Hollywood Witch Hunter

by Valerie Tejeda

  “So Arlo’s a warlock, then?” Iris could feel her heart thrumming like the wings of a hummingbird. The anticipation was killing her.

  “Not quite.” Helmer’s voice dropped.” Arlo is neither human, nor warlock, nor Hunter. He’s a species all his own and so is his mother.”

  “Okay.” Iris laughed. “Now you’re just saying things to piss me off. What is he, some sort of alien?” she said with contempt.

  “No.” His eyes narrowed. “He’s a Lixi. A rare species who descended from a magical Roma tribe. Lixi’s can borrow powers and spells from supernatural beings and even the hunting gene for a period of time.”

  Iris was pacing again. She’d never heard of a Lixi before. Vampires, werewolves, fairies, and ghosts, of course. But a Lixi? Never.

  “This is why Belinda’s powers are amplified,” Helmer continued. “It’s because of what Arlo is.”

  “What do you mean?” Iris pondered.

  “Right before a Lixi borrows someone’s magic, their powers are amplified. And then once they take these abilities, whoever they are taking from becomes temporarily weakened. His mother is also a Lixi who steals from witches and poses as one herself. Her knowledge of spells is why they call her the witch doctor and why many witches seek her guidance.”

  “Does Arlo even know what he is or what he’s doing?” she asked with a sharp tongue.

  “No.” Helmer’s face softened. “Wava and I wanted him to live a normal life but I’ve been using youth spells to keep him young, and erasing his memory. After your father got ahold of me, I was ordered to make Arlo absorb the Hunter gene, taken from a Hunter in San Francisco, so he could be recruited on your team. That’s why, for the most part, he was okay with joining your world. I also put in his mind to borrow Belinda’s powers once he gets to Wava’s, which is why he is subconsciously amplifying her powers. He’s getting ready to take her magic and he doesn’t even know it.”

  “So my dad knew Arlo was a Lixi?”

  “There are only a handful of us who know Lixis exist; your dad is one of them.” Helmer paused. “Would you mind if I made some more tea now?”

  “No. Not at all,” she said snidely. Iris wasn’t sure what to make of Helmer. A big, strong, handsome warlock, who appeared to love his tea more than anything else. He was somewhat aloof and seemed a bit too relaxed, considering how high the stakes were. No one should be this calm in the middle of a storm.

  Iris took a seat again at the table and Helmer walked toward the stove, heating more water and grabbing more tea bags. Minutes later Iris could smell hints of citrus and pepper. She’d never liked the scent of Early Grey tea.

  Helmer sat beside Iris, noshing on scones while he savored his drink.

  “This all must be rather strange for you, and I apologize for that.” Helmer said. His voice sounded sincere.

  But “strange” didn’t begin to cover it, and Iris didn’t even know where to go from here. “So what does my dad want with Arlo anyway?”

  Helmer cleared his throat and patted his lips with a silk napkin. “He wants to use Wava and Arlo to take Belinda’s powers. When she’s at her weakest, he’s going to kill her, making himself a legend in the process.”

  “So let me get this straight.” Iris leaned in closer. “You’re helping my dad to kill Belinda by putting Arlo in danger?”

  The warlock was silent.

  “How could you let him use your son?” Iris spat, her face bright as scarlet. Without hesitation, she grabbed Helmer’s throat and squeezed it hard. It was an instinct. Sure, Helmer could kill her by snapping his finger, but Iris didn’t care. She was angry at him for putting Arlo in harm’s way.

  “Iris,” he choked through her hold. “I don’t want to have to hurt you.”

  “How about I kill you,” she said, squinting her eyes and squeezing harder. Her lip started to quiver. She knew she was taking her anger out on the wrong person but in the moment, she didn’t want to stop. Iris closed her eyes and finally released her grip. Helmer gasped.

  “You think I wanted to do this?” he said, catching his breath and rubbing his throat. “I didn't have a choice. It was either have my coven massacred, or do what your father ordered. And if I didn’t help, he would kill Arlo anyway. My only hope was that you would keep him safe.”

  Iris jumped. “Me?” She pointed to herself. “Why me?”

  Helmer grabbed her hand and held it close to his chest. She could feel the strength beating from his heart. “Iris, I knew you would help him. Want to protect him. Keep him under your wing.” He smiled. “And you did.”

  “Yeah. But now he’s on his way to freaking Wava’s house!” Iris huffed, slumping her shoulders. “If my dad is planning on killing Belinda there, Arlo is so not safe.” Iris kicked her foot against the leg of the table. She felt like a failure.

  “Iris, you can still stop them. And you need to. I’ve seen the future and the outcome is bleak.”

  “What?”

  Helmer slowly put down his teacup. His eyes were heavy with sorrow. He opened his mouth but the words died on his lips. He tried again and barely managed to say, “We’re all dead.”

  Thirty-Two

  “Was that my imagination or did you just say we’re dead?” Iris asked, her eyes wide with fear. She worked hard to compose herself but she wanted to scream. Helmer had given her a lifetime’s worth of information in a matter of minutes and she wasn’t sure how to process it at all.

  “That’s not the worst part. Millions will be killed, starting with the women of Los Angeles.”

  Awesome, she thought cynically. This day is insane.

  So Arlo was a Lixi. Helmer was his father. Some witch doctor, who was also a Lixi, was Arlo’s mother. Iris’s father was a total liar who was going to use Arlo to kill Belinda. And now apparently all of L.A. was in danger too. Pass the tequila.

  Helmer stood up from the kitchen table and motioned his head to the right. “Come on, dear. There’s someone I’d like to introduce you to,” the warlock said. “A witch. Princesse Evelyna de Monaco,” he said in his best French accent. “She’s the reason I can see the future.”

  Iris threw her hands in the air and rolled her eyes. “What is this, a freaking Disney movie?” she said snidely.

  “I wish.” He snickered. “She was a princess many years ago but goes by Evelyn now. She’s a very skilled Protas. Comes in handy.” He held out his hand. “Shall we?”

  Iris stood and followed Helmer toward the back of his home. “Where are we going?” she asked hesitantly.

  “You’ll see.”

  “What about Silos?”

  “I will call him and tell him where to join us in a moment.”

  They came to a stop at the end of the hall and turned into an empty room. There was no furniture and the windowless walls were as white as a hospital’s. Helmer knocked on the far wall and it rumbled in response, opening to reveal a door to a secret underground hideaway.

  “What is this?” Iris asked as the ground shook.

  He said nothing but instead motioned Iris to follow him down the stairs. She stood tall and followed, crushing her fear before it destroyed her.

  It was cold and dark and Iris could barely make out her feet. The sound of dripping water echoed in the distance. Flickering candles lined the stone stairway and notes of musk and mildew overcame her senses.

  She took her final step and marveled in the beauty of the small underground den. The walls were made of polished marble with specks of amber that sparkled even in the dim light. A well-stoked fire burned behind a pair of red velvet chairs sitting across from an oak table topped with a spread of wine and cheese.

  “Hello,” said a ravishing young woman with long butterscotch hair, eyes as clear as crystal, and shimmery vanilla skin. She was seated in one of the chairs and holding a glass of white wine. She stood upon Iris’s arrival and held herself perfectly poised with an upright posture, which complemented her long, flowing pale-pink dress. “I’m Evelyn,” she said, holding out her hand.
>
  “Iris,” she replied, shaking it. “So you’re a witch who used to be a princess?”

  “You never learned about me in The Witch Hunting Book of Stories?” Evelyn raised her brow.

  “No. But I’m starting to think my version was missing a few chapters.”

  Evelyn and Iris took a seat in the velvet chairs. “Would you like some wine?” Evelyn offered.

  “No, thank you,” Iris quickly replied.

  What’s with these people and drinks?

  “Well.” Evelyn took a sip of her wine. “Iris. I’m not like other witches. I don't sacrifice humans to stay young.”

  “What? How?” Iris remembered the Ethas witch on the beach who said the same thing—she was not under Belinda’s curse.

  “I found a way to access an ancient spell to live apart from The Curse. Soon I hope to share this spell to bring peace,” she said with a serious face. “But all this is for another time. Right now, you need to focus on stopping Belinda before she goes to Wava’s.” Evelyn moved closer, raising her hand toward Iris’s head.

  “Okay, what are you doing?” Iris asked, pulling away.

  “Just stay still. I’m going to show you what will happen if Belinda is killed. I’m going to show you the future.”

  Evelyn gently pressed her palms against Iris’s temples. Her mind electrified and her eyes turned black. Suddenly, she saw the Hollywood Cemetery. It was her vision, but this time it was a little different.

  It was night. There were women. Lots of women. They walked to the cemetery in a zombie-like state. One by one the women stabbed themselves with a silver object. It was a massacre.

  Blood splashed everywhere and bodies fell to the ground, piling on top of one another. The women were resurrected into powerful flesh-eating creatures unable to be killed or stopped. Humans, Hunters, witches, and warlocks were running for their lives. It was complete mayhem.

  Iris gasped for air as the vision receded. She stared at Evelyn in utter horror.

  “What the hell was that?” Iris shouted, trying to control herself.

  “It was a glimpse of what will happen after Belinda is killed by your father. When she originally cast her curse she put a plague on it as a safeguard. If she dies, so does her curse. However, she attached The Curse to a rare plague only accessed by her death. If she dies, so do a lot of people.”

  The wind left Iris’s lungs. She was baffled by the mess her father had started. All for power. All for more control.

  “And you were giving me this vision the entire time so I could find you?”

  “Yes,” Evelyn said with poise. “And so you would believe once I finally showed you the truth.”

  “Does my dad know?” She turned to Helmer, staring at him in disbelief.

  “I’ve told him what the future could hold but he doesn’t seem to care. My theory is he thinks I’m lying and trying to protect one of my kind, which I’m not.”

  Iris jumped up. She was going around in circles, trying to play through all possible options. Maybe this glimpse into the future was wrong. Maybe they could stop the plague before it started. Maybe her dad would let her back on the Hunter team. But no matter how many times she ran the numbers in her head, there was only one option that could keep Arlo safe.

  “I have to stop my dad from killing Belinda,” she mumbled, mostly to herself.

  “That’s right,” Evelyn said in a soft voice.

  “We can’t let this happen,” Iris said, still catching her breath. “I can’t let him do this.”

  “Bloody hell,” Silos said, walking down to the underground hideaway. Iris perked up, flashing a smile without even trying.

  “How did you get here?” he said, shifting his focus to the retired princess.

  “Silos. So happy to see you too,” Evelyn said with a smirk.

  “I’m sorry,” Helmer interjected. “But I had to call her. I needed to see far into the future and no one does that better than Princess—”

  “Princess? You really still carry that title?” Silos said with a sneer.

  “Not really. Still bitter because you never got knighted, I see. Some things never change.”

  “What's going on with you two?” Iris chimed in. Silos and Evelyn obviously shared some sort of history, and by the look of it, things didn’t end well.

  “We used to go out,” Silos quickly said. He wouldn’t look at Iris; instead he was staring at the floor.

  “Oh. Boy.” Iris crossed her arms uncomfortably, backing even farther away from the ex-lovers.

  “Go out?” Evelyn shot back. “So being engaged is just going out?”

  Engaged? Iris’s face soured. For some reason, she didn’t like the idea of Silos being engaged. Frankly, she didn’t even like the idea of him dating anyone.

  “All right. Let's get back to the point,” Iris said, ignoring the uncomfortable twinge creeping up her spine.

  “You need to stop Belinda from going to Wava’s,” Helmer explained. “I know what you’re capable of. I’ve seen it. I know that you can do it.”

  “But how? She hates me!”

  “Iris.” Helmer placed his hand on her shoulder. “You are capable of so much more than you know.”

  Iris was stunned. This warlock standing in front of her had more faith in her than her own father. She knew she shouldn’t really trust him but for some reason, she sort of did.

  “Find Belinda. Get Arlo away from her. Let her go back to her lair. The witches, Levana, Renpa, and Anaka have a plan to overthrow her. That will fail, but ultimately, they will need our help.”

  Iris stared at Silos, then Evelyn and then Helmer, her eyes flicking nervously back and forth.

  “Iris,” Helmer said, moving closer. “You’re the only move we’ve got.”

  Thirty-Three

  Iris and Silos sat silently in their car, parked just down the street from the Beverly Hills Hotel. The Armada was still out front, confirming that Arlo and Belinda had not left yet for Burbank. Thick bruma whipped through the iconic palm trees that manicured the front of the building. It was a harsh reminder of what lay ahead.

  “So,” Silos said, interrupting her focus. “You’re really going to do this? You’re going to try to stop Belinda from going to Wava’s?”

  “Yes,” Iris said without blinking an eye. “I’m going to be honest with her. Belinda is a survivor. She’ll go back to the lair when I tell her my dad is trying to kill her. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll have to try to stop my dad myself.”

  “So I take it Wales is out.” Silos chuckled, putting his hand on hers.

  Iris looked at the beautiful warlock. His rugged good looks were undeniable and there was definitely a part of her that wanted to go with him. His scruffy face and piercing light eyes still made her stomach flip. But in the middle of the butterflies, the thought of Arlo still crept into her head and a twinge of guilt ran through her body.

  “Look,” Iris pulled away. “You need to get out of here. Belinda is going to freak out if she sees a warlock. I don’t want her distracted by anything,” Iris asserted.

  Silos sighed loudly. “I don’t feel good about leaving you here.”

  “I’ll be fine.” She squeezed his hand. “I know what I’m doing. I promise.”

  He sighed again. “You realize you may get yourself killed, right?” His tone turned snappy.

  “Silos.” She squeezed his hand tighter. “I have to do this. I can’t let Arlo get hurt. I just … I—”

  “You love him.”

  His words made Iris jump. “No I don’t,” she snapped back.

  “Yes you do.” Silos moved closer. “Believe me, I wish that wasn’t the case. I think it’s obvious to everyone but you.”

  Iris blinked. “Look, I care about Arlo, a lot. I don’t want him to get hurt. And yes, maybe there’s a part of me that loves him, but I’m not sure if I’m in love with him, or if I even like him like that. If anything, I feel like I’m more into—”

  She wanted to say “you” but she couldn’t.
Iris wasn’t sure how she felt about Silos either. She knew she loved kissing him and that he made her body feel alive in ways she didn’t think possible. Her heart ached for a warlock she desired, but her mind thought only of the Lixi she couldn’t let go.

  And there, sitting in the witches’ Range Rover with Silos, Iris knew what she had to do. This wasn’t about love, or a crush, or figuring out who she wanted to be with. She had plenty of time for that. This was about protecting people, taking a stand against those who had treated her poorly, and putting her own life on the line so others could be safe. This was about doing what was right.

  There was a reason Iris was the first girl to carry the Hunter gene.

  Being a Hunter was her destiny.

  “I’m sorry, Silos, but I have to go,” Iris said, jumping out of the car.

  “Iris, wait.” Silos grabbed her arm and turned her toward him. “Here, I snagged this at the witches’ lair.” He held up a long gold chain with an A on the end. It was Arlo’s necklace.

  Iris gasped. “My necklace,” she whispered. “But how are you able to hold it? It’s real gold.”

  “I’m a Curas,” Silos said with his typical smirk. “It’s basically burning my hand right now, but nothing a little spell can’t fix.” He lightly chuckled.

  “Thank you,” Iris said, grabbing the necklace and throwing it over her head. She clutched the gold A tightly in her palm.

  “And, Iris, I’ll be here,” he said, running his fingers down her face. “If you need me, just call. All right?”

  Iris threw her arms around Silos and hugged him tight. For a moment, she thought about staying with him, going to Wales, finding her father, and putting this all behind her. But the moment passed as quickly as it came.

  She said one final good-bye and watched Silos drive away. A pit formed in her stomach. It was time for her to enter the battlefield.

  Iris ran toward the hotel with fierce determination. The mild November sun felt like it was scorching her skin.

  She wondered what she should say to Arlo and where she would even start. Hey, Arlo. Guess what. You’re a Lixi and you have crazy powers. Oh and I met your warlock father, and also, we need to get Belinda away from you so you don’t get her killed and release a horrible plague.