Eternal Fires

by Ally Shields

  “Hmm, I believe I can help with that.” Moriana opened her large satchel of magic items. After much clanging among the contents, she pulled out a small brown bottle, had the nephew take a whiff of memory potion, and walked him back through his childhood. When he described a secret drawer in the rolltop desk, he and the administrator left to check the contents. Ari and Moriana returned home.

  An hour later, they received the confirmation call. Moriana hung up the phone. “Make a note, witchling. No memory is too small or unimportant. Sometimes the answer to a big problem is in the details.” She gave Ari a cheerful nod. “I’m going to meditate and then early to bed. See you in the morning.”

  Ari went to her own room. Dona jumped into her lap, and they sat by the window watching the birds and other creatures gradually disappear as dusk settled in. She absently petted the cat and allowed her mind to drift. When her phone buzzed, she was surprised to see the garden was now bathed in moonlight.

  After dumping the cat on the floor, she found her phone where she’d tossed it on the bed and grinned as she spotted caller ID. Claris! “Hi, girlfriend. I miss talking with you.”

  “Then why didn’t you call? I’ve been really worried, but I thought I wasn’t supposed to call you. Then Ryan said he’d talked to Andreas and found out you two had been talking by phone every night.” Claris stopped, giggled, and took a deep breath. “I guess I don’t have to say it all at once, huh? Are you really OK?”

  “I’m eating like a pig and maybe looking as round as one too. But I’m fine, except I miss you…everyone at home. Are they taking care of you?”

  “As you’re so fond of saying, I don’t need a babysitter. But yes, I’m staying with Ryan’s family at night. They’re all so nice.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Well, they are.”

  Ari grinned. “What’s going on with you two?”

  Claris didn’t answer for a minute. “Oh, Ari, I don’t know how I could have done this. It’s way too soon, but…I’ve gotten to know Ryan so well, and…”

  “And what?” Ari prompted.

  “Is it so wrong? I don’t want to forget Brando, but…”

  “Ah honey, you’ve fallen for Ryan, haven’t you? I can’t say I’m surprised. You’ve been half in love with him for years. And Brando…I think he’d be happy.”

  “But it hasn’t been quite a year.”

  “Love has nothing to do with time. Loving Brando’s memory doesn’t mean you can’t love someone else. Your heart’s big enough for all of us.”

  “Oh, Ari.” Claris was silent a moment, then she cleared her throat. “You always make me feel better. I’m not jumping into anything, but I have feelings for him. I think he likes me too. Are you sure you’re fine with this?”

  “Absolutely. Why wouldn’t I want two of my best friends to be happy?”

  “I just needed to hear it.” There was a smile in Claris’s voice now. “Sometimes when he looks at me… But let’s not talk about it anymore.” She suddenly acted embarrassed. “When are you coming home? You’re not going to have the baby down there, are you?”

  “Down here? Goddess be, I hope not. I had this all planned out for our friends to be with us.”

  “Has the baby started to drop yet?”

  “Um, how would I know? I’ve never done this before.”

  “Haven’t you talked with Milla? I thought checking on you and the baby was part of her job?”

  “Well, yeah, but she’s in Riverdale.”

  “So call her.”

  “I will…soon. Everything’s fine. Honestly. We have a few weeks to go.”

  They talked for another twenty minutes before Claris yawned and said she needed to get to sleep if the shop was going to open on time.

  Ari rubbed her stomach gently and smiled as she slipped into bed. Talking with Claris made things seem so normal. Somehow everything would work out.

  * * *

  Ari’s optimism carried over to the following morning. Since she’d promised Claris, she tried calling Milla, and when her call went to messaging, she followed up with Kyra.

  “Hi, Ari! Are you back in town?”

  “No, but I thought I should touch base with Milla, and she’s not answering her phone.”

  “Is there a problem with the baby?” Kyra asked anxiously.

  “No, nothing like that, but October isn’t far away. I thought…actually, Claris thought I needed to be talking with my midwife.”

  “Good for Claris. I’ll have Milla call you. She’s at Tia’s, stayed overnight because that pregnancy isn’t going so well. Tia’s blood pressure is up. She’s supposed to stay off her feet, but gets bored quickly. I promised to sit with her and relieve Milla for a couple hours. You’ll probably hear from her today, unless Tia gets worse.”

  “No, hurry.” Ari patted her stomach and frowned at the thought of Tia losing her baby. How awful that would be. She almost felt guilty she’d lost the schedule Milla had given her. But she’d been sleeping regularly, eating a healthy diet, and walked/jogged most mornings. What more could a pregnancy coach ask?

  After lunch, Moriana took Ari to meet St. Louis’s only wereeagle family. The parents and three teenage children greeted them in human form, but Ari had never seen shapeshifters whose everyday persona so nearly matched their Otherworld side. Golden hair, golden eyes that could only be described as piercing, and chiseled features. They seemed constantly on alert, and Ari squirmed under the restless energy that danced along her arms. Didn’t they ever chill?

  They weren’t big on small talk either. Within minutes, the father turned his penetrating gaze on Ari. “Moriana says you’ve had trouble with the crows.”

  “Um, yeah, in Riverdale.” Ari’s gaze flashed to Moriana, who nodded in encouragement. So this wasn’t a casual visit. “Hundreds of crows. I think they were possessed and manipulated by one of the vampire elders.”

  The teens, two boys and a girl, who weren’t paying much attention to the grown-up talk, suddenly came to life. “Crows? Do we get to chase crows?” one of the boys asked.

  His father frowned at him, and his mother admonished, “Don’t interrupt. Just listen.”

  Under Moriana’s prodding, Ari told them the series of events that had begun with the nymph’s murder. The parents’ looked grim and the teens grew more animated the longer she talked.

  “I’m not sure why I’m telling you this. I haven’t seen crows hanging around since I came to St. Louis.” Ari narrowed her eyes at Moriana. The witch knew things before they happened. “Have you?”

  “Only a vague unease. I believe in being prepared. I thought you and Acer should meet.”

  Vague unease, huh? Ari continued to watch her, not quite satisfied with the answer. Was that Moriana-speak for I’m not sure if it will happen or I’m not sure when it will happen?

  Acer looked at Moriana. “If you’re asking for our help, I’d welcome the opportunity to repay part of our debt to you.” He turned to his wife. “What do you think?”

  She glanced at the eager teens. “I think we’re all agreed. If the crows give you any trouble, you can count on us.”

  As Ari and Moriana walked toward their car, heading home, Ari asked again. “Are you sure you don’t know something?”

  The older witch’s expression was sympathetic. “Uncertainty is hard to live with, but little in life is certain. We must be patient until the future reveals itself.”

  Now she sounded like Zylla.

  They’d just walked in the door at Moriana’s house when Ari’s phone chirped at 3:30 p.m. Dona twined around her ankles, and she stooped to pat the feline. She hit connect and said, “Hello,” expecting to hear Milla on the other end. “How’s Tia?”

  A slight pause. “Who’s Tia?” a male voice asked.

  Ari frowned, a trickle of dread creeping across the back of her neck. “Who is this?”

  “Maybe this voice will sound more familiar.”

  She heard shuffling sounds, then an angry male voice in the background.
“I’m not telling her anything.” A thump, a groan.

  Ryan! Sharp fear tightened her throat. Someone…Porbius, yes, that was the voice…had her partner. The moment the thought registered, she threw the telepathic link to Andreas wide open. He was the only person who could help.

  “Porbius has Ryan.”

  “Where?”

  “I don’t know. I have them on the phone.”

  “Never mind. I’ll find him.”

  “Is this Porbius?” she said into the phone, stalling for time. “Where are you? What do you want?”

  “Your cop friend could use your help, but for now he has to say good-bye.” Porbius disconnected.

  Crap! Fear, rage, despair swamped her. She closed her eyes and swayed. Moriana grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the living room couch. “Here, sit down a minute.”

  “I’m fine,” Ari said mechanically. She hit call back.

  Not again. Please, Goddess, not again. This wasn’t the first time a close friend had been kidnapped because of her.

  No one answered. She called Ryan’s number. It went to phone messaging.

  Ari flinched at the sharp poke to her left ribs. The baby was reacting to her distress. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. Andreas would find him. Ryan would be fine.

  Moriana brought her a glass of water, but before she had taken more than a sip, Andreas called.

  “Is he alive?”

  “Yes, but unconscious. I found him slumped over his office desk. We’ve called an ambulance. As soon as the paramedics take over, I’ll contact Mrs. Foster and Claris.”

  “What’s wrong? What did Porbius do to him? Has he lost a lot of blood?”

  “I see no marks, no blood, but I can’t rouse him.” She heard excited voices in the background. “The medics are here. I’ll keep you updated.” His voice suddenly sharpened. “Arianna, I know you. Do not come here. Stay where you are.”

  “He’s my partner.”

  “If you come, you’ll be playing into Porbius’s hands. It’s what he wants.”

  She didn’t waste her breath arguing, but cops were a brotherhood. You looked out for one another. No matter what.

  “Arianna, promise me.”

  “I can’t, but I’ll wait until we know more about his condition. Maybe this is only temporary. If he gets worse…” Ari’s voice caught.

  “Don’t do anything until we talk again.” His voice softened. “Cara mia, please wait.”

  “I will, but make it soon.”

  Ari disconnected and turned to Moriana. “Porbius did this, and sooner or later, I’m going to make him pay.” She got up from the couch, and Moriana followed her to her room. Ari gave her the few details she knew as she threw things into her bags.

  “Taking on an elder won’t be easy, witchling. Especially this close to delivery. You need to think about your child.”

  “Yeah, I know. But I have to be ready. I can’t ignore this. Nobody should expect me to stand by and do nothing.”

  Ari returned to the living room couch to wait for further word. Dona padded beside her and curled up against her belly. Moriana pretended to read a book, but she got up from her chair several times to peer outside or leave the room.

  Moriana’s restlessness didn’t help Ari’s mood. Dona nudged her with her head, and Ari stroked the cat’s velvety ears.

  It was fifty-seven minutes before Andreas called. The hospital had run multiple tests, taken copious blood samples, but Ryan’s condition appeared to be unchanged. Neither better nor worse. He was in a coma-like state, but no one knew exactly why. The human doctors could find nothing wrong, and staff from the Magic Lab had been called in on a consult.

  Andreas insisted that Ari remain in St. Louis, and he put Claris on the phone to bolster his position.

  “You can’t come, Ari. Ryan wouldn’t want that. I’m here. His mom is here. We’re doing everything we can.” Claris’s voice broke, and she lowered it. “I can’t believe this is happening, but putting yourself in danger won’t help him. Or me.” She drew in a shaky breath. “As long as he’s not getting worse, I think the doctors will figure it out.”

  “How can…”

  A loud bang on the living room window brought Ari off the couch. “Not again,” she said in stunned disbelief.

  Dona hissed, sprang onto the windowsill, and yowled.

  Dozens of black wings beat at the windowpanes. Ari covered her free ear with one hand as Dona’s yowling and the crows’ cawing and scraping of claws created a cacophony of noises. Moriana whirled around the house increasing the wards and electrifying the windowpanes. The sparks set fire to the birds’ feathers, but every injured crow was instantly replaced by ten more.

  “Claris? Can you hear me?

  Andreas’s voice came on the line. “Arianna, what’s happening?”

  “The crows are here.” She yelled over the din. “Don’t worry. We’re safe. I’ll call back as soon as I can.”

  She dropped the phone in her pocket and turned to Moriana. “Can you get me out of the house unseen? Staying trapped in here won’t accomplish anything. And I should be at home.”

  Moriana hesitated a moment, then nodded. “I believe you’re right. Follow me.” She led the way into her meditation room, opened a cabinet, and pulled out a tiny vial of multicolored powdered crystals. “This is my strongest disguise dust. It will give you a few minutes of total anonymity. The crows will not see, hear, smell, or sense you during that time. From then on, it will be up to you. And the eagles.”

  Ari jerked up her head.

  “Acer’s waiting for my call,” Moriana admitted. “They’ll meet you by the Gateway Arch.” She cocked her head. “This is sooner than I expected, but something hasn’t felt right all day.”

  “There are too many crows for the eagles to fight.”

  “I don’t imagine it will come down to an actual fight, but let Acer be the judge of that. He knows their capabilities. He won’t place his wife or children in danger.”

  “If you’re sure, I can definitely use the help.” Ari picked up the bag she’d set near her bedroom door, then looked around for the cat carrier. She was surprised to find Dona already crouched inside. The cat hated the carrier, but apparently sensed the urgency and wasn’t taking any chance on being left behind. “Good girl,” Ari murmured. “I won’t keep you confined any longer than necessary.”

  Dona blinked her green eyes, and Ari grabbed the handle. “Ready.”

  Moriana followed her to the back door. Ari’s rental sat in the driveway, only ten feet away, but a thick cover of birds hovered between here and there.

  “First the powder,” Moriana said. “Then I’ll open a path so you can conserve your magic levels. You might need it.” She sprinkled the vial of crystals over Ari. “The birds may follow the car a short way, but since they can’t detect you, they’ll leave quickly.”

  Ari gave her a brief hug. The older witch seemed surprised but returned it.

  “Good luck, witchling. Bring your child to see me someday.”

  “I’ll do that.” If they all lived long enough.

  Moriana erected a beautiful, pale blue barrier—leave it to Moriana to add color—and Ari climbed into the car without incident. The crows followed less than half a block, then veered off. By the time the disguise powder wore off, Ari had darted through traffic, putting a mile between her and the house. Twenty minutes after that she approached the river and the downtown park with its famous arch.

  She turned onto Memorial Drive and spotted Acer’s human form waiting for her on the curb. It was hard to miss a tall man with long golden hair. She ducked to look up through the windshield and spotted four large eagles circling overhead. She pulled over, and he slid onto the passenger seat.

  He pointed ahead of them. “We’re going to take a left and cross over the bridge. The nearest area of potential cover is to the northeast. But we need to hurry. The bridge would be a bad place to get stopped in traffic. No protection, no quick exit.” He turned to lo
ok at her. “Sorry. I tend to think aloud.”

  “Not a problem. Just tell me where to go.”

  He pointed again. “There.”

  She turned into the lanes that led across the bridge. Traffic slowed but continued to move at a steady pace. They were nearly across when one of the eagles swooped in front of their car. Acer turned to look out the back window.

  “Holy smoke! We have company.” He rolled down the window and pointed to the sky as his body began to morph. “Follow my daughter. She’ll guide you.” Acer shook out his feathers and launched out the window.

  Ari’s gaze locked on the rearview mirror. The sky behind them held a fast-approaching black cloud. It sure as hell didn’t hold rain.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Bridge traffic was tight, but Ari spotted a break in the next lane. She tromped on the gas and cleared a Ford truck bumper by inches. Accompanied by honking and squealing tires, she wove in and out, moving inexorably forward. She switched her focus back and forth between the eagle above her and the cloud behind. The other four eagles streaked toward the advancing cloud, spread out to guard the maximum space.

  Ari’s heart raced, more frightened for the eagles than herself. She hoped Acer knew what he was doing. At the east end of the bridge, she lost track of them momentarily as she slammed on her brakes to avoid a side collision. Regaining control, she checked the rearview mirror again.

  The black cloud of crows had slowed; a few parts had broken off, moving away from the eagles. Even under magical compulsion, the crows were responding to innate survival instincts when faced with a larger predator. Considering the uneven numbers, it was probably an irrational fear. Then the rest of the dark cloud split—half swinging south, the other half to the north on a parallel course. The leaders began to curve toward one another.

  “Goddess, no.” Ari nearly stopped the car when the crows began to close the circle behind the eagles. Acer’s family would be surrounded.

  But the eagles weren’t so easily trapped. They banked and streaked upward, disappearing into billowy, white clouds. Ari caught her breath and focused on the road. Crashing her car wouldn’t help anyone.