Gypsy said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, Thor.”
He smiled, relieved. “It’s okay, Gypsy.”
She said meekly, “It’s just that, well, everyone else found their babies, but my Timmy is still missing.”
A pang of regret clenched him. He wished he could save them all. “I know, Gypsy, we’ll find him,” he said, even though he doubted it. The little guy had probably been someone’s dinner.
“Will you help me look?” She blinked her eye hopefully.
Thor sighed. He was hungry, tired, and really needed to clean up the cottage. But he was also a guardian. Even though he didn’t know Gypsy (most squirrels avoided dogs) he still felt responsible for anyone who lived in the Geraghty woods.
He sighed. “Sure.”
“Oh, thank you.” She clapped her paws together.
That’s when Thor noticed she was missing a few digits. He stared at her a beat. At her fluffy tail. Her one eye.
Didn’t she tell him earlier that her son’s name was Tommy?
Lucy’s words echoed through his mind. “You’ll be able to see the marks you made.”
Thor didn’t blink. Didn’t hesitate. He lunged at The Viper hoping it would be easier to kill him in rodent form.
But the man transformed in an instant.
“Sssso, General, we meet again.”
He was wiry and tall, with a triangular head and copper hair. He had been ugly even before Thor ripped out chunks of his flesh. Now he looked like a comic book super villain.
They circled each other slowly. Thor tried to pick up a scent from him, tried to access how much power he had, but The Viper seemed to be odorless now.
“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” He laughed at his own stupid joke.
“How was prison? Meet anyone special?” Thor didn’t note any weapons.
The Viper gave a wicked smile. “As a matter of fact, I did meet a very nice librarian who taught me a few thingssss. About thisss town, thessse woodsss. Funny how a little thing like a missing pup can provide quite the opportunity. All I had to do was wait.”
“You always were a lazy bastard.”
The Viper scowled and raised his arm. Huge sparks ignited from his two fingers. In a flash, he shot them at Thor. The Dane felt his collar heat up, the sigils activating and he raised his neck just in time to fend off the attack. The shot ricocheted off a nearby tree, severing a branch. It crashed to the ground with a loud crack.
Thank you, Geraghtys.
Thor dodged left, then right, then lunged and sunk his teeth into the scrawny man’s calf. His nemesis screeched and fired another shot that lit into Thor’s side, singeing his fur.
Thor yelped in pain and retreated. He ran in a wide circle, building up momentum to launch another attack. The Viper narrowed his eye at Thor just as he was about to pounce and a pain like he had never felt penetrated his head, knocking him to the ground.
Images flooded Thor’s mind of The Viper murdering his victims. Their screams of agony reverberated through his brain as if it was all happening right here, right now. He thrashed about on the ground, trying to scrub his mind free of the psychic attack, but he was helpless in that moment, nearly paralyzed.
The Viper raised both arms and malicious orange flames erupted from his fingertips. He had never had that much power when Thor knew him. Had he gathered it all from the woods?
Thor forced himself to stand. Forced himself to gather every last bit of energy. If he was going to die today, then so was this psychotic son of a bitch.
The Great Dane soared through the air just as the flames shot from The Viper’s fingertips.
Then a six-foot tall, three-headed cat charged between them yelling, “Not today, Cocksnausage!”
The flames hit Fat Bastard directly in the mouth just as Thor tumbled into the feline tower.
There were shouts of “Ow!” and “That’s gonna leave a mark” and “What the motherhumper!”
Thor quickly scrambled to his feet, gathering his center and focused every bit of his familiar power on The Viper.
“After I kill you, I’m going to hunt down your witch, torture her, steal her power, and kill her too.” His sinister grin was sickening.
Thor pumped his battle ax.
The Viper raised his arms, sparks popping from what was left of his fingers. No flames this time. Just sparks.
Thor raised his neck, the collar heating up. If he could deflect the hit, he could take the asshole down.
Viper aimed low and Thor ducked just in time for the shot to hit his collar. The tiger’s eye clinked and spun and Thor watched as the magic shot directly back into The Viper’s good eye.
It was no longer good.
Thor went for his throat.
~TEN~
Three days later
As it turned out, the magical hit that the cat took was his own. The Viper had siphoned it from the trio when they were locked in the Seeker’s Den. They helped him clean the cottage and were now back home after making a promise to properly train the kittens to be non-drinking, non-gambling, non-spray painting familiars.
Lucy was gone. Thor kissed her goodbye, wished her well on her new adventure as a mother, and kicked Tank in the balls just because he wanted to. He knew it would be the last time he ever saw her, and it broke his heart all over again.
The Commander assured Thor that Tank would be tried for treason. She also reinstated Thor as a full General, giving him one more star for a total of five.
As for The Viper, he won’t ever harm another familiar. One thing that’s handy about giant dogs is that they can dig giant holes.
Thor was now lounging on the couch, watching a documentary on lemurs.
Stacy and her boyfriend, Chance, were in the kitchen talking about him.
“He seems depressed,” said Chance.
Stacy said, “I know. It’s killing me.”
“What do you think is wrong with him?”
“I asked Fiona, but she either doesn’t know or won’t tell me.”
Thor moaned and reached for a piece of pepperoni that she had left for him on the couch. He didn’t bother raising his head to eat it.
“That’s it,” he heard his witch say.
She stood in front of him, blocking his view of the television. He looked at her with one eye and grumbled.
“Listen, Big Man. I don’t know what happened the other night. I have no idea why the house smells like a kennel, why all of Lolly’s whiskey is gone, or why there was a Shelby goat in my Seeker’s Den. But this?” She made a circle around him with her hand. “This stops now.”
Thor harrumphed and rolled onto his back.
She nudged him with her foot. “All right. I’ve watched you wallow for a few days now and all I can say is this is unbecoming of a Great Dane. You are a warrior, for Goddess sakes. I’ve seen you make grown men cry.”
He sighed.
Chance said, “Um, Stacy? That girl that’s been following you around? She’s back.”
Thor watched his witch turn her head towards the front door where Chance was standing. “Seriously?”
“Yep.”
She walked over to the door and opened it. “Okay, this can’t be a coincidence. She’s been hanging around me ever since dinner the other night.” She frowned. “Thor, whatever it is that’s bothering you, maybe this will cheer you up.”
He whined and rolled over, burying his head in the couch. Losing the love of your life sucked. Losing her twice was torture.
“If you do not get off that couch right now, you will never eat another cheeseburger.”
What fresh hell was this?
“I’m counting to three.”
He groaned.
“One.”
He glared at her. This was so not fair. He had saved her life like a gazillion times.
“Two.”
He gave a protest bark. He was so telling Fiona about this unfair treatment.
“Two and a half.”
He
tumbled off the couch, bitching the entire time and crawled to the door.
He blinked a few times and jumped to his feet.
Sitting in the driveway, statue-still, was the most beautiful harlequin Great Dane he had ever seen. She saluted him and Thor returned her gesture. She must have been the temp the Commander had sent to guard his witch.
Chance said, “You think they know each other?”
“Let’s hope so.”
Thor gave his witch a nod. He couldn’t very well wiggle or wag like he wanted to. It wouldn’t be very general-like. He swaggered out the door using his John Wayne walk and for the first time in a long time, Thor was at peace.
END
If you enjoyed this Story, email The Author for a *FREE* copy of Witch Way To Amethyst – Book 0 in The Stacy Justice Magical Mysteries Series! [email protected]
Description Of Witch Way To Amethyst, Book 0 in the Stacy Justice World:
Stacy Justice is a young reporter who lives in Chicago, far away from the kooky small town of Amethyst, Illinois, where she was raised by a family of witches. She’s perfectly content with her career, her cat, and her lack of a love life until her cousin informs her that their grandfather is deathly ill. Stacy road-trips home only to discover that her grandfather was poisoned, her grandmother has confessed to the crime, and there’s a new chief in town who is easy on the eyes, but tough on witches.
Now, the reluctant witch must prove her grandmother’s innocence, save her grandfather from meeting an untimely end, and fight the killer that’s bent on destroying them all.
This is the prequel novel to the Stacy Justice Witch Mysteries—where secrets only lead to more secrets and being the member of a family means that you make sacrifices that can lead to murder.
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Barbra Annino is the author of the enchanting and popular Stacy Justice mystery series with six titles so far and more to come. Sin City Goddess is the first title in her exciting Secret Goddess series and The Bitches of Everafter is the first novel in the new spellbinding trilogy based on the Grimm fairy tales. Originally from Chicago, she shares her home with her husband and their Great Danes, all of whom contribute to her books in unique ways.
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Magic and Mayhem: Thor and Peace (Kindle Worlds Novella) (A Stacy Justice Mystery Novella (3) Book 0) Page 5