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COVER SUMMARY
WELCOME TO
SPELLFIRE, TEXAS
Where things aren't what they seem, no—
they are so much hotter!
The Eighth of the Spellfire Collections
Spellfire Seasons
In Spellfire, Texas, many seasons abound and
are believed in at this very special time of the year. Some
of them are specific, some are only once a year, and then
some can last for what seems like an eternity in Spellfire.
Yet, paranormal beings and creatures with passionate natures
will make every holiday time in this remarkable town very
unique, and memorable.
Multi-paranormal and multi-ethnic beings celebrate the
holidays and love in many forms and fashions. And all are
welcome within the borders of
Spellfire, Texas.
A Fairy
Merry Christmas,
Anna Fallon
Scott Robson: Tough Aussie bloke. Letter from Spellfire,
Texas: Long lost family. Join Scott on his holiday. He
discovers his fairy heritage secret
and love.
Right Man, Wrong Time, Jane Carver
Sunny wakes up
in 1880. Doc, her lover, confesses his identity,
but Sunny demands a wish. In Spellfire, wishes come true.
Night
Magic, Jamie Hill
Beautiful witch
Calista discovers her dream lover living right next door,
and does everything she can to get his attention without
casting a love spell.
Deseos Navideño - Christmas Desires,
Ravyn Reccio
Raquel Castillo, a widow,lost the will to love, until a
christmas spirit follows her home from mass, and magical
things start to happen to her heart and soul.
Heart of a Ranger,
Bridghid Parkinson
Battles for Texas' Independence were fierce, but tough Texas
Ranger James Dallingham has met his match when Miss Sarah
sets her sights on loving him!
Alex’s Gift, Mae Powers
What does a Vamperian get for his sorceress wife, who can
create any thing she desires?
READ THE REVIEWS
Coming Soon
Back to the Top
EXCERPT
A
Fairy Merry
Christmas
by
Anna Fallon
Chapter One
“Hey Barnesy, you ever heard of a place called Spellfire?
Says ‘ere it’s in Texas.” Scott Robson turned the envelope
over, the background decorated with what looked like the
American flag. Addressed to him; he’d never even been out of
Australia. A sticker on the back said Spellfire in fancy
blue writing and nothing more.
“Nuh.” Barry Barnes answered without even looking up from
the newspaper.
Scott held the envelope up to the light, he couldn’t see
inside. Giving it a couple of shakes next to his ear,
nothing sounded any different. He tapped it on his hand.
“Crikey, just open it, will ya?” Barry put the paper down
and shook his head.
“Yeah…” Scott always felt wary of strange mail. “Could be
one of those scam things”
“Well, it’s not gunna bloody jump out and bite ya is it?”
Barry huffed. “Jesus you’re a fairy sometimes! Give it
‘ere.”
“Bullshit, I’m no fairy.”
Scott handed the letter over. A fuzzy tingle rippled around
his body and he reached over and scratched his shoulder
blade, the mosquito's must have been out last night.
Mozzie bites, I hate ‘em. As Barry lifted the sticker,
the itching stepped up. Scott leaned against the doorframe
and rubbed furiously.
“Fleas, mate?” Barry chuckled.
“Shut up, Bazza.”
Scott watched his best mate take a crisp white sheet of
paper from the envelope, unfolding it carefully. As he
perused the letter, Barry shook his head.
“You lucky mongrel!” Barry exclaimed and peered into the
envelope pulling out something in a colorful cover.
Scott stopped scratching, “What?”
“Says you had some relative called Virgil in this place
called Spellfire and you’ve inherited property. A bar
apparently. Fuck me, Mate, you own a pub!”
“You sure?” Scott took the letter from Barry and read the
words for himself.
Dear Mr. Robson,
It is my pleasure to inform you that, as the last living
adult, male relative of Virgil Robson, you now own the Boo
Bar. This bar has proudly been owned by the Robson family
for many generations and once you prove your identity it
will pass to you.
Virgil spoke of his Australian family, but said he had
never met any of you. I have forwarded air tickets for you
and one other person. I need you here in person for the
reading of the will. If you do not attend, then the Boo Bar
will go on the market and the money to charity. Your family
heritage will be lost.
I know it is very close to Christmas, but I was hoping
you may be able to have a holiday here while we sorted this
matter out.
I look forward to your arrival and I will meet you at the
airport.
Sincerely
Jerry Normil
Attorney
Spellfire, Texas.
“Shit! Whaddya think of that? I can’t go!” Scott felt
confused. Could he just pick up and fly off to the United
States?
“Why not?” Barry asked loudly.
“I‘ve got stuff to do and work.” Scott defended to no avail.
“What a load of crap…Awww poor little Scott. Scott
no-friends. He’s too chicken to go on a little trip to
Texas.” Barry pouted, his bottom lip as if talking to a
baby. “Whatsa madda, Scott, no-friends, you scared of a few
little cowboys? You think they want to ride you?” Barry
laughed raucously as he thrust his pelvis back and forth and
slapped his rump.
Scott laughed in spite of himself. Bazza affected everyone
like that. He was a laugh a minute with his style of
sarcastic wit. But a good bloke all the same, he’d give you
his right arm if he had to. Scott did not have a genuine
reason not to go, but it did make him nervous. Of course he
would not admit that to Bazza, no way. Aussie outback men
had a reputation to upkeep.
“You knobber. Tell ya what…dare you to come with me?” Scott
knew his mate could never say no to a dare.
“Oh yeah, you and me going on a Christmas holiday
together…yeah the blokes’ll really love that!”
“Double dare.”
“Don’t be stupid, Robbo. I’ll knock ya block off!”
“Chicken.” Scott put his hands under his armpits and flapped
like a chicken, clucking all the while.
Right Man, Wrong Time
by
Jane Carver
“Why can’t you ever do things ahead of time, Butch?”
Sunny Cassidy leaned next to the open second story window so
her brother could hear her better. A chill December wind
blew in and sent a shiver down her back.
“Listen, Sundance, we’re doing just fine. These decorations
will be up in no time.”
“Yeah, right.” She imagined her brother and his new
friend on the rooftop, putting up Christmas lights and
decorations. With a brisk wind and a temperature hovering in
the high 30s, she didn’t envy them the chore.
“You and what’s-his-name should have started a couple of
weeks ago.” She leaned out again, to stop the comment her
brother would make. “Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s rained the
last two weekends. Two days before Christmas, though, is
cutting it close. You’re going to break your neck. And give
me gray hairs.”
She turned away from the window to admire her image in the
full-length mirror. Not a gray hair to be seen. Five-foot
eight of lush curves and full breasts fit like a glove in a
late-19th century dress. Green-flowered velour
complemented her grass-green eyes and copper-colored lashes.
She leaned over to wipe the bridge of her nose. “Dang, I
wish those stupid freckles would go away.” Along with her
red hair and green eyes, she inherited a faint glow of fairy
dust, her mother’s name for freckles.
Back at the window, she called Butch one last time. “Are you
going to make it in time for the Texas Western Christmas
Celebration? Mary Sims will miss you if you don’t come.” She
knew that would get him. He detested Mary. Would he rather
hear this? “Oh, by the way, Alice Garrett asked about you
the other day. Said she’d be at the kissing booth from five
until closing.”
She counted under her breath, but got no further than six,
before she heard someone scramble to the edge of the roof.
“Alice asked about me?”
“Yeah.”
“What do you think, Tommy?” Butch consulted his new
friend. The other man answered too low for Sunny to hear.
“Tommy said we can probably make it, if we only do the
lights today. We’ll put up the other decorations tomorrow.”
Butch scrambled up the steep roof. Sunny heard the scraping
sounds on the shingles. A loose board, used to hold the
roof’s garland, sailed past the window and buried itself in
the front yard’s soft grass.
“Hey, watch it up there, you two. Someone could get hurt.”
“’kay,” drifted back as she picked up the caba, a small
handbag that matched her outfit.
“Just like a school marm or one of those hair-brained women
who left home and hearth to traipse over the prairie,
following some man.” Sunny made no bones about women who
were “TSTL”—too stupid to live. She wrote novels and killed
off female characters that went into dark basements, with
just a flashlight, when they knew a murderer waited there.
She tucked her brilliant red hair, rolled at the back of her
head, under the poke bonnet. Her pelisse, an ankle-length
coat with short attached cape, lay across the foot of the
bed. Her research into clothing styles of the 1800s produced
great results, she thought. The pelisse might look severe in
all black, but dark green stitching across the bodice and
the forest green silk lining, peeking out from underneath
the cape, relieved the starkness. One last check in the
mirror: green bonnet with a purple feather, dress with
bustle, pelisse to ward off the cold, kid-leather gloves,
the small caba attached to her wrist with a strap, and her
balmorals—those laced-up shoes inspired by England’s Queen
Victoria.
“Ready to knock ‘em dead at the celebration,” she said to
her mirrored image with a grin. An icy blast of air from the
window reminded her to close it before she left.
Never quiet, she clattered down the stairs; her sturdy shoes
made sharp clicks on each step. “Mom, I’m gone. I’m meeting
Alison at the cake booth.”
Clarice Cassidy stuck her head out of the kitchen door and
waved. “Bye, dear. Your dad and I will be there when he gets
home. Got called out for an emergency at Riker’s horse
farm.”
Her skirt held in one hand so she wouldn’t trip, Sunny made
her way down the front steps and headed to her car. “Shoot,
that guy parked his car behind me.”
“Butch.” She didn’t see the guys on the front side of the
roof so called louder. Heavy clouds, dark with possible
rain, rolled beyond the roofline. Wonder if it will snow.
That would be so cool, but it never snows around here for
Christmas. Wrong part of Texas.
Her brother peered over the roofline. “I thought you were
gone already, Sundance. What do you want? We’ve got work to
do, remember?” He looked over his shoulder and answered a
question his friend evidently asked from the other side of
the roofline. “Sundance? A nickname, man. You know, Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The movie.” The friend
satisfied, he turned back to Sunny. “What did you need
anyway?”
“Your friend needs to move his car. I can’t get out.”
“Wait a minute.” Butch said something over his shoulder then
caught a ring of keys the man threw. “Come closer, and I’ll
drop them. Leave them on the front hall table.”
Butch straddled the ridge with exaggerated care. He didn’t
look as comfortable up there as he pretended. On his seat,
he scooted down the roof. Flat boxes of decorations lay
close, but he avoided them. However a loose string of
Christmas light wire tangled around his hand. Before he
could prevent it, the keys fell out of his hand, slid down
the roof and sailed out into space.
Lost in her thoughts, Sunny didn’t see the mass of keys
coming.
“Sundance! Move!” Butch’s warning didn’t help.
She moved—the wrong way, right into the path of the keys.
Whack! They hit her above the brows. She stood still, for a
second, then fell like a tree, straight onto her back—out
like the proverbial light.
Night Magic
by
Jamie Hill
He was apparently as dense as the fog that swirled over the
river when the sun went down. They’d been neighbors for over
a year, not that he noticed. To be fair, she only recently
noticed him…in that way. Still, he didn’t seem to
know she existed.
Calista Canyon stared out the window of her apartment
directly into the window of his. The houses were built so
close together that she could read the diploma hanging on
his living room wall. Ryan Lenhart, Bachelor of Science
Degree in Kinesiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan,
Kansas. Calista didn’t go
to college and never heard of Kinesiology, but after some
investigating, discovered it dealt with exercise. Ryan was a
personal fitness trainer.
One look at his fantastic body verified that piece of
information. Calista usually never gave him much thought or
attention. Occasionally she crossed paths with him as they
came and went. Sometimes they met in the shared parking lot
behind their houses. She drove a black Jeep and noticed he
drove a similar red-colored one. When the weather turned
warm he began riding a bicycle, and kept it up through the
mild Kansas autumn.
It was Calista’s favorite time of year, with holidays
approaching and the weather mild and pleasant. She left her
windows open most of the time, and evidently, her neighbor
did, too.
That’s what caught her attention the first time she noticed
Ryan…really noticed him. She heard noises outside and looked
up from the book she was reading. Her apartment stood on the
third floor of an old house converted to rentals, so it was
unusual to hear voices, but she knew she heard something.
She walked around to the various windows until she hit upon
the source of the noise—her neighbor, whose living room
faced hers, entertaining.
That was the polite word for it, but fucking like wild
animals popped into Calista’s mind. Man, they’re
really going at it. She knew she shouldn’t watch, but it
was like a train wreck, she couldn’t help herself. Clutching
the windowsill, Calista bit her lip.
The man looked tall with a lean, muscular form. He wore his
dark hair closely cropped and there was razor stubble on his
chin. She vaguely recognized him as her neighbor, but she
saw much more of him than ever before. Completely naked, his
body gleamed with perspiration as did his sculpted, tight
ass.
Calista noticed, because that was the view she had of him at
the moment. The woman he thrust himself into was less
visible, lying spread-eagle on his sofa, her high-heeled
feet kicking in the air as he reamed her. Jesus, take
your shoes off! Calista thought, and reached for a bowl
of popcorn to nibble on during the show.
She would never leave her shoes on during sex. She hated
wearing them anyway, and went barefoot or wore flip-flops
whenever possible. The high heels across the way continued
to kick, and Calista squinted to look at them. “Jimmy
Choo’s,” she said to herself, nodding. She didn’t buy them,
but that didn’t mean she never noticed them. “I suppose if I
paid five hundred dollars for shoes I might leave them on,
too.” They looked so damn funny kicking in the air that
Calista laughed out loud.
Wanting to get a better look at her neighbor Calista said
softly, “I think you should throw her over the back of the
sofa and do it doggie-style. I’d like to get a look at your
hard cock before you shoot your load.” She blinked her eyes
and watched. Ryan pulled out of the twat he banged, making
Calista smile.
He continued to stroke his shaft firmly as he lifted the
woman up and leaned her over the back of the sofa. He bent
over behind her and thrust his cock into her from behind.
“Oh yeah!” Calista clapped her hands. “I like that! That
looks so nice…” Maybe a little too nice. She was
getting horny watching the neighbors get it on, and slid her
hand down the front of her shorts to stroke her clit.
The show was nearly over, Calista could tell by the look on
his face Ryan would come soon. He grunted loudly and grabbed
the woman’s hips as he emptied into her. The woman made
little squealing noises as she climaxed, which sounded
completely absurd to Calista. The squeals were definitely
doing nothing for Calista’s fantasy, so she removed her hand
from her pants. She watched a few more minutes as Ryan
pulled out and walked around the apartment naked, his
semi-flaccid dick looking quite impressive for the state it
was in. At one point Calista thought he might have caught a
glimpse of her standing in the window watching him, but she
couldn’t be sure. He never pulled the blinds down, just
slowly got dressed and fixed a drink for himself and his
lady friend.
Calista moved away from the window and sipped at her own
drink. She was horny as hell, and trying to decide what to
do about it. Her cock-shaped vibrator would be the easiest
solution, but probably the least satisfying. She could pop
in on her best friend Max for a booty call; he loved the
friends-with-benefits aspect of their relationship. Yet, for
some reason, even that didn’t sound appealing. As much as
she loved the feeling of a man’s hands on her, she didn’t
want to deal with Max tonight.
She glanced back toward the window across the way, noticing
it was now dark. Her neighbor left, maybe to take the
squealer home. She stepped closer to the window and looked
at his apartment one last time. She envisioned herself
draped across the sofa, with him thrusting his stiff cock
into her. That’s what she wanted.
She could have him if she truly desired it. There wasn’t
much Calista couldn’t have, with the powers she
inherited from her mother. Her mother told her to be careful
using magic when it came to love, and she always heeded her
mother’s advice. Dreema Canyon was a very powerful witch,
and Calista strived to be just like her in another four or
five hundred years.
So tonight, she settled for her dildo, massaging her breasts
with her hands as the vibrating cock thrust in and out of
her on its own. She fantasized about her neighbor with his
tight ass and stiff rod, and came explosively as she writhed
in the air a foot above her bed.
Deseos Navideño,
Christmas Desires
by
Ravyn Reccio
The beauty of the sun setting became the hardest thing to
give up. The nightly ritual of watching the sunset started
with her husband. Even after his death she continued,
promising him she would not stop. She found strength within
herself not to look back, not allow hurt to overcome her.
She hid the pain of losing her husband, Carlos, of twenty
years to cancer. From the deepest part of her soul, the pain
washed out while swimming. This she would miss once she
moved to Spellfire, Texas.
She alone made the decision to move from
Puerto Rico
to Spellfire. So many changes to come; a whole new
beginning, learning to live life without her husband and
getting to know herself once more. Raquel would finally live
the life she always dreamed of having; opening a Spanish
restaurant. Her younger cousin, Juliana Baez, constantly
pestered her to move to the States. Juliana planted a small
seed of the idea in Raquel’s head long before her husband
died. Raquel had mourned his passing for over five years
now.
A soft breeze of night air whisked through her flowing red
hair. Palm trees’ leaves crackled and swayed against the
gentle wind. Raquel watched her very last sunset on the
beach of her hometown,
Arecibo,
Puerto Rico. The white sands and crystal-clear water called
out to a special part of her at sundown. Every night, from
her earliest memories, she would come down to the beach at
sundown and swim. It seemed those swims lasted an eternity.
Ripples of incoming tide move closer to her toes.
She often sat on the rocks, combing out her hair while she
looked into the mirror. Her mirror’s polished silvery
surface, reflective of the sea. The rounded shape and
luminescence connected with the orb of the moon that
controlled the sea. The ancient sea legend stated that once
you look into a mermaid’s mirror, one could see his or her
true self, which explained how Carlos came to fall madly in
love with Raquel, accepting her for who she really was.
Raquel was descended from the line of the great sea god
Poseidon. Her grandfather was one of the youngest sons of
the mighty sea lord, and founded a coven of merfolk off the
shores of Puerto Rico. Many pirates visited a tavern that
Raquel’s grandparents built there, to make Raquel’s
grandmother happy, her being human and all. Her own mother
was half mer-person, half human, while her father was all
merman. Still, as unusual as it looked, her mother and
father raised her and her many brothers and sisters
Catholic, as were her many cousins of both merfolk and human
kin.
Carlos first saw her one night while out on his fishing
boat. He thought what he envisioned to be a dream, Raquel
realized, but it wasn’t. Raquel glanced at him from across
the rocks where she sat, at the time. She swam over to him,
falling immediately in love with him.
Her family at first appeared very reluctant in giving them
their blessings, but in time, they did. Raquel prayed that
he would see the great love they shared. A true love that
would make her the happiest she had ever been. Carlos being
a man of his word and a noble soul, gave his word to his
father-in- law that he would love her, never mistreating
her. He allowed her the freedom to return to her home in the
sea whenever she wanted. This pleased her father very much,
who then in turn granted Carlos his heart’s desire when he
chose it.
Being a mermaid, Raquel possessed abilities to predict and
control storms as well as foretell the future events. Even
before marrying Carlos, she knew the marriage would not last
forever. Merfolk and mortal marriages normally didn’t last
long, though she promised him, for the time they had
together, she would make him a very happy man. Carlos
promised that, when his time came, he would release her from
her bonds to him, returning her back to the sea.
During the twenty years she lived with him as his wife, not
once did she have any regrets. They lived a very happy and
fulfilled life together. They did a lot of traveling back
and forth to
Spain.
Carlos took ill on the night their eighteenth wedding
anniversary. They spent the last two years of his life
fighting a long, drawn-out battle with cancer.
Through all of his agony and suffering, Raquel remained at
his side. There were mornings that he awakened with a lot of
energy, enough to go swimming, to enjoy the midnight swims
with his beautiful wife.
As his time grew short, Carlos knew he had some very
important decisions to make regarding Raquel. He wanted to
make sure that she had enough to live on and not worry about
any medical or business bills. His overall desire was to
make sure that she would be left financially secure for the
rest of her life, yet she knew that he didn’t need to, but
wished to, event though she had her own means of making a
living. Before marrying Carlos, Raquel had spent most of her
time working at her restaurant by the beach.
There had always been something magical about Moonlight by
the Sea. Ever since anyone could remember, it always
existed. Moonlight by the Sea had been the first pub
established back in the time of the early settlers who came
to the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. Pirates, as well as
sailors, made sure to stop in for a brew and to feast upon
the delicious meals prepared by the staff after being months
at sea.
Over the course of time, just as everything else progressed,
so did the restaurant. Many of the girls in her family and
the mer-coven her family was part of, took turns cooking and
maintaining the place. Moonlight grew in size as a nightclub
for the younger generation, drawing in many of the local
couples on the weekends. Moonlight became very popular all
over the island with each new opening on the furthest points
of Puerto Rico, San Juan being home to the biggest of all.
The merfolk who worked with Raquel enjoyed the freedom to go
back and forth between their home in the ocean and the house
adjoining hers, which they too called home. Her closeness to
her mer-family certainly proved to be beneficial to
everyone, especially once Carlos became too weak to care for
himself. Every night, one of her many brothers and sisters
or cousins, sat with Carlos while she tended to his personal
matters and that of the club.
As she sat there upon the rocks, she contemplated her next
move. Gazing up into the star filled sky, she prayed that
Carlos could hear her thoughts. Lost in her own, feelings of
regret overcame her. She dwelled on their final decision,
not going to her kin to aide them. Poseidon, father to all
the mer-folk, a great and powerful god, and whom Raquel’s
grandfather was descended from, first heard about his
illness and opened his heart to him.
He understood the great sacrifice Carlos was willing to
make and offered him again a chance to be with his kin,
Raquel, until the end of time. A gift not given so easily,
one that all mortals would jump at, a life of immortality,
living amongst the merfolks.
Selflessly, Carlos graciously declined the offer, preferring
to live out his remaining months sleeping in a hammock under
two huge palm trees with his wife at his side. He enjoyed
watching the sun come up every morning. He refused to count
the days left, giving him a newfound sense of appreciation
for everything and everyone around him.
Heart of a Ranger
by
Bridghid Parkinson
“Well, I’ll be hanged,” James said. “Already.”
A beautiful woman came out of the delivery truck near his
Farmer’s Market and caught James’s attention. He immediately
noticed several stunning qualities about her, including the
sound of her musical laughter. Nice… for a modern woman.
James thought of his loneliness more since his old friend
brought his wife to Spellfire, but he couldn’t let it occupy
his mind. Jack had been lonely waiting for his wife to join
him, and when she finally arrived, there didn’t seem to be
much time for the ‘old boys’ group who once hung out in the
bar. James kept busy around Spellfire during the
Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, and looked forward to a
little time to relax over the winter.
Several gentleman friends came out of the van after the
lovely young woman and started unloading boxes as James
stood in the front parking lot. He should have known better,
but he still let the fanciful thoughts cross his mind of
actually spending time with a lady. Well, those boys
aren’t goin’ to let me near that filly.
James kicked the loose gravel in the parking area of his
little Farmer’s Market. For once, he hoped for a woman that
was a classic beauty, like from the days when he was young.
He could easily imagine this young woman in a long dress.
“All the old beauties are gone,” James lamented to no one in
particular. Now, women wore clothes exposing parts of their
bellies, and left nothing to the imagination. This young
woman was no different. Her jeans didn’t even cover her
belly button and her tiny shirt hardly covered her ribs. The
sweater she wore over her shoulders didn’t look like it
would keep her warm.
In the old days, James didn’t get to admire those features
on a woman until he married his Laura. The dresses and
costumes of the women he’d once admired had form fitting
details, but the lady covered herself from her neck down to
the hems of the skirts that swept the floor. It was almost
illicit to get a peak at a woman’s legs. James remembered
the stirrings he would get just helping a lady in and out of
a wagon.
Now, he was distracted with notions of kissing this woman’s
exposed features. He quickly turned around to the main
building before he could entertain intimate ideas when he
didn’t even know her name. His thoughts drifted to what she
might have looked like when he was alive, and he smiled.
Modern women didn’t appeal to him. He’d seen fairies and
other young women in town almost completely naked and he
didn’t even get an itch in his drawers. Today, he was
intrigued for the first time in years. James wondered what
part his friend Jack’s recent success, bringing his wife
home, played.
He stood in the middle of his market. Business went slow for
the morning hours, but it would pick up for lunch in about
an hour. He twirled the ends of his moustache, more from a
nervous habit than from the need to groom his ghostly body.
He was curious about the young filly that just pulled up and
he drifted to a less conspicuous window to watch her.
James watched, unable to contain his curiosity. Construction
crews finished the detail work on the new building
yesterday. The crew told him it’s a new Texas souvenir store
for tourists and the owner wanted to compliment the older
design of his market. The old details were stunning and
reminiscent of his old Ranger’s Station in Seguin. The
construction crew had magical ways of aging woods and using
stone. The building looked one hundred and fifty years old
instead of one hundred and fifty hours old.
James saw the young woman staring at the Farmer’s Market. He
forced himself to dematerialize completely and re-manifest
in his office. Dag Nabit! Some people are sensitive
to ghosts and get the feeling they are being watched and it
seemed this young woman felt him.
Just for once in his life, James would love to meet another
woman like his Laura. When he was living, she made the hard,
settlers life seem like paradise. When it came time for her
to cross over, too, she insisted that it wasn’t normal for
them to stay around Texas as ghosts. They needed to move on
into the afterlife. James couldn’t. He’d lived his ghostly
life in Texas, waiting ten years on Laura to pass, and he
didn’t want to leave. “I fought for freedom here, I fought
to protect the settlers here—even after I died—I don’t want
to go. Texas is still home.”
“I’ll always love you, James…,” Laura said. As quick as a
flash, she was gone. He felt the sudden loneliness she must
have felt when he died.
James couldn’t stop being a Texas Ranger. He continued to
work all across the state until the area grew with other
ghostly people who could see him, and work with him. He
discovered the town of Spellfire attracted other ghosts and
more beings he’d heard referred to as ‘paranormal’. It was a
delightful place once he could get used to seeing the Fae
folk with wings or other creatures of different types. It
takes people of all stripes, he thought.
He supposed, since he was the closest neighbor to the new
business that it might be the neighborly thing to do to take
over a tray of bar-b-que sandwiches and a jug of tea from
the main kitchen and say ‘howdy’. The first day of working
in a new location was always hectic but he needed to find a
way to distract himself from the owner’s daughter, or
whoever she was.
He went to the kitchen and gathered up a tray of wrapped
sandwiches and jug of tea. He dropped a tub of potato salad
on the tray with some plastic utensils called
Spectra-Sporks.
James went out the side door, manifesting fully so he
appeared normal to the employees of the new business.
Certainly, they must have figured out there was something
special about Spellfire, but he wasn’t going to be the first
possible encounter.
The men continued to work while the woman approached James
under the front porch with a smile. The slight itch in his
drawers turned to a full-fledged stir when her eyes met his.
“Howdy, Ma’am. I thought I’d bring y’all lunch. I know how
busy it is, gettin’ things set up.”
“Awe, ain’t that sweet!” she said and took the tray. “My
name is Sarah Collins. Come on in!”
James was thankful her eyes stayed up on his face and on the
tray. He took the opportunity to slip his hands in his
pockets, hitch up his britches and hide the sudden swelling
in his groin.
When he walked in the store, he looked around, amazed. He’d
expected boxes, but the merchandize they offered was already
on display featuring clothing, jewelry, hats, household
items, and specialty foods, with Christmas decorations in
full swing. The shock became enough to cool his desires as
he admired the work and merchandise.
“I love your costume!” Sarah said.
“It’s not really a costume,” James answered quietly. “It’s
sort of a bit what I normally wear and I got used to it.
I’ve got several nice suits and uniforms like this.”
“Good, I hope you won’t mind then if I get comfortable.”
“But… I… I…,” James stammered. The thought of this creature
‘getting comfortable’ with a couple burly fellows nearby
would mean trouble because he wouldn’t be able to restrain
his gaze. He didn’t know how many of the men were prepared
to fight for Miss Sarah’s honor, but he knew how many were
in the room.
“Oh hush, yer fine.” Sarah answered. She slid into the
curtain of the dressing room like it was smoke. James didn’t
even have the full realization in his mind she was a
paranormal creature before she swept right back out to the
showroom, dressed in the most beautiful dark blue gown he’d
ever seen. The hems swept the floor and lace covered her
neck just giving a peek of her collarbone. She wrapped a
woven shawl around her shoulders before announcing, “There!
That feels better! It was nice out there in the sun, but I
keep feeling a draft that the new clothes just don’t cover.”
James couldn’t speak.
“Well, a girl has to keep up with the times, but there is
nothing like the old comforts of your favorite clothes. You
ought to try some new clothes!”
James stared at her.
“What’s the matter, honey?” Sarah looked concerned. “Cat’s
got yer tongue?”
“Who are you?” James asked in a low tone.
“Sarah Collins. I was a teacher back in the day. I came to
Spellfire a year ago because my home turned into a bit of a
ghost town. I am sure you know where Karlshaven is… or used
to be?”
“The coast… Port Lavaca… It was destroyed by the hurricane
in 1886… sometimes called Indianola.” James couldn’t take
his eyes away from the peek of collarbone at the base of her
neck. Her dark blond curls hung just behind the collar,
without hindering the view of the soft neckline.
Sarah nodded. “It’s a bit lonely when even the ghosts give
up on a ghost town. I just had to find something else, we
didn’t even get many tourists and curiosity seekers, so some
of us just roamed Port Lavaca. That’s when I found Spellfire
and I bought this land with money I saved.”
James swallowed hard.
“I didn’t even get your name, darlin’…”
The word darlin’ hung in the air like the musical
tickling of wind chimes. When he tried to speak his mouth
felt as dry as a dust devil on a caliche road. “James,” he
croaked.
Sarah giggled, “Ok… James what?”
“Captain James Dallingham, Texas Ranger… Ma’am!”
“Easy. Please… call me Sarah?” she asked.
She looked at him with eyes that sparkled like the Texas
night sky. James felt the stir of the erection gaining force
quickly and he felt flushed. “Yes, Ma’am… I apologize… I
need to run…” and he forced himself to dematerialize.
Alex’s Gift
by
Mae Powers
Alex glanced at the books around Trinkets. There wasn’t much
he could get a paranormal wife who could conjure up just
about anything she wanted.
What did one get for a sorceress who lacked for nothing? She
didn’t even give him any hints as to what she wanted. Just a
little over a week to their anniversary party also, and he
still had no idea what to get her for that or Christmas.
He sighed, waving hi to some of the regulars in town, before
using his flashing magic to leave the store. He reappeared
back in their apartment above Sinful Sundaes to go over and
sit on the plush sofa in the living room.
He loved the huge apartment and workshop and kitchens above
the ice cream parlor that had been in his wife’s family for
a long time.
A very long time.
He’d known Electra didn’t age much. She told him she was in
her second reincarnation right now, but had lived for nearly
two thousand years before that, being one of the founders of
Spellfire. He, himself was over two hundred years old. His
parents had him late in their lives at nearly five hundred
years old, each.
His father came out of hibernation long enough to approve of
his new daughter-in-law, fuss at Alex’s mother and love her
a bit then head back out to his lair in Houston. His father
use to travel, but slept a lot these days, coming out
occasionally to travel and visit with his family. Alex
wondered if he often got his recluse feelings from his
father, since his mother was always so outgoing.
His mother had no idea what to get Electra either, nor did
her friends or family. She had a good size family with many
cousins and four brothers. Still no one knew what to get her
for Christmas. She didn’t lack for material or emotional
needs.
He sighed again. Right now, he felt blue. He truly wanted to
get her something unique for Christmas. She said she was
curtailing her magical ministrations and not doing much for
herself that way, so he could surprise her. She liked
surprises. She like simple, but exotic and beautiful things.
With a wave of his finger, Alex made the para-boob tube come
on. They had a regular set and this wall one that showed the
holiday commercials, a lot of them live, from various
paranormal places around the world. Like regular TV, it came
with commercials too, since even parafolk often mimicked the
world and needed to make a living too.
Spellfire had its share of restaurant and eateries. Even
paranormal folk loved to eat out, like most normal Texans.
Garnets did well, just as Sins did, financially. Derek and
Harpy ran it for Electra a lot of the time, when she was out
elsewhere making potions and helping Alex with their other
business endeavors.
Or she wasn’t out helping someone in town with some problem
or another. He didn’t complain to her about that. They had a
wonderful first year, but he knew people always needed her
help in one way or another and it was in her nature to help
others.
Of course, some people could be too pushy. Electra didn’t
lose her temper much, but when she did, Spellfire got quiet.
And Alex had the best hot sex around. He chuckled. He never
seemed to get enough of her. Every day was exciting and new
with her.
He loved her and the eccentric family she came from. Just a
day ago, the whole family of Spellfires got together at Adam
Spellfire’s hotel to have a family holiday get-together.
He’d become fast, close friends with the men and women in
the family. Why he’d be an uncle soon, since Moonshyne and
Malaci were expecting anytime now; if not any second, the
way she kept having to go to the Faery Foundation Hospital
emergency room every time she threw up. Poor Malaci.
He and Electra would think about children another time,
right now they both wanted more time together since their
businesses kept them pretty busy. He like the times alone
they spent here in the apartment or any of their other
little lovemaking hideouts and homes.
Currently, they shared a two-bedroom den with Harpy and
Derek Spellfire, his sister and brother-in-law; though a
part time abode for them on the days Electra worked above
the shop or was needed in Sins. The couples each had their
own rooms there, but most the time he and Electra spent time
in their condo near Garnets, the restaurant they opened up
close to last Valentine’s Day.
They had love, powers, friends homes, wealth of all kinds.
He wondered if she was having the same kind of problem
getting him a gift too. He didn’t want for anything either.
He had it all, and life was never boring around Electra.
Each day her wondrous love gave him new meanings to live for
and more.
He realized that the TV images were going by at a fast rate,
and looked down at his fingers. As he was woolgathering, he
realized his finger flipped up and down rapidly. Men and
their remotes.
He flipped the para-tube off, still at a loss as to what to
get her. He absently flipped again and this time he caught a
sight he didn’t expect. There stood Electra in a dressing
room, having herself fitted for an evening gown.
He could even hear her thoughts. It was as if she projected
the image to him. He hoped it wasn’t over international para-channels.
Five thousand channels and only his wife twisting and
twirling in front of a mirror caught his attention.
“I love you, Alex. I hope you’ll like this on me. I know
garnets are your favorite jewel and black your favorite
color...”
He sat bolt upright as he realized that he tuned it to her
thoughts and where she was right now. He’d forgotten that
she told him this particular old set did what other new para-boxes
didn’t. It showed one’s favorite person and thoughts, as
long as their emotions were in tune with each other and
their soul reached out in need for the other person.
So she thought about him now! Hell, Electra was never an
open book like this, though they did often speak mentally
together. He chuckled and set back to watch the show of her
twisting her lush body first one way and then the other, as
if putting a private dance on for him. Life just didn’t get
better than this! he thought.
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