Smoke on the Water Read online

  “Ready?” I offered my hands.

  The instant we touched, we disappeared from the cabin and reappeared on the hill above Lake Superior. Our soon-to-be-husbands stood with their backs to the water. The sun hovered at the edge of night; the entire sky had gone pink and blue. Stars sprang up like diamonds as the moon began to rise.

  A triple wedding. Seemed like the best way to go.

  The stone altar held our magical instruments. A low hum emanated from them. To do what we wanted to for this wedding we’d need all the power we could get.

  The three men wore identical black suits—Bobby with a white shirt and tie, Owen’s shirt was red, his tie yellow, and Sebastian …

  My gaze met his and my stomach danced. “Hush, little one,” I murmured.

  Silly, I couldn’t feel her move yet. Except I did.

  Sebastian wore an aquamarine shirt and a bluebell-shaded tie. Becca had healed his face. Even if she hadn’t, he’d be beautiful. He’d tucked his curling dark hair behind his ears so the firelight turned Emma’s earring from gold, to bronze, to silver.

  I loved that earring. Always had. Always would.

  Together, my sisters and I joined hands with our men, creating a circle of six—or was it seven?—around the altar, our ghost guests and our parents. The moon blazed silver, and the spirits appeared as corporeal as we were.

  At least for tonight.

  Henry stood behind the altar, our mother at his side. Now that Roland was dead, the brands on their necks had vanished. That absence had convinced us more than anything that the horror was really, truly over.

  Our father would marry us tonight as witches should be. In the air, beneath the moon, near the water, warmed by flame, our bare feet touching the earth.

  In the coming weeks, Raye and Becca would take part in a second ceremony for their other families, who knew nothing of this, of us, of tonight. They wouldn’t understand.

  Sebastian tightened his fingers around mine. He and I had no one but each other and the people in this clearing. It was enough.

  “We ask for the blessings of nature’s elements,” Henry began. “Air, fire, water, and earth.”

  He stood in front of Raye and Bobby. “We ask the spirits of Air to keep the lines of communication open between this couple. May their future be as bright as the sun on the horizon. As Air flows freely to and from and through us all, may their hearts and minds and souls come to know each other the same.”

  He turned to Becca and Owen. “Spirits of Fire, we ask that their passion for each other and for life remain ever strong, fortifying them each day with vibrancy, boldness, and courage. Fire clears the way for new growth. This power is theirs, to bring about the quality that comes from true love.”

  Henry stepped in front of Sebastian and me. “We ask the spirits of Water that their love for each other will be like the serenity of the ocean, an oasis that forever surrounds them, letting the surety with which Water makes its journey, flowing over rocks, and around trees, becoming vapor and riding the clouds, serve as a reminder that love endures.”

  Henry stepped to the center of the circle where Pru, Mary, and Emma stood—joy in their eyes, happy tears on their cheeks.

  “Spirits of the Earth,” he continued. “Give those who are here before you a rock-solid place to stand and fulfill their destinies. May their journeys mirror the vast planes and fertile lands, may they find the right seeds to sow to ensure a bountiful harvest.”

  Sebastian flushed. He’d sown a seed and it had definitely become bountiful. I suppose having his soon-to-be-father-in-law point that out during the wedding was embarrassing. Then again, if Sebastian hadn’t done so, we’d all be dead. Some of us would be dead-er.

  Henry lifted his gaze to the star that blazed over the water. “When they look at the Northern Star, may they know it is as brilliant and constant as their love for each other.”

  The star seemed to blink—bright, brighter, brightest—as if it knew we were watching. Was one of us doing that? Or was it all of us—together?

  “Father, Mother, Divine Spirit, we ask your blessing upon these couples. May they become one in truth and forever revel in the magic that is love.”

  Several stars fell, leaving trails like silver fireworks across the night.

  “Kiss the brides.”

  It wasn’t easy to do holding hands in a circle, but we managed.

  When I returned my gaze to my parents, Pru held a naked baby in her arms.

  “Is that—” I began.

  “Our granddaughter,” Henry said. “We’ll spend the next several months getting to know her. But I can already tell you’re going to have your hands full.”

  “Swell,” Sebastian muttered, but the gaze he turned on our girl revealed he was already in love.

  “We’ll return every year at Samhain,” Pru said. “When the veil is thin.”

  “Just you two?” I asked.

  “Whoever you like,” Pru answered. “All you have to do is come together and ask.”

  The baby lifted a chubby arm and opened, closed, then opened her hand. Everyone in the center of the circle did the same.

  The rest of us released our hold on each other, and they were gone—but not for good. There was comfort in that.

  After a kiss on each wife’s brow, the new husbands moved off so we three sisters could say good-bye.

  “Right here, same time next year?” Raye asked.

  We did a group hug.

  “It’s a date,” I said.

  Not that we wouldn’t see each other before that. We wouldn’t be very far apart.

  Raye and Bobby were returning to her hometown of New Bergin, where she was a kindergarten teacher and he was the police chief. They had a black cat named Samhain, which was also fitting.

  Becca and Owen would head for their hometown of Three Harbors nearby. Becca had a veterinary practice, and Owen planned to raise and train military working dogs for the Marines. His former MWD, Reggie, would be retiring soon and coming to live with them and their calico kitten, Grenade.

  “Maybe we should get a cat,” I said as the others drove away, leaving us alone beneath the stars.

  “I think a baby is enough for now.” Sebastian laid his palm on my stomach.

  “Okay.” I covered his hand with my own.

  Elise and Edward had been as good as their word, and Sebastian hadn’t lost his license or his job at the facility, though he had taken a leave of absence from the latter. There’d been hints he could have Dr. Tronsted’s job, as she’d accepted one in Fairbanks, Alaska.

  I had a new identity—Willow Frasier—complete with a shiny new passport. Sebastian and I had decided to try it out with a honeymoon in Scotland. There would be time enough to decide what to do with the rest of our lives when we returned.

  Sebastian kissed me quick; then with our hands atop the earth witch to come, he murmured, “It’s going to be magic.”

  One final star fell to the earth and burst open like a shower of flame across the water.

  How could it not be?

  Look for these other Sisters of the Craft novels by New York Times Bestselling Author

  LORI HANDELAND

  HEAT OF THE MOMENT

  IN THE AIR TONIGHT

  Available from St. Martin’s Paperbacks

  About the Author

  Lori Handeland is a two-time RITA Award winner and the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightcreature Novels, a paranormal romance series; the Phoenix Chronicles, an urban fantasy series; and the Shakespeare Undead historical fantasy series. She also writes Western historical romance under the name Lori Austin. Lori lives in Wisconsin with her husband, and enjoys occasional visits from her grown sons.

  Check out both of her websites at www.lorihandeland.com and loriaustin.net. You can sign up for email updates here.

  Titles by

  LORI HANDELAND

  Sisters of the Craft

  In the Air Tonight

  Heat of the Moment

  Smok
e on the Water

  The Phoenix Chronicles

  Any Given Doomsday

  Doomsday Can Wait

  Apocalypse Happens

  Chaos Bites

  The Nightcreature Novels

  Blue Moon

  Hunter’s Moon

  Dark Moon

  Crescent Moon

  Midnight Moon

  Rising Moon

  Hidden Moon

  Thunder Moon

  Marked by the Moon

  Moon Cursed

  Crave the Moon

  The Shakespeare Undead Series

  Shakespeare Undead

  Zombie Island

  Anthologies

  Stroke of Midnight

  My Big, Fat Supernatural Wedding

  No Rest for the Witches

  Hex Appeal

  Praise for the Phoenix Chronicles by

  LORI HANDELAND

  Doomsday Can Wait

  “A striking series … with a decidedly sexy edge. Readers again view the world through the eyes of ex-cop-turned-humanity’s-savior Liz Phoenix [in] this complex mythology.”

  —RT Book Reviews (4 stars)

  “We really enjoyed it … and are looking forward to [more] in this series.”

  —Robots & Vamps

  “Cool … exciting.”

  —Lurv à la Mode

  “Fascinating, vivid, and gritty.”

  —Fallen Angel Reviews

  “Handeland does an amazing job of packing so much punch into the pages of this story without ever leaving the reader behind. Doomsday Can Wait ups the paranormal and emotional content of the series, adding strength to the heroine and a more human touch to one of her closest allies. This is an action-packed series that urban fantasy readers should thoroughly enjoy, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the author takes us next.”

  —Darque Reviews

  “Handeland pens another tale that captured my heart … with captivating characters [and] an absorbing plot that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.”

  —Romance Junkies

  Any Given Doomsday

  “Handeland launches the intriguing Phoenix Chronicles urban fantasy series with a strong story … the demons’ evil plans and vividly described handiwork create immense suspense for the final battle.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Fascinating. A fast-paced thriller that will have readers looking for book two.”

  —Kelley Armstrong

  “A fresh, fascinating, gripping tale that hits urban fantasy dead-on. Don’t miss this one.”

  —L.L. Foster

  “Sexy, dangerous, and a hot-as-hell page-turner! Lori Handeland world-builds with authority.”

  —L. A. Banks

  “Handeland is back with a striking new series, narrated by a heroine thrown headfirst into a fairly apocalyptic scenario … With sex and power intertwined, Handeland looks to have another winner of a series on her hands!”

  —RT Book Reviews

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  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by Lori Handeland

  Praise for the Phoenix Chronicles

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  SMOKE ON THE WATER

  Copyright © 2015 by Lori Handeland.

  All rights reserved.

  For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

  www.stmartins.com

  eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].

  eISBN: 978-1-250-01975-2

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / August 2015

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.