Gods of Chaos (Red Magic)

by Jen McConnel

  Izzy was lying bound and gagged on the floor. Her eyes flashed when she recognized me, and she thumped her heels twice.

  “What do we have here?”

  I jumped, startled by the old man’s sudden appearance. Firmly, Frederick closed the door and steered me back to the stairs.

  “What are you going to do with her?” I stepped away from him, wondering if I could run down the stairs, but he kept his hand on my shoulder. I fought back the rising panic that filled my throat.

  He clicked his tongue. “Silly child. Able to see the other enchantments, and not that one?”

  I stopped on the stairs and blocked his way. “What are you talking about?”

  “Coven secret. But things are not as they seem.”

  Forcefully, he prodded me down the stairs and back into the front room.

  “Even if Jewel hasn’t arrived yet, we’ll have to do something. The girl has seen the room.”

  If I thought I was unwelcome before, I wasn’t prepared for the looks on their faces at Frederick’s announcement. The parrot clicked his beak in agitation.

  I sank back down on the loveseat. “I think I deserve some answers.”

  They stared mutely at me, but then a rusty voice began to speak.

  “Things are not as they seem.” Everyone swiveled around to look at Samuel, the sharp-nosed librarian, leaning against the old brick fireplace across the room. He met my eyes, and I shivered. “What do you know about the siblings you seek?”

  I huffed, “Well, one of them is tied up in that room upstairs!”

  No one twitched.

  “First, she is not.” Samuel’s voice was firm. “Second, answer my question.”

  What did he mean? I knew what I saw, but the look on Samuel’s face warned me not to push it. I frowned. “I know Marcus is a Red, and Izzy’s Blue. Otherwise, I guess I don’t know a lot.”

  “You know their patrons, I thought?” Dr. Farren’s voice was insistent.

  I nodded. “Cerridwen and Isis.”

  “But do you know how they came to serve those gods?” Frederick’s voice was harsh, and Frances crossed to him, taking his hand. Confused, I shook my head.

  “It’s not a pretty story.” Julia laughed harshly and her parrot echoed her.

  “But it’s one the girl needs to hear in order to understand,” Dr. Farren interjected. Frances nodded, but the other three Witches showed no change of expression. For a moment, no one breathed.

  Finally, Samuel sighed. “Does the Coven agree to share this information with this Witch, even though she has sworn us no oath and owes us no allegiance?” His words reverberated through the room, and the other Witches straightened as he spoke. Simultaneously, they nodded once, and I wondered for a minute if Samuel was in charge of the group. That thought made me shiver; it was pretty obvious that he wasn’t my biggest fan.

  “Very well. It has been agreed. But the consequences of our actions may reach farther than you suppose.” Despite his threatening words, the librarian looked sad.

  “Their story begins over twenty ago, long before Isadora was born.”

  Dr. Farren closed her eyes as if she was in pain, but Samuel kept speaking.

  “When she was pregnant with her son, Marcus’s mother was overtaken with fear of her own mortality. She made a foolish bargain, breaking magical law to protect herself. She vowed her unborn child to the service of a powerful goddess, Cerridwen. The Witch thought that with a son in service of the Goddess of Death, she would never know the gruesome fate that her heart feared.”

  I stared at him in horror. Even though I sometimes bent the Rede, I couldn’t imagine a Witch who would be willing to break the strongest of magical laws. Poor Marcus! What would it have been like if my mom had promised me to a goddess before I was born? With my luck, she would have given me to Hecate. I gulped nervously.

  “But,” Julia took up the tale, “she didn’t think it through. To make a vow for another Witch goes against the Rede, for Marcus should have been allowed to choose his own patron and his own path. His mother did him harm in this.”

  Gods, how awful! “So Marcus didn’t swear to the Red path?” My question broke the spell of the story, and Samuel glared at me.

  Dr. Farren shook her head. “It was chosen for him. He never wanted it, but no Witch can unbind a vow to a patron, once made, even without his consent.”

  She gave me a hard look, and I shook my head slightly. There was no way I wanted to discuss my own vow-breaking history in this room full of strange Witches; I wasn’t sure how Dr. Farren had figured it out, but maybe she’d read it in my tea leaves. I kept my mouth closed, and she relaxed and looked at Frances.

  Frances had tears in her eyes when she began to speak. “Marcus did not choose his path, and his training—” She paused and glanced around the room. “His training also did him harm. The boy has had a hard life, all thanks to his mother.”

  “What happened to her?” I sort of hoped Marcus’s mom had been punished for what she did, but the tense expressions on the faces around me said otherwise.

  Frances took a deep breath. “The woman did not die, but felt great remorse when she realized what fate she had given her son. When she was pregnant a second time, she tried to soften her error.”

  “But she was still selfish.” Samuel’s voice was harsh. “Still, she bound her unborn child to a path and a patron, but this time, she chose more wisely. She offered the goddess Isis the service of her child.”

  “And she didn’t live through Isadora’s birth.” Dr. Farren looked pale as she spoke.

  No one said anything for a moment. Frances wept against her husband’s shoulder, and the librarian turned, staring blankly out the window.

  “But,” I hesitated, not wanting to break the stillness, but needing to understand, “why is your Coven involved? And how does this explain what’s happened to them?”

  Julia was the one who answered me. “She was one of our group. We each have ties to her, and a responsibility to her children.”

  “But where are they? I saw Izzy upstairs.”

  Dr. Farren shook her head. “That wasn’t her. It was a Seeming.”

  Something jiggled at the back of my memory. “What’s that?”

  “A powerful Witch can create a Seeming of herself. It’s a sort of double.”

  I looked at Dr. Farren, confused. “Why would Izzy do that?”

  “Izzy didn’t. Those who have her sent that Seeming. It’s a warning.” Frederick sat down heavily, still holding his wife’s hand. “They want us to know she’s still alive for now.”

  “That’s awful! It’s like a really nasty ransom note, isn’t it?”

  Samuel laughed sharply. “That’s exactly it.”

  “But who has her? And what do they want?”

  “We aren’t sure yet who has taken her. Still—” Frances broke off nervously. Five sets of eyes stared at me in pity.

  The parrot shrieked knowingly. “They want you!”

  Panicked, I stood up. My hands crackled with Red magic, and I prepared to defend myself.

  Frederick raised his palms slowly in a gesture of peace. “We aren’t the ones who want to harm you. You came here for answers, and we’re trying to give them to you.”

  I didn’t release the power. How stupid did he think I was?

  Dr. Farren spoke. “Darlena, think. If we wanted to turn you over to Izzy’s captors, we would have done so already. The situation is delicate, especially now that Marcus is missing.”

  I looked around the room, studying their faces. Other than Samuel, none of them seemed openly hostile. In fact, Frances and Julia both looked afraid. I lowered my hands slightly, but I didn’t let go of Red magic.

  “Why?” I demanded.

  They glanced at each other, nervously.

  Dr. Farren cleared her throat. “Darlena, it would seem that you have made some very powerful enemies. It’s possible that Izzy may be released if you are sent in her place.”

  “So why haven’t you given m
e to them? I mean, it’s obvious Hecate has her, right? Why haven’t you tried to sacrifice me? Everyone would be happy then.” I laughed bitterly, and the red sparks shot up my arms to my elbows. My skin was starting to singe from holding all that magic and not using it, but I wasn’t ready to trust the Coven yet. It would be easier for them to just hand me over and be done with it, but that didn’t mean I’d let them take me without a fight.

  “And as to who we’re dealing with, perhaps it’s better if you don’t know.” Samuel spoke from the fireplace, not looking at any of us.

  “I already know. It has to be Hecate.”

  A ripple of tension flowed through the room at my statement. I noticed Frances turn quickly to the window and trace a protective symbol over the glass.

  “Why would that be your assumption?” Dr. Farren’s voice was guarded.

  “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because she’s spent the past few months hunting me down!” My voice rose at the end, and the parrot let out an indignant squawk.

  Frederick looked at Dr. Farren. “I thought you said the girl had some measure of sense.”

  I felt an irrational desire to blow something up. The red sparks surged up my arms, covering me from fingertip to shoulder. My skin was smoking, and I realized that even if I needed to defend myself, I couldn’t hold that much Red magic for that long. Annoyed, I knelt to the floor and pressed my palms to the boards, picturing the earth beneath the house as I let the magic seep out of my hands. When I looked up, everyone was staring at me.

  Dr. Farren smiled slightly. “She does. See how she didn’t just blast us to smithereens?”

  Frederick snorted. “But she could. She’s a loose cannon, Talia.”

  “Look, stop talking about me like I’m not here. Who has Izzy, if not Hecate?”

  Dr. Farren looked down at her hands, refusing to meet my gaze. I glared around the room, but no one answered my question. What were they hiding?

  “Do you know what Hecate plans to do with you, child, should she have you in her hands?” Frances’s voice was soft, and I thought I saw a tear in the corner of her eye.

  “When she had Rochelle try to kill me in the fall,” I began unsteadily, “Rochelle said she’d been promised that she’d become the next Red Witch to take my place.” Glancing around nervously, I went on, “I would assume that she wants to replace me with someone who suits her purposes.”

  “Ah, yes, her purposes.” Samuel stood straighter and took a step toward me. “And just what do you believe she wants, Darlena?”

  I glanced at Dr. Farren, who nodded slightly. “I think she wants enough chaos to end the world.” I licked my lips.

  Their stunned faces made me feel like I’d just said the most ridiculous thing, but thankfully Dr. Farren came to my defense.

  “We have been worried about such an event. There are many cases throughout mythology of different gods wishing to cleanse a civilization and start over. Usually when those gods are feeling neglected.”

  I jumped in. “But civilizations don’t exist in isolation anymore, so for this to have any effect, they need to attack the global society as a whole.” I thought about the strange winter back home in North Carolina. “Has the weather been odd here lately?”

  They looked at each other, and after a moment, Dr. Farren nodded. “There have been more rainstorms than usual, even for Scotland.”

  I nodded. “It’s an unusually cold winter in North Carolina, too. My mom says she’s never seen anything quite like it.”

  “So the weather might be a sign that things are out of balance.” Her eyes met mine, and I felt a rush of relief that at least somebody was willing to listen to me.

  “Izzy and I were trying to figure out a way to bind Hecate. We hadn’t thought of any other way to stop her, and now she’s missing.” My throat caught, and I realized that I was more worried about Izzy than I’d let on. This wasn’t just about stopping Hecate anymore; the Blue Witch had begun to be my friend, and I couldn’t sacrifice another friend.

  Samuel frowned. “First, you tell us that the gods are plotting an apocalypse. Then you toss off the suggestion that trapping Hecate would be the solution to all this. Do you have any idea how irreverent you sound?”

  I shrugged, nonplused. “If Hecate can’t influence events, maybe I can work to stop any chaos she sets in motion. Otherwise, she just keeps getting in my way.”

  Julia leaned forward. “Is that how you use Red magic? I always thought it was about destruction and fire.”

  I shook my head. “It can be, but I’ve also been able to use it to bring a sort of balance. Death will still happen; chaos is just a part of life, like it or not. But if the Red Witches used our magic to spread out the natural effects of chaos, we might be able to find a more positive balance.” I took a deep breath. “Last fall, I stopped a hurricane from making landfall.”

  They gaped at me for a moment. “That was dangerous,” Dr. Farren finally said.

  “I know. It’s what made Hecate turn on me for real.”

  “I begin to understand why you sought help from Marcus, but how did you get Isadora mixed up in all of this?”

  Frederick’s question made me look down at my hands. In a quiet voice, I confessed, “I thought Izzy would help me get closer to Marcus. He’d been pretty clear that he didn’t want anything to do with me, but Izzy, well … ”

  I risked looking up. Frances stared at me pityingly, but Samuel had a look of rage on his face.

  “So you used the girl. Just like a Red,” he spat.

  Gods, I wanted to blast him and show him what a Red could really do. I struggled to get a grip on my anger. “I didn’t mean to! I mean, yes,” I amended, “I meant to use her to get to Marcus. But Izzy was so funny and smart, and the things she said about Blue magic! I never knew there were any other magics. I didn’t even know Red existed until I made my declaration.”

  “Ignorance is no excuse.” Samuel’s words felt like a death sentence, but none of the other Witches moved.

  I glared at him. “Besides, I need all the help I can get. And Izzy was willing to help me.”

  “Until your presence threatened her. You’re disgusting, Miss Agara.” Samuel’s words hung in the air, and I risked a glance at the rest of the Coven. Most of them were expressionless, but Julia wore a matching expression to Samuel, and Frances wouldn’t meet my eyes.

  I gulped. “What I don’t understand,” I said, turning to Dr. Farren and trying to ignore the rest of them, “is why did Hecate take Izzy? I mean, she was helping me, but this seems a little … extreme.”

  “How much do you know about Izzy’s patron, Isis?” Julia interrupted.

  I shrugged. “Only what Izzy told me.”

  “Do you know, for example, that Isis spent years searching for her husband’s remains?”

  I wrinkled up my nose. “No, I didn’t.”

  “Or,” Julia continued, “that her husband was murdered by Set, her brother, who is also a Red god?”

  I shuddered, starting to understand. “I don’t know the story.”

  Dr. Farren sighed. “Isadora is unique. Remember that we told you she was sworn to Isis before birth?”

  I nodded. Marcus and Izzy’s mother had really screwed things up for her children.

  “Well,” Dr. Farren hesitated, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Samuel shake his head. What was that about? Dr. Farren cleared her throat and continued. “Your friend is a uniquely powerful Witch. Let’s just leave it at that. She is very precious to her patron. If there’s a war brewing between the gods,” I bristled at the emphasis she placed on the word if, but she went on, “then Isadora would be a valuable hostage. Whoever has her doesn’t want her to get involved in this fight.”

  Or they just don’t want her to help me. My certainty that Hecate was behind Izzy’s disappearance strengthened, and I clenched my fists in anger. “Do many of the other gods know about Izzy’s relationship with Isis?”

  There was a tense silence, and then Dr. Farren nodded. “Isis ma
de no secret of the love she bears for your friend. Their relationship has angered gods in the past, but none have ever acted on it.”

  “Until now.” Julia’s voice was mournful.

  “So Izzy is powerful, and now she’s gone.” They stared at me like I was an idiot, and I sighed, exasperated. “Don’t you think that’s even more reason for us to get her back?”

  Dr. Farren stared at me levelly. “As a hostage, it is likely that whoever has taken her has done everything in his power to isolate her from her patron. It will be nearly impossible to rescue her if she can’t access her own magic.”

  Frances sniffled. “That poor little girl. As good as dead.”

  I could only stare around the room for a moment, but then I recovered and glared at the Coven. “We have to help her!” I stood up, waiting for the other Witches to agree with me.

  No one spoke for a moment, but then Frederick shook his head.

  “It’s too dangerous. Isadora will either escape, or not.” Frances looked ashamed of her husband as he spoke, but she nodded after a moment.

  “But that’s not fair! She needs help. I don’t care how much Isis loves her; she won’t be able to fight the gods.” I couldn’t add Izzy’s death to my conscience; I had to persuade them to help me.

  “No,” Samuel said, his eyes steely. “Only a Red would dare stand against the gods. So you can see why you must stay out of it.” He paused, thinking. “Marcus’s disappearance makes a certain amount of sense, now.”

  I started to argue, but he cut me off.

  “If, as you say, Hecate wishes to upset the balance of the world, don’t you realize that rushing off to rescue your friend would be a gift? She’d have you then, with no struggle.”

  “So you admit that Hecate probably has Izzy!” I glared at him triumphantly. “All the more reason we have to save her.”

  “Slow down, girl. I admit nothing; it is merely obvious that whoever has taken Isadora could use her as a bargaining chip with Hecate. If you rush off after her, her captors would claim an even richer prize. Do you think for one minute that you would be safe in the hands of any of the gods of chaos?”