by J. E. Lezah
“You don’t say.”
Aldara could tell by the tone of Giles’s voice, he was less than pleased. “Is there a problem?” she asked, trying to maintain her focus.
“No. Just….”
She didn’t want to fight with Giles, yet she needed to know why his mood had changed. “Just?”
“Nothing, Aldara. Get some rest, and we will talk later.”
As much as she wanted to push him for answers, she knew he was right. The last thing she wanted to do was fight with him, and in her soul she knew there conversation could take that turn quickly.
“Okay,” she said with a yawn. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Love you.” Aldara waved her hand, turning the mirror black. Who knew trying to keep up appearances could make a person so tired. Slipping out of her ballgown, she pushed at Ismarelda to move over. She would call Giles back tomorrow and apologize. For now she only wished to sleep.
Giles stared at his reflection in the mirror. Should he be worried about her? For Pete’s sake the woman just said she loved him. That was different. He would chalk it up to exhaustion.
Grabbing the remote and popcorn, he settled onto the sofa. Until now, he hadn’t thought of how another person’s energy could affect a home. Now that he thought about it, it made sense. The house seemed so still without Aldara and Ismarelda. He listened for any pops or creaks common in older homes at night. Nothing only silence, not even the refrigerator made its usual hum.
With a push of the button, Dax and the rest of the Specter Hunters sprang to life as Dax yelled “Is that you?” into the darkened hallway. For once Dax’s voice over was a welcomed change as it relieved the unnerving stillness of the house.
Giles soon found heckling Dax wasn’t quite as much fun without the aid of Aldara. With a click of the switch, he changed the channel, opting instead for a classic horror flick.
***
Aldara moaned, cracking one eye open. The room lay in total darkness, which helped soothe the pounding in her head. Had she really drank that much Witches’ Wings last night? She hadn’t thought so. There was a time she could drink more than a few dark elves under the table. She should have known better than to mix the Witches Wings with Elderberry wine. Still, it was hard to believe she had become such a feather weight when it came to drinking.
At least Tempest had been kind enough to save her from spending her night dancing with the line wizards her sisters kept sending her way. As soon as she could, she would have a long talk with those two.
Then again it was Tempest who kept handing her drink after drink. If she hadn’t known better she would have thought the reporter was trying to get her drunk. Which reminded her, she was to meet Tempest at some point during the Magic Games for the second part of her interview series.
Aldara’s mind began cataloguing her wardrobe and what would be best to wear to the Games. It was sure bet she would not take fashion advice from Zerlina and Zoe. Her ribs still hurt from the boning in that corset.
Ismarelda let out a soft snort as she shifted beside Aldara. What a good girl. She hadn’t even fussed when Aldara called Giles last night. She sighed at the thought of warm golden eyes, and pulled the covers around her chin.
He would probably never let her live down the fact she called him when she was drunk. Not like he hadn’t seen her a little tipsy before. A smirk covered her face. She drunk dialed him. It’s not like she could drunk text since cell phones didn’t work in Hexestadt and there wasn’t really a witches’s equivalent to texting.
At least she hadn’t done or said anything embarrassing. Did she? Aldara lay in the darkness taking inventory of her and Giles’s conversation. Nope. Everything seemed legitimate. They talked and she told him she loved him then went to bed.
Aldara bolted upright in her bed. “I what?” she yelled, causing Ismarelda to start. “Sorry baby,” she said, pulling the dog near. “I can’t believe I did that.”
“What have I done, Marelda?” She buried her face in Ismarelda’s fur. Aldara was unsure whether to laugh, cry, or both. Maybe Giles would be merciful and chalk it up to her state of intoxication. With any luck, she had already cut transmission, and he hadn’t heard her last words.
A soft knock came from the door before creaking open a sliver pouring candlelight through the doorway. “Aldara?” her mother’s voice whispered. “Aldara. Are you alright, darling?”
“Yes, ma’am,” she croaked. “Why?”
“I thought I heard Ismarelda barking, and wanted to check on you.”
Wow who knew Ismarelda’s bark was powerful enough to travel through the door, down a forty foot corridor, take a right, travel another twenty yards and through the door to her parent’s room. Geeze, maybe she should use Ismarelda to get the Clan’s attention.
“Just a bad dream.”
Magnie entered, setting the candle on the nightstand. With a snap of Magnie’s fingers, the bedside lamp flickered to life. “Anything you want to talk about? You know I’m pretty good at dream interpretation.”
Aldara thought about lying, but that wouldn’t work. She could tell a half-truth. That might work.
Magnie pulled her mane of hair around her before sitting on the edge of Aldara’s bed. It had been such a long time since Aldara had seen it down. In the soft lamplight, Magnie’s wrinkles seemed to disappear, and Aldara could see what a beautiful woman her mother had been as a young woman. No wonder her father had been so smitten with her.
“So? What was the dream?”
“It’s stupid really. I dreamed I called Giles. You know, just to check in on things back home.”
“And?”
“And, as we were getting off the phone, I kind of told him I loved him.” Aldara cringed waiting for her Magnie to say something. The silence was excruciating, and she twisted her fingers together in anticipation of what her mother had to say. The wait was excruciating.
Magnie let out a slow breath before beginning. “And do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Do you love him?”
“Phht, no. He’s my….”
“I know, your assistant. You say that quite a bit, but I’m not sure who you are trying to convince, us or yourself?” Magnie rubbed the ridge of Ismarelda’s nose. “I’m not saying you do, and I’m not saying you don’t. Seldom can a man and a woman spend as much time together as you two do and feelings not develop.”
Aldara pushed herself into a seated position against the headboard. “That’s not true. Lots of men and women work together and not have a thing for each other.”
“You know best, darling. If you say there’s nothing. Then there’s nothing.” Magnie rose, and moved toward the door. With a snap of her fingers, the bedside lamp dimmed and the candle floated toward her. “Try and get some sleep. The games begin soon and I know you will be in a tizzy over every little detail.”
“That’s not true,” Aldara protested.
“Of course not darling, and neither is your love for the mortal.”
“Oh!” Aldara slammed her fists against the bed. Her mother was wrong. She didn’t fret over every detail, nor was she in love with Giles. Was she? Of course not! Giles was just her assistant. Magnie’s words crept into her brain. Who are you trying to convince? No one, Aldara reminded herself. There was no one she needed to convince.
With a huff, she flopped over, jabbing her pillow as if it had caused her some injustice. She needed sleep, and Giles needed to go somewhere else. She pushed the thoughts of him from her mind as best she could.
The Witching Games were mere hours away, and unfortunately, most witches were notoriously sore losers. After the dragon races of 2010, she would have to be on her toes to make sure everyone behaved themselves.
12
Tempest drummed her stiletto nails against the console. “Well?” she asked her cameraman. “Did it work.”
“It’s going to take a bit longer to upload the files,” he answered.
“You’re a witch. Can’t you just snap your fingers or something?” Pat
ience had never been her virtue. As a child she was the one to put a speed timer spell on her grandmother’s oven so the cookies would get done faster.
“True art takes time, Tempest.”
Tempest narrowed her gaze. “Remember who you work for Jacob.”
“Yes, Ms. Storm,” he muttered.
She watched the array of dials and flashing lights as they jumped across the soundboard. “Are you sure this will work?”
“Pretty sure,” Jacob said. “I’ve never rigged a camera to steal a witches powers before, but so far, everything looks a go. The bots seem to be performing exactly the way you wanted.”
With a huff, Tempest slumped back in her chair. All she needed was to know that the camera worked.
She had long hoped to gain entrance into Daughters of LeFay, and what better way could she think there to be than to swipe the powers of one who gave all her time and energy to the diamage?
“And that’s it.” He said clicking one last switch.
Tempest perched on the edge of her seat. “Well?” she asked.
A whirring started deep in the bowels of the console. Tempest scrunched her brows together at the offensive sound. Within a few seconds, a small drawer popped open, spitting out a golden medallion. “There you go,” he said, handing the disc to Tempest. “All the power we siphoned so far from that event planner is here.”
Tempest almost squealed with delight as Jacob placed it in her palm. She turned the coin over and over, mesmerized by the ingenuity of it all. “What happens when we get more? Does it get added to this or do you make another disc?”
“It’s a piece of cake to add it to the file you already have.”
“Excellent.” She hugged it to her breast, wondering if it would be possible to make it into a necklace without damaging the file. “We are set to have a final interview tomorrow. After that she will be like the precious mortals she loves so much.” Her bright green eyes sparkled with glee.
“Tempest?”
“Ms. Storm,” she corrected him.
“Ms. Storm. Remind me again why you’re doing this. I mean. What did Aldara Hastings ever do to you?”
Only Tempest eyes moved in his direction. “Aldara Hastings is the epitome of a traitor. A true witch or wizard wouldn’t waste a single moment on the diamage. She is blurring the purity of the lineage by consorting with those, those, creatures. Why she even lives with one.”
“As a Daughter of LeFay it is my duty to keep the magical lines clean. What if Goddess forbid she were to marry that mortal. The bloodline of the Supreme Regent would be tainted. Spoiled.
“Consorting such as that must be stopped. And I am just the person to do it.”
“A Daughter of Lefay?”
Tempest sighed. How was it possible a witch could grow up and not have heard of the Daughters of Lefay? Well if he didn’t know, she certainly wasn’t going to waste her time telling him. “It’s not important.”
“Okay.” Jacob rubbed a meaty hand across his neck. “You want me to keep that?”
“That won’t be necessary. When we’re ready to add more, I’ll return it to you. But for the time being, it remains with me.”
13
On the morning of the Witching Games, Aldara set out across the field used for the various events. One of her jobs that day was to ensure everything from the viewing grand stands to the broom racing finish lines were in place.
It was barely dawn, and already a few of the food vendors had begun setting up. For Aldara it was one of the best parts of the festival. Caloo Cackleback of Cackleback’s Cauldron Corn gave a quick nod in her direction. She waved and walked on. She didn’t want to bother the Caloo who was busy stirring popcorn in the oversized cauldron.
The sweet scent of Icky’s Eye of Fig Newt cookies wafted through the air. Aldara made a mental note to be sure and get a box to take home. She thought it might be a nice treat for she and Giles to have with their coffee.
Hexestadt seemed colder than she remembered. Her cheeks burned in the cool morning air, and she flipped up her collar to block the wind. With any luck she might find someone with warm cider about.
Aldara stood in the center of the field. The sun had began to crest the tops of the mountains. Hues of blue, pink and orange painted the morning sky. She had forgotten how beautiful her homeland was, or for that matter, how beautiful sunrises were. There was a time she would take her morning coffee on the patio, and take in the sights and sounds of the world around before she began her day.
She even built the garden so she could spend more time in nature. Her hands deep in the soil and bare feet on the ground. That was before Enchanting Events became the phenomenon it was now.
Aldara glanced around to see if anyone was watching. It wouldn’t be that hard to slip off her boots and take a quick stroll through the field. She remembered how as children, she and her brother, Carlisle, would play in the nearby woods, hunting for glimmer mushrooms for their grandmother. Zoe and Zerlina always lagged behind trying to befriend any and all toads and caterpillars they saw.
Too bad Carlisle was unable to leave work and join the rest of the family at the Gathering. According to Magnie, he was somewhere in Scotland on an undercover assignment. She wouldn’t tell Aldara what he was doing, only that Leprechaun Kidnapping was at an all time high. Aldara said a brief prayer for her brother’s safety. She hated thinking of him putting his life in danger, but that was the life he chose. If only he had been first born.
Putting thoughts of her brother aside, Aldara trudged onward. Various clans had begun to arrive, setting up campsites along the sidelines. Most would spend the night here after the games, continuing the celebration long into the night.
A mighty horn blast roared from above, drawing her attention to the clouds on her left. They rolled in on themselves, receding back and flowing forward over and over. Soon the prow of a Viking long boat, sliced through the clouds. The carved head of a wolf cut through the clouds, and she could hear coxswain command the oarsmen. Again the horn blast echoed through the canyon, alerting all to the Vikings arrival.
“By Odin’s beard, now that’s an entrance.” she whispered, making mental notes on how she could use that at her next event.
“Aldara! Yoo Hoo! Aldara!”
“Damnation.” Aldara’s scrunched eyes closed, and asked the Goddess for strength to get through the day. Now was not the time for Tempest and her crew. Putting on her best beauty pageant smile, Aldara faced the interviewer, and was relieved to see only the cameraman in tow. She wasn’t sure she could handle Xena and her make-up chair this morning. “Tempest.” Even to Aldara’s ears, her tone was repulsively sweet. “What a pleasant surprise. It’s a bit early for you, isn’t it?”
Tempest waved off her comment. “A good reporter goes where the story is, regardless of the time of day or the conditions. It’s a labor of love,” she sighed.
“Umm…right,” Aldara was less than convinced of Tempest’s sincerity. “Is there something I can do for you this morning? I thought we were meeting tomorrow.”
Tempest motioned for her cameraman to move in closer. “Oh, no. We’re here to get some B-roll footage. You know a shot here and there of the crowds. Maybe interview a few people throughout the day, getting there opinion of things. Actually, it would be great to get just a few moments of an interview with you this morning. Just a few thoughts on how things are going so far. What’s on your schedule today?
Aldara entwined her fingers. There was so much for her to check on still. However, she had promised Tempest exclusive access to her and her process throughout the week. “Sure. Yeah. I have a few minutes. I mean, I thought our next interview was set for a couple of days from now.”
“It is, darling.” Tempest waived to Jacob to start filming. “This is simply like what we did the night of the opening ceremonies.”
Aldara searched her memory from the night of the opening ball. She did remember Tempest saving her from the boring conversations and uncoordinated dance partners.
“Don’t worry,” Tempest said. “I would never show you in an unflattering light.”
“That’s good to know,” Aldara chuckled under her breath, not quite sure of what Tempest meant.
“So we’re good then?”
“I suppose,” she answered, trying not to sound as apprehensive as she felt.
“Now,” Tempest wrapped her arm through Aldara’s elbow, sideling up to her. “It’s very important that you remember to look into the camera when speaking. Just watch the red light.”
Aldara glanced at the flashing red beacon. “I thought this was behind the scenes.”
“It is, darling. It is.” Tempest spun away from the camera. “But, I may interject a question now and again, and when I do, it would be lovely if you would look into the camera. To answer. The audience wants to feel like you are talking straight to them.”
Of all the things Aldara had agreed to in her life, this series of interviews was quick becoming the thing she most regretted. “Fine,” she agreed.
Tempest clapped her hands together in glee. “Wonderful. Where do we begin first?”
Aldara pulled a notebook from her jacket pocket. “First I need to check with each of the clans about the rules and to see if they will have a representative competing today. Then I meet with Mr. Bilkum from the Tax and Wage board to insure all vendors are licensed, and lastly, I will see the head trainer to make sure the dragons are ready for the races. As you see, it’s pretty boring stuff.”
Aldara tried to make her morning sound as mundane as possible, in hopes Tempest would decide to leave, but no such luck. Tempest just stood there smiling and nodding. Aldara wasn’t even sure the woman had heard what she said.
“So, where do we begin?” Tempest smiled.
Aldara motioned for her and Jacob to join her as she made her way to the first delegation.
“Could you give us a hint as to what we can expect during the games today?” Tempest asked.
“In what way?”