Erica stepped into Raven's embrace. The dagger came down.

Dama, kill! Tayler's mind screeched at the crouched panther.

The panther leapt like lightning at the two women. A claw hit Erica in the side of her head. The force of the panther's body knocked her to the ground. The panther tore at Raven, its fangs sinking deep into her neck. In its grip, the panther shook Raven violently. The knife fell out of her hand. A garbled scream filled the room. Blood spurted from Raven's jugular and flew through the air.

Cries of agony and terror rifled through the room. The panther gave in to her instinctive fury, incensed by the smell of Raven's blood.

As the last chime rang out, Tayler grabbed Raven's dagger from the rock and plunged it into the panther's heart. It let out a long, terrifying groan before hitting the open door with a dull, loud thud. The gla.s.s shattered, spraying broken shards over the two motionless bodies.

A gust of wind whipped through the doorway and whirled around the room. Dust flew in every direction. When it stopped suddenly, both Raven's body and that of the panther's were gone. Silence fell over the room.

Twenty-Five.

By the patio door, Erica sat motionless in her chair, its fabric stained and still moist with blood.

Things had happened so quickly. Tayler looked at the bewildered expressions on Sterling's and Devin's faces. Carmen and Luis sat next to them talking in a hushed tone. While Beth finished wrapping a bandage on Devin's arm, Ev checked Erica's head.

"How many fingers," Ev asked Erica with her hand in the air.

Erica shook her head and blinked. "Four," she said, giving Ev the right answer.

Ev turned to Ana who knelt on the floor to one side of Erica's chair. "I want x-rays done of her head to make sure there's no internal swelling."

Ana nodded. "I'll drive her to the nearest hospital."

"I'm fine," Erica said as she stiffly got to her feet. "I would like to be driven to the airport."

"Erica, I don't think it's wise that you fly right now. Give yourself some time to heal," Ev pleaded.

"No, it's best I leave now." Erica closed her eyes holding back the tears.

Ana stood and reached for Erica's hand. "You haven't slept or eaten for days, Ricah. Let me nurse you back to health."

Erica shook her head, but stopped. The motion made her head throb and her stomach nauseous. "Tayler," her voice was low and sounded mechanical. "Thank you for saving my life tonight."

Tayler approached and put her arms around Erica. "What's wrong?" A moment of silence pa.s.sed between them. "Talk to me, please."

"I've wished for this freedom for twelve years. And now that I've got it, I remain trapped."

"It'll take some time to adjust." Tayler offered. "No one can erase what you've been through. You've been under a tremendous strain these past years. But, your life is yours again."

Erica lowered her eyes. "The other night, you said I died years ago."

"I spoke those words in anger," Tayler said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

Erica stepped away from the embrace. "I fought falling in love with you, but I did. In many ways, your love gave me the courage to go on." Her voice was flat and labored. "I've come to the painful realization that the feelings we had for each other were a result of the tension, not love."

"What?" Tayler asked puzzled.

Erica sighed. "The more you knew about the curse, the farther away from me you went." Tears streamed down Erica's face. "I see now that you're in love with Ana."

"Erica - " Tayler looked into Erica's eyes.

"Ricah," Ana walked over to Erica. "I need to explain what happened."

"You owe me no explanation. Where love is concerned the only choice we have is to follow..." Erica hung her head, unable to finish.

"Erica, I'm not in love with Ana," Tayler said softly, her voice quivering. "When I met with Carmen she told me that the only way I could destroy the curse was through deception. Raven believed Ana and I had become lovers, but she also knew you were in love with me. That's why in the end she took on my appearance. It drove her insane to think that Ana and I had made love this morning, but we didn't. It was a cruel deception, I admit that, but that was Raven's weak spot. I don't know exactly what you told Raven, but by your cuts and bruises I knew she didn't like what you told her. She didn't know how to respond."

"Her anger became her weakness," Ana added.

"So when I saw the two of you - " Erica choked.

"It was part of the deception," Tayler interjected. "I had to turn the clock against Raven. She believed you. She believed that Ana and I had become lovers because you believed it." Tayler searched Erica's face for some indication that she understood. Finding nothing, she said, "I'm deeply in love with you, Erica."

The room became quiet. Erica walked toward the door, but stopped and turned around. "There's one thing I -I don't understand about tonight."

"What is it?" Tayler asked helplessly.

Erica's hands shook. "If you love me, why did you tell the panther to kill me?"

"The command was given only to kill. It wasn't given to kill you. As Raven walked around the room, I noticed that the panther got agitated when voices were raised. I also knew that as it got closer to midnight, Raven's illusions would begin to fall apart. I had just enough time to a.s.sume Raven's appearance. The panther got confused. When it saw the dagger in Raven's hand, I gave the command. Seeing Raven as the threat, it knocked you down and went for her. At midnight the entire illusion vanished."

Erica paced, her boots clicking on the floor. "I convinced myself that you were in love with Ana. It gave me the strength to meet Raven, but I was no match for her." Erica took a step toward Tayler, but retreated. "I didn't even have a plan to save myself. Me, the great architect, didn't have a blueprint of how to save my own soul. All I had was this," Erica pulled a dagger from her belt and placed it on the table.

"No, you had me. You brought me here to help you. Oh, Erica, I can't imagine life without you." Tayler's cheeks grew red. "I love you."

"Tayler, please don't. I need to leave."

"Erica, believe her, she's not deceiving you this time. She loves you and wants to be with you." Carmen got up from her chair. "Deception-whether used for good purposes or bad - has negative consequences. We all must learn to trust and we must swear to only tell the truth from this point on."

"My feelings are so confused. My grandmother didn't have a magic book, but she taught me that it's not the event we need to understand, but the feelings it evokes inside." Erica walked through the doorway and turned. "I know how to handle loneliness and fear. Now, I need to learn how to handle love."

Tayler couldn't stop her tears. She knew she couldn't ask Erica to put aside her right to heal. Erica had lost faith in herself and the people around her -she was the only one who could get it back. But the thought of Erica leaving Mexico without her was devastating. "How long, Erica? How long do you need?"

"I don't know..." Erica disappeared around the pillar.

Twenty Six Tayler sat at the Harbor Cafe waiting patiently for her mother. The restaurant held such wonderful memories for her. She wanted to feel again like she felt that October night with Erica. She had been back in Minneapolis for six weeks, but was having a difficult time keeping her mind on her work. Her days and nights in Mexico seemed so far away. It was a time she tried not to think about.

"h.e.l.lo, dear," Christina bent and kissed the top of Tayler's head. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's okay," Tayler sighed.

"My, that was enthusiastic." Christina sat down and took Tayler's hand. Her daughter's welfare was important to her and her own vacation in Europe had been plagued with apprehension for her daughter. After only one week in Paris, Catherine suggested they return to Minneapolis to wait for Tayler.

"Hey, I couldn't be happier." Tayler said sarcastically. "The Narrator is doing exceptionally well, I'm making an offer on a house, and I've actually had several dates."

Christina studied her daughter's face. After a brief hesitation, she said, "You can't forget her, can you?"

"You know me too well." A weak smiled appeared on Tayler's lips. "I've tried so hard to forget, to go on, but I can't."

"I know how it is. I've been there a few times myself," Christina smiled. The waiter appeared and took their order.

"You must think I'm crazy." Tayler had told Christina about the curse and Raven's attempts to kill her, but she did not tell her mother about her own powers.

"Why would I think that? You've told me some pretty strange things recently, but I never thought of you as crazy. If I hadn't been aware of Erica's mystical disposition, I think your story would have been more difficult for me to accept. But I've heard and seen some pretty unusual things in my time with Erica."

"It's more than that, Mom," Tayler wiggled in her chair. "It's not everyday that a daughter falls madly in love with her mother's former female lover."

Christina's eyebrows came together. She leaned toward Tayler and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Darling, be careful. If word gets out a national magazine may want to publish our story." Christina's eyes twinkled. "G.o.d, I can just see us on Oprah."

"Mother, I'm serious," Tayler pouted.

"As far as my past with Erica goes, it's over and done. Catherine and I are very happy together and still very much in love. Anyway, I have no patience for women on broomsticks."

"She doesn't ride a -oh, never mind," Tayler squeezed her mother's hand. Christina laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking about your father. If he knew his only daughter had fallen in love with a woman, he would have to be inst.i.tutionalized."

"Mother, you're terrible." Tayler laughed. "Isn't it strange how things turn out?"

"Yes," Christina paused, "but that's why we need to live life to its fullest -or something like that." She looked out the window of the restaurant. Thanksgiving had come and gone and Christmas was only a week away. Outside, snowflakes began to cover the bushes and pine trees. Christina seemed lost in her thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?" Tayler asked.

"I wish I'd been there for you." Christina added matter-of-factly, "I'm not a very good mother."

"You are too." Tayler c.o.c.ked her head to the side. "Why do you say that?"

"When Erica appeared, I was afraid she'd hurt you." Christina confessed. "I had some notion in my head that she'd use you to get back at me."

"She didn't."

"I know," Christina smiled. "But you know, the universe revolves around me."

Tayler laughed. Christina looked radiant against a backdrop of falling snow. Her cheeks glowed and she looked more content than Tayler had ever seen her. "But you let me go and I did get hurt. I don't get the feeling that you're angry with Erica."

"I'm not," Christina leaned closer. "From everything you've told me, it's obvious that Erica really is in love with you."

"Correction. Erica loved me."

"Counter-correction. She still is in love with you." Christina sat back in her chair.

"Then why is she moving to San Francisco?" Tayler looked past her mother and focused her gaze on the snow outside.

"What?" Christina blurted out.

Tayler handed her mother the morning paper and pointed to the featured article. "I rest my case."

As her mother read the article, other articles and photos flooded Tayler's thoughts. In the past month and a half, Erica appeared everywhere. She was designing buildings, making speeches and accepting awards. It seemed that her reluctance to be in the news was gone and the media loved it. In each new story, it became obvious to Tayler that Erica had regained her self-respect and confidence.

"Twin Cities to Say Farewell to Its Famous Architect," Christina read out loud. "But, it also states that Erica won't make her final decision public until the end of the week."

Tayler glanced back at Christina.

"So, is this the reason for the lunch invitation today?"

Tayler nodded. "I had to talk to you. No one would understand this whole mess like you would. I need your advice."

Christina's heart sank. "Honey, the best thing you can do is let her go."

"You're not saying what I want you to say."

"Let me put it this way. You left Mexico and came back here. Believe me, I've watched you struggle to forget what happened there. But you did and your life went on."

"Living with this emptiness isn't my definition of life."

"You just need to convince yourself that you're going to walk right back in and stand by your feelings. My G.o.d, you took on that horrible creature Raven. I would think your fight for Erica would be a little easier." Christina drummed her nails on the table. "At least, this time, you don't have to deal with a puma."

"Panther," Tayler corrected her mother. "Puma, panther -I suppose it doesn't matter. Technically, they both fall into the same category of leopard."

"Erica is a human being," Christina continued. "She's a woman who's put her emotional and physical needs aside for the past twelve years. Like you, she's been wise to walk away for a period of time. Closure helps us keep out the garbage from our past, so that our present and future relationships have a chance to succeed." Christina smiled. "Tayler, my dear, you need to lighten up. I've never seen you so anxious."

"You've never seen me fall head over heels for someone before," Tayler countered.

"True, and I hope this is the last." Christina laughed. "But what I'm getting at is this -Erica let down her defenses and let you in. You gave her a chance to experience today and see tomorrow. Now that she's had time to get acquainted with life again, she's probably noticing how empty it is without you."

Tayler nodded.

"There's only one you," Christina said drawing a few glances toward their table. "Maybe Erica needs to be reminded of that."

"Mother," Tayler got up and gave her mother a hug, "you're the greatest."

"Now that was enthusiastic."

Twenty-Seven.