Text copyright ©2016 by the Author.
This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Robyn Peterman. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Magic and Mayhem remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Robyn Peterman, or their affiliates or licensors.
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Acknowledgements
Dedication
About This Series
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
Note From the Author
About the Author
To Yaga Or Not To Yaga
BOOK 3 IN THE BABA YAGA SAGA
By
Donna McDonald
Acknowledgements
Cover by Blackraven’s Designs
Edited by MYST Partners
Dedication
Thanks to Robyn Peterman for inviting me into her fabulous Magic and Mayhem world.
Author Note About This Series
The BABA YAGA SAGA is a prequel mini-series about the childhoods of characters Carol and Hildy from the original Magic and Mayhem series by Robyn Peterman.
In Book 1 Carol and Hildy are 10 years old in elementary school. In Book 2 they are 18 and learning to date alongside coming into their full witch powers. Lastly, in Book 3 they are 27 and undergoing the Baba Yaga test.
For maximum enjoyment, I highly recommend you read the saga books in order so you follow the aging process storylines of Robyn’s characters and the ongoing story arcs of the characters I created.
I will at some point probably spin off a series with the characters I created. If you want more of the Jezibaba and Damien, do write and let me know. That would be very helpful.
Happy reading! ~ Donna
Chapter 1
The fairy flew between the trees trying to find an opening. The canopy of resistance magic the Jezibaba had put in place prevented the fairy’s escape. She lifted a hand and sent the magic flying from it.
“Descendamus!” Jezibaba said loudly, the command echoing in the space between the trees.
The fairy screeched as magical bands wrapped around her wrists and ankles quickly pulling her to the ground. She retracted her wings into her shoulders just before she bounced and crumpled.
Jezibaba walked towards her victim, glaring down at her. “You should have stopped when I told you to the first time. You brought this embarrassment upon yourself.”
“Pedicabo ego vos,” the fairy spat, swearing in the language of magic.
“Sorry to turn down your charming offer, but I prefer bedding my dragon.”
“I will not forget this dishonor, witch,” the fairy declared.
Jezibaba narrowed her gaze. “How would you like to be a winged toad for a couple hundred years? You broke magical law in harming these sacred trees. That makes you a criminal and under my jurisdiction. I could make you forget your very name if I wanted you to.”
While the sparkling piece of flying pink fluff panted in exhaustion at her feet, Jezibaba pondered the creature’s fate. The irritating fairy deserved to be sent to prison just for the annoyance factor of being so hard to catch at two o’clock in the freaking morning. Couldn’t criminals do their dirty work during the day? She was getting too old—or at least too jaded—to keep doing this midnight shift shit.
Jezibaba finished the binding spell, then gasped in surprise as the heavy black around her suddenly lit like the brightest day. The silver beam wasn’t from some wise-ass magical wielding a giant flashlight. At least, not the earthly kind that the mortals used.
“Now we will see who suffers,” the fairy gloated.
“It will be you when you find yourself rotting in my dungeon,” Jezibaba answered.
Her internal alarms sounded through the adrenaline pumping through her. Jezibaba turned and reluctantly bowed her head to the beautiful—and shiny—nine-foot goddess watching her. The first thought she had was that no creature should be that beautiful.
Her patron Goddess, Morgana the Red, was in rare form for this ungodly hour. Her toga styled gown was radiant. Her red hair fell in coiled ropes of curls until it brushed the tops of her full and feminine breasts. It was hard not to be resentful when her own red hair fell in tangled clumps over her shoulders and the rest of her was covered in sap, bark bits, and stupid fairy glitter.
“Hello, darling girl. Did you miss me?” Morgana asked, the friendly question resonating in her nearly musical voice.
It had been nearly a decade since Jezibaba had seen her goddess in person. She briefly considered answering no, she hadn’t really missed her, but the last thing she needed was to have to deal with a pissed-off Morgana. She was tired. All she wanted was to go back to her warm bed which currently had a sexy dragon in it.
“Greetings, Goddess,” Jezibaba said at last, offering a proper hello even if it was lacking in enthusiasm. Morgana snorted at her weak offering, crossed her arms, and softly glared in displeasure. After three centuries, Jezibaba knew Morgana’s stiff posture meant she was in some kind of trouble with her goddess, but as usual she didn’t know the cause.
“Look… I’d kneel to you if I could, but as you can see, I’m a bit busy at the moment. If you’ll give me a minute to transport this fairy to her cell…”
“You need to let the fairy go,” Morgana ordered softly, shaking her head.
Shock reigned for a full thirty seconds before her mouth got the better of her. “What do you mean let her go?” Jezibaba demanded when Morgana’s head shaking didn’t stop.
“Must I repeat myself? I said… let the fairy go.”
“Let her go?” Jezibaba parroted, hating how her tone revealed her utter disgust.
She looked down at the wide-eyed creature now gulping air as she gawked at Morgana. For most creatures, seeing the goddess in person stole their speech capabilities, but the fairy wasn’t awed. No, the fairy looked away from the goddess to smirk up at her… at her.
Jezibaba looked back at her mentor slash benefactor slash pain-in-the-ass overseer.
“Why in the seven hells should I let her go? This fairy has been sucking the life from the oldest and biggest trees in this ancient forest. She wouldn’t explain her actions other than to say she can’t stop. She’s already had two warnings from me and ignored them both. I thought about turning her into one of the dead trees she’s leaving behind so she can see how her victims feel to be drained of all energy. But no—I decided to be merciful tonight and lock her away.”
Morgana sighed and shook her head. “Leelu speaks true. She can’t help herself because she is cursed. Also, you can’t lock her up because her mother is Queen Arraign and she would not take her daughter’s incarceration well. I told Leelu she could leech off the trees as an interim measure, until we figure out something else, but I didn’t tell her to drain the life from the ancient ones. She was to take only what she needed to survive from the younger trees.”
Jezibaba snorted and glared at the cowered fairy. “What kind of curse do you carry? Tell us so we can help break it.”
Leelu looked away, ignoring h
er request.
“Leelu is embarrassed to share the truth. Her mother is the one who put the curse on her,” Morgana said, sighing in consternation.
Jezibaba turned her glare to the Goddess. “Her mother cursed her?”
“Don’t start with the offended glaring. It’s a complicated matter, not unlike your current challenges with your charges whose families don’t really approve of what they have chosen to do,” Morgana explained dryly. “So let Leelu go and we’ll all pretend tonight didn’t even happen.”
“Why didn’t you just help her escape me?”
Morgana stuck out her lip. “I suppose it was because I’ve missed you. Now release the fairy so we can go somewhere and… chat.”
Knowing Morgana could trump any magic she had, Jezibaba growled, raised her hand, and let the invisible bonds constraining the fairy lift away. Leelu stood, rubbed her wrists, and then glared while her wings fought the lingering magic and popped out again.
Morgana swung a chastising gaze to the fairy. “Stop glaring at her, Leelu. The Jezibaba was doing the job I assigned her to do. Get greedy again and I’ll come collect you myself next time. I promise the Jezibaba’s dungeon will look good to you before I’m done. Are we clear?”
Jezibaba watched Leelu nod, then the fairy shot upwards faster than a dragon could fly, her nearly transparent wings spreading wide as she rose. Glitter and sparkles trailed off her entire body and went everywhere as they fell.
Jezibaba started coughing after getting a lung full. Fairy glitter did not agree with her system. She bent trying to get her breath. “Damn that girl,” she wheezed. “I’ll never get that stuff out of my clothes. This outfit is ruined.”
Morgana laughed. “That girl is one thousand six hundred and seventy years old. Fairy females just look perpetually young.”
Jezibaba snorted. “How old is Queen Arraign?”
“Tracking the number of years is not feasible after so long an existence. She’s older than most of these trees. Let’s just go with ancient,” Morgana answered.
“Why did she curse her daughter?”
“To teach her a lesson?”
Jezibaba laughed. “Was that a question or a statement?”
Morgana shrugged. “I don’t know. Arraign won’t really talk to me. She just sends abrupt requests that I either grant or refuse. The peace between us is more like a truce. We have some unfortunate history.”
Jezibaba smiled. “I see. Did that history happen to have a penis?”
“A very talented one from what I heard, though I never tried to discover that for myself,” Morgana said, shrugging again. “The penis holder was Arraign’s consort for a time. But she was obligated to carry on her fairy lineage, so she mated for life with another fairy. Her fairy mate killed Bau first chance he got. Arraign did nothing to stop Bau’s death because she knew the secret of what her favorite consort really was.”
“He was a Phoenix—I mean, a Bennu,” Jezibaba guessed, using the older term for such creatures.
Morgana nodded. “Yes. I found Bau’s babe form and raised him in my grove. When he came of age and neared his eighteenth year, he began having visions. After one of them, he told me he had no wish to return to the land of the fairies and asked for my help in avoiding that fate. He was still mostly a child at that point. How could I refuse to save him?”
Jezibaba snorted, but covered her mouth when Morgana glared.
“Despite what you might believe from our personal association, it is not my habit, nor any immortal’s I support, to thwart someone’s will to the point of mindless enslavement. What kind of challenge is that for the truly powerful? I prefer the arguments you and I have to absolute obedience. I like forcing you to gracefully concede I am right.”
“How can a person be forced to concede with grace? Damien would tell you that’s an oxymoron.” Jezibaba taunted.
Morgana stared at her. “Don’t be a smart-ass. I’m trying to relate to you on a different level. I suggest you accept my efforts to do so. Leave the arrogance of your academic dragon out of our discussions.”
“Perhaps I can gracefully concede that point to you as a show of good faith in our new relationship.” Jezibaba smiled as she answered, remembering that her goddess really did have good intentions. Sometimes.
Morgana huffed. “Anyway… back to my story. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to make Bau immune to all fairy enchantments. When they met again, Arraign discovered she had lost her only hold on him. Bau walked away from her without a backward glance, yet ironically also from me. In time though, I got over his defection. It took several decades.”
Jezibaba nodded. “You’re not usually so magnanimous. I like you for saving the Bennu from fairy enchantment. It seems like it was the right thing to do in his case, no matter how it worked out for you.”
“You’re so softhearted. Sometimes I wonder if there wasn’t some human mortal in your family history.” Morgana laughed softly and shrugged. “After Bau was gone from my life, I realized I was only angry because I had developed a fondness for him. In time I learned that Bau was a creature much older than me… much, much older in fact. So continuing to think of him as my child was not something I could cling to forever, but then I made that same mistake again when your great grandmother sent me to save you.”
Jezibaba sighed. It wasn’t a declaration of love, but it was close. “Did Bau ever tell you why he left without explaining?”
Morgana shook her head. “Emeritus told me that at a certain age in their regenerative cycle, their collective memories return to them. Knowing Arraign would try to enchant him was one of the first things he recalled. I think Bau left to be who he was meant to be, but I secretly never gave up hope he would return to me one day. He never did, of course, but eventually he sent another to relay his thanks to me for all I had done for him. I was insulted at first to be considered so unimportant that he didn’t come himself—until I fell in love with his messenger.”
“Emeritus. Bau sent Emeritus.”
Morgana nodded. “Yes. Emeritus. Another ancient creature who tells me no more than his predecessor did. However, because of Bau I never take for granted that Emeritus chooses to stay with me. I would not take his loss nearly so well.”
Jezibaba smiled softly. It wasn’t the best segue, but it would do as an excuse to indulge her curiosity. “The concept of any species being reborn from its own ashes fascinates me. How did you convert Zenos into a Bennu?”
Morgana narrowed her gaze at the question, but then she smiled. “I’m honored you think that his fate was all my doing. That dragon mage is aligned with many creatures who are just as ancient as Emeritus and Bau. I was never able to determine how old Zenos actually was and he wouldn’t say. I knew only that he longed for his youth again and that no one else was willing to help him. Few are willing to defy natural laws because Gaia can be a real bitch when she’s crossed.”
Jezibaba ducked her chin, doing her best to look casual, but she really wanted to know. “I guess I’m just being curious. I have seen several stages of his cycle now. Zenos is not reborn a babe. Instead, he comes back nearly as he was before.”
Morgana nodded. “Yes… well… Zenos is not an actual Bennu. His regeneration is not the same process. I borrowed the regenerative concept of the Bennu life cycle and put my own spin on it. Instead of dying completely, Zenos burns until his body shifts into an accelerated healing state. While painful, it is also fast and effective. Since the cost of that magic was so high for me personally, I will never repeat the process. But it produced you, so I do not regret it.”
Jezibaba chuckled. “Your explanation of how I came into existence sounds almost scientific, and far more horrendous than real birth.”
“Scientific? Are you talking about mortal magic?” Morgana laughed at the thought. “Hardly. Regeneration is a deep Earth secret. It could be learned, but Gaia will never allow it to flourish. Dying is part of the bigger plan on this planet. She’s also extremely anti-mortal advancement. No one born mortal
can live past a couple hundred years. I doubt she’s ever going to change her mind about it.”
“Gaia’s lucky mortal science works so slowly to bring changes into being.”
“Who do you think causes science to work so slowly?”
Jezibaba snorted. “Oh… Good point.”
Silence fell for a minute or two between them. Jezibaba decided that was her cue to go home. “It’s been wonderful seeing you again,” she said to her goddess.
“Wait…” Morgana began. “I…”
Her Goddess’s hesitation reminded her of Carol and Hildy’s youthful doubt of themselves. It was not like the Goddess to be unsure about anything. “You came to see me for more than just a little chat, didn’t you?”
Morgana nodded. “Unfortunately, I did. I’m just finding this harder than it’s been in the past. I swear I will never get this attached to an outcome again. This level of concern is completely unacceptable.”
Sighing at Morgana’s mini-tirade, Jezibaba straightened and walked to the goddess. She now felt the magic rolling off her benefactor. She stepped close and gazed up into concerned blue eyes. “We’ve been through much together, Morgana. Speak your truth to me. You know I will help.”
“That’s the problem, Elenora. You can’t help this time.”
The use of her true name meant it was a serious situation. Morgana reached out and took both her shoulders in her hands. A wondrous heat filled her and power flowed freely into Jezibaba’s body. She would be feeling it for weeks.
“I can delay it no longer. It’s time to let them go,” Morgana said softly.
Suddenly she knew why the goddess had told her the touching story of Bau. Now she wondered if it was even true. She’d have to ask Emeritus. Morgana’s tales couldn’t be completely trusted, especially when she was after something she wanted.
“What happens now?” she asked her goddess.
“The Baba Yaga test has been arranged. The Chosen Ones need to be told as soon as possible because they only have two days to prepare. I was hoping to delay this another few years, but those working against me—against us—have escalated their efforts. The traitors on the Council of Witches have succeeded in joining with dark forces. I can’t let them succeed in their plans.”
Magic and Mayhem: To Yaga Or Not To Yaga (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Baba Yaga Saga Book 3) Page 1