by Jen McConnel
She sighed, dropping the knife. I leaned over and grabbed it before she could notice. “No one would blame me,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.
When she opened her eyes, they were clear. “Good luck getting to Scotland. I think I need to find a bar and rebook my flight.” She stood up with a little wave and joined the crowd filling the aisle.
I pocketed the knife and smiled weakly at her, not surprised by her abrupt shift. Glamour magic worked on more than just appearances, and it seemed that whatever spell Hecate had cast on the woman hadn’t been designed to hold up under pressure. How had Hecate even known which flight I’d be on? She hadn’t tried anything since I defeated Rochelle, and I’d started to believe I might finally be safe from her. So much for that fantasy.
I waited until a dozen passengers were between the woman and me before standing to grab my backpack. Once I stepped into the airport, I dropped the knife in the closest trash can and then headed straight for a harried-looking airline employee. His nametag spelled out “CARL” in blue letters, and white-blond hair framed his young face. I took a deep breath and summoned my magic.
“Look,” I began, “I need to get to Scotland.” The glamour I was using made my voice musical, and Carl grinned sappily at me. “I’d be happy to fly out tomorrow if the airline would find me a hotel.”
Carl sighed in relief. “No one has agreed to fly out later—everyone wants to get where they’re going now! I’m sure we can arrange a voucher for you. Does it matter when you fly tomorrow?” He headed to a computer kiosk, beckoning me to follow him.
I thought for a moment. I didn’t want to delay my search for too long, but I figured I could spare a day. “I’d like to get there before tomorrow evening, but anytime in the day should be fine.”
He sighed. “I love travelers with flexible plans. You have no idea how rare you are, miss.”
“You have no idea,” I muttered. With a few quick strokes of the keyboard, Carl was printing me a new ticket for the following day. I eyed it gratefully, while Carl kept typing.
“Flying out on Christmas Eve. I guess you don’t have family waiting on you in Scotland.”
I shook my head. “I’m just traveling for fun.”
“Don’t your parents mind you not being around for Christmas?”
Wordlessly, I shook my head. If they minded the trip at all, they hadn’t let on. Not that that would have stopped me; I was determined that the next time I faced Hecate, I wouldn’t do it alone.
I headed to the curb outside the airport, following the directions Carl had given me to find the hotel shuttle. He’d been nicer than I expected, but then again, magic tended to make people larger versions of themselves. I guess Carl was already a pretty nice guy, because under my spell he’d printed me fifty dollars in food vouchers, a hotel voucher for a luxury resort for the night, plus a free one-way ticket to anywhere. I hadn’t expected the free ticket; my spell had taken on a life of its own.
A small white van with the hotel logo on the side pulled up to the curb, and I opened the door.
The big, smiling driver looked like a Viking right out of an old Hollywood movie, complete with messy long hair and bulging muscles, and I almost cracked up when he stuck out his hand and said, “My name is Odin. Welcome to Iceland!”
The ride from the airport to the hotel was over pretty fast. Grateful, I handed Odin a tip when he opened the door for me.
He shook his head. “No tip. Just have a nice trip!”
He trundled off toward the van with a wave, and I pocketed the money as I waved back. Maybe I should have asked Carl to give me a couple of days to explore Iceland, I thought, as I carried my backpack inside the hotel. I’d never had an interest to travel there, but the people had been really nice so far. I sighed. This wasn’t a vacation, I reminded myself. I was on a mission, and based on my encounter with the woman on the plane, time was running out.
I’d been counting on meeting with the other Red in secret and joining forces with her, but it looked like the Queen of Witches was a step ahead of me. It was sick how she was willing to use anyone; that poor woman on the plane had freaked me out, but Hecate hadn’t thought twice about getting an innocent Non involved in our fight. I realized I was shaking, and it took me three tries to swipe the key card and get into the safety of my hotel room.
Carl had done a really good job with my voucher: the room was a suite with a kitchenette, a king-sized bed, and a balcony. Poking my head into the bathroom, I grinned in delight when I saw the massive claw-footed tub. Even if I hadn’t narrowly escaped death on the plane, a hot bath would have still sounded amazing.
Dropping my backpack, I began rooting around in it. Finally, I found the pill case I had filled with herbs. I’d wanted to keep them separate, so I’d used one of those “pill a day” cases that I’d picked up at the dollar store. I fished out a pinch of rosemary from the Wednesday slot, some peppermint from Tuesday, and a dried clove from Sunday.
I ran the water extra hot, and soon the suite was filled with the scent of my magical bath. I had begun dabbling in Herb magic over the past year, before I went Red, and Mom had insisted I take the herbs with me to Scotland.
“Herbs can help you,” she’d said when she helped me pack early this morning. “Clove will protect you, and if you charge it right, it’ll help you to divine the truth.” The peppermint was for calming, and the rosemary for protection when traveling. Most of the other herbs she sent me with served similar purposes. Having the herbs with me made me feel like I wasn’t traveling alone; it was almost like having Mom there with me, and that thought was comforting.
As I eased myself into the steaming water, I made a mental note to thank her when I called home later that night. I’d sent a text as soon as the plane landed to let them know about the change in plans, but they hadn’t been surprised. Mom had texted back to say Dad had been watching my flight on the computer. He probably knew about our change of course before I did. At least they weren’t worried about me … yet.
Leaning my head against the cold porcelain lip of the tub, I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing deeply. I hadn’t just wanted to take a bath to relax: I was hoping that the combination of herbs would stir up some visions to help me strategize. I didn’t have any delusions about Hecate, despite the fact that she hadn’t moved against me again until tonight. I was sure that if she could arrange it, I wouldn’t live very long.
Suddenly nervous, I sat up, sloshing water onto the floor. I realized that I hadn’t cast any kind of ward on the hotel room. I’d been in such a rush to soak in the tub that I’d ignored my safety. Stupid move, Lena. Grabbing a white towel off the floor, I hurried to stand up. Water cascaded down my legs as I climbed out of the tub. Quickly, I muttered the words of protection that would create a temporary ward around the room. Holding out my left hand, I started to walk around the suite, moving clockwise.
I was almost to the door when the knob began to rattle. I froze for a moment, and then hurried to seal the circle. The handle of the door went still. A second latter, a loud knock sounded and I jumped, clutching my towel with both hands.
“Room service,” a muffled voice called from the hall.
Cautiously, I crossed to the door and tried to look out the peephole, but the distorted image in front of me was just the top of someone’s dark head. I couldn’t see anything else.
“I didn’t order anything,” I called, trying to sound confident.
“Complimentary for our special guest.” The woman looked up then and I saw the flash of her red eyes.
I swallowed. Why wasn’t she just blasting the door down? Pele had popped into my bedroom uninvited before, and I was sure she could do it again. My skin crawled as I looked at her.
“Swear a truce.” The words left my mouth before I had time to question them. I saw her sneer through the door.
“Why would I do that?”
“You could have just come in here. But you wanted me to know who you were. Well, lady, I’m not open
ing the door until you swear you won’t harm me.”
She laughed roughly. “Surely you know your time grows shorter with each breath.”
“Swear it.”
Her eyes seemed to bore into mine through the door. “Very well. I swear by my great mountain that I will not harm you tonight.”
I paused, trying to see if there was any loophole in her words. Finally, I shrugged. “Okay.”
I opened the door and the Mistress of Volcanoes swept into the room.
I faced her, holding my towel tight. “Well? What are you doing here?”
She laughed, her fiery eyes sparking. “You are the one who entered my realm.”
“What are you talking about? You’re a Polynesian goddess.”
“Any land that has one of my fire mountains belongs to me.”
For a minute, her words didn’t make any sense, but then I remembered the recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland. That had been one of the news items Justin forwarded to me while I was comatose.
Pele smiled as she saw the realization dawn on me. “Yes. You are in my domain now, Darlena.”
I gulped when she said my name. She sounded … hungry. “What do you want?”
She bared her teeth. “A bargain.”
“What?”
“You are without a goddess again, are you not?”
I nodded, wondering how she knew.
“It has been long since I had a Red to represent me. If you would swear to me—”
“Why in the world would I do that?” I exploded. “You told me yourself you demand sacrifices, and that’s not what I want to do with my power.”
Pele glared at me. “Foolish girl. Do not cross me. With me as your patron, you would grow more powerful. And none could harm you.”
“I’ll take my chances.” I clutched my towel tighter, and the goddess smiled.
“I will not make this offer again.”
“That’s fine. I won’t swear to you.”
Her eyes blazed. “Fine. But remember this. You are in my land now. Watch where you walk.”
She turned on her heel and left, slamming the hotel door behind her. I let out my breath in a rush and locked the deadbolt.
I glanced into the bathroom, but lounging in a tub seemed like the last thing I wanted now. I drained the water and looked around. Catching a glimpse of my reflection in the huge wall mirror, I shuddered. I looked far worse than jetlagged: I looked like I was on death’s door.
Hurriedly, I pulled on my sweats and an old T-shirt I’d stolen from Justin. He was tall, but he wasn’t a bulky guy. When I glanced back in the mirror, I realized with a shock that his shirt hung on me like a circus tent. When did I lose all that weight? My sweats were slung low on my hips, and I cinched the drawstring as tight as I could. Stepping closer to the mirror, I shook my head.
I studied my face, and it was like staring at a stranger. My eyes were sunken into my skull, and I could see the bones of my jaw like ragged edges underneath my skin. I pressed my fingertips to my cheeks. I’d never had a problem with my weight, but I’d always been closer to curvy than skinny. Justin said he liked me that way, and the memory of his hands caressing my skin made my face flush. Instead of a normal blush, however, my cheeks turned blotchy, like I’d been experimenting with makeup. I looked awful.
What had happened to me? I crossed the room to the bed and snuggled down under the thick, white comforter. I hadn’t been eating very much lately, true, but I hadn’t felt like eating ever since Rochelle died. I didn’t realize how much my body had changed since Halloween.
Burrowing under the blankets, I wondered what else about me had changed.
Before I succumbed to sleep, I heard my cell phone buzzing in my bag. I crawled out of bed, shivering, and pulled it out.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sweetie. Did I wake you?” Mom sounded so normal, her voice almost made me cry.
“Um, no. I was in bed, but not asleep. I’m sort of wound up.”
“I bet the detour shook you up a bit.”
You have no idea. “Yeah. But I fly to Edinburgh tomorrow.”
“That’s good.” She paused, and even thousands of miles away, I could tell she was choosing her words carefully. “The sooner you get there, the sooner this will all be done.”
I crawled back into bed, taking the phone with me. “I hope so. But Mom, what if I don’t find the other Red?”
“You said your dreams point to Scotland. Trust your dreams, Lena.”
“Right. It’s just … things aren’t what I expected.”
Mom paused. “Is everything okay?”
I sighed, remembering Pele’s flashing eyes. “Yeah, sure. I have a feeling this will be harder than I thought is all.”
Mom didn’t say anything for a minute, and I yawned loudly.
“Look, Mom, I should—”
“Your father wants to say good night.”
I stared at the phone, surprised. “What?”
There was silence on the line, and then Dad chirped a greeting. “How’s Iceland?”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. I’m not here to sightsee, you know.”
“I know that, but you’re there, so you might as well make the most of it.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow. But Dad, it’s late here. I really ought to try and get some sleep.”
“Oh, sure. Of course.” He sounded hurt, but that was silly. “Just be careful, sweetheart.”
“I’ll be fine.”
I wasn’t so sure I’d be fine, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. I didn’t want to risk a lecture, or worse, a fight about me giving up and coming home. Mom and Dad had been surprisingly chill about this trip, but I had a feeling that they would try to order me home at the first sign of danger. There was no point mentioning the woman on the plane or Pele’s visitation; it wasn’t like they could do anything to help. I was on my own.
“Night, Dad.”
“Good night, Lena.”
When I hung up the phone, I felt a strange lump in my throat. Staring around the vast hotel room, I pulled the covers up to my chin and snapped my fingers. The overhead light shut off, and the bathroom light dimmed until it cast a warm yellow glow into the room, like a nightlight. My thoughts were racing, but I knew I’d be worthless tomorrow if I didn’t get some sleep, so I began counting backward from one hundred. I was out by the time I hit twenty, and I was immediately plunged into a bizarre dream. It started out like my regular recurring dream of the flaming cavern, but then it shifted.
A man was lying on his back on the tip of a twisted stalagmite. His hair looked like fire. There was something familiar about him, but I couldn’t place it. In the dream, a woman was standing beside him, holding a bowl over his face. Something kept dripping into the bowl. The slow dripping sound filled the cavern, and I stared at the strange man.
“Is that the Red Witch?” His voice was harsh from disuse, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. He called out again, and I stepped toward him.
“I am a Red Witch,” I answered. His smile twisted his face as if he were in pain, and he crooked his finger in my direction.
“I have an offer for you, little one.”
Wary, I shook my head. “I’ve had enough offers.”
He barked a laugh. “Offers from goddesses, yes, but have you had any offers from a god?”
I moved closer to him. “Who are you?” I asked in my dream.
“I am the Twisted One. I am the Red One. I am Loki, Lord of Chaos.”
I took a quick step back. “I’ve had enough of chaos.”
“It is your vow: you cannot escape chaos, and where there is chaos, there am I.”
The woman spoke softly to Loki. “The bowl is filling, husband.”
He gripped her arm. “Stay just a minute, sweet. Let me speak my piece first.”
“It will fill soon.” She glared at me, but she stayed where she was. Even in the dream, I didn’t have a clue what was going on.
“I will speak plain, then,�
� Loki sighed, “and dispense with my riddles. You and I could help each other.”
“How?” I was skeptical, but something inside me was listening to this god.
“I am stronger than the other Red gods. I can even bring Hecate down. I can make sure she doesn’t harm you.”
“But what’s in it for you? Do you expect me to take you as my patron?”
He cackled. “Silly girl. Bargains do not have to be that binding.”
“Then what do you want?”
“I can protect you, but only if I am free. You must set me free.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“Husband,” the woman said urgently, “I must empty it.”
“Wait.” He gritted his teeth but she shook her head sadly.
With one swift movement, she whisked the bowl away from his face and hurried into the shadows. Loki screamed out in pain.
“It burns! After thousands of years, it still burns! Haven’t I suffered enough?” He cursed and wept, thrashing about from side to side, and I saw that not only was he balanced on the rock, he was bound to it. This god of chaos was a prisoner.
I felt myself sliding out of the dream, and Loki called out, “Just make it seem as if the world is ending! Then I will be free, and I promise, I will come to your aid.”
I woke up drenched in sweat, a feather pillow clutched tight across my face. What in the world had that been about? I had always listened to my dreams, but since my declaration of Red magic, it seemed that I dreamed more vivid and disturbing things than I ever had before.
I glanced over at the glowing green numbers on the nightstand. The clock said it was close to four a.m. Too jostled to sleep, I got up and padded over to the hotel desk. My tiny laptop was where I had left it last night, and I turned it on. As it booted up, I thought back over the details of my dream, but they were beginning to fade. Hastily, I grabbed a pad of hotel paper and a pen and began to scribble down everything I could remember.
I shuddered as I recalled Loki’s screams when the woman had removed the bowl from his eyes. What was all that about? And could he really help me? I shivered at the idea. He didn’t seem like the kind of god I wanted to work with, but then again, I didn’t have a lot of options.