Clever Witch

by Nikki Dean

"I'll quit the group," Alec said loudly. "So you don't have to worry about it."

  "No, you won't," she, Damon and Everett said at the same time. She glared at them.

  "Alec, don't be ridiculous. Also, stop being pushy." She felt the little flush of embarrassment that crept over him, followed by determination. She shook her head with a sigh. "Back to the point at hand. Paul, is there anywhere in Winn that Janae could stay?"

  "Maybe. Yeah, I think so. One of my old bandmates had a guest house he used to let people stay in. Mostly his ex's family when they came in town. I think it's empty right now," Paul said. "I'll check. You're going to turn here, Alec. Luca's place is at the end of this road."

  They all looked around. Nothing but trees and blacktop roads surrounded them, far from even the semblance of civilization that Winn afforded them. "Well, this looks like the perfect place to hide a body," she said.

  Paul laughed. "You always say such weird shit."

  "It's totally true though," Matt whispered under his breath. Nico nodded against her.

  "Look, we're all rubbing off on each other," Mallory whispered.

  "Stop with the cutesy shit," Damon ordered. Mallory flipped him off. He didn't turn around to see it though, so it was pointless.

  They pulled into an open area with a car and another SUV parked on the gravel. "Park here and we'll walk up. His parents designed the house so that you can't see the cars from the house. Said it spoiled the view," Paul instructed.

  "Ok, that's much weirder than anything I say. Who wants to walk that far with groceries? That's bullshit," she grumbled as they all got out. Nico gave her a quick kiss while they waited for someone to come and open the back door for them.

  "This is just where guests park," Paul corrected himself. "They built a garage into the bottom of the house to park their own cars, but there's no space for anyone else."

  "Been here often, huh?" Everett asked. "Seems a little odd for someone that had you stabbed."

  "Luca didn't have me stabbed," Paul said stiffly. "It just happened to occur after the sigil went missing, which I had nothing to do with."

  "Right, his buyer had you stabbed, after your friend snitched on you. Got it."

  Paul glared at Mallory. "Can you keep him under control, please? I don't want all of that shit brought up today."

  "Why else would we be here, if not to talk about the sigil?" Damon demanded. "We didn't ride all the way out here to watch while you hang out with your weird friend who has surveillance around his house." He pointed to a camera high up in the trees that pointed at the makeshift parking lot.

  "A lot of people in Winn actually have those," Mallory said with a shrug. "It's kind of a thing this close to the border."

  Paul nodded in agreement. "Look, I don't care what you want to talk about, but can we please leave the one you have out of it? Ask him how he knows about them, or pretend you're writing a paper for Dark Arts or whatever, but just don't mention the one you found. Or the stabbing."

  He turned without waiting for her agreement, walking up the gravel path that curved through the woods. They could just see the edge of a chimney sticking out above the trees, but it looked like a decent walk. A gated drive went in that direction, too.

  They followed him through a garden gate and up the path.

  They’d barely gotten anywhere when Mallory's whole body tingled for an instant, like she’d walked through a freezing mist of some sort. She felt flares of alarm from each of the guys, as well. Paul just kept going.

  "What was that?" she whispered.

  "Magic alarm," Matt whispered from her side. "Haven't felt one that strong in a long time though."

  "This guy's definitely hiding something," Nico agreed. "You don't put that kind of time and effort into a magical alarm system in the middle of nowhere for nothing."

  "Keep your eyes open," Damon said. "Don't leave the group and tell us if you feel anything strange on your web. I guarantee you we aren't alone."

  Mallory focused on her magic. He was right, of course, and the 'secluded' little house had a rather suspicious amount of people walking around it. "He has guards in the woods, or something. A lot of people forming a ring around the house."

  Something else lit up, something right beside them. It wasn't Dice, since he was back at Paul's in the garage, but it wasn't any of them, either.

  It's the sigil, she realized. The alarm system must have carried enough magic to it to activate it a little. I had no idea it could do that. She reached out and touched it lightly, just to see if whatever was inside had noticed.

  Claws immediately grasped at her mind, demanding more, demanding to be fed. It was conscious enough to look around with a hiss as it sensed where they were.

  Mallory pulled back, cutting it off.

  "The alarm system woke up the sigil," she whispered. "Whatever is inside knows where we are, and it's not happy about it."

  Everett grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. She opened her mind to his and let his magic rush through her, showing him what she'd sensed from the sigil.

  He growled and let go. "We need to leave. Now."

  Mallory nodded. "I think that's probably a good idea."

  A clicking noise sounded in the trees as a bullet was loaded into the chamber of a gun, and each of her guys froze around her. Paul, the dumbass, just kept going, oblivious as always.

  "That's not going to happen, princess."

  Chapter 24

  Nico disappeared into his magic. Mallory was less than a half step behind him.

  They split up, converging on their target from different directions. Mallory grabbed the guy, wrenching the barrel up toward the sky as Nico hit him in the jaw, dropping him with one punch.

  "Keep the magic going and show me where the other guards are," Nico demanded. "We need to take them out while we have the chance."

  "Right. This way. There are four over here, two on the other side of the house and maybe another that way," she said, pointing. The gun in her hands was a well-oiled rifle with a full clip of rounds loaded into it. She unloaded it and grabbed the pistol that was hanging from the guard's chest holster. "I'm going to give this to Damon on the way. He's good with any weapon, right?"

  Nico beamed. "Put it in his waistband so it's not obvious. He'll know it's there."

  She gave him a thumbs-up and did as he asked before leading him to the other guards, who they made short work of. Nico planted more handguns on Alec, Everett and Matt, while Mallory hid the other rifles in the woods. The last one she shoved under the porch stairs, making sure that Nico saw where it went. He showed his appreciation by tucking a small handgun into her waistband, and showing her its match resting at his hip.

  The whole thing took less than five seconds. They reappeared beside Alec, Damon, Matt and Everett just as Paul turned back to see what was taking so long.

  "How many?" Damon whispered. He flexed his back, adjusting the gun in his pants without using his hands.

  "Eight," Nico replied. "We couldn't see anything inside the house without taking longer, and I'm curious to find out why this Luca is going to all of this trouble."

  "Exactly," Matt replied. "He's hiding something out here."

  Cold electricity hit Mallory's arm and she looked back to see it arcing from Everett's hand to hers. She reached back and allowed him to touch her fingers, telling him in an instant everything she and Nico had seen and done.

  Is this going to become a regular thing? she wondered. Why doesn't he do it with all of the guys, instead of avoiding their touch? Not that I'm going to ask and fuck up the little bit of trust he's showing me, but still.

  "Hurry up, Mal. I told Luca we'd be here thirty minutes ago," Paul called out. "He said he has some shit to do later, so we can't take all day."

  Judging by those guards, he's probably planning to feed our bodies into a wood chipper later, but whatever. I wonder if Paul knows what kind of person his friend has turned into.

  "We're coming, don't get snippy," she retorted. "I had
to tie my shoe."

  Paul rolled his eyes and kept going. They walked around a curve and saw the house, where Luca sat on the front steps. He was shorter than Mallory remembered, with light blond hair and a medium build. He wore a lime green shirt, khaki shorts and loafers. That's a weird outfit for the middle of the woods. Is he going golfing later, or something?

  "Paul Serra! It's been a long time, my man, how have you been?" Luca called as he stood.

  "Not bad, not bad," Paul replied. He bounded up the steps and shook Luca's hand with enthusiasm, then turned and gestured back to the rest of the group. "This is my sister, Mallory, and her boyfriend, Nico, and their friends. I told you that she's home from Dark Arts for the weekend, right?"

  "Yeah, yeah. I think I met you once at a bar or something?" Luca guessed, holding his hand out for her to shake it as well.

  Mallory took it, then dropped it just as quickly. The sigil hissed inside her mind.

  What the fuck? she demanded inside her head. She didn't expect an answer, and was shocked when something garbled back at her. Is this fucking thing trying to talk to me now??

  She imagined walls around the sigil in her mind, trying to shove it into a box like Everett's magic. Hot anger bubbled up inside her mind as she mentally saw long, thin claws scraping over a brick wall.

  "Mallory? Mal, you okay?" Paul asked. From his tone, she didn't think it was the first time he'd asked.

  "Yeah, sorry. Just spaced out for a second there, trying to remember where we've met," she replied with a forced smile. Paul didn't buy it, but he didn't say anything else. "It had to have been at a club, not a bar. I was too young to get into any bars back then."

  Luca snapped his fingers, then pointed at her. "That's right, you were just a kid! You look so grown-up now that I forgot. You guys all want to come in?"

  "Ha ha, thanks," she replied. "I guess three years can really change someone. Like Paul said, this is my boyfriend Nico, Matt, Alec, Damon and Everett." They followed him into the house. It was beautiful, much nicer than any other house she'd ever been in. Way too nice to be put out in the middle of nowhere.

  "Wow, you have a really nice house," Mallory said. "The marble floors are beautiful, and I love the double staircase. That chandelier over the foyer is fantastic."

  "Thanks. My mom picked everything out."

  "She lives here too, then?" Mallory asked, pumping him for information. If his parents live here too, then they might be the ones the guards and alarm are installed for.

  "Nah, it's just me. They moved up north a few years ago, but I didn't want to go. I love this place, and it's close to my old friends, you know? Plus, who would want to start over when I've already got all of this?"

  "It's a nice place, for sure. Lots of land around too, so you can get away with whatever you want," Alec agreed.

  "Bet you can throw some amazing parties out here, huh?" Matt chimed in.

  "Absolutely, but I don't do it that often anymore," Luca replied as he pulled several bottles of water from the fridge. "My party days are pretty much over. I hate it when I invite people over and something gets broken, or goes missing. It's more hassle than it's worth."

  Oh, shit, the shade on this one. We've barely been here five minutes, and he's already calling Paul out. I wonder why he agreed to see us?

  "That's the worst," Alec agreed. Paul didn't say anything. "Some people can't help breaking shit though. Like Bunny here, who runs into pretty much everything. She's clumsy."

  "Bunny?" Luca lifted an eyebrow.

  "Me. It's a bizarre inside thing. You don't want to know," Mal said.

  "If you say so. How long are you staying in town, Mallory?" Luca asked.

  "Just until tomorrow. We have to get back in time for class on Monday, so it's a short trip. I'm glad you agreed to let us come see your place on such short notice."

  "No problem." Luca's eyes slid to Paul as though to say it was very much a problem, but he was too curious about them to say no. "Why come all the way here from Winn if you're going back to Helston soon? I know it's a long drive. Paul was pretty vague on the phone."

  What do I say? "I, um, I'm writing a paper on runes for one of my classes. Runes class, actually." I'm such an idiot. "And we were talking about different things they're used for, and he told me that you showed him a little fake rock that had runes on it a long time ago. He said you sold it or something, but I was wondering if you could tell me where you got it? Those are supposed to be pretty rare, but I'd love to take a replica like that to class."

  "A replica. Huh. Paul said I sold it, huh?" Luca mused. "That's not really what happened, but sure, let's go with that. Nevertheless, I don't have it anymore, and I got it through a friend of a friend. We lost touch a long time ago."

  A wave of loathing, and denial, radiated out from the sigil in Mallory's pocket. She had to stop herself from reaching for it or telling it to shut up.

  "Oh. Okay. Can you tell me about it, at least?" she asked. Paul's annoyance hit her from the side.

  "Actually, I think your brother would be a better person to ask. He's the one that stole it, after all."

  Paul stiffened. "Are you kidding me? I told you that wasn't me."

  "And yet, you were the only one who could have, and now your sister is here with it in her pocket. How did that happen, if you didn't do it?"

  It was Mal's turn to sit up a little straighter. Her five didn't react, but the sigil did.

  Kill himmm. For meee.

  What the fuck? Mallory tried to refocus on the conversation instead of the bizarre voice in her mind. "What's in my pocket?"

  "My magic leystone. Your brother here isn't the only one with secrets." With those damning words, Luca pulled a pistol out from beneath him and pointed it right at her. "And you're going to give it back now. Or else."

  Chapter 25

  She was gone in the blink of an eye. Vanished. Luca searched, but he couldn't find her. He did, however, find five more guns pointed back at him.

  "Those belong to my guards. You came into my home and assaulted my staff? I'll have you thrown in jail for that." He said it mildly, without any venom. Like he was just discussing the weather. "Are they still alive, or did you kill them?"

  "Where the hell did you guys get those? What guards?" Paul demanded. "What the fuck are you thinking, Luca, pulling a gun on my sister like that?"

  "That you're lucky I didn't shoot you three years ago."

  The lack of emotion in his voice was chilling. Mallory stayed hidden behind the couch, trusting the guys to keep her safe.

  Save the rest. I'll let you live. The voice was clearer this time. Mallory gathered a little magic and sent an inquiring pulse into the sigil. Or leystone, whatever that meant. Its occupant devoured the magic, ravenous for more.

  "You can't kill me from in there," Mal whispered to it. "So shut up."

  Not here forever. Save the rest. Let me out. Live. Or die.

  "We're leaving," Nico said. "Your guards assaulted us first, and we defended ourselves. Not that it matters, because you're going to jail for pulling a weapon on a Defense Department officer unless you hand that thing over now."

  "The Defense Department," Luca scoffed. "Captain Fitzam and my father play golf together once a month. What do you think is going to happen to me once he hears about this?"

  Eat him. Problem gone.

  Mallory couldn't disagree. "What others?" she whispered.

  Others. Like me. Go down.

  Down? Let me guess, to another basement. Not without the guys. She sped out from behind the couch and stopped behind Luca, her own gun out. She pressed it to the base of his skull and he froze.

  "It doesn't matter what they think about you trying to shoot me. I want to know what's in your basement."

  * * *

  It took some convincing, and then some more, but Mallory finally got the key to the basement from Luca. He was, of course, tied to a chair, and possibly bleeding before he agreed to give it up, but that was neither here nor there.

/>   Surprisingly, the mere mention of whatever, or whoever, was inside the leystone talking to her was enough to make him pale and hand over the keys. Apparently, he knew it wasn't empty, but didn't know it could speak.

  "That's impossible," he'd babbled. "It can’t talk, it’s an animal. What did you do?"

  Lies. "Yeah, well, she says you're lying. And that she wants to eat your face. Sooo..." Mal trailed off with a shrug. "Ball's in your court. You gonna give us the key, or what?"

  "She?" His eyes glittered. "It's female?"

  "Oh, you're into monster vaginas, then?" Mallory rolled her eyes. "Honestly, it's not that surprising, judging from that outfit. I'm pretty sure this one would start chewing from your toes up, just so she gets to hear you scream longer. She's really not happy with you."

  The sigil didn't disagree. Alec and Damon stayed with Luca while Paul, Matt, Everett and Nico went down to the basement. Everett was in the lead, and Paul lagged a little behind.

  "Did you guys really beat up a bunch of guards in the woods?" Paul whispered nervously. "I'm not sure I like your boyfriends if they're getting you into this kind of trouble."

  "Luca is your friend, Paul. Technically, you got us into this. And you started it by stealing this thing from him three years ago. It's not my fault that it suddenly woke up and started talking to me," she hissed. "Did you know there's something alive inside it?"

  "Alive? What the hell?" Paul stared at her in disbelief.

  "Talking to you? With actual words?" Everett demanded as he overheard her. "What did it say, and why do you think it's female?"

  Mallory held her hand out. It was easier than trying to explain. But doing so did leave the others out, so she sighed and explained. "The alarm in the woods woke the sigil up again. It started talking to me, clearer and clearer the more Luca was around. It hates him, whatever it is. It keeps telling me to save the others and it will let me live."

  "No fucking way. We're having Alec smash that thing the first chance we get," Matt declared.

  “So we’re only going down here because the thing inside the sigil told you to?” Everett demanded. “Did it ever occur to you that this could be a trap?”