by Brenda Trim
Aislinn clapped me on the back. “You might. We usually don’t see this much activity here.”
Violet shook her head. “No, you won’t. But you might want to buy some things to appease them.”
I headed to a table filled with jars of variously colored liquids two feet from us. “You sell potions, right?”
Everyone was still watching us. I wanted to leave and find Filarion, but I needed to live in this town and the best way to do that would be to make them forget I caused trouble when chaos had broken out the last time I was there.
The slender woman sitting in the folding chair nodded her head. “Brewed them myself. Not as powerful as Isidora made them, but affective, nonetheless.
“Do you have an energy potion? I need to locate someone, but my body is begging me to go home and take a nap. And an ibuprofen.” I smiled at her.
She looked over her shoulder at Violet and Aislinn then picked up a small bottle with vibrant blue liquid inside. “That’ll be ten pounds, please.”
I paid her and continued toward the exit, stopping at three more booths to buy a scone, some incense and a candle that would help me sleep. I was antsy and needed to get moving. I couldn’t stand taking so much time to get out of there.
Every second I wasted made it that much more likely that Filarion was getting away with the grimoire. I wouldn’t put it past him to skip town after seeing Sebastian come after him. Speaking of, I had no idea where Bas went and refused to assume he had gone after the elf to help retrieve her book.
After stopping by Camille’s booth to say goodbye, we were finally able to head out. Either the energy potion was working, or I got my second wind because I had some pep back in my step.
Chapter 13
“I have to grab a bite before we continue. I haven’t eaten for over twelve hours and I need all the energy I can get.” Not to mention I don’t do well when I skip meals. I become cranky, easily sidetracked and scattered.
“I could eat,” Aislinn agreed.
Violet nodded and shifted direction to head across the square. “Let’s grab a sandwich from Mug Shots. Bruce is still open.”
We were at the café and heading inside two minutes later. I might still be out of shape, but I was improving. Normally, I’d be falling on my back after my earlier exertion a bit ago, but here I was crossing the space in no time. Perhaps all this exertion was helping get me in shape.
Bruce was a short man. His dark hair and long, dark brown beard screamed dwarf to me. “What can I get you?” His golden eyes were unique. It seemed fairly obvious he was a Fae of some kind, but they weren’t all that foreign.
“I’ll take a pastrami on rye with mustard and a diet coke, please.” Violet and Aislinn placed their orders and Violet paid for the food, refusing money when I offered it.
I stood several feet from the counter and leaned toward my friends. “Do you know where Filarion lives?”
Aislinn and Violet’s heads went up and down rapidly. “Yeah, but we need a plan.”
Violet sighed and pushed her long, blonde hair out of her eyes. She was beautiful, but I could see how tired she was. I felt bad about dragging them further into this. “He will be expecting us, so we need to pool our magic.”
“You guys can go home. I just assumed you’d be coming, but it’s going to be dangerous and I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you.”
Aislinn held her hand up with pursed lips. “Nonsense. We’re a coven now, remember? That means we have each other’s back no matter what.”
“We’re, as Bailey would say, ‘ride or die’. There is no other place I’d rather be than with you kicking his ass. He needs to be put in his place once and for all.” Violet’s eyes darkened as she spoke.
“Your order’s up,” Bruce called out. Aislinn grabbed the bag while I snatched two of the drinks and Violet took the last cup.
We headed out the door and crossed the street to my mustang. Adrenaline dumped into my system as I put the drinks into cupholders and buckled my belt.
Aislinn held out the pastrami. “Here’s your sandwich. We won’t be able to eat once we arrive at Filarion’s house, so dig in.”
I took the sandwich and had a big bite. “Mmmm. God this is good. What is Bruce anyway? I can’t tell if he’s a short human or some kind of Fae creature.”
I turned the ignition on and backed out of my spot. Violet was in the backseat chewing when she leaned forward between the seats. “He’s a dwarf. It’s a Fae creature that lives below ground. No one knows how he runs Mug Shots because he’s supposed to be turned to stone during daylight hours. But I will say he never goes near the front windows.”
I took another bite when I stopped at a red light. There weren’t very many in town which had been a shock to me. But now I can hardly remember my time in the States. It was funny how the previous forty-five years feel like another lifetime and the past few months seem like years.
“Turn right up here,” Aislinn pointed out. I made the turn, taking us away from the cliffs and further inland.
I finished off my sandwich and thought better of eating when my stomach roiled. I wasn’t going to be sick or anything but having butterflies with a full belly was uncomfortable.
Violet’s arm shoved between the seats and she called out, “He’s up there on the left in the green house.”
I parked the car down the way where he wouldn’t be able to see us. “Do you see Sebastian anywhere?”
“No. He might not be here,” Aislinn pointed out.
Violet’s head popped between them again. “I don’t know. He was pretty pissed earlier. Filarion never should have run from him. He’ll never stop looking for the asshole.”
“You mentioned pooling our magic. How the heck do we do that? I’m so freakin tired of being the lame duck of the group.” The growl that left my throat was guttural and full of frustration.
“When we formed a coven, we established a bond between the three of us. We can send each other energy when needed. All you have to do is concentrate and open yourself to us. We will take what we need. And, if you need the help, grab hold of our bonds before your power runs out,” Violet explained while we climbed out of the vehicle.
The night was quiet as we stood on the street. Glancing around, I wondered who lived in the houses on the street. The last thing I wanted was for harm to come to anyone if things got nasty with Filarion.
Creeping through the shadows, I wished I was wearing black clothing. It would make it less likely that I’d be seen sneaking into the house. We paused in the shrubs closest to the neighbor’s house and scanned Filarion’s two story.
There were no lights on downstairs, but the entire second floor seemed to be lit like a Christmas tree. “I think he’s upstairs. Probably packing his shit so he can take off.”
Aislinn braced herself on the side of the building. “Even if he leaves, he won’t be gone forever. There aren’t many places where our kind can live comfortably.”
“I never considered that. Why would he steal from me then? He had to know he would be discovered.”
Violet stood on her tiptoes to see over the hydrangea bush and looked back at me. “I’m sure he assumed you didn’t have magic and would never know. After all the last time you were home you were well past sixteen, the age when our kind usually comes into our powers.”
“Speaking of, why didn’t I come into power at sixteen? Why now?”
Aislinn waved a hand through the air. “I think you did. You mentioned making stuff happen. We aren’t capable of much more until we gain an understanding of how to control it.”
“Yeah. My mom always told it was nature’s way of ensuring we don’t destroy the planet. I mean could you imagine a moody teen capable of blowing an entire continent up?” Violet laughed at that.
I chuckled at the idea. It was so true. Teenagers were reactive and knew everything. “I don’t know. Bas is that moody and he hasn’t blown anything up yet. At least not that anyone’s told me about. Alright, I thin
k the coast is clear.”
Violet and Aislinn followed behind me. Somehow, I had become the defacto leader of our rag tag group. I had a fraction of the knowledge they did, but they looked to me for direction. Not that I minded. I’m a lot like my mom, always stepping up and taking shit into my own hands.
That confidence faltered as I crept up to the front porch. Walking through the front door seemed a bit too brazen, and I turned between the houses and walked through the dark praying I didn’t run into anything. The moon was bright but didn’t reach between the buildings to offer any illumination.
I took a moment to connect with my magic. It was getting easier to call it up like Camille had taught me. It buzzed beneath the surface of my skin with an electric vibration.
The window above my head was dark, but I lifted to my toes and peered through the glass, hoping to catch a glimpse of something. The inside was a hoarder’s dream. Stack and stacks of crap filled the room. I barely saw the floor through it all.
The stuff made it difficult to see much inside, but if Filarion was in there he would be moving shit, and something was likely to fall. No way could you pick anything up without causing an avalanche.
With a shudder, I lowered myself and continued to the backyard. Unlike most areas I’ve been to, there were no fences here. It made getting to the back door easy peasy but didn’t offer any cover from the neighbors.
The back of the house had two windows and sliding glass doors on the first floor. The sound of glass breaking from inside startled a yelp out of me. With wide eyes, I looked back at Violet and Aislinn. I jerked my head to the area behind us.
Both women scanned the yard while I looked through the glass. I saw into a kitchen that wasn’t even close to as cluttered as the other room I’d seen. In fact, in comparison the room was spotless. There was a kettle on the stove and a bowl of fruit on the small butcher block island, but not much else around.
I tested the handle and groaned when it refused to budge. A hand landed on my shoulder. I managed not to yell this time and turned to see Violet gesturing at the panel. I stepped aside and she placed her hand over the lock and muttered, “Recludam.”
A second later she pushed the sliding glass open and we tiptoed into the kitchen. The second we were inside I heard shouting and yelling. There was a loud crash followed by the shaking of the walls.
“It’s coming from upstairs.” I pointed to the ceiling where dust was falling on our heads.
Aislinn held up both hands. “Be careful. Could be a trap.”
I nodded, letting her know I understood and turned to the door on the other side of the kitchen. I put my ear to the panel and listened to see if anyone was on the other side. The shouting above us continued along with the sound of items falling to the floor.
My heart hammered in my chest, making me slightly dizzy as I pushed through the door and found myself in a short hallway. We passed two rooms. The one that represented my personal hell and the second that had a cozy fireplace and reading nook.
I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to maneuver through piles of crap. I made it to the stairs and continued up without pausing. The voices at the top were masculine. It had to be Bas and Filarion.
Worried Sebastian needed help I took the steps two at a time. “Fiona.” Aislinn was trying to stop me, but I was at the top and heading toward the ruckus before she got my name out.
There were five doors along the hall. One at the end and two on each side. The panel was shut at the end, but that wasn’t where the sound was coming from. It was the last door on the left.
“Asshole!” Sebastian growled. I raced past the other rooms and paused in the doorway.
Bas was standing next to Filarion and his fist was pounding into his skull repeatedly. Not that Filarion was just standing there taking it. He had a blade in his hand and was swiping toward Sebastian.
My feet carried me inside without thinking things through. I jumped on Filarion’s back and wrapped an arm around his neck. He shouted and the knife stabbed into my forearm.
“Ow! Shit.” Instinct told me to let go and take off at the same time it said to fry him. Blood dribbled down my arm. Before I could come up with a path, Filarion raced backwards and my back slammed into something with sharp angles.
My head swam and the breath was knocked out of me. A second later a box fell on top of my head with a crack. When another followed quickly after, I realized the room was packed full of crap, as well. My vision turned red and I wondered if it did that when I got really mad. It was wet and sticky and I realized a second later I was bleeding.
“Take from us,” Aislinn shouted out to me.
Sebastian caught up with us and wiggled his hand under my arm right as I became slightly dizzy. I shifted my hold higher and felt Bas’s hand wrapped around Filarion’s throat below. I tightened my hold and so did Sebastian.
I reached for my friends and pulled on our bond. Suddenly there was so much electricity traveling through my veins I felt like I was going to burst. I looked down and saw that my hands were dancing with electricity. “Where is my book? I want it now.”
Filarion choked out a cry. “I don’t…” His words were cut off when I zapped him. The smell of burning flesh made me gag.
“Don’t lie to me.”
Sebastian lifted the both of us together and snarled at Filarion. “If you want to live you will give her the grimoire. Then I will leave your fate to the town council. Otherwise I will drag you to my property where I can tear you limb from limb.”
“O…okay. I’ll get it. Let me go.” Filarion’s voice was hoarse, but I let go and dropped to my feet. Aislinn and Violet helped steady me when I landed on some books and nearly fell on my ass.
Bas kept hold of the guy and jerked his chin in the air. “Where is it?”
“It’s in my safe. Over there.” The elf pointed across the room to another pile of what looked like old books. How the hell many tomes did he have? I scanned the room, not trusting him to be honest.
“Do you see anything?” I whispered to my friends. Both were looking everywhere but shook their heads.
Bas picked Filarion up and carried him to the section he indicated. The elf was turning purple and his eyes were bulging out of his head. When they reached the section, Sebastian shoved the tower over, revealing a large painting of a landscape.
Filarion’s hand shook as he felt along one side of the frame. It swung out a second later. Behind it was a metal safe embedded in the wall. The elf placed his palm on the door. It glowed brightly then popped open.
I was transfixed as I approached the pair. All I could see was the biggest book I’d ever seen. The cover was a dark brown leather and there were runes engraved along the spine. What drew me was the tug in my gut.
Something about it confirmed this was my family’s grimoire. Violet had been right. I’d know it anywhere. I snatched it from the safe and sighed as I hugged it to my chest. There was a hum that vibrated from it and into me. It was followed by heat and a sizzle.
“Why did you break into gram’s house after she died and steal this?” My words were like razors and the elf flinched with each word.
“It was wrong. I see that now, but I had a buyer offer me a hundred thousand pounds if I got my hands on it.”
“What buyer?” Bas’s demand was followed by his hand closing around Filarion’s neck because he turned purple again.
I lifted a hand and touched Sebastian’s muscular forearm. “Umm, he can’t talk to me if he is unable to breathe. Can you let up a bit?”
“I don’t know. They sent me a fire message and instructed me to reach out when I had the book.”
I lifted one eyebrow as I stared Filarion down. “I don’t believe you. You’ve had the tome for a few months now, yet you haven’t sold it to this mystery person. Why?”
The elf tried to take a deep breath but ended up choking and coughing. The elf turned red as he hacked for several seconds before it died down. It made me wonder if Sebastian dama
ged something. “I figured if he was offering me that much, I could find someone to buy it for more. But I couldn’t look for a buyer unless I knew what it had to offer.”
I got up in his face as anger surged through me. “There was nothing for you to offer them. The knowledge in here is for my family and my family alone, you piece of shit.”
Filarion held up his hands. “I see that now. I should have given it back weeks ago. It’s not like I can read it anyway. No one can.”
I took a step back and flipped open the page and stared at the intricate handwriting indicating the book belonged to the Fiona Shakleton. Why would it say my name? I just inherited the thing and haven’t ever laid eyes on it. Magic, dumbass!
I flipped through several pages and heard Violet and Aislinn come up behind me. I felt them looking over my shoulder but didn’t mind. These women had my back no matter what.
“He’s right. It’s completely blank.” I looked over my shoulder at Aislinn.
“You can’t see the writing?”
Both her and Violet shook their heads. Sebastian let go of Filarion and glared at him. “You will find the name of the one that contracted you to get the book and you will give it to me. Understand?”
For a second it seemed that Filarion was going to deny Bas. “Of course. I assume you want a meeting.”
“Don’t assume, asshole. Contact him and let me know when he gets back to you.” Sebastian turned away from the elf and crossed to us.
He paused at my side and his eyes darkened when his gaze landed on the injury on my head. He lifted a hand then lowered it. “Let’s go. I’m not leaving you in his house unprotected.”
Unable to believe I actually had the grimoire in my hand, I headed out of the room and down the stairs. This was a game changer for me. I was going to be the best damn Guardian this town had ever seen.
Chapter 14
I brought the muffins I made earlier that morning out and sat at the metal bistro table close to the pond. Lifting the mug, I sipped the coffee. My body still ached from the race through S&S the night before. Being tossed around that mess of a house was hell on my middle-aged body.