A Cold Day in Spell, page 7
She glared at me as though I had something to do with her current predicament, and snapped, “I’m going to get my hair done because it looks even worse than yours does, and then I’m going to indulge in a nice mani-pedi. After that, I’m going shopping for something pretty, and then to Pastabilities where I will have a quiet lunch. Alone. Breadsticks. I am getting breadsticks.”
I missed half of what she said due to the bundle of baby cuteness that peeked out at me from underneath the fuzzy hood of a one-piece snowsuit in winter blue. Kaine giggled in what I construed as a conspiratorial manner, and raised one hand as if beckoning me to him. Of course, I complied, and after lifting him out of his stroller, found myself goggling at him while he squeezed my index finger with all his little might.
“Have fun, Auntie,” Serena threw over her shoulder as she marched out my front door.
“When will you be back?” I asked, but she’d already slammed it shut behind her. “It doesn’t matter, does it, sweet pea?” I cooed, having been completely taken in by the charismatic little beast. I looked around for the faeries, but they were nowhere to be found. Lately, they’d taken to spending more and more time outside the house, and that was just fine with me.
Salem looked like he couldn’t decide whether to take his kitty form and risk an inadvertent tail pull or run for the hills, so I gave him an easy out and asked that before he flee he heat up a bottle of the milk Serena had packed into one of Kaine’s bags. While he banged around in the kitchen, I took a seat in Gran’s old rocking chair next to the flickering Balefire and continued to make ridiculous noises and faces in an attempt to lure a grin from Kaine’s cheeks.
Instead, just as I was wondering what was so difficult about this that had Serena’s panties in a wad, he scrunched up his formerly adorable face and let out a wail that shook the whole house.
For the next hour, I bounced, jiggled, and sang the only lullaby I could remember, changed a disgustingly dirty diaper, tried unsuccessfully to get Kaine to eat (apparently rubber nipples aren’t as appetizing as the real thing)—and vowed to use birth control for the rest of my life. I also took back every bad thing I’d ever said about Serena, even while cursing her for leaving me with her satanic spawn.
Finally, I laid him in the portable playpen that was part of his luggage, and went to get a cup of tea to calm my nerves. I resisted the urge to add a little bourbon to it, and once the kettle had stopped whistling, I realized Kaine had also gone silent. With trepidation, I tiptoed back into the parlor, hoping he’d finally conked out, only to experience a mini heart attack and possibly a stroke at the same time.
In Kaine’s hands was a ball of swirling Balefire. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized he was smiling, and that the same properties that kept the flame from burning my skin were protecting his as well. That was unexpected considering he wasn’t an actual Balefire witch. When a miniature fireworks show erupted above his playpen, Kaine let forth a giggle that had me rethinking my recent plans to remain childless.
A burst of love broke through my hard exterior, and it wasn’t just coming from the witch inside me; it was a shared feeling of protectiveness and the knowledge that I—Alexis—would do anything to ensure that Kaine grew up happy and healthy. Honestly, it was a bit much to handle, and made me want to run for the hills. Love equals pain; Lexi’s experience had shown me enough of that to last a lifetime.
But Kaine wasn’t Kin; loving him was as easy as a slow falling rain. Pure, without strings, and fulfilling in an unexpected way, the depth of feeling I had for him gave me a few new insights about the witch and some about myself, too. My capacity for love was as deep as hers; I simply chose not to dive into the deep end.
Since I couldn’t just hightail it out of there and never look back, I returned Kaine to his plush cocoon and fastened him into his car seat. It took me twenty minutes to maneuver the contraption into the back of my car, and by the time I’d settled into the driver’s side, he was sound asleep despite having been jostled to and fro.
Serena had dropped Kaine off before I’d even had time for a cup of coffee, and I used the need for caffeine as an excuse to leave the house. Really, I couldn’t resist the temptation to see for myself how people responded to Kaine, and I figured the coffeehouse was as safe a place as any to sate my curiosity. Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I was accosted mere seconds after walking through the door, and was thankful for my status as a regular when the barista bustled out from behind the counter to unburden me of the large diaper bag slung across my shoulder. At least, that’s what I thought she was doing, until she nearly snatched Kaine out of my arms. My auntie bear instincts kicked in, and for a millisecond, I thought about blasting her across the room.
“Aren’t you just the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen?” She cooed. “You don’t mind, do you?” Wide hazel eyes turned on me with such longing I didn’t have the heart to tell her no, you presumptuous cow, give me back my baby.
By the time I made it through the line, my eyes on Kaine the entire time, a crowd had gathered around him and I had to fight my way back through to retrieve him. Little stinker looked happy as a clam, holding court while his loyal subjects fawned all over him. I sighed with relief as I took him back into my arms.
“He’s ready for a nap.” I slid into the booth in the corner and faced away from the dissipating throng. Out of sight, out of mind didn’t quite cut it, and I could still feel hungry eyes following our every move. The implications raced through my head while I sipped my coffee and rubbed soothing circles on Kaine’s little back.
This isn’t good, Lexi murmured. We have to do something.
I ignored her, even though she was right, and tried to figure out why I was feeling the tug in my belly that meant I’d zeroed in on a potential match. The sensation had come up suddenly, without my touching anyone directly prior, and was strong.
When the caffeine finally kicked in, I realized the love alert wasn’t coming from inside me at all. Kaine’s concentration was focused on the next table over. His mile-wide grin had captured the attention of a woman seated to our right, and there was magic welling up inside him.
“I’m sorry. My name is Katie, and I just have to touch him.” Eyes slightly glazed, the woman turned from the man she’d arrived with to reach over, almost as if she were compelled to do so, and her hand brushed Kaine’s fingers.
A shot of electric energy ran through Kaine and into me with a rush that made whooshing sounds in my head. This wasn’t my first experience with being drawn into a vision of someone’s future, but it was the first time I wasn’t alone. Kaine joined me as the woman’s possible futures played out in full, living color.
This wasn’t the same as the visions I usually experienced when mating two souls, and it was a good thing Katie was too entranced by Kaine to notice my slack-jawed expression as I let the sensation roll over me.
I could see what Kaine saw, and much more. Just a babe, he couldn’t process the practical implications of Katie’s future, but I could. He tuned in to her emotions, letting the colors of her aura and the feelings her touch transferred to him guide him in the act of weaving her a fate that would satisfy both her head and her heart. It was so much simpler than Lexi’s method of using her own experience to weight the options and hopefully choose the best of them. Except the method of weaving was somehow close enough to my point-and-shoot one that I felt a sense of superiority.
Kaine’s intentions were pure; he was a happy baby who wanted to make other people happy too. He didn’t take the time to weigh options or consider which future would be best from his own point of view. It came naturally to him, and he acted out of instinct rather than a sense of obligation.
Katie was at a turning point in her life. A talented writer, she’d been offered two positions that would both help her meet her goals. One, right here in Port Harbor, would provide financial stability and lead her directly to her soul mate—who was not the man she’d arrived at the coffeehouse with. If she accepted, there would be no muss and no fuss—and no sense of accomplishment. If she chose the other option, Katie would relocate to the west coast and work her butt off in low-level positions before finding her professional footing. She would experience a long period of misery filled with self-doubt, and ultimately wind up right back in Port Harbor with her intended. Either way, the romantic outcome was the same.
It seemed a simple choice. Why go through heartache and strife to end up in exactly the same place?
When Kaine gently nudged Katie’s subconscious toward the more difficult option, I wanted to protest—wanted to wave my arms in the air and shout No! Take the easy way! But he had used his innate skills to see through the obvious and focus on what would be the best option for Katie. This tiny baby knew, instinctively, that she’d appreciate her happy ending if she’d had to work for it instead of having it handed over on a silver platter.
Moreover, by living that life, she’d gain valuable experience she would eventually use in her work.
My sense of superiority landed back into the pit of my stomach with a sickening plop. And what’s worse, I didn’t have time to think about any of it before all hell broke loose.
“Paul, I have to go.” Katie said to the man sitting beside her. I could feel desire to have her oozing out of his pores, but knew it didn’t matter. Desire does not equal love, and certainly not true love. True love is based off more than just hormones and physical attraction, though people often confuse the two. That’s why so many of them miss out on their soul mate.
“What do you mean, you have to go?” The poor guy looked bewildered, but I noticed an edge to his voice that smacked of desperation.
Katie began to gather her things, stood and faced Paul, and announced, “I’m taking that job in L.A. Unfortunately, that effectively ends our relationship. I’m sorry, I’ll see you around.” Despite the seemingly breezy message, her expression was grim when she turned to exit, and he grabbed her arm with more force than I’d expected.
“You’re what now? I don’t think so, Katie. We agreed. You can’t just change your mind now.” His raised voice had caught the attention of the other patrons, who were now staring at Paul with expressions ranging from disdain to outright disgust.
“Like hell I can’t, Paul. You don’t own me. Now let go.” From grim to furious, Katie shook her arm free and I’m almost positive I felt a rush of magic flowing from Kaine because she didn’t have the strength to slam the guy into the plate glass window so hard it vibrated at the impact. And yet, that’s exactly what happened. Paul landed on his rear end, his eyes bulging out of their sockets, and stormed after Katie, slamming the door behind him.
Kaine looked me square in the eyes and let out a giggle that let me know he was quite proud of himself.
Chapter 10
The front door slammed open, and the blast of frigid air it let in didn’t just come from the icy weather when Serena’s faerie godmother stalked into the house. Cold fury carried her right into the parlor where the Balefire reacted by shooting up green sparks. Kaine’s giggle sounded loud in the sudden silence.
“You,” she pointed at Evian, who cradled the baby in her arms, “are a stain on the name of faerie godmother. Look at you, cavorting with your charge. It’s unnatural and it sets a bad example for others. If you had any dignity, you’d step aside and let someone else take over.”
Was that even possible?
Deliberately, Evian handed me the baby and turned to face her accuser. Ocean-blue eyes turned stormy, and I backed away because first, this wasn’t my first time around a furious faerie of the elemental variety, and second, I’m not an idiot.
The same could not be said of Fawn.
Not good. This is not good. Do something. Lexi repeated what I already knew when the air in the room turned heavy and the floor rumbled. What on earth was Fawn thinking to come here and use her industrial-sized opener on a can of faerie worms?
Despite Kaine’s obvious effect on people, the faeries could override his magic if not his adorable face, and not even he could stop this fight from starting. Fawn had it coming, anyway. She’d tossed down the gauntlet, and now she’d pay the price.
The chill in the room intensified by another few degrees. “How dare you suggest I’m unfit for my duties? Did someone die and make you queen?” Where most voices might go up an octave, Evian’s dropped and her tone reminded me of whale song. Appropriate, I supposed, given her affinity for water.
Droplets of moisture formed around her, but it was the force of Vaeta’s anger that lowered the temperature and let them freeze. Evian’s blue hair went ice white, literally, but Fawn lacked the sense to shut up and leave. A pity.
She puffed out her chest, lifted her chin, and sneered. “Good thing for you the answer is no. If I were queen, you’d be getting a demotion to junior tooth faerie for the next thousand years until you proved yourself capable of handling sensitive situations.”
And then she capped it by extending the slur to the rest of the family. “Not that I should have expected more from an elemental. Unfocused, the lot of you.”
“Exactly how sensitive is the situation?” Evian demanded. “We’ve shown ourselves to Lexi for her entire life and the world hasn’t rained down sulfur. With the queen’s blessing, I might add.”
The queen they were referring to happened to be a Balefire witch, though one I’d never have the good fortune to meet. She lived in the Faelands, wife of the Faerie King, and was incapable of returning to the human realm. It’s a long story, but the point is that Fawn had no better idea of the queen’s opinion on godmother-witch charge relationships than any of the rest of us.
“Blessing? Ha. Is that why you’re not allowed in the Faelands anymore?” Fawn pressed. She was partially right, but there was no way any of the faeries were going to kowtow to Serena’s crotchety old godmother. Technically, Vaeta could come and go as she pleased; it was only her sisters who’d chosen the path keeping them from their home.
Snaking tendrils burst out of the floor around Fawn’s feet, a gust of wind whipped at her clothes, and lightning slashed from the ceiling to flash-fry her beehive hairdo. Ashes drifted down around her face, which went from surprised to angry with beetled eyebrows and grimly twisted lips.
She looked a little bit like a burned-out match—if matches were chubby in their middles. At that point, Fawn could have made any one of a dozen choices designed to diffuse the situation. Instead, she fixed a sneer on her face and called Evian a nasty name.
It was on.
Do something to put a stop to it before things get out of hand.
Why? I asked the witch. They’re grownups, aren’t they? Let them handle their own problems for a change. Besides, I wanted to see what Fawn brought to the table. Color me curious.
I suppose, given her name, I should have known what form her magic would take. Fawn and fauna aren’t too far apart. She must have called every mouse in a block-wide radius because they teemed up through the floorboards. Not the wisest thing to do in a witch’s house.
Eyes bugging out of his head, Salem skidded into the room, his body quivering in ecstasy while he chose his first target. He geared up to pounce on the nearest of Fawn’s minions. Seeing she’d put the poor thing in mortal danger, Fawn clapped her hands and the mouse went poof. To his great disappointment, Salem came up empty-pawed.
Fawn looked a little concerned when Vaeta called the wind to her service and sent the rest of the mice skidding across the floor and out the open door. I sidestepped the onslaught nimbly, hopping into the kitchen with Kaine securely tucked into the crook of my elbow. His eyes followed the four-legged rodents with interest even though the pressure in the house made my ears pop and must have bothered his as well. He probably thought the whole fracas had been created for his entertainment; he was that kind of baby.
Vaeta’s wind blew the last of the ashes from Fawn’s head, leaving her virtually bald. A perfect canvas for Terra, who flicked her fingers and spread a layer of soil from which a tangle of moss erupted in the bad seventies perm version of a woodland hairstyle.
I had to press my lips under and bite them to keep from laughing.
Frankly, as faerie fights went, this one seemed almost tame. Even if Fawn had no idea, I could tell the godmothers were holding back. Sensible, really, from a warrior’s standpoint. Never showing your full strength to your enemies was just good battle sense.
If all Fawn had to offer was a slew of woodland animals, she was in way over her head. Terra’s affinity for earth gave her an unfair advantage since it extended to include both flora and fauna. Serena’s godmother was outclassed in every way, even if, logically, I could see the point she’d been trying to make.
Terra, and the two sisters who’d joined her to care for me when I was left a virtual orphan hadn’t been the most orthodox of parents, but I’d never been in any doubt they loved me, or Lexi anyway. Enough to put emotion ahead of logic and cast their judgment into doubt. What Fawn said did hold a kernel of truth. None of my godmothers had access to the Faelands save for Vaeta, who hadn’t been part of my adoption and the subsequent slide into blatant flouting of the rules.
They didn’t seem to mind being shunned, and I gathered that the banishment was only temporary, so I’d never given it much thought. What I also hadn’t given much thought to was how the godmothers of other witches might feel about Terra’s decision. She’d bucked tradition, shown herself to her charge, and then taken it one step further with her choice to raise a witch baby as her own. Such scandal.
I could see more clearly now that I wasn’t hampered by an excess of emotion. Well, except for when it came to Kaine. He’d wormed his way past my defenses, and that he’d done it so easily was something I should probably examine. But not at the moment.
Instead, leaving them to it, I bundled the baby back into his snowsuit and popped him into his stroller. As I hustled down the walk, I saw Mrs. Chatterly peeking through her curtains and gave her a jaunty wave and a big wink. The old biddy thought her picture window was a one-way mirror and no one could see her when she spied.
