The company daycare center was just a segment of a larger residential area. United Oil Refineries and Exploration occasionally housed refugee employees, as it had the Zambos when they first fled the Central African Republic. Office spaces were remodeled into small apartments. There were two classrooms and this, the brightly appointed daycare.
Since the refinery operated two to three shifts, depending on demand, parent employees sometimes needed their children watched after normal business hours, and there was even a room where kids could bunk overnight. Chelby was one of several daycare employees. At this hour, only a few middle school kids played video games, waiting for Mom to get off the swing shift.
Once inside, Chelby ran across the room. Her toddler wrapped arms around her legs as Chelby lifted the baby from the playpen. The only other adult in the room raised her brows at Chelby before facing Echo.
For a moment, she kneaded a thought. How did you tell a person that there was a lion in the hall? It had never come up before. It turned out, Echo didn’t have to. The shadow beast’s roar overrode even the video game noise. Everyone in the room froze. Except the baby, of course, Chelby’s little boy let out a screech.
Her little girl chattered at her in Sango, and while Echo didn’t speak the language, she understood the gist, as every sentence ended with “Mama?”
“This room isn’t secure,” Echo said. She wondered what room might be secure against a lion. “Where can we go to lock down?”
The other daycare employee blinked wide eyes. “Uh, the classroom across the hall. We can lock that door.”
“Is there a way to call security from in there?”
“Think so. I can always call on my cell.”
The woman’s name was Becky. Given the tension in the air, it didn’t take much for her to round up the other kids. Chelby gripped both of her babies. They moved as a group to the wide doorway.
Echo peeked out, looking both ways. For lion traffic, she thought, inanely. She nodded the others across. The lion roared again once they were all in the classroom. This time, there were wide eyes and silence. Not even Chelby’s baby made a peep.
“Stay here,” Echo said. “If there’s trouble, call security. I’ll send someone when it’s clear.”
“What are you doing?” Becky whispered. “If that’s what I think it is out there—”
“It’s not,” Echo interrupted. “Kinda, but not exactly. Hang tight. Try to stay quiet.”
Becky’s eyes darted to the two babies, the two middle-schoolers, and grew very large in reaction.
Echo patted her shoulder. “Try.”
Behind her, the door locked as Echo moved into the broad corridor. All around, she heard the deep rasp, the lion near, growling, prowling. She lifted the pendant from under her hoodie. She needed to drive the lion away from the children. Was it animal enough for her to control? Was she witch enough to control a lion?
Time for worry was over. On silent feet, the massive shadow predator turned the corner, green eyes aglow from its utterly black form. Echo took a steeling breath. Fingers on the pendant, she reached out to the lion’ mind. Did it even have one, or was it a mindless slave?
Behind closed eyes, she saw a vision—it was of herself, holding the pendant, fear making her face look constipated. She could see through the Adversus Lux’ eyes. Gently, she pressed against the lion’s presence. Maybe she couldn’t make it do The Wobble as she had with the squirrel, but with a little patience and a lot of luck...
Disconcertingly, the vision in her mind’s eye panned right. She lost sight of herself, the scene replaced by another hallway. Echo opened her eyes. Holy moly, she was doing it. She was driving the lion away.
HARVEST NEARLY COLLIDED with another car in the office parking lot, even though the lot was nearly empty. She swerved with inches to spare.
“That’s Dad,” Quinn pointed.
Parking the Constable-Mobile, both women jumped out. Dad hopped out of the rental, heading across the street.
“Dad, where have you been?”
“We’ll talk later. You have the spell. I heard it in my head.”
Quinn exchanged a look with her. Harvest raised her brows and a shoulder.
“I left Echo here to talk with Chelby. We heard the lion roar over the phone. But it can’t be Chelby.”
To Harvest’s relief, Dad nodded. “I’ve been sidetracked. Manipulated. I don’t know how.”
“There was a thing in your overcoat, a jade necklace.”
Dad pushed the front doors, but they were locked. “Damn it,” he said under his breath. “Keys are in my coat.”
Harvest stumbled, nearly falling over. Pain surged through her head with such intensity, all else faded from consciousness. She had no idea how much time had passed before she felt hands under her arms, supporting her. Harvest fought to stand on her own.
“Echo,” she managed to say. “Echo’s in trouble.”
Quinn took a step back, raising her hands. She shouted:
“There are no doors barred to me
for my words serve as a key
Bolt and bar and clasp and latch
By my voice, unlock—detach!”
Instead of the usual click of a lock undone, the doors blew inward, splintering free of their hinges and landing a few feet inside. Harvest stared at her older sister.
“Sorry, I’m a little worked up. Are you okay to go on?”
“What choice?” Harvest said, and stepped over the smashed doors.
ECHO WAS SURPRISED how easily she manipulated the enormous beast. She urged it along in front of her, and the Adversus Lux complied. While all of this was awesome, what the hell could she do with the thing?
Ahead, a set of stairs led down. The cellar. What had Mom said? Understand a shadow dies in the dark. Okay, it sure seemed dark enough down there. Echo steered the creature down. He looked at her over his shoulder, mane fluttering with the motions. But the monster still followed her orders.
The cellar was a gloomy maze of covered rolling carts, filing cabinets, framed rooms without walls, intersecting hallways, a mail room on the left, islands of sagging, stacked crates on the right, racks and racks of ledgers where the next hall ran perpendicular. While far away from the daycare, she was still taking a lion for a walk with no destination in mind.
To her surprise, the lion took the next left. Her heart beat faster. That wasn’t Echo’s idea. Faintly, she heard music. With nervous steps, she reached the intersection. No shadow lion in sight. Here, the music was slightly louder. All she could really detect was a driving beat.
The short hall featured massive pillars on each side. A hundred yards away, she saw streetlight dimly through windows near the ceiling. Echo thought she must be in the center of the cellar. She moved closer to the music. Light played on the floor, and she rounded an alcove to the right. Multicolored light spilled from beneath a door, shifting in time with the muffled beat. Cinderblock walls sweated, the door looked like riveted steel.
Glancing around for the lion, Echo realized it must have gone through this door. She’d seen it move through door gaps before. Her hand shook a little as she grasped the handle. Vibration played though the metal, the vibration of the beat.
Suddenly, the door wrenched open, ripping itself from her hand. Echo was assaulted by brilliant lights and pounding hardcore techno music. After the quite dark of the cellar, she was totally overwhelmed. Her pupils adjusted to the tiny rave, and she was even more overwhelmed.
Ava Taylor danced on top of a brightly patterned rug, wearing next to nothing. If the sound and light weren’t distracting enough, the near-nudity of the redhead shocked and embarrassed Echo. The woman was not agile, not graceful, her skin was slick with sweat. Ava tossed her hair to the beat, gyrating, bending, stamping her feet, clapping her hands.
She locked eyes with Echo, even as her wild dance continued. Echo hadn’t noticed how green the woman’s eyes were—as green as a shadow lion’s. Ava shouted, unheard above the screaming music, and made
a swiping gesture at Echo with her right hand.
It was there, right on top of her, black as night against the pulsing rave lights. The paw, bigger than her head, darted right for her.
Chapter 24
Quinn stared down empty corridors. How could they possibly find Echo in all this space? Her question was answered in the oddest way.
“Is that Angerfist?” Harvest cocked her head.
“What’s Angerfist?” Dad asked.
Quinn wasn’t exactly sure, but she had an idea. “Rave music. Who the hell would be blasting rave music?”
Dad quickened his pace. “Someone who wanted to go into a trance. C’mon.”
They followed their ears. It seemed to Quinn that the sound was coming from everywhere all at once. Still, Dad moved with purpose. He strode down the main corridor, made a left down a hall, then a right. Harvest still had a hand on her head as she stumbled to follow.
Quinn noted the music was definitely louder about ten seconds before they came across the stairs leading down. The pounding beat was coming from the basement.
“Dark down there,” she shrugged.
“Might be the best place for a darkness spell,” Harvest said.
In the cellar, once again it seemed the music came from all directions. Harvest pointed to the right. “There are flashing lights over there.”
They spread out, glancing down the intersecting hallways, empty and full rooms. Dad led them down a central hall that quickly opened up to reveal the brick pillars holding up the building. Harvest brought out her flashlight as the way darkened.
Dad stopped, gazing up. Quinn followed Harvest’s flashlight. Broken cobwebs. Echo had been this way. To her surprise, Dad reached up, pinching a web, and carefully pulling it out. She couldn’t even see the web, but he seemed to be pulling and looping it.
“Dad?”
He started, as if from a trance. “Yes, that’s enough. Let’s find Echo.”
Finally, they reached a short hallway lit by strobing color. To the right, a sheltered space glowed with a shifting halo. Quinn considered stopping to form a plan. Except the music suddenly came to a halt.
“Go!” Dad shouted.
THOUGH IT FELT LIKE every neuron in her brain was torn free by the root, Echo managed to get a handle on the lion as it struck. With painful effort, she was able to stave off the worst of its claws—but not all. Icy pain slashed through her face, her neck, her shoulder. Not fatal, she said over and over as she rolled from the big cat’s attack.
Panting, as if she were sprinting, Echo focused, getting both mental hands into the lion’s brain. Instead of wrestling with the beast, she found herself gripping both of Ava’s hands. They were locked in a battle for control of the murderous monster.
“The game isn’t over,” Ava whispered in her mind. “A daughter’s funeral will keep the father near for a time.”
“Leave my father alone,” Echo brain-shouted back. “He loves someone else. Move on, all ready.”
“Idiot. This isn’t about love. It’s about control. Once I’ve bound him to my will, nothing can stop us. We can overrun and rule a small nation. Perhaps even a large one. The power of two sorcerers in tandem—such unimaginable power!”
Ava was obviously crazy, but that only seemed to make her stronger. Could Echo fight against crazy strength? The beat still pounded, lights flashing, Echo felt herself slipping into a trance. No, fight it! You’re wrestling with a sweaty, mostly naked nutjob who wants to get in your Dad’s pants!
Echo realized that Ava was bearing down, driving her to the ground. Once pinned, would Ava’s face become a lion’s? Would she claw and bite Echo to death. There was no facing the woman head-on. Focusing, focusing, she forced away the kinda gross fight with Ava, coming back to the Adversus Lux. She didn’t try to turn it on Ava Taylor. That would take too much energy, and Echo was running out. Instead, she forced the lion’s swipe. Not against the dancing woman across the room (and simultaneously gripping Echo’s hands and shoving her around mentally), but into the flashing lights.
The lights were the front of a speaker. The lion smashed it over, the music quieting by half. In the room, Ava came out of her trance. In Echo’s mind, the woman leaped back.
“Ha!” Echo made a swiping gesture herself. The Adversus Lux took out the other speaker. The lights died, silence falling like a net. Ava, not very graceful to begin with, tripped over her own feet. She landed on her butt. The shadow lion turned to stare at her.
Echo thought this was her chance. Instead, Ava chanted, “Ho! Wahöngö! Ho! Wahöngö! Ho! Wahöngö!”
The Adversus Lux turned its gaze on Echo with a slow burn. Internally, she felt the thin reigns of control she had over the creature slip through her hands. Ava got to her feet, grabbed a wrap and disappeared into the dark.
Growl became a roar that made her guts go liquid. Echo backed toward the door. A tickle on her face made her raise a hand. Blood. She had been slashed by the lion. It could hurt her. That meant, it could kill her.
THE SKULL-CRUSHING music dropped in volume to ear-splitting, the light diminishing. Then, both suddenly stopped.
“Echo?” Harvest called.
The three of them raced toward an alcove formed of gray blocks. A figure appeared in swirling robes, and vanished down the hall. Words echoed in the space, too loud for a human voice to create, and yet only the single figure appeared.
“Ho! Wahöngö! Ho! Wahöngö! Ho! Wahöngö!”
“She’s sending the lion to kill us,” Dad said.
“Not on my watch.” Harvest raced down the dark hall after the cloaked shape.
“Harvest, no, wait, the spell!”
But she was already in hot pursuit. Sprinting all out, she quickly overtook the fleeing shape. From the flaming red hair, she knew it was Ava Taylor. Harvest was half a head taller, at least a decade younger. Putting everything she had into her legs, she tackled the redhead. Both of them sprawled across the concrete floor.
“Twih-witch, I’ll devour your heart!” From the volume of her robes, Ava came up with a wickedly curved knife. Harvest had seen one before. Dad’s.
“Is that how Ozzies do it?” Harvest crab-walked away, and pulled the gun out of her vest. “Bringing a knife to a gun fight? Drop it!”
Ava stabbed at her. Harvest couldn’t believe it. Her gun went off. A spark flew. The knife clanged on the floor. But Ava wasn’t attacking her. Instead, she stepped through a bright slash that hung in the air.
ECHO BACKED OUT OF the room, shooting a look over her shoulder. “It’s right there!”
“I got this. Listen carefully, Echo:
“Knit a net of night
Lock and latch the light
Luminescence ebb
Ebony my web!”
Echo barely cleared the doorway before the lion charged out. But the beast stumbled. It rolled on the floor, roaring. Quinn’s hands flew to her head. “Ow-ah!”
Echo took up the spell, repeating the words. Somehow, the spell had bound the lion. It couldn’t move, but it struggled fiercely. As the spell took hold, Echo felt the strain inside her. The spells, so strong, they were tearing her apart.
Yet across the room, they heard a voice cry out.
“Ava!” Echo said. “We’re doing it. Quinn, c’mon. Harvest! We need you!”
“Knit a net of night
Lock and latch the light
Luminescence ebb
Ebony my web!”
They recited together. Now, even more fiercely, the shadow lion struggled. It felt like it had its claws in their souls. Could they hold it? Could they turn the spell back on Ava? It was so hard, as if she was carrying buckets of water, the water sloshing whirlpools, heavy, so heavy. The ferocity of the creature threatened to pull Echo out of herself.
“I can help,” Dad said. From his jacket, he pulled a strange little mat. He then made odd looping gestures around it. After making an imaginary knot, he nodded. “We need Harvest.”
“Harvest!” Echo grabbed her he
ad against the agony. “Harvest, help!”
AVA’S EYES WENT WIDE with pain. “No, no! Not this way!” Then, the luminous slash swallowed her, and vanished.
“Harvest! Harvest, help!”
Holstering her weapon, she ran back the way she’d come. Quinn and Echo crouched low, both holding their heads. Between them, a shadow rolled on the ground. As it did, she could see her sisters’ feet sliding on the floor. The three were connected invisibly, but they seemed evenly matched. As she neared, she saw Dad making the strangest gestures. She then remembered the weird thing with the cobweb.
“The spell! Say it with us!” Quinn sobbed.
Harvest put her hand on each sister’s shoulder. “Okay, go!”
As they spoke the rhythmic spell, Dad raised his strange-looking mat. It seemed to be made of bark, sticks, string, just a bunch of junk. He tossed it at the bound, struggling lion. In the air, it turned blacker than night, and grew larger and larger. By the time it fell on the shadow lion, it was as big as a net.
As big as a net of night.
“Holy cow!” Harvest shouted as her brain took on the weight and power of the creature. But they had it. They had it pinned, netted, defeated. Why wasn’t it going away?”
The necklace. The jade necklace. “Echo, throw those green teeth at this thing!”
Echo’s face shone with sweat, wrinkled with pain and stress. Still, the girl reached into her pocket. It wasn’t much of a throw. More of a lob, really. But given their waning strength, Harvest couldn’t expect better.
The jewel teeth broke from their string in midair, each creating a tiny explosion of green light. Each strange little pop shrunk the lion. In seconds, nothing remained. Each sister staggered in a different direction, as if each had just won a very tough tug-o-war.
Distantly, they heard a scream. It went on and on, becoming fainter, as if the screamer had fallen into a very deep pit. Then, the cellar was filled only with the sound of heavy breathing.
Bewitched and Bewildered Page 11
