by E.J. Stevens
I blinked, surprised to see the door to Kaye’s spell kitchen just ahead. Now that we’d finally made it to the back of the shop, I was questioning the wisdom of this visit. I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to ignore the rolling in my gut.
I was going to give an impressionable teenage witch advice? Yeah, that was bound to go well.
Chapter 31
“Um, hi,” Arachne said, glancing at Forneus nervously. “Here’s your tea, Ivy. I made some sandwiches too. Thought you guys might be hungry.”
My stomach growled in reply, but I kept my eyes on the kid. She was babbling, overcompensating, and jumpy as hell—and it wasn’t because of the demons in her kitchen. Yeah, the kid and I needed to have that chat.
“Thanks,” I said.
I took the cup in both hands, heat leaking through my gloves. Oberon’s eyes, where to start?
A strangled utterance pulled my attention to Forneus. He’d stepped further into the room, the stone topped island no longer blocking his view of the spell circle—and Jinx. She lay there unmoving, and for a second I feared the worst.
“Arachne, is Jinx okay?” I asked.
I jostled tea and set the mug down with a clatter.
“What?” she asked. “Oh, yeah, she’s just sleeping. By the Goddess, Ivy, I would have called you if something happened!”
She sounded defensive, and more than a little angry. Good, she’d need that anger to give her strength. At least, that’s how I cope.
“She…she is dying,” Forneus said.
I tried to ignore the tears in his eyes and turned to Arachne. But what I saw there wasn’t much better. I sighed and ran a hand over my face.
“Give it to me straight, kid,” I said. “She’s slipping, isn’t she?”
Arachne had grabbed a towel to mop up the sloshed tea and now wrung it in her hands.
“My circle isn’t as strong as Kaye’s,” she said. “I’m keeping Jinx comfortable, but the incubus is still feeding from her. I’m blocking m-m-most of it.”
“But not all,” I said quietly.
“No, not all,” she said, lip quavering.
Shit, I did not need everyone to start crying. Not now.
“It’s alright,” I said, forcing a smile. “You’ve done good, kid. Leave the rest to me.”
I pulled out a chair and starting dishing out sandwiches. I set Sparky’s on the bench next to me and he dug into it with glee. At least someone was happy.
“Come on Forneus,” I said, slapping a hand on the chair. “We have a battle to plan.”
He pulled himself away from the spell circle and dropped into the chair, but kept his gaze on Jinx.
“Where’s Hob?” I asked.
Not that I was disappointed that the brownie hadn’t greeted us on arrival, but it was odd he wasn’t out here demanding his gift. I was worried that I didn’t have a gift suitable for this visit. What do you give a grumpy brownie for defiling his home with two demons? I eyed the hearth, skin already beginning to itch in anticipation. I hated being pixed.
“He left right after Kaye, singing something about pie,” she said, rolling her eyes.
I snorted. Pie? Hob must be off to visit Olga, the female gnome he was crushing on. What was it with everybody lately? I was surrounded by lovesick puppies. Was there something in the air?
I shook my head. At least Hob was safe in the suburbs, and I was off the hook as far as the proper gift went. Maybe Fate wasn’t such a bitch after all.
I narrowed my eyes at Arachne, and around a mouthful of sandwich, asked, “So, how’d you break Kaye’s demon vessel?”
The witch choked on her tea, sputtering and gasping for breath. But she wasn’t getting off that easy. Even Forneus broke his vigil long enough to turn a questioning eye her way.
“Yes, witch, just how did you release a plague of fire imps on this city?” he asked.
“I d-d-didn’t,” she stuttered.
I cocked an eyebrow at her over my sandwich.
“Come on, how else would you know about that artifact?” I asked. “Seems like way too much of a coincidence.”
I’d come to learn that coincidence usually just meant that there was a piece of the puzzle that needed putting into place—and there was a witch sized piece sitting across the table from me. Plus, I had seen the kid in the fire imp’s memories.
I waited while Arachne picked at her sandwich, covering her plate in bread confetti. She’d break, I just had to be patient.
I was giving her the eye, so was Forneus. Heck, Sparky had finished his snack and was peering over the table at her—though he could have been eyeing her sandwich. I wasn’t keen on the mayo and mustard sandwiches, but judging by how fast Sparky ate his, he sure liked them. Damn the little guy could pack away the food.
Arachne pushed her plate away and folded her arms across her chest. Sparky pointed at the plate and then at his chest and I nodded.
“It wasn’t on purpose,” Arachne said, scowling.
“I never said it was,” I said.
She flicked her eyes to Forneus and then down at her lap. Her face flushed and I realized that the kid was embarrassed. Crap, I couldn’t deal with another friend having a crush on the demon. One was bad enough.
At least Jinx was likely to ram him through with a letter opener now and then.
Forneus, to his credit, hadn’t even noticed. He was too busy watching Jinx, as if mesmerized by the rise and fall of her chest.
“Look, this can go one of two ways,” I said. “You can tell us, like an adult. Or you can keep it to yourself and live with the fact that not telling us might put us all in danger.”
Her eyes widened, but she nodded, finally making eye contact.
“I never meant to hurt anyone, Ivy, I swear,” she said.
“I don’t doubt that,” I said. “But one thing you learn in our world is that we’re bound to hurt someone someday. It’s part of growing up. What matters is how we handle the fallout.”
She swallowed hard, and placed her hands flat on the table. Yeah, she was growing up alright. There was a darkness in her eyes that hadn’t been there before today—a shadow of pain that would never fully go away.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” she asked. “I’ve heard sirens, but…I tried to ignore it. Up until now, it didn’t seem real. Like it was happening to people on television, or a video game.”
I’d always treasured Arachne’s innocence. It was something I hadn’t had the luxury of experiencing in my teen years. My psychic gifts had blossomed way too soon for that. But this wasn’t a time for treading lightly. Some lessons were best learned hard.
“This is no game, Arachne,” I said. “Whatever you did, those fire imps are making a mess of this city. People have lost their homes, their jobs. Before this is over, some may lose their lives.”
She sniffed, eyes red and full of unshed tears, but she didn’t look away. Maybe she was tougher than I gave her credit for.
“What can I do to make it right?” she asked.
That was the million dollar question, one that gnawed at me in the dead of night. I clenched my jaw and narrowed my eyes.
“You can help us plan the upcoming battle,” I said. “Tell us everything you know, and help us with any magic that you can. Are you in?”
“I’m in,” she said, steely resolve stiffening her shoulders. “And there’s something you need to see.”
She got up and strode over to the wall where a backpack hung from a hook. She pulled out a sweatshirt wrapped bundle and carried it to the table.
“I went into Kaye’s office looking for a book,” she said. Her eyes flicked to Forneus and she blushed again. “It was for a love spell. It was stupid.”
“Love spells never end well, you know that,” I said.
Damn, how could she be so foolish? She’d grown up around magic. She should have known better than to dally in that shit. Some forces are best left alone.
“In my many years of existence, I have never known that knowledge to stop hu
mans from trying,” Forneus said. My mouth fell open as the demon rose to Arachne’s defense. I hadn’t even been sure that he’d been listening. He’d been so wrapped up in watching Jinx. Apparently, he could multitask. “You would not believe the quantity of souls collected in the name of love. It can be a great strength, but an even greater weakness. None of us wish to be alone.”
“Point taken,” I said.
“So, um, when I tried to open the book of love spells, I knocked this over,” she said.
She removed the sweatshirt from a brass artifact similar to the censer that Father Michael used for burning incense in his church. She set the item in the center of the table with a thunk. It didn’t look like much really, but apparently it was the real deal.
Sparky let out a shrieking wail that sent goosebumps skittering up and down my neck. He pulled his long ears over his eyes like a blindfold and burrowed into my jacket. I didn’t push him away. My skin was covered, and the little guy was terrified.
“They all came pouring out so fast,” Arachne said, voice shaking. “I didn’t even react. By the time I ran out of the office, they had already gone to ground. There were just too many places for them to hide.”
“Wait, the shop didn’t fight back?” I asked. The Emporium often gave me grief. It seemed unfair that the shop’s magic hadn’t attacked the fire imps.
“No,” she said. “I don’t think it understood an invasion coming from within. It just…tried to push them out.”
“If that is the case, then it would have hastened their escape,” Forneus said.
Arachne gave him a grateful look, but when she turned back to me there was steely determination in her eyes.
“Help me make this right,” she said.
“Fine,” I said. I nodded. “Put that thing away before Sparky has a heart attack. We have a battle to plan.”
Chapter 32
Whoever said planning a battle was the easy part, never had to deal with a vengeful demon and a guilt-ridden teenage witch.
“You’re going to lure the fire imps to the amusement park where the carnival fae reside?” Arachne asked.
It wasn’t the first time she’d asked.
“Yeah, I’m going to sick their fiery little butts on The Green Lady, just as soon as you show me how to use that magic artifact,” I said.
“Innocent carnival fae could be injured,” she said.
It was a reasonable concern, especially since the kid was somewhat responsible for this clusterfuck. Heck, the idea of someone else getting hurt made my stomach twist into painful knots, but The Green Lady had put her people in the line of fire as soon as she attacked my vassal. According to fae law, her subjects were an acceptable loss—no more than collateral damage in our power struggle.
I wasn’t so callous, but I would grasp the opportunity to create enough mayhem to cover my entrance into her territory. In the ensuing chaos, I hoped to find the glaistig’s incubus and break his hold on Jinx—with my blades. If it gave the faerie queen a headache, then all the better.
“That’s why Ceff’s people will be on fire duty,” I said. “The carnival grounds are on a jetty that juts out into the harbor, which means the place is surrounded by water. With the kelpies there with their water magic, we can minimize the damage.”
“Um, okay, I guess,” she said. “If you think Ceff will get the kelpies to help.”
“Of course he will,” I said. “He’s Ceff.”
“Yes, yes, we have all been dazzled by your suitor’s heroism,” Forneus said, feigning a yawn. “Can we get on with the killing?”
I sighed, damn that demon. He wasn’t helping.
“No, not yet,” I said through clenched teeth.
Forneus was as bad as a sugared up kid on a road trip. Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Is it time to flay the incubus’ flesh from his bones? Thank Mab, I never planned on having rugrats. I didn’t have the patience.
“Not yet, not yet!” Sparky chimed in.
Forneus shot the tiny demon a glare and I covered my laugh with a cough.
“I still cannot fathom what possessed you to take a Tezcatlipocan demon as a pet,” he said.
“Tezcatliwhatchamacallit demon?” I sputtered.
Eyes bugging out of my head, I stared down into Sparky’s smiling face. Maybe it was the mayonnaise sandwich or the healthy dose of caffeine that helped to clear the brain fog, but I realized where I’d heard that name before.
According to Father Michael, Tezcatlipocan demon lords were the powerful masters of smaller demons. I also remembered that the Tezcatlipocan demons were also supposed to be huge, as in bigger than a super-sized bread basket. There was no way this little runt was Tezcatlipocan. Forneus was just messing with me.
“Stop yanking my chain, Forneus,” I said, rolling my eyes. He’d had me there for a second, damn him. “Tezca-whatevers are giants. And this kid is no giant. Even I can tell that much.”
“No, he is not a giant, yet,” he said.
“You mean he’ll get big…like a Saint Bernard?” Arachne asked.
“I mean, young witch, that if Sparky here were a puppy, he would grow to become a wooly mammoth,” he said.
My gut tightened and I tasted bile. There was truth in Forneus’ words, much as I loathed to admit it. If I stopped and gave it some thought, it made sense. I knew there was something different about Sparky. Though there were similarities, he wasn’t quite like the fire imps I’d chased earlier. My subconscious had already placed him in a different category altogether. Forenus was just giving it a name—one that I’d like to forget.
Fatigue and stubbornness had allowed me to ignore Forneus’ earlier comments, but maybe he was right. Or not.
“Wooooly mammoth!” Sparky exclaimed, gleefully crawling on the table holding two pickles to his face like tusks. Oh yeah, he was an evil demon lord. I was trembling in my boots.
Forneus had to be mistaken. And even if he wasn’t, and Sparky really was a Tezcatlipocan demon, I just couldn’t believe that the runt was evil.
“Come on, Forneus,” I said waving a hand at Sparky’s antics. “Does this look like an all mighty master demon to you?”
“Well, he is a bit unusual, but with enough training…” he said.
“Exactly!” I said. “Demon lords aren’t necessarily born evil.” Oberon’s eyes, did I just say that? “It’s that nature vs. nurture thing. If he grows up with me, instead of in Hell, then he’s got a chance, right? Everyone deserves a chance.”
Okay, some people would say that growing up with me would be just another kind of hell, but I wasn’t asking them. If Sparky wanted to stay, he was staying—come what may.
“Be still my heart,” Forneus said, hand to his forehead, feigning to faint. “Are you saying that demons are not inherently evil? You? I can scarcely believe my ears. What did you put in our tea, witch?”
“N-n-nothing,” Arachne stammered.
“Stop messing around, Forneus,” I said. “Yes, I might have been a bit…prejudiced before. Can you blame me? My own father was tricked by the big S man himself, and it’s not like you weren’t a manipulative prick on our first meeting.”
He raised an eyebrow, but a slow grin slid across his face.
“A manipulative prick?” he asked. “How gauche of you. It is not like I call you a stubborn prude with daddy issues, not to your face.”
My face flushed hot, but I just shrugged. Sticks, stones, whatever.
“He’s staying,” I said. “Get over it.”
To make my point, I picked up Sparky from where he was now sprawled out on the table and carefully placed the sleeping demon in my lap. I slid a throwing knife from its sheath and used it to clean my nails. The message was clear; mess with Sparky, mess with me and my collection of pointy things. The demon runt was now part of my ragtag family, such as it was.
Arachne’s eyes widened, but she gave me a thumbs up. It was nice to have the kid’s support, even if she was obviously freaked out by the fact that I was willingly touching
someone other than Ceff or Galliel. Oh well, she’d get over it. We all would. Everything was changing, even this.
“Soooooo,” Forneus said. “Can we go kill the incubus now?”
“No,” I said. “First I need to know more about how this artifact works. If we lure the fire imps to the carnival, can we force them back inside the vessel—after they’ve caused the glaistig some misery and provided our cover diversion—and put a cork in it?”
Arachne bit her lip, tugging on a chunk of purple-streaked hair.
“I can try to compel the imps to follow the artifact, since that’s the vessel they came from, but I can’t actually stuff them back inside,” she said. “I don’t know the original spell.”
“It’s a good thing then, child, that I do,” a voice said from the door. “I cast it myself.”
Oh, shit. Kaye was back.
Chapter 33
Kaye’s hands were moving, tattoos slithering and I was sitting in her kitchen with two demons. We were so screwed.
I cursed myself for my stupidity. I had my back to the door, leaving myself vulnerable. The fact that I had brought two demons into Kaye’s spell kitchen also wasn’t smart. She was going to be angry as hell, and pissing off a witch as powerful as Kaye was never a good idea.
I cradled Sparky in my lap with one arm and held up the other gloved hand toward Kaye.
“Kaye, wait, I can explain…” I said.
Black tendrils of magic sprung across the kitchen to stop within inches of Forneus, Sparky, and me. I licked my lips, heart racing. I had no doubt that the black mist could claw through our bodies, knocking us out of this fight, or killing us dead. Everything depended on what we said and did next. I just hoped that Forneus kept his sulfurous trap shut.
“You let DEMONS inside my spell kitchen?” she seethed, glaring at Arachne.
The young witch blanched and swayed where she sat. I was pretty sure the kid was going to faint, but there was nothing I could do. If I moved to hold her upright, I’d be in the clutches of Kaye’s magic talons.
