Witching Ways

by T K Eldridge

  “Grandma, the Macha…please, focus,” I said, my braid twisting in my fingers. I always twirled my hair or twisted my braid when I was anxious.

  “It was what the eldest witch was always called,” Grandma said with a shrug. “Nothing that tremendous.”

  “It is when it changes the whole context of some of the passages I’ve read. I just thought it had been a popular name or something. Not a title.”

  “How is Sin doing? Mira and the wee ones? How are Amelia and Andre doing with little Rohan? I need to come visit everyone soon.”

  Grandma’s desire to discuss everything except what I needed to find out about had me ready to pull my hair out. “Grandma,” I snapped, then closed my eyes and took a slow breath. “Everyone is fine. Mira and Sin are expecting another child. Now, if you will excuse me? I need to get down to the archives and re-read the passages where the Macha is mentioned.” I grabbed my bag, got to my feet, and gave her a brief bow.

  “I haven’t dismissed you, yet,” I heard behind me just as my phone rang.

  I answered and heard the Commander’s voice. “Siddie, we need you back here. Officer down, I repeat, officer down.”

  My heart stopped and I couldn’t breathe for a moment. “Is it Sin?” I choked out.

  “No, Sid. It’s Tasha.”

  “On my way,” I managed to get out and disconnected the call. “I have to go back. Officer down.”

  Grandma instantly went from Queen to Granny as she gasped.

  “No, it’s not Sin. It’s one of our team – Tasha Campbell,” I called over my shoulder as I raced for the exit. I paused near the main doors and turned to Seelah. “I’ve got an emergency at home. I can’t wait for the ferry, so I’m going to fly. I can fit my phone and keys in my pockets, but could you take this to my suite and make sure it’s safe?”

  Seelah nodded, took the bag, then gripped my shoulder. “Stay safe. Fly the ferry path so you’re not mistaken for prey by some of the Others that have come back.”

  Gah, I hadn’t even considered that a predatory bird could be considered prey, but I didn’t have time to suss out a new form. “Thanks, Seelah,” I said as I stepped outside and into the bushes near the door. I know, I’m still skittish about shifting in the open. I felt the magic wash over me, then thrust myself into the sky. I whispered mental pleas the whole way back that Tasha would survive.

  * * *

  I sat beside Sin in the hospital waiting room while the Commander paced out in the hall. Tino, Tasha’s brother, who we rarely ever saw in person, hugged his knees in a corner of the couch. Ian and Grizzell were out trying to track the person who’d shot Tasha, and the Commander was organizing things with his tablet and phone.

  “Do you know what happened?” I asked Sin.

  “I was out with Grizz, Ian was partnered with Tash. He’d just come back from his trip yesterday, so she didn’t have to pick a floater to go on patrol. They were over in Sorsyville, answering a domestic, while we brought Paul Forsythe over to Benny for pack justice.” Sin took a sip of his coffee and shook his head. “We’d just dropped him off when we heard the call come over the radio. We raced over there, Grizz went to help Ian, and I went to pick up Tino and bring him here.”

  “Who shot her?” I asked.

  “Leslie Brown, the woman the domestic had been called on. She’d taken a baseball bat to her husband, Calvin Brown, and their adult son, Chester, called us in. He said his mother had gone crazy and when her spells didn’t work, she picked up the bat and went after Calvin. He was dead when we got there, and she’d upgraded to a shotgun loaded with charmed slugs. Chester was taken to Sorsyville General, but the Commander wanted Tasha brought to Belle Cove because the trauma team is better.”

  “And with Ian out with Grizz, we can’t get the whole rest of the story?” I asked.

  “Ian and Tash got there, found Calvin and Chester on the front lawn, and managed to pull them to safety – but Calvin was already dead. Chester had two slugs in him, but could still talk. Tasha’s great at talking people down, so she got Leslie to come to the door and told her that Chester was still alive and that she still had a choice. Ian said he saw Leslie’s mouth move, then a blast from the shotgun, and Tasha screamed. Leslie barricaded herself in the house, or so they thought. When the rest of us showed up, Grizz shifted to his griffin shape and flew up over the house – and spotted Leslie taking off out the back. He landed, got Ian on his back, and took off after Leslie. I went to get Tino – and here we are.”

  The doctor met with the Commander in the hallway for a moment, then they both came into the waiting room. Doc went over to Tino. “Mr. Morales? Your sister came through surgery fine and is in recovery. You can see her once they get her settled into her room.”

  “Thank you, doctor,” Tino said, voice ragged. “Will she be okay after she heals?”

  “It’s too soon to tell. The charmed slug tore through the door of the SUV and shattered her clavicle and the upper end of her humerus, leaving metal debris in the wound. We rebuilt her shoulder, but it is going to take some serious healing and physical therapy before we can tell if she’ll be able to use her arm properly,” the doctor said. “Our magical healers worked with me in the surgery and the next team is in recovery with her, doing their best to give her the highest possible chances.”

  “We appreciate all you and your team have done, and are doing,” the Commander said to the doctor, then turned to Tino. “Do you want us to wait with you so you can see her?”

  “I’d like it if Sin could stay for a bit. I know she’ll want to see him, too,” Tino said.

  “You good with that?” the Commander asked Sin.

  “Of course. Whatever they need.” Sin turned to me and lowered his voice. “I need you to go to Mira so she hears from one of us what went down. I don’t need her freaking out, especially now.”

  “You’ve got it,” I said and went to Tino. “You call me if you need anything, got it?”

  “I will. Thanks, Sid,” Tino said.

  I left with the Commander and he put his arm around me. “Need a ride?”

  “Yeah, I flew from the palace to here. My ride is still at the docks.”

  “How about I take you there, then you can go to Mira?”

  “Sounds good. Ten more minutes aren’t going to make much difference,” I replied and got into his truck.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t lead with ‘it’s not Sin’ when I called. It was chaos and I wanted to get you here quickly in case Sin needed you,” Grampa said.

  “It’s fine. You let me know soon enough. Your call was timed well, anyway. Grandma was getting weird about me going to research the Macha. The call gave me a valid way to get out of there.”

  “That’s strange. Well, once this settles out, maybe I’ll come with you to talk to Margaret and meet this Archivist.”

  “I’d like that, Grampa.”

  * * *

  I got to the farm and parked my SUV in front of Mira and Sin’s place. Mira was on the porch with Reina in the playpen while Ethan played on the tire swing.

  “Auntie Siddie,” Ethan shouted and ran towards me.

  I scooped him up, twirled around and gave him a smacking kiss on his cheek. “How’s my favorite nephew?”

  “I’m your only nephew. So far. Mama’s cooking me a new brother or sister, but they’re not done yet. I have to wait until they’re a little more done,” Ethan said.

  I snorted a laugh and tickled him playfully before I put him down. “Go swing so I can chat with your Mama, okay?”

  “Okay,” Ethan yelled and raced back across the lawn.

  I went up and sat on the top porch step, back against the post, and looked over at Mira. “Sin asked me to come by and tell you what’s going on, so you wouldn’t worry. Tasha’s out of surgery and facing some long healing time, but she’s alive. Sin’s staying at the hospital with Tino until Tino can go see her, then he’ll take him home.”

  “Thanks for telling me,” Mira said. She had a thick book in her lap,
but I got the impression she really hadn’t been reading it.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “I’m getting there. Every time I hear ‘officer down’, my heart stops until I know it’s not Sin who’s lying in his own blood. Again.”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when that happened,” I said. I still felt guilty for being at the palace, doing what I loved, when my brother nearly died.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t awake when it happened. Reina finally fell asleep – she’d had a little cold for a couple of days and it messed up her sleep schedule. I was exhausted, and Leah had taken Ethan for a sleepover with Timmy – so I just lay down and passed out. I woke to the Commander pounding on my door, and Grams came in to watch Reina while I pulled on my shoes and went with him. I thought Sin had already died and they needed me to see the body or something. I couldn’t think straight and I couldn’t take a deep breath. My whole body was in shock.”

  “I can’t imagine,” I said. “I thought he was dead, too. I was frozen until I saw him in the sick room with Evelyn Rue at his side.”

  “And I couldn’t just leave the kids and stay with him. I had to try and keep to their routine and make sure they were fed and everything. Then your mother stepped in and helped, and with Grams, they gave me something new to focus on while we waited for Sin to wake up.” Mira patted the book in her lap. “I was trying to study and keep my mind off of it, but I think I’ve read the same page five times.”

  “I could’ve been more help,” I said.

  “You’ve got your own crisis you’re working on. I heard a little bit about how you’re digging into the ancient archives to try and find a way to fix the fluctuations?”

  “Yeah, and I’ve found some interesting bits of data, but I keep running into random brick walls with people that should be more willing to talk and help – and they aren’t.”

  “Like the Queen?” Mira said.

  “Yeah, like the Queen. I have to remember that she’s playing fae politics and while she’s my great-grandmother, that’s not at the top of her list when it comes to purpose and reason.”

  “Well said – and yes, something to keep in mind. Anyway, you’re sure Tasha’s going to live?”

  “Yes. Will she get full use of her arm again? We don’t know yet. Leslie Brown used a spelled shotgun slug that tore through the door of the SUV and then through Tasha’s shoulder.”

  Mira winced. “That sounds horrible. Did they catch her yet?”

  “Leslie? I don’t know. Ian and Grizz went after her, and Sin went to pick up Tino to bring him to the hospital. She killed her husband and her son had two slugs in him, but he’s going to live. Chester said she snapped when her magic didn’t work correctly.”

  “More reason for you to keep doing what you’re doing. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to want to do what you’ve always done – and have it not work. I think we forget that magic is a skill and an innate gift that needs to be taught and practiced, not something that just poof you have it and it all works all the time.”

  “Part of that is because we all live such long lifespans, I think we forget what it takes to become adept. I know I had forgotten some of it until we went to the Academy and had to learn new skills with our magic and shifting as if we were toddlers,” I said.

  “Hey, Sid?” Mira said. “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry for what?”

  “I’m sorry I haven’t made more of an effort to connect with you. From the time Ethan was kidnapped until we got Reina’s tattoo from the Queen, I felt like I was on a runaway train. Things did ease up some once we had a way to control her magic, but then I got lost in the day to day exhaustion of full time wife and mother – and a new career with your mom and Grams. I should have made more of an effort to reach out and get to know you.”

  I stared at Mira, then started to giggle.

  “What? What’s so funny? I’m being serious,” Mira said.

  “I had been trying to figure out how to apologize to you for not making you feel more welcome, and for not helping you out more. My whole world was upended when my parents were taken. I had my plans for law school and moving away and starting my own life – and everything was shredded into tiny bits, then stuck together like paper and spit into something completely different. Then I got poisoned, had my trust shattered, shifted my career focus yet again – I still feel like I’m on a hamster wheel and can’t catch up to myself.”

  “Let’s make a pact,” Mira said.

  “What kind?”

  “That we don’t let life drag us along. We set aside one day a month where you and I do something together, just the two of us. I don’t think I fully understood what it meant to be marrying a twin, but I’ve seen how you two are together and I want that to be a part of Sin’s life.”

  “And by strengthening our sister bond, we can help that. I like that idea,” I said.

  “Besides, one day a month away from the kids is something I can already tell you I’m going to need. I adore my growing family, but I don’t want to forget who I am when I’m not with them, y’know?”

  “I hear you. It’s not the same thing, but I felt like I had lost myself a bit when I became yet another Boudreau Fortin family member in the SPD. It’s not something I ever wanted for myself.”

  “But now?” Mira asked.

  “But now, I love what I get to do. I get new research projects all of the time, and I took enough pre-law classes that I understand better than the average person. Speaking of which, if you’re okay, I really need to get back to the archives. I had a lead on something, and ended up dropping everything when the Commander called.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll get dinner started in a few, and make sure there’s some for Tino. I know he’s not comfortable outside his place, so I’ll get Micah or someone to go leave it on his porch.”

  “That’s really sweet of you, Mira. Call me if you need me, okay?”

  “I will, sis. Be safe, and thanks for coming by.”

  I left Mira and the kids with a much lighter heart than when I’d arrived. It was nice, having a sister.

  Chapter Eleven

  Sin

  Three days after the shooting, I had a day off. I got up early, went to pick up Mira’s favorite pastries, some fresh fruit, and a few breakfast sandwiches, then came home and set it all out to surprise her. Fresh flowers from Grams’ shop were in a vase on the table and coffee brewed to scent the air enough to bring her downstairs before the kids were awake.

  “What’s all this?” Mira asked and I pulled her close to give her a kiss.

  “Me wanting to show my beautiful partner how much I adore and appreciate her,” I said. “Sit and I’ll get you some coffee. Don’t worry, it’s decaf.”

  “I hope you got high octane for yourself, though.” Mira said.

  “I can get that at the coffee shop or at the office. While here, I’ll drink decaf with you and make sure we get the good beans so you don’t feel like you’re being deprived.”

  “You’re so good to me,” Mira said as she took a bite of one of the breakfast sandwiches. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”

  “Everything is fine, love. I just felt bad that you shared some amazing news with me and we didn’t get to truly celebrate the addition to our family – and then you had to deal with the stress of that call.”

  Mira simply nodded, then took a sip of coffee before her gaze met mine over her cup. “…and?”

  I sighed. She knew me so well already. “And, I didn’t want you regretting getting Chosen by a cop.”

  “Being Chosen has nothing to do with our occupations,” Mira reminded me. “And I knew you were a cop when we met, remember? I came into this with my eyes wide open. Sure, I had a lot to learn about being a cop’s wife, but your family has been beyond supportive and loving, and your mom shows me every day how to handle things.”

  “Mom used to be a cop, too. Before they had us, both of them served in the SPD. Dad was still an active Agent Detective even while teaching, unt
il they were kidnapped and nearly lost each other.”

  “Your mom has told me, more than once, how happy she is he’s just running the Academy and not out on the streets any longer. I didn’t understand it at first, but now I do.”

  “Are you asking me to get off the streets?” I asked Mira.

  “No, not exactly. Would I rather you had a job where I didn’t have to worry about you getting shot at? Yes. Do I expect you to make a change at this point in your career? No. I understand that there is a process and that you have to do street work first. I just don’t have to like it, do I?”

  “I’m sorry. I will get off the streets at some point, but not for a while. I do love what I’m doing, most of the time. Being able to help families, help keep people safe, and get the bad guys behind bars is satisfying and makes me feel I’m helping my family as much as I’m helping others.”

  “And I get that. I do. But we swore we’d always be honest with each other, and I’m just being honest with you. I understand why it has to be this way right now – but I am looking forward to the day you’re not in the line of fire.”

  Ethan shuffled into the kitchen, hair sticking up all over. “I smell somethin’ good.”

  I went and scooped him up, gave him a snuggle, and plopped him in his chair. “Bacon, egg, and cheese bagel, some pastries, fresh fruit, and coffee.” I told him, and he giggled.

  “I can’t has coffee. I can has milk,” Ethan reminded me and Mira laughed.

  “Good boy. You can’t have coffee until you’re in high school.”

  “Yes, Mama, and I’m only in kindergarten so that’s a long, long ways away,” Ethan said as I put a cup of milk next to his plate. Mira dished up fruit and cut a sandwich into quarters, then slid it over to him. “You eat all of that, and you can have a pastry,” she said.

  “Want me to go get Reina?” I asked Mira.

  “Sure, if you want.”

  I leaned over and kissed her cheek, then headed upstairs to change Reina and bring her down for breakfast. She always woke up in a sunny mood, even if she was soaking wet, and this morning was no different. Finally, I had her in a clean outfit and dry diaper, both of us washed up as I tucked her into her high chair.