Magic & Mythos

by Annabel Chase

  Wyatt pushed his finger into Alec’s chest. “You don’t belong here. You’re not family.” His pronunciation of ‘family’ was barely intelligible.

  “Technically, you’re not family either,” I said.

  Wyatt pursed his lips. “Ooh, fighting words from the heartbreaker. Maybe it should have been you in that pool instead of Tatiana.”

  Alec’s fangs slipped out and he stared at Wyatt with an intensity that put me on edge. I couldn’t let this escalate, not here in the grand ballroom of Thornhold. My aunt would never forgive me.

  I placed myself between them and pulled out my wand. “Not another move. I have a wand and I’m not afraid to use it.”

  “Hey,” Wyatt slurred. “That’s my line.”

  I ignored him. “Alec, please. Stand down.”

  One glance at me and the vampire retracted his fangs. “Would you like to dance, Ember?” Alec asked.

  “A dance sounds perfect.” I said. Anything to put distance between Wyatt and us.

  Alec took my hand and we started for the dance floor. As we passed the ice sculpture, Alec released my hand and whirled around. Wyatt was mid-air, having launched himself at the vampire. They collided and smashed into the ice sculpture. The witch cracked in half and both pieces fell into the empty pool.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I heard Linnea exclaim. She crossed the room at warp speed. “Wyatt Nash, you get out of there right now! You’re embarrassing your kids.”

  Wyatt had already shifted into his wolf form and he and Alec tousled in the empty pool next to the fallen sculpture.

  Sheriff Nash appeared beside me. “What happened?”

  “Your brother happened,” I said. The sheriff started forward and I quickly blocked him. “Please don’t.”

  “This is my fault, Rose,” he said. “I need to get it under control.”

  “Not by joining in,” I said.

  Alec’s fangs were on full display as he pinned the wolf down. A crowd had gathered around the pool. Linnea extended her wand and sparks streaked from the tip. They missed Wyatt and hit the halves of the sculpture, melting the ice. Water filled the pool as the two men continued their fight, oblivious to their environment. Alec’s neatly pressed shirt was now torn, exposing his powerful muscles. Water splashed across the floor and both men became completely submerged.

  I reached for my wand just as a body flew past me. Zale Murphy’s fins slapped the top of the water before disappearing. The merman rose out of the water a moment later, holding a naked Wyatt by the scruff of his human neck. Alec crawled over the side of the pool, still clothed but soaking wet. Both men were bloody and bruised.

  Alec staggered over to me and I wrapped my arms around him.

  The sheriff scratched the back of his head. “Sorry about that, Hale. My brother gets carried away sometimes.”

  “It isn’t your fault,” Alec said stiffly.

  The sheriff nodded and went to intercept his brother as Zale set Wyatt on the floor. Linnea conjured a clothing spell to take care of her ex-husband’s nudity problem.

  “Mom, is everything okay?” Marley drew alongside me, a worried expression on her face.

  “I’m sorry, honey,” I said. “Things got out of hand, but they’re fine now.”

  “My sincerest apologies for ruining your party,” Alec said.

  Marley faced him. “Are you kidding? Everyone will be talking about this for ages. It’s awesome!” She skipped away merrily and I felt my body relax.

  “I doubt your aunt will be so forgiving,” Alec said. “Perhaps I should speak with her now.”

  “No, you should see if there’s a healer around.” In this busy room, there had to be more than a few.

  Alec kissed my forehead. “I’m a vampire, Ember. I’ll heal quite quickly without assistance.”

  “Let me at least do a spell to fix your shirt.”

  He clasped my hand. “Somewhere away from prying eyes, please.”

  I guided him out of the ballroom and down the hall to my aunt’s office.

  “This won’t hurt a bit,” I teased. I gathered my will to me and aimed my wand. “Emendo.”

  Alec glanced down at his mended clothes. “I do apologize if I embarrassed you. Fighting isn’t typical for me.”

  “I know.” I sidled up to him. “And not that I condone fighting, but watching you…” I sucked in a breath. “I don’t know if it’s the contrast between the suit and the alpha male or what.”

  The vampire’s mouth quirked. “What don’t you know?”

  I shook my head, trying to get a grip. Now wasn’t the time to turn to jelly. “Nothing. We should go.”

  Alec edged closer. “Any particular place in mind?”

  Great balls of hotness. I could think of a dozen places I’d like to go with him right now. “The cottage is close,” I squeaked. My hand flew to cover my mouth. I’d intended to sound normal, not like a deranged chipmunk.

  His lips parted, revealing his impressive fangs and my knees weakened. “Are you certain?”

  I stared up at him, my heart pounding. “No.”

  Alec closed the small gap between us and his lips found mine. “Come home with me,” he murmured.

  “Can’t,” I rasped. “We’re not ready.”

  “Move forward another inch,” he said, “and I think you’ll find that I am.”

  Heat rose to my cheeks. “You know what I mean.”

  His mouth moved to my neck and my whole body vibrated with need. When the tip of his fangs escaped my bare skin, a moan escaped me.

  “We’re two consenting adults,” he said, before gently nipping my earlobe. I felt ready to explode.

  “Two adults who consented to build a solid foundation first,” I replied. My eyes remained closed as he continued to explore me.

  “I’ll find the next counselor, if you’ll permit me,” he said.

  I wanted to permit him anything he wanted right now, but I knew I couldn’t. “Yes,” I said.

  “Yes to everything?”

  I pulled away and smiled. “No.” I noticed that his wounds were almost healed. “You weren’t kidding about not needing a healer.”

  Alec fixed his collar. “It isn’t often that I engage in brutality. Only when provoked.” His eyes glinted with mischief. “Though now that I know how much it appeals to you…”

  I grabbed him by the hand. “Let’s go back to the ballroom. You owe me a dance.”

  He bowed. “As you wish.”

  I refused to budge, no matter how much I wanted more with him. There would be time. Alec Hale was immortal, after all. He had all the time in the world.

  Chapter Sixteen

  We parked a reasonable distance from the dump entrance. I didn’t want to tip off Mr. Big Shot Crow that Raoul was arriving with a magical entourage. It might give him time to mobilize his own crew, or whatever thug crows did.

  We filed in through the gap in the barbed wire fence.

  “Be careful, Marley,” I said.

  She made a surprised face. “I’m so glad you said that because I was just about to rub my face on this sharp piece of fence.”

  “No need to go full teen on me,” I said. “You’ve still got a couple of years.” I glared at her before turning back around.

  There he is, Raoul said. In the recent rubbish section.

  The crow was using his beak to poke through a pile of garbage. His feathers were matted and one leg appeared lightly chewed. He wore a red rubber band around the other leg, just as Raoul had described. He looked unhealthy. I felt a pang of sympathy, until he turned and saw us. His beady eyes narrowed.

  Go ahead, Raoul, I urged. You’re up.

  His dark eyes grew round and worried. Throw me to the wolves, why don’t you?

  He’s a crow, I said.

  Marley must have sensed his hesitation. “We’ve got this,” she whispered. “Now show that crow who’s king of the heap.”

  Raoul scampered over to the garbage heap and began to rummage. When he saw an item
he wanted, he reached for it. The crow lunged and forced him back. Chills traveled down my spine, but I knew it wasn’t my fear.

  It was my familiar’s.

  Raoul made a hissing noise at the crow and the large black bird attacked. He flew at the raccoon and used his beak as a weapon, stabbing Raoul’s body.

  “Mom, do something!” Marley pleaded.

  I produced my wand and aimed it at the trash surrounding the crow. I focused my will and commanded, “Surgo.”

  Every piece of garbage shot into the air and swirled around the crow on all sides. He tried to fly upward and escape the trash prison, but I quickly moved more trash around him. He flapped his dark wings, unsure what to do next.

  Drop a microwave on his head, Raoul said.

  I’m not trying to kill him, I argued. I just want to give him a taste of his own medicine.

  The crow was none too pleased with this turn of events. When he realized his goal of escaping the garbage was fruitless, he turned his attention to me. He cawed loudly and animals scampered out of their hiding places. Despite Raoul’s fear coursing through my veins, I wasn’t afraid. I was fortunate that I’d never been afraid of bullies. My father had taught me early on how to handle myself. My first experience was with a mean girl when I was in fourth grade. She’d tried to bully me on the playground. Ignoring her didn’t do the trick so I’d complained to my dad. He told me to stand up to her and show her that I wasn’t afraid. When she tried to force me off the swing I was on, I dug in and refused to move. No matter how hard she pushed me, I stayed on that swing. In fact, I stayed on that swing until recess was over and my teacher came to urge me to come inside. I got in trouble for ignoring the bell, but it worked like a charm. The girl never bothered me again.

  The crow launched himself forward, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. He burst through the trash and landed on a pile of electronics nearby. The crow looked ready to rumble.

  I aimed my wand. “You do not want to take another step, friend,” I warned. “There’s a lot more magic where that came from.”

  The crow inched forward, testing me. The crowd of animals gathered behind him to observe the standoff.

  “I am not here to hurt you,” I continued, “but I’ll tell you right now, you’d better leave my familiar alone from now on or you’re going to end up without any feathers.”

  The crow launched himself at me, screeching.

  “Affigo!” Magic streaked from my wand and a cloud of trash surrounded the crow again, before getting sucked to him like a magnet. The weight of the trash dragged him to the ground. The crow stood and shook off the pile. Debris covered every inch of his feathers and curly pink ribbons dangled from his left wing. The crowd of animals tittered—laughter from the peanut gallery.

  The crow shook off the accessories. His gaze darted to Raoul and I knew he was going to attack. Marley must have sensed it, too, because we both threw ourselves between the bird and the raccoon at the same time. Even Bonkers got in the act, swooping from on high and swatting the crow’s head with an adorable wing.

  The crow glanced back at the coterie of animals as though to see whether they planned to help him. No one moved. He jerked his head back to confront the two wands aimed at him.

  “This is a huge dump,” Marley said. “There’s no reason why you can’t share what’s here.”

  And I was here first, Raoul said, stomping his paw for good measure.

  Not helping, I told him over my shoulder.

  The crow regarded us with tired eyes. He seemed beaten down, as though the mere thought of another confrontation was more than he could handle. Whatever fire he’d had in his belly was gone.

  I lowered my wand and Marley followed suit. “Listen,” I began, “my daughter is right. This place has plenty of trash for anyone that wants it. There’s no need to be territorial.”

  “And you each have skills that could help the other,” Marley pointed out. “Raoul is really good at finding the most valuable items. You’re a crow. I bet you’re good at reaching trash that no one else can.”

  “You could accomplish so much more together than at odds with each other,” I added. I sounded like an after school special, but it seemed to work.

  Raoul peered at the crow from around my legs. Truce?

  The crow cawed. I couldn’t understand him, but my familiar seemed to.

  You can go now, Raoul said. I’ve got it covered from here.

  “I’m going to need a shower when I get home,” I said. “I reek.”

  What else is new? My familiar said and wisely hurried out of reach.

  Marley looped her arm through mine. “Our work here is done.”

  No matter how many times I visited the Whitethorn, I never stopped expecting to see a hobbit holding a pint too big for his tiny hand. With its thatched roof and arched wooden door, the white building would have looked perfectly at home in Middle Earth.

  I stepped up to the bar to wait for Alec. We agreed to meet for a drink at the pub and review a couple of counselors Alec found.

  Captain Yellowjacket smiled, revealing his stained teeth. “Ember, it’s good to see you.” He lowered his voice. “I heard about you and the sheriff. If I’m being honest, I was sorry to hear the news.”

  “Thanks, it wasn’t an easy decision,” I said.

  “He told you that, did he?” The vampire pirate nodded sagely. “He’s a standup werewolf, that one.”

  I shot him a quizzical look. “What do you mean? Why would he tell me it wasn’t an easy decision when I broke up with him?”

  Captain Yellowjacket gave me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “It’s quite all right, lassie. It happens to everyone.”

  “I’m willing to be broken up with, but it didn’t happen,” I said.

  Bittersteel, the blue and red parrot that kept Captain Yellowjacket company, blew past me to rest on his perch behind the bar. “He broke up with you,” the bird taunted.

  “Listen,” I said, my gaze fixed on Bittersteel, “I’ve had my fill of feathered friends this week, got it?”

  Captain Yellowjacket whistled. “Well, somebody is having a hard time adjusting to the new normal.”

  I covered my face with my hands. “Who told you the sheriff broke up with me?”

  Captain Yellowjacket craned his neck to consult the parrot. “Who was it? Wyatt?”

  I rolled my eyes. Of course it was. “You know what? It’s fine.” I waved my hand dismissively. I didn’t need everyone in town to know it was me. I had nothing to prove. Honestly, I owed it to Sheriff Nash to let the rumor run its course.

  The vampire pirate cleaned a glass and set it on the counter. “What can I get for you?”

  “Ale on tap is fine,” I said. “While I’m here, I want to ask about customers you had a few nights ago. A werewolf named Nola and a fairy.”

  The vampire pirate’s pleasant expression faded. “Tatiana.”

  “You know her?” I queried.

  “Who didn’t?” He leaned over the counter and whispered, “I heard about what happened to her. Can’t say I’m surprised.”

  “No one seems to be,” I said. “How did she and Nola seem to be getting along?”

  “Two oysters in a shell,” he said. “Very cozy. The werewolf seemed crestfallen when the fairy decided to leave.”

  That seemed to correspond to what Nola told me. “Did anything noteworthy happen the night she was here?”

  He scratched his beard. “She charmed the feathers off Bittersteel, which is a rare sight indeed.” He laughed. “One was as inappropriate as the other. A match if I ever saw one.”

  “I can’t believe she’s gone,” the parrot squawked sadly. “If ever a woman was meant to get a taste of Bittersteel…”

  Captain Yellowjacket held up a hand. “All right there, friend. You can stop there.”

  A kiss on the curve of my neck alerted me to Alec’s arrival. “Good evening, Miss Rose.”

  “Well, if you’re going to greet her like that, I think you should be on a f
irst name basis.” Captain Yellowjacket clearly hadn’t heard the news about Alec. Wyatt must’ve kept that part to himself.

  Alec grinned. “I’m still getting accustomed to calling her Ember.”

  “An ale for you, Mr. Hale?”

  “Yes, thank you.” Alec cocked his head. “And how was your day?”

  “Oh, you know. Spent a little quality time with my familiar at the dump. The usual. How was yours?”

  “I finished another chapter of my novel,” he said.

  “Good job.” I smiled at him so hard that my cheeks hurt. “Can you believe we’re actually doing this?” I gestured between us. “This feels so normal already. I love it.”

  “I feel rather invigorated myself.”

  “Me-ow,” the guy next to me said in a suggestive manner. I turned and followed his gaze to a sexy woman in a leopard print dress that barely covered her bottom. She wore glasses in the shape of a cat’s eye.

  “She looks familiar,” I said.

  Alec peered at her behind my back. “I can’t say the same. A wereleopard, I’d wager.”

  I snapped my fingers. “She’s the receptionist from the marketing agency where Dana Ellsworth works.”

  “Dana,” Alec repeated. “So strange to hear her name again after so much time.”

  The guy next to me held up a glass of ale as an offering to the receptionist.

  She sauntered over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “For me?” she practically purred. “The name’s Kitty.”

  Of course it was.

  Her eyes widened slightly when she noticed me. “Oh, I’ve met you. You were with the leprechaun.”

  “I wasn’t with him,” I said. “I just stood beside him.”

  Alec laughed. “Someone’s touchy. What do you have against leprechauns?”

  A group of leprechauns in a corner booth all lifted their heads at once.

  “Nothing, nothing.” I blew them kisses. “I love leprechauns, just not the one I was with.”

  “I guess you came to see Dana at the right time,” Kitty said. “She’ll be gone as of next week.”