Some Like it Hexed, page 12
I stumbled over another rock, but this time instead of catching myself, I found Shade grabbing my elbows. When I looked up at him, he had one finger to his lips and then pointed over his shoulder. At the end of the hall was an arched doorway and light coming from inside. It was dim, flickering candlelight, and the shadows danced along the walls creating a series of shadows that chilled me to my core. It almost looked as if they were real spirits guarding the entrance to wherever we were going.
Shade and I moved to the doorway and peeked in, trying to keep ourselves from being seen just yet. I immediately slapped my hand over my mouth, attempting to hold back the shock when my eyes fell on at least ten of the red-eyed creatures that had taken me before, floating around the space. In the center of the cave was the cloaked woman standing in front of a pillar that held a glowing aqua stone. The energy pulsed in the stone, and I could feel it in the piece on my wrist.
A voice echoed out from the shadows, deep and dark. I immediately stood up and pressed my back to the wall, hiding out of sight. Shade looked at me inquisitively. I closed my eyes for a second, swallowing hard, not realizing I would have such a shocked reaction. But the voice belonged to only one, a being I knew to be cruel and ruthless and also a kidnapper.
The whisper escaped my lips before I could even think. "My God, it's the King Collector."
Shade quickly shifted over to my side and stood next to me, covering my mouth and holding me close as I tried to push away the fear. The magic pulsing was so heavy that it was like having a second heartbeat. My vision was getting blurrier by the second. I felt like the magic was building up inside of me but had no way out. I wasn't meant to have that. I was just a human. Inside the cave, the King Collector began to talk to the cloaked figure.
"You have the stone, but did you bring the other part?" The King Collector bellowed.
The cloaked figure nodded and reached into its pocket, pulling out a golden chain with the same knot from the book dangling from the end of it. Shade looked at me wildly. "I know that knot. That's the symbol or the crest of the fae royalty. He pointed down at my bracelet, and I finally realized where I had seen the symbols before. I would've slapped myself in the forehead if I didn't think it would've given us a way to the King Collector inside.
"Why do they need it?" I whispered.
"Because the stone will only work with the fae, and that necklace most likely has a part of the fae royalty magic line in it."
"Good," the King Collector purred. "You've done very well. It is time for the next step."
The cloaked figure set the necklace down next to the stone and reached up, slowly pulling its hood back. As soon as it revealed Willa beneath, I shook my head defiantly. My teeth clenched, and my fists balled as I stepped from behind the wall and walked toward them. "Not today, not my best friend."
I could hear Shade hissing from behind me to stop, but I wasn't going to let Willa be taken, especially since I knew for a fact it was not by her own will. As soon as the King Collector saw me, he began to laugh maniacally, the deep sounds ricocheting off the cavern walls. Willa turned toward me, too, magic flowing down her arms and twisting around her palms. She was staring at me with pure hatred.
I shook my head and ran up to her, grabbing her face in my hands. "Willa, this is not you. You're under some sort of spell. Fight it. Don't let this take you over. This is not who you are."
Shade ran up. "Callie, don't do it. That's not Willa."
My head snapped toward him, and I angrily glared. "What do you mean it's not Willa? I know my best friend. I just have to break whatever spell she's under."
Shade shook his head, but before he could speak again, Willa began to laugh, and her laughter began to change. Slowly, I looked back at her finding myself staring straight into her aunt's eyes, the former queen regent. "What the…"
I dropped my hands and took a step back, but her aunt was on me before I could get away. Her arm snapped out, and she grabbed my neck, lifting me into the air. Shade made a movement to pull his magic, but the dark-cloaked figures with red eyes swooped in, dragging him back and stifling his magic. I looked down at Willa's aunt's face, feeling her hand tighten around my neck. Her laughter began to fade, and she looked over toward the shadows.
"We've met before. Take the bracelet, dispose of the girl."
She smiled nefariously as she slowly lowered my feet back down to the ground. She released my neck, but before I could move, she grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the stone.
I shook my head. "You'll have to cut off my arm because this thing is not coming off. Trust me, I've tried. Besides, I'm not really in the mood for letting you borrow it."
She tilted her head to the side, staring at me for a moment before lifting her hands, dark violet magic spiraling up and outward. As it moved, it revealed the handle and that the blade of the sword. She lifted my arm and yanked me over, pinning it down next to stone on the pedestal. Strong straps of magic appeared, tightening down over my forearm and keeping me in place. Willa's aunt turned the sword back and forth, smiling. "I guess we'll just have to cut it off then."
"No!" Shade yelled, still fighting off the dark spirits attacking him.
I tried to move or pull away, to do anything, but the straps held me firmly in place. I looked up at Willa's aunt. "Why?"
Her aunt paused for just a moment and looked at me. "Because I'm the fae queen, and I have a right to the throne. If we possess the stone and the sister stone, we will be unstoppable."
With that, a smile moved back across her lips, and she pulled the sword back, ready to strike. I clenched my eyes shut and tensed my whole body, knowing there was no way I could get out of it. Something was telling me, cutting off my arm was only the beginning. I was going to die in there, and it wouldn't be a quick death.
23
Callie
* * *
I tried to take myself to another world without feeling the magical blade come down on my flesh.
I didn't allow my body to quake or shake in fear. I stood resolute in the finality of her swing. However, after waiting and waiting… and waiting, I finally opened one eye to see what was taking so long. Either she was ruthless, or she had changed her mind.
But it seemed that it was neither. Magic was flowing in the same color as hers from my bracelet to her sword. It was wrapped around, intertwined with her own, fighting Willa's aunt away from me. With one strong surge, it ripped the sword right out of her hand and shattered the magic bindings around my wrist. I lifted my hand and rubbed the skin, all the fear immediately leaving my body. Something was happening. It felt as if small orbs of magic began bursting all over my body. I felt strong, brave, and powerful. It was as if the magic itself was moving me. It was taking me over and protecting me.
Without much cognizance to my own movements, my arms began thrusting back and forth, sending strikes of magic straight at Willa's aunt. It looked as if the magic was exactly the same as she was using, only it seemed to overpower hers so easily. I took a step forward and then another, and another, backing Willa's aunt up into the corner as I struck her relentlessly with bolts of magic.
She gritted her teeth and looked straight at me, screaming at the top of her lungs. She waved her arms up and around and then vanished into thin air. Immediately, my magic stopped and my arms dropped. The sound of Shade fighting the red-eyed creatures turned me toward him. I put my hands up with my magic racing, wanting so badly to be released. However, before I could attack and help Shade, the King Collector called out for me.
"Wait! Why would you want to kill my creatures when it means you'll be killing one of your own?"
Confused, I turned toward the shadows. "One of my own? These red-eyed beasts are not mine."
"But that's not what I'm talking about. You wouldn't want to sacrifice your sweet friend's beloved uncle, would you?"
The shadows twisted, and Willa's uncle, Bailey, came stumbling out, falling to his knees. His hands were bound by magic, and he was gagged with it as well. He shook his head at me, but I closed my eyes, finding that the situation was exactly what I wanted to avoid.
"What do you want?"
"That's easy. I want you. I want you to join my army. I will trade you for him."
Shade protested from behind me, and Uncle Bailey grunted, shaking his head. I turned my sight from them to the dark shadows. I knew just how important Willa's uncle was to her. Even more, with the aunt gone, Willa's uncle was the only other one who could take on the role of running the kingdom. I knew that Willa did not want to be the queen regent. She would have no choice if I left her uncle there to die. I knew what it was like to lose family, people I loved who were very close to me. I couldn't be the cause of that for my best friend."
The magic pulled back into my palms, and I took another step forward. "Fine, but both he and Shade are allowed to leave here unscathed. You will not hunt them or try to find them. And the same goes for Willa."
"No, Callie, you can't trust his word. He'll betray you immediately," Shade yelled.
I knew he was right, but I also knew I couldn't make any other choice. I took a deep breath and stepped closer, putting out both of my arms. The King Collector began to chuckle deeply, letting out a satisfied sigh of victory. The dark ropes around Uncle Bailey's wrists fell away, and so did the gag in his mouth. He tried to run up to me, shaking his head.
"Don't do this. You don't need to do this."
The King Collector roared and used his magic to throw Uncle Bailey straight at Shade. As soon as he did, the shadows curled out, clamping down on both of my wrists. It burned, and my magic wailed and screamed inside of me. I had never felt anything like that before. It was as if it were entering me, killing every bit of my magic on its way. As it began to envelop me, I screamed out, falling to my knees. The bracelet was desperately trying to fight it, but it was just too much. I had made my choice, and I hoped that at least getting Willa's aunt out of the picture would open up an opportunity for the rest of them to defeat the King Collector and save the realms. If that was my contribution, my life, then I wouldn't hesitate.
The magic moved up to my elbows and began to swirl around my upper arms toward my shoulders. Suddenly, a pure bright flash of white light lit up the room so bright I couldn't see anything but the light. It was only for a moment, but it was enough to strike back against the darkness. I could feel it retreat, pulling back, hissing in recoil.
I looked over my shoulder, my vision blurry and the room slightly spinning.
Willa was standing in her dress, wearing a pair of tennis shoes, with Esmeralda and Harry behind her on either side. She shook her head. "I don't think so, boss. You crashed this party, and I think it's time for you to leave."
Willa didn't even hesitate, and neither did Esmeralda and Harry. They began to move their bodies back and forth, swinging their arms. Wild waves of magic raced out of them, speeding around the room, encircling the shadows. I had never seen Willa do full-on magic before, but the way she spun her hands and twisted her own powers was like a dance. And it was one hell of a dance, too. Within seconds the darkness moved completely away, the last bit of it retreating in fear. A calming, soothing warmth washed over me. I wasn't sure if it was the bracelet or Willa, but I appreciated it.
Willa looked over at me and gave me a grin. "Callie, Shade, get down!"
We both dropped to the ground. I pressed my cheek against the cool stone as Willa mustered an enormous moving orb of energy. She lifted it to the top of the cave, and when she had it at the perfect position, she thrust her arms outward and back, splitting the orb. Magic shot out like lightning bolts, striking everything around us. The dark shadows receded, and I could hear the King Collector screeching in anger until it finally disappeared.
Willa, Esmeralda, and Harry chased off the last of the few red-eyed creatures as I slowly picked myself up off the ground. Willa walked over to me and looked me up and down. "If you didn't want to wear a dress that bad, you could've just told me."
I stared at Willa silently for several moments, tears filling my eyes. I had never been so happy to see Willa in my life. I lunged at her and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tightly.
She leaned in and hugged me back, and I knew that whatever had happened, my best friend was back. "You run off during my ball, trade your life for my uncle’s, make sure that my realm and people who aren't even yours are safe… What am I going to do with you?"
I sniffled and pulled back, wiping the tears from my cheeks. "A nice long vacation on a private island with alcohol and pool boys is a good start."
24
Callie
* * *
The bells ringing at the fae castle echoed across the land and out to the ocean beyond.
It was a beautiful day in the fae realm, pretty much like every other day in the fae realm. The coronation of the royal member to take over during the king's absence was done, and I stood at the edge of the bluffs, looking out over the water, dreaming of home.
"This is what oceans look like when humans don't turn them into trash pits," Willa said, walking up next to me.
"Yeah, except our serial killers aren't superhuman creatures from another realm. You could totally just stab one in the eye and they die."
Willa looked out over the water. "Touché."
I took a deep breath and clapped my hands. "Are you sad to leave?"
Willa shrugged. "A little, but I'm really glad to get back to my life. And besides, we can't stay here forever, and if I'm going to find my father and the witch king, I need to be where I know we're all safe and you don't have to walk around in disguise."
"Personally, I kind of like the instant facelift, but I'm pretty sure Shade is going to kill someone if he doesn't get his long hair and black makeup back."
"I heard that," Shade yelled from a distance.
We both looked over at him, standing with Esmeralda, Harry, Bailey, and Alabaster. I put my arm around Willa and shook my head. "This was definitely more of an adventure than my time in Rome. I just don't understand what happened. I don't understand magic, and I don't know all the spells and the trickery. All I know is I saw your face, and it changed into your aunt's face, and she tried to cut off my arm."
Willa winced. "I never liked her. She wanted to be queen, she wanted power, and she thought she could do it to the King Collector. She was going to pin the whole thing on me so she could claim she did it for the kingdom when she killed me. She put a fae charm on me. It was like I was trapped in my body, and I could see some of what was going on, but I couldn't communicate, and I was basically programmed."
"Yeah, I didn't really like robot Willa. You were kind of a bitch."
"I learned from the best," she said, giggling and poking me in the side.
I rolled my eyes as we walked over toward the others. Uncle Bailey stood with his king regent shawl on and crown and put his arms out toward Willa.
She ran into them and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for looking after the realm for me. I'll never find Father if I have to be queen regent. And I think that the witch king's brother has proven to us enough loyalty on numerous occasions that is just as important to find his brother as well."
Bailey glanced over at Shade, who stood quietly, waiting for his reply. Bailey smiled. "I agree. And when all of this is said and done, and we have your father firmly back on the throne, I'm going to recommend that we end the separation between witches and fae. I know it'll be rocky, but this could be a new beginning for all of us. Then you can come to visit more often."
Willa chuckled. "And you can come to visit me, too."
I turned to Alabaster, who looked a lot better. It seemed that Willa wasn't the only one under a fae charm. As soon as her aunt was gone, Alabaster remembered everything. He had been in the library that day when she had attacked him. She had frozen his memories so he couldn't remember and had kept him injured and sick. He was better within two days after she was gone.
"Are you sure you don't want to come back to Earth?"
Alabaster laughed. "No, I think being back home is good for me. But I am thankful that I met some of my family. It's been a very long and lonely time by myself. And King Bailey has asked me to work with him and the guard. It's a fresh start for all of us."
Giving in, I leaned forward and hugged him, feeling his hesitation at first but then finding that he leaned into it and hugged me back. "I'm always here. And I'm glad that I don't have to be alone anymore, either. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon. Hopefully, we have the king with us."
"Are you ready?" Harry asked.
I turned, furrowed my brow, and put my hands on my hips. "Where exactly were the two of you the whole time?"
Esmeralda had already changed back into the older lady with wild hair and a cat sweater. "In the dungeons. We didn't even get a fae charm. We just got yanked from our beds in the middle of the night and thrown in the dungeons."
I grimaced. "I'm sorry. If I had known, I would've absolutely come to look for you."
Esmeralda waved her hands. "It's all right. I'm actually pretty glad to go back. My loyalties are with Princess Willa, and I miss my cats."
"I have to finish my novel," Harry replied.
Willa nudged Shade. "You sure you don't want to go back as a fae? I can make it happen."
"I've never been more sure about anything in my life," he said in a monotone voice.
As the portal began to open, the air was filled with laughter, and I looked back at Alabaster, who gave me a nod and a wink. I hoped that in the end, when everything was set right, I'd be able to come back to the fae realm and visit. But as I looked through the portal, seeing my living room on the other side with my cat and dog waiting for me, I had never been so happy to cross realms in my life. Sure, adventure was good for me, but I was ready for some peace and quiet.
We all stepped through the portal one at a time, with Shade the last as usual, bringing up the rear. I turned and watched the portal close, seeing Alabaster bowing to me until the wall between realms was closed.
