We finally corralled Derek Stormwind for an interview (it’s hard to resist the island retreat!). Not only did the MOB pose some intriguing questions to him, he also answered all the ones asked during the forum contest (between saving the world and taking care of Ruby, of course). Hope you enjoy this visit with Derek!

* * * * *

On Isle Eden, tropical salt air and sand stirred with a sort of inexplicable magic. The variant blues of the ocean surrounding the island home of the JWH headquarters seemed more tranquil than normal and the shimmering veil of security that masked the area spoke volumes. While the signs remained concealed to most, the MOB knew better and immediately identified their guest…Derek Stormwind.

Kat’s eyes bugged, her hands fisted on her hips. “Are you freaking kidding me? I’ve been awaiting that sexy sorcerer’s reply to our invitation for months!”

Sandy giggled, checking her makeup in a nearby mirror. “Well, I guess we can consider this an RSVP.”

Startled, Jaime reached for the vibrating cell phone in her pocket. A smile stretched her lips, then she looked at her MOB counterparts. “Alright, ladies. According to the pool staff, Derek is patiently waiting for us to make an appearance. Are we ready?”

With agreeable nods, the three women headed out the door to meet with the elusive sorcerer. As they headed out of the building, their pace quickened, until they were rushing as fast as four-inch stilettos allowed. They didn’t slow until right before reaching the pool area. Kat caught the silhouette of a cowboy hat. “Oh my God. There he is,” she said, catching her breath.

Sandy tapped on her earpiece, communicating with the waitstaff. “We’ll need refreshments immediately. Please see that Mr. Stormwind’s wishes are handled promptly.”

“We’re going to need these.” Jaime, prepared as always, handed clipboards to each of them, containing questions for their guest.

As they moved around the pool, Derek Stormwind rose from a lounge chair, his gaze sweeping the three of them. He wore belted jeans and T-shirt, and what they suspected were his trademark dragonskin boots. He’d laid a duster and a staff engraved with symbols on a nearby lounge chair. The end of the staff was a carved dragon claw. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Sandy couldn’t decide if the sparkle in Derek’s eyes hinted at danger or mischief. Possibly both.

Towering considerably over the ladies as they approached, Derek removed his hat. “Ladies.”

“On behalf of the Femme Fatales of Atlantis, welcome to Isle Eden, Mr. Stormwind.” Jaime extended her hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” He nodded courteously to Kat. “My apologies for just dropping in like this. Don’t know if you all realize it, but this island’s pretty close to Atlantis. At least right now. It tends to move around. I had some business with the folks there, so figured I’d stop here afterward and see if now was a good time to talk. I would have called sooner, but I’ve been catching up on some loose ends before I turn things over to another Guardian while I’m on leave. I kept meaning to have Ruby call you…”

Kat grinned. “You need a secretary. I expect we could find a lot of Femmes applying for that job if ever you want to give it some thought.”

“Though Ruby might object to their idea of a to-do list,” Sandy murmured to Jaime, with a chuckle.

“We’re glad to have you here now,” Kat continued. “No time like the present. Shall we begin? “

* * * * *

Who is Derek Stormwind, the sorcerer? The lover?

“Well, I can answer the first one, but I had to consult with Ruby for the other. I figured no one could answer that one better, even though I figured I’d have to brace myself for whatever she said.” He winks. “On the first, I’m a Light Guardian, and I don’t say that the way someone says they’re a plumber or an accountant. You are a Light Guardian – the forces of Light run through your blood and magic, and guide everything you do, as if you have the laws governing them engraved on your soul. The initiation to the ranks of Light Guardians feels like that. I was raised to be a sorcerer from a young age. When I was six, my mother turned me over to an order of magic users. They’re a cross between what you might think of as Druids and an order of Catholic monks. Scary on all levels. However, their mission is the early training of those born with magical aptitude and deciding which of those have the proper makeup to become Light Guardians.

“Some of that determination has to do with how you handle magic, your essential character, but their belief is that the soul of a Light Guardian is either there or not from day one. I can’t argue with that, because when my mind was opened to those mysteries, it wasn’t so much like a voyage of discovery as it was a coming home. I never had any doubt, resentments or interest in going a different direction.

“As far as the lover, I could say the same thing. Since I met her, I knew Ruby would be the woman for me. She says that I’m stubborn and overbearing.” He gets a warm look on his face, obviously recalling more of the conversation. “She was also kind enough to say that I’m loyal, protective, trustworthy and everything a woman needs from a lover. Before I could get too puffed up, though, she also said that since I’m a man and therefore possessed of the attention span of a squirrel, my rating in that department could drop any day.” He shakes his head. “That woman is as mean as a rattlesnake. All that aside, it meant a lot to me that she feels that way. Being the lover she needs is every bit as important as my service as a Light Guardian. Microcosms are macrocosms. How I serve her, one person, reflects how I serve the world, and I don’t want to be found wanting on either side of that glass. However, if I have to fail, I pray she’s not the one I let down.”

Can you describe in three words how Ruby makes you feel? If Ruby was asked the same question what would you think she would say?

“When I first read the question, I read it as three words she’d use to describe me. For that, I think we covered stubborn and overbearing.” He grins. “She’d also add neat-freak, since I prefer things tidy. When I straighten hand towels in the bathroom, she talks about this movie Sleeping with the Enemy. I’ll have to ask Raina if she has that movie so we can watch it one night.

“However, as far as the actual question, how Ruby makes me feel, the only words you can use for a question like that are the universal ones a man feels when he’s loved by a woman like Ruby. She makes me feel balanced. Everything in my world steadies, knowing I’m connected to her. Happy’s another good word. It’s a powerful one, because most people think of themselves as content or doin’ all right if things are going well, but this sense in your heart that you just can’t think of a way for things to be better—that’s happiness.

“Not sure if I could answer the question for Ruby, but she seems happy and balanced around me as well…when she’s not fussing at me the way she can do. But even during that, there’s a sparkle to her eyes, a little smile on her lips, like it’s all part of it. I think the third word that works for both of us is home. We’re home for each other. Home isn’t always easy or quiet, but it’s your sure place in the world.”

What do you fear, if anything at all?

“An easy question to answer, though the thought of it’s not easy at all. I fear what every man fears. Not keeping my family safe and happy. It’s the one thing I will sacrifice the universe to do, if necessary, so I suggest the universe not test my loyalty.” His eyes reflect a dangerous gleam.

So far what would you say is the most important lesson you think you've learned?

There’s a balance between what we owe the world and what we owe those we love. It’s not a matter of selfishness when I make those choices, because it’s how I straddle that line which lets me honor the Light. Love of family, love of others, they’re both important, but you have to know when one takes precedence over the other.

“The second most important lesson I learned came from Ruby using Soul Magic on me without my knowledge. Never underestimate a witch, and particularly not that one. Whenever she says in a sugar-sweet voice, ‘if you love me, you’d trust me’, I tell her it’s because I love her that I don’t trust her.” He winks. “Women can be delightfully deceptive. Anticipating their twists and turns is like my magical training. Both keep my reflexes sharp.

What is your favorite magic to work and why?

“Dream magic. Angels can do it with just a touch, but I had to train for it. However, once I mastered the skill, it became my favorite magic to use. You can offer it to frightened children, an older person afraid of death, or any person who simply needs a few hours to recharge, to believe in herself or himself again. When they’re touched with dream magic, whatever their fondest dream is, it happens while they sleep. Sometimes it’s reuniting with a loved one, being assured they’re happy and at peace…sometimes they’re a knight slaying a dragon…sometimes they’re just walking in a meadow or lying in a boat, staring up at the blue sky as they rock onward on a gentle current.

“Those kind of dreams reassure the soul there’s a still, perfect place in the world, and if you can find it in dreams, you can believe in it when you wake up. You can’t use it on the same person more than once over a certain period of time, because it would be like the mirror in that Harry Potter story, where someone can get lost in their dreams and never live their lives. However, if you keep your hand on them while they dream, you can share the dream with them as a silent participant. It’s like watching a movie, because you don’t know what the dream is until you exercise the magic on them.”

What's the most challenging part of trying to balance your job and your relationship with Ruby? And why the hell did it take you so long to find her?

“Well, I found her when she was still a child, so any earlier and I would have caught her as she dropped out of her mother.” Derek laughs. “But I expect you’re meaning why didn’t I locate her soul earlier, in previous lives. I surely would have loved that, darlin’, but that’s the promise and curse of how the cycles work. Everything happens when it should happen, if you let it. Sounds like New Age bullshit, but it’s actually ancient bullshit. It cuts across so many religions it gets as tedious as a wife’s nagging. Not that I’m familiar with that experience.” He winks. “Anyhow, Ruby had to have some previous lives to become the woman who would love someone like me, so if I’d met her earlier, it might have gone an entirely different way. Based on that,” he flashes a smile, “I was glad to wait for her. It’s like that song says, ‘I’d wait a thousand years for you.’ In my case, I did. I occasionally try to use that in an argument with her, to soften her up, but I’ve learned there’s really only a couple ways to soften up that woman during an argument. One of the ways is graciously losing to her. The other is making her forget we were arguing at all. I can say from experience the second way is a lot more fun, for both of us.

“Being away from her is the most difficult thing about my job. This might seem to contradict what I just said about everything happening when it should happen, but if you think it through, it doesn’t. Now that the relationship has come together, I want to be with her every second. Mortals often believe that if you can live forever, time still isn’t short. Life isn’t measured in minutes, but in moments, experiences, and those are never long enough. I’m also very aware of how short her mortal lifespan is, which means every moment I’m away from her is a minute of her life I’ve lost the opportunity to share. I thought about taking the next eighty or so years off, but she told me in that sassy way of hers that I don’t have that much vacation saved up and, by the way, she has her own life. She doesn’t need me underfoot all the time, trying to run her life and boss her around.”

He sighs, rolls his eyes. “Like that’s possible. Her head is hard as a mule’s.” Then he sobers. “But I know a lot of it is show. Raina’s told me that when I’m gone, it’s just as hard on my witch. The good thing is, now that she’s pregnant, I don’t have to go anywhere for awhile. I do have enough vacation to cover the next decade, and I’m taking it. Given what happened during her last pregnancy, a threat to the world itself wouldn’t move me from her side. Besides which, I’ve been through a few of those, and usually it’s media hype. Angels can be a little melodramatic sometimes.”

Derek smiles a little. “My witch has a precocious side, in how she deals with things, and it helps us both.” Digging into his jeans pocket, he produces a phone that looks like a small brick. “Before she got pregnant, she found me a very low tech phone, one my magic doesn’t fuck up. She calls it the dumbest dumb phone on the market, the cell version of the rotary dial phone, so we can stay in contact. Unless I’m in the Fae world, or off planet or… you get the general idea. I offered to set up a cell tower in the Fae world, and Lady Rhoswen, Queen of the Unseelie, was less than enthused. In fact, she said she’d crucify me on the first one erected in her world. The King of the Seelie was a little more diplomatic, but not by much. Not big on technology, the Fae.”

“Once our children are raised, Ruby will be able to accompany me again.” A slight frown crosses his brow. “That’s probably the second most challenging thing about balancing my job. Learning to focus with her in harm’s way, even as capable as she is. She says I need to just do my thing, treat me the same way I would if it was Mikhael fighting next to me.” He shakes his head. “I pointed out that I’m usually happy to throw Mikhael under a bus, and I’ve never had that urge with her. Just a constant urge to bend her over my knee and spank her.” He lifts a brow. “Also an urge I’ve never had with Mikhael, thank the gods. Long and short…I’m going to treasure the next ten years of my vacation with my family.”

We all know you felt a bit betrayed when Mikhael volunteered to be the Dark Guardian from your class. Have you ever wondered what would have happened if he didn't and you were the one chosen to be the Dark Guardian? I know with your sense of honor you would have done the job and done it well. But I think it would have changed you and the person you have become.

Derek shifts, puts his booted ankle on his opposite knee and stretches his arm across the empty lounge chair next to him. “I’ve given that quite a bit of thought. A lot more lately, since Mikhael and I have reached an understanding of sorts, when we fought together on Raina’s behalf. He said he was the right person for the job, and I can see he willingly embraced it, that it called to something in him, the same way the Light called to me. My mission is about balancing Light and Dark, and understanding those called to one side versus the other, so I can’t deny the truth right before my eyes. He was right – though if you tell him I said so, I’ll deny it, or turn you into a toad.” His eyes gleam. “A pretty toad, but an amphibian, nonetheless.”

“Anyhow, I thought I needed to save him, and it wasn’t that kind of situation. If it had been me in his shoes, having to become the Dark Guardian…I wouldn’t have felt the same as he did about it. Perhaps I would have reached a surface understanding of the role of Darkness, but--your kind words appreciated— I would have done a piss-poor job in comparison to him.” He states it bluntly, lifting a shoulder. “For me it would have been about obliterating evil, not balancing it. Good or bad, Mikhael understands dark forces, how to work with them, and he sees it as a necessary partnership with the Light, not a battle. So, long story short, it would have been the wrong course, the antithesis of what my destiny was, and that usually doesn’t turn out well for anyone.”

How do you see your relationship with Mikhael progressing now that he has settled down with your wife's best friend? Also, how long are you on leave for and do you have plans to go back to full time once your children are grown?

Derek snorts. “Raina hosts this monthly dinner at her place and Ruby makes me go. The sex demons dress up and play waitstaff and that voodoo queen cook of Raina’s makes dinner. We play cards or watch a movie afterward. It’s insanely domestic and normal, and of course Mikhael and I have bonded in mutual disgust over it.” He grins. “Sometimes when we get a little carried away with making fun of the movie, Raina unleashes that sharp tongue of hers, which Mikhael appreciates for some God-knows-why reason. Of course Ruby gets all exasperated with us as well, and that never fails to stir me up. After the movie, we play games. I admit I’m actually getting quite fond of dirty word Pictionary.

“As far as the work, Mikhael and I connect far more often on assignments now, as if the powers-that-be are taking advantage of our new understanding of one another. I don’t think it will ever be an easy friendship, but I wouldn’t call my relationship with Ruby an easy one, and I’ve found those are the ones that usually turn out to be the most valuable. He gets in my face about things, I get right back in his, and we still watch each other’s back when it counts.” An amused look crosses his face. “Our latest joint project—and probably one of the most difficult assignments we’ve ever undertaken— is trying to get the girls to play naked Twister after our monthly dinner. The sex demons are always willing to do that, of course, but it’s not the same.

“As far as going back to work, at the moment the plan is I’ll return to my Guardian responsibilities once both our children turn ten. We’ve discussed having a second one, about two years after the first. When they’re in college, Ruby will join me again. In the meantime, she’ll keep in practice by advising covens and teaching magical practice, as well as training with me when I’m home.”

I know that in the past you have helped Lady Lyssa, Lord Mason and Mal concerning some special “projects” they needed. I was just wondering a.) If you could elaborate on these projects. What is was like to work with some of the most powerful vampires? What issues, difficulties, rewards each project presented? b.) If you have worked with any other vampires, or plan to aid any others in the future?

Derek’s lips twist wryly. “The first obstacle is establishing pecking order. Vampires are innately hierarchical. Like dogs, they’re figuring out your place, above or below them, from the second you enter their vicinity. Being an immortal human, I don’t fit their definition and, since they only respect strength, I have to prove I can kick their asses. Usually transformation takes care of that. Lord Mason was the most difficult, because he was already enraged at the world when we met, but once I turned him into a toy poodle for the evening, he got it through his head I could be an asset. Even then, he bit me twice. I still have the scar.”

He sobered then. “Though he was able to put his rage and grief aside in the end, at that time it greatly influenced his actions. I didn’t want him to stumble onto a magic user who might take him in a much worse direction.” A look of regret crossed his face. “I’m still not certain teaching him how to preserve his first love that way was the right path, but he’d been deeply wronged by a wizard who should have known better. I felt the balance was needed. Because it brought another true love to his life, and helped him lay his grief to rest, I expect it ended up being the right path in the end. Or the beginning, depending on how you look at it.

“Mal was easier. He’s a more egalitarian sort, being a made vampire, and I enjoyed working with him from beginning to end. He has such a keen mind, and his roots in Native American tradition are so much stronger than he realizes. Every person carries the magic of his culture in his blood, whether they realize it or not, and each culture has a unique brand of magical practice. For Mal, it was a connection to shamanic practices that worked perfectly for the sanctuary he was trying to provide for his cats. I still stop by there every once in awhile to tweak the magic, so I’ve had the chance to see him grow into his role as a vampire and man. There was a lot of boy to him when we met, but since then he’s had a child with his human servant and become a respected member of the vampire community, afforded Lady Lyssa’s protection.”

His eyes sparked with humor. “Lady Lyssa. Now there’s a vampire who’s entirely unclassifiable. She was a child the first time we met, but even then you could see the powerful soul in those jade eyes. Serious and royal as the Queen of England, she put her hand in mine and thanked me for my assistance. When I met her a century or so later…” He frowned. “I could have that wrong. The years sometimes merge together. Anyhow, she was still a young vampire, but an adult nevertheless. She was looking for a knight she’d met during one of the Crusades, and I sent her to a monk I knew who’d chronicled the battle history for that particular period. Later I heard he became her servant. While on its face, that would seem an unexpected turn of events, I’ve learned never to predict anything about Lady Lyssa. She’s evolved into a formidable part of the Fae world, which tells me our paths will likely cross again. Not sure if that’s going to be a good or bad thing, but it’s not going to be dull.” He chuckles. “I wasn’t at all surprised to hear she and Queen Rhoswen are half-sisters. Out of all the vampires I’ve met, Lyssa tends to be the one I handle most carefully. I’m not so sure she couldn’t turn me into a poodle.

“As far as future vampires, I’ve assisted a lot of species during my lifetime as a Guardian. Some are assignments directly from my Order, others are simply situations the Light directs into my path, telling me my involvement is needed. So, if any circumstances arise or assigned relating to vampires, I will of course aid where needed. However, at the moment, no specific needs are out there. I keep my finger on the pulse of what’s happening with the Vampire Council, though, since it handles government and direction of the entire vampire world, and that can of course affect the balance of light and dark. Especially now that they have a Fae liaison as well.

Where did you first meet Lord Mason ?

As noted above, there are times the Light crosses my path with someone who needs me. Lord Mason was seeking a magic that can easily be turned to dark purpose, a magic equally capable of preserving or resurrecting the dead. He came to a den of black magic in Baghdad, fully intending to find that possibility. I just so happened to be there, dispatching the wizard he was seeking. Nothing like that is a coincidence. He was of course angry with me for thwarting his plan and, not knowing the nature of that wizard, he attacked me. Which was when the poodle incident happened, since I couldn’t get him to sit down and talk to me about his intentions. Once he settled down on that, I transformed him back and we shared a drink, and he explained what he was seeking. Grudgingly, but he recognized I was his best way to get what he wanted.

“It was hard to work with him, because a man with a broken heart is a painful thing, and I didn’t have the empathy I have now.” A shadow crosses his face. “Even with all my knowledge of cycles of Light and Dark, I don’t know what I would do if I lost Ruby the way he lost his love. Given what my capabilities are, it’s likely best I never know. It’s one of the reasons it’s normally not encouraged, the kind of bond I’ve made with Ruby. But the Light doesn’t discourage it, either. The Order can hardly allow us to turn away from something as powerful as the love between soulmates. That in itself would be against nature and the essential power behind the Light.

Derek, out of your entire life span, could you compare Ruby to any of your past loves? What was the young Derek Stormwind like with a woman?

“I’m not sure a wise man ever answers such a question.” He grins. “But hopefully my witch will be magnanimous with me—far more than I am when it comes to her and other men, I admit. Before I met Ruby as a child, I had opportunities to fall in love, and I did so. It’s one of the great gifts of the Light, the ability to bond with others. None ever drove me with the strength of purpose as Ruby did, but I had relationships that lasted a few years or more. A professor in Tibet, an Amazon warrior, a widow in South Dakota during the 1800s… I stayed with her quite a while.

As a young man, I made the mistakes you’d expect, both physically and emotionally. I learned fixing the latter is far more difficult than the former, though with a woman they can be very closely intertwined. The Light gives you a great deal of understanding of the workings of the soul, but I’m not sure any magic in the world can map a woman’s heart. It can catch a man off guard, at any age. You know that saying, “the more you think you know, the less you actually do”? I was fortunate that I’d learned the truth of that early on. It made me open to a lot of guidance from women, learning how they think and feel, what they want and need. It’s a moving target, but you learn to key into their instincts. It’s like learning a language, the rhythm of it. Most of them remained my friends even after they stopped being lovers, so I expect I didn’t mess up too badly. Ruby is the first who knew what I was, my immortality, so after a time I had to disappear from their lives, and that was often difficult. I still check up on their descendants.”

Do you and the Angels work together, or do you work for them? Do your assignments come from them or directly for "The Lady"?

“The Light Guardians have an Order, which you might think of as a conduit to Light, like an oracle. It resides in an interdimensional place we visit to receive our more complex assignments, debrief, and take advantage of reference material there when needed—think of it as an occult form of Alexandria Library. The older Guardians serve as an informal Council when things require interpretation. My path has crossed the angels from time to time, but they are really a level above Guardians, a more direct line to the Lady, and they have different purposes. For instance, the Dark Legion fights forces of darkness that might be beyond my purview or understanding, and they leave the things I handle to me. It’s a hierarchy of sorts, only we’re not directly connected to one another. Like different branches of the armed service.”

What was it about Ruby that made you fall in love with her?

“It’s like describing the symptoms rather than the state itself. I could point to her nature, her looks, something she said that first made me smile, but it is remarkably same for so many of us. It may not happen in the first second, but there is this key moment when a person is around another and suddenly something clicks. You realize, yes, that is the person, and they feel it too, an indescribable synergy. It can be powerful or quiet, and often it’s quiet, a momentous revelation that happens nevertheless between one breath and the next. You might be doing something as innocuous as passing a plate across the table, or glancing at her when she’s reading. There are probably a million people with her acerbic wit, her lovely features, her generous heart, but the shape and form of their soul doesn’t fit with mine. Hers does.”

Have you and Ruby discussed baby names? If so, which are your favorites (top male/top female) and why? (Boardroom Fan)

Raina has suggested Roman or Michael, to give Mikhael his due for protecting Ruby during my “long-ass and totally inexcusable” absence. Like most things that concern Raina, I am ignoring her. Oddly, there are days I lean toward Jeremiah, and it’s a very strong compulsion, as if the soul has carried that name before. I could research it and find out more, but in the arcane world, that’s kind of like finding out it’s a girl or boy before it’s born. As magic users, Ruby and I already know the gender, so we’d like the rest to be a surprise. I think Ruby is a little relieved it’s going to be a boy, because I think another little girl might have been too painful to have as her very next child. I’ve nixed anything like Derek Junior, and fortunately Ruby agrees. That’s never made a lot of sense to me. He already carries my blood; he deserves his own name.

Are you ever going to fully trust Mikhael around Ruby without you present again? I mean he is one hot piece of ass so I understand if you said no.

Derek arches a brow, his tone deceptively dry. “I have no worries on that score. Primarily because if such a thought crossed his mind, anything I could do to him, Raina would make pale in comparison. I wouldn’t ever underestimate that woman’s capacity for vengeance.” Then he sobers. “I honestly have no concerns on that. For one thing, I know Ruby’s heart and she knows mine. She turned to Mikhael at a difficult time and, if I’m going to be fair, he saved her life. In a very distasteful, unorthodox way, but I cannot deny he saved it. And his purpose was to save it. I think he has a special bond with her, but it is one that brings me comfort now, because he would be as quick to defend her wellbeing as he would Raina’s. And that’s the other thing. Mikhael is wholly in love with Raina, Goddess help him. There will be no other for him.”

Don't you ever get discouraged that your work is never ending? The more things change, the more they stay the same, only with more people?

“It is one of the most difficult things to resolve in your mind, and every Guardian struggles with it. There is no amount of time that passes that can help you understand why a child is murdered, or why humans treat life as they do. Mikhael sums it up with one statement, one he told me was passed on to him by a monk years ago. ‘The essential thing to remember about humans is they are the only known species that has ever thought to put a bird in a cage.’

“Things like that can bring the spirit low. But perspective is the issue. This life is the journey of many souls. As they figure out life is sacred, and their actions in this complex life are a constant struggle to honor that, they evolve. If you simply look at the forest, the darkness will blind you to the hope, the growth of individuals. It is as the Camelot stage play says – ‘we’re all drops in a dark blue sea, but some of those drops sparkle.’ And our belief as Guardians is that eventually all those souls will sparkle. It’s toward that end we fight for, guide and protect those we can.”

Derek can you use your powers to find out if there is going to be a 3rd book and when will it be published?

Derek rolls his eyes. “There are some things that are even beyond the most powerful sorcerers, and predicting the vagary nature of publishers is one of them. They’re on the extreme end of the chaotic magic scale. Ramona might be more apt to answer the question that I will, and knowing her, she’ll answer in a riddle that will be no help at all.”

The phone he left on the brim of his hat buzzes, and he gives it a glance, picking it up to examine the text that’s come through. A slow smile curves his lips. “My witch wants to know when I’m going to have my ass home, so I guess I better get going. But if you want to text her any other questions you have, I promise I’ll have her send back my responses.” He winks. “And I’ll think about that secretary offer.”

As he rises, he brushes a kiss on each woman’s cheek, his arm briefly around their waists, his scent and heat close, a tantalizing taste of what Ruby experiences. “And thanks for that standing invitation to come back. I might take you up on it. I’m betting Ruby would love it here. You might want to stand back a bit,” he added. “The backwash magic when I “disapparate”—another Potterism, but it’s remarkably accurate—can sometimes leave you a bit dizzy.”

As the ladies stepped back, Derek waited, gaze measuring until he was sure they were safely out of the way. Then he shrugged on the coat, picked up his staff and hat. Setting the latter on his head, he gave them a nod, a sexy grin. “See you soon, ladies.”

As he disappeared from their view, a smile curved Sandy’s face. “It’s not just the magic that leaves you dizzy around that one. Day-amn. I need a drink.”