by Bonnie Lamer
While the two of them work this out, I go ahead and send Dagda a message. He hates it when I do this as much as Kegan does. I give him a brief description of the situation and suggest politely that he monitor the situation from afar. I am sure he will completely ignore my suggestion.
To Xandra, Grandmother says, “You can fill your parents in on what we know and I will wait downstairs for Dagda’s arrival.” She knows as well as I do that Dagda will be here as quickly as his carriage can bring him.
Xandra hesitates a moment before saying, “Do you guys know what the Shadow world is?” You guys. What an odd expression considering her mother is female therefore not a ‘guy’.
Her mother says yes and her father says no. I am impressed that her mother is so well informed. I did not think Witches still taught their children of such things. I suppose with an Angel for a mother, she was privy to a lot of information other Witches were not.
As Xandra explains the Shadow world, her father’s usual pallor is quickly replaced by several shades of vivid red. When she is finished, he turns to his wife and grinds out, “Julienne, how can we send her in there? Can’t we try to find them first?”
Xandra’s mother shakes her head sadly. “Without a body waiting for us in another realm, we would be stuck there forever.” I suddenly have a problem withholding my irritation. If she knew this much about it, why did she allow her sister-in-law to continue with her research? Especially in her home with her children around. If I continue to bite my tongue like this it may stop being able to function at all.
“I would rather have that than have both of our children in Hell,” Xandra’s father growls. I feel badly for him. He is truly helpless in all of this. At least her mother has retained most of her ability to perform magic, but being a Cowan, he has no power whatsoever. And even less knowledge of what is now going on around him.
Xandra feels his helplessness as well; I can hear it in her voice. Gently, she says, “Dad, really, this is the best plan.”
Tabitha is a little less gentle but still reassuring. She says firmly, “I am afraid Xandra is right. But, we will all do our best to make sure the four of them come back safe and sound.” Xandra’s father has no choice but to nod his consent whether he is happy about it or not.
No one knows what else to say and the silence in the room is becoming suffocating. “Would you like a tour of the house?” Tabitha asks to fill the void.
Xandra’s mother shakes her head. “Maybe later, but thank you.”
Tabitha nods. “I will be downstairs if you need anything.”
Xandra walks to her mother and attempts to put a reassuring arm around her ghostly figure. I see her stifle a shiver as she comes into contact with her mother’s icy cold form. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“This is not your fault,” her mother says. “I should have steered Barb away from this research a long time ago. I was always afraid something like this would happen. I just can’t believe Zac got caught up in it as well. I’ve tried so hard to protect you two from magic.”
My temper starts to rise. She should not have been protecting them from magic. She should have been teaching them how to use their magic to keep themselves safe. I literally bite my tongue this time to keep from voicing my opinion. And admitting that she knew this research was dangerous yet she let it continue? My respect for her is diminishing by the second.
“I’ll get him back,” Xandra reassures her yet again.
Her mother is still not convinced. With a half-hearted ‘I know you will’, she suggests that Xandra and I leave her and Xandra’s father to watch over the two bodies on the bed. My anger flares again at the hurt in Xandra’s eyes that her mother just flat out does not believe she will be successful in saving them both. Absolutely none of this is Xandra’s fault yet it is she who feels the guiltiest. Horrendously unfair on her parents’ part.
Trying to hide the hurt in her eyes, Xandra says, “Okay. I’ll let you know when we’re ready to leave.”
Taking Xandra’s hand in mine, we walk out of the room and close the door behind us. Before we reach the stairs, I pull her close and rest my chin on her head. “You are strong enough to do whatever needs to be done. It may not always feel like it but my confidence in you is unwavering. I simply get caught up in the idea that I cannot live without you sometimes.”
I feel her smile against my chest as she wraps her arms tightly around my waist. “I’m not gullible enough to believe that you never have doubts but thank you.” Leaning back in my arms she rises on her toes to bring her lips to mine. Our emotions running rampant, we try to tell each other with this kiss that nothing will stop us from having a happy life together. Not even hell. With great disappointment, we finally separate and walk hand in hand down the two flights of stairs and down the hall to the kitchen.
Chapter 3
Grandmother, Tabitha and Kegan are waiting for us. Taking a seat at the counter, Xandra asks the room in general, “What do we have to do?”
“I do not believe getting to the Shadow realm will be a problem. You will simply open a gateway,” Grandmother says.
Xandra’s brow crinkles. “You think I can do that?”
“Yes,” she says firmly obviously realizing that she has to do her best to bolster Xandra’s confidence level. “The tricky part is what do we send in with you?”
“What do you mean?”
I have to smile at her naivety. “She means that we need to be armed with something that will protect us from the Shadows.”
Xandra is even more confused now. “Why can’t we just use magic?”
Her magical education is so desperately lacking. My anger towards her mother flares again. “Just as magic is different here than it is in your realm, the magic may be different in the Shadow realm.”
“If there is magic at all,” Tabitha says as she gets up to get the whistling teapot from the stove. I was trying to avoid saying that because I did not want to scare Xandra even more than she already is. Too late now.
Xandra is aghast. “There might not be magic?”
I sigh and try to explain it in a way she can understand. “It is likely that the Shadow realm is devoid of magic. The Angels would not want to let loose pure evil into a realm where it could combine energies to create spells.” For some reason, she gives me a sour look. What did I do?
“That is why we will have to send you in with something to protect you,” Grandmother goes on to explain. Now she gets a sour look as well. Is this one of those situations where we are trying to explain something and Xandra thinks we are being condescending? If so, that is rather annoying. How will she learn if we do not explain things to her?
“Okay, what do you suggest?” Xandra asks with a fair amount of snarkiness in her voice.
“I believe that my crystals will be of some use. Crystals carry their own magic,” Tabitha says. “You can syphon some off if you need it. You would have to be extremely careful not to let the Shadows get them away from you, though.” Crystals are generally only used to anchor spells. The amount of magical energy contained in crystals is slightly above insignificant but it cannot hurt to bring them along. Even if it is just to make Tabitha feel better.
“Okay, anything else?” Xandra asks.
Considering it is the Shadow world, I am fairly certain the realm is rather dark. “We will need light,” I say.
“Anything else?”
I am about to respond when Dagda’s angry voice rumbles from the doorway. “Isla, what is going on?” Turning to me, he says. “You know that I do not like to receive messages in my head.” I bite the inside of my lip to keep from smiling.
Xandra speaks first. “My brother and aunt are in the Shadow realm and I’m going there to save them.”
“What?!” Dagda bellows.
Xandra sighs dramatically and says, “I said…”
“I heard what you said. I am just wondering why you said something so incredibly stupid.” My turn to sigh. Does he have a death wish? The only person whom I know tha
t has a temper as volatile as his is his daughter and he just keeps on provoking her.
Xandra glares at him. “I don’t like you enough to let you get away with calling me stupid.” That is a gross understatement. Actively despises him is still a bit more accurate though her feelings may be softening slightly.
With the most self-control I have seen Dagda use in more years than I can remember, he says calmly, “Why on earth would you want to willing go into hell?”
“I already told you,” Xandra says as if he is the stupid one. She is not always the one on the receiving end of condescension; she gives as much as she gets. “I’m going in after my brother and aunt who are stuck there.”
Frustration is barreling its way back into Dagda’s voice. “If your brother and aunt have enough darkness on their souls to end up in the Shadow realm, why would you want to bring them out of there?” I almost laugh at the misconception he has been laboring under. I guess I was rather vague when I sent him my message in the name of brevity. That was out of consideration for his pain, not to mislead him.
Xandra visibly relaxes at his ignorance of the situation. “They didn’t get sent there by the Angels of Death. My aunt has been trying to figure out how to astral project and she accidently caused both of their spirits to jump realms. They ended up in the Shadow realm.”
Shaking his head, Dagda says with no consideration or tact, “No intact soul has ever travelled to the Shadow realm. Are you sure that there is still enough of their spirits left to salvage?”
A fire storm is building in Xandra’s eyes. “Yes, I am. My aunt came to me a little bit ago and she’s fine right now.” Her voice quivers a little bit at the end belying her confidence that her words are completely true.
“And you believe it is worth risking the safety of this entire realm for two lost spirits?”
Xandra looks at him through slitted eyes. “Yes.”
We are all surprised when Dagda grins. “Stubborn and willing to do what is necessary regardless of who may get hurt. You are definitely my daughter.”
“No, she is not,” Xandra’s father growls from the opposite door. “She is my daughter; you simply contributed sperm.” The discomfort level in the room has risen well past capacity as that image floats through our minds.
With the fire from her eyes now burning in her cheeks, Xandra introduces the two men as if they had not already figured out who the other is. “Um, Dad, this is Dagda.”
“King Dagda,” Dagda snarls from his side of the kitchen. This is about to get ugly. I see Kegan inching towards a corner of the room. I am tempted to join him. I do not want to be caught in the crossfire when the magic starts flying. Which will probably be when Dagda opens his mouth again.
Xandra’s father matches his tone of voice. “Don’t expect any respect for your title from me. You are nothing more than a murdering psychopath in my book.” That corner wall Kegan is leaning against is looking better and better. But I stand next to Xandra ready to try to push her magic back when she forces a good chunk of it down Dagda’s throat.
Dagda starts walking towards Xandra’s dad. Each step falls harder than the last as his anger increases. He is treading dangerous ground. If he does anything to harm either of her parents, Xandra will not hesitate to do much worse to him. I shake my head and stand up at the same time as Grandmother and Xandra blocking Dagda from getting closer to her father.
“Don’t even think about it,” Xandra growls with enough menace in her voice to put a shadow of fear in Dagda’s eyes. A rare sight. “Regardless of how many times you say you want to have me in your life, the fact that the man behind me is my real father will never change. If you do a thing to harm him, I will never forgive you.” Her words imply more than just a lack of forgiveness would result from those actions; as her next words prove. “I will also take my resulting anger out on you.”
“What is going on?” Xandra’s mother asks from behind Jim. And then she stops. All color leaks from her being leaving her almost perfectly clear. She looks like she may disappear altogether in a moment. If I did not know that Xandra was anchoring her parents here I would truly fear that her mother's spirit is about to move on. “You,” she says barely louder than a whisper.
Dagda actually looks a little bit contrite. He is full of shocking actions today. Bowing his head in her direction, he says, “Quillian, how nice to see you again.” Quillian was her actual birth name. She changed it to Julienne when she fled from her parents to save Xandra. Everything I’ve learned about Xandra’s family makes me appreciate mine more and more.
Xandra shakes her head in disgust. “Really? Out of all the things you could have said, you chose to go with that? You tricked her and ruined her life and all you have to say is ‘how nice to see you again?’ How about an apology?”
Through gritted teeth, Dagda says to Xandra with more than a little sarcasm, “I did not realize giving her a daughter as wonderful as you was something that I needed to apologize for.”
“You know damn well that’s not what Xandra is talking about,” her father growls.
Dagda is struggling not to react with magic. Xandra has no idea of the self-restraint he is showing. My mouth tries to drop open when I hear Dagda’s next words. “I believe I owe you an apology for keeping my identity from you. I will not, however, apologize for my attraction to you and your lovely body, or the fact that you bore my child.”
He almost wound his way through this conversation unscathed. He had ample opportunity. Instead, he chooses to lay himself out ready to be flayed. I shake my head at his foolishness and prepare for what’s coming next.
Xandra’s father zooms forward. Why, I am not sure because he is helpless against Dagda. Xandra however is not. This is why he is suddenly lying on his back about twenty feet away from the house. Either Grandmother or I will have to restore the door and wall that uselessly tried to stop his momentum.
Stomping outside, Xandra stands over the gasping Dagda. “I’ve told you before not to talk about my mother like that.”
Rubbing the back of his head, Dagda sits up. “Yes, I believe you have.” This time, my jaw does drop to the kitchen floor with a thump. If anyone else had done this to him, he would have killed them. Literally.
Xandra is not done with her tirade. “My parents are dealing with the fact that their son is in hell right now. This is no time for your cocky attitude or your stupid pride. If you’re only here to cause trouble, then you need to leave. Right now.”
Grandmother is in as much shock as I am. Tabitha is simply amused. I know there have been plenty of times over the years that she has wanted to do this to him. She is going to enjoy every second of his discomfort. Her snicker is proof of this.
Standing up, Dagda brushes sand off from his black pants and gray button down shirt. “I’ll have you know, if anyone else did anything remotely like what you just did, I would have them stripped of magic and locked away for life.”
Xandra is unimpressed. “Good thing I’m not anyone else.”
Dagda gives her a long, assessing look. “Believe it or not, I am here to help.” He has a long road ahead of him before Xandra believes anything he says. Especially his offers to help.
Chapter 4
Xandra stomps back to the house just as angrily as she left it. Dagda follows, trying hard to keep his pride intact. That is not really working out for him.
Grandmother’s face is stony when she looks back and forth between Dagda and Xandra’s parents. “Now, if we are through with this foolishness?” she says with her voice that can cause icy chills to rush up one’s back, “we do have two spirits who need to be returned to their bodies.”
Full of contriteness, four faces turn to her. Xandra is the first to say anything. “Okay, crystals and light. Anything else?” The fact that she can jump from anger to matter-of-fact so quickly makes my head spin. One would now think nothing out of the ordinary had occurred over the last few minutes.
No one’s mouth opens to offer a suggestion. Because the
re are no other suggestions. We do not know what the Shadow realm is like or how this will work. I do not like being at such a loss. I imagine this is what Xandra feels like every time she’s faced with the swamp of magical problems she’s had to mire through since I met her. But she always finds a way through and I am going to assume that we will in this situation as well.
“Shouldn’t we be dressed in black and wearing ski masks or something? So we blend in?” Xandra asks. Kegan, who has rejoined us at the counter, chortles next to me which makes me want to push him off his chair. I do elbow him hard in the ribs.
Grandmother is trying to be patient with her. Ultimately, she is not. “The simple fact that you have a body at all will give you away.”
Color is creeping up Xandra’s neck eager to make a show of her growing anger on her cheeks. This at least I can try to diffuse. “I think she is right, Grandmother. It cannot hurt and it quite possibly could help delay the inevitability of the Shadows discovering us.” This is not at all true but it seems to appease Xandra. With a thought, I dress us both in black. Xandra is now in black skin tight pants and shirt. She looks sexy as hell. Shadows be damned, my eyes will be on her the entire time we are gone. Her father raises a brow in my direction but he does not say anything. I think her mother is too worried to care how Xandra is dressed.