by Claudy Conn
He laughed. “Of course.” He went into the kitchen and I followed, however, he didn’t need any help. He already had sauce in the pot and pasta boiling. Magic.
We chatted during dinner, and I felt a twinge of guilt because all the while I was devising my next moves. He had cautioned me again about using the ‘key’, telling me it could be addictive and explaining that was why my father had never used its power.
Odd, I didn’t feel that way. Not at all. I had used it, but had no great need to use it again, in fact, if I could get it out of me, I would. So not concerned about addiction.
While Gramps went off to the big meeting tonight I would use my ‘key’ to get back to Zelda’s attic and Kallem. No fuss, no muss, no arguments. What could go wrong in the short time I would be gone?
~ Three ~
MY INNER KEY EASILY opened a door and poof, there I was in Zelda’s attic!
I was struck by the silence before I realized that no one other than myself was actually in Zelda’s attic.
I went down the first flight of stairs, and cautiously called, “Hello?”
No response.
My head started to buzz with awful suppositions and I got sick to my stomach. The extra sauce I had so enjoyed started to come up.
Where was Kallem? What had happened? What the hell was going on?
I heard a clanging of something tinny in the kitchen and ran the rest of the way to see who was there.
A fat, very large, gray cat appeared. “Ah, you’re back,” he said. “Good Goddess you took a long time and I am starving. Couldn’t get my jar open, even with my magic. Zelda must have spelled it, wants me on a diet.”
“Who are you?” I asked the talking cat, and no, we don’t have talking cats in Rucker. Smart ones, but they don’t talk.
He bowed. “I am Fat Bastard.”
“Oooo-kay,” I allowed. “Where is Zelda and Kallem?”
“Gone,” Fat Bastard said.
I nearly swooned and it must have noticed and hurriedly added, “They are at Mac’s. We had a little trouble here with the roof, but you know about that.” He gave me a hard look and then continued, “Mac took charge.”
Fat Bastard offered me the can, and said, “Open it please.”
“If Zelda spelled it…” I started.
“Against me, not you…open it,” Fat Bastard demanded, and then rubbed himself against my leg.
I opened it and handed him the fish smelling treat. He moaned about how delicious it was and then eyed me and said, “I nearly lost my bet, you know, because that big Fae of yours looked like he was going to kick the bucket, but apparently, there is still hope. Shifter Wanker got him to a point where he is holding on while she gets her rest. That iron poison she is drawing out of him is doing a number on her.”
“Shifter Wanker?” I was all at sea.
“Zelda!” The cat frowned at me. I mean really frowned! “Don’t you know anything? Well, they are at Mac’s place. He wouldn’t let them stay here, even after Sassy fixed the roof, because he said he wasn’t taking any chances while Zelda wasn’t well. Took everyone to his place. Zelda made me wait here for you.”
A frazzled blondie stepped into the kitchen and said, “Come on, Fat Bastard, get a move on. Now, where is it? Zelda said it was here…right here…but it isn’t. Where could it be?”
“In the corner,” the fat cat said.
“What a good Fat Bastard you are,” she said, going over to a tote bag and rushed past me without even a nod as she then hurried for the stairs.
“What is going on?” I asked as Sassy either didn’t notice me or was ignoring me.
“Zelda needs more things,” she shot over her shoulder. “The iron isn’t poisoning her but it is making her ill.”
Sassy returned a few moments later, eyed me and said, “You left us with a mess, but being grabbed by some big dark clawed thing, I suppose wasn’t your fault, so, come on. You better come with us.” She pointed at the cat. “You, too.”
“Kallem? Is Kallem there…is he…?”
“Yes, he is there and hanging on, but don’t get your hopes up. He isn’t conscious yet…but at least he is still breathing, so come on,” her answer was clipped as she hurried outside towards a snappy convertible still running in the driveway.
I followed her. Fat Bastard followed us at a sedate pace. She growled at him and he blinked, only to materialize in the back seat, where he stretched and concentrated on licking his balls. I turned away.
A few moments later, I was led to an upstairs bedroom of Mac’s considerably large home and there I found Kallem, unconscious under the covers of a mauve and mint green quilt, no doubt, picked out by Jeeves, Mac’s adoptive son. Jeeves is a Kangaroo shifter.
I went to Kallem and sat beside him, trying to assess his health, but couldn’t pick up on one conscious vibe.
“Kallem…baby, please…Kallem, can you hear me?” I whispered into his ear. “Squeeze my hand if you can,” I pleaded, but his large hand lay limp in mine.
The sound of shuffling feet made me turn and Zelda, supported by her huge hunk of male wolf shifter, stood in the doorway. Her red-lit auburn hair was a rumpled mess. Her green eyes looked as fatigued as her body, and I believe if Mac wasn’t holding her, she would have crumpled.
“Oh Zelda…oh no, what happened to you?”
“What the fuck do you think happened to me?” she snapped, obviously in a temper. “Healing your Fae, dear Goddess, is no picnic.” She must have seen what her remark did to me because if I looked like I felt, I was now ready to crumple and there was no one there to keep me standing. She waved a hand in the air. “Oh now, look. He is still alive, isn’t he? Better, I think, though you can’t tell yet. Here is the kicker…healing him is making me really sick, so I have to take a lot of breaks.”
“So…he is healing?”
“Don’t you listen? Yeah, but he is only slightly better and I am a whole lot worse,” she growled at me.
I hung my head and then looked up and met her gaze. “Zelda, I can’t get him to Faery…there are wards that prevent any portal I could create to get him there. You are the only one that I know that can heal him.”
“I know,” she said simply. “My life is a mess because of this ‘healing’ thing I have. Look, I’m not giving up. Just need another night to recuperate and then I’ll have another go at him. How did you do with the fucker that tore through my roof?”
“Not good. I have to get back and end him,” I said.
“Yeah, you do,” she said.
As I stayed, staring at Kallem while I stroked his face, I heard her make an impatient sound at my back before she said, “What are you waiting for? Go!”
I threw myself at her and hugged her hard.
She smiled and said, “Get the friggity frig off, and go before I forget I am turning a new leaf and zap you for laying this problem on me.”
I stood back, looked into myself for my key and the next thing I knew, I was back at Gramps’ cabin. Was it becoming too easy? Would I become addicted?
No. Wait! I didn’t think or say the word no. Someone in my head said it. I am being ridiculous. I was just spooked about the addiction concern.
I went inside and saw that Mom was closed away in her room. Gramps, I figured, was still at the meeting, so I poked around for cookies.
Need sweets when I’m down. Didn’t find any cookies, but I found chocolate. Works even better.
I sat with the chocolate and started shoving my face and still felt like crying whenever I thought of Kallem looking so helpless. All my fault. I had led him into trouble.
A knock at the front door made me jump. I went to it and said, “Who is it?”
“Thought you would recognize my knock, been giving it to you since we were kids,” said a familiar male voice on the other side.
I flung the door open wide and there stood Cole!
We spent a good part of our youth as best friends. At one time, I had a secret crush on him, but I loved our easy friendship too
much to allow anything to ruin it, and in time, that crush faded.
My dad used to shake his head over our friendship and say, “Dilly, you are a witch, but you prefer the company of vampires. Nothing wrong with that, but you need to spend more time, much more time with the members of our coven and other young witches.”
That wasn’t happening anytime soon. The coven members were B.o.r.i.n.g, so very boring. All they wanted to do was talk about coven business and new enchantments. Young witches were always talking about young warlocks. I wasn’t interested in any of the warlocks. Cole and I just absolutely knew how to have fun. Yeah, we broke the rules. So I eyed my dad and said, “Coven business—not my style. Don’t want to get involved. Young witches are silly and warlocks are stuck up snobs. Cole is good-hearted, and we are best friends, that’s it, Dad, for now, that is the way it is.”
Dad had laughed and shrugged it all off.
Mom, not so much. She had agreed with Dad, you see. She wanted me to hang with the daughters of her friends. Maybe she was even embarrassed that I preferred vampire company. Not sure, but she said, “Cole is a very good young vampire, but it is time for you to think about dating a warlock—no?”
“No,” I had answered her, just a bit angry. I was at that rebellious stage that pretty much followed me into adulthood. I didn’t expand, but walked out of the house, ending the discussion.
Cole’s and my friendship and closeness had continued right up to some months ago when he began dating Belinda. Belinda was this gorgeous vamp, I mean drop-dead beautiful all on the outside—but only on the outside. She didn’t like me.
And, of course, she managed to monopolize his time and thus, I hadn’t seen him these long few months. I tried to understand, but I missed him.
I stood staring for a moment at my big, strong, hot friend. Oh, did I not mention that he was one of the hottest vampires in Rucker? Yeah. Hot.
I always liked the way he wore his neck-length brown hair, in layered waves around his handsome face. His eyes were dark and full of depth. Looking at him now, I wondered if he was still ‘involved’ with Belinda. He had a sadness in his eyes I had never seen before.
Had she hurt him? Could I have spared him the hurt had I told him what I thought of her? Nah. No one can ever be told not to ‘like or love’ someone else. They need to find out for themselves.
Early on, I had decided not to give him my opinion about her, as he would think I was jealous, and the thing was, maybe I had been, just a little.
Besides, he hadn’t asked for my opinion. One of the few times he hadn’t done so.
I threw myself at him and knocked him back a few steps. He put his arms around me and swung me around. “Dilly girl!” he said affectionately, and put me down. “Let me look at you.” He stood me apart and whistled. “Whoa, what a few months can do! All grown up.”
I laughed. “Stop,” I told him.
“Yeah, but holy red blood, it has to be…what—two months since I’ve seen you and wow, you are more beautiful than ever.”
I slapped his shoulder. “It has been three months, bloodsucker! And I have always been this beautiful.”
We laughed, that natural laugh that always came so easy to both of us when we were together. I waved him inside. “Come on in, Cole.” Over my shoulder I asked, “What would you like to drink? Wine or beer?”
“Wine,” he said, and pulled up a chair at the table.
It was easy with Cole. As though no time at all had passed since we last talked. It always had been that way.
I poured him a glass and one for myself, broke off another piece of chocolate, popped it into my mouth, and sat. We both took a sip of wine before I broke the comfortable silence and said, “So, how’s it going with Belinda?”
“You were right. She turned out to be a cheating…well, I don’t name-call, so we’ll just say, I don’t see her any longer.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “What do you mean I was right? I never said a word.”
“That was just it, Dilly, you never said a word and you never joined in when she was around. You kept your distance. I know you and I knew what that meant, but she had me all starry-eyed and…” he wiggled his eyebrows, “…pussy-whipped and in bed!”
I laughed. It was as though we had never spent a day apart. I punched his shoulder. “Dog!”
“No, vamp.” He laughed. “But she is with a dog now. A werewolf.”
I eyed him. “Was your break up recent? Were you hurt? You look sad, but you don’t look broken…?”
“Recent…yeah? A couple of weeks ago. Hurt—yeah. I hadn’t a clue she was messing around with my friends. Broken? Nah.”
I threw myself at him and hugged him tight. “Friends, like in plural? Cole, even I didn’t think she was that bad. Oh,” I gasped, “not your dear friend, Jamie? He wouldn’t?”
“None other. Talk about dogs. Yeah, and he is still her lap dog.”
I hugged him tightly and thought it best not to say another word about it just then. He patted my arm and I sat back in my chair as he sipped his wine and said, “Now, enough about me, Dilly, tell me what’s happening with you. I hear you are in trouble.”
“Huh, big trouble. Morlan is still after me—thinks we should mate and rule the world,” I said, and grimaced.
He burst out laughing. “You? Rule the world?”
“What is so funny? I could be a great ruler if I so desired,” I told him, chin up, a giggle trying to escape.
“Yeah, right. You couldn’t fire a soul, no matter how bad they were at their job, and ruling is all about firing and hiring the right people.”
My shoulders slumped, but I gave it another go. “I could fire someone if they were evil.”
“Ah, but how many people are truly evil?”
“Morlan is.” I grew serious then. “I’m going to take him apart and feed him to the vultures, Cole. I’m going to do it myself.”
Cole reached over and took my hands in his. “I know, Dilly, I heard. I am so sorry about your dad.”
“He tricked him and then slaughtered him,” I said, but there were no tears. I was focused on seeing myself take Morlan down, piece by piece. Revenge is a strong entity. It feeds on itself and empowers one to keep going against the odds.
“Yes, Dilly…but I am told by some very wise people we both admire that revenge won’t accomplish what you want. It won’t bring him back,” Cole said softly.
“No, nothing will bring him back, but you aren’t suggesting that Morlan be allowed to live, are you?”
“No, but there is a system in place…”
“Not for him,” I snapped. “I am the system in place for him!”
Cole studied me for a minute and thankfully gave it up. “What else have you been doing besides plotting to take down villains and murderers?”
I smiled. Cole says the most outrageous things in the most placid tones. “Gramps shoved me through a portal to hide me. I landed in a witch’s attic in the Human Realm.” I eyed him. “Do you know vampires in the Human World drink human blood?”
“I do know that. We have a few immigrants that once lived in the Human World. We had to help them through their withdrawal phase.”
“Wow, I did not know that,” I said.
“So, been cheating on me with human vamps, eh?”
“They attacked my hostess witch and her family. I helped get rid of them.”
He laughed. “Of course you did. You know, kiddo, you were always meant to be a savior.”
I punched him again. “Horrible vampire boy.”
We laughed and chatted and then I realized, “You aren’t at the meeting? You are as close to a royal as Rollingwood and on their council. Why aren’t you there?”
“I don’t like meetings where everyone argues and shouts and gets nothing done. I already cast my vote with my dad and your gramps. They know where I stand. Everyone knows where I stand. What is left now is the execution.”
“And what execution are we talking about? What is the plan?”
>
“Your grandfather has to lay it out after tonight’s meeting. As it happens, Dilly-girl, we have supporters and spies in Morlan’s camp.”
“Do we? And here I thought everyone was throwing in with him.”
“It was what we wanted him to think,” he said, and winked. “Now get some sleep. I gotta tell you, Dilly, as beautiful as you are, you do look fagged to death.”
I sighed. “I am…Cole. Will I see you tomorrow?”
“You will see me whenever you like. You know where I live,” he said, and bent to drop a light kiss on my cheek. He came up to say, “Damn, but I always loved the way you smell. Lavender and vanilla. Delicious. Too bad I started up with Belinda instead of you.” He winked.
I threw the empty chocolate wrapper at him. “It was because you knew you didn’t stand a chance with me!”
We laughed and I watched him leave.
Sleep. I had to sleep. I had to be at my best to figure out my next moves.
I had to get back to Kallem.
If only I could transport him to his Fae world where someone could heal him. Zelda was suffering from trying to heal him and this was all my fault.
I shouldn’t have relied on him so much. I shouldn’t have distracted him. I should have…oh, what was the use? Kallem lay in a coma. Zelda was ill from trying to heal him. Mac looked furious with me for putting her in this position, and Fat Bastard had a bet going on.
I felt lost.
Sleep. It was time. Maybe a clear head would find a solution and besides that, if I didn’t get up and crawl upstairs and down the hall to my bed, I was going to fall asleep right where I sat.
~ Four ~
I AWOKE WITH A start. Where was I?
Kallem?
I remembered. Kallem was in a coma. Zelda was ill from trying to heal him. We were at war with Morlan and his ‘minions’ and Cole and Belinda were no longer an item. I had a feeling he was hurting more than he let on. I hoped not.
What was my plan?
Shower. Damn, I needed a shower. I was still fully dressed with the exception of my shoes, so I padded barefoot downstairs.
“Mom? Gramps?” No one was around. What time was it? The clock on the wall would have chimed eight, had the chimes been working. It had to be early morning because of the position of the sun.