain muscled Rory out of his way as he tried to catch Jane, who was heading out the front door.
    “Hey, I saw her first!” Rory protested. Just as Iain’s feet landed on the reception hall floor, Rory hit him in the back with a small electrical charge. It was only a small burst of magick, more playful than painful, but it was enough to cause him to trip forward and fall against the wall.
    “Death’s reipseach !” Margareta screeched, toddling toward the stairs as if she would give chase.
    Iain wanted to go after Jane, but while she was technically unharmed, his ma looked like she was about to fall over.
    “Uh, Iain, why is Aunt Margareta calling that woman a hussy?” Rory crossed his arms over his chest and chuckled. “What did we tell ya about bringing prostitutes home?”
    Iain growled. He gestured at his ma as he made his way to catch her. “Shut up, Rory. Stop my ma, she’s about to fall.”
    Rory turned and swept his arm forward to stop the frail woman from tumbling down the staircase. “Easy there, Aunt Margareta. Where do ya think you’re going?”
    “ Reipseach ,” the woman insisted.
    “I know, I know, reipseach. Iain did always have questionable taste in women.” Rory turned to wink at Iain as he led Margareta down the hall to find her wheelchair. His ma was clearly out of her mind. The aftereffects of her future casting were worse than any of them had thought. “The bad lassie is gone now. Your work is done. Time to rest.”
    Iain stopped halfway up the stairs, letting Rory handle his ma for fear she’d become worked up again if he tried to help her. Sitting down on a step, he gave a weak laugh. To himself, he said, “Well, I sure know how to show a girl a good time.”
    Twice he’d watched Jane run away from him. Once she fainted. For a glorious moment, she’d kissed him. And that was all in one day.
    A small smile formed on his mouth. He was suddenly very eager to see what tomorrow would bring.

Chapter 8
    J ane liked the serenity of night. Okay, truthfully, she liked hiding like a coward all evening in case Sean came back to take her to dinner. If he couldn’t find her, he couldn’t guilt her into spending time with him. If she didn’t spend time with him, she wouldn’t have to listen to how great Dana was and how ungrateful of a stepdaughter she’d been. Or the weird questions about her birth mother. Jane had no idea what had prompted him to ask about it. She could only conclude with his own mother passing, he had moms on the brain.
    “Cowardice for the win,” Jane mumbled to herself. “I’ll hide until he goes away.”
    As the hours ticked on, she knew she should