by Dianna Love
The dark spirits were holding Lanna’s arms straight out from her body. She screamed, “No! You will kill others.”
“But you will live. Stop making this more difficult.” Grendal stood up. “We’ll do it another way, but it will take longer.” He unzipped his pants.
Caron had seen enough. Her father would be angry if he knew she went into a fight without any idea of the power she battled, but she’d told him more than once that sometimes you just have to wing it.
First the spirits had to go, so that she faced off with only Grendal.
Calling up her majik, she revealed herself and ordered, “Spirits of darkness, release her now!”
The spirits howled and snarled, bouncing all over the room.
Why hadn’t that worked?
Grendal turned around with his pants falling down around his bony knees.
Oh, please. Not even an acid wash was going to wipe that creepy image from her mind.
“Who are you?” Grendal shouted.
How often did she answer stupid questions? Let me think on that ... never.
Caron dissolved her human form into a crystalized state that should protect her from anything Grendal came up with, but that didn’t stop him from calling up more spirits and bellowing curses at her. Caron attacked the spirits on their level, lashing out at each one with her majik. Energy clawed at her and punched her in the head. She wheeled sideways and spun around, grabbing both spirits in her hands and slinging them around and around.
Screaming and wailing filled the small room.
Caron had been trying to protect Lanna, but Lanna was in the way and was getting battered around, wailing in fear. It was time to end this. Caron called upon the wind from the north, hoping her idea would work. A frosty breeze stirred and grew, swirling through the room until it coated the frenetic spirits.
Gotcha, you little devils. With one slap of Caron’s power, the spirits exploded into tiny, ice-like shards that caught the light and fell to the floor.
Sparkles. Her gaze locked on the glitter and held. Until Grendal started yelling for Leeshen while trying to pull his pants back up.
Leeshen had been the overbaked guard, huh?
Lanna shook and cried, still hanging in midair.
Caron gently wrapped her arms around Lanna and moved her down to a bed, where the girl immediately curled into a ball. Caron said, “Stay here. He won’t touch you again.”
Sucking in breaths between sniffles, Lanna nodded without looking up.
Caron spun around and called up her solid form again.
“What are you?” he shouted.
“The last woman you’ll ever set eyes on.”
He opened his mouth to call forth his dark powers.
She moved so quickly he never spit out the first word. She wrenched his head off and slammed it against the wall.
She used her thumbs and forefingers to make a square and peered through it at the carnage on the wall. “Dang. Missed my calling as an artist.”
Chapter 35
Tzader shoved the last of the dead warlocks into a body bag and dragged it over to the side of the basement with the other four. Trey had one of their Beladors deliver the bags from a friend of theirs who ran a morgue in Chamblee. That same Belador would be back with a truck as soon as Trey gave word to pick up the bodies.
Someone had located water trickling in a stained sink, and Tzader used it to wash the blood from his hands.
When he stepped over to check on Mattie, she’d laid back and was holding her side, her breathing raspy. The burst of energy she’d had moments ago had subsided, but then again she had a few years on her. He asked gently, “How you doing, Mattie?”
She waved a thin hand around. “I’ll be fine as soon as I can get Sissy and the others home where I can take care of them.”
“I can have people here to move you with one phone call, but—”
“—Caron is a loose cannon when someone hurts her, but she’s far worse if they touch someone she cares for. Don’t blame her. It’s in her blood.”
What did that mean?
“Are we spending all day here?” Daegan boomed from the corner.
Mattie pushed up. “Hush. You’re getting on my nerves, young man.”
Tzader risked a quick look at Daegan, whose jaws opened, then snapped shut. Well, damn. That was a first.
“What is he supposed to be, anyhow?” Mattie whispered.
“Says he was a dragon cursed into being a—”
“Throne,” Daegan supplied. “Not bloody furniture.”
Tristan leaned forward where he sat on the ground next to Daegan. “Okay. What is a throne, if not a piece of furniture?”
“A seat of power, not a decorative bit of fluffy comfort.”
Trey walked by and muttered, “Semantics.”
Mattie tapped Tzader’s hand. He looked down. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Has anyone tried to break the spell?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Well, hell. Given her distaste for the Sterling witch, this would not go smoothly, but he wasn’t going to lie to Mattie. Tzader explained, “Adrianna Lafontaine has tried twice, but Queen Maeve cast the spell and it seems unbreakable.”
“Nothing is—”
Power surged into the room.
Everyone turned to the spot near Tzader where a shower of crystals announced Caron’s return. When she came into view, she held Lanna in her arms.
Tzader took the girl. “Lanna? Are you hurt?”
She was pale and sounded weak when she said, “I will survive.”
Solemn words from a girl who always had something snappy and lighthearted to say.
Evalle looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Lanna banana.”
That tugged a smile from Lanna. “Hi, Evalle. I think I know why I frighten Oskar. He smelled Grendal’s majik in my blood.”
“Huh. That’s possible.”
Tzader said gently to Lanna, “I’m going to send you with Trey. He’ll keep you until Quinn can come for you. Your cousin is in a Tribunal meeting right now.”
Lanna made a valiant effort to sound in control, but panic had burrowed deep into her psyche, and peeked out through her eyes now. “I want to go back home to Evalle and Storm’s building. I am safe now. Caron ... destroyed Grendal.”
Tzader had one piece of good news to give Quinn.
Storm showed up on the other side of Tzader. His tone was smooth and consoling. “Evalle and I have to help Tzader a little longer. We’d feel better if you were with Trey until we’re home, then you can come back to your apartment. Sound okay?”
“That is good. Thank you.” Her eyes drifted shut.
Tzader handed Lanna off to Trey, who lifted her into his arms, waiting for instructions.
Turning to the Fae, Tzader said, “Tha—”
“Tzader!” Mattie ordered with the strength of a general.
“What?”
“Do not ask for favors or thank the Fae.”
He knew a little about the Fae and had heard that, but wanted to know what Mattie would say. “Why not?”
“I know it won’t make sense to you, but it is practically insulting. Saying thank you for something they have gone to a great deal of trouble to accomplish is almost dismissing the deed as inconsequential.”
“That’s ... ” Tzader couldn’t begin to understand such nonsense.
Caron said, “I want no debts. What do you want for saving and protecting my family and their friends?”
Tzader angled his head toward Mattie. “Now what do I say?”
“Tell her what you want. You’re not asking for anything, just allowing her to clear a debt.”
His gaze jumped to the dragon. “Can she break a curse?”
“No,” Mattie answered before Caron could get the words out. “But I can tell you how.”
Adrianna had been resting in the shadows at the far end of the room, melting into obscurity when no one had needed her services. Now she strode forward. �
��I’ve already tried using an incantation that includes the reverse of what Daegan remembers as the specific curse.” She stopped at the foot of the table where Mattie was sitting.
The witches had a little stare-off for a moment, then Mattie said, “I argued against Rowan to keep you out of our council.”
Adrianna said nothing.
“But after hearing of how you joined this group of lunatics who went after one of Queen Maeve’s prized possessions—”
Growling rumbled from the direction of the throne, and smoke puffed from the dragon’s nose.
Mattie merely tossed him a look meant to let him know she was not impressed, and finished telling Adrianna, “I might have to revise that opinion. As for the curse, I can tell you how to do it based on some very old tricks of our trade, but even with the Witchlock power, that doesn’t mean you will be successful in breaking it in this realm. Some curses are bound by one realm and vulnerable in another.”
Daegan had remained silent during the exchange, but now he said, “She’s right. I mentioned earlier that I know of a place the reversal would have the best chance of working.”
Mattie twisted toward him and her tone changed from polite to one of blasting reprimand. “Trying to break your curse anywhere else than the ideal spot is risky for everyone involved. Reversing a spell by a powerful being is a dangerous proposition to begin with.”
Tzader’s gaze narrowed to a sharp edge when it sliced at Daegan. “Where is this ideal place?”
“Does it really matter, when your gryphon can’t take us anywhere?” Daegan snapped back at him. “Besides, I’m beginning to doubt Adrianna possesses enough power or skill to break the curse.” He cast a surly look her way. “No insult intended.”
Adrianna wheeled on him. “If I can’t do it with Witchlock, then you should prepare to spend the rest of your life as furniture. No insult intended.”
Daegan growled.
Caron looked at Mattie. “Is this going anywhere?”
“Patience, dear. We will leave in a moment.” Then the elderly witch told Daegan, “Adrianna is correct. Witchlock is as ancient as you are.” She swung her attention to Adrianna. “However, where you have power, I have experience. Come closer and I’ll tell you what you need to know. This is for no one else’s ears.”
The room seemed to hold its collective breath as everyone waited to see what Adrianna would do.
She stepped over to the older woman and leaned down to where she was sitting. Adrianna’s expression went from stiff to interested to a surprised frown as Mattie whispered to her.
Adrianna finally stepped back. “Really. That works?”
“Yes.” Mattie smiled with the kind of quiet smugness due a woman of her years.
“If everyone is finished swapping curse recipes, I want to wrap this up and get these women out of here,” Caron announced.
Tzader bit his tongue to keep from pointing out they had all been waiting for her, but the woman had saved Lanna and dealt with Grendal. He’d cut her some slack.
“Daegan,” Tzader called over. “Where is this perfect location?”
“Treoir Island, of course. That’s why I kept saying we have to go there.”
Evalle murmured, “I thought you were saying it because we have to get to Brina.”
“That’s correct as well. Matters not either way, if we can’t go.”
A hologram began to take shape near Daegan. When it fully formed, it was Brina clutching the scale, now faded to a pale pink like a red mint that had been sucked on.
Tzader’s heart started pounding. He looked at Daegan, who said, “The scale is losing its power.”
Brina said, “I came to say goodbye, Tzader.”
Her words filled his chest with ice water.
She looked at no one but Tzader. Could she even see anyone else? He said, “Don’t give up, Brina. I’m on my way to see you.” As soon as he figured out how to get there.
“It’s not necessary,” she said in a flat voice, as if she read her words from a script. “Macha explained how you hate life on Treoir, and that it’s my duty to tell you that Allyn and I will be wed within the hour so this is goodbye. She wants me to stay safe inside the castle until I can produce a child.” Brina’s image wavered, vanishing.
Tzader roared, “Brina!”
But she was gone.
He couldn’t breathe. Macha had taken Brina from him. No, this couldn’t be happening. His hands fisted. Power warped inside his body. “I’m going to kill that bloody goddess with my bare hands!”
“You’ll wait in line behind me!” Daegan declared. “Take me to Treoir, now!”
Tzader shouted back, “Are you sure we can break it there?”
“Yes. I’ll tell you everything as soon as I’m freed, but we need to leave here before Queen Maeve catches up to us or Macha marries Brina to someone else. Once Brina gives her wedding vow, she cannot break it.”
Tristan stood up. Dried blood still speckled around his ears and nose. “I can give it a try, but I might kill all of us.”
Caron was tapping her foot. “Would someone give me the bullet points so we can wrap this up and let me leave with my family?”
Tzader felt Evalle’s hand on his arm. That stalled his outburst that had been building all evening.
Evalle told Caron, “To break the curse on that dragon called Daegan, we have to take him to Treoir Island, which is hidden in another realm. Then Daegan says he can bring back the memories that our warrior queen, Brina, is losing due to a Medb Noirre attack. Tristan—” She nodded at him. “Has been teleporting us, but he wasn’t born with the gift so his power to do that is limited. He’s maxed out after three trips in a few hours, and his head’s going to explode if he tries to take me, Tzader, Storm, Adrianna, and the dragon with him to Treoir. That simple enough?”
“That works.” Caron was back to tapping her chin with her nail, thinking. She asked, “Who’s going to transport these women to Mattie’s home?”
Trey spoke up. “I’ve got three ambulances operated by Beladors standing by. They can carry two patients each. They’re sitting a mile away, waiting for my call. Our warriors will keep watch over the women in transit and at Mattie’s home if she’ll allow that.”
Bless Trey for knowing his way around witches. He aimed a questioning look at Mattie, and the elderly witch nodded her agreement. Caron looked to Tzader. “Get your group together. I’ll teleport you, then my debt is paid.”
“Really, you’re—”
“Are we going to talk or go? If you cost me another ten seconds, I’m leaving.”
Tzader turned to gather his group around Daegan, but they were already hurrying to take their places. Adrianna dropped hard onto the throne seat.
Daegan cursed in Gaelic.
Adrianna’s eyes twinkled. “Careful what you suggest. I could give you the ability to do that by yourself.”
Trey called out. “Ambulances are on the way, coming in with no lights or sirens. I’ll have these women to Mattie’s house ASAP.”
Caron gave him a nod and touched Tzader’s shoulder.
He got a sizzle of power that shocked the hell out of him, and he had a feeling she was holding back.
She told him, “You’re driving. I’m just giving you the power to get there. Focus on exactly where you want to land. The minute we arrive, I’m out of there. I am not battling a Celtic goddess for any of you.”
Tzader said, “Everyone make contact. We’re leaving.”
Chapter 36
Tribunal meeting, Nether Realm
Perspiration trickled down Quinn’s back. He was trapped in this Tribunal meeting and Queen Maeve was the one holding the trip wire.
Why was she here if she knew about her throne being stolen? That was the only possible theft that had been committed by Beladors.
Did she see this as the perfect chance to shove Macha and the Beladors completely out of VIPER? Maybe that’s the war Adrianna had been dreaming about.
Cathbad and the queen we
re smug in their silence, waiting to humiliate Macha. That would make the Belador goddess even more furious. Quinn prepared to face her wrath, glad he’d put his foot down to keep Lanna out of all this.
If only he had a way to warn Tzader and the rest of the team.
Were they already locked in Queen Maeve’s dungeon, or was she allowing them to run, giving them the rope to hang themselves once they were caught red-handed? Hope flitted through his chest that Adrianna had been able to break the curse and free the dragon.
Quinn’s freedom was a lost hope at this point, but the dragon might be able to save the others. Or buy them time to escape.
Light flashed between him and the Tŵr Medb pair, drawing everyone’s attention to Macha, who had dressed to dazzle. Her hair shimmered in deep-auburn waves and the gown she’d chosen for this face-off was of a rich, green color that flowed and shone as though made of flexible lacquered paint.
Queen Maeve yawned.
Cathbad ignored her.
Macha could see everyone from where she stood. When her head swiveled to her right, she raked a merciless glare toward Quinn.
Smiling as if he found all of this entertaining, Loki said, “This is the last time I will be part of any Tribunal held to discuss the gryphons or any other conflict between the Beladors and the Medb.”
Varpulis and Ma’at both agreed.
Continuing, Loki said, “Queen Maeve has asked that we address a theft of her property, and frankly, after listening to the longest opening speech ever for a Tribunal meeting by this Belador Maistir, I’m inclined to make a swift decision and end this.”
Macha’s lips tightened at the embarrassment Quinn had wrought on her, but with the hole he’d dug for himself, he could only go up.
Queen Maeve tilted her head at Loki. “Thank you all for your patience. I would like to point out that I’ve answered questions raised by Vladimir Quinn about my involvement in missing white witches. I ask only that I am given equal respect for my questions.”
Quinn didn’t need Macha to look his way to know she gritted her teeth. The minute she had no audience, she would demand to know how white witches were her problem and why he’d created this fiasco with a Tribunal.
