Magical New Beginnings

by Brenda Trim

  Thinking about facing Sebastian and actually working with him, I grabbed the jars I kept in the kitchen cupboard and put some together in the hopes it would lift his spirits. A crash upstairs startled me while I was mixing St. John’s Wort with some ginseng and a pinch of lavender.

  My heart started galloping in my chest and sweat broke out on my brow. Could whoever had killed the dragon shifter be in my house? I considered calling Violet or Aislinn, but dismissed it not wanting to put them in danger if the killer was in fact in my house.

  Instead, I tiptoed out of the kitchen and into the living room. Creak! Damn this old house. The floor was original to the centuries old house and had as many squeaky boards as my crackly body.

  “Silentium,” I whispered and prayed the spell would take effect. When nothing blew up, I continued to the stairs. I wanted to fist pump the air when I didn’t make any noise.

  I was halfway up the steps when I realized my folly in rushing headlong up to the second floor. A loud screeching roar shook the walls right before a creature that looked like frozen man-demon mix appeared right above me.

  The thing had three-inch fingernails that seemed to be made of ice. And they were coated in red and green goo. Then there was his face. His eyes were completely white, and his teeth were razor sharp.

  His bluish-gray skin tone was matched in eeriness by the sound he made. It was a cross between metal scraping metal and a high-pitched scream of a motor in desperate need of some oil. I read something about these creatures but couldn’t call up the information.

  I turned tail and meant to run down the stairs only I ended up on my face when I fell. A scream left my throat when I scrambled on my hands and knees to get away from the thing.

  Right as I reached the sofa and braced a hand to climb to my feet the pinging started up in my head. “Oh no! Not now.” This was it. I would never get away now. I couldn’t even concentrate to push the pain aside, so I was able to track the beast’s movements.

  My head snapped back when icy daggers plunged into my temples. The blood froze in my veins and the few breaths I managed to squeak out puffed out in white plumes in front of my face.

  Fight, dammit! This was not how my story ended. I’d just begun my magical journey. Adrenaline dumped into my sluggish system and I pushed it to my limbs. One hand managed to reach back and smack the beast. I latched onto one of his arms and tried to pull the fingers he’d dug into my skull.

  My weak attempts were unsuccessful. Flopping my arm through the air, I refused to give up. My heart stuttered and slowed its frantic pace. Just when my vision dimmed, the creature was ripped away from me.

  My body fell forward as my heart picked up the second the ice was gone. I was still wracked with shivers, but I was able to move. Turning, I saw Sebastian had saved me. He was holding the creature in a choke hold and dragging it outside.

  I ran to follow. It was more of a stilted lurching motion, but I was outside before I knew what was happening. “Reinforce your protections,” Sebastian yelled at me.

  I ran back inside, happy to note I was moving easier. Up two flights of stairs, I grabbed the bag Camille insisted I pack with herbs and potions and hurried back to the lawn.

  Pulling out dill, lavender, oregano and parsley, I mixed them in my palm and chanted, “praesidium.” It was next to impossible to focus on my intent to create a bubble around Pymm’s Pondside with the sounds of Bas cursing and fighting the creature. After repeating the spell for the third time, I blew the herbs into the air.

  Energy exploded out from where I stood on the lawn. It was forceful enough that it blew me on my ass. My skull bounced off the grass. Pain ricocheted around my gray matter and my stomach revolted. Well, that went well. And, you didn’t look like an asshole at all. I wanted to roll my eyes at the snark running through my aching head.

  Groaning, I turned to my side and pushed the bile back down my throat. For several seconds, my vision wavered. At least I thought there was something wrong until I realized there was in fact an odd glow coming from the crypt in the cemetery.

  Why had I never seen this before? I pushed onto all fours and rocked until I got to my feet. I weaved in a zigzag to the first headstone. There was something magical about being on sacred ground. Or perhaps it was being so close to my ancestors.

  I wanted to check and see if Sebastian had seen my drunk-but-not-actually-drunk stagger. Who gives a rip if he sees it? It’s not like he’s any better. My thoughts scattered in a hot flash. My body heated to a million degrees in a second and energy rushed through me. It was better than what I imagined it was like when you were high.

  I’m embarrassed to admit I used every head stone on my way to the small building. The stone door was warm under my hand. That was odd considering it was cold outside. I pushed the panel, but it didn’t move. Using my shoulder, I shoved my way inside.

  For the hundredth time that night I found myself stumbling, only this time I was tripping over my own feet. There was nothing inside to brace myself on and I hit the opposite wall before I stopped moving.

  My jaw fell open and my eyes flared. “What the…” I cut off my question unable to believe what I was seeing. The outside might look like the crypt was made of stone, but inside the walls and ceiling were covered in bones. All of them. Skulls, femurs, arm bones, ribs.

  I lifted my hand intending on touching the wall but stopped short. I had no desire to touch the decayed bodies of dead people, until my instincts screamed it was okay because they were my flesh and blood. My head lowered and I saw my amulet glowing brightly. It filled the room with amber light.

  I placed one palm on a skull and light filled the room. Turning, I plastered myself against the wall and watched the light’s shift and the wind started up. Energy washed through room like a wave crashing against the shore.

  The pinging that had never really gone away increased in intensity adding to the nausea bubbling in my stomach. This is the portal. Shaking my head, I watched the cyclone in the middle of the room and wondered where the heck that thought had come from.

  “Fiona!” Sebastian’s voice broke the spell and the light died along with the wind. The energy was still present, but it was far less.

  Hurrying to the door, I expected it to be just as heavy and was pleasantly surprised it was easy to open. Sebastian was standing on the crushed granite path that surrounded my family’s graveyard.

  “I found the portal!” I wanted to jump up and down in glee. I’d finally managed to do something useful. And, I was happier about that than I had been when I got my degree in nursing. The situation suddenly didn’t feel so hopeless anymore.

  Bas tilted his head and the corner of his mouth twitched. Just when I thought he was going to be nice he opened his mouth. “It’s about damn time. Do you want an award or something?”

  I rolled my eyes and walked past him then stopped in my tracks. “You killed it. What it is anyway?”

  “It’s a Dark Fae called a hrimthur. It has power over ice and freezes the heart, killing it’s victims.” That’s why I was so cold and felt like I was dying. My body shuddered when he explained how it killed. “I’ll take care of this while you get cleaned up then we can get to work.”

  I opened my mouth to tell him I didn’t need to clean up, but he was halfway across my yard and had the corpse slung over his shoulder. Lifting one shoulder, I went back into my kitchen and put the kettle on the stove then checked the tea I had been putting together.

  While I was waiting for the water to boil, I cast another protection spell inside directing it toward the building. I had to be sure nothing could enter here and hurt me while I sleep. Otherwise I’ll never get any rest between bathroom visits.

  I almost stopped the spell but didn’t. With my luck it would bounce back at me. Energy snapped into the walls and they glowed brightly for a second. Too late now. I’d just have to take tea out to Sebastian.

  My head snapped around at the sound of the door opening and closing. “Ah hell. I failed again. We nee
d to reschedule because I need to call Camille and ask for her help. I’m not going to sleep tonight before I make sure nothing can enter these four walls.”

  Bas shook his head. “For once, you managed to cast a successful spell. And, you managed to use both sides of your heritage to do it.”

  A smile spread over my mouth. That was the nicest thing he’d ever said to me. And, damn if that didn’t make him even more attractive. I couldn’t go down that road. There was too much at stake here. “If that’s the case then how did you get in here?”

  A sigh left him in a rush, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “That should be obvious. I have no ill intent toward you, so it didn’t keep me out. Did you feel anything different this time when you used your magic?”

  The kettle whistled and I poured both of us a mug and placed his steeper in his water then handed it to him. “I didn’t notice anything different, but it was easier to cast. What’s that look for? You’ll like the blend, I promise. Just taste it.” He looked up and the wrinkle disappeared from between his eyes. It was too hard to tell if he didn’t like tea or if he didn’t trust me not to poison him.

  He lifted the cup and took a tentative sip. His eyes went wide and he looked down at the mug again. “You’re right. This is good.”

  I chuckled at the surprise in his tone. “Watch out that was almost a compliment.”

  The look he shot me next was part desire and part exasperation. He held my gaze for several seconds before taking another drink. “Making tea isn’t what you should be focusing on right now. You don’t know even basic information about Fae or magic. That is going to bite you in the ass sooner rather than later. For tonight, let’s cover how you will know when someone is trying to cross the portal now that you know where it’s located.”

  I wanted to go back to the sexy looks. Instead, I set my mug down and rubbed my hands together. “About time. I haven’t been able to do my job for a couple weeks and it’s been killing me.” I was ready to dive right in and get my feet wet. This was the turning point, I knew it in my gut.

  Chapter 10

  “I know I sound like a broken record, but I need your help. I can’t face Sebastian again without gaining some basic knowledge.” The coffee I brought to my lips suddenly wasn’t enough. Last night had been wonderful and awful all at the same time. I wondered if I’d ever not feel like I was back in high school and struggling to get the Pythagorean Theorem right.

  I gasped and smiled at Violet and Aislinn before they had a chance to respond to me. “But before that. I found the portal! I know where it is, and I know how to tell when a Fae wants through.”

  Aislinn let out a woot and Violet squealed. It brought far more attention than I wanted at the moment. Perhaps meeting at Teatime had been a mistake. I was craving one of Dahlia’s scones when I asked them to meet me at the popular café in town.

  Violet leaned forward. “Well, where is it? Was it in the worn down shack in the back of the garden? I’ve always thought that building had a bigger purpose than housing tools and fertilizer.”

  I chuckled at her excitement. “Nope, it wasn’t there. Get this. It’s in the mausoleum in the cemetery. Someone along the way took the bones of my ancestors and made the walls with them. It was so freakin’ unreal. And, that pinging I’ve been feeling in my head. That’s a Fae asking for asylum!”

  Aislinn’s gasp eclipsed the chatter in the restaurant and her eyes went wider than the saucers our jumbo teacups were perched on. “It looks nothing like it’s made of bones At least not from the outside. And, why would they do that? I can’t imagine digging up my grandparents and taking their bones to make walls.” Her shoulders shook as she shuddered.

  “That actually makes total sense. The structure isn’t built out of the bones. It’s obvious they used marble slabs in the construction from the outside. They must have lined the walls inside with them. It’s brilliant.” Violet’s awe was clear in the reverence with which she spoke.

  “Yeah, brilliant.” I wasn’t sure I agreed exactly. I agreed with Aislinn. I can’t imagine digging grams up and pasting her bones to the walls inside. “Is that a witch thing? Will I have to add grams to the walls? My knowledge of the halves of my heritage is painfully minimal.”

  Violet tapped her lips as she looked off into space while she contemplated my questions. “We will help you learn all you can about who you are. As for having to add Isidora, I would say no. The spells are already active. They used the magic inherent in your line to add an extra layer of spells to keep the location hidden from anyone outside your family. There’s no need to add to it now.”

  “Unless the structure gets damaged somehow. Just make sure that doesn’t happen and you won’t have to dig anyone up,” Aislinn added.

  Violet’s head bobbed up and down in agreement. “Good point. Now, to tell you a little about witches. We are connected to Gaia and the four elements. Fire, water, earth and air. We draw upon and use those elements and their powers to create potions, cast spells and the like. We’re also mortal.”

  All of that made complete sense, even if I hadn’t yet been able to put it to words before. “Do we have any weaknesses?”

  Violet picked up her tea and took a sip. “Like any human, our bodies are fragile; but we tend to heal faster and age slower than our non-magical counter parts.”

  Aislinn picked at her orange scone. “If you’re cut off from the elements you can’t access your magic. Thankfully, that’s next to impossible to do. At least one element is around you at all times.”

  “She’s right about that. You might be weakened if you’re cut off from earth and fire, but air is always there.” Violet confirmed and popped a piece of a chocolate chip muffin into her mouth. “Now, the Fae live close to nature. You will notice that their homes are often hollow hills or mounds. Oh, and they dance in rings of mushrooms or stones. Brownies do at any rate. Some haunt overgrown ruins and tangled green places.”

  Aislinn waved her hand across the plate glass window they were sitting near, gesturing to the square on Main street. “Do you notice a theme here?”

  My gaze scanned the various business, taking note of the handblown glass shop, the wood carvings and two art studios. At the other corner I saw the ceramics store where you could pick up handcrafted pieces and even paint your own.

  “They spend a good deal of time devoting themselves to the arts. They like creating, as you can see,” Aislinn said while I was looking out the window.

  If all I had seen of the Fae were the arts and crafts in the square, I would have thought the Fae were a peaceful people. I recalled the icy creature Sebastian had killed the night before and my heart skipped a beat. There was nothing peaceful about how he tried to kill me. “How can I tell if one is good or bad? Bas refused to give me any information last night. I’m terrified I will be summoned when I get home and have to decide to let someone across or not.”

  Aislinn tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips. “That’s not cut and dry. Fae can hurt or help, and there seems little evidence as to why they choose to do one or the other. Some are tricksters and enjoy playing awful pranks on the unsuspecting, usually humans, while others’ sense of honor wouldn’t allow them to do anything harmful. The best I can say is to trust your gut. I have always been able to tell when a Fae is downright evil.”

  Violet lifted a finger into the air. “But you don’t always know if they simply have a cruel side. Remember when Wistari planted a fungus that killed all the plants in Camille’s garden?”

  Aislinn gasped and sat forward. “I’ll never forget what that fucker did. She’s not entirely evil. She also helped clear moles from Isidora’s property. It’s like she gets a cruel streak at that time of the month.”

  “Or if you piss her off. I heard Camille refused to give her a discount on some thistle,” Violet added.

  “Got it. Trust my gut but be wary. I hate that there’s no clear answer, but I should have known better. I don’t believe people, no matter their heritage, are all g
ood or all bad. There’s the potential for both in us. We make the choice of how to behave constantly. I have no idea what I will face when I finally respond to requests for permission to cross over and am sure I’ll make more than one mistake, so how do I protect myself?”

  Aislinn reached across the table and gave my hand a squeeze. “Full-blooded Fae fear iron which is why there are iron fences around most homes here. You have one surrounding the outskirts of your property, one around your garden and one around the pond. Your grandmother already left some protection for you.”

  “You two should write a Fae for dummies book. I don’t know what I would do without you guys.” I tossed down a tip for Dahlia and climbed to my feet while they both laughed in response.

  Aislinn linked her arm through mine as we headed out the door. “It would be a best seller in this town.”

  Violet chuckled and held the door open for us. “We should include information about how giving a Fae a gift of clothes will frighten them off. But seriously, Fiona the most important thing to remember is that they can appear as many elements of the natural world. That means they can look like a human, animal, or flower.”

  I lifted one eyebrow at that. “I’ve seen the flowers at Pymm’s Pondside come to life, but animals? From what I have seen there is nothing natural about most of them.”

  Aislinn tsked me. “You’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. There are creatures that are bird-like, foxlike, and insect-like. Then there are the ones that have seal skin and others that look like fish.”

  A couple walking past gave Aislinn odd looks. I cringed and hastened my steps. The last thing I wanted was to be seen as crazy.

  Violet slapped her forehead and turned to us. “We’ve missed the most obvious. Fae are highly lusty creatures and some of the biggest whores alive.”