Wizard in a Witchy World (5 page)

I'd be dishonest if I didn't mention that I was very aware of the fact that she stood naked from the waist up. I'd witnessed plenty of nudity, but for some reason it never got old and she was fascinating.

"Shit, you're amazing. What are you?" I asked.

She looked back at me with a small tilt of her head. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to figure out if I was messing with her.

"You're trespassing," she said. The word trespassing coming out something more like 'threshepashing.' The small tusks inside her mouth made it difficult for her to form words.

"These woods are the public lands of Chamber's County recreation area," I said. "What's your claim?"

"Not my claim. You just have no right," she said.

"I feel like we've gotten off on the wrong foot here. I'm Felix Slade and I'm new to the area. I intended no offense," I said.

"I know you, Slade," she said derisively. "You've offended."

"How's this going to go?" I asked.

"I'm going to kick your ass. I'll not break anything. Don’t resist or it goes worse," she said, definitely struggling to talk.

"Yeah, so that's not going to work for me," was what I was going to say, but I got out 'Yeah, so…' and she was on me. Man, was she quick on the draw. I only had time to swing my pillowcase into her face and try to twist away. Not my most elegant moment, as she batted the case out of the way with one hand and with the other she made hard contact with the side of my face.

Her first hit dropped me to my knees, which she expected, because she quickly followed up with a knee to the chest, flipping me over.

"
Scutum
," I roared, lying on my back. An invisible shield popped up between us and she flailed as she came in contact with it, lunging to finish me off while I was on my back. The unexpected barrier confused her sufficiently to cause her to stumble and trip.

I pulled my feet beneath me and stood up at about the same time she rolled back to her own feet.

"If I have to go offensive, you won't like it," I said.

She growled. "You have no idea the shit you've stepped in."

"I’m not afraid of you and I'm certainly not going to stand here while you hand me a beating," I said.

"Not me you need to be afraid of," she said, taking another swing in my direction. I redirected the shield to deflect her.

"Deep shit," she said. "Take your beating."

I crouched down, keeping my shield at the ready and pulled a length of a blackberry bramble vine from the pillowcase. There was maybe a minute left on my shield spell and I needed to do something to avoid getting overly aggressive with her. I fumbled with the vine, allowing the thorns to puncture my skin, and dropped it on the ground.

"You should stop this," I said, standing up. She'd pulled a long knife out and it was taking more and more of my concentration to keep the shield between me and her attacks.

"
Rhamno
," I incanted.

The power channeling through me from the ground responded. I'd made a connection with this land and it recognized my call. I dropped the shield and twisted my hand, directing the sprouting blackberry bramble to wrap itself around the creature's legs.

Her immediate response was escape, which was both expected and the worst thing she could do. The magic of the bramble spell used her struggling to establish an even stronger hold.

I grabbed my pillowcase from the ground and turned toward the truck.

"It will only get worse if you run," she said, her lisp made more pronounced by her struggles.

She'd just summed up most of my relationships with women.

The bramble spell wouldn't hold her long, so I hurried. My high from a great night of gathering was completely ruined by the encounter. Before leaving, I looked on the other side of the truck and found an older, albeit well-maintained Jeep. I memorized the license plate, although the vehicle was fairly unique looking with its tall antennae and camo-patterned paint.

Witches… lycan… and now I strongly suspected I’d just been attacked by a troll. I was starting to wonder if it was just me or if Leotown was simply lousy with supernaturals. The bottom line was, I needed more protection on my apartment.

For a wizard, protection spells come in a variety of flavors. Today, I needed physical protection. Turns out that's not too difficult. It's basically the same enchantment as the shield spell I'd released from my pinky ring. It requires some modification to allow friendlies to pass, but I could lay one down in forty-five minutes or so.

I rolled to a stop in front of the garage and pushed my way into the lab. The sun was just coming up and I laid my treasures out on the table. As much as I wanted to get the protection spell in place, I needed to protect my plants first. If I didn't cast a freshness spell on the herbs, tubers and mushrooms, they wouldn't last more than a week. I spread everything out in thin layers, taking up all of the open counter and table space. It had been a fantastic haul.

Under the granite counter was a book filled with my common lab spells and first was the freshness spell. Lavender, salt, magnesium silicate (talcum powder) and a few more components were dropped into my copper cauldron and gently warmed. A drop of blood when thoroughly mixed and the magic word,
conservare
, chanted until the potion turned transparent, was all it took. I poured the contents of my cauldron into a plastic household sprayer and spritzed everything.

The next task was to work on the physical protection enchantment. Nettles, thorns and poison oak were the hero components for this enchantment. Paraffin or clay was used as a binder, but that was about it. I mixed an extra big batch and set it with several drops of blood. If I haven't recently mentioned it, I'd like to reiterate how much I am
not
a fan of that part of the enchantment process.

Five hours after I left the woods, I finally finished painting the enchanted paraffin on the last opening of my apartment. Andy had been as good as his word and found a door to replace my sheeting. If he hadn’t been so quick with the repair, I would have had to get much more creative in protecting the entrance. I glanced at the clock. My timing couldn’t be better. There was just enough time to get a shower and clean my cauldron before meeting Gabriella for coffee.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a place named Howling Hounds, but was pleasantly surprised to discover a clean, upscale coffee shop. I was fifteen minutes early, so I ordered coffee and a piece of pumpkin bread. It was then I discovered they had a shortage of open tables.

If I hadn't been meeting Red, I would have left. I was stuck needing that table, so I did what any self-respecting wizard would. I looked around, found my target and planted a suggestion that perhaps they'd left their windows down and it was about to rain. If it had been a sunny day outside, I'd have picked something else, but with the recent rain and cloudy sky it worked flawlessly. The older woman interrupted her daughter mid-sentence and hastily escorting her out of the shop.

"That wasn't very nice," Red said from behind me as I set my pumpkin bread on the table.

I was taken aback by Red's appearance. I'd known she was attractive when I'd first seen her at the bakery, but today she was dressed in a narrow black skirt and blood-red blouse. Her long black hair was pulled back in a tight bun. In short, she had transformed from witch to business woman and she was gorgeous.

"Uh, right," I said. "Did you get your coffee?"

She smiled. She might have had some idea of her effect on men.

"I'll be right back." When she went to the counter, I did my best not to watch her walk away.

I overheard her talking to a barista. Apparently, she was a regular here. They had her coffee ready and she had cash in hand.

"Thanks, Mike," she said over her shoulder as she walked back to the table.

"So. What? Are you a lawyer or something?" I asked.

She grinned. "You have a problem with that?"

"No. I just haven't known that many witches who have professional day-jobs," I said.

"Shh," she said, looking around to see if anyone heard us.

I whispered, just for the effect. "Spelled the table. No one can hear us."

She raised her eyebrows. "You can do that?"

I wasn't in the habit of talking about the spells I knew and immediately regretted saying anything.

"What was yesterday all about?" It was time to change the subject and I took a bite of the pumpkin bread.

"Felicia doesn't want me saying anything to strangers," she said.

"After our tussle on the couch, we're hardly strangers."

"About that. Are you feeling okay? I've never had to attack someone and I feel terrible," she said. "What about your chest?" She reached toward me and instinctively I backed away.

"I'm tender, but nothing I won't get over," I said. "You were channeling a crap ton of energy. How’s that hand?"

She turned her hand over so I could see it. The skin had blistered on the palm and her fingers were bright red.

"Looks painful." I held her hand gently while I inspected it. "I have something at the house that would make it feel better."

She pulled her hand back. "It'll be fine."

"Is Whyte Wood Coven normally that aggressive? I pegged you for Wiccans, but I've never seen a Wiccan go after someone like that," I said.

She laughed. "Know a lot of witches, do you?"

Memories flooded my mind. "My foster mom is a witch."

"Who?"

"She's not from around here." It was mostly the truth. I'd moved in with Judy when we both lived in a small town not far from here before moving to North Carolina.

Her next question went directly to her purpose. "What are you doing in Leotown, Felix?"

"So much for the social call," I said. "You answer my questions, I'll answer yours."

"It's not like that," she said.

"How is it?"

She stared at me for a solid minute before replying. "You scared Felicia," she said. "She felt something when she read your blood. I felt it too when we were on the couch, like you were barely keeping a lid on things."

I tried to squeeze out a laugh. "Isn't that true with everyone?"

"No. It's not."

"What do you want to know?" I asked, then huffed a laugh. "Right. What I'm doing here. That's easy. I had to get out of North Carolina and I picked Leotown."

"Why Leotown?"

"I grew up on a farm about sixty miles from here and I've always liked the city," I said.

"Who brought you here?"

"No one. Your turn," I said. "Why'd you attack me?"

"We got a tip you were involved in the attack on Victoria."

"A tip with my name and address? That's a heck of a tip."

Red recognized it wasn't a question and nodded her head in agreement. "What were you doing at Victoria's house?"

"Tracking a lycan that was tracking you," I said.

"Me?" That sent her eyebrows up.

"Remember when you went to Wheatfield's last Sunday?"

"The bakery? How do you know about that?" she asked.

"You picked up a tail when you were there," I said.

"A lycan followed me from the bakery?"

"That's right," I said.

She frowned at me. "Were you following me too?"

"No." I put my hands up defensively. "I was the guy reading a book trying to mind my own business. When Shaggy followed you, I thought you might be in trouble. You know… back before I found out you were a bad-ass witch and all."

Her smile at my characterization was distracting.

"So you followed me to Victoria's?" she continued.

"I followed Shaggy, who followed you over to Mrs. Barrios'. Only I didn't follow until later that night, when the attack occurred," I said. "Shaggy waited for you to leave the house and then must have let himself in."

Red’s eyes went flat. "You were watching me?"

"No. Sort of. It's complicated. I used a spell." I hoped she wouldn't push me. I wasn't about to explain how I'd made the seer's glass.

She nodded, knowing better than to try to pin me down any further. "After I left, what happened?"

"Shaggy went into Mrs. Barrios' back yard and as far as I knew, didn't come out. About midnight, I followed his tracks and that's when the police nabbed me," I said.

"What was this Shaggy doing in her back yard?"

"Looking in her window."

"Shit. You think he did it?" she asked.

"It seems likely, doesn't it?"

"So, you didn't see the attack?" Red asked.

"No, but I saw the result. Mrs. Barrios was definitely mauled by an animal. It was gruesome," I said.

Tears formed in her eyes and I reached over to place my hand on top of hers, mentally kicking myself for being insensitive. We sat quietly until she pulled in a big breath and let it out in an uneven sigh.

"We don't know why she was attacked. Victoria was a powerful witch, but her mind was slipping. I doubt she could have defended herself," Red said.

"What can you tell me about Leotown Witches' Council?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I got a nasty-gram, asking me to register."

"The five covens of Greater Leotown have formed a council," she said. "The most powerful, Illuminaire, runs the council, although each coven has a seat."

"So, you've registered?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It's how we keep the peace. The council draws territory lines and resolves disputes between covens," she said.

"Like deciding who can gather reagents from Chamber's County Recreation?" I asked.

"You didn’t."

"I did. I ran into a rather unfriendly troll for my trouble," I said.

"That territory is claimed by Illuminaire," she said.

"It's public property. They can't claim a recreation area."

"Not sure what world you're living in, but they've laid that claim," she said.

"How powerful is Illuminaire?" I asked.

"Forty witches."

"Straightrod in charge?" I asked. "She signed that letter they sent."

"Pishh. Hardly." Red practically spat the words. "No. Straightrod is a minor witch who happens to also be a lawyer. She's a major pain in the ass though, so stay out of her way."

"So why coffee? Don't get me wrong, I'm all about being seen in public with beautiful women and all…" I let the words trail off.

She looked down at the table and then back up, smiling. "I'm offended. Can't a woman ask a man out for coffee?"

"Depends on what else you're after, because I had to buy my own coffee." I tried to keep a straight face.

She rolled her eyes and pushed away from the table. "I have to get back to work, but next time, dinner's on me."

I stood up and grabbed her arm before she could go. "Look. Whatever you're into with Shaggy, you need to be careful."

"Whatever I'm into, Whyte Wood will handle. We've been handling our own business for a very long time," she said peevishly. I recognized the defensive posture and realized she felt I was denigrating her coven.

"Don't be like that," I said. "I'm just concerned. I saw what that lycan was capable of and I'd hate to see anyone else get hurt. And, if anyone knows what you can do with your hands, it's me." I gave her my best smile.

It took her a moment to finally respond. "You're incorrigible," she said and walked out, with just a trace of a smile.

I turned back and grabbed my last crumb of pumpkin bread, washed it down with the cooled coffee and followed her out the door.

I'd hoped to learn more about the Leotown Witches' Council from Red. The idea of registering went against everything I knew. Wizards, and most witches for that matter, didn't write their names down on a list for anyone. It was a matter of history that our kind tended to get barbequed when those types of lists got into the hands of the wrong people. That said, I wasn't against talking to Liise Straightrod.

Howling Hounds was only six blocks from the address Straightrod had provided for the Witches' Council building, so I decided to walk. The day had warmed up nicely and my legs had gotten a bit stiff while sitting with Red. Most likely, the muscles hadn’t recovered from my gathering trip the night before.

Turns out that 1100 Jackson isn't a real address. I realized this when I arrived at the corner of Eleventh and Jackson and discovered 1102 was the first address to the west of eleventh street. Initially, I was just going to walk away, but curiosity got the better of me.

"
Altum Visu
," I said, waving my hand across my field of vision, revealing the energies of the mystical plane.

To the best of my understanding the mystical plane is an alternate dimension that shows all types of energies. Magical energies are brightest and mundane energy, like that which is required to hold one brick on top of another, are more muted.

A hidden doorway appeared in the brick wall of the building in front of me. The ornately carved double doors sat beneath glowing words that hung in the air - Greater Leotown Witch Council.

I drew in a big breath, sighed, and then grabbed the shiny, bronze handle on the right and pushed it inward. A spark of energy erupted at my touch and a force tried to probe my being. I wasn't prepared for the assault and it almost got past my defenses. Fortunately, constantly maintaining a strong defense was something Judy had drilled me on.

Initially, I was incapable of letting go of the door's handle as the probe's energy intensified. I ratcheted up my own defenses and the pain intensified. I was going to have to go on the offense, since I sure as hell wasn't going to let some random force violate me.

"
Scutum
," I said.

The shield was the least provocative spell I knew and worked like I'd hoped, creating a barrier between my hand and the offensive door handle. I pulled back and let go of the shield spell.

A voice in the back of my mind urged me to turn and walk away. Unfortunately, I almost never listened to that voice. I knew it was a bad idea to go forward, but I’ve always been curious. Someone had constructed a door, of all things, to breach my psyche. I certainly didn't know how to do that.

The narrow hallway was lined on both sides with dark wooden paneling. There was gray slate flooring underfoot and a golden chandelier that glowed like the sun. A stairway was set back a few feet and led to the second level. On the left side, in the back, was an unmarked door.

The entryway smelled of pine cleanser, smoke, and just a hint of blood. There was either a practicing enchanter nearby or something bad had recently happened in the foyer. I suspected the latter. The entire foyer was bright with magic and it was giving me a headache. It was probably not necessary to see the mystical plane anymore, so I dismissed my spell with a wave and the word, "
Finis
."

I blinked a few times, allowing my eyes to adjust to the natural sunlight shining from large skylights in the ceiling above. The natural light was a dead giveaway that witches were in charge.

"Mr. Slade, I presume."