Thirty-two.

Dagon paced the floor in his study. Tempest was due to return today, and Sarina and he had yet to reach any sort of understanding about how to handle this delicate and awkward situation. Actually Sarina did not even seem the least bit upset, and he had tried repeatedly to convince himself that she had matters well in hand.

She was after all a wise old witch who knew far more than he. And though she was powerless, she did not lack wisdom, she would know how to cope with her sister. But on that slim chance that things didn't work out, he wanted to be prepared-and yet how?

He just couldn't find an answer. How did a threehundredyear-old witch match wits with an ancient witch? There was simply no answer.

Love.

Dagon stopped his pacing. One answer to all his questions Beatrice had told him. Could it be that simple? Could love combat the spell? It seemed worth a chance, and a chance was all he needed. Somehow, some way, Sarina would be his. He refused to accept otherwise.

He gave a curt nod of his head as if confirming his decision to himself and walked out of the study in search of Sarina.

He found her in the kitchen talking and laughing with Margaret as her hands were busy stirring a batter. "You're baking."

She smiled broadly at him. "Apple cinnamon bread. Tempest adores it, and I thought I would bake her a loaf."

"This is your great feat, bread?"

Margaret gave Sarina's arm a supportive squeeze before quietly leaving the room.

"My sister is wise enough to enjoy life's simple pleasures, and she would appreciate the fact that I took the time to bake her a loaf of her favorite bread. No great feat but a gift given with love."

Dagon felt contrite. "I'm sorry."

Her smile remained. "I understand, but please don't worry yourself. All will go well."

He approached her with enthusiasm in his voice. "You have decided on a feat that will appease your sister?"

She extended her lips for a kiss, her hands remaining busy.

He obliged her with a fast peck, and she stopped her stirring and glared at him in disappointment. "You call that a kiss?"

"You call that an answer?"

"You are going to worry yourself senseless."

"Until this day pa.s.ses and I find you in my arms permanently, I will worry."

"And there is nothing I can say that will change that?" she asked.

"Tell me you have settled on a feat that will prove successful," he said with hope.

Her laughter surprised him. "I can guarantee nothing and you know it."

She returned to stirring her batter; he sat at the table in a chair opposite her.

"I am being foolish, I know it, and yet I cannot stop myself."

Her voice was comforting. "You are not accustomed to not being in control."

"You're right," he admitted. "I have controlled my life quite nicely until you walked into it and then . .

." He threw his hands up in surrender.

She giggled.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing," he informed her firmly, though a hint of a smile started in the corner of his mouth. "The easiest way to gain control of one's life is to let go of control."

That brought a generous smile to his face. "There's food for thought."

"Think on it-it makes more sense than you know."

"I know that I love you," he said, his smile turning gentle.

Sarina poured the batter into a loaf pan. "And your love for me will serve me well this day."

A feeling of calm rushed over Dagon and brought an unexpected sigh to his lips. "You know something

you're not telling me."

She reached across the table and locked her fingers with his. "Trust me, that's all I ask of you."

"You have all the trust and love I can give, dear heart, but know that I will be at your side through it all,

and if you should ever be taken away from me, I would search until my dying day to find you."

"My hero," she said proudly and leaned across the table to give him more than a mere peck on the lips.

"Now," he said standing and pushing up the sleeves of his pale gray sweater, "what other treat does

your sister favor?"

"You're going to bake a treat for my sister?" Sarina asked on a laugh.

"Cherry bread," he said with a nod. "If Ali can bake it, so can I."

"Do you mean this, Dagon?" Sarina asked seriously.

He walked around the table, his hands gently claiming her waist. "A gift made from love for my sister-in-law to be." His sincerity filled Sarina with joy. "Thank you, Tempest would like that." "She likes cherry bread?" he asked with a teasing nip to her lips. She nipped in return. "She respects sincerity." "I respect fairness." His playful nips softened to a brush of their lips.

"Then you two will certainly get along." Her lips grazed his gently in return.

"I'm counting on it." He kissed her then, full and hard, and they both understood this need to cling, to reinforce their love, their strength, their commitment to each other.

And it was with laughter and teasing that they baked bread together and prepared for nightfall and

Tempest's arrival. Sarina wore all black, Dagon was dressed in complete white. They walked together to a large open area on the castle grounds. Normally one could view the distant hills and the woods in all their splendor, but it was dusk and an eerie gray covered the surrounding area, and the hills and woods appeared large shadows that stared with suspicion at the lone couple.

"I will speak to your sister first, he said, his hand gripping hers tightly. "There is something I wish to say."

She nodded, anxious for her sister's arrival, eager for this to end.

The wind came first, though it did not touch them. It swirled in great fury, a faint light beginning to grow in the center.

"She does love to make an entrance," Dagon said and moved to stand protectively in front of her, their hands remaining joined.

His breath caught when he saw her. He had thought perhaps his memory had played tricks on him, and he had only imagined her stunning beauty. His memory had not proved accurate-she appeared more beautiful than last he saw her.

And the pale yellow of her flowing dress gave her reddish-blond hair the appearance of soft flames that flicked around her. This time her slipper-covered feet touched the earth, and she approached him with confidence.

Sarina stepped out from behind Dagon, to his annoyance, and greeted her sister with a wide smile.

"It is time," Tempest said and waited. Dagon stepped forward, and Tempest raised an annoyed brow.

"I wish to speak with you first," he said.

"I am not in a hurry, have your say, but-" she said with a tone that warned. "Choose your words wisely."

Dagon smiled then. "That may be difficult, since I find myself deeply in love with your sister and as of late have been more a fool than wise."

He thought he saw a hint of a smile and proceeded with renewed confidence. "First, I owe you an apology. When I requested an introduction to you, my intentions were to see if we would be compatible lifemates. But then I met Sarina and completely lost my heart, my soul, and my sanity to her. My apologies for not making my original intentions clear."

Tempest accepted his apology with a curt nod.

Dagon continued. "I foolishly believed that I could control love, that it was mine for the finding. I never realized that true love found you, that it hit you when you least expected it, and arrived in a package that you thought would never interest you. I learned that you can be blind to love just as love can make you blind. And I learned that a love that is rare is one that should be cherished forever."

Sarina fought to keep her tears from falling, she was so very proud of this man she loved.

Dagon took a deep breath and with authority said, " Sarina belongs to me now as I belong to her. She will not be returning with you."

Her pride for him swelled and her admiration for his courage grew, and she knew Tempest would understand both, though how she would respond was another matter. She did enjoy grandstanding at

times.

Lightning split the gray sky so unexpectedly that it caused Sarina and Dagon to jump. Thin crackling spears of light descended in fury on the earth, stabbing the ground around them, causing them to instantly slip into each other's arms.

"A small demonstration of my abilities," Tempest said softly. "And so that you know if my sister fails to satisfy the spell, she will be returning with me."

Dagon moved to step forward, his own anger near to exploding, powerful witch or not.

Sarina's hand on his arm prevented further steps. "It is my turn."

He took her chin firmly in his hand. "I will not surrender you. I love you."

"Trust me," she whispered and kissed him gently before leaving his side and walking over to face her sister.

"You look as beautiful as ever," Sarina said to her sister. Dagon was surprised by the generous smile that touched her face and kept his distance but lingered nearby. "You possess a distinct beauty of your own, Sarina," Tempest said, her voice calm and soothing. "You told me that often enough as I grew." "I speak the truth." Sarina smiled. "I know, that is why your words meant so much to me." "It is time, Sarina, time to complete the spell," Tempest said, her smile rea.s.suring. Sarina shook her head and Dagon grew upset. Was she about to tell her sister that she had no feat to perform? He waited, his breath caught in his throat. Sarina spoke with confidence as she circled her sister slowly. "When first you cast the spell, you upset me. I could not understand your anger toward me. I meant no harm in my prediction, I only wished to help you. I foolishly believed you wished to hurt me." She stepped to the side of Tempest, keeping her sister and Dagon in her sight. "It was only recently I realized the reason for your spell and that my prediction precipitated your reaction. And that your reaction was brought on by your love for me." Tempest nodded knowingly. "I always knew you to be wise." "And you knew it was my wisdom that would settle this spell and not my powers-that is why you stripped me of them. Isn't it?" Again Tempest nodded. "I knew your wisdom would never fail you."

"You have that much confidence in me?" Sarina asked with tearful eyes.

"I have that much love for you," Tempest said proudly.

"Then, dear sister, it is time for me to perform my best feat."

Tempest extended her hands out before her. "Surpa.s.s my powers, Sarina, and demonstrate for me your

best feat."

Sarina looked to Dagon and smiled with delight, then turned to her sister and with tears of joy announced, "I will give birth to Dagon's son in the summer."

Dagon felt the breath knocked out of him and rushed to Sarina's side, swinging her up into his arms and

holding her tightly to him. "A son? You're going to have my son?"

She nodded, much too tearful to speak.

He kissed her. "I love you! d.a.m.n, but I love you, witch."

"My blessings to you both," Tempest said sincerely, "and my blessings to your son."