My Magical Life to Live: Midlife Witchery Book 4

by Trim, Brenda

  “Alright. Give me a minute.” Energy came readily to me. I could feel Thanos’ power mingling with mine. It sparked and stung as it traveled through my body. The wind swirled through my mind and the clearing this time. Being physically connected to him intoxicated and invigorated me. It also made the fire burn hotter.

  “Revelare.” The words were gasped out as fire and pain built. I swore my skin blistered from the inside out. I’d have bits of cracklin’ covering me before long.

  My blood raced through my veins, and the ground rumbled beneath my feet. I stumbled, and Thanos’s hands left mine and caught me around my middle. His body was a hard length against me.

  “You did it.” Thanos’ arms left me, and I stayed on my feet. The yellow trail illuminated in front of us and continued to the east of the direction we’d been heading in before.

  Thanos started following it. I took a step to follow him and stopped in my tracks when someone shimmered into being in front of me. They were half a foot taller than my five-foot-five inches and wearing a black cloak with the hood up. The malice emanating from this person was unmistakable. I understood what Thanos meant. There was no mistaking the corruption.

  The Dark witch swung one arm in my direction. I jumped to the side, trying to dodge the strike, and ended up on my hands and knees. I never caught sight of the blade in his hand but felt it cut through my stomach. Blood poured onto the ground in front of me.

  Heat built within my body, and my arms threatened to give out. The cloaked menace stood there with my blood dripping from the blade in his grip before he disappeared as fast as he had appeared.

  My skin was tight all over my body, and the pressure in my veins was building as fast as it poured from me in a torrent. Something was happening to me beyond me dying from a knife wound to the liver. It terrified me, and I had no idea what was happening. The knife must have been coated in some kind of poison.

  I opened my mouth, and an anguished cry rang out of me. Thanos was ten feet away from me by then. Maybe more. His eyes flared as wide as basketballs, and he dashed back to me a second later.

  It was as if he moved in slow motion. I reached for him and screamed when I saw the way my hand glowed. The pain seemed to vanish as I watched the lava actually flow through my veins. My blood was on the ground and had been replaced by a glowing substance. The burning sensation registered somewhere in my addled brain, but it was overridden by the agony.

  When I lifted my gaze back to Thanos, he was colored in orange. I should have told someone about the curse or made finding it a priority. This was way beyond a poisoned blade. I was dying, and now it was too late to do anything about what had happened to me.

  “What’s going on?” Thanos called out as he scooped me up. The pain was worse in his arms, and the heat built faster.

  “Down,” I shouted. A second later, I was on my feet and stumbling away from him. My lava-like blood was a second from bursting through my skin. Fire shot from my fingertips.

  “Submergo ignis.” My desperate attempt to stop the fire fizzled and didn’t even produce a drop of water. I collapsed onto my back and curled into a ball.

  My gaze landed on Thanos, and I saw the terror in his grey eyes. He had his cell phone at his ear. I wanted to have him tell Fiona and Aislinn and my kids that I loved them, but the flames spread from my fingers up my arms. The smell of burning hair made me sick to my stomach.

  Agony stole my breath, and the flames covered me entirely. My vision went black, and my skin sloughed off. The scent of burning flesh filled my nose, and I threw up the contents of my stomach. All I knew was excruciating pain. I’d never experienced anything like it. Regret over hiding my curse and magical malfunction was the last thought I had.

  Chapter 19

  A noise startled me, making me open my eyes. I was in a dark, unfamiliar room and all alone. Where the hell was I? And how did I get here? I sat up with ease. I wanted to shout with relief that the pain from the demon attacks was gone entirely.

  I lifted my arm and noticed the skin was perfect. There wasn’t a large wound running the entire length of it. All the sunspots, freckles, and wrinkles were gone as well.

  I had the soft, olive skin of a twenty-year-old. Was this part of the curse? Give me the vigor of youth, then take it away and the last shreds of my fight with it? My spine went rigid when I thought of the curse.

  I wasn’t alive. Something set me on fire when I tried to blast the obstruction away from the Dark bastard’s trail. I’d bet they layered a death trap inside, knowing we would use our magic.

  I glanced around. I never imagined Heaven would be in an average-looking bedroom. A dark one at that. I stood and crossed to the window and parted the curtains. The sky was the light pinks and oranges of early morning, and I was looking out at the cemetery at Pymm’s Pondside.

  I was at Fiona’s? Perhaps she called my spirit back. I patted my arms and legs. They were solid. Moving in front of the mirror on the wall, I was relieved to see I wasn’t the blue transparent entity Isidora used to be.

  I gasped, and a hand flew to my stomach. She called me back as a ghoul. I understood what Isidora must have felt. I was glad I wasn’t dead, but I didn’t like the feeling that some evil entity could take me over at any moment.

  The door burst open, and Fiona burst into the room, followed by Aislinn. “Violet! Oh my God, you terrified me. Don’t ever do that again.”

  I shook my head. “I didn’t mean to die. I’m not sure if it was my curse or a trap set by the summoner. I should have told you guys I was having problems, and my magic was messing up. Thank you for bringing me back. Even if I am a ghoul-like Isidora, I’m glad. I didn’t want to leave you guys or my kids.”

  Aislinn stepped into the room next to Fiona, and I saw Sebastian standing behind them with Thanos. Four pairs of eyes stared at me. Fiona opened her mouth and closed it without saying anything.

  “Get out of my way,” Isidora commanded as she shoved Thanos and Bas. The older woman pointed a finger at me, making me cringe away from her. Perhaps as an older ghoul, she had sway over me. “You unpacked a suitcase full of issues in that tirade, and we’re all exhausted. Let’s go to the kitchen. We could all use some tea and biscuits.”

  Isidora turned on her heel, sending her shoulder-length silver hair flying behind her as she moved. Before I knew it, she was shoving Fiona and Aislinn out the door. Bas turned and disappeared. Thanos looked confused and relieved before he, too, vanished. Fiona turned around. “Are you coming?”

  “Yes, she’s coming. We’re not letting her out of our sight ever again,” Aislinn interjected.

  I had the best of friends. I wasn’t sure what I would do without them. When my feet left the area rug and landed on the cold floor, I noticed I was barefooted and dressed in one of Fiona’s nightgowns.

  Made sense. I had burned to a crisp. I snagged the robe hanging over the arm of the chair next to the window and was out the door a second later. I felt like a million bucks as I descended the stairs to the first floor.

  I’d lived for so long with the burning in my body and then the aches and pains from being attacked that I forgot what it was like to be uninjured. I bounded into the kitchen and wrapped Fiona and Aislinn in a one-armed hug.

  “I love you guys.”

  Fiona patted my back. “Love you, too.”

  Aislinn released me with a smile. “We will love you even if you’re a demon now. But don’t worry, we will find out what you are now and how it happened.”

  I staggered back and bumped into a rigid body. I knew without looking it was Thanos. Isidora paused in filling the kettle to give me a reassuring look. Bas had a glower on his face. It was impossible to tell if that meant he supported me or would be killing me if he got a hint that I was evil.

  “Someone start talking, please. I thought Fiona brought me back. What happened? The last thing I remember is burning to death.” My body hurt just thinking about it. I could still smell the burnt hair and flesh.

  As the silenc
e stretched, I sat down on a stool with my head in my hands. A hand ran up and down my back. I looked up at Thanos. Emotion choked me, and tears burned the back of my eyes.

  “Shit went sideways as soon as you cast the reveal spell that second time. I should have known better than to ask you to do it again when you were struggling so much after the first attempt. I felt the heat build along with the magic. I got so excited when the trail reappeared that I ignored it until you cried out.”

  “What happened after I...the last thing I remember was the Dark witch shimmering in front of me and cutting me open, then excruciating pain and intense heat. I bled out before I caught fire. I was certain I was going to die. There was no surviving being sliced up and going up in flames, and yet, I’m alive. It makes no sense.” I would have rechecked to make sure I wasn’t a ghost, but I was still cradling the sides of my head and felt my short, soft hair and solid skull.

  Thanos’ grey eyes brimmed with confusion. “You did and didn’t die. Why did you say you’re cursed?”

  I lowered my gaze. “Because it’s been messing up since I returned from Eidothea. I can’t do anything without the risk of it backfiring or blowing something up. I’ve been trying to avoid magic since then. From the information I have gathered, my best guess was that I was cursed. But I haven’t been able to find the source of it. I should have said something.” I directed that last comment to Aislinn and Fiona.

  Fiona glared at me. “Yes, you should have. We’d have helped you. Don’t you trust us to be there for you?”

  My chest squeezed. “Of course, I know that. You’ve both had your own stuff going on, and I didn’t want to be a burden.”

  “You aren’t a burden,” Aislinn interjected.

  “No, she’s a Phoenix,” Thanos interjected. “She molted like a phoenix does when they reach puberty. Their power reaches its height, they burn, and then they’re reborn from the ashes. You’re the first of your kind.”

  The mark. I gasped and pulled the collar of my shirt away from my chest. The bird glowed as if there was a light under my skin. “How the hell did this happen?”

  “This happens when you’ve exchanged blood with and then take the life of a Phoenix.” I stared at Thanos. He had to be wrong.

  “I’ve never exchanged blood with anyone in my life. The idea is repulsive.”

  Thanos laughed. “I didn’t say it had to be sexual. Although, you shouldn’t knock something until you’ve tried it. When did your mark appear? I noticed it wasn’t glowing when you went for a swim at the lake, and I wondered if you’d lost your spark or were a hybrid born without one. I didn’t ask because both can be sore topics.”

  My mind struggled to wrap around what he’d said. “I was hurt by a Fae in Eidothea.”

  “More like she almost lost her arm,” Fiona interjected.

  “And she still managed to kill the asshole,” Aislinn added.

  Thanos shook his head from side to side, a grim look on his face. “That was no Fae. That was a Phoenix. They’re Underworld creatures. Did you know Vodor was using Underworld demons to defend his kingdom?”

  The blood drained from my face as two things hit me at once. First, I was a demon now. Second, those assholes might be connected to this, after all. Isidora set the tea kettle down, the sound loud in the silent room.

  “Why are you shocked by that?” Isidora snapped. “That man wasn’t above using every resource he possibly could. The real question is how this impacts you, Violet, and if knowing he used demons impacts how we proceed.”

  Thanos sighed. “You need to know more about them before you can understand. Particularly since you’ve been Changed. Phoenixes aren’t relegated strictly to the Underworld. As upper-level demons, they have more freedom. They’re sentient and display a significant amount of control. They don’t leave dead cities in their wake. Hades won’t be happy to hear some signed up to fight a war with the Fae King.”

  Fiona went to the fridge and grabbed a Tupperware container full of biscuits and a jar of clotted cream. Aislinn put mugs on the island, and Isidora added loose tea and infusers.

  Fiona stood next to me and grabbed my hand. “I’m not surprised he had demons. I’m shocked he hid it so well. Right now, what we need to know is how this will affect Violet. What can we do to help her? Is there an adjustment period? Can she do magic still?”

  “Can she make fireballs? That’d be a handy offensive ability,” Aislinn added.

  My pulse raced, and my blood started heating like it had been all week. I stood up and knocked my stool over, then pulled my hand from Fiona’s. I didn’t want to hurt my best friend.

  “It’s happening again. What do I do?” My chest was heaving, and sweat started pouring down my back.

  Thanos grabbed my face and stopped my backward retreat. “Violet. Listen to me. This isn’t the same. You aren’t going up in flames again. You need to calm down before the flames start. You can burn down the kitchen. I don’t think Fiona and Isidora would like that very much. Deep breath in. That’s it. Now let it go slowly.”

  His voice anchored me and held me in place. The panic bubbled under the surface, and the lava flowed, but I didn’t fear losing control again. “Why does it feel like fire?”

  Thanos held me for a few more seconds, then let me go. “Because fire is at the core of you now. Always remember that. You are still a witch. You will be able to practice magic like you usually do.”

  I took another deep breath and let it go. “So, what do I do when I feel the lava building? The last thing I want to do is hurt someone I love.”

  “That’s your power accumulating. It feels like fire now. Don’t panic when that happens, or you will start fires. The flames can get away from you. You’re different from other Phoenix, but I can help you through most of the growing pains you will experience.”

  “At least it comes with perks, unlike my, uh, condition. I mean, your hair has never looked better. It’s full and fluffy,” Aislinn added with a smile.

  I chuckled and lifted my hand to my head. My hair was the length of a pixie cut. I almost choked on a sob. I loved my long locks. But, from the feel of it, my hair was thicker than it used to be. I’d have to wait until it grew out to know if it was actually fuller.

  “And your wrinkles are gone, which is completely unfair,” Fiona complained. “I bet you don’t have any of the aches and pains anymore. Your body is brand new now. Technically you’re no longer middle-aged. I suppose we can let you stay a member of the Backside of Forty anyway. You’ve earned it, after all.”

  I slapped her arm. “Shut up. Though, I do feel amazing right now. I’m sure that’s because I had so much pain before because of the demon attacks. I lost our chance at finding the summoner. We should go back there now and try again. With Fiona and Aislinn with me, we will be able to find the trail again.”

  Thanos's smile vanished. “I’m afraid your transformation burned the magical signatures from the entire area. There’s nothing left to follow.”

  Anger stole my ability to see straight, and I screamed. It escaped before I could stop it. “Shield her,” Thanos cried out. I was too busy being consumed by rage and fire to do anything but yell. My hands clenched into fists, and fire rippled along my arms.

  “Coherco.” More than one voice chanted at the same time, and a second later, there was pressure surrounding my body. It enclosed me from all sides a millisecond before the fire burst from me.

  I was surrounded by flames that didn’t hurt me. My screams died out, and the fire still raged on. An invisible barrier stopped them from consuming Pymm’s Pondside. I felt terrible, and guilt replaced the rage of a moment before. Why didn’t the flames vanish as well?

  I looked up and stared into Thanos’ stormy grey eyes. He was outside the barrier my best friends had erected. The look on his face promised he understood and would help me through this.

  I stared into his gaze until the flames stopped. The shield disappeared, and cool air made me shiver. One glance down, and I was screaming fo
r the umpteenth time since waking up. “I’m naked!”

  Fiona and Aislinn laughed while Thanos appraised me. I had no idea where Sebastian was, but I was certain he wasn’t looking at me. “Here you go,” Fiona said as she handed me a t-shirt. I pulled it over my head then took the panties from her. Aislinn gave me pants that I slipped into.

  Thanos’ grey eyes held desire in their depths by the time he lifted his head. “If you haven’t guessed, your fire is driven by your emotions. When they get out of control, they will get away from you until you learn the signs and how to manage them.”

  “We’d better start carrying extra clothes for you. I’d hate for you to end up naked at the next council meeting,” Fiona told me with a grin. “I’m so glad you’re still you cause I’m going to kick your ass for keeping this from us.”

  Aislinn bobbed her head up and down. “Yes, we are. Remember what you both said to me? I can’t believe you didn’t know the same would apply to you.”

  I wasn’t surprised that my friends were more upset I kept my problems from them than the fact that I had become something that had never existed before. They understood what it meant to be an odd hybrid creature. I laughed and embraced them. For those few seconds, everything was alright with the world.

  I allowed their love and support to fill me, and I forgot about the demon and Dark practitioner we were hunting. Moments like this were what made life worth living. We’d tackle the monster soon enough.

  Chapter 20

  Aislinn dropped some cash on the table and stood. “Let’s go for a walk. The fresh air helps with nausea.”

  She and Fiona met me for dinner at the Sapphire Clam. It had been a few days since I discovered my misfiring magic, and the heat flowing through my body was more than simple hot flashes. I’d become a freaking Phoenix after the Dark practitioner sliced me open and I caught fire.

  I brushed my now shoulder-length hair out of my face and followed my friends out the door. “Thanks for coming out with me. I really needed that. I feel like we’ve all been walking on eggshells waiting to see if I’ll become a bonfire again.”