Wizard in a Witchy World (23 page)

I dialed Dukats. The phone rang quite a long time before she picked up.

"This better be good, Slade. It's late."

"You knew about Flaeger and you didn't think to call me?" I asked.

"Don't need you playing vigilante again," she said.

"Is that what you think? That I'm out chasing Flaeger? No. I'm going to a memorial service for Victoria and Benita Barrios, where his kidnapping victim, Clarita Barrios, is going to be. Flaeger could be coming here," I said.

"It's ten thirty. Isn't that unusually late for a memorial service? Where are you?" Dukats asked.

"Botanic Gardens. And, it's an unusual group of people."

"How long is the service? I'll send a cruiser."

"Probably wind down around two a.m. You need to be discreet, this crowd is expecting a private service."

"I get it, Slade. You can't be on the force in Leotown without understanding we have a religiously diverse crowd. The officers won't crash your party."

Religiously diverse. That was about as politically correct as anything I'd heard.

"Thank you, Dukats."

"Just leave Flaeger to us. You copy?"

"He's all yours. If I never see him again, it'll be too soon," I said and hung up.

I suddenly felt exposed on the darkened street and quickened my pace. I knew I was responding to the moment, but I still felt like there were eyes on me.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Willow said as I approached the Katty's catering truck where she and the younger Kattys were unloading. Like her daughter, Cypress, she was dressed in a simple, lacy green dress.

"Is Gabriella here? I need to find her," I said.

"What is it, Felix?" Willow asked.

"Shaggy, the werewolf, has escaped from jail," I said. "I think Clarita and Gabriella could be in danger."

"Girls, finish up here and get inside," she instructed. "Do not worry, Felix. We've woven a spell of serenity and safety and we'll strengthen it with a hundred strong. No lycan will pass onto our hallowed ground tonight. Besides, they are at their weakest at the new moon."

"Gabriella?" I asked.

"Yes, of course. She and Clarita are making final arrangements in the courtyard."

Wordlessly, I ran off. I had to find them and make sure they were safe. Any other night, I would have loved navigating my way through the carefully planned paths and well-tended plants. Tonight, I cursed the lack of a straight route. I doubled back and forth along the sloped terraces, thick with full hedges.

In the end, I resorted to clambering down over the final rows, inadvertently tipping over a beautiful potted planter. I winced as I recognized what it contained: one of Willow's Solanaceae, or nightshade. It had been full of gorgeous and delicate deep purple flowers. I managed to save the pot but shredded much of the foliage.

"Felix. Stop! What are you doing? This ground is consecrated," Gabriella had turned, hearing my steps. A look of horror crossed her face at my clumsy approach.

She wasn't holding Clarita, nor could I find the six-year old anywhere as I rushed up. "Clarita. Where is she? There's danger," I said. It was all I could manage. The thought of either of them coming to harm again, was more than I could bear.

I felt Mari's presence before I saw her. A blanket of calm settled around me and I turned to see her, Clarita in her arms. "We're here, Felix. Everyone is safe."

Clarita lifted her arms, slipped from Mari's gasp and ran to me, scrabbling up into my arms. "Little monkey, you're so pretty tonight." My world seemed to fall back into whatever gear I'd slipped out of and I was once again able to breathe.

"What's this about?" Gabriella asked. She was broadcasting her annoyance at my entrance.

"Flaeger escaped." I was hoping Clarita wouldn't recognize his name.

"We're safe here tonight," Mari said, placing her hand on my shoulder. She wasn't as curvy as her sister Willow, but she was beautiful in her lacey, green gown. Mari probably wouldn’t win any traditional beauty contests, but she had a depth of presence found only in strong women, those who didn't look to others to establish their self-worth. Through her touch, I felt her connection with the ground beneath us and caught a glimpse of the protections woven by the Katty women.

"
Altum Visu
," I said, waving my hand across my face. I turned slowly and took in the green-hued spell they'd cast. At its center, Mari stood, a beacon of bright green. Her family stood out at their various positions around the garden like lighthouses on a foggy night. I gasped at the breadth of their spell, it was spectacular. "
Finis
."

"I talked with Lieutenant Dukats," I turned back to Gabriella. "She'll park a cruiser out front."

"We'll be okay, Felix," Gabriella said. She was still annoyed, but at least projecting it less.

"You look beautiful tonight." It was the only thing I could think to say and it was also very true. She was wearing a dark plum-colored gown with a deep red drape. She'd always dressed nicely, but this was an entirely new level. I smiled grimly. I was definitely not in this woman's league.

"Thank you. You look nice as well," she said and turned away.

"Want to help me with Willow's pretty plant, monkey? I don't need the boss upset with me." Clarita nodded and we set the tall vase-like pot back upright, scooping dirt back in with our hands. "Do not touch the leaves or the plant." I gently pulled her hand back as she reached for one of the remaining flowers. "Until you learn to protect your skin, moonshade can hurt you. Would you like to help me make it bloom again?" I grasped her hand and used my free hand to direct a small amount of energy. "When I knocked this beautiful plant over, I detached small tendrils of its roots holding it to the earth. We must repair those first, otherwise we'll stress it by asking for flowers. We worked with the plant and I purposely kept the energy transfer low. Clarita had an amazing reservoir, but this was a simple task and I wanted her to feel our connection to nature for as long as was practical.

"That's amazing!" Cypress and Dande must have been watching for some time. They were standing stock still, holding hands and watching us.

"Thank you. I couldn't afford Willow's wrath," I said. "What's really amazing is the spell you Katty's wrapped these gardens with. I've never seen anything of that scope before."

"You can see it?" Dande asked.

"He's a wizard, Dee," Cypress said as if that explained everything. "Mom said we need to respect Felix's space, but she said he's good in the greenhouse."

"Oooooohhhhh," Dande said and I got the distinct impression we weren't talking about gardening anymore.

"Felix Slade. I wasn't expecting to see you here tonight." I turned to see Camille, the leader of Illuminaire, accompanied by Amak. Camille was dressed in a simple dark brown gown. Her long blonde hair flowed freely down her back. Amak, on the other hand, was dressed in leggings and a loose smock.

I'd forgotten Camille's last name and kept it simple. "Good to see you again, Camille. I appreciate your help with Lieutenant Dukats. Your honesty saved me some jail time."

"Illuminaire holds the truth in high esteem and you were not guilty. Word is, you've claimed Tenebris Manerium," she said. Four foot ten inches and no more than eighty-five pounds. A casual observer would not have found the barefooted Camille physically impressive. Any time spent in her presence, however, quickly dispelled that misunderstanding. It wasn't hard to understand why she led the most powerful coven in Leotown.

"I've learned it's my family's home," I said.

"When Liise asked your lineage, you were unwilling to share that information. Why now?"

I looked to Amak and back to Camille. "You have been spying on me, Camille. You already have this information."

"I've heard rumors, but I'd hardly call it spying." She wasn't lying and it startled me. I'd always assumed she and Liise Straightrod had been compelling Amak together.

I wanted to get into the conversation more deeply, but a stream of women began filing into the gardens. All ages and sizes, the woman mingled, chatting amiably, holding hands and even dancing. I smiled as I remembered how much I enjoyed the free spirited dance of a new moon. We would celebrate new life tonight, just as we would commit the memories of the deceased back to the earth. I'd have to find a better time to confront her about Amak's treatment.

Clarita chose that moment to climb back into my arms.

"Clarita? You're related? That must mean… Baltazoss." Camille took an unintentional step back as she read our auras. "I should have seen it before. Felix, you must take great care. This is not the place, but I fear you are in danger."

Something I should have expected, if I’d had any time to think about it, was how central Clarita was destined to be at this gathering. Whatever hesitancy the women had in approaching me was quickly overcome by their desire to see the child who had been rescued from danger. Clarita was an irresistible magnet for the horde of witches streaming into the gardens and we quickly became the head of an impromptu receiving line. I didn't mind, though. I'd grown up with witches very much like these ladies. They were mothers, teachers, lawyers, accountants, and small business owners - but that was how the world saw them. I saw them as caretakers of the world around them. No doubt when strength was required, they had plenty of that and more, but the common thread was their capacity for love and acceptance.

After thirty minutes of hugs and introductions, Gabriella approached. The divide between us was on simmer as she, too, was caught up in the spirit of the new moon celebration. "Mari and Belle would like Clarita to move to the center of the garden. We’re about to start our ritual."

My heart skipped a beat. I knew better than to stand at the center of a witch's circle. I'd nearly killed two members of Judy's coven in North Carolina when I'd tried to join with them. I wasn't about to repeat the same mistake with the power of a hundred witches floating around. "Monkey. You need to go with Gabriella. I can't be part of this."

"It's okay, Felix. You can stand with her. We will be casting blessings and re-establishing our bonds with our mother, the Earth. No one will harm you." Gabriella projected calm and reassurance, but the idea was a non-starter. Under no circumstances would I stand at the center of that circle.

Whether she was just tired of hanging onto me or she felt my resolve, Clarita allowed me to put her down. "No. I'm not one of you and I cannot be in the circle. I know you're angry with me, but you need to understand that I would endanger everyone here if I did."

"Fine. I'll be happy to take Clarita." Her words were clipped. "And for the record, I'm only angry because you made me rethink how we're treating Amak, and then, I find out you're taking advantage of her when she's compelled." Gabriella spun on her heel and strode purposefully away.

My mind reeled as I tried to figure out what she was talking about. I'd cut off my physical relationship with Amak specifically because she was being compelled to be with me. I’d refused to settle for sex when Amak made it clear she wasn’t interested in a future with me. I replayed the last conversation I’d had with Gabriella as I'd done so many times since we'd argued. I realized I'd admitted to learning that Amak was compelled, but I hadn't told Gabriella that I'd ended the intimacy. I raised my hand to stop Gabriella, but she was already ten feet away and my time had passed.

"You've the look of a man lost at sea." Amak threw an arm around my shoulders in a friendly gesture. “I saw food and alcohol on the tables above. If history is any judge, they'll be at this for hours and I know from experience it doesn't get any weirder for us if we're drinking."

From the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of red and turned to see David Phibbly in the crowd. He looked different than he had at work, now wearing what looked like a black priest's cassock. It was spectacularly non-creative for a witch. I had no experience with male witches, but he didn't seem to share the almost obsessively creative nature of his female counterparts. He'd been looking at me, but abruptly turned away as I caught his eye.

Amak and I wound our way through the crowd in search of alcohol. It became apparent that I wasn’t going to get my wish. The night was not cold enough and my comfort level was evaporating as quickly as the clothing. I'd seen plenty of naked women at these celebrations and had come to accept it as their expression of freedom. Judy taught me to see beauty in all things and scolded me when I'd been embarrassed or critical of her naked sisters. Over time, I'd come to expect the display and I'd be a liar if I said I didn't somewhat enjoy it.

"You're doing better than I'd expected," Amak said. We'd taken a path up to where I'd set tables up with the Katty girls. "Is it creepy if I tell you that I can smell that you're turned on?"

I laughed. "Fifty women just took off their clothing. You'd have to question my sanity if I wasn't." I scanned the crowd of dancing witches and found Willow. As expected, she was down to just a lacy skirt and dancing gracefully, her hair flowing behind her as she joined hands with her sisters and nieces. I smiled at the joy of their shared moment.

"Some are pretty old." Amak interrupted my reverie. "I didn't think humans liked that."

"Best we start drinking."

There was no way for me to feel like I wasn't creeping on the women below. Judy had explained to me that it was good and natural to be turned on by the dancers and that I simply needed to mind my manners when I found myself in that situation. That was great in theory, but it was all a bit overwhelming, so I cast my planar view. It was as if someone turned on a very powerful light switch. Unlike most mundanes, each witch had their own aura or energy signature. Some were dim with a minimal display, others burned bright with every color in the spectrum.

My mind jumped to Clarita and Gabriella and I found myself worrying about them again. The protection spell surrounded us all but Camille's warning still soured my stomach. I searched for and easily found Clarita, her familiar brilliant blue hues standing out in a sea of every conceivable combination of colors. Similarly, I was able to find Gabriella just as easily, a deep rose colored pillar standing next to Clarita.

"Here, start drinking. They're safe for now. Someone would have to be crazy to attack a group of this size, especially on a new moon." Amak shoved a bottle in my hand.

I set the bottle on a nearby table, which was tricky due to my wizard's sight, and rolled a forty-pound rock from beside the path so it sat between us. "
Adoloret
." I warmed the rock to several hundred degrees.

"What I wouldn't give to lay a slab of steak across that," Amak said wistfully, draining her beer. I was grateful for the warmth that emitted from the rock as I rocked my chair back, balancing against the edge of the table.

"A wizard has to add some value to the party," I said.

We sat in amiable silence as the witches continued with their rituals. I suppose I should have paid attention to the goings on, but I was just as happy to sit next to Amak and nurse a beer. Finally, well after midnight, the witches filtered their way up to the overlook where the tables were absolutely littered with candles, all igniting without warning as the first groups approached.

"Finally! Time for the feast. Catch you tomorrow?" Amak stood.

"Afternoon would be best."

She nodded and made her way over to Camille. I'd dropped my planar view some time back and now I didn’t need it. The crescendo of their rituals had occurred right around midnight and as they'd finished, clothing had been restored. I warmed my rock up again, but kept the temperature in a safer range. It wouldn't do to burn an unwary reveler.

I was caught off guard when Clarita jumped me from behind, grabbing onto my neck. "Hey, monkey," I said. "I didn't know you were such a pretty dancer." I'd found it a positive sign that she had joined with Gabriella in a muted dance. It was something I would not be able to share with her.

"You might as well broadcast your lineage, Slade." Phibbly growled as he walked past. Arrogance rolled off the man in waves. As his cassock lifted in a light breeze, I caught a bright flash of red, as if he wore two sets of robes. Something was amiss. I wasn't sure what, but I could feel it. The night was far from over.

I found it difficult to relax as the tables filled with happy witches carrying plates loaded with potluck food and glasses filled with wine. I stood and carried Clarita over to the outside edge of the overlook, where a gravel path went up to an exit. I wasn't leaving, but the precaution made sense to me.

"Are you hungry? When the line settles, we could get something to eat," I said.

Clarita didn't respond. She still wasn't talking and lived very much inside her own world. I could hardly blame her. I hoped that getting past the memorial and all of the attention would eventually allow her to start to heal.

"Witches of Leotown." An amplified voice quieted the excited chatter of the crowd.

I took a step up the path. I wasn't messing around. If crap was coming, I was getting out of here with Clarita. The girl had lived through more than any child, or adult for that matter, should ever have to.

"Where are you going, Slade?" Phibbly had found me again and stood several feet above us on the path.

"Back off, Phibbly."

He held his hands up defensively.

"Witches of Leotown. If I may have your attention for a moment," The voice called again and I located the speaker. It was Felicia Terpsa, the fifty-something leader of the now defunct Whyte Wood coven. She stood on a stepstool, a conch-shell held next to her mouth. Camille stood with a small group of older witches, Amak at her side. She watched Felicia, her normally placid expression replaced with concern. "Tonight, on this new moon, I have an announcement to share with you.

She waited for the witches to quiet. "As you know, my coven was brutally attacked, my dear sisters murdered, and our very way of life threatened by unknown forces. You must also know that, as a result, Whyte Wood's numbers have fallen so much so that we are no longer a viable coven.

A murmur of concern undulated through the crowd. "These attacks have brought to the forefront just how vulnerable we are to the forces of evil. Even as I speak, there are demons in our midst. While her heart is in the right place, Camille has allowed Senwe royalty to walk amongst us, a troll princess privy to our inner most workings and sacred rituals.

It wasn't hard to see where this was going. The good humor of the crowd started to turn a bad corner. Felicia was hitting a cord. "And tonight, the whelp of the Sorcerer Baltazoss is allowed to walk freely among us. This cannot be overlooked. Our very survival is at stake."

"Sit down, Felicia. We made peace with Baltazoss and Senwe both. And you have no standing here," Camille said. A wave power rolled over the crowd as she spoke.

"But I do, Camille. And I won't be quieted by the likes of you anymore." Felicia continued. "My sisters, it is time to show our true colors."

Dramatically, Felicia untied the dark green robe at her neck and it fell away, revealing a fire-engine red dress beneath. As she did, twenty witches stood and followed suit, stepping away from their friends and families and joining hands as they gathered around Felicia. I wasn't surprised to see Liise Straightrod and David Phibbly among their ranks, although Phibbly didn't move to join Felicia, choosing instead to block my escape route.

"Tonight, on this new moon, as high priestess of Whyte Wood coven, I declare our re-envisioned order. Sisters, there is room for all of you, but know this: we will no longer sit back and cower in the face of adversity. We will embrace our full selves, for we are now The Order of the Left Hand."

"You can't do this!" Gabriella had climbed up on a chair to address Felicia. "You're desecrating Victoria and Benita's memory. You have to stop."

"Sit down, Valverde." Felicia lifted her hand toward Gabriella. I couldn't see the magic, but I knew she'd been attacked as she stumbled backwards, falling into the crowd. "Take us not for fools and test not our mettle. The enemies of the sisterhood will be struck down for the good of all."

Gabriella appeared to be okay. Somehow she felt my eyes and turned to me, mouthing 'get out.' Moments later, the group erupted into madness and I recognized my cue. The train had seriously come off the tracks and I agreed with Gabriella. Clarita didn't need to be in the middle of it.

I turned to run up the path when I felt an arm on my shoulder. "Where are you going?" Phibbly spun me around.

"Get off, Phibbly," I said.

"Sorry, I believe the Left Hand has business to transact with you both," he said.

I grabbed his hand with my own and twisted. An electrical jolt rocked me backward as he fired a Taser into me. I lost control of my limbs and dropped Clarita on the ground as I toppled over. I was dazed and couldn’t move a muscle. All I could do was watch as Phibbly stood over me, a sharp knife gleaming in his hand. I was starting to regain my faculties, but it would be too late. I looked to Clarita and willed her to run, but she'd received the same shock and lay unconscious.

Phibbly grinned manically as he raised the knife. "You're such an idiot, Slade. Thank you for making my job so easy." He swept the blade in a long arc toward my throat, no doubt so I could see my impending demise. Just as the blade was no more than a foot away, his arms went slack and he collapsed on top of me, a baseball-sized rock ricocheting off his head.

I shook my head trying to clear the cobwebs and attempted to roll Phibbly off. I struggled as my limbs regained feeling and strength, finally succeeding. The good news was that once I started to mend, the process rapidly progressed. I hastily looked around, catching Amak's eye. I nodded in acknowledgement and continued to look for threats. Not finding anything immediate, I checked Clarita's pulse and breathing. She was unconscious but breathing.

"
Vivi
." It was a new spell I was learning and used a minimal amount of energy. It was painful, but I transferred a small portion of my life's energy into the little girl. Its effect was immediate and she stirred. I scooped her into my arms and stumbled up the path, every stride both painful and stronger than the last. By the time I made it to the service entrance, I was moving at full speed.