Warlocks & Warfare_A Grimmer Legacy novel

by Eleanor Rousseau

  “That’s incredible, you’ll have to tell me what materials you used,” said mum with awe.

  “You know, I will get right on that.” I took Jay's arm and led him over to the office I shared with Tia.

  We were almost to the door when the elevator dinged.

  “That’s probably Avon, be right back.” I was worried about what might happen if he ran into my mother without any form of protection.

  “I’ll message Felix.”

  I shot him a smile before jogging back to main reception. “Good afternoon,” Avon was greeting my mother with a handsome smile.

  She signed almost wistfully, “Back in my day-”

  “Mother!”

  Avon turned his amused gaze my way, “There you are, little one.” He caught my hand and pulled me closer. He kissed me heatedly for a brief moment. Then he trailed a finger down the side of my face. “You changed colour.” He glanced down to see that the skirt had also changed.

  I was still catching my breath from the abrupt kiss and it took me a second to reply. “Yeah, kind of.”

  He raised my hand carefully to his lips, “It looks good.”

  My mother stepped closer suddenly, “What the hell happened there?” she asked, taking my hand from him and flipping it over.

  The scars were clearly visible beneath the clear film of healing gel. The skin had knitted together but pink scars still marred my palm.

  “Oh, I just cut myself, it was an accident,” I lied.

  “In the shape of an ancient Wiccan rune?”

  “In the what of a what?” I kept my tone light.

  “If you’ll excuse us, Mrs. Grimmer, I required the full and undivided attention of my mate,” said Avon, wrapping an arm around my waist and guiding me back the way I had come.

  “Thanks for the save,” I whispered.

  He squeezed my hip, “I don’t know what you're on about, I do require your full, undivided attention.”

  I met his suddenly serious gaze as we reached the door to my office. I was about to question him when Jay stepped out. “Felix wants to meet us in the library.”

  He hurried towards the bathrooms. I linked my arm with Avon’s and followed. We reached the disabled bathroom and Jay held the door open.

  Avon paused, “Really?”

  I waved him off, “You’ll see.” I nudged him inside and closed the door.

  “Linchpin,” said Jay aloud.

  “Why’s your password linchpin?” I asked.

  He shrugged as the ground began to sink. “What’s yours?”

  “October salmon... okay, you win. Mine’s weirder.”

  Avon rested both hands on my hips to steady me as the floor began to drop faster. He also growled a little.

  I glanced up at him, “You alright?”

  “Why not have a lift like a normal person?”

  I smiled, “We can’t risk people finding our books.” There were all kinds of ancient spell books and many other dangerous tomes down there.

  “Speaking of, memory wipe or binding spell?” asked Jay.

  I considered the question, “Binding spell.”

  He nodded, “Okay.”

  “I presume I will be the recipient of the binding spell,” said Avon.

  I smiled and tilted my face up to kiss his cheek, “It will only mean that you can’t speak to anyone about the location of the library of how you get to it.”

  “I suppose I should be grateful you don’t intend to wipe my memory.”

  “You should,” I agreed.

  He took my hands in his and studied the marks. “How do they feel?”

  “Still a little sore but much better. I should probably take the stuff off soon,” I murmured as the floor stopped moving and a door appeared.

  Jay opened the door to a small dank room about the size of a large closet with walls of grimy exposed brick.

  “I was expecting something a little more impressive,” confessed Avon.

  Jay just smiled and stepped out. Then he pried open the large manhole cover in the center of the room and dropped in on the floor. Where it had been there was a pool of crystal clear water but the room was so dark that it looked black. Jay saluted us before jumping into the pool and disappearing from sight.

  I stepped forward but Avon caught my arm, “No.”

  I quirked an eyebrow, “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t like it.” His jaw was set stubbornly.

  I rolled my eyes, “I’ve done this a million times, would it make you feel better if you went first?”

  He nodded reluctantly.

  “It’s just a portal, one much safer that the ones than move across realms.”

  He kissed me firmly. “If this kills me I’m coming back to haunt you,” he promised.

  “Just go.” I nudged him lightly.

  He growled but jumped through the portal. I laughed softly before hopping in after him.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Instead of hitting the floor warm arms caught me as I fell. I smiled up at Avon. “See, that wasn’t so bad.”

  He squeezed me gently, “I think I’ll live.” He set me carefully on my feet before glancing around, then glanced up at the pool of water that hovered above us. He studied his arms before looking me over, probably wondering how we were both dry. The answer was simple. Magic.

  “What are we looking for?” asked Felix.

  “I know, give me a few minutes.” I tossed my jacket onto one of the beat-up leather armchairs and leapt up to a part of the floor which was elevated. The room was circular and the part around the side opposite to the door was raised a few feet.

  The all the walls were covered floor to ceiling with shelves of books, punctuated by the occasional doorway. I reached a ladder and climbed up to the wrap around balcony.

  “What are you looking for?” called Jay.

  “Dragons. Make yourself useful and look up ancient Wiccan symbols.” I walked around the balcony to another ladder that I slid into the right spot before climbing and scooping up five books.

  Clutching the books to my chest I slid down the ladder. Beside the second ladder was a narrow metal slope. I sent each of the books down it before climbing down the ladder myself.

  “Why dragons?” asked Felix.

  “Because scales.”

  “Scales?” he asked.

  I walked over to where he sat and took his hand, lifting my shirt just enough to press his fingers to the scaled skin at my abdomen.

  “Exactly how much of your skin does this cover?” he asked, exploring the scales with his touch.

  “A small amount,” I said firmly. He caught the skirt material and tugged gently, “Ouch, stop that.”

  “Why is it attached to your skin beneath the scales?”

  “Hell if I know.”

  He grasped my waist and turned me, patting carefully at me. “Where else are the scales?”

  “I’ll leave that to your imagination.”

  “What makes you think dragon?”

  I glanced at Avon, “Apparently Witches were the first dragon riders.”

  “Of course, you are both creatures of the Moon Goddess.” He said that as if it should have been obvious.

  I opened one of the books, “How do you know that?” I asked.

  “I see more than most, child. Spirits talk.”

  Of course they did. Cryptic was Felix's middle name.

  “What am I looking for?” asked Jay.

  I raised my hand, “This.”

  He stepped closer, “May I?” I nodded and he carefully peeled away the hardened gel, I sucked a sharp breath through my teeth but said nothing. The skin beneath it was especially soft. After a moment he nodded, “Got it. You look into dragons.”

  He opened a book and began to flick through it.

  I went back to my own books. “Dragons, creatures of pure magic,” I read and I was immediately reminded of what the mage had said. Pure magic. “Breeds of dragons, dragon anatomy.” Useless.

  I flickered throu
gh pages, every type of dragon from every culture every imagined. Pretty, amazing creatures, but none of them relevant. I set the book aside and reached for the next, this one was titled, ‘Dragons, Myths and Legend’.

  I dismissed it for now and reached for the most promising looking. It was an old leather hand bound book... and it wouldn’t open. “Stubborn book,” I murmured. Stubborn was good, stubborn meant magical.

  I hummed softly and it jumped from my hands to the floor.

  “Hey!” I scooped it up. “You’re in our library. If you can’t let a Witch read you, who can you?” I leant down and licked the the pages. It jerked but I kept a firm hold on it this time. “Damn it.”

  “Little one, do you require assistance?” asked Avon, pressing himself against my spine. I was pretty sure he was more interested in copping a feel than assisting but I wasn’t about to complain.

  I shivered. “I don’t think you can help with this one.” I caressed the cover.

  He made a thoughtful sound and pulled the book from my grasp, lifting my shirt with the other hand. He pressed the spine of the book against the scales and it made a small ‘pfft’ noise.

  I took it from him and it fell open in my hands. I set it down and turned, wrapping my arms around his neck as I kissed Avon deeply. He quickly took control of the kiss, tilting my head back and pulling me closer as he dominated my mouth.

  He pulled away with a satisfied smile. “You’re welcome.”

  “Get a room you two,” growled Felix.

  I frowned. “How did you-”

  “I could hear the lips smacking. Now get back to work.” He was working on reading his own book. Due to his blindness, he had to enchant the books so the words created indents on the page that he could read through touch.

  I blushed and was thankful he couldn’t see it. Turning my attention back to the matter at hand, I looked at the book, it was hand written which was unsurprising given the age of the book.

  I believe we have made a grave mistake. The villagers should have known better than to hunt a dragon. It was young, no threat really. They tormented it for weeks after maiming it and keeping it capture. I feared another would come for it but what happened was far worse than I could have imagined.

  She arrived four days ago and upon seeing what had become of it she wept. She wept for hours, seemingly inconsolable. She was a creature of such beauty it hurt the hearts of all who saw her to witness her distress. I sat with her for a while and expressed my sorrow for the things my people had done.

  Her appearance was otherworldly, marks adorned her face, deep red in colour. She also wore leggings, very unusual for a woman but perhaps they were her riding clothes. Eventually, she looked at me and I had to wonder if she even understood the words I spoke.

  She walked to the creature. I called to her, warning her away but the creature, who had been so fierce against its captors, greeted her like a lost love. She touched the beast and collapsed at its side, singing softly it a language I had never heard. She caressed it’s poor broken wig and slowly, much to the horror of our people, it began to heal.

  As soon as the people saw what she was doing they tried to drag her away. The beast realised they were taking her from him and rage filled him, the likes of which I have never experienced and hope to never experience again. It breathed fire across half of the village, killing most of us.

  Never before had it wielded fire against us, not even to save itself. Yet this seemingly human woman inspired it to such levels of destruction. She should have been killed too but when things settled she still stood proud, completely unscathed but her shirt was torn and burnt. She ripped it from her body, revealing perfect flesh, parts of which was covered in silver scales, almost identical to those the beast wore.

  “Kia?”

  I blinked, tearing my gaze from the page and stopping my pacing to look over at Jay.

  “You okay?” he asked, glancing at the skirt which had turned from green to silver.

  “Mmm,” I murmured in response, turning my attention back to the page, inexplicably drawn to the words on the page.

  She balled up the material and approached the enraged dragon in a shocking feat of bravery. She raised the material to its huge maw and it began to relax almost instantly. It sniffed the material and nuzzled her with a tenderness I would never have guessed it capable of. They left and the remaining villagers were too panicked to every try and stop them.

  I closed the book, not because it was over but because I needed to process. I placed it down on a table and took a few steps away from it.

  “Did it bite you?” teased Avon.

  “No, I just need a little distance.” I felt overwhelmed all of a sudden.

  “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” said Jay suddenly.

  I turned to face him, thankful for a brief distraction. “What have you got?”

  “It’s a purification rune, one with connotations of night time and the moon. Often used in ceremonies but not often carved into the skin, at least not by anyone sane.”

  I nodded thoughtfully. “I guess that makes sense.”

  “And yours?” he asked.

  I bit my lip, “That’s the one,” I pointed to the book.

  He frowned, “Then why are you acting like it’s got rabies?”

  “Dragons, they are extinct, most people don’t believe they ever existed. Do I really want to learn about some kind of symbiotic relationship I’m supposed to have when it can never happen?”

  I shouldn’t have been so worked up about it but when reading the journal I had felt the dragon's pain, felt his love for his mistress, his fear that she would be harmed. It didn’t really make much sense, I didn’t sense any kind of magic working on my emotions. I looked back at the book as a realization struck me.

  “I’m going to throw up.” I darted to the bathroom just off from the library and proceeded to empty my guts into the porcelain bowl.

  Warm hands pulled my hair back as I deviated between throwing chunks and sobbing softly. Goddess, throwing up sucked.

  “I bet this throws a wrench in your whole plans to buy a home test with cash,” said Jay from the doorway.

  I laughed hoarsely even though my throat felt raw. “Avon, honey, could you give me a moment?” I asked softly.

  I could almost feel his reluctance but I kept my forehead pressed to my forearm. I just- I needed a moment to compose myself. His hand squeezed my shoulder after a moment and he pulled away, “I’ll be the other side of the wall,” he promised.

  “Thank you,” I murmured.

  I took a moment to recover before flushing the toilet, moving stiffly to the sink and rinsing my mouth thoroughly before cleaning my face. “That was embarrassing,” I murmured, resting my forehead against the cool glass of the mirror.

  “You want to tell us what happened or do I actually need to go get that test?”

  I sighed heavily as I glanced over at my brother, “It’s not leather,” I said softly.

  “What?” he frowned, glancing back to the library.

  I closed my eyes, “The cover, it’s not leather,” I repeated.

  He gasped in understanding. “What did you get from it?”

  “Too much.” I took a deep breath and rubbed my face.

  “You’re okay now?” he asked.

  I was so very far from okay. “Yeah,” The lie slipped easily from my lips.

  He glanced away and there was an awkward moment of silence. “I think you hurt his feelings,” he said finally.

  I gave a hiccupy laugh, “I didn’t mean to.”

  He gave a half shrug, “I don’t think Daemon’s get grossed out the way we do.”

  “Daemon or not, nobody needs to see me that way.”

  “Yet I get the privilege?” He grinned, though his eyes were still shadowed with concern.

  “I don’t care about you, you probably saw me throw up all the time as a baby.”

  “Actually the twins were much worse for that than you were.”


  I smiled, “They’re much worse for everything than I am.” I sighed softly. “I think I should go home,” I murmured, biting my lip and resting a hand on my stomach which felt raw.

  “Of course, we can pick this back up whenever you wish. I believe there’s mouthwash in the cabinet, you finish up here and I’ll perform the binding on your mate.” He shot me one last smile before disappearing from view.

  I found the mouthwash and used it, several times. Then I wondered idly why it was here. I suppose they had been a few nights I had spent inside the library. Others must have done the same, with added precautions, such as dental care.

  I washed my face again and dried it before stepping back into the library.

  “Are you alright, dear?” called Felix.

  “Super,” I told him.

  “Little one.” Avon took my hand and raised it to his cheek. His expression held deep concern, “Are you well?”

  I waved him off with my free hand, “I’m fine, how about you, want to tell me how we got down here?” I asked.

  He smiled a little, “Thanks to your brother I am now unable to.”

  I smiled, “It’s really for the best,” I assured him.

  “I don’t doubt it. You wish to return home?” he asked, studying my expression with a concerned gaze.

  I nodded, glancing warily over at the book. Then I noticed the book he held, “What’s this?” I asked curiously.

  “I believe it may help assist in gaining control over your Glamour,” he said sheepishly.

  I took it carefully and opened it to the first page, a small symbol marked the corner, indicating it was safe to remove from the library. “We can take it with us.” It was a book on Daemons so I doubted there was anything he didn’t already know.

  “I’d like to take a quick blood test before you go, dear,” said Felix.

  I screwed up my nose, “Okay.”

  Logic would tell you that a blind man shouldn’t be allowed to stick a needle into someone's arm. Felix didn’t often take logic into consideration. I sat at the desk and presented him with my arm. He pulled out a needle and I decided it was in my best interests to look away.

  I felt a light pressure but not the pain of my skin being pierced.