Turvy Topsy

by Larisa Long

I roll my eyes and then flinch when B1 and Queen Ama also roll their eyes. Do not want to be like them in any way. Ever.

  “Here’s what is going to happen,” I say.

  Queen Ama raises her eyebrows probably to mock me. I don’t care.

  “You are going to take your daughters back to the castle. Get them a tutor …” I think about that. What poor soul would want to spend eternity with them? I shrug. “You can tutor them. No one else should suffer that. Then …”

  I think about what else and realize I’m still hungry. I didn’t know it took so much energy to be bad ass. “The curses.”

  Queen Ama chuckles. “Nothing you can do about that.”

  “Yeah, I know they have to die their natural death, but you don’t have to increase them for fae’s sake.”

  The Queen thinks about that. “True. But it was fun, and there’s nothing you can do to make me.”

  The door opens, and the King appears. “But there’s much I can do.”

  “Daddy.” B1’s eyes widen and she rushes to her father.

  He steps back and away from her. “I agree with Zalia. Our daughters are no longer going to the Academy.”

  Queen Ama gasps. “That is unheard of. What will others think?”

  King Philock looks at his daughters and then his wife. “I don’t care.” He hands me a necklace. “I’m sorry, Zalia. I’ve failed you again.”

  B4 snorts. She grabs her throat and then slowly glances around. “Sorry, that noise was unnatural.”

  I take the necklace. It’s an ornate and very ancient looking heavy metallic scroll like thing is the best way to describe it.

  “It’s very powerful and very old. It’s been in our family forever.”

  I put it around my neck and almost buckle from the weight. Then, everything seems to change as I feel lighter like things are lifting from me.

  “This will prevent anyone from ever cursing you again.”

  B2 stomps her foot. “So not fair.”

  Her father ignores her. “Your original 36 curses will lessen over the next few months and finally be lifted. Anyone, and I mean anyone …” he glares at his daughters and his wife. “… who tries to curse you again or tries to use some other misguided soul …” he looks directly at Pem who has remained silent for awhile. “If anyone tries that, the curses will return to their source threefold and for three years longer than you’ve endured them.”

  Cool. It’d be almost worth it to chuck the necklace, and pixie off the cousins to inspire them to fae up like they always do. Then I sigh. I know that doing anything like that with intentional malice would only hurt myself in the long run. Sometimes it sucks to have a conscious and be a good witch.

  Queen Ama laughs. “That magic doesn’t apply to me.”

  “Yes, it does,” The King says, skillfully avoiding his wife’s glare.

  “But daddy,” B1 whines. “It wasn’t our fault.”

  I step back and try to get comfy. This should be good.

  B2 points at me. “It’s her fault.”

  Called that one.

  B4 stops her study of her nails to join in. “What she said.”

  Even Queen Ama shakes her head and sighs.

  King Philock plants himself and studies his daughters. He looks at B1. “Care to elaborate?”

  B1 smiles at me as if she thinks a few bats of her eyes and a few whines will make her father cave. Usually it does. “I mean the more we did to her, the more she just took it. Like a dreadful wexby.”

  I flinch at that. Wexby’s are the saddest of any species. They cry from the moment they are born to the second they demand their end. They always assume the worst of everyone else and themselves. They have so much self-hatred that most do not survive more than a few months. “Yep, that was me. Did you hear my emphasis on the past tense?”

  King Philock smiles at me. “You remind me so much of—”

  “If you say her name …” Queen Ama puts her hands on her hips. “I will screech louder than a banshee.”

  I don’t want to hear that.

  The King changes positions a bit as he glances at me. I’m sure he was going to say my mother, but maybe he was going to say my father or even Ms. Guthie or Professor Sway or the ball of leaves they probably had to dodge to get here.

  The King snaps his fingers, and the eyes of B cubed widen.

  “Daddy?” B1 looks down at herself. “What did you just do?”

  “Bound your powers.”

  B cubed gasp in unison.

  “You cannot do that.” Queen Ama glares at me. “Because of her? Your obsession over her mother is getting very tiring.”

  The King takes a deep breath. “I will remove the bounding only if and when they can use their powers wisely and not for ill.”

  B4 stomps her foot. “But we’re warlocks, daddy. So not fair. We have to torment and torture. That’s what warlocks do.”

  “No,” King Philock says. “That isn’t what warlocks do.”

  Queen Ama steps in front of her husband. “Reverse it. Now.”

  “No.”

  She fusses and fumes and suddenly I wish I wasn’t here. Her glare quickly finds me again, and the way she grins at me freaks me out. Dangerous people become more desperate when the fear of being obsolete outweighs their reason.

  She points at me. “She’s a dangerous hybrid.”

  B cubed step back and glance around as if looking for a swatter or cage. “Ew.”

  “She should be chained and restrained in the dungeons.” Queen Ama continues to point like she’s a witness and I’m being sentenced.

  King Philock sighs. “I wish you, for once, could do the right thing. Just once.”

  Queen Ama cackles. “Not likely.”

  He points not at me directly but at the necklace I am wearing. “The necklace will also protect that secret.”

  “Honestly. Why do you insist on squeezing every ounce of fun from my life?” Queen Ama hisses and almost snarls. “Come on, girls. We can go shopping to redecorate your new rooms at the castle.” The Queen and B cubed stomp out, and I can breath again.

  I didn’t realize they literally sucked the oxygen from the room.

  The King glances at me and then quickly looks away. “I wish I would not have to keep apologizing for their actions.”

  I want to say something, but everything my mind comes up with sounds more like the poor woe is me Zalia so I just stay silent and let him wallow a bit.

  He smiles as he looks at me. “I’m proud of you. You are finally becoming you.”

  “Thanks?”

  “That necklace cannot be removed until the second black moon after the curses are lifted.”

  I grab it and clasp my fingers around it as it molds to me. I can’t even feel it on anymore. “My new BFF.”

  “Exactly. The curses will lessen and be lifted in a few months.”

  I nod. “Gotcha. No one can recurse.”

  “This will protect your secret, but …”

  “I know. Once the curses are lifted, and the witches realize I still exist …”

  “I will try to change things before that happens. Hybrids aren’t nearly as dangerous as—”

  “Warlocks?”

  Pem shifts positions, and we both look at her. We’d forgotten she was even there. “What about me?”

  The King looks at me, and I shrug.

  She steps closer. “I mean what happens to me?”

  Looking at her is painful. What she did to her shift. “You let your shift die.”

  The King looks at me and then at Pem. “Why would you do that? Do you realize how serious that is? The shifters will never accept you again.”

  Pem looks down. “I hated being a shifter. Hate all of them. I’m glad my shift is gone. I watched her die. She begged me and pleaded, but I just watched her die. I was so happy when it was over.”

  I blow out a breath. Blist is so different from her. I will forever be grateful for that. I will mourn for her shift, but not for Pem. “You’re not a shift
er anymore and will never be a witch.” I think about her options, but it’s not for me to fix. “Don’t know what else to say. Nothing else to say.” I think about it. “Yes, there is. I hope your shift can forgive you.”

  “But …”

  I can’t stop thinking of her jaguar suffering alone. “This is what you wanted. You knew the risks. You allied yourselves with the most selfish and obnoxious warlocks on the planet.” I quickly glance at the King but don’t apologize. He allowed them to flourish when he should have clamped down on them. Then I smile. Proud of myself. Tough love, I think is what I’ve heard it called.

  “There’s nothing anyone can do. You started this path. It’s up to you to change it if you want.”

  “Technically, you’re not one of us any longer.” The King looks at me. “I’m assuming the shifter community has denounced her already?”

  I nod. Not even Blist would be able to save her since she buried her shift.

  She looks down at the ground and nods slightly. “Where will I go? What will I do?”

  The King turns his back to her. He was done with the conversation long before it began.

  After awhile the door opens and closes. I glance around the King, and Pem must have left.

  Chapter 11

  I skip back to my room as the warlocks, witches and witchlocks have to gasp, stutter and fall over each other trying to ingratiate themselves to the King as he lingers in the hallway.

  I throw open my door causing Xury to shriek. “We’re done here.”

  “The curses are lifted?”

  I make a face. “Of course not, but the new ones have fae’d off.”

  Xury and I make our way past the crowds slobbering over the King and wait at Elevator.

  Xury glances around as eyes study her and the whispers increase.

  “Let’s take the stairs.”

  Xury nods, and she leaps to the stairs and is down. As soon as she gets close to the 2nd floor, she breathes again.

  I start to open the door.

  “Wait.” Xury fiddles with her hair, pulls out a tiny mirror and fixes her makeup. She smiles at herself, smoothes her clothes and then nods. “Ready.”

  I open the door to hundreds of pixies crowded around. There is panic, groaning, and tears until they see Xury.

  They fall to their knees begging forgiveness. “You’ve got this. I’m going to …” I motion to Elevator.

  She nods.

  I don’t have to wait long before Elevator opens.

  “Dungeon please.”

  “And how has your Monday morning been, Zalia?”

  “The same,” I say nonchalantly.

  Elevator sighs.

  “I’m kidding. It was so cool. You should have seen the Queen’s face. I …” I won’t repeat everything because I went on and on and on and then on again. I spoke so much I lost my voice, and Elevator had to slow to a crawl just to keep moving while I spilled.

  Once I was done and thanked Elevator, I was deposited out to the guard desks of the dungeons.

  The warlocks again sigh since they still can’t see me directly.

  “Oh …” I knock on one of the desks. “King Philock is here and is desperate for a report. He left me in charge while you found him. Witch’s dorms. He needs to know everything. Leave nothing out.”

  They’re a blur of stammers and gasps before they make their way to Elevator and are gone.

  “Open doors. Release all shifters and vampires.”

  It takes only a few seconds for everyone to be released but no one comes out. Is there a problem? Finally the doors open and Blist, and his smile, saunters out. “There you are.”

  I finally feel better. He’s my home. My forever. It’s like my soul recognizes his. “It’s me. C’est moi.”

  He looks at the necklace around my neck. “I see someone finally found out about Curse Number 22.”

  I sigh. “Yep.”

  He carefully steps closer to me and puts his hand up. “Let’s try.”

  I slowly raise my hand until it’s only an inch from Blist’s. “Feel anything?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “I mean any singe?”

  He slowly moves his hand closer to mine until he’s touching me.

  I look at him. “You’re touching me.”

  “I am.”

  “You’re actually touching me.”

  He clasps his fingers around mine and stays that way for fifteen seconds until he has to pull away and shake his hand. “It’s getting better.”

  “I’m sorry about Pem.”

  He sighs. “She made her choice. We’ll honor her shift.”

  I study him. His strength. His power. His loyalty. His everything. “I love you, Blist. Always have.”

  He swallows hard as he lets the words dangle in the air. “I never thought you’d ever say it.”

  I bite my lip. “Wanted to make sure. Didn’t think you deserved …” I shake my head. “You know, scratch that. I was afraid. Now, I’m not.”

  I could stay here forever just smiling at Blist who looks at me as if I’m the only one in the entire realm.

  A paper slowly drifts down from the ceiling. “Come on. Not another warning.” I rip open the tiny envelope and see the familiar scroll. I step back as I read it.

  “What is it?”

  I look up at him and smile. “It’s from fate. My fated soul mate as a witch is Raks.”

  Blist’s eyes damper as his smile falters a bit. “Doesn’t matter. Not if you choose to be with me. I’ve heard many stories of chosen soul mates whose bond is even more powerful than the fated. Besides you’re my fated and chosen so I have enough love for both of us.” He pauses as his voice wears out.

  I wait for him, but he looks down at the ground unable to continue.

  “My fated soul mate as a shifter is someone named Blist?” I show him the paper and shrug. “Heard of him?”

  His smile returns. “I’ve heard of him. You’ll like him.” He digs into his pocket and pulls out a shifter locket like all the shifters wear. He hands it to me.

  I study it. “It’s just like yours.”

  He nods. “Right now it has the jaguar symbol, but as soon as you know who your shift is …”

  That’s right. I still haven’t met my shift. Or even if I have a shift. Then I place my hand over my heart as I feel a flutter.

  “What was that?”

  I look at him. “Is this how a shift awakens?”

  He smiles. “Felt like movement?”

  I nod. “Crazy.”

  “She’s awakening.”

  I study him. “Is it another of the curses not to know?”

  He holds his hand out, and I hand him the scroll from fate. “I come from a line of pure jaguars so I’m a jaguar.” He meticulously folds the paper this way and that.

  “My uncle is a dragon. My mother?” I have to close my eyes as more origin stories appear. “Be so glad when I can remember the real story.”

  “Me too.” He folds the scroll again and again until it can fit into the locket. “Is that why you haven’t asked Professor Sway for more information?”

  I hand the locket back to him. “Yep. I want to know more than anything, but I’m not going to get all the origin stories merged with reality. That would be like putting broccoli juice in hot cocoa.”

  He places the folded up scroll safely inside the locket and clasps it shut. “I’m assuming that would be bad since I’ve never tasted either.”

  I shudder. “A life without chocolate?” I gasp.

  He hands the locket back to me and barely grazes my fingers. “Things are going to be much better.”

  I shrug. “I guess.” I try to come off as nonchalant, but I can’t pull it off before I smile. I put the locket on, and both the locket and the ancient witch necklace resize themselves to fit. The witch necklace becomes longer, while the shifter locket resizes until it is right over my heart. Again I feel the movement. “What about a butterfly?”

  “Huh?”

  �
��Could I shift into a butterfly?”

  Blist can’t help but laugh. “No.”

  I step back. “Okay, expert in all things shift, what do you think I’ll shift into?”

  He squeezes his lips tightly together and grins.

  “You know, don’t you?”

  He nods.

  “And you can’t tell me?”

  He shakes his head. “You’ll like it though. Trust me.”

  “I do.” I quickly grab the locket just to see if possibly, perhaps, maybe my shift is already etched onto it. “What about yours?” I try to look at his locket, but it’s hidden under his shirt.

  He makes an exaggerated motion like he’s protecting himself. “Trying to get me naked. Shame on you.”

  “Is it safe?” Liam leans around the corner.

  “It is.”

  He motions for the shifters and vampires to emerge.

  I brace myself as the vampires approach me. Lux and Cheery, aka Mika, stop in front of me.

  Lux nudges Mika.

  “Sorry.”

  Masimu the wolf shifter and Masimu the dragon shifter stand on both sides of him. “And?” they say in unison.

  He takes a very, very long breath. “I know you didn’t intend to set me on fire.”

  “I would have,” Vax mutters.

  “And?” The Masimu’s ask again.

  “Thanks for the drinks.”

  “Which saved your lives?” Vax says, rolling her eyes.

  “Yes,” Lux says. “Thank you.” He finally looks me in the eyes. “I don’t mind you as a witch.”

  I shrug. “Okay.”

  He and the other vampires look eerily at the shifters. “If you’re a shifter …”

  “She is,” Blist says quickly.

  “Ah.” I get it. “The great shifter vampire ancient grudge from all the blood battles.”

  The shifters laugh, but the vampires all look at me and nod. “Exactly,” they say in unison. “See,” Lux says. “She gets it.”

  The shifters glance at each other.

  “Respect,” the vampires say as they leave.

  Vax shakes her head. “I’m sorry, but I will never understand them.”

  “They have no logic,” I say. “Learned that from my shifter teacher. Was there really ancient blood battles between shifters and vampires?”

  The shifters look at each other and shake their heads.