Playing with Magic (Elemental Trilogy Book 2) (6 page)

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen fresh ones,” Stefan said, trembling.

Aarawn turned, and Autumn read the sign they passed. “Whiskeytown. Hey we’re close to Shasta, aren’t we?”

“Somewhat,” Mabon said.

Finally, after another hour of driving, they entered Trinity National Forest. Aarawn pulled over. Davies got out of his car. He had been following behind them. A fascinating techno rock beat blasted from his radio, making Anatha cock an eyebrow at him and his tastes.

“So what?” he asked, looking around.

“We wait,” Aarawn said.

“Thank you,” Autumn said, walking around. It was colder up here than in the valley. She turned. “Does it snow around here?”

“Yep,” Mabon said.

Davies let out a gasp as a giant snake slithered toward them. “Angel!” Anatha cried, running to her pet.

“Long time no see. I was afraid something bad had happened to you,” he said.

“You said you would be gone for a while … but nine months?”

“I had business.”

“Hello, dragon,” Adair said, casually walking past the snake.

“Hound food,” Angel hissed.

“Who told you?” Adair crossed his monkey arms across his furry chest.

The snake gave him a knowing smile. “I have my ways.”

“I hate you!”

“I know.”

“You two lovers be good. So where is everyone?” Mabon asked Angel.

“Pyrus is coming,” Angel said, wrapping around Anatha’s legs.

“Wait, how do you know
our
familiars? Anatha asked.

“We talked to them around the same time they came to you that summer.”

Autumn and Anatha exchanged looks. “Did you get your familiars then too?”

“No. We got them years ago when we were awakened. You two were fully awakened that summer night.”

Autumn thought about that hot summer. People’s eyes on her when they started the circle with Hazel. But then something took them over; perhaps their magic? She had so many questions. Then something came to her.

“You were out there that night!”

Mabon nodded. “I knew they saw us.”

“Who wouldn’t notice non-infected people just standing out there?” Stefan nervously itched at his skin.

“Damn. So no vampires,” Anatha said and sighed.

“There are vampires, but they aren’t what they show on TV and in movies,” Mabon said.

Autumn sat, scratching Adair. “Neat monkey. I have a bird,” Davies said. “It can’t talk though. You guys have the only familiars who actually speak.”

She heard a noise to her left and peeked over her shoulder. At first she thought she saw a twig, but then it moved. Her eyes grew wide as a giant spider came out of the bush. She jumped to her feet, heart racing, and dropped Adair to the ground. The spider came out into the clearing. She looked around and saw no one else had noticed it. She walked backwards, and it started moving. She ran and jumped in the van, slamming the door.

She watched Aarawn bend down and touch the spider’s head. Her mouth was dry, and she shook in fear. Mabon came over and knocked on the window. “Open up,” she heard him say. She shook her head fiercely. He made a motion for her to roll the window down. Again, she shook her head. He pulled her door open, and she vanished into the back of the van.

He climbed in, followed by Adair. “What’s up?”

“Giant spider,” she said as if it explained everything.

“Bane is Aarawn’s familiar.”

“You’re joking, right?” she asked, her voice quivering.

He shook his head. “No.”

Adair laid his head on her lap, and she reached down, stroking him, not paying attention. “She’s afraid of spiders,” he said.

“Afraid?”

“As in phobic,” Autumn said.

Pyrus popped her frizzy head inside the van. “Move over, and make room for the others. We got to get to Fontane before the wards are closed for the night.” She looked at autumn with her pale skin and wide eyes. “What’s wrong, dear? It looks like you saw a ghost.”

“She has arachnophobia,” Mabon replied.

Pyrus looked at Aarawn.  She leaned out. “Can you and Bane travel with Davies?”

“Sure,” he said, walking behind the van.

Thirty minutes later they drove by some people working near the road. “Ward keepers,” she told them as she honked. “Nothing bad gets in with all the juice they supply.” She drove into the small town.

“Welcome to Fontane; safe haven for all those who believe and practice real magic.”

“Why do witches need a place like this?” Stefan asked beside autumn. They were both looking through the front window, hoping to see something mystical.

“We have very special people here. Their abilities have to be protected against those who would want to use them against others.”

“Bad people.” Stefan elbowed autumn.

She nodded. “Always the bad people. But what if it was a good person wanting to use the person?”

Pyrus shrugged. “We let no one use our people.” She pulled in front of a bed and breakfast.

“Oh, how pretty,” Autumn said in awe. The old Victorian house was at least three stories tall and had ivy covering the walls. They all got out, and Pyrus led them in. Autumn paused, looking at the grass. “It’s chamomile!”

“And over there is the door, and then probably stairs, and then hopefully a room with a nice comfy bed,” Stefan said, grabbing her arm.

She stuck her tongue out at him but let him pull her inside. “There is enough room for everyone to have their own room. We don’t get many visitors, so the place is usually empty,” Pyrus said, walking behind the desk and pulling down keys from the wall.

“Except us,” Aarawn said. Autumn looked around, quickly sidestepping so she hid behind Stefan and Mabon. “He’s outside.”

“You live here?” Autumn asked.

“Pyrus kept us close,” he said sadly. “Even when we thought we were orphans, she was being somewhat motherly.”

A five foot five woman walked in. Her black hair almost touched the ground. She wore a tank top and a pair of carpenter jeans. “Pyrus, you’re back so early?” she asked, her voice thick with an Indian accent. Her black eyes looked around at the newcomers and stopped on Autumn. “An Earth witch. You positively glow green!”

Autumn looked down at herself. “Really?”

She closed her mouth, giving her an awkward smile. “I see auras better than most.”

“That’s cool,” she said, giving her a big smile.

“This is Shantaina. She runs the bed and breakfast. Autumn, you get room twelve,” Pyrus said.

“Cool,” Mabon said. “You’re by me, and you get the best view in the house.”

“Anatha, room eight. Stefan, room ten.  Davies, you get room five.”

“Shantaina, is dinner almost done?” Aarawn asked.

Shantaina was staring at Stefan. She felt the hound, but he was different. There was something … almost like the four Elements. He had untapped power, and a lot of it. She couldn’t see it, so she dug deeper. The binding spell vibrated in Mabon’s pocket.

“Shantaina, stop!” Mabon shouted, making her pull out of Stefan’s brain.

“Sorry,” she said. “What were you asking, Pyrus?”

“I wasn’t, but Aarawn asked about dinner.”

“Oh, it’s almost done.” She walked back from where she came.

“Can I file that as invasion of privacy?” Stefan asked.

“Sexual abuse,” Mabon said, and all four guys laughed about it.  Autumn, Anatha, and Pyrus shook their heads.

****

“Dinner is almost done,” Envy said.

“Can’t you shut that kid up?” River shouted over the baby crying.

“Shauna is teething. I can’t do anything about it,” Drake said, rocking his crying infant.

River looked over at Rowan. “What are you smiling about?”

“Just you and Autumn are the same around them. May I?” He held out his arms.

“Be my guest,” Drake said, handing him the baby.

He put his finger in the baby’s mouth. “Goo,” she mumbled, biting on his finger.

“I have a pacifier for that,” Envy said.

There was scratching at the door. Linden went over and peeked out. “Well look at that. It’s an infected,” he said.

“Autumn was right,” Ivy Lee said.

“She usually is,” River agreed.

“Yeah,” Rowan said, nodding.

“How fresh does it look?” River asked.

Linden looked it over. “Looks desperate.”

River came and looked at the long-passed infected. Its dead skin hung off its bones. It was missing ears, and hair, but its eyes stared at them with creepy need. “She’s not here,” he said in a whisper. “They’re not here. It feels weird not having them with us.” Everyone went silent.

****

Autumn rolled onto her side. It felt strange sleeping on a bed without Rowan and River. She moved onto her other side, and then back onto her back. Nothing felt right. Her stomach made a gurgling sound.

Finally hungry
, she thought. Maybe she could find something to eat. She got out of bed and slid her feet into her slippers.

****

“Can’t sleep?” Rowan whispered to River as they lay in bed.

“No. You?”

Rowan shook his head. “It’s just not the same without her,” he said into the darkness.

“I agree.”

“If you guys are getting gross, please do it outside,” Linden said in the dark.

“I’ll show you gross,” Rowan mumbled.

“Oh, Linden, be quiet before someone steps on you,” Jaime whispered, making everyone laugh.

Chapter 7

“What can we do?” Autumn asked.

“Nothing for now.” She turned and walked into the room Stefan occupied. Autumn cringed, hearing the ear splitting howl.

“The beast is breaking the binding spell,” Shantaina said.

Autumn was hit with nausea as Anatha ran into the hall. Autumn ran for the bathroom as Anatha’s gaze followed her until she disappeared. “What’s wrong with her?”

Shantaina shrugged. “She must be sick.”

Mabon came out from the back where Autumn had run. He went to the phone. “Thora, I need you to schedule an appointment with Finlay for my sister.” He listened. “Soon would be nice.” Anatha smiled as she heard screaming over the phone. Mabon pulled the phone away from his ear. He put the receiver back to his ear when the screaming had stopped. “Thank you.” He hung up.

“The doctor’s secretary doesn’t like many people,” Shantaina told Anatha.

“Aren’t secretaries supposed to be nice?”

Mabon shook his head. “When you are in charge of the crisis office, nice is the last thing you want to deal with.” He noticed the puzzled look on her face and remembered she didn’t know what he was talking about. “See, people go to the doctor with all kinds of problems. Around here, its magical mishaps, and sometimes Thora has to put out magic fires.”

“Fires, curses, three folds … she’s had to deal with it all and has been put in a position not many people would deal with,” Shantaina said, shrugging. “Not me, anyway.”

“Autumn is sick,” Angel hissed to Adair as he came in carrying Relynn, Mabon’s familiar. The silver kitten purred loudly as Adair loved on it. It eyed the snake suspiciously as they walked by.

“You think I wouldn’t notice what’s wrong with my human,” he said coldly.

“What’s wrong with you, monkey?” Angel hissed.

“Bane keeps picking on Relynn. You two make a great couple: Him, a giant spider that speaks Pig Latin, and you, thinking you’re a dragon.”

Angel coiled up. “Well, it looks like you and the kitten have something in common. It has no powers and will always be an immature kitten, and you are a brainiac, afraid of heights.”

“It’s not my fault I’m afraid of heights!”

Autumn came into the room. She looked around, her face pale. “I think I’m going to lie down,” she told everyone.

“It might be a good idea,” Shantaina said. “Nothing too important is happening down here anyway.”

Autumn gave them all a fake smile and walked to the stairs. She made it up and fought to open her door. The knob liked to fight and bite, so she had to grab it in the right spot. “Stupid lock curse,” Autumn mumbled.

She went to the bay window. She pulled the curtains closed, darkening the room. “All I need is some sleep,” she said to herself. She plopped down on the bed and curled up. She hated being sick. She slipped into a dreamless fitful sleep. Adair peeked in on her. He knew something was wrong, but he saw nothing different in her aura.

****

“Two god-awful days on the road, and we still haven’t seen anything!” Linden complained.

Envy and Ivy Lee were in the back of the Winnebago trying to get their babies to be quiet. Rowan was driving, which kept his mind occupied. River sat next to him. He rolled down the window and stuck his head out. “And where did this heat come from?”

“Nag-nag-nag!” Jaime called from the back.

River turned as much as his seatbelt would allow.  “Screw you!”

“Testy,” Drake said, walking to the front. “Everyone calm down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Linden shouted.

Rowan looked out at the dirt and cacti. “Where on Earth are we?” he asked, interrupting the loud argument.

River looked out the window, shrugging.

“Texas, I think,” Drake said, after a while of silence.

“If I had the map up here we wouldn’t have to worry about that,” River said coldly.

As the sun began to go down, Rowan saw lights in the distance. “Hey, look,” he pointed. “I think there might be people.”

“Wasn’t Texas the first place hit with the zombies?” Ivy Lee asked.

“Yeah,” Envy said. “I remember when the reporter got attacked when this stuff was just beginning. Cameria was the name, I think.” They passed a sign which read: Cameria, left, fifty miles.

“I don’t think we want to go to that place,” Rowan said and shivered.

“So we go straight to Gower?” Envy asked.

“I need a good bed to sleep in,” Linden said, complaining from the back. “Some normal food too.”

“We have food,” Envy said.

There was a loud smack. “Jaime, please stop taking your aggression out on Linden,” Ivy Lee said. “He looks weird with all those red marks.”

“Tell him to stop being a pest.”

“Really, guys, do we need to pull over?” Rowan said.

“Yes!” Envy said. “I have to pee!”

“You just peed,” Drake said.

“Well, I have to do it again.”

“I don’t think we should stop here,” Rowan said, slowing down, looking at the signs along the road.

“What the hell,” River said.

The others crowed up to see. “I don’t have to pee that bad.”

Outside, there were dead bodies hung with signs: Guilty, Not Worthy, Too Easy, Too Slow…

****

Screaming woke Autumn. Feeling better, she ran down the stairs. A short balding man stood by the entrance table screaming and crying as Shantaina wrapped his hand in a bandage. His glasses were perched on the tip of his nose, and his eyes never left the door.

“What happened?” Autumn asked, walking inside the room.

Mabon and Aarawn exchanged an amused look. “He didn’t believe us,” Mabon said, and they both started chuckling.

“Stop laughing at me!” the bald guy shouted in a high-pitched voice.

Autumn shook her head and walked over to Shantaina, looking at the wounded hand. “What happened?”

“I’ll tell you what happened,” the man said, but it ended in a coughing fit. He plunged his hand into his pocket and brought out his inhaler. He shoved it in his mouth and pushed down, activating the mist. He took two hits and put it back in his pocket. “Your creepy friend in the room bit me!”

“Calm down, Dack,” Shantaina said, finishing the bandage.

“I’m telling the elders,” he said, holding his hand to his chest. “Endangering people like this is unethical in our town. You know that, and they know it!” He pointed to Mabon and Aarawn. “But like they listen to rules. Who cares if they are embodied elements?” He turned around, facing the guys. “I can’t wait until you guys are done with your little mission,” he said, starting to laugh like a madman. “Then I’ll never have to see your ugly mean faces again.”

“Dack! No More!” Pyrus shouted at the door and started walking towards him.

He saw that the guys were finally quiet as he sneered at them with his red eyes. “She hasn’t told you yet?” He started laughing as he went to the door. He grabbed the doorknob and laughed harder. “Oh, boy. I love knowing something the element boys don’t. And I’m still telling the elders.” He ran off, an evil smile curling his lips.

Autumn stood, looking out at the door. “Pyrus, what was he talking about?”

She shook her head. “Now is not the time.”

A loud scream broke the silence as it ended with a howl. “Autumn!” Stefan cried out from the other room.

She turned, going to the room. Anatha sat next to him. She looked up at Autumn as she walked in. “He’s getting worse,” she said in a worried voice that matched the look in her eyes.

Stefan’s hands and feet were tied to the old-fashioned bedposts. He pulled and twisted, but he wasn’t getting out of the bonds. “Let me out, please,” he said in his normal voice; his face looked peaceful.

Autumn went over to the bed, sitting beside him. “I can’t do that.”

His face screwed into a frown. “Hungry!” His voice said, dropping. “I’m so hungry!” He looked at her with crimson eyes. “Hungry!” He licked his lips.

The doorbell sounded. “Hopefully it’s not that weird little bald guy again,” Anatha whispered. “He really creeped me out. He stared at me as if I was the only woman he had ever seen. He was stripping me down right here, while Stefan was howling and snapping his teeth.”

Autumn grimaced. “That must have been awkward.”

Pyrus came in, followed by a man dressed in black. He looked around the room and took in a deep breath then walked over to Stefan.  Autumn’s eyes grew wide as she noticed he wore a clerical collar. He turned to her, noticing her surprise.

“Don’t look so surprised, my child,” he said.

“I just didn’t think a priest would be here,” she said.

He nodded. “Most have had that misconception. I am a person of religion just like everyone here. I have something to hide as everyone here does. I also believe in my one god, who is represented to you by your male god. Our beliefs are about the same, except I do not believe in a female goddess, although there is Mary. But that is a different story,” he said with a strong southern drawl.

“Father Ian; my granddaughters, Autumn and Anatha,” Pyrus said. Stefan’s howl ended with a scream. “And this is Stefan.”

He went over to the bed and shook his head. “Yes, yes, my dear, Pyrus. Let us get to work. Where is the binding spell?”

Pyrus went to the door, calling for Mabon. He came in, pulling it out of his pocket. Father Ian took it from him and threw it in the fireplace. As soon as the paper was ash, the beast welled up in Stefan, taking him fully over. They watched Stefan’s spine bow with the pressure.

“Stefan!” Autumn’s hand went to her mouth. She wanted to run to her friend, but she knew she couldn’t touch him now. His energy would suck her dry, and she didn’t have River and Rowan to help her. Something inside her turned, making her stomach knot up. The illness came back, but she would not run from the room. She had to be strong for her friend. Stefan being possessed by this demon was partially her fault.

“It is the beast. He is angry and wishes to be out of the confines of that mushy body,” The certainty in Father Ian’s voice made him sound like he, himself, had been possessed. Mabon walked by Autumn, placing his hands on her shoulders. “You want to leave?” She shook her head. He shrugged, going to the door.

“You know you don’t have to be here,” Pyrus said, shouting over the howls.

“I would like to be here for Stefan.”

“After this, when he is better, we will introduce him into the old ways,” Pyrus told her, but Autumn wasn’t really listening. She went over and put Frankincense in the oil burner on the dresser. She lit a charcoal and added nettle.

Father Ian dripped holy water on Stefan. “I accost you, damned and most impure spirit, cause of malice! I adjure you in Christ’s name that, in Stefan’s part of the body you are hiding, you declare yourself, that you flee the body which you are occupying and from which we drive you with spiritual whips and invisible torments. I demand that you leave this body which has been cleansed by the Lord. Let it be enough for you that in earlier ages you dominated almost that entire world through your actions. Now once great and powerful, you have become nothing but a vengeful spirit, your arms weakening. Your punishment has been prefigured as of old, and through the power of all the saints, you are tormented, crushed, and sent down to eternal flames.  Depart, depart, Stefan you lurk, and nevermore seek out bodies dedicated to the goodness; let them be forbidden to you forever, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Father Ian repeated it two more times.  As soon as the holy water touched Stefan it evaporated, and the steam lingered above him in a thick mist.

He turned to Pyrus. “Your turn, my dear.”

She bowed her head and lit the black candles around the bed. While Father Ian was doing his little speech, she had burned basil on the charcoal. She grabbed the ashes and started sprinkling it around the bed. Stefan howled, and it sounded pain-stricken.

“Hound of the Hill, return home!” She shouted, and brought out a small package of salt. She tossed a pinch of it at him. “Leave this creature of light and return to you darkness, to your prison, to your master.”

“Send him our regard!” Aarawn shouted from the other room.

A white light opened inside of Stefan. It shot out of his stomach. Pyrus shielded her eyes, and Father Ian held up his cross he wore around his neck.  It was then Autumn noticed the blood stained bandages around his wrists.
Stigmata
, she thought, bringing her attention back to Stefan. The light filled the room and then disappeared as if someone had blown it out like a candle.

Autumn walked to the edge of the basil circle. “You can cross. It was simply for our protection,” Pyrus said. She went over to Stefan. He was breathing hard but fast asleep. His head was covered in sweat, and he looked as if he had just broken a fever, not been possessed by a hell hound. She picked up a dry cloth from the night stand and wiped off his forehead.

Sleep well, Stefan. Someone has to
, she thought.

****

“It is a town with people!” Rowan shouted back to the others.