by Martha Carr
“We go in under a glamour that won’t hold the closer we get. And then we take down as many as we can. Our goal is to let out the shifters.”
Louie stopped moving the sword back and forth and wrinkled his forehead. “What the fuck are you talking about, lady? Isn’t that the army we will have to fight?”
“I’m guessing that’s not the whole truth.”
“Fuckin’ A. And you’re guessing our limbs at best and our lives at worst if you’re wrong.”
“Something like that.” Leira was making herself take measured breaths, feeling the energy trails around her. Traces of dark energy were everywhere but all of them fading. “The families are out… or at least most of them are. We might just have the element of surprise. I don’t think they realized we could find them so easily.”
“Then let’s get to it. Find out if a shifter still has a conscience… or even thinks at all because we roll like that.”
Leira pulled in energy through her feet, letting it power up through her spine and out her hands, the symbols appearing, flashing over and over as her eyes glowed. The air shimmered around them as they became transparent to anyone looking out of a window, invisibly moving through the vineyard.
Louie glanced over at Leira’s arms trying to read some of the symbols, his eyes widening as he saw the rapid report. “For the love of… your magic is predicting outcomes. Fuck… we do not win in all of them.”
“What’s the fun in knowing you will win? Odds never been against you before?”
“That’s kind of an average day for me.” Louie let out a sigh and gripped the sword tighter. Stay aware. The sword was speaking to him again. He was taking small comfort from the lack of general panic from the weapon.
“You look a little freaked out, Louie. Jackson led me to believe you’d seen your fair share of shit going down.”
“That’s usually shit I’m actively running from with some sweet prize in my possession. I’m a virgin at seeking it out and walking right into it.” They were midway through the vineyards as Louie saw something pass an upstairs window of one of the buildings. He instinctively stopped and had to walk faster to catch up with Leira. She had made peace with what was to come and her jaw was set. “Damn, girl, I take it going at trouble is kind of your thing.”
“You might say that. More of a career for me. Okay, from here out we go silent. You watch me for signals. No one should be able to see us…”
“Should?”
“There’s very powerful old magic used here. The kind that’s supposed to be illegal on both planets. I can’t guarantee we won’t step over some line and find ourselves bare naked so to speak.”
“Great. And we’re an army of two… You never did answer me. Before we go in, how many shifters are we setting loose?”
“It’s an army of three. Don’t count out Yumfuck. He’ll rip off a few heads if necessary. I’d say about a hundred or so, give or take.”
“A hundred…”
“Okay, silence…”
Louie mouthed motherfuckers, as he gripped the sword even tighter. Leira didn’t even flinch as she approached the warehouse.
Chapter Thirteen
Leira and Louie got to the other side of the vineyards. A large gravel opening separated them from a main house to the left and a large warehouse directly in front that stretched to the right. Large aluminum roll doors were standing open just to the right.
“Security seems a little lax.” Louie peered into the darkness of the warehouse, noting a door at the far side and another opening at the back.
Yumfuck ran down Leira’s arm and dropped to the ground. His fur was standing on end. He took off at a run and smelled around the door deep inside the warehouse, instantly growing to his full height at eight feet, standing back, waiting for Leira’s command. “Smells like dogs. A lot of them.”
Leira could feel it too. “Or shifters. That’s not all. They left a few assholes to watch the place,” she whispered. “They know we’re here.” Leira could see the rolls of glittering dark magic billowing out from the building, signaling someone’s approach. Too late to get more help.
“Then we fight,” whispered Louie.
“If it’s the last good thing we do.”
“With honor and to the end.”
“Come on, motherfuckers,” growled the troll. Louie looked up at the troll in surprise just as Emerick appeared in the large opening of the warehouse, a sneer on his face.
“Hate it when the assholes like to make grand entrances.” Leira stuck to Hagan’s rules. Let the idiots go first. Several of his cousins appeared behind him, Toby off to the far left, sweating profusely, his eyes wide.
The troll opened his mouth wide, letting out a roar that rumbled along the ground hitting them in a sound wave that knocked over a smaller witch near the front. She scrambled back to her feet, her face beet red with embarrassment and anger.
Hold the sword out in front and point the tip toward them. Louie knew enough to just follow the sword’s lead. His muscles rippled along his arms as he waited, tense.
The symbols along Leira’s arms and neck glowed as the glamour peeled away from them, revealing where they stood. The symbols flashed, turning over like a fast-moving ticker. Toby trembled where he stood but he didn’t dare run. Emerick would have cut him down before he got very far.
“Leira Berens,” Emerick taunted. “Thanks for making this convenient.”
“I hate pissants. This would be annoying Hagan if he were here.”
“Funny you should mention him.” Lois emerged out of the vineyards to Leira’s right. “Don’t be mad. I had Hagan put a tracker on your skin. I knew you’d think bringing one Wizard and a swearing troll would count as asking for help. Besides, it was a slow day. Hagan’s acting as backup back at the ranch.” Lois held out her wand. “Hello Emerick. Haven’t seen you since your christening. Cried the entire time.”
Emerick frowned, looking around nervously. “Hello Aunt Lois. This isn’t your fight.”
Leira looked back and forth between the two. “Don’t know when you got here, Lois but I’m glad to see you. You sure you can fight family?”
“This is awkward,” said Louie.
“Not my first time, sadly. This is the dark branch of the family. We’re all overachievers, it’s just some of us had different ambitions.” Lois raised her wand and pointed it at Emerick, scowling. “Raise your hand to a friend of mine, Emerick and you make it my fight. Back up now and we’ll walk away.”
“No, we won’t. I came here for a reason. Not leaving till it’s done.” Leira took a step forward as she formed a fireball between her hands. Set an intention. She pitched it right at Emerick’s chest and watched as he raised his wand, frantically whispering a spell. Lois watched in horror, not sure what to do as the fireball split apart at the last moment hitting the front line of millennial witches and wizard, spraying fiery buckshot, setting small blazes on their clothes. A few dropped their wands, busy patting down their shirts or the crotch of their pants.
Emerick regained his composure first, countering with a spell to douse the flames. The thin smile returned to his lips as he glanced behind him. He retreated back, enticing Leira to follow him.
“About time,” she growled. She formed another fireball and aimed it at Emerick’s feet, knocking him down. The game was growing tiring.
“So far this is too fucking easy.” Louie followed close behind her as Lois took up the rear, easily countering the spells of the young wizards and witches. Toby hung back in the shadows, watching. He had always liked Aunt Lois. He never expected to have to fight her. Besides, the stories about her were legendary.
Leira crept forward entering the large building into the main area used for tastings and large parties. Small tables standing at chest height were dotted around the room and a long bar was across the back. To the right was the door Leira was looking for that led to the old storage partially underground.
A padlock on the door. Seems old school.
; Sirius appeared out of the shadows and waved his wand knocking the wind out of Leira sending her into the air, rolling like a barrel before dropping her hard to the ground. Instincts took over and she rolled to her feet, crouched low. The troll growled in anger and took a long swipe at Emerick, nicking the skin along his face and drawing a thin line of blood. Emerick raised his wand as the troll swiped again, snapping the maple wood easily in two, leaving a gash across Emerick’s hand.
Lois raised her wand and sent Emerick flying, slamming him into a far wall and knocking him out. “For his own good.”
Louie rushed forward, the sword directing him to swing wide as the tip cut a gash in a witch’s arm causing her to cry out and drop her wand. Leira saw Sirius smile and Leira realized they were being baited with the younger set, drawn further into the building.
That’s okay, motherfuckers. I see it coming.
Leira heard the howling and grunting as the ground thundered beneath them. Sirius suddenly turned and pointed his wand at the padlock, easily unlocking it with a simple spell. The door burst open, pushing off its hinges as the shifters finally got their first full taste of freedom, starved for days. They were hungry for any kind of meat they could find and weren’t in a picky mood.
“Shit just got very deep in here.” Louie swung his sword at the beasts as it sang out a metallic note in the air. Leira volleyed fireballs, breaking apart into small pea-sized scattershot, keeping them at bay, but just barely. She kept an eye on Sirius off to the side who was hungrily watching his experiment, hoping for a bloody success story.
“You’re still just as annoying as ever, brother.” Lois waved her wand in a circle over her head and sent out a lasso of light encircling Sirius, binding his arms to his side. He easily broke through it, a guttural laugh escaping his lips as he held onto one end of the lasso, snapping it back at Lois, whipping her across the chest.
“You’ve always underestimated me, sister. By the way, it was me who broke your favorite figurine when you were ten.”
“Fuck me, they’re having a reunion,” yelled Louie as he raised the sword over his head, ready to make his first kill of the night. “One beastie down, 99 left to go. Might make a nifty drinking song.”
“No!” yelled Leira, as she eyed the bracelet on her wrist. Last measures, it comes off. She scanned the group, looking for the man she had seen earlier but there was no human among them. They were all transformed into beasts. This may not work. The horde of claws and fangs approached, slashing the air in front of them.
“Leira, you’re gonna have to get over this and let me take out a few or we’re dinner. There’s not much choice here.”
Leira glanced over to make sure Lois was keeping Sirius busy as she sent out waves of energy shoving the beasts back just enough to buy time. “He’s in here… I know it. Show yourself!” Her chest heaved up and down from breathing so hard to contain the energy it took to push them back inches, their claws waving just in front of her face. She wasn’t going to be able to do it for much longer unless the bracelet came off. I’m risking Louie and Yumfuck. The troll sensed her reluctance to kill and stood by her side, towering over her, howling at the shifters.
Leira pushed the thread of energy into the mass of twisting bodies. Trust the magic.
A howl erupted from the center, loud and angry, echoing off the tin ceiling. The mass of fur fell back, still growling as they moved away from Leira, crouching down just enough for the beast who had let out the howl to do it again.
“Thank God, the alpha. I was right.”
“You were gambling?”
“Louie, in case you haven’t noticed the fucking world has changed and everything is pretty much a gamble from here on out. Get used to it.” Leira kept her eyes on the silverback as he reared his head back and howled again. He lowered his chin and stared into Leira’s eyes. A cold, hungry glare with his teeth bared.
“Just because we found the alpha doesn’t mean he’s up for bargaining.”
“Attack!” Sirius sent out sparks from his wand, sending small currents of pain into the crowd of shifters.
Leira saw her chance and turned on Sirius directing everything at him and removing her energy from the pack of human wolves hungry to eat something. She wrapped Sirius as tightly as she could in waves of energy, squeezing tight as the air rushed out of his lungs.
The pack inched closer to her, glancing back toward the alpha. Leira’s arms were straining as she pressed Sirius’ ribs in on his heart. The muscles along her neck stood out against the symbols as Yumfuck moved to be right by her side.
Leira looked directly at the alpha and yelled, “Run! Run motherfuckers, run!”
The alpha growled and dropped to all fours running, right at Leira, as Louie raised his sword to defend her.
“No! We stand our ground.”
Louie kept the sword raised, ready to strike if he had to, but the alpha veered at the last moment, brushing against Leira, running toward the path that led between the trellises, swiping at the tender vines as he went. Leira felt the wiry hair brush against her arm, close enough to feel the warmth and the coiled muscle. The pack all dropped to the ground, quickly following their new leader, streaming around Louie, Lois and Leira, brushing against them as they ran past. Yumfuck growled as they moved around him, staying close to Leira. A writhing, steady stream of beasts, some still emerging from the depths below.
“It’s a fucking muscular fur blanket,” Louie whispered in awe, as he held perfectly still, letting them pass. A sea of shifters that could tear them apart and stretched out as far as they could see till most of the beasts passed them by and ran into the dimming light of the day.
Leira still held on to Sirius, letting the magic pulse toward him as her lip curled. She felt the bile rise in her throat as she bore down on Sirius till she heard the inevitable crack of his ribs.
“Stop! You’re not a killer. Not like this!” Lois yelled out but made no attempt to stop Leira. She was pretty sure she couldn’t even if she wanted to. In all her years in the Silver Griffins, Lois had never seen a power surge like she was witnessing build in Leira.
Leira swallowed hard and let him drop to the ground, not moving. “He’s still alive. That may prove to be a mistake. Louie, circle around the back of the house, make sure nothing else is coming.”
Louie doubled back, keeping his eyes on the different Witches and Wizards until he was able to clear the far side of the wide opening, large enough to drive trucks in side by side. He ran as fast as he could around the back, leaping over a pile of hoses, carefully wound and crossing over a small courtyard.
Turn and swing the sword at an angle to the right holding your arm close to your body.
He did as he was told and swung hard, cutting off the tip of a Wizard’s wand just as he was about to finish the spell that came out in a quickly fading mumble. Louie curled his lip and realized the sword had gotten him to hold back from wounding the Wizard. He thought about taking out just one of these dark pawns but the sounds of howling and barking from the distant vineyards and shouting from the other side of the building stopped him.
“Another time,” he said, menacingly and pushed the tip into the ribs of the Wizard, nicking his shirt and easily tearing a gaping hole. The Wizard turned and ran, looking back over his shoulder as Louie got to the back of the main house and ran inside, quickly covering the first floor. He saw the back of Juliana standing at the front door but left her alone. “Best not poke that dog just yet.”
He got to the large kitchen and opened every door, searching for hidden stairs or anyone hiding. Nothing. He ran down a long hall, away from the front door and stopped at the entrance to an office with book shelves that went from floor to a vaulted ceiling, completely filled with books. “Mother lode,” he whispered. He ran over and touched the spine of the closest shelf. “Just what I thought… ancient spell books. Fuck… what to take. What to take.”
He took out his wand, whispering a spell, the sword still in his other hand, its voice a c
onstant in the background chatter in his head. Run outside… now… run outside…now. For once, he ignored it.
“Something like this is never coming around again.” He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. Run outside… now… run outside…now. He raised his wand, even as he gripped the handle of the sword, whispering a finder’s spell. He saw a book flutter on an upper shelf. “Gotcha.”
Run outside… now… run outside…now. The sword became more urgent. “I will. Fuck! I will. One more minute.” He ran to the library ladder and slid it across the track running along the top, jumping on as he pulled till it came to rest just under the shelf where the book was still vibrating.
Leira needs you. Run outside… now… run outside…now. The dark mist approaches. Choose.
Louie was halfway up the ladder. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
He looked up at the shelf just as he heard a crack of electricity coming from the front of the house and smelled a foul odor. He looked up at the book one last time, grabbing a random book, and leapt for the ground. “You are becoming someone I don’t recognize, Louie. Uh huh, now we’re talking to ourselves in the third person.” He hesitated at the door to the library and spun his wand in a tight circle, creating a blue transparent fireball at the tip, lobbing it at the nearest shelves, igniting the old books instantly. The fire quickly spread as he whispered a spell to make sure it couldn’t be easily extinguished.
“Man, that hurt. I’m actually picking sides.” He ran for the nearest side door, running back to the open ground between the vineyards and the set of buildings, emerging in time to see someone run out of the house, ignorant of what he had just done.
Chapter Fourteen
“No!” A screech emerged from the nearby house as Agnes came running, throwing herself down by Sirius, checking his wounds. Juliana let her pass but stayed in the doorway.
