Night of the Magician by Stephanie James, Jayne Ann Krentz Page A

morning, okay? Ariana’s upset enough as it is.“
    Instantly Philomena was concerned again for her niece. “Ari, dear, listen to me. Krayton is quite harmless. You have no need to fear him or Fletcher Galen. They mean only the best. Don’t be alarmed, dear. Goodness, I had no idea this was going to upset you so much!“
    “I’m all right, Aunt Phil,“ Ariana managed huskily, her attention still on the darkened scenery outside the car’s window. “Really I am. I just wasn’t expecting quite what, uh, happened.“
    “I know you didn’t expect to see such an amazing display of Krayton’s abilities,“ Philomena soothed chattily.
    “And knowing your practical approach toward life, you probably thought it was all some silly old-fashioned spiritualist séance when I told you about it, didn’t you?“
    “I just wasn’t expecting what happened,“ Ariana repeated bleakly as Lucian pulled into the inn’s parking lot “What Ariana needs is a good dose of that sherry I saw sitting on the mantel in the lobby,“ Lucian announced as he assisted the two women from the car. “I take it it’s there for the guests?“
    “Oh, yes, help yourself.“ Philomena nodded quickly. “I think that’s an excellent idea. I believe I’ll have a little nip, myself.“
    Lucian seated both women in the cozy Victorian parlor and went to fetch the sherry. They had the place to themselves, since most of the inn’s guests were attending Fletcher Galen’s séance.
    “They’ll all be back fairly soon,“ Philomena explained as Lucian handed her a glass of sherry. “We have the most intensely interesting group discussions afterward.“
    “I think I’d rather give the discussion a miss if you don’t mind,“ Ariana said as she downed a large swallow of the sherry. “I’m exhausted. I think I’d like to go to bed.“
    “Of course, I quite understand,“ Philomena murmured sympathetically.
    “I’ll take her on upstairs.“ Lucian poured more sherry into Ariana’s glass and helped her to her feet “If you’ll excuse us, Phil?“
    Philomena smiled benignly. “Certainly. But don’t think this is the end of our little argument, Lucian. Fletcher Galen is not a fake!“
    He nodded. “We can discuss it in the morning.“
    “You don’t have to lead me off to bed as if I were a child,“ Ariana muttered resentfully as he steered her in the direction of the staircase.
    “Be careful that you don’t spill the sherry,“ he countered mildly, quite as if she were, indeed, a child.
    At the top of the landing she whispered warningly, “If you dare laugh at me over what happened tonight, I swear, I
    ’ll steal your magic wand!“
    “I’m not laughing at you,“ he said gently, guiding her to her door.
    Ariana took a deep breath as he thrust the key into the lock. Then she took a large swallow of the sherry. “Thank you for getting me out of there, Lucian. I’ve never been so unnerved in my whole life!“ she told him honestly.
    “I understand and you’re welcome.“ He closed the door behind them, standing with his back to it as he watched her pace restlessly across the room.
    “Well, I don’t understand! I knew it was all trickery! Who could possibly believe such drivel?“
    “Someone who wants to believe it,“ he said simply. “And there are a hell of a lot of people who get a charge out of the idea of being visited by alien beings.“
    “And yet I was the only truly frightened one in the whole room,“ Ariana whispered, shaking her head dejectedly.
    “Some people have a stronger reaction to the power of suggestion than others. You’re the kind of person who should never volunteer for a hypnosis experiment, Ariana. I’ll bet you were a lot of fun to take on a roller coaster ride or through a haunted mansion at an amusement park,“ he added with a crooked grin.
    She shuddered. “I used to hate both of those forms of entertainment!“
    “I can see why. Your head is telling you one thing and your senses another, and