<title>Under His Spell

Skye Logan would rather be killed herself than kill another living thing. But kill she must in order to save her sister, Emily, from the evil witch Sabrina. This would not be an easy task as her victim was none other than Rane Hanson, a powerful wizard of the Assembly. Skye trained for six months with her sister witches to ensure she could finish the job.

What Skye finds is that training to kill a wizard and actually being able to do it are two entirely different things. Once inside Rane's house on Earth, Skye is caught by the wizard and he refuses to let her go until he finds out why she is trying kill him and who sent her. Rane also realizes the moment he sees her that she is the woman he is meant to bond with. In his mind, ever letting her go is an impossibility.

Not wanting to do anything that will endanger her sister, Skye remains quiet about why she is there to kill Rane. He finally takes her back to Mystique - the home of the wizards of the Assembly. No one at Mystique is happy that Sky is there. Wizards and witches have never had good relations, and it is forbidden by wizard law for a wizard to take a witch as a mate. But then Rane had spent his whole life bending and breaking rules. He had no intention of changing now.

Over time, Rane learns that Skye is the future Queen of the Covens and that she had been born on Ostara, an event that comes every thirty years, and is the day when light masters dark. On Skye's thirtieth birthday (which is quickly approaching) she will ascend as the Queen of the Covens and bring peace between all covens of witches. Then witches could become known as women of strength and beauty and not power hungry destructive beings - like Sabrina.

Additionally, even though she does not wish to admit it, Skye finds herself falling in love with Rane. With the begrudging help of the Assembly, the two lovers work together to get Emily back safely and fulfill Skye's destiny as Queen of the Covens.

For me, this is the third time that I have been treated to the wizards of the Assembly. (The others being Indigo Spell and Timeless Spell) Rachel Carrington has built a world that is intriguing no matter what story is being told. All the characters are vibrant and real, in that they have their personal conflicts and convictions, as we all do. The love story between Rane and Skye is priceless. One lover just accepts the fact they are to be together, while the other has to "take the long road home," so to speak. If you have read Rachel Carrington's books before, you should read this one too. If you have never read a book about the exploits of the Assembly before, this one would be a good place to start.

Reviewed by: Kathy