Wild and Witchy

by J. D. Winters

  I looked toward my car. I wanted to get out of there. I wanted to escape before that explosion took place. But when I looked back, he’d changed before my eyes. The anger, the passion evaporated and he was the Marcus from the beach again, all twinkling eyes and handsome charm.

  “It’s a shame you don’t remember how things used to be with us,” he said, his voice low and…oh what the heck, might as well say it. For the moment, he was out and out seductive.

  “We were getting quite close there at the end. There’s something that seems to strike just the right note when we’re together.” He touched my cheek softly, his eyes glowing with warmth. “I hope, when this is all over, we can give that another chance.”

  My heart was beating like a drum and I was breathless. But I didn’t want to be! I fought it off.

  Was it just because I was so suspicious of Marcus, or was it because I was so suspicious of everyone? Hard to tell. This guy was just naturally very attractive to me. While he was talking, I could hardly keep my eyes off him.

  And yet, I didn’t trust him. Not for one minute. Was it just me? Or was this danger I was sensing for real?

  Chapter 11

  “Get back to the point,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “What are you planning to do to the festival? How do you think you can use it to help?”

  “Your grandmother’s festival is a harvest celebration mixed with a paean to the founding days of the Haven. You do realize that the founders were supernatural, don’t you?”

  “Of course.” Though actually, I hadn’t thought about it.

  But it did make sense. I’d had a feeling all along that there was a magical element to this whole bonfire hocus pocus. To Gran Ana it was probably a renewal of the spirit of The Builders, a reminder to all the citizens that we exist under their protection.

  But what was it to Marcus?

  “I’ll tell you exactly what it is,” he said, making me jump again with his sharp perceptions. “It’s a great gathering of power.

  We can use the preternatural energy summoned to the festival for ourselves, to reignite memories. Yours and Celia’s and Roger’s.”

  “How do you know that will work?”

  His smile was enigmatic. “I have my ways, darling. And I know a few important warlocks. Don’t worry, as long as you help me, we’re going to get you there.” His smile faded. “But in order for that to happen, I have to know that we can trust you.”

  “Trust me?” Those words and the chill that had entered the air between us startled me.

  “That’s the question, Haley. Are you one of us? Can we count on you?”

  It was strange. Just as he lowered the tone and made things more ominous, I glanced out the window and noticed the werewolves seemed to be filtering back, slowly cruising into place on all sides of the VW bus. What was going on? I didn’t like it.

  Turning back to Marcus, I shook my head, suspicious and wary.

  “I can’t make any promises,” I said. “I don’t feel I can trust you any more than you feel you can trust me. Where does that leave us?”

  He shrugged. “If you won’t help me,” he said slowly, “I’ll have to find someone else who will.”

  He was threatening me, wasn’t he? Too bad. I wasn’t committing to anything. Not until I knew more about it.

  “What would I have to do?” I asked, trying to maintain a certain distance. I wanted to get my memory back, but not at any cost. I would only go as far as I felt comfortable going in order to make that happen. If that meant committing to being a part of their little group, no thanks.

  He moved closer so that he could speak more softly and still be heard.

  “There are three important items needed, all things that are fundamental to the rituals of the bonfire. First, the eternal flame must be present. Gran Ana or someone of her stature will use it to light the bonfire. This begins the process and will be the source of light for the connection to the spirit world. Our connection specifically to The Builders will be through the ash from past fires. Have you collected that yet?”

  I bit my lip, not thrilled that he knew about that. But maybe it was a normal part of all these local festivals. I’d never been to one before—at least not since the crash.

  “Don’t worry,” I told him. “The ashes will be taken care of. What’s the third thing?”

  “The third thing?” For just a moment, he didn’t seem to remember he’d mentioned a third thing. “Oh. Yes. I’m going to need a totem, some sort of small effigy that I can use to focus a spell. We’ll throw that into the flames once the bonfire is just right.” He shrugged. “Don’t worry if you don’t have one. I’ve got something we can use.”

  “So you need the eternal flame to be present, the ashes of The Builders to be present, and something to focus your spell on.”

  “Exactly. And I should have added the issue of timing. That is actually the most important element of all. We need to be very careful that everything is done at the right time. That’s why you need me to do this.” He grinned again, looking so maddeningly sure of himself. “I’ve got the magic in me and I know how to use it.”

  “Wait,” I said, struck by a scary thought. “What about Gran Ana? You won’t hurt her, will you?”

  He shrugged, hands out, and gave me a look of disbelief. “Why would I hurt her?”

  “Because…well, what you said about this all being her fault.”

  Another thought hit me as the words were coming out of my mouth.

  “But wait. How could it be her fault if she wasn’t even here at the time? Wasn’t she in France?”

  He shook his head. “Haley, don’t worry. Your grandmother won’t be a factor once you get your memory back. Her day will be done. Don’t you see that she’s been keeping you clueless in order to stifle your power? She knows you’ll take over someday. That’s why she can’t let you come into your full awareness.”

  “Awareness?” I echoed, not sure I understood what he meant, but pretty sure I didn’t like his attitude.

  But there was no more time to talk. The motorcycles were rumbling again. Randy, with his thick auburn fur…uh, hair…flying rode up close and called in to Marcus.

  “You got company, Dude. The cops are going to be riding up in just a few minutes to look for you.”

  “How is that possible? I thought this was sovereign territory.”

  Randy shrugged. “That pretty much just means they have to call ahead, but the locals don’t always respect tradition. They’ve got some hunters on staff, not fans of the clan.”

  “Damn,” Marcus muttered. “We need to go over a few more things.” He glanced at me and quickly made up his mind to flee. “Catch you later, babe. I’m going to have to gather my forces.”

  That was okay with me. I didn’t want to hang around to see what the police had to say. For all I knew, they might be looking for me too. And here we were in this wreck of a VW bus. Time to vacate.

  “Hey,” Randy said, talking to me this time. “Come on out and we’ll give you an escort down to the South entrance. You’ll miss the cops and have smooth sailing with us escorting you.” He grinned, looking very devil-may-care.

  I shook my head but had to admit I was happy for the help. “Thanks,” I said. “I’m on my way.”

  I waved at Marcus but he was already starting up his beat up old bus. I hopped into my car, checked that Shrimp was still okay, then headed out with werewolves all around me. But this time, they were on my side.

  The meeting with Marcus had been interesting, disturbing, and thought provoking in the extreme. I had a lot to think over. Once away from the werewolf escort and out on the highway again, I pulled over at a vista point overlooking the river and sat for a few minutes, going over what Marcus had said and probing my own reactions. How did I feel about it all?

  Pretty confused, if you must know. I didn’t have many options, and those I did have were conflicting in a bad way.

  What did I really want? To get my memories back I supposed. Funny,
that didn’t seem to be quite as overwhelming a need as it once had been. With my memories back, maybe I would remember things about people I now cared for that didn’t seem quite so warm and cuddly. There was always that risk.

  I could go to the law enforcement people and throw my lot in with them. They would ask me uncomfortable questions, but they would have my back in the end. At least, with Shane there, I thought they would.

  Or I could go to Gran Ana and demand that she tell me what the hell was going on. Yeah that would work.

  I groaned. In my dreams. That was a route I’d taken time and time again, and always to the same lack of reward. Gran Ana seemed to like things the way they were. She was only willing to allow me a certain leeway. When I got too close, she showed her teeth.

  Well, there was always Marcus. Did I trust him? Hardly. But why would I expect to trust a warlock? I assumed that was what he was. Some sort of warlock. He had magic, but not enough to command attention the way Gran Ana could do. So he was risking quite a lot by doing whatever he was up to at the moment. If my grandmother caught him at it there would be hell to pay. At least, that was what my instincts told me.

  No, I couldn’t trust Marcus, not until he showed a bit more of what he could do. If he was incapable of managing Gran Ana and her minions, he wasn’t much use to me.

  That probably sounds harsh and cold and evil—but I’m just being practical. I can’t go up against Gran Ana on my own. I know that. The only way I’ll ever be able to confront her with a believable challenge is if I come into my true magic and start performing.

  Or if someone more powerful comes to my aid.

  That reminded me—the bracelet.

  I pulled it out and looked at it. It was just a bracelet, made of twisted leather and pretty beads but it quivered with something else. I had a feeling Marcus had put some of his energy into it and prepared it to help me if I was flailing. Why else would he have insisted I wear it?

  “Thanks, Marcus,” I whispered into the wind, just in case.

  I put on the bracelet and held my arm up to look at it. Nice. I liked it. And maybe it really did make me feel more empowered. Something told me that might come in handy very soon.

  And just as I thought that, the sound of a motorcycle rumbled through the canyon. I tensed. There was no time to turn on the engine and escape, so I waited, heart beating, to see who it was going to be, and not surprised when it turned out to be Randy.

  He pulled up next to me, just as I’d been sure he would, looked over with a grin, kicked off his engine and swung off the hog, pulling off his helmet as he swaggered over to lean on my car.

  “Hey beautiful,” he said. “Goin’ home, huh?”

  “Hoping to,” I said crisply.

  He nodded his handsome head of thick reddish hair. He was a marvelous beast, more man right now than wolf, but still a bit of both. He grinned at me and somehow I couldn’t keep from smiling back.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll just keep you for a minute. I wanted to apologize for the way the boys were roughhousing with your little mouse or whatever he was. And I didn’t like the way they were pushing you around either.”

  I gave him a skeptical look. It seemed to me he was one of the main instigators of that roughhousing stuff. “Well, maybe you can convince them to cut it out a little quicker next time,” I said. “Like, maybe before they even start to use my property for a football.”

  “You’re right. I should keep those boys on a tighter leash,” he said, smirking just a bit. “I’ll definitely work on that.”

  “I’d appreciate it.”

  He was leaning closer and getting flirtatious now. “So I guess that means you’ll be coming back, huh? I hope it’s to see me.”

  I laughed out loud at his sly look. “And just why would I want to see you?” I said.

  “Oh, we could think of things, I’m sure.”

  “No doubt.”

  He made me laugh but this couldn’t go on forever. There were more serious things going on and I had a question or two I wanted to ask him.

  “Did you talk to the police yet?” I asked first.

  He sobered immediately. “No. I’ve been avoiding that.”

  “Why? Do you know something about the murder?”

  He looked at me sharply. “What murder?”

  I was pretty sure he already knew. “The man on the cabin cruiser.”

  He looked pained. “Poor old Sam Wellington? I heard about it. Tough luck. He was an okay guy.”

  He began to fidget and just about then, we both heard the sirens back down the road I’d come out on.

  “Uh oh,” he said with a shrug. “Better get back in there and see what’s up.” He leaned closer again for just a moment. “But listen, I wanted to tell you something. This is for real. Watch out for your guy Marcus, okay? Don’t trust him. He’s up to something.”

  That sent a shock wave through me. “What?”

  He gave me a wink and pulled on his helmet. “See ya, later,” he said, and swung back up on his bike and was gone with a lot of noise and a spattering of gravel.

  I shivered and started the engine up, heading back to town. Why was it that when everybody was warning me against someone it only put my back up? Probably a dumb way to operate. But it seemed to be my way.

  Chapter 12

  “Where’s Shrimp?” Mandy demanded the moment I stepped out of the car. She came running down the stairs to greet me, looking anxious. “Do you have him?”

  “Naw,” I said. “I had to leave him with the werewolves.”

  “What?” she shrieked, and I laughed.

  “He’s right here, silly.” I produced him and he made a dive for Mandy’s arms, chirping happily.

  They chirped together for a few seconds. I shook my head and went on into the bakery. I was dying for a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee.

  Krissy supplied both without even asking.

  “Rennie was here looking for you this morning.”

  I grunted. “Oh well. I’ll see her soon I’m sure.”

  “No doubt.”

  We smiled at each other and I felt the warmth of friendly companionship. You know that feeling when you both don’t say it, but you both know what you’re thinking? It was nice.

  “Any word from Shane?” I asked her as I savored a large bite of deliciously iced sweet roll. Krissy’s baked goods were the best, bar none.

  She shook her head. “Not that I’ve noticed.”

  I nodded. If Shane had been there, she would have noticed. They had some sort of history together that I wasn’t sure about, though I did know it hadn’t lasted as long as mine and his had. But at least she could remember it.

  She got a phone call and I went out into the back yard where we’d set up a picnic area with garden chairs and a small rickety table under a big walnut tree. I sat in the biggest chair and hadn’t taken more than two exquisite bites of my cinnamon roll before Mandy joined me.

  “Did Shrimp give you the lowdown on our trip to the country?” I asked a bit sardonically. “The inside scoop?”

  Her cheeks reddened with discomfort and I had a small flash of “gotcha” triumph, then regretted it. But come on. Basically, she’d sent that little creature along with me as a spy, hadn’t she?

  “No, that wasn’t it at all,” she said hotly, practically reading my mind, just like everybody else. She bit her lip and stared at me, grimacing. “Are you mad at me?” she asked sadly.

  I hesitated, then shook my head and smiled at her. She was a good kid and I understood her motives—and her impatience.

  “No, not really. I just wish you would let me know when you want to send Shrimp out to be my wingman. It would work better if we were coordinated, you know?”

  She nodded with an apologetic shrug. “You’re right. But it was a spur of the moment decision.”

  I studied her for a moment. Despite all this, I pretty much trusted her. She understood more of my supernatural background than anyone else other than my grandmother—and of cour
se, Bentley. She’d been through some of the same things herself. Maybe it was time to stop leaving her in the dark. She wanted to know more. I wanted someone to talk to about all this. It seemed like a match made in…well, maybe not heaven. But somewhere important.

  “So what did Shrimp tell you?” I asked her, trying to keep it casual. “Did he get any better read on this Marcus guy?”

  I offered up what was left of my cinnamon roll and she broke off a piece and handed the rest back.

  “Shrimp thinks you ought to be careful,” she said earnestly. “He doesn’t trust those people.”

  I gazed out toward the mountains for a moment, thinking that over. Okay, so the little chubby rodent didn’t like Marcus. I was pretty sure he didn’t have a lot of love for the werewolves, either. But was I really going to take advice from a precocious lab experiment? Not likely.

  Still, I needed advice. I needed someone to toss ideas around with. I knew I was going over to see Bentley soon, but in the meantime, it might be helpful to see what someone like Mandy thought of things I might be planning to do.

  “I don’t necessarily trust him myself,” I told her. “But I can’t ignore the fact that he knows what happened to me and seems to think he can do something about it.”

  “And what is that?” She was looking skeptical.

  I turned to catch her gaze. “He wants to capture the magic of the Festival Fire and use it to get all our memories back.”

  She was still meeting my gaze but not saying a word. I moved impatiently.

  “Come on, Mandy. What do you think? Should I help him? Or should I shun him and pass up this chance?”

  “My first impulse?” she said softly. “Run from him as fast as you can.”

  I nodded. “And that would mean running from this chance to fix things.”

  She nodded slowly. “I said that was my first impulse. But I’m doing a rethink. I think maybe…” She made a face and shook her head. “He says he was in the car that day, right?”