by J. C. Diem
Rudy puffed his chest out, proud that his kin had helped save the day. Their particular talents had indeed played a part in saving humanity from enslavement, or worse.
“How do we kill the trolls, then?” Pru asked.
“With fire, acid, or by beheading them,” I said, reading it from the summary. “They can heal even the worst injuries if even a tiny amount of life is left in their bodies. Beheading them to be sure they’re really dead is highly recommended.”
“That might not be easy,” Harley said worriedly. “This thing is big, fast and practically invisible when it wants to be. We’ll be hunting it in its territory. How the hell are we going to take down more than one of them?”
“How many trolls will it be bringing back with it?” Asha asked, then bit her thumbnail in apprehension.
“Forest trolls live in colonies of up to twenty,” I read from the list. “Like other trolls, they build tall mounds that act as entrances and tunnel out intricate passageways that connect together with other colonies of their kin. They have summits in a central area every decade or so to trade and find mates.”
“Twenty trolls?” Rudy repeated, voice rising so high it was almost painful to hear. “We can’t fight twenty of those fecking things!”
“Mind your language,” Pru snapped at him.
“If we have to use fire, we’ll end up burning the whole forest down,” Harley pointed out. “It could even spread to the town.”
“We won’t be going to them,” I said almost absently as a plan began to form in my mind.
“You’re going to lure them somewhere else?” Rudy asked, knowing me well. “What will you use as bait?”
“According to this summary, forest trolls are extremely territorial. All we need to do is invade their lair, then they’ll be compelled to hunt us down and kill us for trespassing. They have poor eyesight, but their sense of smell is acute and they’re adept at tracking. The trolls that used to live here had magic, but I didn’t sense any when we visited any of the places this one snatched the humans from. I’m hoping these trolls won’t have any magical abilities.”
“That’s your plan?” Pru said crankily. “Sneak into their lair, then make a run for it and hope they follow us?”
“We’ll set a trap for them,” I reassured her. “They’re smart, but they’ll be so enraged that I’m hoping they won’t realize the danger they’re in until after they’ve sprung it.”
“This sounds dangerous,” Asha said, expression anxious.
“All of our missions will be dangerous to some extent,” Rudy told her. “You get used to it after a while.”
Brandon shook his head in disbelief at the leprechaun’s cavalier attitude. “Even with your talents and abilities, I’m not sure the five of you will be enough to take on up to twenty trolls.”
“There’s six of us,” I corrected. “We have a ghost on our team, too. His name is Leroy Lacrosse.”
“Is he here with us right now?” the Archivist asked, looking around as if he would suddenly be able to see the phantom.
“Pru hasn’t bound him to an object yet,” I replied. “That’s the next task on our agenda. A poltergeist will be invaluable when dealing with foes like these.”
“I’m sure he will be,” Brandon said, then gulped. “Will you be calling in the Hunter Elite to assist you?”
“They’re somewhere in Europe right now, dealing with something nasty,” Rudy told him. “We’re going to be on our own. Human hunters won’t be of much help. No offense, Harley.”
He flicked a look at Harley to see the kid glowering at him. “The Alpha Team took down a lot of things most humans would have run screaming from,” Harley said tightly.
“We don’t class you as an ordinary hunter,” I said to soothe him. “You have specialized knowledge and experience.”
Placated, the kid took a sip of coffee and snatched up another cookie. He’d polished off half the plate of snacks by himself.
“It looks like I’m going to need to learn how to cast a lot of spells I’ve never even heard of before,” Pru said worriedly. She was already feeling the pressure and we hadn’t even started our mission in earnest yet.
“I have a number of spell books you can search through,” Brandon offered. “Just tell me the sort of enchantments you need and I can point you in the right direction.”
“Any spells that have something to do with creating fire would be good,” I suggested. We needed offensive enchantments as well as defensive ones. Pru wasn’t strong enough to cast most of them, but I would give her the boost she needed to pull it off, or so I hoped.
“I’m not going to be of much help,” Asha said apologetically as the Archivist escorted the witch to a bookcase at the far end of the room. “I doubt plants will be a match for trolls.”
“Dryads can do more than just use plants to protect themselves,” I told her. “The book I read said you should be able to harness your power and use it in a variety of ways.”
“Did it say how I can do that, exactly?” she asked.
“Nope. Nothing is that easy.” Her expression fell at my answer. “I can help you learn,” I added. “I’ve spent the past few months delving into my power and I’ve picked up a few things that might be useful to you.”
“You’d better get started teaching her asap, boss,” Harley suggested, then seemed surprised by the title he’d just given me. “By the way, are we going to get paid for the work we do?”
“I have plenty of money,” I reassured him. “We can work out a salary that you’ll all be happy with.”
“Who pays you?” Asha asked.
“No one, sweetheart,” I replied with a lazy grin. “I’ve invested wisely over the years and I’ve managed to amass a fortune. I have enough money to last us all for a considerable length of time.” I had more than enough to supply the team with a healthy salary. Rudy would be insulted if I offered to pay him. Something told me he had more gold stashed in his secret lair than a person could spend in ten lifetimes.
Pru and Brandon were gone long enough for us to wander to the kitchen upstairs to make lunch. They tracked us down and joined us just as I placed a gigantic plate full of sandwiches on the table. It was large enough to seat ten people and could easily accommodate us all. “How did you go?” I asked, noting the folder Pru was holding.
“Young Mr. Cooper made copies of a bunch of spells that should be useful,” the witch replied as she took a seat.
“We found a few that deal with fire and Pru asked for a few more that were a bit obscure,” our host said, then reached for a sandwich. I slid a plate over to him and he nodded in thanks. I was a stickler for keeping the kitchen clean.
“What other spells did you need?” Harley asked.
“I found one that will help you resist Asha’s allure,” she said. “It’s way beyond what I’m capable of casting right now, but I’m sure Jake will help me cast it when we locate the items we need.”
Harley brightened at the prospect that he would be able to function like normal once she’d cast that spell. “How about the fire spells? Will you be able to cast them?”
“Some of them,” she replied. “You really need a witch with more power than I possess.”
“I have an item that might be of use,” Brandon said tentatively with a furtive look around to make sure no one else had suddenly appeared to overhear him divulge his secret. “I found it hidden in a false book shortly after I was assigned here a year ago.” He motioned for us to stay put. “I’ll be back in a moment.” He stood, leaving his half-eaten sandwich behind as he strode away.
I heard him rapidly walking to one of the bedrooms in the rabbit warren of hallways. He rummaged around in a dresser, then slid the drawer shut and returned carrying a small blue velvet jewelry box. “I think this might boost your power,” he said and handed the case over. “The note that was in the book with it hinted as much.”
Pru opened it and gaped at the bejeweled brooch. It was in the shape of a dragonfly, with diamonds
, sapphires and emeralds for wings and rubies for eyes. I could feel power pulsing from it. “It’s beautiful,” she breathed and picked it up. The moment she touched it, her back went rigid as she saw a vision. “Your plan is going to work,” she said to me, then slumped a little when it passed. “The trolls will be savage with rage when they return and discover that their lair has been invaded. I saw them following us directly to a trap, then my vision cut off.”
“Does that mean we’re all going to die?” Harley asked jokingly. His amusement faded when she gave him a grave look. “We’re not going to die, are we?”
“I don’t know,” the witch replied. “It’s a distinct possibility.”
“No one is going to die,” I said before panic could spread through our group. “Rudy can teleport us away if we get into any trouble. Leroy can use the veil to shift us as well. Assuming he’ll be bound to something before we lay the trap.”
“He’ll be bound,” Pru confirmed. “I saw him in his poltergeist form this time.” She shuddered at the image she’d seen. “He’s far scarier when he goes to the dark side.”
“His purple suit doesn’t exactly scream ‘dangerous’,” Harley said with a forced smirk.
“I’ve seen worse,” I said dryly. Ari’s best friend, Jonah, was cursed to wear a powder blue safari suit for all eternity. A purple pimp suit and matching fedora wasn’t much better, though.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Now that we had the knowledge we’d sought, Brandon escorted us back to the surface. “I’ll have to let Ms. Harwood know about your visit,” he said, drawing me aside while the others strode over to my truck. “We’re to inform her of any interaction we have with you and exactly what you’re researching.”
“It sounds like she doesn’t trust me,” I said wryly. The feeling was mutual. Like her predecessor, she was adept as scheming and manipulation. At least she wasn’t a demon, at least as far as I knew anyway.
“The Master Archivist is interested in the goings on of all hunters,” Brandon said, attempting to defend his boss. “Especially the supernatural ones. She feels it would be best if hunters with power like yours are kept under observation.”
“Is Sheridan afraid I’ll snap and go on a killing spree?”
“Of course not,” the Archivist said unconvincingly. “But, you do have the Unseelie rage, or so it’s rumored. That sort of power could end up being dangerous.”
Harwood knew even more about me than I’d realized if she knew my true lineage. “Tell your boss I have a handle on my rage, but it doesn’t take much to awaken it. If I discover she’s keeping me under surveillance, I will not be happy.”
Understanding the unspoken threat behind my words, he nodded slowly. “I’ll pass your message on, Mr. Everett.”
“Call me Jake, son,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Mr. Everett is far too formal.”
He gave me a weak smile and sidled towards the door to his cottage. “It was a pleasure to meet you all. My door is always open if you need to do some more research.”
I nodded, then turned and strode for my truck. He would no doubt be on the phone to the Master Archivist before we left the property. Sheridan Harwood was far too interested in me for my liking. I didn’t know what her real agenda was and I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out.
Pru took the front seat this time, relegating Harley to the back. He accepted the demotion with a roll of his eyes. The witch needed to concentrate as she read through the spells she’d acquired. She was able to tune out our chatter and focus on her task. She’d placed the dragonfly brooch in her purse rather than donning it. I had a feeling she was going to have to acclimatize herself to the influx of power it would give her. Wearing it constantly would be too much for her until she learned how to handle it.
Leroy was standing at the window next to the front door when we returned. He hated being left behind. It wouldn’t take much to persuade him to agree to become bound to an object. He’d probably already made up his mind to come with us on our missions. Rudy and I had been regaling him about the antics our ghostly friends had gotten up to. Hearing that other phantoms were heroes had made him slightly envious. Although he’d been a criminal, he didn’t seem like a terribly bad person. He’d treated his prostitutes well compared to most pimps, or so he’d said.
“I’m going to need coffee,” Pru said, directing the order at Asha. “Will you agree to being bound to an object?” she said to Leroy.
Thinking it over, he finally nodded. “I agree. I just hope I’m not making a huge mistake trusting you mahfas.”
Pru frowned in annoyance at his continued usage of swearwords, then turned to Harley. “Head to town and get me this list of components.” She’d written out the list during the drive and handed it to him. “Jake and Rudy, you can help me make sure I’m understanding the spell correctly.”
“What about me, she-honky?” Leroy asked belligerently.
“Stay out of my den until we need you,” she replied. “You’ll just be a distraction. And don’t call me she-honky!”
The phantom smirked, then followed Asha to the kitchen, presumably to annoy her. The dryad still didn’t know what to make of him and didn’t retaliate to his insults like the rest of us did.
Neither Rudy, nor I had much practice with casting spells. Our talents didn’t lie in dealing with enchantments. Our magic was innate and didn’t generally need components and chants. Yet we’d both seen the process enough times to at least be able to help in some way.
We dutifully followed the witch to her den in the basement. She placed the folder full of spells on her desk and flipped it open to the enchantment that would bind Leroy to an object. “This is going to be a doozy,” she predicted as she read through it again.
“Even Ari was knocked out the first time she cast this spell,” Rudy told her. “And I mean that literally. No offense, but you’re nowhere near as strong as she is.”
“The brooch and Jake will give me the boost I need,” she said, taking no insult. She knew her power was moderate at best. “I’ll need time to recover afterwards, but at least it won’t kill me.”
“You saw that in your vision?” I asked.
“I saw myself in the field where I’ll be setting the troll traps, so I assume I’ll survive this spell.” Her logic was irrefutable. “I’m going to read the spell aloud. Correct me if I get any of the pronunciation wrong,” she instructed.
By the time Harley returned a couple of hours later, Pru was ready to cast the spell. The hunter carried a bag full of components to the den, then hastily retreated back upstairs. He wisely wanted to be out of the blast zone just in case anything went wrong. I could hear Asha in her bedroom, reading one of Pru’s books. The witch had brought a suitcase full of them and had stored them in a large bookcase in her room.
Sorting through the bag of ingredients, Pru arranged the components in the order she would need to use them in. “We need an object to bind Leroy to,” she said.
“Who is going to be the ghost’s puppet master?” Rudy asked, then answered his own question. “You will, of course, lad,” he said, directing the comment at me. “I have a collection of jewelry you can choose from. What would you like to use?”
“A ring would probably be the best choice,” I replied. It could be quickly and easily removed and passed to someone else if needs be. It also wouldn’t stand out.
Tilting his head to the side, the leprechaun sized me up, then held out his hand. A plain silver ring appeared on his palm. It was small enough to fit on my pinkie finger. “Will this do?”
“It’s perfect,” I said with a nod of thanks. I didn’t want anything fancy that someone might be tempted to steal from me.
“Here we go,” Pru said and took the ring from Rudy. She placed it at the end of the row of components, then took a seat. The leprechaun was sitting on the desk with his legs dangling over the side. I stood on the witch’s left, ready to lend her some of my power when she needed it. She took the jewelry case out of her po
cket and donned the brooch. Power immediately swelled and she looked at Rudy. “Can you please go and get Leroy?”
He vanished and returned a few moments later with the phantom. “Is it time?” the ghost asked. He was both anxious and eager for her to cast the enchantment.
“It’s time,” she replied. “Stay close to me and don’t leave the room.” For once, he didn’t have a snarky reply and obeyed her order without question.
There were a lot of stages to the incantation. It involved mixing ingredients and speaking certain phrases at the same time. More power began to rise as the spell progressed. Sweat gathered on Pru’s forehead and the tension in the room was thick. Even with the brooch, she was barely strong enough to handle it.
Mixing the final component into the concoction, she chanted the last line of the spell, then dropped the ring into the cauldron. “Leroy Lacrosse, I bind you to this ring,” she intoned. “Become one with it so that you can be called to our service whenever we have need of you.” I’d instructed her to alter the spell slightly to include all of us rather than just one person as it was intended to be. Maybe then the ghost wouldn’t form a bond to the bearer of the ring, who would most likely be me.
Leroy gasped in agony and bent over. He put his hands on his chest as some of his essence was drawn towards the cauldron. A thin cloud of white fog drifted from him and was sucked into the ring. It blazed with light that almost blinded me, then it was Pru’s turn to feel pain.
The spell required energy from both of them, but mainly from the witch. I could feel her strength draining into the ring as the ghost became bound to it. Putting my hands on the witch’s shoulders, I caught her before she could fall off her chair and poured my power into her. Rudy uttered a curse as some of my energy was also drawn into the enchantment. With a final flare of gold light that was flecked with black, the spell came to an end.
Chapter Twenty-Three
