Ivory Inferno

by LeAnn Mason

  Like a grounding force, Birdie radiated a sort of determined calm where my left hand wrapped around her sheathed neck. Together, we could accomplish a lot, maybe even anything. Yeah, that’s what I was going with today.

  As long as I had my friends and Birdie, I could do anything. Even let the world know that I was a mythical being of lore, who just happened to be immortal.

  Piece of cake.

  CHAPTER 28

  NICK

  T his whole situation made my skin prickle, my bear itching to rise up and take charge, to disembowel this charlatan, but I didn’t. This was a hearing even if it was being disguised as a search, for the moment. The woman did not deserve her prominent mantle in our society. Or any society. Yet here I stood with nearly every person Bianca cared for, plus some, pandering to the woman, pretending that she was vital to our efforts to find a missing Bianca.

  That was the story they’d given Circe to get her back into Grimm Hollow willingly. Otherwise, they never would be able to extradite her from Andersenville. She held too much power there.

  In that sense, I really did enjoy the show. The self-important Mage had no idea what was coming, that we, all of us knew what she’d done. I couldn’t wait to see Bianca join this party.

  Until then, I just had to listen and play along. Bianca deserved that much from me and so much more. It would take a lifetime for me to make up for the events that had unfolded weeks ago in this very forest, then not being able to save her a second time.

  But all that self-flagellation was coming to an end. Circe’s benevolent and stricken stepmother act was about to be blown wide open, and I couldn’t wait to watch it happen. I felt the feral grin that overtook my face at the thought. A sharp jab to my ribs was delivered by Allya, not more than a moment later.

  “You better lock that shit up, Bear-Man,” she instructed through gritted teeth, neither of us taking our eyes from the threat. We listened half-heartedly as Elsie, Jasper, and the dwarfs weaved their tale of woe.

  That Bianca was gone to no one knew where. We’d moved the gathering out into the forest, under the guise of leading Circe to somewhere Bianca might have disappeared from. If not completely clueless, which I doubted she was, Circe might wonder as to the location. But would she let on?

  I had to admit it was a fantastic piece of fiction, and they’d all acted their parts to perfection, something I struggled to do even in my sidelined role. Honestly, that was probably part of the reason I had such a small part at this point anyway. Trying to keep my bear and me locked down about the truth of the situation would be infinitely harder if I had to interact with the psycho Mage directly.

  No, this was much better, safer… for Circe.

  “So, you found something here? Something that could point you toward where Bianca may have gone? Do you think the earth holds clues?” Circe’s honeyed voice oozed, thick with fake sympathy, but an underlying curiosity, no, worry, colored her pitch.

  Good, she should be nervous.

  “We did,” Tabbart answered, stepping forward with hand outstretched. The little man, like the others, wore thick breech-like pants and a long-sleeved cotton shirt that was discolored from long hours sweating either at the forge, mining, or in the stifling kitchen. It was kind of eerie how similar they were in several ways.

  Shaking loose the errant thought, I watched as his weathered fingers dropped a small, silver cylindrical tube into the palm Circe had begrudgingly stretched to receive the offering.

  Her distaste at either the dwarf, situation, or the actual item was unclear. Probably all three from what I’d observed of the prickly Mage Elder thus far. “Lipstick?”

  “Yes. The lipstick you had made, is it not?” Jasper asked, looking toward Allya who was still very nearly plastered to my side. She didn’t trust me to let this all play out, or maybe she worried about her own ability to stay her tongue.

  I almost let loose an amused chuckle but caught myself in the nick of time. Her sideways look of promised pain only served to further the bubble in my throat looking to escape. The little hybrid forgot just how cute her threats were sometimes.

  “It is the lipstick I had given to Miss Allya Lightseeker over there, yes. I don’t know why you think it would have anything to do with Bianca’s disappearance?” She was good. Those big, dark eyes batted innocently in question as she looked around the gathered mass of people who’d all helped this farce into being. I wondered, not for the first time, whether it was just too complicated to work.

  For all of her faults, Circe was not a stupid woman, and given she’d ascended to Elder Mage of Andersenville was a testament to her abilities…

  Were we just lighting a fuse and waiting for it to burn close enough to detonate the explosive it hid? Gods, I hoped not. Though, maybe having this much magical firepower gathered would be useful in that scenario.

  As long as Bianca didn’t suffer the fallout, I couldn’t care less what Circe did here today. Go down gracefully or in a bloody heap, it was her choice and one I just might help her make.

  Stepping forward, Allya said her piece. “While lovely, I’m not much for bright lipstick, so I gave it to Bianca. Which you know. You were there. But no disrespect was meant to you, of course.” Damn, Allya was just as good, playing her part, innocent innuendo firmly aimed back at the earth Mage.

  “The point is this item was known to have been in Bianca’s possession, and it was found here. It is the only real clue we’ve found in weeks. We thought you may have some insight or would be willing to help in the search for your stepdaughter,” Jasper interjected, taking the lead.

  Elsie and Gloria stood on either side of him, the Elders of Grimm Hollow presenting a united front. It was unclear whether any of this was news to Gloria, but the community they served came first. The source of their seats of power, they’d made an oath of the Elders to protect their town and its inhabitants first and foremost.

  “Of course, I’d love to help. But I must warn you I only have a day or two, so we should begin immediately. I’ve already been away from Andersenville for too long as it is. I must soon make my way back and add my strength to the town. Hopefully, I can be of assistance in the time I have though.”

  “One thing that we found interesting about this site,” Jasper began again, moving his cultured hands about in a complicated mess of gestures until I noticed water building up to sluice along the forest floor, gathering where I knew the former grave to be, amassing to mingle in the swath of dirt before a circular orb lifted away from the puddle and back to Jasper’s outstretched hand where it dissipated, leaving something sitting in the Mage’s palm. “Do you know what this is?” He asked, handing the clear shard to the visiting Elder.

  I’d swear our gathered mass collectively held our breath as Circe idly inspected the shard, flipping a piece of what the rest of us knew to be a fragment of Bianca’s death shroud with deft fingers. My own fists clenched as I remembered the frantic need to get to her, to keep her alive, to unearth her…

  I could kill Circe. One swipe. She’d never see it coming. The world would be better off. We’d be better off. Bianca could be infinitely better off without this vile creature in the world. Just the knowledge that someone who had caused Bianca so much hurt and pain would be unable to do so again would ensure that I didn’t mourn the loss. And the thought that I could be the one to offer that peace of mind? That I could be the one to clear the board? Well, I wouldn’t think twice.

  Warm fingers wrapping around my biceps startled me from my intense thoughts. I hadn’t realized I’d taken a step toward the harlot in question. Scarlet had though, her hand winding to keep me grounded if not in place.

  “It’s not our place to do anything about her. This is merely a hearing,” Jason’s voice came from my other side. The couple had apparently positioned themselves to act as containment should I go rogue on the plan.

  “Smooth, guys.”

  “Just keep your head and we’ll all just be concerned onlookers, okay, brother?” Jason whispere
d; his eyes still trained on the scene before us.

  “It looks like glass,” Circe finally answered drolly, having inspected the piece as much as she was going to.

  “Actually, that is a very thin piece of obsidian,” Tabbart said, apparently acting as spokesperson for the horde of dwarfs. I wondered if Emest was being monitored half as much by his brothers as I seemed to be by mine.

  “Being such a talented earth Mage, an Elder even, I would have thought you’d be able to spot obsidian.” Speak of the devil, Emest’s jab was delivered in his telltale surly tone. Arms crossed and thick brows slammed down into disapproving slashes, he looked remarkably like a scarecrow-inspired gnome. No crows would dare encroach upon this circle.

  Who knew if Mages were as smart as crows? I really hoped this one wasn’t. That would mean there was still a chance I could let Teddy out to enact his vengeance.

  And, yeah, so I’d taken to referring to him as Teddy. Sometimes. I couldn’t help it; Bianca had gifted us with the name, and I liked the ring of it… or, at least, her association to it.

  “You are the miners and ore smiths. I’m sure you are the reason there is volcanic glass present in your town’s soil. Especially so close to your forge and mining operations.” Circe moved hands to hips, a punctuation of her pointed words at the dwarf. Her patience, that thin veneer of sweetness and good, was beginning to slip. Good. It was well past time that the real woman made her existence known.

  “It is rather odd, in truth,” Jasper continued blithely as if Circe hadn’t said anything at all, again calling on his water magic. This time the deluge sunk deep, tunneling and diverting the resting soil. Moses and the Red Sea sprang to mind, not that I tipped one way or another on the religious scale, and the water separated, pulling with it dirt, debris, and roots until the remnants of Bianca’s turmoil could be plainly seen. An escaped chrysalis.

  “What is that?” Gloria asked. She hadn’t seen, hadn’t known about Bianca’s deaths and rebirths. Her tone showed her confusion as she stepped forward to investigate the deep hole and its uncovered secrets.

  “Yes, what is that?” Circe asked, tone ringing with impatience as she, too, tipped forward to inspect the contents. “What exactly are you showing me, and why is it significant? Why do I get the distinct impression that things are not as you have presented them to me, Jasper?”

  “That is where I died.”

  Every face in our gaggle, all of whom had been staring into the muddied abys, jerked toward the light, feminine voice. The words were delivered calmly, succinctly. Cold. Bianca and her royal escort swaggered into our midst like a dagger aimed for Circe’s heart– a mark that, judging by the rapid paling of the Elder Mage’s perfectly made-up visage, had hit its bullseye.

  Bianca’s dramatic entry complete, she stopped, legs spread and left hand positioning the hilt of her sword for easy retrieval while her right hand rested across the top of her left wrist. It looked easy-breezy, casual, but the position was deceptive. It allowed easy, quick access. Just in case.

  Good girl.

  Everything about the beautiful phoenix screamed badass samurai. From her dark, loose attire to her burning blue eyes, she held everyone captive, enthralled by her mere presence. Just as she wanted. A wicked smile grew to stretch bright red lips across her heart-shaped face. The blue fire dancing in her eyes leapt and folded, a clue to her building power.

  “Did you miss me?”

  CHAPTER 29

  S tanding before the gathered council, some of the most powerful beings in Grimm Hollow, the ruling member of the Shifter royal family at my side was heady. The way my presence garnered the undivided attention of each and every one of them was… intoxicating, if not a little nauseating.

  “But… how?” Circe’s stammered question finally broke the silence my appearance had created. Disbelief and anger warred for dominance across her features. Neither of which were flattering looks if I said so myself. Maybe I should inform her?

  “How what? How am I still alive? I mean, would that be the question here, or are we still maintaining that you have no idea as to my whereabouts?” I made a show of shifting my faux-confused and inquiring look around the gathered faces.

  Might as well make this a true show, right? “Are we still pretending that you didn’t create that lipstick exactly with me in mind, knowing that my friend would hand it my way? Or, that the “specially made” color was thoroughly poisoned.” I pointed and nodded at her as I took a crossing step to the side, too amped to stand still and too dramatic to simply pace. “I mean, you told me yourself. Cyanide, I believe, was the pervading poison you included. Clever, calling the color “Candy Apple Red” and all.”

  “I did no such thing!” Circe raged, her face nearing the color of the lip color in question.

  “We’ve already had the item deconstructed, its components realized and confirmed,” Tabbart said matter-of-factly.

  “I don’t know anything about cyanide! I am an earth Mage, I make things grow, for crying out loud!”

  “Yeah, except that’s not all that you do, is it?” Allya snarked from her spot flanking Nick.

  Each of them, and Jason, looked like tension was riding them hard. Their bodies were corded with veins, the blood straining to reach its destination through clenched muscles. All three’s eyes were bright amber as the tension ramped up in the circle. The noose tightening around Circe’s throat had their predators sensing their prey’s rising desperation.

  It was an honestly beautiful sight.

  “Cyanide is naturally created and contained within, you guessed it, apple seeds. Hence the name being clever.” When Mae spoke, tapping a finger to her nose in a gesture telling Circe just how spot on the name had been, Rory strained to go to her. He didn’t, forcing himself to stand vigilant at my side, daring Circe to make a move.

  “Just because there is the presence of a substance which can be harmful in a chemically fashioned state, in something I created, does not mean I knew or intended to manufacture a… a… weapon.” Circe attempted to take a step back, only to find one stern-looking Witch Elder impeding her retreat.

  “Give it up, Circe. As we said, it’s been analyzed. I, myself, magically decomposed the ingredients. The cyanide and salvia content were through the roof. I think you added the salvia, a highly hallucinogenic mint plant, to offset the potent burnt almond smell of the cyanide. A two-for-one kick if you will,” Gloria intoned, arms crossed in front of her ample chest where she stood in a rather sedate maroon pantsuit and flats.

  It was kind of odd, not seeing the Elder Witch in something other than a figure-hugging dress of some sort, but it appeared that practically had won out. Somewhat, at least. A tailored pantsuit was still not what one would normally wear to the woods, but it would be something to be worn to a council meeting, so… yeah.

  I watched as Circe’s mouth worked nearly as hard as her mind spun to dig herself out of her metaphorical grave.

  Pun totally intended.

  “Don’t tell me you’re going to try another lie? What possible excuse can you have? What yarn can you spin when I am here? You tried to kill me. I was here. You were here. There was a whole long, villainous speech where you watched as I struggled to breathe.”

  My breath hitched with remembered pain. With the fear running rampant as I’d realized just what was happening. Staring up at a woman I had known throughout my childhood. A woman my father, estranged though we had been, loved. A woman so jealous she’d had my mother killed. Then, years later, she had come for me. “Why did you come for me anyway? After all this time?”

  Toward the end of my rant, Nick had extricated himself from between his two Shifter friends, his stare boring into me as he stalked to my side. Never breaking eye contact, he showed support for me, which I greatly needed. I was much too close to falling apart now that I’d opened the long-suffering wounds of my childhood.

  “You can go to her. I’ve got Bianca.” And with those uttered words feathering across my upturned face, Rory peel
ed away, heading in the opposite direction and coming to a vigilant stand next to Mae in much the same manner as Nick had just done.

  “You’ve got this. I’ve got your back. Let’s finish this so I can take you out on the date we should have had a couple weeks ago.” His wink was wholly unexpected, in the moment, but it did what I think he meant for it to. It brought me back to the present. To this fight where I could finally face my abuser.

  I watched as Circe’s panicked face smoothed, all traces of worry replaced with an eerie placidity. Something was up. “Well, looks like you got me. I wanted to relieve the world of the last Katsumoto. I failed, though I don’t really know how. That is neither here nor there, simply confirmation of her power. The power that I rightfully deserve. But alas, I seem to have missed the mark. No harm, no foul, so why don’t we end this farce, and I will return to my beloved Andersenville, hmm?”

  She actually smiled and fluttered her long lashes like we would just let her walk away. As if there would be no consequences for her actions.

  Finally, Elsie spoke up. She’d been rather quiet up to this point, which was odd considering this whole idea had been hers. “I think not. You intended harm to a member of Grimm Hollow, someone for whom I, we are responsible. Someone who I consider like a granddaughter. There is no earthly way you will leave here without consequence.”

  With a grateful smile toward Elsie, who I, too, considered nearly family, I created a heart symbol with both hands. That woman and her great-niece were some of my favorite people.

  “I do not need your permission. I am an Elder Mage with great power, I can just… leave.”

  “You think that you still hold this position? It is forbidden to use your place to inflict harm on a citizen, especially of a town in which you are merely a guest. You have no position. That is what this has been leading to. We figured you would not willingly return for a hearing, so we had to get creative.” Elsie spoke with a righteous fervor I couldn’t help but think was on my behalf, and it made me stand that much taller. I would work to earn the respect these people were showing me here today.