“Too bright for her own good.” The Crystal Wizard scowled at his daughter. “No more conjuring, Sonia. Do you understand?”
The baby nodded.
“Tristan has twins and they’re not half the trouble you are, pumpkin. When you’re here on the mortal plane, you do exactly what mommy tells you. Do you see what your mischief did to your nice teacher?”
“I sorry, Lacey,” Sonia wailed, writhing in her father’s tight grip.
Ciara sighed. “She’s your daughter, Xavier, and has your sense of mischief and adventure. She likes to play with alligators and snakes. Next time, take her to the zoo to see bunny rabbits and butterflies. They’re like fairies. They don’t hurt people.”
Xavier arched a dark brow. “Have you ever seen Gideon’s warrior fairies? They have fangs that drip poison.”
Tara hurried into the room with a cardboard cup filled with hot, fragrant tea. Lacey thanked her.
“We shouldn’t return.” Ciara picked up the book Lacey had read aloud and thumbed through it. “An immortal child such as Sonia, able to use magick at such a young age, presents too many hazards for the mortal plane. But she adores you, Lacey, and learns so quickly, I could not help but return after that first reading session.”
“It wasn’t entirely her fault. Again, I would love for Sonia to return with you.” Lacey sipped more tea, the strong brew helping to clear her head and soothe her nauseated tummy. “Maybe she conjured the snake, but Willow did something to provoke it. She made this gesture and it attacked.”
Remembering the child’s slitted pupils, she added, “Willow isn’t a normal shifter child. How did she get into this reading group?”
“She said her mother was at your shop and you invited her. So I thought it was okay.” Tara shook her head. “All the children in this group are personally vetted by me. Even Ciara, when she first visited the shop to buy herbal tea and overheard you reading to the children, asked for permission to join and I gave it.”
She had a bad feeling about this. “I could have seen her mother. I don’t know. A lot of witches were at my store and some of them asked about the reading group flyers I put on the counter.”
“Willow… there was something about her I could not pinpoint.” Drust stroked his bearded chin. “A faint darkness, but so faint I dismissed it. I should have consulted with one of you.”
The Crystal Wizard stiffened and handed Sonia back to her mother. He put his hands on Drust’s shoulders. “Forget about blaming yourself, Drust. You don’t have enough experience yet to detect pure darkness in mortal children. Show me the memory of her. Allow me to access your memories as well, what smells were in the air, what wizard instincts tingled.”
Drust took a deep breath, nodded. Closing his eyes, he waved a hand. An image of Willow in her white shirt with the flowers and the plain jeans appeared on the wall, like a movie projector. Awestruck Lacey watched as Xavier increased the image as one would on a cell phone photo, until only Willow’s eyes appeared. Seeing nothing unusual, Lacey was stunned to see Ciara gasp.
“Shut it off.” The Crystal Wizard’s expression turned grim. Oh damn. This was not good.
Waving his hand again, Drust made the image vanish. As his eyes opened, he went still, as if realizing something. “There’s tremendous darkness in her.”
“Exactly,” Xavier said slowly, going to his mate and child. He slid an arm around Ciara’s waist, touched Sonia’s head as if for reassurance. “Willow is a demon. The real question is, how the hell did she get here past Tara’s safeguards and what does she want? And who allowed her to come here?”
All eyes in the room turned toward Lacey.
The Crystal Wizard began to glow with power as his eyes turned white. “What threat did you bring into this store, Lacey McGuire?”
Chapter 10
Though he’d dealt with several recalcitrant dragons in his short tenure as a wizard ruling over them, never had Drust seen one more frightened.
Blood drained from Lacey’s face as Xavier bristled with tension and anger, the Crystal Wizard glowing with magick like an incandescent light bulb. He understood his friend’s instinctive need to protect his mate and child. He also understood the need to point blame and remove a possible threat.
Yet deep down, he knew Lacey wasn’t to blame. Not directly. Perhaps she was the catalyst, but she was innocent of doing harm.
Tamping down his own protective instincts to let his powers offset X’s display of magick, Drust took a deep breath. Diffuse, distract, and delay. The three words Tristan had taught him to ease a fellow wizard’s anger at an innocent came to mind.
Drust stepped in front of Lacey, distracting Xavier’s line of sight. He spread out his hands. “Lacey did not deliberately threaten anyone, X. Remember, she is the victim of the snake that bit her. The snake summoned by your daughter.”
The glow surrounding Xavier faded a little, but his fellow wizard still looked infuriated. Drust turned to Ciara. Delay.
“Ciara, has Sonia ever conjured animals before? Lethal ones?”
X’s mate licked her lips. “No. A few times in the nursery she summoned lizards and once a baby dragon. That’s it. The baby dragon was a real dragon baby from a cave, the one Xavier told her about in a bedtime story.”
Finally the glow vanished from X, and his eyes returned to normal, filled with confusion. “You never told me about this.”
Shrugging Ciara rolled her eyes. “You haven’t been around much this week.”
“This was all in one WEEK?”
“Actually, the past two days.”
Xavier muttered something, looked sheepish, and then bit his lips. “Clearly our daughter is entering a new phase.”
Success. He had diverted X’s fury at Lacey as the target and replaced it with a father’s natural pride and worry about a child’s burgeoning abilities.
“Sonia’s never summoned a copperhead snake, though,” Ciara added. “Only creatures we told her were not harmful. So what made this day different? Was it Lacey talking about how snakes are beautiful?”
Face palm. Thanks Ciara.
Lacey took five steps back and held out her hands, as if trying to ward off incoming blows. “Snakes are beautiful. I thought Willow was a snake shifter child. I guess the kids sensed she was not.”
“Children are sensitive to evil,” Xavier murmured, lost in thought.
Seizing the opportunity, Drust ushered her out of the room, leaving X to wrap his arms around his mate and child, and bury his face into Ciara’s soft shoulder. A hiss of breath escaped him. For the first time, Xavier realized the vulnerability of his loved ones here on the mortal plane. Being an immortal, powerful wizard, one could think that such dangers were beyond them.
As wizards, they were accustomed to fighting evil and using their magick to defeat darkness. But when one had a mate and child, like Xavier and Tristan did, it provided a chink in their armor of magick.
So I don’t have a loved one or a child to protect. I should be glad I’m free and single. Why then, does it make me feel regret instead of relief?
In the coffee shop, Lacey fisted her hands and took several deep breaths. “I thought for a moment he was going to turn me into ash.”
Drust placed his hands on her shoulders and turned Lacey to face him. “I would not let that happen. Xavier worries about his mate and child. I am concerned as well about this Willow and how she arrived here.”
Biting her lip she nodded. “Some of the kids in the reading group are still here with their parents. Let me talk with them. They may be a little scared of you.”
“I should think they are more scared of what transpired than the wizard who could save them,” he said dryly. “I’ll accompany you.”
“One thing before we do. How could all of you wizards, and I’m assuming Ciara is one as well, tell that Willow was a demon?”
Hunting around for the best way to share information without terrifying her, he settled for a partial truth. Drust pointed to her eyes. “In demons
, the pupils of the eyes turn a specific shade of red at time.”
“I didn’t see any red pupils.”
“It’s hard to discern, unless you know what you are looking for.”
She seemed satisfied with that answer. Good thing, because if she knew the full truth – that only wizards could see that color in the spectrum, and that in the pupils flickered the flames of hell, she might, as Xavier put it, freak out.
Then again, perhaps not, for Lacey was a tough dragon.
When they reached the small cluster of children, Drust let Lacey lead the questioning. None of the children recalled how she had arrived, only that she seemed to be there. He asked if they noticed any physical differences about Willow. All of them except Billy admitted they felt “strange” around Willow and did not want to sit near her.
On the other hand, Billy bluntly stated that he overheard his father talking about distrusting snake shifters, and was deeply curious about Willow. But when he met her today and she introduced herself as a snake shifter, it triggered fear inside him.
“She didn’t seem right.” Billy tapped his head. “Not like the other kids.”
Lacey thanked Billy and they walked off. Suspicion filled him. After Lacey bid good-bye to Tara and they walked outside, he questioned her.
“Lacey, there is no just cause for a demon in disguise to suddenly appear in this coffee shop. Tara has warded it with light and good magick to protect Others, including Ciara and Sonia. Did you look at spells from the Book of Shadows?”
A guilty look provided his answer. Drust sighed. “I told you, it is dangerous.”
“Are you saying that because you simply want me to destroy the book and not use it again?” Lacey hugged herself. “It’s a powerful book true, but just a book. It doesn’t summon demons. I’m not stupid, Drust. I would never turn to evil or darkness to get my way, and damnit, I certainly would never endanger innocent kids. All I did was take a peek at some spells in the back of the book.”
“Certain spells can open doors best remained shut.” He hoped the cryptic warning would suffice. Lacey was a stubborn dragon.
“They did look a little scary. I made sure to not read them aloud.”
“All the spells in that book are best left to be unread, unrecited, and forgotten, not merely the ones in the back, Lacey.”
“Easy for you to say, when all you have to do is wish for it and you have diamonds or gold, all you want.”
His temper snapped. Drust laced his fingers around Lacey’s wrist, dragged her to the alcove of a deserted shop and then pushed her up against the wall. He got in her face, this dragon who failed to realize the dangers of what she had gotten her hands on.
“If money is what you love, then I’ll snap my damn fingers and ten bags of gold will appear on your doorstep. I do not know how to drill sense into this…” he stabbed a finger at her head. “thick skull of yours, Lacey McGuire. You are flirting with evil every time you open that book and take a ‘peek’ as you put it, at the darkness within. This is not a gray area. It is absolute. The book must be destroyed or you will unleash a horrible evil. If you think that copperhead snake was frightening for the children, imagine what a horde of demons could do to them. They could die screaming. All because you ‘took a peek’ at a book never intended for mortals like you.”
She faced him with such defiance in her snapping green eyes, her bristling stance. “If it was not meant for us, wizard, then how did it end up in mortal hands? Why didn’t you guys do something about it, since you’re the all-powerful Brehon?”
Good question, and one he had no answers to. Drust suspected Caderyn did. Now was not the time, however.
Honesty was best. His firm sense of honor overrode all. “I do not know. But I know this…” he got into her face again, let her see the subtle flickering of his power. “You are endangering yourself and Others with that book. Do you think Willow simply appeared out of nowhere for no reason?”
Blood drained from her face and her lower lip wobbled. Finally he’d gotten through to her. How he hated scaring her like this, but Lacey was a stubborn dragon and she had to see what power she’d tapped into had the potential to turn against her.
And innocents, like the children.
Her breath came out in a thin whistle. “My shop. If I did conjure this thing… with a spell… where would Willow go next?”
Drust was already pulling her out of the alcove. He knew. Snapping his fingers, not even taking the time to ensure no Skins witnessed them dematerializing, he teleported with Lacey into the front room of her store.
What greeted them had her gasping and triggered all his wizard senses, making his powers surge into overdrive.
Chapter 11
Lacey had thought escaping the Crystal Wizard’s wrath and a deadly copperhead bite was the worst of it. And then Drust had hauled her outside, saving her skin, and gave her a warning that sent chills skating down her spine.
Deep down she knew he was right. She’d opened a door to darkness.
The evidence of which was now in her store, her beautiful little store that helped witches and Others and even Skins find peace, harmony and balance.
Glass jars were smashed on the hardwood floor. The cash register drawer was open, and all her cash from the spell and today’s sales had been cut into shredded pieces. With trembling hands, she picked up a corner of a $20 bill. The stench of urine and feces made her gag. She glanced in the corner where she’d set a display of colorful candles to ward off darkness and saw the source.
Bile rose in her throat and she swallowed past it.
Wrinkling his nose, Drust crouched down, picked up a shard of glass labeled Ashwagandha. “You carried this. Interesting. A good herb for healing the immune system and calming the body from high stress levels.”
How could he be so calm? Every nerve inside her quivered with rage, grief and fear. Lacey let the ruined Jackson bill flutter to the floor.
And then she saw the glow emanating from him, a cobalt blue glow as if all his magick surged like a nuclear reactor. His eyes, normally a penetrating blue, turned cobalt and glowing with the same power.
So maybe not so blasé, but barely checked rage. Like her.
But his demeanor remained calm as he dropped the shard. “Tell me everything you did, Lacey. Leave nothing out.”
Drawing a deep breath, she confessed about using the doubling spell and how it had increased her cash. Drust said nothing, but a muscle ticked in his jaw, indicating his temper was rising.
“At least no one got hurt.” She swallowed past her emotions and tried to think of her next step. Nothing convinced her that the book was deadly like this.
A deep bark drew their attention to the back room. Immobilized with fear, Lacey stared at Drust.
“Lucky,” she whispered.
“Stay here.”
The order snapped her out of inertia. Lacey ran to the back room, skidded to a halt, her sneakers sliding on a broken jar of herbal tea. Her jaw unhinged.
Instead of the cheerful terrier mongrel she’d rescued from the streets, she faced a dog with the head of a German Shepherd… and the body of a Chihuahua. A cartoon dog whose tongue lolled out of its giant head and cheerfully wagged its tiny tail.
Lacey sank to her knees, moaning. Her rescued pet was now a crazy creation of magick.
The dog came over and licked her face and wagged its tail, as if Lucky tried to cheer her up. Lucky sat down, attempted to lick his hindquarters and as a result, fell over.
Then he released a pitiful howl.
“I’m so sorry.” She stroked the dog’s head. “I’ll find a way to fix this.”
How the hell could she have been that stupid? Drust was right. The first rule of magick was respect the power. Major fail.
Lucky whimpered.
Oh damn. “I’m sorry, boy. I’ll find a way to turn you back.”
Lucky stumbled around, his giant head bowed down from the weight of carrying it on a body meant for a much smaller dog.
Swallowing her pride and fear, she looked upward. “Drust! I need your help!”
“I’m here.” The calmness in his voice settled her rattled nerves a little. The wizard’s gaze fell on the dog, who looked up and woofed. His face fell as he crouched down to pet the dog.
“Can you put him back the way he was, Drust? And then scold me later for screwing up and using that doubling spell?”
Something flickered in his gaze. “You never did learn how to master spells.”
Confused, she shook her head. “I’ve never recited one before this.”
Then he blinked, as if realizing what he said. Drust scowled. “He looks ridiculous and his body cannot bear the weight of his head.”
“I don’t get it, I mean the spell was to increase what was already there. How could it act on him like this?”
“Spells like that increase what is the smallest factor and make it larger. He must have some German Shepherd and Chihuahua in him for it to happen.”
“Please, can you fix it? I mean, you’re the Coldfire Wizard.” Her lower lip wobbled. “He’s just a dog and this wasn’t his fault.”
Drust drew in a deep breath. “Stand back. All the way back.”
Lacey scampered for the doorway, her body tight. “Please don’t hurt him…”
The wizard stretched out his arms and blue fire flickered on his palms. He murmured something and flicked his hands at Lucky.
The dog glowed bright blue as if electrified. She bit her lip. What if it did not work?
Peering out between her splayed fingers, she saw her dog had returned to his normal, happy, tail-wagging self. Lucky woofed and raced up to her as she dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his fur.
“Give him something to eat, now that he is whole again,” Drust advised.
“Thank you.” She wanted to hug Drust as well,
But as she headed for the cabinet holding the dog food, a soft pop of air and a howl warned her something was terribly wrong.
THE MATING CLAIM: Werewolves of Montana Book 14 Page 12