by Holly Evans
“I missed you, too, Kitten,” he murmured in my ear before he kissed me tenderly.
We had decided to keep our relationship the way it had been for the last four or more years. When we were in the same city, we didn’t sleep with other people unless it was part of a threeway we were both partaking in. When we were separate, we acted as free agents. It was working beautifully for us, and I saw no reason to change it.
“How have you guys been?” he asked Erin and me as he filled the spare bowl with chips and mini meatballs.
Wispy slowly floated up out of his own bowl and hovered over Logan’s, inspecting it.
“Sorry, little guy, nothing in there for you,” Logan said with a smile as he stroked the wisp.
Wispy let out what sounded suspiciously like a long-suffering sigh before he settled down on Erin’s shoulder.
“You live such a hard life,” she crooned at him.
He let out a rumbling sound in response.
“I know, it’s awful,” Erin said.
Logan and I shared a look before we laughed.
“Kaitlyn’s been going mad. She snuck around the hedgewitch gardens last night. She was trying to catch wild magic a few nights before,” Erin said brightly.
I shrugged and took a drink of my wine. The tannins were light, leaving the main flavour to be blueberry and oak. It was very drinkable.
“I was bored and desperately needed some form of adrenaline. The hedgewitches are infamous for their protections on their plants, and it seemed like a bit of fun. I wanted to know what they were guarding,” I said.
Logan laughed. “You don’t even know that much about plants, Kit, you wouldn’t have known something valuable anyway.”
Elle was climbing a treacherous cliff with a forbidding fortress at the top, and I was rather jealous of her in that moment.
“I can look and see, though, even if I don’t know what exactly I’m looking at,” I said.
Logan kissed my temple.
“Don’t worry, Kit, Fein will have something for you soon,” Logan said soothingly.
“He’s going to discuss my work arrangements with me on Monday,” I said with a sigh.
I rested my head on Logan’s chest as he wrapped his strong arm around my shoulders. The stresses of the week slowly slipped away as I revelled in his presence.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine, and I hope you’re right, Logan. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to keep her out of trouble,” Erin said with a grin.
Logan laughed.
“You really have your work cut out for you, there. Kit has a way of finding trouble.”
Erin have a small shrug, her eyes dancing as she smiled.
“There are worse jobs,” she said, her eyes darting between me and Logan.
The desire to reach out and run my fingers through her hair bubbled up. I blamed it on the wine, and given her reaction after we slept together last time, it wasn’t something I planned on repeating. We’d formed a good friendship since then. I saw no reason to damage that. Good friends were incredibly hard to come by, especially in my line of work.
4
Logan and I didn’t get out of bed until late the following afternoon. We’d been living with Erin long enough that we wandered into the kitchen in nothing more than sleepwear. Erin did the same when we were all up in the mornings. I’d initially been worried that we wouldn’t be able to relax around each other, and I was glad that wasn’t the case. Logan made a large pot of coffee with cardamom, something he’d picked up on his last trip. I smiled and piled our plates high with pastries from the Selkie bakers before I settled down on the couch. Being housebound wasn’t so bad when I had Logan for company.
Wispy began flying circles around the living area at high speed the moment I raised my coffee to my lips for that first glorious sip.
“You’ve been fed, and Erin offered to take you out earlier; you chose to sleep,” I told him.
He began whizzing from me to the closest window and back again. Logan and I shared a look before we followed him to the window. It took me a moment to see the problem, but there were three cats sitting on the edge of the roof across the road. Each was sitting rigidly, looking directly at our apartment.
“Familiars?” Logan asked as he wrapped his arm around my waist.
“I’d bet on it,” I said.
I held my hand out with the palm up, and Wispy settled himself against it while chittering and huffing.
“I know, sweetheart, I’ll mention it to Tyn and see how much shit I’m in,” I said softly.
I hated leaning on Tyn and, truth be told, Fein like that, but I couldn’t afford to get into a war.
“I didn’t even take anything!” I said with exasperation as I settled back onto the sofa.
Logan kissed my temple and handed me my coffee.
“We’ve been in worse situations, Kit,” he said gently.
“At least I’d taken something then!” I said with a laugh.
Wispy nuzzled against my cheek and wriggled under my tangled hair, trying to soothe me.
“It’s ok, Wispy, I’m not upset, just frustrated,” I said.
“How on Earth can you still be frustrated after your marathon last night?” Erin asked with a grin.
She had her arms full of what smelled like amazing food. Logan and I both went to help her bring it all in.
“You’re spoiling us,” Logan said with a smile.
“I saw the familiars. Two of them tried to squeeze in the building door behind me. I thought you could use some good food and wine as a distraction,” she said.
When Erin was stressed, she cooked. On one hand, I hated seeing her stressed. On the other, she was the most amazing cook.
“I’m texting Tyn to see if there’s anything I can do to make this little problem go away,” I said.
“Oh, he’s joining us for dinner, you might want to get some clothes on before seven,” Erin said distractedly as she pulled out what looked like small jars of spices.
I looked around for a clock and found I had just over an hour to make myself presentable.
“Joining me for a shower, Kit?” Logan whispered in my ear as his hand slipped down over my hip.
I gently bit his bottom lip.
“I’d love to,” I whispered back.
A glance in Erin’s direction told me she was entirely oblivious, humming a tune I didn’t recognise as she lined up her ingredients for her meal. Logan had already put the pastries away so we didn’t spoil whatever she was cooking. With that taken care of, we headed off for a hot shower.
Erin had prepared a full three-course meal with a mix of Sidhe, local, and nymph cuisine. She’d paired it with a trio of wonderful wines. The whole thing came together to form an evening full of laughter and joy. Tyn relaxed and admitted that he was far happier now that he and Fein were together. They were taking things very slowly, but he practically glowed when he talked about the elf. It took until the bottom of the fourth bottle of wine for Erin to finally say what had bothered her so profoundly.
“I’m worried I’m going to lose my job and this wonderful life I’ve built,” she said out of nowhere.
We all looked at her with a mix of concern and confusion.
“Why would you lose this?” Tyn asked.
She sniffed and pointed at the window where the familiars had been seen.
“The hedgewitches are going to put a hit on Kaitlyn, and if they don’t succeed then Fein will fire her on Monday,” she said forlornly.
My jaw dropped.
“I can handle a bunch of hedgewitches, and even if Fein does fire me, then I’ll find us both a good job. You’re the best assistant I’ve had.”
“She’s the only-” I kicked Logan in the shin to stop him from finishing that sentence.
“Fein’s not going to fire her, either,” Tyn said gently.
She frowned at him. “You’re sure? Even with the meeting on Monday?”
Tyn laughed. “I’m sure. Relax, your job and life are
both safe.”
“I really should deal with those damn hedgewitches, though, I can’t stay cooped up here all the time,” I said.
“And Fein won’t do much, given you brought this on yourself,” Tyn said with a smirk.
I stood up and set my shoulders back. The room spun a little. That wine had a kick to it.
“Then I will solve the problem. Tonight!” I said.
“Maybe tomorrow would be better, Kit,” Logan said as he twined his fingers with mine.
I narrowed my eyes at the increasingly wobbly room.
“Tomorrow!” I declared.
“Tomorrow!” Erin echoed.
Tyn and Logan shared a look, and each shook their heads.
“I’m staying on your sofa tonight, to make sure you don’t stir up more trouble before the morning,” Tyn said.
I shrugged and sat down in Logan’s lap. Now, if only I could figure out what exactly I was going to do about the hedgewitches.
5
We had gone through a further four bottles of wine before we headed to bed. I popped a small strawberry-flavoured hangover tablet with my lavender lemonade (being an alchemist had its upsides) and paced around the living area, trying to decide on the best course of action. The witches clearly weren’t going to leave me alone until there was some form of confrontation. I could go to Fein with my tail between my legs and ask him to help. I hated that idea and scratched it without giving it any further thought. I could march over there with a selection of alchemical aids and force them to back off, or I could try and be a bit more diplomatic about it. I was torn between the two.
Tyn had slipped out at some point before Logan and I got up; Erin was still sleeping off the copious amounts of wine she drank the night before. I put one of the hangover tablets out for her with a note telling her to take it before food and she’d be happy and healthy within ten minutes.
Logan wrapped his arms around my waist and smiled down at me.
“Pacing isn’t going to solve this, Kit.”
“I’m shit at politics,” I said, leaning my head on his bare chest.
He ran his fingers through my hair, carefully detangling my wild curls.
“Sometimes the best solution is the simplest one. Why don’t you head over there and talk to them?”
He sounded so damn reasonable.
“I don’t have a better plan. I could plant a few drake-scale bombs around their perimeters, but blowing them up seems a bit extreme.”
Logan laughed. “Just a little.”
“But they are being completely unreasonable, and I have to wonder just how far this will go if I don’t push back,” I said with a sigh.
Logan didn’t answer me, his fingers moving slowly through my hair as he let me think it through. If I did go over there with some heavy-hitting alchemy, then there was a risk of their retaliating, and before I know it, I have a full-scale war on my hands. How far would that go? Fein would fire me, of course. Would I have to leave the city? The country? And how would that affect my reputation? I groaned. Logan was right, of course. I’d have to try and be diplomatic.
“Alright, I’ll talk to them. After coffee.”
We continued with our little breakfast routine. Logan made the coffee, and I filled our plates with pastries. We were running low. I made a mental note to stop in the Selkie bakery on the way back home. A glance out the window told me the familiars were still there, glaring at the apartment. I resisted the urge to stand and glare back at them. It was petty and wouldn’t get me anywhere. It was just the feeling of being cooped up getting to me; it was making me foolish. Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself and prepared a little speech about how I hadn’t taken anything, and I was sorry if I’d caused any damage. It was going to be fine.
Logan had said it would look better if I showed up alone. Logan was an intimidating guy when he wanted to be, and I was perfectly capable of looking after myself. I pulled on my leather jacket and second-favourite pair of knee high lace-up boots and prepared to face the familiars.
A cluster of six familiars had been waiting for me outside the building. I calmly told them that I was going to their mistress, and they allowed me to walk without harm. A few people gave me very strange looks as I walked down the path with the cats following close behind me. Surely, I wasn’t the only one who had been subjected to such treatment?
The roads looked very different during the daylight. The thorny bushes and twisted metal gates that stood between the hedgewitches’ front gardens and the path stood out well enough. It took me a moment to think which door was the one I wanted, given I’d approached it from the gardens. One of the familiars began to growl and mew when I went to walk through the gate leading to the vivid green door. I took that to mean I had it wrong and went down the one with the pitch-black door. It would be the black one, wouldn’t it? The bushes on either side of the narrow path leading to the door were all vicious with long curved thorns and spiked flowers that threatened to drink my essence. Fortunately, none of them made a move in my direction. I’d have had to defend myself, and that would not have helped my situation.
The door opened to reveal a dark interior full of dried plants. The witch stepped into the doorway. She wasn’t at all what I’d expected. She was a middle-aged nondescript woman with mousy hair and bright floral-print clothing. Hedgewitches were supposed to be young and beautiful where they used their familiar’s magic to sustain them. The gaunt young man behind her had dull yellow eyes and an expressionless face. I’d wager she’d used him up and would dispose of him before Monday, the poor soul. My mind flicked back to Gunnar and Dante, how much the Icelandic witch and wolf had loved each other. There was no such love present here.
“You’re the one who stole from me,” the witch said as she crossed her arms.
I smiled politely.
“I’m afraid I didn’t steal anything, I merely looked.”
The witch’s gaze hardened and her familiar whined behind her.
“You trespassed.”
The crackle of her magic, or more accurately her familiars’ magic that she had stolen, passed over the plants around me. They began to stir and writhe around me.
I lifted my chin and carefully opened the pouch to my fire powder. I wasn’t going to be intimidated.
“You will give me a vial of your blood,” the witch declared.
“I will do no such thing. That is far too high a payment,” I said.
She levelled a glare at me; her familiar shrank away.
“Two threads of your alchemy.”
“No.”
She bared her yellowed teeth at me, and the vines around me began to thrash threateningly.
“You’re Fein’s pet?” she asked.
I took a steadying breath. I was no one’s pet.
“I work for Fein.”
“Then you will bring me a cutting of his silver flame daisy. And if you deny me that, I will be within my rights to take your life.”
‘Within her rights’ seemed very unlikely, but it was my last chance at a peaceful resolution. The cat nearest me had begun trembling; the others had vanished.
“Fine,” I ground out.
She grinned victoriously.
“Have it here by sunset.”
With that, she slammed the door, and the cat near my feet keeled over. I looked around. What on Earth was I supposed to do about the familiar? How had I come out of this situation worse than I’d gone in?
Gods be with me, I hated politics.
6
I’d decided to leave the familiar where it was for fear of being charged with kidnapping the poor thing. I texted Fein, asking where he was, and rang Logan to tell him what had happened.
“Are you sure it was entirely your idea to explore those gardens, Kit?”
I paused and frowned. Of course it had been, hadn’t it?
“You think they set me up?”
“It’s not unlikely.”
“Surely I’d have noticed?”
I’m an alc
hemist. I’d have felt the threads of magic as they did the working, wouldn’t I? The hedgewitches didn’t let outsiders near their magic, so maybe they had a way of hiding it?
“They’re said to have all sorts of tricks.”
I sighed.
“Well, I can’t undo it now. I’ll resist any further urges to explore their property, though.”
“Sounds like a good plan. I have two boxes of pastries, see you soon?”
“I’m stopping by Fein’s office, wish me luck!”
“Good luck, stay safe.”
“You, too.”
I hung up just as I approached Fein’s house. He was in his office. I’d hoped that he’d be out on a nice romantic date with Tyn, but I wasn’t sure if the Cait Sidhe was quite up to that level of intimacy and affection yet.
Isla opened the door and led me down the hallway in her customary pissy, silent manner. She’d barely said a word to me, and yet I disliked the elf. There was the distinct impression that she didn’t like me, and I had no idea why. I pushed the concerns aside and focused on looking innocent and chastened for Fein.
Fein was leaning back on his desk with a smile on his face and his arms crossed. He was wearing casual linen trousers with a loose shirt rolled up at the sleeves. I thought that was the first time I’d seen him out of a suit.
“The hedgewitch wants a cutting of my silver flame daisy,” he said brightly.
I stopped dead in my tracks. How on Earth had he known?
He laughed. “They’ve been trying to get that cutting for years. It’s hardly a surprise. I’m going to offer you a deal, Miss Felis, and you’re going to take it, because you’re a bright woman.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh, I am, am I?”
He pushed off from his desk and picked up what looked suspiciously like a contract in one hand, and a cutting from a very delicate silver plant on the other.
“I am going to give you this cutting, in return for your agreeing to this contract. You will work for me for the minimum of a year. During that time, you will work very hard in the lab for two continuous months for every one treasure hunting trip. You will not get into or cause trouble within the city. Both Erin’s and Logan’s jobs will be secure as long as you abide by this contract.”