by Emma Dean
What the Fox
The Chaos of Foxes
Emma Dean
WHAT THE FOX
THE CHAOS OF FOXES
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Copyright © 2019 by Emma Dean
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, locations, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
For everyone who can’t help themselves
around a damaged hottie
who towers over you.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Other Books by Emma Dean
About the Author
What the Fox
Chapter One
Kenzie
Kenzie stood before the High Priestess. Ironic that the first time she was allowed into a coven meeting was so they could decide what to do with her.
A void witch.
She lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes at Takahashi – the High Priestess and leader of the Bay Coven.
“The first void witch born in three thousand years,” Takahashi mused, tapping her long, stiletto black nails on the black walnut table in the shape of a half-moon.
Dozens of witches from all the San Francisco clans stood behind Kenzie, Selene, and Grandma Edith. How Gram-Gram had weaseled her way before the High Priestess for this Kenzie would never know and never ask.
They’d all thought Kenzie had been born without powers – a witch who wasn’t a witch. So when she was nothing but a little girl, the coven had given permission for her clan to get her powers to manifest however they needed to…including torture.
Until they’d carved runes into her five-year-old skin and Edith put her foot down.
The runes had never worked. They’d all thought that she was just damaged – some kind of abomination to come from a family so powerful they’d ruled the coven more often than not.
But the runes had never worked because Kenzie absorbed them.
Void.
A type of witch so rare the skill only manifested once or twice in a millennia. Covens either coveted them or cast them out. Too dangerous otherwise because they could absorb any power made by the universe – including a demon’s.
Or so the ancient texts said.
“The rules for voids are dated and in my opinion not valid for the 21st Century,” Takahashi finally said. “There have been so few that what is to be done with them was a case by case basis. As for you Mackenzie Kavanagh, we aren’t sure what to do yet. We did pull out the ancient texts – borrowing them from the Council. We will read from them and then the coven will decide.”
She bristled at the way they all thought her fate was in their hands. Kenzie’s fate was hers and no one else’s. “I am not registered with the Bay Coven.”
Takahashi paused at that and blinked. No doubt she’d forgotten just like everyone else. Kenzie’s family was high society in the witch world. They were so well known – so synonymous with the Bay Coven in San Francisco that everyone simply assumed.
“You are not. That is correct.” Takahashi blinked again like she had to reevaluate her entire plan.
Gram-Gram’s grin was vicious. “Which means Kenzie’s fate is hers and her life under the protection of her clan. You may decide whether she is welcome or not in this coven, but that is all. You cannot cast her out.”
“No, but we can request that she be shunned,” Brad said, smiling that oily fucking smile at them as he stood from his seat. “A void is unpredictable – dangerous.”
“Sit down, Mr. Davis,” Takahashi snapped. “Let me read what we’ve found here. Then the Matriarchs of each clan and I will discuss.” She gave Brad a pointed look when she said ‘matriarch.’
Kenzie smirked. She wanted to rip his fucking face off with her bare hands, but everything about this whole thing between his family and hers had to be kept a secret. She gave him the middle finger anyway. They’d managed to save a little over half of the victims on the list thanks to that one raven flock backing off.
And she wanted to rub his face in it.
Selene grabbed her hand and yanked it down, giving her a look that pleaded with her not to make things worse. Her sister was already worried that Takahashi was onto the blood feud and didn’t want that getting brought to light.
The consequences wouldn’t be pretty.
Kenzie sighed and looked up. At least the building had always been a place she’d enjoyed – even if she hadn’t really been welcome. The coven was in one of the oldest buildings in San Francisco. It was one of the few that had survived the massive earthquakes back in 1906 and the subsequent fires.
Obviously thanks to the magic wards carved into the very foundation, the bricks, and the support beams with witch blood.
There was a glass dome in the ceiling that was reminiscent of the Victorian era when the last additions had been made. The wrought iron kept out the fae and the brick was made with protective spells.
There was ash, alder, apple, maple, holly, hazel, elm, elder, and cedar wood used for every single possible thing – adding to the magic of the coven, easing some of the strain on the witches. Furniture was made from black walnut and plants were everywhere. There were living walls in every room with herbs and plants they used for various different spells.
The coven building had always spoken to Kenzie on a visceral level she’d never understood. She’d chalked it up to witch DNA even if she didn’t have powers. Apparently it was a lot more than that.
“Voids,” Takahashi began to read from her tablet. Kenzie knew most everything there was to know about her ‘class’ of witch. But maybe the High Priestess would surprise her. “A witch with the power to absorb and use any power in the universe.”
She paused there and Kenzie felt her heart pound. Yeah, that little gem had freaked her out the first time she’d read it too. Like…any power? What did that even mean? Could she take divine power?
Kenzie didn’t want to know and she certainly didn’t want to piss off someone like Lucifer by taking it.
“I can’t keep the power,” Kenzie cut in with a shrug. “Only for short periods of time. Then I release it back into the universe.”
Takahashi eyed her but didn’t snap at the interruption. “There are cases in the Council archives that describe some of what voids have done in the past. Case number one from 476 C.E. the witch Cy went on a rampage through Europe and took power from every paranormal he came across, thus resulting in the fall of Rome.”
It was so hard not to roll her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared though. Of course the High Priestess started off with that one.
“In the year 453 C.E. Attila prevented the apocalypse by absorbing the powers of the Yaoguai.”
“Balance,” Kenzie said in the quiet meeting room. “We are created to provide balance. Have you read all of the recent reports from the Council? There have been multipl
e persons born or created with massive amounts of power lately. The universe always demands balance.”
Takahashi just sighed and looked up at Kenzie. “Obviously, Mackenzie, but there is no one to train you in this magic. Who knows what the consequences to that will be? We cannot predict what will happen. Are you a threat – a danger?”
That’s when her beautiful, amazing sister stepped forward in one of her favorite coven dresses – barely more than black cobwebs with her onyx necklace to signify her position as Matriarch Kavanagh.
“High Priestess, to be fair witches are neutral. We are neither good nor bad, but we keep the balance. Kenzie is my equal. The yin to my yang. How you describe her potential is something that could be said of all witches. I could burn this place to the ground with the power I possess.”
Everyone in the meeting took in a sharp breath at that.
Sometimes they forgot how powerful Selene was because she was so young. But yes, she could take down a building that had been warded by every generation of witches since the dawn of America.
That’s the kind of power she had.
No, it hadn’t been enough to take on four very powerful fae, but two?
“All right, fair enough Matriarch Kavanagh,” the High Priestess said. She set down her tablet with a click against the black walnut. “But if she remains untrained that endangers us all. If Mackenzie cannot control when she takes power then she could harm someone on accident.”
The pop in the following silence echoed. And suddenly there was Eisheth adjusting the cuffs of his crisp shirt. “Good evening High Priestess,” he said pleasantly. When he looked up Kenzie could see fire and brimstone in his eyes.
Every bit of color drained from Takahashi’s face when she realized who was standing before her – who was one of the rare paranormals who could just pop in through the wards.
“Bay Coven recognizes the demon Eisheth,” she said. Kenzie was impressed at the strength in her voice. She supposed that was why she was High Priestess in the first place though.
Eisheth gave Kenzie a wink and then slipped his hands in his pockets to give Takahashi a lazy smile. “I want it known and on the record that I am Mackenzie Kavanagh’s demon godfather.”
Gram-Gram rolled her eyes. “Of course,” she muttered under her breath, pinching Kenzie’s arm. “Generations of witches with power to rival Lucifer and he picks you.”
Despite the tone and pinch Kenzie grinned, rubbing her arm. Edith was proud.
Eisheth glanced over at Gram-Gram. “I always kept an eye out for you, Edith,” he said with a wink.
And then her grandmother blushed.
Fuck, just get a room already.
“High Priestess,” Eisheth said loud and clear before murmurs started to take over. “I am here to let you know that I will train Kenzie. Since I’m as old as the dinosaurs I’ve met a few voids in my time.”
All the air whooshed out of her lungs and Kenzie stared at Eisheth in disbelief. It had never occurred to her that he would have met others which was just effing stupid of her. No duh. He was there at the dawn of time – and apparently with the dinosaurs.
“High Priestess,” Brad said, popping out of his chair again. “A demon isn’t neutral. Kenzie getting trained by him could impair her neutrality.”
“Mr. Davis! If you speak out of turn without going through your matriarch again I’m banning you from this meeting.”
Kenzie smirked at the slime ball. Thank the Fates Takahashi didn’t like him either.
“Eisheth,” Takahashi said, redirecting her attention. “Who trains Mackenzie isn’t up to me as she’s not officially a part of this coven. I appreciate you letting me know that she will be trained though and it will go down in the record for future study when and if she ever applies to join Bay Coven. As you know due to your close relation to us mortals, she is in my territory and therefore I may not decide her fate, but I will have to monitor her and report to the Council of Paranormals if I find anything…concerning.”
She hated the way they talked about her like she wasn’t standing right there, but this was one of those rare situations Kenzie knew her smart mouth could really fuck up her life so she kept it shut – she’d learned well enough how to do that over the years thanks to her family.
Glancing over her shoulder she looked at her parents, sitting with the rest of the Kavanagh clan. Their faces were blank. She couldn’t tell if they didn’t care what happened to her or if they didn’t know how to respond to her new status.
Since she was now a recognized witch everything they’d done to her…it was partially their fault that they hadn’t known what she was – that they’d subjected her to certain things.
Within the coven Kenzie had no recourse though.
But she could take her case to the Council of Paranormals if she wished. It would be a massive breach of witch culture and society. So much of what they did was kept to themselves. And taking down another witch through the Council instead of her coven?
Kenzie would be unofficially shunned by every witch in the world.
It was a very effective way to keep them all in line.
“Mackenzie if you cannot control your power and it begins to cause issues we will need to bring it to the Council of Paranormals’ attention,” Takahashi warned her.
Suddenly she felt that rage inside her burn. As it consumed her she could see Eisheth grin in the corner of her eye. He stepped aside to give her room.
Kenzie’s heels clicked on the tile as she took five steps toward the black walnut table that had been the point of power for the last seven High Priestesses.
Takahashi didn’t recoil at her approach, but she did narrow her eyes and Kenzie could see her teeth clench.
“So I just want to make sure I have something clear,” she whispered, but somehow the words still echoed in the vast room. “When you thought I was powerless and a stain on the witch community, you gave my family permission to torture me.”
Her scars glittered under the light of the sun shining through the dome and Kenzie knew every witch in that room was looking at those scars she proudly showed off in her strapless dress.
“But now that I have a rare – and more importantly, controllable – power you’re like naw?” Kenzie laughed but it was disgusted. “You are the one who allowed them to do this to me. Don’t you remember? This is what you wanted.” Kenzie held out her hands and turned slowly in a circle so everyone could get a good look at her.
Then she reached out so fast Takahashi didn’t even move. Everyone went completely still when Kenzie took her hand, lacing her fingers through the High Priestess’s like they were secret lovers. She’d never seen someone go so completely white before and it didn’t look good on the woman who was normally a gorgeous golden color.
“Are you saying that after seven years of torture you take it all back? You don’t want me to have powers anymore?” Kenzie squeezed her hand gently, almost like she was trying to reassure her. “Because I find that difficult to swallow and there’s a lot I will.”
Then she winked.
Eisheth’s quick burst of laughter made Kenzie smile briefly.
Takahashi was near the end of her prime and she knew it. When Selene turned twenty years old she could challenge the woman who had ruled for the last fifty years. And normally the High Priestess was very fair.
But when it came to a witch in her city who couldn’t perform magic…it was like everyone in San Francisco had lost their minds and tried to ‘fix’ her. When Kenzie couldn’t be fixed they’d ignored or avoided her.
Now here they were. How the tables had turned.
Kenzie didn’t take the High Priestess’s power, but they both knew she could. “I will never register with the Bay Coven while you rule it. The only person I am willing to have as my High Priestess is Selene. Think about that over the next few months – while you’re deciding what to do with the evidence we present to you.”
Without waiting for the woman who had had a hand in her torture an
d despair during most of her life to respond, Kenzie turned and stalked back to Eisheth. Standing next to the demon made it very clear where her allegiances lay.
It wasn’t with the coven. And it wasn’t with her clan. Only Selene could control her by any margin. Not even Edith could despite their love for each other – despite their tenuous alliances over the years.
Takahashi clasped her hands together and Kenzie could see they were shaking. She smirked and Eisheth chuckled, throwing an arm around her shoulders like they were best friends.
“Then you are the Council’s problem,” the High Priestess finally said. “I will not approve your application to the Bay Coven for as long as I rule here. Even if you master your gifts.”
Kenzie shrugged, feeling that desolation from her childhood rear its ugly head once more at their rejection. “That’s fine. A Councilman owes me a favor.”
Then the High Priestess went from pale to a raging red.
Yeah, Kenzie hadn’t just been fucking off the last decade. She’d made friends with all the wrong people. She grinned at Takahashi and flipped Brad off again just for good measure.
Eisheth gave Brad the middle finger too which made the asshole fume. Kenzie snickered.
“Can I please have order?” Takahashi snapped. “Bring out Peter Hale.”
Kenzie tensed as two brutes she didn’t recognize brought out the guy who had been relentlessly chasing her for the last fifteen years. Her lip curled in disgust when he looked at her, nearly pleading with her to understand.