“I noticed. Cybil’s flirting with Kim’s oldest.”
He yanked back. “What?”
“Typical.” Arlys pulled him right back. “It’s your son, it’s ‘Woo-hoo.’ Your daughter, it’s ‘Whoa.’ I might have to write an article about that.”
“Oh no, you don’t.”
She laughed, snuggled in. “Chuck’s dancing. Not with anyone, and it’s not actually dancing. But it’s movement approximating the basic concept of dancing. Katie’s in the kitchen gossiping with Lana. God, I’m going to miss Lana. Hannah went down to the poker game with Simon. And—”
She looked up at him. “The gang’s all here, Will. We’re all here, and I love you.”
In the kitchen, Katie poured more wine, studied it. “I think I’m going to get sloshed.”
“Stick with faerie wine. No hangover.”
“Lana. Lana, what am I going to do without you?”
“We’ll visit. A lot.” Because it made her teary, Lana poured more wine for both of them. “And you have to visit us. I want you to see the farm. In fact, I hereby decree everybody comes to the farm this summer for a huge party. I demand it.”
“I’m in.” Katie blinked at tears. “We’re going to miss you and Simon, the boys.”
“Colin’s going to stay in Arlington.” Her smile bittersweet, Katie understood. “He’s a soldier, not a farmer. So more visits there, too. And Fallon.”
Lana breathed in, breathed out. Like giving birth, she thought. Letting a child find her way in the world wasn’t all that different, really, from bringing them into the world.
“This will be her home now. This house, her home with Duncan.”
“Are you—did they—”
“Just something I know. So visits, lots of visits. One day they might want a wedding or handfasting. Won’t that be a party for us to plan, Katie? Our babies.”
“I’ll watch out for her for you. I love her, Lana. I love Fallon and your boys.”
“I know. I love Duncan and your girls. We raised strong kids, didn’t we, Katie?”
“Amazing kids. To your four and my three.” She lifted her glass.
“Lucky seven,” Lana said and lifted her own.
“Ladies.”
Lana glanced over, laughed. “Mallick! You came.”
When she circled the counter to embrace him, he patted her back awkwardly, but smiled. “I wanted to wish you, all of you, a happy New Year.”
“How about some wine?”
“I’d be grateful. This home is full of light,” he added as she poured him a glass. “They’ll be happy here. I would offer a toast to two fine mothers and their excellent children.”
“Thank you.”
“And I would thank you for the suet cakes, and the recipe for them Fallon brought me on Christmas Eve.”
It had touched him, deeply, to find her on the doorstep of his cabin that night, with the suet, and the feeder she’d made him from a branch of a fallen tree near his childhood home in Wales.
Because it made him sentimental, he cleared his throat, drank the wine. “I’m told there is a game of cards in the room below?”
“Poker?” Katie angled her head to study him. “You play poker?”
“I’ve lived a very long time.” He smiled, gave them a slight bow, and went downstairs.
Duncan and Fallon sat on the steps where they could look down at the movement, hear the voices and music. They drank wine, shared a plate.
Simon paused at the base, then climbed up. “Why aren’t you dancing with my daughter?”
“Well, we were—”
“I thought you were playing poker,” Fallon interrupted.
“I was until Mallick came along and cleaned me out. Cleaned most of us out.” He looked down to where Hannah mimed emptying out her pockets before plopping down beside Fred.
“Dad, he’s a centuries-old sorcerer.”
“And a cardsharp. Come dance with your old man.”
“I don’t see an old man, but I’ll dance with you.” She passed her wine to Duncan, took Simon’s hand.
“I just wanted a minute.” He pressed his cheek to her hair. “It’s getting close to midnight. New year, new changes.”
“I’ll visit so often you’ll get sick of me.” She smiled.
“Couldn’t happen. I want this for you, this life. Even that boy up there. He probably loves you almost as much as I do.”
“There’s still work to do. I’ll depend on you for so much.”
“Don’t think about work tonight. Be happy.” He gestured to Duncan, waited, then gave Fallon’s hand a squeeze before he put it in Duncan’s. “Dance with the girl,” he ordered, and stepped back.
“I’m crap at dancing.”
“Just hold me and sway.”
“I can do that.”
“This is good. It’s good for everyone. Tonia’s back all the way, and she’s having fun.”
“Yeah, she’s— Who is that?”
“That’s Filo. He was one of Mick’s friends, and helped take The Beach.”
“Well, now he’s hitting on my sister.”
“She’s hitting right back.” Deliberately, Fallon turned his head so they were face-to-face. “I’m hitting on you, so pay attention.”
“I just want to—”
Tonia danced by, pinched Duncan’s arm. “Mind your own business. He’s gorgeous!” she told Fallon. “And he thinks I’m amazing. And he’s transferring to the barracks.”
“What—” Duncan began when she danced away again.
“Do you have a problem with elves?”
“Only when they’re hitting on my sister. And who’s that guy who just muscled in on Hannah?”
“I love you, Duncan.”
“I just don’t think—” He looked back at Fallon and fell, just fell. “And I love you.”
“It’s nearly midnight. I’ll end the year with you, begin the new with you. And I promise myself to you all the years after.”
“With you.” He kissed her hand. “The end, the beginning, and all the years after.”
“It’s ticking by. Do you feel it?”
“Yeah. With you.”
People began to count down, a unity of voices lifted in hope for the year to come.
He pulled her into a kiss that held as the old year died and the new was born.
And with the kiss, like the kiss, the light shimmered, settled, held.
ALSO BY NORA ROBERTS
Hot Ice
Sacred Sins
Brazen Virtue
Sweet Revenge
Public Secrets
Genuine Lies
Carnal Innocence
Divine Evil
Honest Illusions
Private Scandals
Hidden Riches
True Betrayals
Montana Sky
Sanctuary
Homeport
The Reef
River’s End
Carolina Moon
The Villa
Midnight Bayou
Three Fates
Birthright
Northern Lights
Blue Smoke
Angels Fall
High Noon
Tribute
Black Hills
The Search
Chasing Fire
The Witness
Whiskey Beach
The Collector
Tonight and Always
The Obsession
Come Sundown
Shelter in Place
Under Currents
SERIES
Irish Born Trilogy
BORN IN FIRE
BORN IN ICE
BORN IN SHAME
Dream Trilogy
DARING TO DREAM
HOLDING THE DREAM
FINDING THE DREAM
Chesapeake Bay Saga
SEA SWEPT
RISING TIDES
INNER HARBOR
CHESAPEAKE BLUE
Gallaghers of Ard
more Trilogy
JEWELS OF THE SUN
TEARS OF THE MOON
HEART OF THE SEA
Three Sisters Island Trilogy
DANCE UPON THE AIR
HEAVEN AND EARTH
FACE THE FIRE
Key Trilogy
KEY OF LIGHT
KEY OF KNOWLEDGE
KEY OF VALOR
In the Garden Trilogy
BLUE DAHLIA
BLACK ROSE
RED LILY
Circle Trilogy
MORRIGAN’S CROSS
DANCE OF THE GODS
VALLEY OF SILENCE
Sign of Seven Trilogy
BLOOD BROTHERS
THE HOLLOW
THE PAGAN STONE
Bride Quartet
VISION IN WHITE
BED OF ROSES
SAVOR THE MOMENT
HAPPY EVER AFTER
The Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy
THE NEXT ALWAYS
THE LAST BOYFRIEND
THE PERFECT HOPE
The Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy
DARK WITCH
SHADOW SPELL
BLOOD MAGICK
The Guardians Trilogy
STARS OF FORTUNE
BAY OF SIGHS
ISLAND OF GLASS
Chronicles of The One
YEAR ONE
OF BLOOD AND BONE
THE RISE OF MAGICKS
EBOOKS BY NORA ROBERTS
Cordina’s Royal Family
AFFAIRE ROYALE
COMMAND PERFORMANCE
THE PLAYBOY PRINCE
CORDINA’S CROWN JEWEL
The Donovan Legacy
CAPTIVATED
ENTRANCED
CHARMED
ENCHANTED
The O’Hurleys
THE LAST HONEST WOMAN
DANCE TO THE PIPER
SKIN DEEP
WITHOUT A TRACE
Night Tales
NIGHT SHIFT
NIGHT SHADOW
NIGHTSHADE
NIGHT SMOKE
NIGHT SHIELD
The MacGregors
THE WINNING HAND
THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR
ALL THE POSSIBILITIES
ONE MAN’S ART
TEMPTING FATE
PLAYING THE ODDS
THE MACGREGOR BRIDES
THE MACGREGOR GROOMS
REBELLION/IN FROM THE COLD
FOR NOW, FOREVER
The Calhouns
SUZANNA’S SURRENDER
MEGAN’S MATE
COURTING CATHERINE
A MAN FOR AMANDA
FOR THE LOVE OF LILAH
Irish Legacy
IRISH ROSE
IRISH REBEL
IRISH THOROUGHBRED
BEST LAID PLANS
LOVING JACK
LAWLESS
SUMMER LOVE
BOUNDARY LINES
DUAL IMAGE
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
THE LAW IS A LADY
LOCAL HERO
THIS MAGIC MOMENT
THE NAME OF THE GAME
PARTNERS
TEMPTATION
THE WELCOMING
OPPOSITES ATTRACT
TIME WAS
TIMES CHANGE
GABRIEL’S ANGEL
HOLIDAY WISHES
THE HEART’S VICTORY
THE RIGHT PATH
RULES OF THE GAME
SEARCH FOR LOVE
BLITHE IMAGES
FROM THIS DAY
SONG OF THE WEST
ISLAND OF FLOWERS
HER MOTHER’S KEEPER
UNTAMED
SULLIVAN’S WOMAN
LESS OF A STRANGER
REFLECTIONS
DANCE OF DREAMS
STORM WARNING
ONCE MORE WITH FEELING
ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS
A MATTER OF CHOICE
NORA ROBERTS & J. D. ROBB
REMEMBER WHEN
J. D. ROBB
NAKED IN DEATH
GLORY IN DEATH
IMMORTAL IN DEATH
RAPTURE IN DEATH
CEREMONY IN DEATH
VENGEANCE IN DEATH
HOLIDAY IN DEATH
CONSPIRACY IN DEATH
LOYALTY IN DEATH
WITNESS IN DEATH
JUDGMENT IN DEATH
BETRAYAL IN DEATH
SEDUCTION IN DEATH
REUNION IN DEATH
PURITY IN DEATH
PORTRAIT IN DEATH
IMITATION IN DEATH
DIVIDED IN DEATH
VISIONS IN DEATH
SURVIVOR IN DEATH
ORIGIN IN DEATH
MEMORY IN DEATH
BORN IN DEATH
INNOCENT IN DEATH
CREATION IN DEATH
STRANGERS IN DEATH
SALVATION IN DEATH
PROMISES IN DEATH
KINDRED IN DEATH
FANTASY IN DEATH
INDULGENCE IN DEATH
TREACHERY IN DEATH
NEW YORK TO DALLAS
CELEBRITY IN DEATH
DELUSION IN DEATH
CALCULATED IN DEATH
THANKLESS IN DEATH
CONCEALED IN DEATH
FESTIVE IN DEATH
OBSESSION IN DEATH
DEVOTED IN DEATH
BROTHERHOOD IN DEATH
APPRENTICE IN DEATH
ECHOES IN DEATH
SECRETS IN DEATH
DARK IN DEATH
LEVERAGE IN DEATH
CONNECTIONS IN DEATH
VENDETTA IN DEATH
ANTHOLOGIES
FROM THE HEART
A LITTLE MAGIC
A LITTLE FATE
MOON SHADOWS
(with Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Marianne Willman)
The Once Upon Series
(with Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Marianne Willman)
ONCE UPON A CASTLE
ONCE UPON A STAR
ONCE UPON A DREAM
ONCE UPON A ROSE
ONCE UPON A KISS
ONCE UPON A MIDNIGHT
SILENT NIGHT
(with Susan Plunkett, Dee Holmes, and Claire Cross)
OUT OF THIS WORLD
(with Laurell K. Hamilton, Susan Krinard, and Maggie Shayne)
BUMP IN THE NIGHT
(with Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)
DEAD OF NIGHT
(with Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)
THREE IN DEATH
SUITE 606
(with Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)
IN DEATH
THE LOST
(with Patricia Gaffney, Mary Blayney, and Ruth Ryan Langan)
THE OTHER SIDE
(with Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)
TIME OF DEATH
THE UNQUIET
(with Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)
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ALSO AVAILABLE…
THE OFFICIAL NORA ROBERTS COMPANION
(edited by Denise Little and Laura Hayden)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than two hundred novels, including Under Currents, Year One, Shelter in Place, Of Blood and Bone, and many more. She is also the author of the bestselling In Death series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Freedom
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Purpose
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Battle and Blood
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Faith
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Light for Life
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilogue
Also by Nora Roberts
About the Author
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.
First published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
THE RISE OF MAGICKS. Copyright © 2019 by Nora Roberts. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Ervin Serrano
Cover photographs of background © Dmitriy Ruslavenko/Shutterstock.com; texture ©iStock/LoudRedCreative; symbol © artdock/Shutterstock.com; flames © iStock/Eduard Muzhevskyi; shield texture © iStock/Nastasic; shield © Peyker/Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Roberts, Nora, author.
Title: The rise of magicks / Nora Roberts.
Description: First edition. | New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2019. | Series: Chronicles of the one; 3
Identifiers: LCCN 2019024266 | ISBN 9781250123039 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250258090 (international) | ISBN 9781250123060 (ebook)
Subjects: GSAFD: Fantasy fiction. | Science fiction. | Dystopias.
Classification: LCC PS3568.0243 R56 2019 | DDC 813/.54—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019024266