Erecting Barriers

by L. J. Vickery

  “The first document states that the witch council’s decision is unanimous; and that upon the execution of the second decree, Obedience will have her divorce.”

  “And the second decree?” Dorian’s voice finally emerged sharply as his fingers closed around the vellum. It looked like it took all of his will not to crush it.

  “The second contract makes null and void our own divorce decree from forty-two years ago,” she told him baldly. “If you sign it, you agree to become my husband again.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Voices rose all around. It was the last thing anyone expected to hear. Dorian stood as if transfixed and Addie clearly could stand it no longer. She dropped his hand where it curled around the scrolls and moved backward. A pulse beat wildly in her neck.

  Obedience shook her head back and forth, realizing the enormity of what Addie had done. In order to free her to marry Kulla, the older witch had assented to binding―or almost binding, depending on Dorian’s agreement―to her long ago love for the rest of her life.

  Obedience knew how much it cost Addie, in pride alone, to make this sacrifice. She once admitted to Bee that she still loved Dorian; had never stopped loving him, but wanted to spare them both the pain of her aging. Now, she risked the humiliation of becoming an old woman while Dorian remained young.

  Looking around, Angie was the only one who looked completely overjoyed by the prospect of her parents reuniting in marriage. Dorian’s face couldn’t have been any darker if he’d tried.

  Without a word, he stuffed the documents into his back pocket, turned on his heel, and strode from the room.

  “Well. That went well,” Addie laughed shakily.

  She approached Bee-Dee and Kulla in the void left by Dorian. “Give him a little time,” she told them. “It’s a shock. He’ll come around because he loves you.” She smiled. Now that Dorian had left the room, she obviously felt more at ease to tell the whole story.

  “He’s right about the biddies gloating over this,” she admitted. “They’ve always been annoyed that a warlock sits on their board, and they were gleeful to do something that would make Dorian uncomfortable.” She laughed, wistfully.

  “When I proposed that they negate and trade our old divorce decree for yours, the group had actual cackling fits as they signed the papers. I wish you could have seen them. I swear, none of them had laughed so hard for such a long time, that the dust of the ages spewed out of their mouths.”

  Her face showed her amazement. “I had the devil of a time talking them out of being here to hand him the paperwork. They wanted to see his face when he agreed to be bound to me again. They thought it might be the best joke they’d ever been part of, in all of Heaven or on earth.”

  Marduk, who had been silent throughout, finally stepped forward, laying his hands on Addie’s shoulders. “A supremely selfless gesture,” he said, dropping a kiss on top of her head. “I’m sure that Dorian will understand the spirit with which you’ve given this gift to Bee-Dee and Kulla. As soon as he’s had a few hours to piss and moan about it, I’ll talk to him. Whether he likes it or not, he should see that it won’t affect his life too awfully much.”

  Obedience figured Marduk meant that Addie would continue to live at the compound with her family, and Dorian would be back off to Wisconsin. But she could see by the way Addie stilled, that the witch thought more along the lines of the mere decades she had left to live before she died and Dorian remained shot of her for the rest of his immortal days. She had been avoiding this all these years, since the time she’d effected their initial split, and it had to be stirring up all kinds of emotions that she’d buried deeply. Obedience realized her thanks would do little to change that heartache.

  “Addie-May, Kulla and I both thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the gesture,” she dared, “but I know what this is costing you. I’ll go tell Dorian that he doesn’t need to sign the papers.”

  “It’s too late.” The domineering voice cut through the room. “I’ve already signed.”

  He walked up to Kulla and put the documents into the god’s hands. “You can have these delivered to the witches, with my compliments,” he rasped. “Congratulations to you and Bee,” he continued. “Go find that human and give him hell.”

  Obedience didn’t have to ask which human the warlock meant. She could see the relief that flooded through her mate. He would take care of the con-artist human, and Obedience would be his. The power sat right in his hands. It made her heart sing, even as she warily eyed her warlock cousin.

  What more did Dorian want? Why did he linger, looking imperious?

  “Wife?” Cold eyes raised to Addie-May as Dorian flicked a wrist in her direction.

  The witch jumped as if burned.

  “You will come with me.” He threw a spell―which, technically, was not allowed between husband and wife―then turned and stalked off. He proved beyond angry to pull such a stunt. And much as she fought against it, Addie couldn’t over-come whatever magic he’d sent at her. The witch’s feet moved of their own volition and she looked helplessly around for someone’s aid.

  Marduk walked a few paces forward. “Don’t worry, Addie. He’s not an evil man.”

  Hysterical laughter built up in Addie’s throat as she barely worked the words around her visible, rising panic. “He may not be an evil man,” she choked and emphasized the last word. “But you don’t know the warlock.”

  Several of the gods, Kulla among them, moved forward as if to accompany Addie after her foreboding pronouncement, but Marduk held them off.

  “No,” he told them. “They need to work this out with no interference. She’ll be fine.” The immortals all backed off, but one human stepped forward.

  “Well I’m going with her and you can’t stop me.”

  Everyone turned open mouthed toward Kate, who had marched up to loop her arm through Addie’s as the witch lurched forward. Even the witch looked stunned.

  Kate ignored everyone but Addie. “I spent years dealing with an abusive husband, and I won’t let him hurt you.” Kate told her friend. She stuck her chin up with obstinate intent. “The rest of you can stay here and mind your own business,” she announced. “If we need you, we’ll call.”

  The motion that Dorian had set into play drew the two women from the room.

  “Do you think we should―?” Glory now questioned, concerned for her mother.

  “Dorian won’t injure them,” Marduk assured. “I know him. It’s just that he’s been terribly hurt, and needs to throw a little power around to make himself feel better. If I’m reading it right, he’s as lost as Addie right now, wondering what to do next.” He calmed Glory’s fears. “Let them be,” he said, and she nodded―along with all the rest of them―giving in to the sincerity they heard.

  “Besides,” his tone changed from pensive to joyful. “We have a mating ceremony to prepare for.” He looked at Kulla and Obedience. “Don’t you two have some place to go?”

  Putting her nervousness for Addie aside, Bee smiled at Kulla. Her mate answered Marduk. “We most certainly do.” He looped his arm through hers.

  “We’ll have to travel, god-style,” he reminded her. “It won’t take too long to get to California, but it won’t be instantaneous.”

  Bee-Dee could transport with a spell and be at her nudist camp in seconds. She hoped Kulla wouldn’t mind if she preceded him. He’d only be half an hour behind.

  “Let me head out first,” she probed, gently. “I need a few minutes to check on my employees. It’s been days since I’ve popped in.” She stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on Kulla’s downturned lips. Bee-Dee knew he didn’t like it, but she still had a business to run; one that she’d nurtured for decades, and wouldn’t let go.

  “Fine,” he reluctantly agreed. “But no talking to the asshole before I get there.”

  “Deal,” she granted.

  “Kulla?” Another voice rose from the back of the room and Kabta stepped forward. “I’m going with you. In ca
se the human makes trouble, it will be good if you have some back-up.” He ducked his head, and Bee-Dee could see him wondering if his older brother would want him. He shouldn’t have worried. Kulla slapped him on the back and grinned.

  “Okay, but you do know we’re headed to a nudist colony, right? There’ll be women walking around without clothes, and I’m not sure you’re old enough to be seeing any of that.” He aimed a mock cuff at Kabta’s head, and the two took off. The air, split with their jubilant voices, wafted behind.

  Obedience smiled, and she, too, poofed out.

  ****

  Obedience loved her camp in the hills above Los Gatos. It had been her home for many years, under several different names and guises. She’d never had a problem fooling people, artificially aging, then coming back as her own daughter or niece, until she’d made the horrible mistake of marrying Waltero Munoza. How she could have been alive so long, and yet been so gullible, still galled her.

  When his supposed sister, Leiti, had first come to work for her, she’d seen a bright, ambitious young immigrant with aspirations to achieve a better life. The girl had started out in her housekeeping staff, but Bee had promoted Leiti as quickly as possible. She’d been brought up in the ranks to head the cleaning staff, then switched to the front desk, and finally trusted with the accounting. The girl had amazed Bee-Dee with her aptitude for figures.

  Obedience laughed wryly while popping into her cabin and shedding her clothes. An aptitude for figures indeed. She’d begun skimming from the accounts the minute her fingers accessed her computer. Bee-Dee, first to admit that she never had a head for the financial end of things, chalked up the drop in income to the poor economy. Her own forte had always been marketing and entertaining. She left the books to someone capable.

  The witch had been unaware and complacent for months, in the dark about her bookkeeper’s agenda, until one day the girl decided to bring things to the next level.

  Leiti had approached her with tears in her eyes and a sob story on her lips. It seemed that her brother, stuck back in Mexico, lay at the mercy of a very bad gang he’d been forced to join. Leiti feared for his life. From her last contact with him, trouble had escalated. They needed to get him out of the dangerous city where he lived. Fast.

  Bee-Dee didn’t know that much about immigration laws, but couldn’t anyone apply for a student visa? She made the suggestion.

  Oh, no, Leiti had told her. Walt had been a very poor student and never graduated from high school. No way any college here would accept him, and besides, paperwork like that took months. She had cried great crocodile tears. He could easily be dead in weeks.

  Obedience didn’t know how she got talked into it, but the next thing she knew, she flew to Mexico to do a quickie wedding and become the wife of Waltero Munoza.

  She’d found him whiny and unattractive from the start. Not that he was too tough on the eyes. He had a solid face, stood average in height with a body densely packed with muscles; a hard physique that denoted physical work of some sort. His hair curled darkly and his eyes glittered deep black, but it was the coldness in the depths of those eyes that set Bee-Dee back; that, and his lack of personal hygiene.

  When she first met him, he hadn’t been in her rental car for more than one minute before she eschewed the air conditioning and rolled down the window. She wondered if the man knew about deodorant…or even soap.

  She stayed in Mexico for several days, and married Walt in a civil ceremony, then headed back with him to California. It warmed her heart to see the tender reunion between brother and sister.

  Tender. Bee-Dee snorted. In retrospect she should have seen that they touched and whispered together more than siblings ever would. But, Bee-Dee remained happy to have done something to help the young folks.

  She had given Walt his own cabin until he could find gainful employment, thinking he’d relish a place of his own, but he quickly told her he would move in with his sister. Bee-Dee was touched, thinking that Walt tried to save her money, not realizing that the pair were sleeping together. What a sap.

  One thing quickly became apparent. Walt showed only arrogance and laziness, and didn’t go out of his way to find a job. Bee-Dee insinuated that he might help around the camp; clean the pool, do maintenance on some of the cabins. Reluctantly, but with Leiti’s help, he took on a few chores. Little did she know that the pair plotted to keep her complacent.

  The situation remained far from ideal, but Bee-Dee thought she just needed to bide her time. A few years would pass and she could file for divorce. She’d be done with Walt.

  Turned out she’d been wrong on two scores. First, Leiti and Walt had been keeping too close of an eye on her activities, and even though Bee-Dee didn’t practice witchcraft often, she kept her hand in things, alone in her cabin late at night. The pair had set up surveillance equipment and filmed her antics with Planchette. When they finally revealed their treachery, Bee was stunned. Then the blackmail had begun.

  On top of that, Obedience finally figured that even if Walt and Leiti had been honest in their dealings with her, she still wouldn’t have been able to get her divorce. She’d been out of touch with the witch world for so long, she didn’t know, at that point, how difficult a divorce for her kind would be to obtain. Even if a petition for divorce from Walt had been in the offing, the governing board of witches would have ‘felt’ her breaking a legal contract, and interfered to stop her.

  Obedience sighed her relief. Now everything would be all right. Her paperwork, thanks to Addie, had been approved. Kulla could do some compelling, and she and the love of her entire existence could finally be married. A new lightness appeared in her step.

  Obedience walked out into the California sunshine. Time to find the two who bled her dry, and let them know their time had run out.

  Bee-Dee greeted guests who were lounging around the pool, spent a good deal of time catching up with her assistant manager, then took a deep breath before entering the office where Leiti usually holed up with the blinds tightly closed. The woman spoke on the phone when Bee-Dee entered, but quickly hung up.

  “You’ve been gone an awfully long time,” she intoned snidely. “Did you think being away would save you some money?” Leiti laughed, then cupped her hand, rubbing her thumb across her fingertips. “It’s time for another payment…witch,” she drawled in a nasally tone that irked the hell out of Bee. “And we’re upping the amount this time.”

  Obedience couldn’t wait to see the smug look wiped from her extortionist’s face.

  “I don’t think so, Leiti.” Bee-Dee walked around the desk and for the first time let her curiosity take over. She palmed the mouse and scrolled down the page Leiti had up on the monitor to see what her ‘bookkeeper’ was up to. Not camp business, for sure.

  Leite slapped the witch’s hand away. “Let go of that.” She spit angrily, grabbing the mouse to click. The monitor went to screen saver. “It has nothing to do with you.”

  In the short moment Bee looked at the page, the information almost made sense. The jumble of names and numbers were unfamiliar, but they gave her a very bad feeling. She lifted the phone she hung around her neck and dialed Marduk. It took only one ring before he picked up.

  “Yeah, Bee?” he asked.

  “Hey boss man,” she said chirpily. After all, once she married Kulla, Marduk would be her boss, in a sense. “I need Jake out here, stat.” Bee-Dee looked at Leiti’s raised eyebrows and gave her a big smile. “I think there’s something going on with my blackmailers that may or may not be under his jurisdiction. I’m sure he can get to the bottom of it.”

  “He’ll be there in half an hour,” Marduk’s voice came back crisp and sure before he asked, “You’re not stirring the pot before Kulla gets there, are you?” He sounded suspicious.

  “Who, me?” Bee-Dee answered perkily. “Don’t worry. There’s nothing here I can’t handle. See you soon.” She hung up.

  “How very foolish of you, Mrs. Munoza,” Leiti emphasized, looking pissed.
She sneered in a way that made her fine features ugly. “The minute you turn us in, we’ll be telling the world just what you are,” she announced triumphantly, tossing her hair. “I hope they dissect you and put your organs in jars.”

  Bee-Dee had heard the threats so many times before, they lost their bite. And this time she didn’t have to sit back and take them. She moved in and grabbed a fistful of the thick dark mane of hair always being tossed about, and drew Leiti’s head back until the woman’s face turned up to hers. “Guess what, bitch? Your game is over.”

  Obedience leaned down and got within inches of the other woman’s evil visage. “The rules have changed, and the power has shifted. You can’t hurt me anymore.”

  “We’ll see about that.” Leiti wrenched away, losing some locks in the move but still unbowed. “You’ll pay for that,” she said, rubbing her head. Lifting her phone to her cheek, she dialed. “Walt? We have a problem. It’s your witch of a wife. All of a sudden she thinks she’s in charge around here. I need you to come remind her otherwise.” Leiti laid the phone down and sneered. “In two minutes, you’ll be very sorry you decided to rock the boat.” She made a pretense of straightening papers on the desk. “And when the guy you called gets here, you’ll be embarrassed to tell him that it was all a big mistake.”

  Bee-Dee barked a laugh in return. “I made my mistake years ago, trusting you and marrying your lover to get him into the country. Now, I’m taking back what’s mine, and you two are going to jail.” She crossed her arms under her naked breasts and stared her nemesis down. She’d love to use some magic on the other woman right now, but dammit all, she couldn’t unless the situation fell into a category of imminent danger…which it didn’t. Sometimes the rules just weren’t fair.

  The door burst open and slammed closed behind Walt, who, naked and tanned should have been enough to turn anyone’s head, but the sight of him disgusted her.

  “Are we having some trouble here, ladies?” he asked, not so genially.