by Lee Roland
“Oh, yes. I want to hear about all your adventures, foreign and domestic. Your friends Darrow and Rocky have come to check on you every day. They’ve been keeping me amused with their own versions of some pretty tall tales.”
“I’ll bet.” I tried to rise. I fell back. Marisol stepped in to help me.
When I could finally sit straight, I asked, “Has Etienne . . . no, I guess he hasn’t.”
“Abigail told me his story, how he was once trapped by a witch. I went and talked to him. I tried to explain that we children of the Earth Mother do what we can to survive her . . . plans, schemes, whatever. He was very cold. But polite. Abigail went, too, later. She told me what you did with him and magic. That is unbelievable.”
“Marisol, I had to. It was the worst thing I could do in his eyes, control him like that, but otherwise we’d be dead. And to show him the magic, the magic he never knew about. Now he has to live with it.” In spite of all he’d done, Etienne had withheld some important information, information that put lives in danger, including his. I couldn’t say it was all my fault.
“You’ve changed his life forever, Nyx. He will come to understand, I think. Nevertheless, I’m happy to be alive. When I found myself trapped with dwindling power, I had to make a decision. Did I use it to fight or wait to be rescued? I’m glad I waited.”
“I doubt that Laudine made it out of the garage,” I said. “I saw. She didn’t run.”
Abigail came to stand in the doorway. “I’ve been informed that Laudine has rejoined the Mother. I wish her well in another life.”
“So do I,” Marisol spoke, and I heard genuine sympathy in her voice.
“Not me.” I felt sick. “She burned two men to death striking out at me. One was a close friend. I won’t forgive that easily.”
Marisol nodded. “I understand. She was . . . unbalanced. I felt her sorrow, her guilt. It was she who sent her daughter to find that truck, and the daughter was trapped. Laudine couldn’t help her. Couldn’t free her.”
I shook my head. “But she refused to go to the High Witch. To seek help elsewhere when she didn’t have enough power. I’m sure she thought herself noble, believing that Abigail would give the contents of the truck to Aiakós, but to let her daughter die . . . ?” I sighed. I truly didn’t understand that. “And then, Marisol, to compound her error, Laudine sent you into the same trap. And she would have sent Gran, had Gran not summoned me.”
Marisol grabbed my hand. “My getting trapped was not Laudine’s fault. It was my vanity. I accept responsibility for my own stupidity and will not put it on her.”
It irritated me that Marisol could be so compassionate. I suppose it gave her a maturity I would never have. I threw back the covers and stretched again. “Which doesn’t explain, my little witch sister, how you actually managed to get trapped. I’m the one who usually ends up in trouble.”
Marisol’s pale skin flushed, most likely with embarrassment. “I was careless. Curiosity caught me. I saw that strange magic, not earth magic, and got a little too close. It kind of sucked me in. I wanted to see what was in the truck, but I decided to save my strength and set my protection spell while I prayed to the Mother for you to find me.”
I nodded. “If you had explored inside, that thing might have blown right then.” I looked at Abigail. “The artifacts in that truck were powerful. I’m pretty sure they’re gold dust circling in the atmosphere right now, along with everything else. Is the Mother angry?”
“I doubt it,” Abigail said. “She can always make more if she needs them. Besides, they’re too dangerous. Etienne told me of them and gave me the list. The fact that Oonagh was able to collect so many of them is proof of the danger.” She smiled. “Get out of bed. You need to eat now.”
My stomach growled. “Food would be good.”
Marisol handed me jeans and a shirt. Darrow must have brought them from the compound. The Dragon’s Tears had apparently remained on my arm while Abigail performed her healing. I tried again to slip it off, but it remained stuck like I smeared it with super adhesive. When I touched it with my fingers, though, I could still hear the fire.
Abigail fed me until my stomach filled to inhuman capacity. When I finished, I had questions for the High Witch. “You seemed surprised that I could remove Etienne’s bindings and use his magic. Why?”
Abigail set a cake on the table and carefully cut slices. Her placid face scrunched into a worried frown. “I’m a bit perturbed. At my age, and it is considerable, I occasionally feel as if someone is changing all the rules. Male magic, female magic, both are earth magic, but they are far different. They are not opposed, but do not mix. I get no answers from the Mother on the matter.”
She placed a saucer with a significant slice of chocolate cake in front of me. Mention of the Mother pissed me off so much I almost pushed it away. Almost. I picked up my fork. “I have issues with her, too. You think I’ll get any answers if I ask?”
“I don’t know,” Abigail said. “I do have some thoughts that might explain you, Etienne, and magic. The Mother’s plans, her . . . and yes, I will say it . . . her schemes are incredibly complex. Time, to her, is not the issue it is with mortals. Life and death are often the same to her. I asked Marisol to do some research for me yesterday.”
Marisol grinned. I shoveled in another mouthful of chocolate. I might need seconds on dessert to get through this.
“It wasn’t easy, but I did talk to your friend Karen in San Francisco. She called your cell phone. She’s wonderful. She helped with the research. You and Etienne were born on the same day and same time, right to the minute. Years apart, but when Abigail studied the moon, the alignment of the constellations, they were exactly the same.”
Abigail and Marisol fell silent, waiting for my reaction, which was essentially . . .
“Bullshit. You’re saying that Etienne and I were born to be together?” I laughed. It was as if a carnival fortune-teller had read my palm. Outrageous, preposterous, absurd, and get me a thesaurus so I could find more words.
They waited out my laughter. “Okay, you know what? I’m going to walk away from that one. Just forget why anything happens with Etienne, me, and magic. And I’m not even going to waste any more time or energy on being angry with the Mother for her schemes and plans.”
Marisol frowned. “Don’t you care?”
“No.”
Abigail sighed. “I think you’ve made a very wise decision, Nyx. Knowing the details of something just complicates life.”
“Good.” I grinned hopefully at her. “Could I have more cake?”
Marisol, always the curious one about all things magic, grumbled. I’d bet she wouldn’t stop digging into things. I didn’t care.
“Go out back into the garden,” Abigail said after I finished my chocolate binge. “Since you are going to put aside your negative feelings, you’ll find there is much healing magic there. Help you regain your strength.”
Abigail’s garden was a bit of acreage with the diversity of an old-growth virgin forest. Once Marisol and I were under the cool shade of the trees, magic filled me like thirsty ground soaked up the rain. We followed a path and it led us to the river. Sitting on rocks, we sat and watched the water flow. It ran slow here, deep and dark.
“I met Chalice,” I said. Since I was sure it was an accident. I didn’t say the water dragon almost killed me.
“Isn’t she lovely? She told me what happened with the case containing my Grimoire. She is very sorry you were injured. She’s gone now. She went to join Penrod. I hope the Mother protects her on her journey.”
“Penrod might be happy to see her.”
Marisol laughed. “Maybe. He’s been a bachelor for a long time.”
My stomach cramped, but I’m sure it was the vast amount of food and not the picture of baby water dragons swimming in the swamp that formed in my mind.
“What are you going to do now?” Marisol asked.
“I don’t know.” I thought about Dervick calling me sister. �
�Marisol, you know your father. Do you know about mine? Did Gran ever tell you? Would she tell me if I asked her?”
Marisol grasped my hand like we were kids again. “No, not exactly. I did ask her once why you had to leave us. I missed you so much. The only thing Gran said was that you had a very different heritage. She said your wilder half, your birthright, would always call you.”
“I’m surprised she said that.”
“She was almost asleep. Otherwise, I believe she wouldn’t have said anything at all.” She shifted on her rock, trying to find a more comfortable spot if one existed. “What about Etienne? Are you in love with him?”
“I don’t know. He kept telling me how untrustworthy witches were, how we were all evil. Then he went out of his way to protect me a couple of times. He took a hell of a chance when he walked through the ward to get you. But he knew where you were, where that truck was, all the time. He didn’t tell me. But when we made love, he seemed so different. Now I seem to have validated my untrustworthiness by doing what I did.”
“So, the answer is yes, you are in love.” Marisol sounded so smug.
“The Earth Mother told me—”
Her eyes popped open. “The Mother spoke to you? You talked to . . . her? I never . . .”
I had to laugh at her dismay. “Well, you’re probably doing everything right. You haven’t screwed up like I have. There was no need for her to speak. At least you did everything right until you got caught in that spell. Hang around long enough, screw up enough, and she might come and lecture you. All I got from her was cryptic words that confused more than they helped.”
“Really? I hope so. I plan to stay here for a while. Abigail asked if she could mentor me. How great is that? Having the High Witch for a mentor. And there is Aiakós.”
My absolute horror must have shown on my face.
“He’s dangerous, I know. But, Nyx, what would someone who had been to other worlds be able to teach me?”
Her interest in Aiakós terrified me to the depths of my heart. “Marisol, stay away from him. The Barrows interests me, too, but I’ve seen an evil side you haven’t. Part of me wants to stay here, too. Wants Etienne. I really wanted him to be a good guy—or at least an acceptable one.”
“Then go see him. I understand. He had a choice in his actions. You did not. Let go of your anger. Forgive him. Or at least talk to him. What’s done is done. And don’t worry about Gran. I got in touch with her. She’s on her way here.”
“What? She’d leaving the swamp? She’s lived there a hundred years.”
“She’s old, not senile. When she learned more about the Barrows, she wanted to see for herself.”
I frowned and shook my head. “When I left her, she was talking about dying.”
Marisol laughed. “You just don’t know. She’s been talking like that for the last ten years.”
“One thing, little sister, those messages. The guide spells you left me were spectacular witchcraft. Subtle, not ham-fisted like I would do.”
“Would you believe Laudine taught me those spells?” She smiled at my obvious surprise. “She wasn’t a powerful witch, ever, but she did a great service to many in this city. Her small spells, her healing potions, relieved much suffering. Abigail is trying to find someone to replace her. Someone willing to live outside the Barrows.” Marisol stared straight into my eyes so long I thought she might be trying to spell me. Finally she shook her head.
I had to ask. “Have you become an oracle now? This is something new. I think you were just peering into my soul. What did you see, little sister?”
“More things than I can understand. When I first realized I could see inside witches’ hearts, I was horrified. Gran taught me to control it, though. I accept it now. And you’re my sister. I have a right to be nosy. What do I see in you? I see fire. I see a great holocaust of flame. Flame that I don’t understand. But it is you. I see your man. Etienne. Earth magic has tied you to him—and him to you. I could see that long before I researched your birth connections. I suggest you go get him before he does something stupid.”
Laughter came from the woods, from the leaves and the light wind circling us. I could see Marisol didn’t hear it. I still wondered if the Mother’s blessing was equal to her plans and scheming.
Chapter 35
The cab I called dropped me off on River Street and I walked through the Barrows to Etienne’s compound. He and I had lived through a night of incredible sex and harrowing events that came close to killing us. And there was his betrayal and what he would perceive as mine.
I understood the concept of the greater good, keeping magical artifacts away from Aiakós. I understood his fear of earth magic. I’d felt it at one time. I had the blessing of a strong witch standing behind me to guide me through those fears. If I stayed with him, would I have to take on that role? Did I want to stay? Accept that responsibility? I barely knew myself. I figured I’d know when I saw him. All I could do was hope for a solution to the problems we faced.
I had talked to Abigail more about Etienne and me, and why his magic was bound in the first place. She advised me to let the reasons for the original binding placement alone. “Occasionally,” she said, “someone is born with power that should not use it. Perhaps in this case, he was bound until the time came for you to use it. I suspect this event is the fruition of some scheme for which the mother laid the foundation many years ago.”
“The Mother came to me in a dream.” I wanted her take on that. I gave her the details of my encounter.
Abigail gathered my hands in hers. “I’m used to her cryptic language. Occasionally I can even decipher it. When you saw her, you saw her as a woman, a humanlike mother who is benign and loves her children. I have devoted my life to her and I believe she does love us. What you have learned about her is something most witches will, thankfully, never know, because she does not speak directly to them. She is a goddess, a goddess in charge of our world. From the tiny innocent child to the chilling evil of the psychopath, she rules us. And uses us. And should it strike her fancy, she could cleanse the land of us and start over.”
When Abigail said that, I simply decided to leave the conversation be and go on with my life.
The warehouse buildings at the compound remained as they had, tall, silent, and seemingly abandoned. The facade worked to discourage the occasional person walking or driving among them—if there were any persons who actually did that. I knew how the equipment was hidden, but how did he keep things so quiet? Probably truckloads of insulation, since all buildings had AC and heat.
As I approached the building that housed the office and Etienne’s apartment, Michael walked out, followed by Etienne.
Michael gave me a brilliant smile. Etienne didn’t. I saw it in his eyes. The uncertainty. I was still a witch and he’d given up his protection. A witch he’d betrayed by withholding information on someone she loved. A loved one who might have died had I not been so persistent.
Michael spoke first. “I understand there have been problems, Nyx. I’m happy you weren’t injured.” Easy enough to compare his voice to Aiakós’s. I seriously wondered if he could morph into the beast that wanted to tear Etienne’s face off in the ruins. It seemed likely that he could.
“Thanks.” I gave him a carefully neutral smile.
Michael nodded pleasantly and walked to a Jaguar parked not far away. That left me alone with Etienne. Bandages wrapped around his upper arms, and he had dark circles under his eyes. An ache settled in my gut as I recognized the wariness, the tension in his body. Okay, so I still wanted him. If some desire for me remained in his heart, I’d take a chance on him.
“You get some antibiotics for those punctures?” I asked.
“Yes.”
That single word was followed by an awkward silence.
In an effort to break it, I said, “I’d like to get my clothes and car.”
At the same time he said, “Did Abigail heal you?”
Talk about clumsy. More silence.
He nodded and I followed him up the stairs to the apartment. The first thing he did was go to the kitchen and pour himself a drink. He tossed it down and poured another. I sat on the couch and he came to sit there, too, only being careful not to get too close.
“You’re angry at me.” He made it a statement, not a question.
“Yeah.” I leaned back and tried to relax, or at least give the appearance that I was relaxed. “Maybe more confused than angry. I guess I’d say disappointed, too. So much of this didn’t have to happen. If you’d just told me.”
He leaned back and sighed. “I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”
“And you’re angry at me. I’m sorry you’re angry, but not sorry for what I did.”
“Logically, you’re right. It was what you had to do. I guess.”
I knew that, being a man, he wasn’t going to give me much else. There would be no deep discussions—unless we made love again. I was lucky he admitted a mistake and apologized. What he told me about Oonagh after we made love came only because we were in an intimate situation and he’d let his guard down. That might never happen again. But it might, if we tried. If we could learn to trust each other.
“Is Aiakós after you?” I changed the subject. “I know he’s pissed.”
He gave a brief shake of his head. “Oh, yes. He’s pissed. But Michael’s intervened. Michael pays the bills and he wants everything to stay the same. I think I’ll avoid the Zombie for a while if I can. But if dangerous things come through, I’ll go fight.”
“How are you dealing with . . . ?” Now, how did I talk about that?
“With what?”
“With the bindings being gone.” I raised my hand to touch his forearm but drew back before actual contact. I was afraid he would get the idea that I had some fiendishly conceived plan to overcome him.