After he left, she and Chuck sat in her living room talking about what she had to do. She turned the vial of potion over and over in her palm. “Part of me wants to get it over with now. The other part of me wants one more night with you.”
“Babe, I want to be with you every night. Let’s get this over with and figure out our living arrangements. I have faith in you. With magic as strong as yours, everything will work out.”
Hildy nodded. “You’re right. It will all work out. Could you do me a favor while I get dressed? Go into town and tell everyone of shifting age who have experienced problems to come to my house. I want them here when the change happens so I can see it.”
“You do know that includes about everyone in Assley but me,” Chuck said.
Hildy laughed. “Then I guess it will be the first big party I throw at the house. Bring the cubs too. This affects them as well—maybe them, most of all. Tell everyone to be here at noon and not a minute sooner. This is an old-school casting. I need time to prepare. I’m only going to get one shot so it has to right.”
Chuck kissed her hard and only let her go when they heard the telltale sounds of shifters falling down the ramp in the basement. Shortly after, they heard George’s voice working to soothe them.
Hildy sighed. “I hired George to help me. He and the cats get along well. They behave better when he’s around.”
Chuck smiled. “George is a great guy, but not so great at fixing things, although he did do good on the shifter ramp covering the stairs.”
Hildy hugged her bear tight. “When I came here, I didn’t even want this life. Now I want all the craziness. I especially want you.”
“Babe,” Chuck said softly, lifting her face to look at his. “You’ve always had me. That’s never going to change. Focus on what you have to do. I’m not going anywhere.”
But after Chuck kissed her again and left, Hildy found herself worried more than she ever had about anything. Her confidence left the moment Chuck walked out the door.
Using him as an emotional crutch wasn’t going to cut it though.
She needed to go into this willing to risk everything—even spending her life with him.
Her casting area was cleansed of negativity, and her cauldron was consecrated and bubbling when two enormous red dragons landed in the road by her house. Nathaniel had obviously tattled to more than just the Goddess Morgana.
Hildy smiled and walked to greet them in witch-wear she knew the Jezibaba would approve of. She wore shiny black boots and a red and black leather mini-skirt. She’d topped the skirt with its matching red and black leather cropped blazer and a white gauzy tunic that floated against her curves with every breeze.
Around her throat, she wore an amulet of red jasper for grounding and protection. On her ears, she wore multi-jeweled earrings made with the full assembly of King Solomon’s breastplate stones. Everything she wore was both to guard her and to boost her courage. Now, if anything terrible happened, she would know she hadn’t died wearing nothing but a blanket.
She waited patiently while they both transformed into their human selves. “You didn’t have to come. I’ll be fine. It’s just a sorting spell,” Hildy chastised, hugging them both.
“A sorting spell?” Zenos snorted. “Nathaniel said yar fixing the shifter problem. The Dragon Council is in a tizzy over the strange goings-on. How they went from hating shifters to caring about them is beyond my understanding, but ya should have told us ya were working on a fix. Elenora and I would have helped ya.”
“Gaia is helping me,” Hildy said, knowing at least that one fact with absolute assurance. She looked at the Jezibaba—or Elenora the Dragoness, as she was known these days. “Isobelle, the other Baba Yaga witch, disrupted normal shifting with a confusion spell backed by dark magic.”
“So you found her at last,” Elenora said sadly.
Hildy frowned and shook her head. “More like she found me and set out to ruin my life. I’ll explain sometime, but it’s an unflattering story about a mistake I made. The bottom line is that I finally figured it all out.”
“Did ya kill the bad lassie when she showed up?” Zenos asked.
“No. Sorry to disappoint your bloodthirsty side, but I only froze her with your Ancient Latin spell. I needed Isobelle alive so she could tell me what she did. Nathaniel and Queen Leelu came and figured out the problem. Then Carol came and took her into custody,” Hildy explained.
Elenora stepped forward and turned Hildy to face her. She looked her up and down. “You look great. Under the concern I hear in your voice for what you have to do, I see true happiness. I assume you and your bear have worked things out.”
Hildy nodded. “Yes… and I learned a hard lesson about not over-reacting. That’s part of the longer story too.”
Elenora nodded. “Communication and patience are critical to a relationship, but hell on a woman’s ego, especially one who hates to admit when she’s wrong.”
Hildy giggled at the rare admission. “Speaking of mates… how is Professor Smoke?”
“Arrogant and as annoying as ever,” Elenora replied with a grin.
Hildy laughed. “Good. I don’t want anything else to change.”
Zenos pulled her away from Elenora and put an arm around her shoulder. “Now tell me, lassie. What do ya have to do?”
“Wait…” Elenora yelled. “Before you drag Hildy away, I need to fix her outfit.”
“Fix my outfit?” Hildy asked in shock, looking down at her clothes. “This is the best I’ve looked in years. You saw my infamous blanket dress last time you came to the cave.”
Elenora rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers to summon what she wanted. “The clothes you have on are great. It’s nice to see you looking so normal. However, you’re going to be calling on your witch powers as much as your healing ones from Gaia. You know you have to wear a witch’s hat to do that properly, Hildegard.”
Hildy made a face. “I know it’s recommended for casting, but it’s so… pointy… and mine is such an ugly shade of black. I wanted to look my best today and…”
“Cease the rationalizations, child… you will wear my Jezibaba hat. I enchanted it to give you some extra strength today. I want you to keep it for magic emergencies like this. Wear it out in the moonlight now and again to recharge it. Word to the wise—the hat likes dancing.”
Nodding in gratitude, Hildy smiled. Great, naked dancing while wearing a witch hat was now part of her future. Could her life get any more insane? She closed her eyes and reminded herself that she needed all the power she could get. “Okay. I’m done arguing about my stupid vanity. Thank you for the hat. It’s an honor to wear it for this spell.”
“You always were a smart woman,” Elenora said in approval.
She shook the triangle of black material she held until it popped open. With grand ceremony, she set the black hat on Hildy’s head. Stepping back to admire it, Elenora waved a hand and a red silk ribbon double-wrapped itself around the band.
“The sash now matches your outfit and that’s the best anyone can do with such an ugly hat. You at least rock it better than I ever did. Hopefully, you won’t need it often. I can’t believe I actually wore that thing. Seeing it on you makes me happier than ever to be a dragon now.”
“Thanks—I think,” Hildy said to stop the discussion. She more important things to focus on. She reached up and adjusted the hat so she could see past the brim.
“Don’t worry, lass,” Zenos told her, taking her by the arm to lead her back to the cauldron. “All anyone is going to be looking at today are those legs yar showing off. I say loosen yer tunic at the top and let yer girls flash a bit too. Make it a real show. Ya’ll be a star like no other when all that power comes round ya.”
Hildy smacked his chest. “Do not say any of that crap in front of Chuck. He’s pretty easygoing except when it comes to his freaking shifter king or me. I do not have time or energy to deal with his bear shifter rage today.”
“Right. We mustn’t poke at T
he Bear,” Zenos taunted as he shook his head. “I can’t believe you didn’t hold out for a dragon. A bear of all things, lassie…”
“I can believe it. Dragons are nothing but trouble,” Elenora interjected from behind them, shooting a glare his way. “Don’t be distracting Hildy with your stupid teasing. I’ll tell Celeste you’re making mischief again.”
Zenos snorted and glared over his shoulder. “Yar always blabbing to my mate. Ya take the fun out of everything, Elenora. I’m going to stop calling ya my kin if ya keep up this shite.”
Hildy laughed at their fussing and led her friends to the edge of her circle.
18
“Nice hat, Hildegard. Good thing someone in Asssssssley returned your All Hallows Eve costume. Well, at least you got some of your insanely expensive clothes back too.”
“Nice boob tube, Carol, but where are your boobs? I don’t see them,” Hildy shot back with a laugh. “Get out of my sacred circle. Your neon yellow outfit is disturbing the magic in my cauldron… and my eyes.”
“Two words—Baba Yaga. And two more—don’t have to,” Carol said, pointing to herself.
“That’s three words,” Hildy said sharply, instantly correcting her.
“Four without the contraction and I don’t care. When you’re the Baba Yaga, you don’t have to care what anyone thinks,” Carol said with a grin.
Zenos clapped his hands once. The loud resonating sound shushed everyone, including the assembled Assley shifters who looked at him in fear. His dragon side demanded the attention.
“Quit yer bitching and get to witching,” Zenos ordered sternly.
Their faces turned pink when even the Jezibaba laughed at the rhyming chastisement. Carol and Hildy glared at each other and then burst out laughing too.
“Looks like some things will never change,” Carol said in a near whisper.
“Don’t expect sympathy from me. I’m wearing the Jezibaba’s witch hat. She gave it to me—permanently,” Hildy explained when they sobered.
“Goddess, better you than me,” Carol whispered under her breath again. “At least you’re rocking it. I’ve learned to avoid wearing mine.”
“Thanks for nothing,” Hildy said with an eye roll, touching the brim. “Will you take care of…”
“No,” Carol answered quickly, cutting her off. “So don’t screw up the spell.”
Returning to Baba Yaga mode, Carol snapped her fingers and multiple bracelets appeared in her hand. “These are not cool rubber ones like I hoped, but they’re elven. They’re made of some metal they refuse to identify, but my understanding is that the metal amplifies magic. I don’t know what Isobelle used to amplify her spell because she still isn’t talking.”
“How did you talk the elves into making something like this for me? They don’t owe me anything.”
“Dude, I gave up my virginity to an elven Prince. That should worth at least a set of bracelets.”
“You guilted Iren into making me magical bracelets? I have no words.”
“It wasn’t because of our sexual past. Iren’s mate has made him forget all about me. He made the bracelets for you because he owes us both his life.”
Hildy smiled at Carol’s rare show of humility while her friend and witch sister divided the bracelets and slid them onto her wrists. They immediately adjusted to fit her perfectly. “I love the way elven things do that, and I can already feel them working.”
“Good. I wish I could lend you some of my power, but it’s not allowed.”
Hildy nodded. “I wouldn’t take it anyway. Thanks for the elven bracelets, Carol.”
Carol put her arms around Hildy and hugged her while all the residents of Assley drew in sharp breaths. “What?” she demanded, glaring into the crowd. “Get over it. We grew up together. Me hugging your healer doesn’t mean I won’t fry your asses if you cross me.”
Carol pushed away and straightened. “Okay. Showtime, Shifter Whisperer.”
Carol instantly disappeared from the sacred circle and appeared next to the Jezibaba who put her arm around her. Hildy laughed when the people of Assley started murmuring again about a dragon hugging the Baba Yaga.
Her legacy of friends was as strange as her life in this quirky little town. She wouldn’t trade that life for anything—except to fix all the shifters in the world.
I love you—never forget that, she sent to Chuck.
I love you too. Get it done, he sent back.
Hildy swept a hand over the cauldron and stirred up the magic brewing there. It rose in swirling green smoke that filled her sacred circle.
“Elements of earth I need you. Come heed this witch’s call,
Help me to heal the shifters who are magically enthralled,
Let the Earth’s four winds carry this healing far and near,
Great Mother send help to the one patiently standing here,
Help me resolve the confusion of your creatures who shift
And to banish the darkness causing his unnatural rift.”
Hildy paused in the spell and dug the sorting potion from her pocket. She uncorked it, stepped forward, and added the potion to the contents of the cauldron. Tiny silver balls of light soon rose into the green smoke.
To her, they were a bright promise of what could be. She recognized the healing in them. If the spell worked, those lights would multiply as much as needed and go out to find all the shifters in the world. Nathaniel was right. The werewolf witch was a gift to the world.
Inspired, Hildy tilted the precious sorting potion vial and poured the single remaining drop into one of her palms. She tucked the now empty bottle into a pocket, took one step back, and crushed the shiny silver droplet between her hands. After she’d done that, she lifted her palms toward the cauldron.
She felt the Jezibaba’s witch hat hug her head in anticipation and almost laughed. You could tell it was used to a witch going full-out with her magic. The elven bracelets tightened on her wrists and stole her attention before even one giggle could escape. Nothing stopped her smile though.
This moment—this calling of magic—this was what she was meant for. Purpose and meaning ran through her blood as her palms tingled with her task. Even if this counter-spell cost her life, she was going to leave this world knowing that she’d undone Isobelle’s evil.
Chuck would be safe. The bear cubs would be safe. Assley shifters and all the others in the world would be safe. She had to succeed. Failure was simply not an option.
Uttering the most sacred word the Great Mother had gifted to her, Hildy called for even more of Gaia’s power and smiled when it came into her hands.
Her hair lifted around her now clinging witch hat and she suddenly knew she would set this right. That was all she needed to know.
Whatever it cost—it would cost. Those she loved were worth it.
Her voice resonated with her certainty as she finished.
“Let all magic within me direct the healing in this spell
Let shifters be what Gaia intended, let them be made well
Let no more confusion prevail against life’s sacred tree
As Gaia’s witch commands this of you today—
Release the sorting spell, so mote it be!”
Inside the circle, time stopped for a moment, hovering in that split second that magic always took to decide whether or not to obey its caster.
Outside the circle, Hildy vaguely heard shifters calling out as they shifted to their confused forms. Then a split-second later she saw what appeared to be an entire sea of naked people staring at each other in surprise. Their expressions were hilarious, so she laughed, or at least she thought she did. Sound was lost to her now. All she heard were the echoes of the elements answering her.
Then a brilliant burst of green and silver magic freed itself from the cauldron and exited her sacred circle. The force of it knocked her to the ground as it spread outward on a near-deafening sound wave.
Hildy watched the tiny silver dots that stayed behind land gently on the naked pe
ople in her yard. One by one she watched them shift into their normal animals. They looked great. They looked right. It was done.
She smiled even though her cheek was currently pressed against dirt.
“Thank you, Gaia,” Hildy whispered.
Then she closed her eyes to rest.
19
Hildy woke to a small human nose about two inches away from hers. She screamed and then pulled the covers up to her neck when she realized she was completely naked under them.
The nose and the body it belonged to were visibly yanked away from her bedside as she stared and tried to take in what was happening.
“Farley, you scared her again. Dad told you not to wake Hildy up,” Harrison said.
“I wasn’t waking her. I was just looking at her,” Farley argued. “She woke up on her own.”
Hildy blinked and rubbed her eyes. “Tell me something… I’m not dead, am I?”
Three sets of boyish laughter met her ears, but no straight answer. They might not be Chuck’s natural children, but nurture had won out over nature. She ordered her crusty eyes to focus. Three little boys—well, not so little boys—beamed at her.
“Nice going, Sir Farts-a-lot,” Garrison said. “You definitely woke her.”
“Shouldn’t you three be in school? You’re bigger. Did you grow again?” Hildy asked.
“It’s Saturday, but actually, school ended last month,” Harrison answered. “You’ve slept for…”
Hildy watched as Farley clapped a hand over his brother’s mouth. “Let Dad tell her. You heard what he said.”
Garrison grabbed Harrison by the collar and started dragging him away. Farley yelled “La, la, la,” at the top of his lungs to keep Harrison from speaking.
Farley also politely closed the door as they left which made Hildy snort at his politeness after scaring the beejeesus out of her.
Whole Lot Of Shiftin' Going On: Magic and Mayhem Universe (Baba Yaga Adventures) Page 13