by Susan Hayes
“So, anger isn’t the key. What did you feel when you blew up the kitchen, little witch?”
“I was mad.”
“I bet that’s not all you were feeling. What else?”
“This would be a lot easier if you weren’t trying to seduce me right now.”
“If I were trying, lass, we’d be naked already. This is cuddling. I haven’t held you in my arms for hours, and I miss you.”
Goddess help her. If this was his idea of cuddling, she was in a world of trouble.
He kissed her neck again. “Think back. What were you feeling in the kitchen yesterday?”
She leaned into him and tried to remember. They’d been talking about her parents. Snuffy had told her they didn’t have graves. And then she’d… Oh! “I was thinking about my parents. I was sad, and lost, and feeling alone.”
Snuffy chittered. “Not bad, flipper-face.”
“Bite me, Turd.”
“Enough, you two. Connell, let go of me.”
“I don’t like that idea. So, nope. Not happening.”
She turned her head and managed to kiss his chin. “There’s no way I can feel lost and alone when I’m in your arms, and I need to try this.”
She could feel his chest swell with pride. Men.
“Well, since you put it that way.” He let her go and stepped back. “Fire away, little witch.”
She let herself think about all the things she tried to avoid. The loneliness, the empty nights, the sense that she didn’t belong anywhere, or to anyone. Sadness welled up inside her, along with an aching sense of loss. She took all those feelings, channelled them, raised her hands, and flung a blast of magic at one of the few remaining trees within range. Black sparks surged from her fingers, forming a bolt of pure darkness that slammed into the tree and blasted it to ash, as well as blowing a crater big enough to hide an SUV in the ground around it.
“Holy crap!” She stared at the damage. “I did it!”
“That was perfect!” Snuffy cheered.
“That was sexy as hell. You are one seriously badass witch, my mate. And we are going to kick ass tonight.” Connell spun her around and pulled her into his arms for another toe-curling kiss.
“Gah! Must you do that?” Snuffy wailed.
“Yeah, I must. Just be glad we don’t have time for anything more than kissing right now.” Connell turned and shot an evil grin at her familiar. “But you may want to find somewhere else to sleep tonight. When we’re through kicking ass, I plan on celebrating. All night. There will be nudity and screaming.”
“And cupcakes,” she added. “I want to see if you taste even better frosted.”
“Fuck, yes. Frosting. Brilliant.” He kissed her again, fingers tangled in her hair, lips locked, every part of him hard and pressed up to her in the most interesting ways.
He had her so distracted it wasn’t until he came up for air that she realized she’d been thinking about what would happen after the fight tonight. Like it was a done deal that they’d win, and she had a future to look forward to. One that included a mate, and a house, and… She gave herself a mental shake. Don’t jinx this.
“I’ll stay with Shaz tonight.”
“Shaz? I don’t remember seeing that name on any of the lists. Who is that, and why aren’t they either fighting or evacuating?” Connell demanded.
Snuffy chittered. “Shazam-alanga-dingdong is Fern’s familiar. He lives next door to Breeze’s family, caretaking it until Fern comes back.”
“And he’s not fighting because?” Connell pressed.
“He’s going with the non-combatants, to help protect them.”
She could almost hear Connell’s teeth grinding. “And when were you going to tell me about him? For that matter, where are you going to be? You’re not on any of my lists, either.”
“Me? I’ll be where any familiar would be when shit gets real. With my witch.” He drew himself up to his full, fuzzy height and tried to look fierce, which really just made him look sort of adorable. “Or did you think you’re the only protector she’s got, seal boy? She was mine, first.”
The testosterone in the air was going to start interfering with her oxygen intake any second. “For the love of the Goddess, gouda, and little green fairies— enough, you two. I’m grateful for both of your support, but if you keep poking at each other, I swear I will make you both purple with green polka-dots and leave you that way until you learn to play nice.”
“You can do that?” Connell asked warily.
“You wouldn’t. I’d be hideous!” Snuffy wailed.
She wiggled her fingers, conjuring a few sparks. “Try me.”
Connell laughed and kissed her, distracting her from everything except the need for him to do that again, only naked.
“No fair distracting me!”
The bastard let his accent thicken and gave her a slow, sultry smile. “All’s fair in love and war, lass. Didn’t anyone tell you, that?”
“They did, but until today, it was just an expression.” Now, it was a whole lot more. Tonight, she was going to war for the future of Wyrding Way beside the man that she might just be falling in love with. This is what comes from reckless birthday wishes. Next year, I’m sticking with cupcakes…If there was a next year. Goddess on high, if this was her last day on Earth, she really needed more chocolate.
Chapter Fourteen
Breeze got her chocolate, and even managed to sneak away with Connell for a quickie before the time came for their showdown with Creepy-hood dude and his feathered flockers.
Now, she was standing at the door of the bakery, sipping a near-perfect latte and waiting. It wasn’t perfect because Connell had insisted she switch to decaf about three cups ago. If they survived this, she was going to have to set some ground rules for their relationship.
Rule one: don’t mess with her coffee intake. Ever.
The town was eerily quiet. Every shop but the bakery was closed up, and there wasn’t a soul outside right now, at least none she could see. She knew the pixies were on lookout somewhere overhead. They’d bring word the second they spotted anything, but for now, everything was still.
Even the bakery was almost silent, as the residents left behind waited for the arrival of the assholes who thought they could claim this place and its power. That was not going to happen. She’d waited half her life to find a place where she belonged. She wasn’t leaving, and neither was anyone else. This was their home.
Connell appeared beside her, so stealthily she hadn’t heard him approach, though her nerves were so high strung she’d been pretty sure she could hear a mosquito’s wings beating from across the street. Okay, maybe the decaf had been a good idea, after all.
He didn’t say a word, just slipped an arm around her waist and stood beside her, both of them watching as the sun faded from the sky, painting the world in shades of pink and gold that slowly darkened into twilight.
She was ready to scream just to break the tension by the time she spotted a shimmery streak hurtling toward them like a miniature shooting star.
“Incoming,” Connell murmured for the benefit of those inside.
The pixie pulled up short about three feet away, keeping enough distance between them to avoid triggering an allergy attack. “They’re coming! They’re coming! The gulls flew. The hooded one appeared down the road a few seconds ago. They’re walking this way.”
The little pixie zig-zagged in agitation as she gave her report, and finished by flying in circles until Breeze was dizzy just watching her. “Go. Tell the others to stay clear until this is over. If things don’t go well, you have to warn the dryads and the others.”
“You got it!” the pint-sized ball of energy gave a brief salute and shot straight up into the darkening sky.
It was time.
She stepped out into the street with Connell on one side and Snuffy on the other. The other residents filed out after her, including Fisk and most of his pod. This time around, she had gone with comfort over style, so she was w
earing her favourite black thigh high boots, a pair of comfy jeans, and a too-big sweater she’d stolen from Connell during their quickie at his place that afternoon.
She had more people standing with her than she could have ever imagined. She could do this. She had to do this. If she didn’t, everything she’d wished for would vanish again.
Creepy-hood strode up the street, surrounded by the gull Shifters. When he got within earshot, he stopped and raised a shadow shrouded hand, wagging a finger at her. “You should have taken my advice and left this place.”
“I got a second opinion.” She retorted.
“From who?”
“These nice ladies.” She pointed to the door of the bakery. Gladys and two other elderly gull Shifters stood there, all of them with disapproving looks on their faces.
“Jimmy! What are you doing with that vile man?” Gladys called to her son.
“Gustaf Downs! You get over here right now!” Another one hollered, and Gus paled.
“Mi—Mom?”
“Don’t you mom me, young man. I’m going to tan your tailfeathers for this.”
“And that goes double for you two!” The third Shifter pointed to the group. “Ricky and Tavi, you are so grounded! Wait until your father hears what you’ve been up to, and using his boat to do it!”
The four gull Shifters scuffled their feet, looking uneasily at each other.
“Don’t make me ask you again. What are you doing to this nice town?” Gladys demanded, then burst into a fit of coughing.
“My job, momma. That’s all. Just doin’ my job. You should be home where it’s safe!”
Gladys sniffed. “No place is safe from that man you’re working for. We’ll find you another job. You’re quitting. Now.”
“But momma!”
“Now.” There was enough steel in the old woman’s words to set off a metal detector.
Within a few seconds, four of the gull Shifters left the group, mumbling apologies as they went.
“That went well,” she whispered to Connell.
“Never underestimate the power of a mother on the warpath,” he whispered back.
“That was… unexpected.” Creepy-hood dude said with an incline of his head. “But it won’t change anything. I am claiming this place in the name of the Father of Shadows.”
Breeze shook her head. “You know what? I’m getting tired of coming up with new, insulting nicknames for you, so how about you give me your name before we start this dance?”
“I am Shade.”
“Of course you are. I’m Breeze Blackstone, by the way. I’m the one who is going to stop you.”
“You already tried that once, and failed.”
“True. But I levelled up since then. Breeze two-point-oh can, and will, kick your costumed ass.”
“Take them.” Shade instructed and the gulls went on the attack.
Shady clearly hadn’t seen enough movies to know he was supposed to engage in a few more rounds of witty banter before starting the fight. Good thing she’d distracted him long enough for the rest of her Shifters to quietly move in behind them.
The next few seconds were chaotic in a way she couldn’t begin to describe. Some Shifters changed forms while others waded into the fight on two legs. The air filled with squawks and feathers as half the gull Shifters took flight.
Connell dropped his kilt and shifted, giving her an eyeful of bare ass and muscular legs before he turned into several hundred kilos of angry grey seal with leopard-like spots and a freakishly large mouth full of pointy teeth. Holy shit, she’d never think of seals as cute or cuddly again.
Her uncle Fisk took one look at him and burst into gales of booming laughter. “You are full of surprises, little seal!”
Only a freaking killer whale would consider her boyfriend’s current form little. She was so busy watching Connell go on the attack she almost forgot about Shade, until Snuffy screamed, “Move!” and tackled her, sending her staggering a few steps to the side. A bolt of black magic passed through the air where she’d been standing a second before.
“Shit!” she yelped.
“Get him!”
She reached for the darkness inside her, all the grief and loneliness, the hurt and loss. She gathered it up and held onto it until she finished what was probably the world’s shortest spell.
* * *
“Goddess on high,
I’ll keep this short,
Please help me defeat this dark magic dork!”
* * *
Then she unleashed everything she had at Shade and hoped the Goddess was listening.
The spell hit him square in the chest, sending him sailing over the Shifters fighting behind him. Everyone stopped as the hooded warlock sailed overhead like a bad effect in a low-budget horror flick.
She didn’t give him a chance to fire a second shot. She was on the move before Shade hit the ground, running around the worst of the fighting until she had him in sight again.
The second he moved, she hit him again, though she didn’t go full power this time. She wanted to send a message back to the Father of Cheesy Titles, and Shade was going to be her messenger. “Stay down. I don’t want to hurt you…much.”
He grunted in response, but apart from the occasional slither as one of his weird shadows flowed around him, he was totally still.
Without taking her eyes off of Shade, she raised a hand and created a couple of balls of silvery-blue light and sent them aloft to float like Chinese lanterns. “Everyone, stop fighting.”
Things gradually quieted, apart from an occasional thump and a few squawks from the gull Shifters. Snuffy ambled over, looking pleased with himself despite the fact he was streaked with gull crap and feathers. He spat out a mouthful of down. “Seagull fluff tastes as bad as it smells. You okay, Breeze?”
The ground shook as Connell lumbered up to join them, still in his seal form. Before she got a chance to look at him properly, he’d shifted back to his human self. Naked. She suddenly realized she was surrounded by bare-assed Shifters as the residents reverted to their human appearances. It looked like half the town had gone to a naked rave at a pillow factory, and she wasn’t sure there was enough tequila in the world to scrub the image from her brain.
“Now I know you’re both safe? I’m good.” Connell stood behind her. His very naked body pressed up close to hers.
“Safe and sound, lass.” He kissed the side of her neck. “You were magnificent.”
“But it’s not over yet.” She squared her shoulders and focused her attention on the warlock still sprawled on the ground in front of her. His hood still hid his face, which was annoying, but she didn’t want to risk anyone getting close enough to remove it. “Hey, Shady. You awake?”
The warlock raised a hand and made a back and forth gesture. “More or less. That was a hell of a spell.”
“Uh, thanks. I think.” She wasn’t sure how to take a compliment from the bad guy. Wasn’t he supposed to be monologuing about how he’d take revenge on her and everyone she loved for daring to defy him? Either she’d seen too many movies, or he hadn’t seen enough.
“So, what happens now?” Shade asked.
“Now, you take your badly dressed butt back to the Father-of-Really-Needs-A-Better-Name and tell him this place is off-limits. Oh, and take the flock of feather-heads with you. They’re not welcome here, and neither are you.”
Cheers filled the air behind her.
“He’s not going to stop trying,” Shade warned.
“That’s fine. I’m the protector of Wyrding Way, and I’m not going anywhere. He wants to try again, I’ll be here.”
“And so will I,” Connell stated.
“And me,” Fisk added.
“And me,” Snuffy declared.
Everyone still in town chimed in, and she grinned. “Message received?”
“Got it.” Shade got to his feet and dusted himself off. She noticed there were fewer shadows clinging to him, and his voice had lost its hollow tone.
“Good.” She pointed down the road. “Get gone.”
Shade nodded, turned, and walked away. After a few steps, he waved a hand and the darkness engulfed him like he’d been swallowed by the shadows themselves. Show off.
The gulls shifted and took off, filling the air with defeated squawking as they fled. It was only when silence fell that it finally hit her. It was over, and they were still standing. “Holy crap! We won!”
The street erupted into cheers and she was swarmed by elated neighbours wearing nothing but feathers, gull crap, and smiles. She needed to fix this, quickly.
* * *
“I’m worried my residents will catch a chill,
Not to mention my therapy bill,
So please clothe these fine folks, and clean them up, too
No one wants to celebrate when coated in seagull doo-doo,
We give thanks to the Goddess who kept us all free,
And now we can party – fully dressed - So mote it be!”
* * *
The street filled with soft, pink light while purple and fuchsia sparks drifted down, covering every surface like a Day-Glo snowfall. Magic so powerful it made the air sizzle thrummed through the air, and when the light finally faded, everyone was cleaned up and blessedly dressed. Granted, they were all in mom jeans, white socks with Birkenstocks, and plaid shirts, but they weren’t naked, so she was calling it a win.
“I think the Goddess is well pleased with us,” Connor whispered.
“Why’s that?”
She turned to discover her mate wasn’t dressed like the others. He was wearing a kilt, though she was fairly certain no clan in Scotland had ever claimed a black and purple tartan. His shirt was black, and he wore a matching tartan plaid over one broad shoulder.
“Wow. That’s a good look for you.” Definitely better than the sock and sandal look the others are rocking.”
“I like what you’re wearing, too.” He leaned in and whispered. “You look good in my clothes. Almost as good as you’re going to look when I get you out of them later tonight.”
Her heart did a double beat and finished with a backflip. “Nudity, screaming, and cupcakes?”