by Calinda B
“Jason?” Marissa said, alarm leaking into her voice. She freed herself from Daniel’s embrace and waved her hand back and forth in front of Jason’s face. “What did you do to him?” she asked Daniel.
“Nothing. It was nothing,” Daniel stated. He cast his eyes in her direction, and Jason came to life.
He seemed stunned. Confused was more like it. Marissa stared at him, frowning, but he did not look her way. Without a word, he turned and staggered to his car, got in and drove away.
Marissa was speechless for a moment. Again, she asked, “What did you do to him? What just happened?”
“It was nothing,” Daniel repeated. He brushed his hands together. “You might consider a protection spell around your house.”
“A protection spell? This is the 21st century, in case you haven’t noticed. I changed all the locks today and put my spare keys in a combination lock container.” Sober wandered up to her and sniffed her hand. “And what did you do to my dog? He hates Jason.”
“For good cause, I should say. He knew I had things under control, I’d guess. And a protection spell could be your first lesson. We don’t need anything elaborate. Your friend there is a weak man. But he does possess powers he is not aware of. He’s a siphon. He extracts power from others. I’m sure he’s drained you a time or two.”
A creepy sensation formed in her gut. All that crystal ball mind fuck stuff. “He’s not my friend.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it. He doesn’t appear to be a worthwhile friend to anyone.” Daniel lifted his hand and glanced at his watch. “Would you like to continue with our date? We have reservations at a restaurant on Alki.”
“Oh! Our date!” Once again, he had guided her into the next moment as if things like what just happened were ordinary occurrences. She shook her head as she hustled the Doberman into the back. She may as well follow suit. “Yes. Let me crate Sober, and we can be on our way.”
Chapter 10
Daniel pulled his sleek, black, convertible BMW up in front of Joli’s restaurant, as two valets leapt into service, opening his door, opening her door, and assisting her to standing. The car had been a treat to ride in. It had purred along the road, as if it were a panther, slinking through the concrete jungle of West Seattle’s winding roads.
“Nice wheels,” she’d said, when she’d stepped into the car.
“I’m a collector.”
“Of beautiful things, I remember. Me, I’ve got a little smart car.”
“Economical choice,” he’d responded, tucking her skirt inside the car and shutting the door.
She hadn’t sensed a smidge of sarcasm or condescension.
The restaurant faced the Puget Sound. “I’ve eaten here.” She stepped through the doorway as he held it open for her.
A mysterious smile lit up his face. “What did you think?”
“I liked it. The food is fantastic.”
“The chef is a friend of mine. I’ll be sure to tell him.”
The hostess beamed at Daniel and nodded at her. “Mr. Navid! Such a pleasure! Your table is ready. Tammy will escort you.”
Tammy hustled over. “Right this way, Mr. Navid. Follow me.”
“Fan club?” Marissa whispered.
“More like sharks, trolling the waters,” he responded, conspiratorially.
Tammy guided them through the small, intimate restaurant. Marissa’s eyes widened when she opened a door near the back and stood aside for them to enter. Marissa gazed at the stairs leading up, glanced at Daniel, and shrugged, stepping up the carpeted stairs. “This door?’ she asked, reaching the top of the landing.
“No,” Tammy said. “Keep going.”
After two more landings they reached the top. Marisa stepped through the doorway to find a curtain-lined entranceway. She paused.
Tammy stepped forward, pulled aside the long, heavy blue curtain and indicated that Marissa should enter. A table set for two was in the middle of the room. Candles burned in the center. The table was set with gleaming silverware, cloth napkins, and crystal. There was a sideboard against the wall which held a splendid flower arrangement. Soft guitar music filled the atmosphere. The entire room was cozy without being cloistering.
“This is the Crow’s Nest!” Marissa exclaimed. “I’ve seen this from the sidewalk and always wondered what was up here!”
“Wonder no more, mi corazón,” said Daniel, pulling her seat out. “For tonight, the place is all ours. Actually, it’s ours whenever you wish it.”
“Why’s that?”
“I own it. This entire building is mine.”
She gave him a quizzical look and then turned her head to face the water. “The view up here is breathtaking.” The room was lined with windows, facing the water. Just as at his house, she could see boats, ferries, and kayakers, motoring along like tiny toys.
“Not as breathtaking as the view in here.”
She looked over to see him piercing her with his eyes.
“Enjoy your meal, Mr. Navid,” Tammy said, casting what looked like a churlish, green-eyed gaze at Marissa. “Your server will be up shortly.”
When Tammy had left, Daniel regarded Marissa. “We were about to do something delicious back at your home when we were rudely interrupted.”
“We were.” Marissa twisted her hands in her lap.
“Perhaps we’ll have another chance.”
“Perhaps,” she said, the flutters in her belly starting to twirl. A crazy grin split her face. Then, she sobered. “A lot has happened since I saw you last.”
“Would you like to share? I can pretend to be patient.” He smiled and his tongue darted along his upper lip as before.
Marissa’s smiled wickedly. No doubt about it – the man made her hot.
A door in the back slid open, and an older, balding waiter entered the room. “Mr. Navid,” he said. “I see you have company this time. Splendid.” He made his way over to the table and presented two small menus. “Here is what Chef Hayes has prepared for you tonight. I’ve paired it with your favorite wines. Would you like to make any changes or does this suffice?”
“That looks excellent, Grayson. Let’s start with a red.”
After their wine was poured, Daniel lifted his glass to hers. “What shall we toast to?”
Marissa scrutinized the blood red liquid. “Surviving?”
He frowned. “Surviving what?”
“All this…this…this sorcery business. Last week, I didn’t know it existed. This week, it’s hit me full force. I’m a bit overwhelmed.”
Daniel nodded and smiled encouragingly. “Well, let’s not toast to survival – that’s too dire. I say we toast to endless possibilities and meeting the unexpected with panache.”
“I think I left my panache at home.” Marissa swirled her wine, a bleak expression on her face.
“To élan?”
“Under the bed.”
“Flair? Flamboyance?”
“I might be able to dig up some flair.”
“Flair it is, then.” He clinked his glass to hers. “Marissa, don’t look so glum. This is a remarkable time to be alive. I am grateful to have met you. Overjoyed, in fact.”
She smiled shyly, and then her face fell. “I was supposed to begin some kind of training at age 16.” She sipped her wine, a somber look on her face.
“The turning point. Yes, that’s the age at which training usually begins. Mine did. Who told you this?”
“My mother’s jeweler, Diego Perona.”
“The high sorcerer, Diego Perona?” Daniel sat up in his chair. “How is it that your mother knows him?”
“I don’t really know if he’s a high sorcerer. But my mother was supposedly affiliated with the Numina.”
“Why do you say ‘was’? Most members of that group don’t leave their post unless they die.”
Unexpected tears filled Marissa’s eyes.
“Oh, is your mother dead?”
Marissa nodded sadly. “She and my dad died in a plane crash in Guatemala
when I was 15. It was about…” She glanced away, trying to will back emotion. “It was about the time you lost your fiancé. Just after. Mom was a witch and a light healer, and I never knew that. She supposedly sang and electricity came out or something like that. They were trying to protect me.” As if a dam had burst, the full impact of the last few days came flooding out. “That asshole sorcerer who killed your fiancée may have killed my parents after that. He stole all my mom’s protection gems. The Numina heard he was after me. He’s a bad, bad man. And Diego asked me to help him find the jewels. And you asked me to help you solve something to do with el Assholio Demonio. And I don’t even have a clue how to keep that jackass of a former boyfriend away from my house,” she wailed. “How can I help anyone? Until last week, I was just an ordinary woman. Now I find out my birth was marked by an extinct kestrel, my mother was a light healer, I’m a light beacon of some sort, and I don’t know what to do.” Sobs erupted from her lungs. “And that’s why my fingers were sparking in my driveway!” she wailed. She grabbed her napkin and wiped her face. “I’m sorry, I’m a mess.”
“An extinct kestrel?” he asked.
“Yes, some falcon, supposedly extinct for centuries, flew in the room while my mom was pushing me out. It apparently hovered overhead and thought about snatching me with its talons. It changed its mind and flew away.”
“That’s a pretty potent sign. But I doubt it thought about snatching you in its talons. You might need a falcon as an ally.”
“It’s a crazy story that I never knew about until today.”
“Are you finished?” he said tenderly.
“No!” More sobs wrenched her chest. “He’s after me, Daniel. He’s going after me next. I saw him in the pond behind my house. He’s pure evil, and he’s coming after me this year. You’re right. This calls for revenge!”
The door behind them slid open, and Daniel lifted his hand abruptly. The waiter nodded, backed away, and closed the door. Daniel walked around to Marissa, drew her up to standing, and held her tight. “You are right, dulzura, much has happened to you over the last couple of days. You’re used to keeping it together and being strong, sí?”
She nodded, sniffling.
He kissed her eyelids, slurping up her tears. “Now I have your tears inside of me. It’s sealed. Whatever the nature of our relationship, I will help you deal with el Assholio Demonio.” He laughed softly. “Excellent name, by the way.”
“Is that some sort of ritual? The drinking of tears?”
“Yes, it’s an ancient ritual that I just made up. Guys like me can do that, you know.”
“Can they?”
“Yes.”
“Guys like you are so cool.” A wan smile creased her face.
“Thank you. We need to be extra cool to be with women like you.”
The door slid open once again, and the waiter peeked in anxiously. Daniel nodded to him. “But for now we’ve got to eat, drink, and fortify in preparation for the journey ahead. Are you ready?”
Marissa smiled and wiped the rest of the tears from her face. “Yes. I’m ready to meet my destiny with flair.”
Chapter 11
Their fabulous night of dining over, Daniel drove back to her house. “So protection spells are simple,” he said, pulling the car into the driveway. “We’ll cast yours tonight.”
“It’s kind of dark, don’t you think?”
“I’m a Night Numen. Perfect for nighttime spell casting, don’t you think?”
“I’m feeling kind of tipsy. We drank a lot of wine.”
“That will make the spell even more potent.” He lurched up the sidewalk, pretended to trip, and executed a full Aikido-like somersault up to standing. “See what I mean? We’ll add the fool’s charm to the spell.”
Marissa laughed. “What do we do first?”
“Do you have any garden art? You know, statues?”
“I have a Quan Yin in the back yard. And I have a Huitzilopochtli in the side yard.”
“A Huitzilopochtli? He’s a fierce god. Where did you get that?”
“My sister brought it back from Mexico for me. She told me he’d make a better boyfriend for me than Jason.”
“Good call. A male and a female. Perfect. Let’s get them out and have a little talk with them.”
“The Quan Yin is kind of big. I had to have a couple guy friends help me put her in the back yard.”
“A sturdy, substantial female? Even better.”
“Didn’t you say you trained in Central and South America? Shouldn’t we be using some south of the border deities?” Jason was always telling her to not cross cultures when you preformed rituals.
“I don’t have a statue of the goddess Coatlicue in my pocket, do you?”
Marissa patted her pockets. “Nope. Nothing. What kind of goddess is she?”
“Oh, she’s a ferocious one, that Coatlicue. She wears a skirt of writhing snakes and a necklace made of human hearts, hands, and skulls. Her feet and hands are adorned with claws and her breasts hang flaccid from pregnancy. Her face is formed by two facing serpents. Her head was cut off and the blood that spurted from her veins created the two snakes.”
Marissa shuddered. “She doesn’t seem like a goddess to be trifled with.”
“She isn’t. But we’ll ask Quan Yin if she is willing to be her gentle northern representative.”
“Coatlicue sounds more like a Kali. Jason gave me a Kali once. I didn’t really care for the statue, but he insisted. She’s somewhere in the back.” Marissa unlocked the gate to the back yard.
“No. If your former boyfriend gave her to you, she needs to be consecrated first, and we don’t have time for that. Did he give you Quan Yin?”
“My oldest sister gave her to me. She thought I needed some garden art.”
Daniel nodded, tramping through the wet grass. “Actually, I’ve reconsidered. That might work.”
“What might work?”
“If your ex gave you the Kali statue, it is already attuned to him. We can use that energy to keep him away.”
A shudder coursed through Marissa. “Really?”
“Really. Where is she?”
“I think I put her under the back deck. I need to let the dog out and turn on a light so we can find her.”
“No dogs,” Daniel snapped. “Dogs chase the spirits away. We want to invite the spirits.”
“I can’t keep him out of the yard forever.”
“Once we invite them, they’ll stay put as long as the ritual is active, dog or no dog. Just for now, dulzura. Sorry that came out so strong.” He took her hand and kissed it.
“Why didn’t my hand sizzle that time?”
“Probably because you are tipsy, as you put it.” He tapped her nose with his fingertip. “Actually, it’s probably because your powers are just forming…just being freed. They’ll be erratic for a while until you get them sorted.”
“I see,” she said. Not. She peered through the dark garden ringing the house. “Here she is.” Barks rang out from the room behind the kitchen. “Sober hears us.”
“He’ll quiet in a moment.”
“Not likely.” She paused to look at Daniel when the barking stopped. “What did you do?”
Daniel shrugged. “I asked him to be quiet. Now, let’s ask our goddess for assistance. Bring her out and tell her you’re sorry you shoved her under the deck.”
“Why me?”
“This is your ritual, dulzura.”
She seized the figurine and used her hand to swipe away the dust, dirt, and cobwebs from the skulls dangling from her neck. “Um, sorry I took out my dislike of Jason Harmonia on you, goddess, and crammed you under the deck.” She shook her head and looked at Daniel. “Nothing happened.”
“Don’t be so sure. She’s a fickle fire goddess and may need another apology. Better yet, ask her for your help. That might wake her up. Use your desire to be rid of Jason and ask her for assistance.”
Marissa’s jaw tightened. “He’s such an ass. He let hi
mself into my house the morning after we broke up – at five in the morning.”
“How did that make you feel?”
“Violated. Angry.”
“Yes. Feel that. Channel that. Ask Kali for help.”
“Goddess Kali, I need your help. I need you to help me keep Jason Harmonia Brown, that idiot with no boundaries, away from my house.” The small bronze figurine sizzled with heat. “Ouch!” Marissa dropped the hot metal. She shook her stinging palms. “How did that happen?”
“She got the message. She answered. You’re going to have to pick her up. We can’t leave her there.”
“How do I do that? She burned my hands.”
“Think of something cool. Think of that pond you told me about. Use your artist’s mind.”
Marissa closed her eyes. The pond in the winter. I’m standing before the pond in the winter. My breath appears in icy puffs. I’m sure my lips are blue. I’m gripping a paintbrush with my teeth. The other brush is in my frozen fingers. The oil paint is thick, unwilling. The strokes appear as slashes of white and gray. I wish I’d brought a palette knife. The hairs of the brush refuse to yield. I tap the edge of the pond with my boot and it cracks, creating a spider web of texture, snaking out from the frosted soil cupping the water. Her eyelids fluttered open. “Brrr. Now I’m cold.” She reached down and tentatively placed a fingertip on the goddess. No heat. Placing her palms around the figurine, she picked it up. Steam bellowed from the metal.
Daniel laughed. “Great, Marissa! Good job! Perfect! Ask her if she can be the representative of Coatlicue.”
She closed her eyes again. Goddess, we need you to be the northern representative for the goddess, Coatlicue. “Nothing happened.”
“Ask again.”
Her eyelids fell. Goddess Kali, I’m in need of your help. I need protection. I need you to act on Coatlicue’s behalf.
The ground began to vibrate. Marissa’s eyes flew open. A terrible screech erupted. The space next to Daniel split in two and Kali’s blue-black body emerged. She stomped her foot and a thunderous sonic boom ruptured the atmosphere. Her four arms launched out from her torso, wielding a sword, a man’s head, and a bowl to catch the blood dripping from the man’s neck. It drip, drip, dripped into the bowl, creating small splashes. She held nothing in her fourth hand. She held it open facing Marissa.