Three Rings of Chaos: An Abigail Everlaine Mystery

by Candra Kylar

  The audience started to become uncomfortable. The satire had set in and they prepared themselves for the punch line. I was glad to give it to them. My magnifying glass analyzed Dimples from all side and she hid a small giggle. I had at least brightened her spirits enough from their dismal state. She was all ears when it came to Meredith Marble. The outline of Voldini from the investor’s box had disappeared. Tippler perked up his ears and sniffed around the inner circle of the ring. He ran off to our west and I went back to the performance.

  “If the Bog Queen was a monster without hope of redemption, then why would she let me leave her lair not once but twice? Surely you would notice the markings of a battle on my skin or the trail of ghastly sludge staining my dress! If she didn’t attack me or adorn her lair with my bones, then what else said about her wasn’t true? I wonder how easily the town would believe a well rehearsed lie”, I swept my magnifying glass outward.

  Elizar entered the ring, “My darling Meredith, I can’t stand to see you face to face with this powerful monster from the stink filled swamps! Let me take you back to my mansion and leave this sorry town to the state they deserve.”

  I fell into his arms, “I want nothing more than to faint on your couches and find refuge in the spacious size of my walk in closet that carries all of the designer dresses you have bought me in the same shade of blue. Alas, I’m a lady and a Marble. We must carry on with our duties regardless of the danger!”

  Elizar looked vexed, “Can not a Duke of my golden repute for daring adventures and passionate love sway you otherwise? You are backed into a corner with the Bog Queen on one side and an invisible force on the other! Who could be responsible if not the monster that this town so guiltlessly blamed?”

  Voldini had made his way into the ring and had a look of unbridled hostility. He would kill me if he got the chance whether an entire audience watched him or not. Dimples had started pulling feathers from her dress and they covered the ground around her. Elizar had slipped an athame from his jacket and moved into position to block Voldini’s path to me. Braeden came out with Max, both as wolves to my own surprise, and circled the inner ring themselves. I didn’t expect the owner of this crumbling circus to use words to express his anger. He would use force. I had to go forward, to force him into words. Despite how Elizar wanted to hold me back where I was safe, I couldn’t stay there. I needed this spotlight.

  “Well here is our heiress who so generously provided for this spectacle”, I lifted the magnifying glass at Voldini, “and how well he is decorated! Your jewelry looks familiar, my most colloquial friend. However did you come across it? No, don’t tell me, for I have a theory!”

  Frankie clapped, “Miss Meredith Marble always finds her culprit!”

  “And she’s yet to break a nail doing so”, my mother chimed in.

  The audience laughed again, a few claps circulating. Others had come to realize their part in all of this as the ignorant townspeople settling on a myth. The truth was never as colorful as an entertaining lie. I was pulling it apart piece by piece. Thankfully, Dimples gave me her full attention and indecision had hit. Elizar juggled his dice and Braeden was moments away from foaming at the mouth. They wanted to attack but I couldn’t afford that divergence. Killing Voldini would make everyone look like the monsters we were described as. I would change the story before he had the chance to do it for me.

  “I do believe that the heiress has played this town and its investors the fool. How embarrassing for otherwise reasonable people to fall back on such a charade! The Bog Queen didn’t take anyone’s husband away from marital bliss. Another lie on top of the original. For the heiress had killed him in jealousy! The heiress must always be in control to give the illusion of making this town safe”, I pointed the magnifying glass at Voldini.

  He seethed with a crack of his knuckles, “I will call upon powers you know nothing about to strangle the words from your throat! You have been a disturbance that is far past forgiving. A freak that is safer being choked by nature, by order, by a world that wants none of them outside of this tent! I keep people safe!”

  “What a temper you have, my dear heiress. If you weren’t afraid of your lies and hiding behind those you paint as monsters, then why be here now to face me instead of laughing it off? I do have another theory”, I lowered my magnifying glass, “perhaps, by chance, the only monster here is you.”

  “The Bog Queen was innocent”, Dimples said to herself, “the heiress was lying the whole time!”

  I brushed off Voldini and looked over to my best friend, “No one is safer by forcing others into a cage. If anything, it brings them closer to the Elder Fae instead of the humanity they fought for. That the Elementals fought for. I’m proud to have bigots like Mr. Voldini here consider me a freak because it means that my differences challenge his preconceived notions. It’s difficult to make a villain out of someone who doesn’t defer to his stereotypes.”

  “And having a trace of blood that once belonged to the Fae makes some of us stronger, able to protect others from bigger threats”, Elizar boomed, his voice direct and unflinching.

  “I’m proud of who I am because it brought me to the people I love most of all. If that makes me a freak then I embrace it with everything that I have. The ones who stay close to me accept who I am and would never change me. Half werewolf, half caster? No big deal when predators like Mr. Voldini kidnap and extort innocent people for his own profit”, I pointed a finger at his person, “and no town can remain ignorant forever. The heiress would steal and lie to get ahead. Is that the kind of individual you would listen to?”

  His reaction was swift. Voldini raised a hand to invoke malice from a magic most of us had never studied or could counter. He would have made a good show of it if Tippler didn’t spur into action. The fox bit deeply into his arm and dragged him down with it. Refusing to let go, the little four legged cowboy wrangled with his former warden as if he were bull riding at a rodeo. Voldini cried out in pain and wrenched himself away. The audience couldn’t muster a sound. By now, every one of them realized that this wasn’t an act. It was a full blown spectacle. Some investors had left before they could be identified and a small handful remained behind.

  “I’ve studied long and hard to dismantle those who get in my way. You will all understand an amount of pain previously undiscovered. The Fae reward the righteous!”, Voldini stumbled to his feet.

  “You talk entirely too much”, I complained.

  “And you’ll be the first I kill”, he said with the pounding together of his fists.

  The ring shook and the audience got up in a panic. Braeden lunged and dark purple tendrils caught him in a vice grip. Max, having let the Wolf take over him, went into aggressive mode. His attack was met by another kink in the hose that ensnared his form. The vines that spurred from the ground wrapped tightly around his body, constricting it. Elizar moved in to protect me and put up a barrier that got shattered with another joining of fists from Voldini. I transitioned my magnifying glass back into a wand and drew runes in front of us. It was a second too late and Elizar paid the price for it. He was lifted up by vines that promised to crush him. A path was made clear for Voldini to kill me now.

  He cracked his knuckles again and kicked Tippler away. The fox rolled in a yelp and met with vines. This was magic that had no modern counter measure. None of us were old enough in spirit or knowledge to stop him. I had made some contingency plans for the evening, but none of them involved death. Voldini would make me pay for my involvement in this. His circus may never recover but his desire for my blood would. He charged forward and, suddenly, jerked backwards with a force my hands could never be capable again. He desperately clawed at the dirt on the floor of the ring to gain leverage. His efforts failed and he was dragged to the center where Dimples waited. A white energy came from her stone fingers and trapped Voldini in its glow. He struggled to get away but it was no use. Dimples motioned with her hands to wrap him in this newly summoned energy.

  “I’m a
n Elemental that was here long before your bastardized magic started bullying its way around Iverli. I hope you enjoy a life with no powers, you monster. You’re the most memorable act of this dead circus”, she threw him high into the air and then released him in a gust of wind.

  Voldini fell with a thud and the remaining audience that were glued to their seats started to gawk at him. There were a few who had recorded the downfall on their phones and it would be all over the internet in an hour. The gold driven warden of the circus, the man who kidnapped and conditioned minds to believe they were a danger to the world, had lost his power. He tried to bring back the vines as they released my friends to gain back the control that had slipped through his fingers. Not born a caster, it so easily fizzled away. In blind outrage, he started to tear out pieces of his thinning hair. It had all come to nothing. He was back to the overlooked human who had wasted years letting a sinister power overtake him. Vader Voldini would be remembered for the wrong reasons.

  “If you want someone to blame, look at the investors! I have names and can tell you who sits on the Council and helped fund me! They knew what I was doing to get my performers and didn’t care”, he raced around the ring, “See their faces, tell the news that one! The Great Voldini only wanted to entertain and they wanted to line their pockets!”

  I sat down next to Dimples, “Not a good idea to mess with the Council. They’ll arrest him on some bogus charge tomorrow. How do you think he’ll fare in their jail?”

  “He could find true love and hook up with one of those sad ladies that marry death row prisoners”, Dimples giggled loudly now, “and live his life in a very small cage. That’s what he gets for trying to hurt my friends. Only an idiot would mess with an Elemental.”

  I removed the last remaining feather on her back, “So you’re starting to remember?”

  Dimples hobbled into my lap, “Nope. I don’t think I ever will and I may never find out why I waited so long only to show up in the body of some garden statue. I just know that, no matter what this means, I know who loves me through it. I think that’s the best kind of magic.”

  I tossed off my headband, “I’m glad that you came to your senses. I don’t want to dress up like Meredith Marble and imitate your greatest hero again.”

  Dimples laid her little hand on my cheek, “You’re my greatest hero, Abbie. Meredith Marble just makes a close second.”

  My hand went over hers, “This performer is ready to go home.”

  Voldini was worrying away the remnants of his mustache and paler than Ian. My spirit guardian had Tippler again and the rest of the performers started to come out. One of the investors cornered Voldini and, if possible, made him pale even more. I didn’t need to hear the words exchanged to know the gist of it. No one publicly shamed the Council without paying for it. Voldini could no longer use his magic thanks to Dimples intervening and the circus tent would get torn down. Elizar sat next to us as Braeden walked alongside Rynna. She avoided watching Voldini fall from grace.

  “You put on quite a show, Abigail”, she sighed, “and I’m sorry that I missed it. I have a lot to do and I guess we can stick around in this tent to pack things up. Vander won’t be in a position to stop us. I’m not just a Seer, after all, and my magic just isn’t of the vanity nature.”

  Max was back in control of his human identity and had clear control as he picked up where she left off, “I’m glad that I don’t have to fight abyss atrocities anymore. It got old and I’ve bruised every rib possible on multiple occasions. Helps having a mender around.”

  “We’ll find a new place. I can see parts of the future and it has to lead us somewhere”, Rynna said with reassurance.

  Alexei clanked into view, “I’ll help you settle.”

  “You can always come back to my territory. I’ll protect you”, Braeden said to Rynna, “no scientist or greedy Council member will get their hands on you. That, uh, goes for your friends, too. Already gave Max the invitation.”

  Max smiled, something he hadn’t done in a very long time, “I found a pack to accept me. I never thought that would happen and I’m hoping that I won’t screw it up.”

  “The outside world can surprise us”, Alexei stated.

  Rynna stroked the side of Braeden’s face with clear affection, “I’ve seen that we’ll cross paths again in the future. Right now, I plan to help Alexei find a good place to be happy and reach out to a zoo for our sea muck.”’

  “Don’t forget the catarachnid! He would love a lush zoo filled with places to climb”, Alexei motioned above our heads.

  My eyes widened, “I had only seen him once and forgot about him! Where has he been?”

  Rynna waved up at the spider with a cat’s head, “He’s always watching us. Only a can of tunafish or catnip can bring him down.”

  “And the seamuck will thrive around other animals”, Alexei assented.

  “Where is the little guy?”, Braden sniffed the area, “Found him. He’s coming toward us now, must be a smart dude.”

  “I should get that dress I changed out of so he doesn’t slime it up”, I headed for the slutty number I had enchanted originally.

  Elizar pulled me back into a hug, “Don’t worry, we’ll get it before we go. I’m sure the seamuck will go around it anyway. Braeden said he’s most likely smart.”

  “Here he is. Awww, the little bronco is so excited that his lil’ muzzle is ready to roar”, Tippler motioned with his paw.

  Rynna waved to him, “We would never forget about you, my friend!”

  “He isn’t veering from his course”, Braeden worried.

  The seamuck flapped his fins together and gave a happy little roar for the affection. He had less bear in him and more playful seal. His trail of slime was thick and copious. I saw him go for the dress and didn’t move fast enough. He happily slid right over it, layering the thin and skimpy material in heavy slime. I wanted to be mad but I couldn’t possibly be when I saw his excitement. Even he would have a home where he could be safe. The catarachnic skittered by on the thin silvery rope of thread. Everyone had something new to experience and I wanted to see it through for them. I couldn’t make their choices but I could promise friendship.

  We said goodbye to the circus and I noticed Braeden linger behind. He was making a more obvious plea for Rynna to stay on the territory where he could protect her. I didn’t need to ask why he did it. Werewolves formed a bond and it was their own kind of magic. I had felt it too and I was practically in a panic over what Elizar would say. Being more diplomatic and verbose, it shouldn’t be a hardship to explain how it worked. Braeden’s favorite words were profane and of the four letter variety. He could need my help. I prepared to head back and Elizar stopped me with a gentle laugh. I lightly slapped his shoulder.

  “If Braeden says the wrong thing or gets frustrated, he’ll start swearing and could ruin something good with Rynna”, I lowered my voice in an attempt to sway him.

  Elizar lifted the corner of one lift with amusement, “Always out to help your friends even when you’re exhausted. If Rynna will accept his invitation, and him, then it will be because they’re suited for one another. Exactly as they are.”

  “Even if they had a bond that complicated it?”

  “I don’t follow. Derrick, invisible gods rest his soul, didn’t have any kind of bond. Never talked about it with me either”, Elizar remembered.

  I filled him in, “Because a werewolf bonds for life. The long term. They can sleep with people and never form the bond. I didn’t with Braeden. He didn’t with me. When it happens, then it’s this powerful force that’s like nothing else in this world.”

  He placed a hand on each of my hips and brought his lips closer to mine, “And you know about this first-hand?”

  Before I could answer, Tippler was pawing at my foot. I was glad to be saved from a situation that I hadn’t rehearsed. Unlike facing Voldini in a back and forth of two minds, this wasn’t a battle. I wanted to say the right things and make a generally non-monogamous w
arlock with a colorful sexual history understand why being with only me for a mortal eternity was a good thing. I was so sure of it now and the draw the bonding brought me. Elizar wasn’t a werewolf and may never understand how deep it could go. Tippler was ready to distract us both and take me away from my mental acrobatics.

  “So Rynna is free now and will try and find her place”, he looked guilty, “and I don’t reckon a good friend would just leave her in the dust. Was hopin’ she’d stay with badass Braeden over there and shack up nice. I could see it workin’. She has her mind set on seeing everyone through.”

  “And you want to be there for her during it”, I surmised.

  “I know I promised to be yer familiar, witch vow or whatever, signed with a drop of expensive whiskey! I just can’t turn my back on her. She took care of me fer a long time and this cowboy wants to return the favor”, he wiggled out of his little stetson, “will ya keep this? If I ever can, if Rynna ends up safe and on the good side of life, I’ll come back to you.”

  “You don’t have to feel the need to do that, Tip.”

  He pushed his wet nose against my chin, “I want to. I think I’d really like being yer familiar and livin’ the fast life. Yer mom’s a drag but some of yer other friends are mighty nice.”

  “You know where I’ll be”, I kissed one of his ears, “stay safe in your journeys with her.”

  He hopped down and padded at a slow pace back to Rynna. I placed my head on Elizar’s shoulder and observed Frankie hugging Dimples like never before. The animated garden gnome – now known to be an Air Elemental – hugged her right back with happy laughs. Frankie was crying but it came from the relief of a heart put back together. Our family was getting bigger all of the time and it somehow made me feel more complete. My twenty-fourth birthday started with a bang but a lot of change had come with it. One of the best changes had just wrapped his arm around my waist. The bad boy with the arrogant smile and the underhanded magical tricks to maneuver around the rules. The one who had shown me another side of him that could be strong for me, that could cherish me. The bond made sense.