Which Witchery Is That?, page 15
part #3 of Mature Magic Series
The horse knickered and stamped an anxious hoof.
“Okay then,” I said. “Let’s get going.”
We turned toward the maze.
“Wait!” a voice called.
I spun on my heel, seeing Layla coming out of the ocean, her gaze riveted on the horse. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides, her expression murderous.
I moved to stand in front of the horse. “You will not hurt this animal,” I told the princess.
“Step aside, Aggy. That mare is dangerous. She can bring demons across worlds. She needs to die.”
Screaming with outrage, the mare rose up onto her hind legs and pawed the air. Her hooves had barely touched the sand again before she was galloping toward Layla.
The princess suddenly held two deadly-looking curved blades in her hands, the carvings in the blood-red blades clearly demonic. Her jaw tight, she took a stance, the blades swirling around her fingers before settling into place in her palms. The mare stopped just out of range and spun. She leaped off the ground, her back hooves flashing out in a blur of motion.
Layla flew backward, splashing back into the water.
The mare turned and pawed the air again, trumpeting her rage.
Layla was up and out of the water with inhuman speed, her hands flashing in circular strikes that severed strands of the mare’s thick mane, sending them drifting to the sand.
The mare’s head whipped forward, her teeth snapping with each strike, and blood ran from an assortment of wounds on Layla’s arms and shoulders.
Agile and fast, Layla struck back, managing to score several hits even as the mare drew more of her blood.
The White Mare leaped into the air, her hooves flashing in deadly strikes as she flew over Layla’s striking blades. One hoof landed, then another, every blow sending Layla reeling, her eyes rolling as if she was fighting to stay conscious. Each attack was accompanied by a flash of light that seemed to disorient Layla even more.
Finally, one huge hoof caught Layla in the temple and she went down under a shimmering white glow of power, her body still.
I hurried over as the mare galloped along the water’s edge, clearly trying to work off the last of her rage.
Dropping to my knees, I pulled the strange knives off the princess’s fingers and handed them to Gren. A red-hot anger tangled with my worry about Layla’s too pale state. She was so still lying there. She barely breathed. She’d started a battle with a creature who’d done nothing to harm any of us. She’d probably gotten what she deserved. But I didn’t want her to die because of it. “We need the crone to heal her.”
Gren shook his head. “She’ll be fine. Look.”
The color was returning to Layla’s cheeks, and she was starting to stir. Even the deep wound on her head was healing.
When I gave Gren a surprised glance, he nodded toward the horse. “The White Mare knows the princess is your ally. She sent magic along with her strikes. Layla will recover quickly. But you need to keep her from trying again to harm the mare.”
“It looks to me like there’s more danger of Layla being harmed.”
He nodded in agreement. “We need them both, Aggy.”
I sighed. “Can you take the others and leave me with her?” I nodded at Layla. “I’ll talk sense into her before we join you in the maze.”
He stared at me a moment and then went to speak to the mare. A moment later, the horse trotted past, throwing a final whinny of reproach over her glossy shoulder. Layla groaned, and her eyes snapped open. She started to sit up, but I stopped her with a hand on her chest. “Stay right there.” I glanced around, surprised to find Mavis and Bev sitting astride the mare. With a final glance our way, the horse spun on her hooves and took off running. She didn’t go into the maze.
I started to object.
“She can pass directly through the veil,” Gren said. That was the first I realized he’d stayed behind. “She will return for you shortly.”
Layla shoved my hand off her chest. “Why are you helping the beast?”
“The crone gave her to us as a guide,” I told Layla. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t intend to offend the crone?” I lifted my brows for emphasis.
“That would be a very bad idea,” Gren added to season the stew.
Layla climbed slowly to her feet. “If the beast is under the crone’s protection, I’ll leave it be.” She gave me a look. “For now.”
“Good,” I stood too, brushing sand off my butt and legs. Monty bounced around Layla’s feet, tongue lolling.
“The little hero wants to go home,” Layla told me, unable to suppress a grin.
“So do I. And he is going home. But, I’m afraid we’re not staying there for long.” I frowned. “Why did you follow us out? I thought you’d planned to stay with your men.”
She shook her head. “They will escort the hound back to Rome. I need to come with you to find the girl.”
“Why?” Gren asked, his expression curious.
“Because I know the demon Bathos.”
“Who’s Bathos?” I asked.
“The girl’s father. He will lie to you. He will also lie to me. But I will know when he is lying.”
Gren and I exchanged a look. He gave me the slightest of nods, confirming that he thought it was a good idea to bring Layla.
“Okay. But only if you promise not to try to hurt the mare.”
Inclining her chin, Layla said, “You have my word as your ally.”
I nodded, looking at Niele. “You’re staying with me?”
“Yes.” He threw Layla a glance. “The protector and I will stay close.”
Layla rolled her eyes at his inference that I needed to be protected from her.
Monty barked as if to assure me he’d stay close too. I petted his sleek head. “Then let’s start walking. It appears we’ve lost our ride.”
20
The Coming Journey Unpleasant For All
After much argument, I convinced Mavis and Bev to stay back with Monty. Mavis was still weak from her injuries, and Bev had a day job which she’d already neglected too much in helping me. I appreciated her help but didn’t want to cost her a job she loved.
Besides, I didn’t expect the next leg of our journey to be anything more than an information-gathering exercise.
I know what you’re thinking. That had been the plan with the crone too. And look how that had turned out.
I shook off the thought and waved goodbye to Bev, Mavis, and Monty. My dog, at least, was enthusiastic for a new adventure. Especially one that included a ride in Bev’s sporty red convertible.
Gren, Layla, Niele, and I scarfed down some food and I took a hot shower while waiting for Luke and Trish to arrive.
After my shower, I took a side trip to the cemetery and called to the Rev.
Reverend Dodson eased into view. With the sun still bathing the consecrated burial ground, the ghost was a wispy figure. “Hello, Madam Lares. Did you have a pleasant trip?”
I snorted out a laugh. “It was definitely exciting.”
The Rev clasped his hands in front of him. “That’s good. Can I help you with something?”
“Yes. As you know, we’re trying to find Wanda. The advocate suggested you might be able to locate her mother in the deathly veil? We’re hoping she can help us find her daughter.”
“Willow.” He nodded. “I know of her. I’ll see what I can find.”
Sadness for Wanda swept over me. Her mother was really dead. I’d been holding out hope it wasn’t true. I thanked Reverend Dodson for his help, and joined the others, who were waiting at the edge of the woods, where the White Mare also waited.
An hour later we stood at the edge of a different part of the woods, looking out over acres of manicured green grass, perfectly sculpted shrubbery, and a crystal clear pond that sported massive black and white swans, gliding serenely across its surface.
Like a floating chessboard.
I looked at Niele. “Get as close as you can without being noticed.”
He nodded and leaped into the air, diving into the earth and disappearing beneath its surface. The perfect grass mounded for several yards and then flattened out as Niele plunged deeper into the earth.
Ray lifted off my shoulder with a soft “Caw!” and took off toward the mansion in the distance. “He’ll be my eyes in the sky,” I told the group. Sitting astride the White Mare, I smoothed a hand over her damp neck beneath the heavy mane. She knickered softly at my caress, her green gaze sparking brightly for a moment before returning to normal.
Layla walked up behind us, and the mare’s nostrils flared wide. She gave an alarmed snort and spun to face the princess.
Layla rolled her eyes. “Chillax, horse. I’m not going to make dog food out of you. At least not today.” She gave the mare a sly smile. “I promised Aggy.”
“You will never hurt this horse,” I told the princess. “Or our alliance is over, and you and I will be enemies.”
Layla flipped a dismissive hand and lifted her gaze to mine. “The woods are too quiet. There are no pixies. No wildlife or flutterflies. Nothing except an icy wickedness that’s making me kind of twitchy.”
I smiled at her description. But the smile didn’t last long. She wasn’t wrong. I’d been feeling kind of twitchy myself. “What does that mean?”
Gren responded before Layla could. “It means the demon Bathos has vile friends.”
“Curse, swear,” I murmured, feeling the mare shifting nervously beneath me.
“What are we doing?” Luke asked.
He looked agitated, his gaze constantly skimming the area around us.
The wolf was twitchy too.
“I need to wait for Ray and Niele’s reports. Then we can figure out what to do next.”
We didn’t have to wait long.
The world went crooked on its axis as Ray looped me into what he was seeing. A green, brown, and multi-hued panorama drifted before my eyes, the horizon tilting one way and then the other as wooziness nearly knocked me off the mare.
Warm hands found my thighs and held me in place. “Thanks,” I told Gren, fighting my way through vertigo to accept the view of a massive white stone home built around a sizeable courtyard. Large pots overflowing with flowers of all imaginable colors adorned a small pool whose surface glittered silver beneath the sunlight. The grounds were dotted with a decorative assortment of flower and fruit-bearing trees.
People scurried back and forth through the centrally-located courtyard, clearly using it as a pass-through to get from one part of the mansion to another.
The furnishings of the outdoor area looked luxurious and expensive, probably better quality than anything I had inside my own home.
The horizon tipped again, and we plummeted from the sky at a stomach-clenching speed. For a single heartbeat, I thought Ray had been attacked and he was falling. But then his flight pattern evened out, and he landed on a window sill at the front of the house.
Like the rest of the mansion, the glass was spotless, giving back a reflection of the raven as he strutted and pecked and pressed closer to see inside.
It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the scene.
But then I saw him.
He leaned against an enormous fireplace, a blazing fire dancing within. The oversized hearth was no doubt meant for a room four times larger than the one where Bathos stood, but he appeared perfectly comfortable, even as the dancing flames bathed him in uninterrupted heat.
His coal-black hair was smooth and glossy, with just a touch of silver at the temples that made him look very distinguished. He was a handsome man. Tall and agile as he moved away from the fire and lowered himself gracefully into a chair. He shot pristine white cuffs and lifted a perfect black brow at the figure sitting across from him.
I couldn’t see much of his visitor. The graying brown hair hung a few inches above a set of narrow shoulders, leading me to think it was a woman. But that wasn’t necessarily true. In the magical community, many men wore their hair longer, and not every man had the broad shoulders I admired so much in Gren.
The chair hid everything else about the figure, and he…she…didn’t speak with his or her hands or turn his or her head, robbing me of those additional details that might have helped me identify the person.
I refocused on Bathos, finding him looking just as calm as before. His expression was relaxed, and his body loose. Until he lifted his black eyes toward the window and spotted Ray.
Bathos’ dark eyes widened at the discovery and he stood.
“Ray, get out of there!” I screamed.
The world tilted and whirled, and I tilted with it, vertigo pulling me right off the horse.
Gren managed to catch me before I hit the ground, and held me upright as the world continued to sway.
Wrenching his perspective brutally away, Ray took off with a strident call. As my vision cleared, I looked across the grass to see his sleek black wings pounding the air in an attempt to escape as two enormous birds came at him from opposite directions.
I turned to Gren. “Help him.”
Gren inclined his head and took off running. With a single leap he was airborne, the width of his charcoal-colored wings pulling the breath from my lungs as they thrummed against the air.
But he would be too late.
The two predator birds dove at Ray, one striking him with its beak and, as he tumbled toward the ground, the other slashing at him with its claws.
I screamed his name as he fell…too fast…too far from the ground to survive the impact, and took off running.
Hoofbeats thundered up behind me. The mare’s hooves tore up the ground as she caught up with me, slowed to match my speed, and whinnied.
I turned and grabbed her mane, leaping off the ground and onto her back without missing a stride. Then we were off, running so fast the world was a blur around me.
Gren dove toward the falling raven, his wings plastered flat along his muscular legs to reduce wind resistance.
I watched the small spec of black begin to stir as he plunged, wings lifting to fight the downward spiral. But he was tangled and weak. And he wasn’t going to be able to save himself.
Panic made me helpless.
Instinct made me act.
A simple word formed in my mind, my intent built into the instinctive command, “Slow!”
The word slammed into reality, its power like fire against my skin. A soft boom met its arrival, and it grabbed hold of the world, braking the action around me, slowing it until I could catch up.
And suddenly we were there, beneath Ray as he fell. I stretched out my arms, and the bird fell into them, his wings akimbo and his neck extended in an unnatural way as he fought to regain his equilibrium. I thought, at first, that he hadn’t yet realized he was safe. But then I heard the strident call of an enormous hawk and looked up in time to see the monster-sized bird diving toward my face.
The mare screamed, threw on the brakes, and sent Ray and me flying as she rose off the ground, hooves flashing in a violent strike against the hawk.
I curled myself around Ray and we slammed into the thick grass. We skidded a few feet and came to a stop near the edge of the pretty pool. Above our heads, the second hawk screamed its rage as Gren barreled into it, wrapping his wings around the bird and crushing it against his body.
The nearest hawk fluttered away, one wing not quite working properly, and disappeared around the house.
The white mare stamped her hooves in the grass and threw back her head, screaming her victory. She trotted over and gently nuzzled me, snorfling hot breath into my hair.
I groaned, sitting up and shoving hair off my face. “Well, that was unplanned.”
Ray ruffled his feathers and shuddered from head to toe. He stretched his wings experimentally before taking off with an enraged cry.
Gren landed a few feet away, a bloody blade in each hand and a hard look in his dark brown eyes. Trish buzzed by in her warrior form, and Luke bounded up to us as the black wolf. He lifted his muzzle and flared his nostrils, coating the air with a feral growl as he stared toward something behind me.
I turned to see what they were all looking at and found the demon Bathos lounging against a pillar of the home’s long, elegant porch. My pulse quickened at the sight. Power pulsed off him in waves that brought gooseflesh up on my arms and painted my spine with ice.
“Visitors,” the demon said, his deep voice echoing with a strange bass growl. “How nice. Shall I kill you before tea? Or after?”
I pushed to my feet, ignoring Gren’s offered hand because I didn’t want to appear even a little bit weak in front of the demon. “That depends. Will there be cookies?”
His laugh had the ring of real pleasure, even with the echoing growl. “I believe that can be arranged.”
Nodding, I forced my feet to move forward. “Then let’s have tea first. I can always kill you later. After I have a full belly.”
He indicated a seating area alongside the pool. “Please, Madam Lares, sit.” He eyed my council and the White Mare. I didn’t like the look in his black gaze when he looked at the horse.
“I’d heard amazing things about our new guardian,” he said, sitting down next to me as my council spread out around the pool, far enough away to give the illusion of privacy, but close enough to intervene should Bathos decide to be naughty. “But I had no idea you’d acquired the White Mare. Impressive.”
“She’s a friend,” I told him. “I don’t own her.”
The horse’s eyes gleamed with angry green fire as she stared the demon down.
“Really?” He looked delighted. “Then you won’t mind if I take her for my own.”
It wasn’t a question. I was pretty sure the demon never asked anyone for anything. He had an air about him of a spoiled prince who was used to getting anything he wanted.
It would please me very much to ruin that streak for him. “Actually, I’d mind that very much. If you try to harm or trap her, you and I will have a problem.”
