Wizard in a Witchy World (26 page)

"
Geez, patronize much
?" Solstice asked.

"
It's a good lesson, girls
," Belle answered. "
Men often need reassurance
."

"
Are you kidding? I'm right here
," I said.

"
Indeed you are
," Camille said. "
As are we, Felix. Are you so distracted as not to see you've not hurt us
?"

"
What do we do
?" I asked.

"
This is such a lovely spot. I would very much like to stay here for a while
," Camille said.

"
Are you nuts? The Left Hand is attacking us
."

"
So they are and yet, we are safe. It is an old lesson, Felix. Good will always triumph over evil. Today will be no different. How long do you think they can keep up such an attack? As with all storms, we simply need to wait and they will blow themselves out. They will lose much of their strength at dawn
," Camille answered.

"
What of Maggie
?"

"
She slumbers
," Willow answered. "
The knife hurt her badly, but she will not die
."

With the support of the witches, maintaining the shield became an easy exercise. My mind wandered, wondering what Camille might have done if joining with me hadn't worked.

It wasn't long before the sun's light trickled through the leaves and dawn arrived. As predicted, the storm began losing its power and as it did, witches fell to their knees or stumbled away from the circle.

"
I believe we are safe now. Thank you, Felix
."

Camille dropped Clarita's hand and I released the spell.

"This isn't over," Liise shouted. It was an odd thing to say, since the storm abated completely as she said it. I knew what she meant, but her timing sucked.

"
Rhamno
." I flung a blackberry root from my pocket and cast my rooting spell at her, managing to catch Phibbly at the same moment. I walked toward them, Clarita and Gabriella at my side.

"Do you think we can't simply replay this attack any time we want?" Straightrod asked as I approached. "Your silly spell won't last and there's always tomorrow."

"Your coven has abandoned you," I said as the last of the red-robed witches disappeared around the corner of the house. "And you've killed your own sisters. For what? Greed? Power? You've lost your soul, Straightrod," I looked down at Felicia's dead body.

I laid my hands on the roots that entangled the evil pair and encouraged them to grow. I pushed the roots deeper into the earth and twisted them into two spires around the struggling witches. When I'd finished, they were completely encased, with only their faces visible.

"Hey, mister. Did your dogs run away?" I turned to see Amak carrying a large red wolf over her shoulder. Rose, Amak’s shapely cousin, followed close behind, holding a gray wolf in much the same manner. They were both dressed in tight, stretchy pants and loose tunics. Each carried a long club in addition to the wolves, which they dropped unceremoniously in front of Straightrod and Phibbly.

"Amak!" I hugged her and then Rose.

"Looks like we missed all the fun," she said, looking out at the denuded area behind the house that had been torn up by the witches' powerful spell. The greenhouse's foundation was the only backyard feature remaining, other than dirt. Even the grass had been torn up.

"I'm going to check on Maggie," Gabriella said and walked back to where the Katty sisters were working on my sister.

"Maggie, as in the bird?" Amak asked.

"Long story." I pulled out my phone, dialing Lieutenant Dukats.

"What's going on, Slade? I've been fiedling calls about a freak storm in your neighborhood. A whole bunch of dirt and crap got dumped on the golf course. Owner thinks it's vandals," she said.

"Are those Feds still in town? You know, the ones who were looking for Shag… err Flaeger and Bothleman." I asked.

"I think so. Why? You have a line on the fugitives?"

"It's a long story. Call your Feds and tell 'em that and then let me know what you want me to do." I said.

"Tell me what you know and I'll pass it along." Dukats said.

"You make that call and then I'll tell you whatever you want."

She sighed, but hung up. Less than a minute later, my phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, but answered anyway. "Slade."

"This is Special Agent Dana Anderson with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I just received a call from Lieutenant Dukats. She said you have information on the whereabouts of Brand Flaeger and Jerry Bothelman."

"I do. And, there's one more," I said.

"Tell me where they are and don't approach. They're extremely dangerous."

"How much do you know about these guys?" I asked. "Something's off with them. It's hard to explain over the phone."

"Don't say anything on the phone. What’s your address?" she asked.

"I hope you have a van or something. We've made a mess of things over here," I recited my address.

There was a long pause on the phone. "I see."

At just after eight o'clock that morning a black van trundled into the back yard and two trench-coated people stepped out.

"Mulper and Anderson." The tall, thin man introduced himself. "Where's Flaeger?"

I pointed to the only remaining patch of grass in the backyard.

"I'll get a bag," the smaller female agent, who'd introduced herself to me on the phone as Anderson, replied.

"Make sure to get it all," Mulper instructed.

"I know," she said.

I'd tied up the red and gray lycan after they'd changed back to human form and had been guarding them ever since. Mulper slipped what appeared to be silver-lined leather collars around their necks and cuffed them both.

"What happened here?" he asked, pointing to the root cocoons which held Straightrod and Phibbly.

"Are you sure you want to know? It's pretty far out."

"Start from the beginning," he said. "Reader's Digest version is fine."

I recounted the story, starting with the previous night's memorial, leaving out as many of the details as I could without making the story sound ludicrous.

"You're a Baltazoss, then." It sounded more like a statement than a question.

"That's the rumor," I said.

"As far as we're concerned, you're in the clear. But don't be sharing any of this with outsiders. I'd hate to have to come back," he said as we pulled Phibbly and Straightrod from their prisons. "As for these two, I need to have a chat with them. Maybe you could help Dana bring that body bag back."

I left him with the two witches who immediately started pleading their cases, blaming each other as they did. By the time we'd dragged Shaggy's remains back, they'd quieted and were staring at the ground.

"Special Agent Anderson will stay behind and negotiate with the locals. I'd like you to accompany her, so we can avoid any misunderstandings," Mulper said as he climbed into the van. He'd cuffed the witches, but hadn’t loaded them with Shaggy's remains and the two lycan prisoners.

"You know, one of the werewolves got away."

Mulper had rolled the window down and the smell of wet dog was pouring from his window as he considered what I'd said.

"Isn't that always the case?" He quipped as he pulled away.

"Let me do the talking with Dukats," Anderson said as she pushed Phibbly and Straightrod toward the front of the house.

I wasn't overly surprised to be greeted by two police cruisers and a coroner's van as we crossed the brick courtyard in front of the house. Dukats was already out of the car and waiting impatiently for us.

"You want to tell me what happened?" she asked, looking to Anderson.

"There's a DB in the back. Felicia Therpsa. These two confessed to me already and I believe they're ready to give you a statement," Anderson said. "And I'm going to need a ride back to your station."

"Where are Flaeger and Bothelman?" Dukats asked. "And what happened to this house?" She was looking at the giant round hole in the living room wall, halfway between the front hall and the two-story picture windows.

"Flaeger and Bothelman are in federal custody. As for the house, I've no idea."

Dukats looked like she wanted to strangle Anderson, but didn't push it. She walked over to the cuffed Straightrod and Phibbly. They talked for several minutes and then she loaded them into her cruiser.

"Get what you needed?" Anderson asked.

"I don't buy any of this crap. You feds are covering something up. I've seen it before. Someone got to Straightrod and Phibbly. They just confessed to three murders and the kidnapping of Clarita Barrios," Dukats said angrily.

"Sounds like you have what you need," Anderson said. "I'd think you'd be happy to have them in custody."

Dukats harrumphed and walked away. "This isn't over for me."

"It never is," Anderson said.

***

When I made it back into the house, I found Clarita curled up on the floor with Maggie, the big cat’s heavy, black paw lying protectively over the little girl. I'd read once that surviving stressful situations together formed deep and lasting bonds. Although it could have just been that Maggie in panther form, was both warm and soft.

Willow stood as I walked in. She'd stayed behind to watch over Maggie, but was ready to leave.

"How's your patient?" I asked, looking at my sister. From my perspective, she looked okay.

"She's tender, but appears to be in good shape. I'd rest easier if she'd transform, but she's being stubborn," Willow said.

"Where's Gabriella?"

Willow pointed to the bed I'd set up in the family room while I'd been working on the house. Last I'd seen Gabriella; she’d been stretched out on the couch.

"Why would she move?" I asked. "She was asleep."

Willow turned to leave. "You're a good man, Felix Slade, but you're none too bright where women are concerned."

I looked at her retreating form and wondered what I'd missed, replaying the conversation in my head. Realization dawned and I slid into bed next to Gabriella, pulling off my shirt. Still a bit uncertain, I hedged my bets by turning my back to her and staying on my side of the mattress. I was so tired. Lying down felt amazing and I started to drift off to sleep.

"Get over here." I heard her soft voice whisper in my ear and felt her hand slide over my ribs. I rolled toward her and ran my hand down her face, pushing her hair over her ear.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Shhhh," she said and pressed her lips into my own. "Now go to sleep." She rolled over and pulled my arm around her, snuggling in. I kissed the back of her neck and closed my eyes. We'd made it through and I could finally let my guard down.

It was dark and cold in the house when I awoke. I patted the bed, but Gabriella was gone. My heart sank, but I understood. She was coming off a relationship and I didn't want to be a rebound failure. Maggie's breath was shallow as she slept and I was just able to make out Clarita's tiny form, still asleep next to her.

I climbed out from under the covers and made my way into the kitchen to start coffee. Gabriella wasn’t in the kitchen either. A quick check of my phone told me it was three in the morning. We'd slept for over twelve hours and I was starving. I opened the fridge and discovered what I already knew. We were without food. That wouldn’t fly once people started to wake up, so I shot a text to Gabriella and let her know I was headed to the grocery.

About an hour later, I returned with loads of food. When I entered the kitchen, I found Gabriella sitting in a chair, wearing one of my dress shirts and a towel on her head, drinking coffee.

"Hey you," I said, unsure of my standing with her.

"Hey, yourself." She stood and took the bags from me, placing them on the counter.

I wasn't good with awkward so I bumbled on. "About last night… I…."

She approached and placed her index finger on my lips. "You're a good man, Felix Slade."

I'd been dumped enough times to know what was coming next and nodded in acceptance. Like Amak, I'd rather have Gabriella as a friend than an ex-lover. Although, in this case we'd skipped the latter.

"But you give up too easily," she continued and turned away from me. The shirt she'd borrowed was one of my least favorite. It was tight and filmy and, on her, it took on new life. She had nothing else beneath it and I forced my eyes off her perfectly formed and well-outlined posterior.

The distraction made me slow on the uptake. "Wait... what? This isn't a brush off?"

She pulled the towel from her hair, laid it on the counter, bent forward and quickly flipped her hair back and forth into some order. I was mesmerized watching her perform the simple task.

"No."

She stepped over to me and placed her hands on the sides of my face. I became aware of the fact that I had neither shaved nor showered this morning. She pulled me down and I slipped my hands around her, holding her to me as we kissed. She pushed me back into a kitchen chair and climbed onto my lap, straddling me. My excitement grew, but knew we couldn't risk starting something with Clarita so close.

"We can't do this here," I said, running my hands beneath her shirt, tracing the outlines of her body and enjoying her curves.

"I want to," she said, pushing her hands into the waistband of my pants. If she made it even an inch further, I wouldn't be able to stop.

"Clarita," I whispered.

Gabriella pulled her hand back and laid her cheek against my own. "Shit." I'd never heard her cuss before and found it adorable. That said, I think I would have found anything she did adorable. "You owe me a real date, then."

"A show, dinner and everything?" I asked, refusing to take my hands from her bottom, very much enjoying the intimate contact.

"I'd settle for dinner and everything," she said.

I heard a cat's chuffing and looked over to see Maggie standing in the entry to the kitchen, shaking her large cat's head slowly back and forth. Gabriella gracefully stepped off me. I grabbed her hand before she could run away, pulling her back for one more kiss. I felt a sense of elation when she acquiesced. The kiss caused Maggie to cough, which sounded more like she was throwing up than anything.

"You didn't have to come in, you know," I scolded. Maggie padded across the room, rubbed her face across Gabriella's exposed thigh and slid in between us. I'd read that house cats did the same to scent mark their pride. "Any chance you're getting hungry? I have more groceries in the truck and I got some roasts." I affectionately smoothed her silky black fur.

Maggie let out a mild roar in approval.

"Go," Gabriella said. "Never good to ignore a hungry woman."

"How are you feeling?" I asked as Maggie followed me to the truck. In response, she gracefully jumped to the top of the cab and started cleaning her front paw. I opened one of the bags where I'd stashed a large roast. "Inside or out?" I asked, holding it up to her. She lay down on the cab and I took that as my cue. Pulling the meat from its packaging, I set it in the truck's bed and watched as Maggie jumped down, sniffed it and then worked on it in earnest.

I returned to the kitchen with the remainder of the packages to find that Gabriella had already started mixing eggs. "What's on deck for today?" she asked. I found I had difficulty taking my eyes from her.

"Insurance, bank and Andy. Probably not in that order. If it rains, we'll ruin a lot of the structure. I could cover the new hole with plastic, but who knows what those witches did to the roof," I said.

"I haven't looked. Is the front of the house that bad?"

"Bad enough," I said. "I'm guessing at least a hundred thousand dollars in damage."

"I'll work with the bank, if you like. I'm sure this will fit the 'emergency' provision of the trust," she said. "The only issue is whether insurance will cover it."

"Do you think insurance companies have a rider for castles under siege?"

"It will be interesting to see what they make of the damage, but it's not flood damage." She opened cupboards and drawers, not finding what she was looking for. "Do you really not have any cutting boards or a decent knife?"

I'd finished putting the groceries away and slid around her, running my hand along her waist. I was having some difficulty ignoring our previous contact. She smelled wonderful and I pecked her on the cheek as I took an old-fashioned cutting board out from under the counter. "That work?" I pulled my knife from my belt and opened it up. "And, this is what I generally use."

She sighed. "If you weren't so darn cute, you'd be annoying. And, we're going shopping someday soon. Nobody could cook in this kitchen the way it's set up." She chopped carrots and onions into the eggs.

"Once I have access to the full trust, you can redesign it for me." I watched as she continued cooking and dreamed of the life we might have together.

"Ready for eggs?" She finally pulled scrambled eggs laced with veggies from the pan and loaded two plates, setting them on the rustic kitchen table.

"No bacon?" I asked.

"Sorry, I care too much about you to make that," she said.

I shook my head. Some sacrifices would need to be made.

"What will happen to the witches who joined the Order of the Left Hand now that Liise and Felicia are out of the picture?"

"Most of them came from Illuminaire, Camille's coven. It's a tricky situation, they should be excommunicated. I'm glad that's Camille's problem."

"What about Whyte Wood coven? Won't you have a seat at the Witches' Council table?"

"I suppose… I'd have to start recruiting."

"How many do you need?"

"If Kelli stays, I'd need two more at a minimum, but really we'd need more like four more to make it work. I do know of several emerging witches in our territory that Victoria wouldn't talk to," she said.

"What was that about?"

"Most of them were from rough families or were runaways. All tough, with poor attitudes and very colorful mouths. Victoria wouldn't have anything to do with them," she said.