Paranormally Yours: A Boxed Set

by Alisha Basso

  “All in good time.”

  Before I could say another word, she took my hand and dragged me back into the earth. This time we traveled deeper, and deeper still. We emerged into a huge cave with a flowing waterfall and hundreds of the most exquisite flowers I have ever seen. Delicate petals of white sat on emerald green stalks, the leaves heart-shaped and mottled with different greens. The center of the flower was a deep, glowing gold.

  “These are kalispell flowers.”

  “I had no idea they were so beautiful.”

  “It’s a well-guarded secret. Think about how interested florists would be. These flowers can only grow in this environment, although even the dried stalks, leaves, and petals are usable. That’s why I kept the jackbread recipe in the family.”

  “I’ll protect the secret as ferociously as I do the one for my cream puffs.”

  “Right, and when will I get a chance to taste your delectable dessert?”

  “I could make a batch and have Nock bring them to you for your Sunday dinner?”

  She brightened, her large eyes shining. “It will do nicely. Now, let’s stop jawing and get to digging.”

  I followed her over to the closest flower where she knelt and moved the dirt away from the root. “This is the root bulb and the ‘fruit’ of the flower. It can be harvested without harm.”

  She used her trowel to neatly separate the bulb. Then she dug around and lifted it out of the earth. “Now you try. Be careful to only snip it off near the base of the bulb.”

  I maneuvered the trowel into position and looked at her for approval. With a quick nod, she gave me a beaming smile, and I pushed the trowel in. I carefully dug around the bulb just as she had done and then removed it from the earth. “You are a good student, Grasshopper.”

  I laughed while I put the root into the little leather bag she had around her waist.

  And that’s when the flowers started singing.

  My head jerked up and I looked at her. The notes were clear, and rang with such a sweet sound it brought tears to my eyes and wonder to my heart. An underground wind, rich with the scent of earth and water brushed across my face. Transfixed by the soft, utterly captivating cadence of flowersong, I opened my second sight and could see the glittering notes riding the currents and settling on nearby flowers.

  “It’s how they mate.”

  “It’s wonderful.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  We spent the next thirty minutes gathering roots. Then she once again took my hand and hustled us back to her gleaming kitchen. In the bathroom, I washed the dirt off my hands. When I came out, she had two steaming cups of tea set on the table along with some warm jackbread.

  I sat down in the small chair, and it once again nestled around me in its friendly way.

  I sipped the tea and sighed at the wonderful flavor, jasmine-like, but a bit more sweet and pronounced. “Willow bark?”

  She nodded. “Yes, it’s a good substitute for sugar in just about anything, and much better for you.”

  “You are a wonder.”

  “We share a common passion, Lily. Cooking is something which defines us both and makes good use of our natural access to the powers of Earth.”

  I nodded my understanding.

  “It’s good to share passions. Find a connection. Everyone needs that.”

  I felt my face cloud, wishing at this moment I had my old memories back, wondering again about who I used to be. Sure, I knew who I had made myself into, but, really…who had I been? Had it been different from the person I was now?

  “You are troubled?”

  “No, it’s just I have no memory of my past. I’m not sure if Nock told you how we met.”

  “He just said you needed help, and he provided it, and you became friends. That was enough for me.”

  “I woke up long after the sundering was over and the chaos tamed. Nock found me in a bed of lilies. He had a small closet where he lived and allowed me to stay there until I found a job. Then, once I agreed to work with Olivia and she learned of my circumstances, we both moved in with her.

  “And your last name?”

  “I looked through the phone book,” I said sheepishly. “She was very kind to him, by the way. Gave him a wonderful closet which he loves. It’s close to the balcony where Olivia had our herb garden...” I couldn’t help my sigh. “I’m going to lose the apartment. There’s nothing I can do to prevent it.”

  “I’m so sorry, child.”

  “Thank you. But it’s all okay. I remade myself three years ago, and I can do it again. I’ve had practice. And at least I remember how I did it.”

  She smiled and her eyes shone.

  “If there is anything I can do, you will let me know, yes?”

  “Yes. But I think you already sense I’m in deep trouble. I’m not sure how.”

  “Our connection with the Earth, Lily. It gives me portents, and I never ignore them.”

  “I’m going to go after the person who murdered Olivia.”

  She looked alarmed. “What about the OS? Surely they are on the case.”

  I shook my head sadly. “Unfortunately not. Both the warden and an OS witch have had their memories tampered with, and now Olivia’s body is missing.”

  “Good Tweek! I knew it was serious. This is dire indeed if someone has the audacity to magically meddle with the OS.” Aunt Tilly set down her tea. “I had an ulterior motive for asking you to come here today. Please come with me.”

  I followed her across the living room, taking a brief moment to once again admire its beautiful flower hearth, and into her sleeping chamber. She walked over to a trunk made of willow tree wood and opened the lid.

  She reached in, took out a bundle wrapped in spider silk cloth, and placed it in my hands. “You must take off the wrappings, Lily.”

  I set the bundle on the little bed and, with trembling fingers, folded back the silk cloth, to reveal a black bustier and pants made out of what looked like leather, but wasn’t.

  As soon as I touched the fabric, it changed into liquid form and slid up my arm.

  I gasped in alarm, but Aunt Tilly said, “Don’t be afraid. That trick is just part of its fun magic.”

  The black liquid displaced the shirt I was wearing, covering my breasts and cinching my waist, climbing up my neck and encircling it with buttery soft leather. The bodice of the piece tied itself into small knots as it spread out like a spider’s web and connected the bodice to the circle of leather at my throat. It fit like a second skin. The same happened with my tight jeans, and my short half boots were replaced with leather boots which were an integral part of the pants, just as the neckpiece was part of the bodice.

  The boots were sturdy and tipped with steel, with delicate little chains around the ankles.

  “What is this?” I asked, my hands stroking over the edge of the bustier.

  “It’s very old, and has been in my family for generations. It’s special armor which protects you from the fire of a dragon’s breath. It can also protect you from scrapes, but mainly it’s fire protection.”

  “It feels like leather, but not. What is it made of?”

  “Black dragon scales.”

  My breath froze in my lungs, and a chill raced over my skin leaving the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. I looked at her like she’d lost her mind.

  “There are no black dragons.”

  “Of course there are. You’ve just never seen one or heard about them. They are very reclusive and very, very old. If you ever do meet one, be very careful. They’re quite selfish and focused on only themselves and their species. They have a long and bloody history with the Druids”

  “Druids?”

  “I don’t have time to go into it right now. Use the armor to protect yourself, but you must always store it in this spider silk cloth. It will react badly to anything else. My great-great-aunt Helena wore it.”

  “A gnome wore this armor? But it fits me perfectly.”

  “Yes, the special properties o
f this particular armor. Now I’m going to call Nock to have him take you home,” she said briskly.

  She was halfway out the room when I called out. “How do I get it off?”

  “Concentrate,” she yelled back.

  Concentrate? She was an enigmatic little thing, wasn’t she? I closed my eyes and tried to mentally undress myself. A giggle escaped me. Undress myself. Wow. I really needed to get laid. It didn’t work. I tried pushing it mentally off my body, but that didn’t work either. I sat down on the bed in frustration and the armor moved with me. I felt naked, yet was fully covered.

  Finally I closed my eyes and simply asked the armor to return to the silk wrapping. When I opened my eyes, I was sitting on the bed completely naked. My clothes were at my feet and the armor was neatly nestled in the silk.

  “Nock is here. Hurry up, child.”

  I dressed quickly, then I folded the silk over the beautiful and unique armor and tied it securely. Tucking it under my arm, I hurried out of the room.

  Nock looked at me and said gruffly. “You look better.”

  I realized I was. I had gotten to see the kalispell flower and harvest its delicious root, had been exposed to the deepest part of the earth, and been given time to realign myself and my magic with the source of my power. I felt rejuvenated and renewed.

  I reached down and impulsively hugged Aunt Tilly. She colored and said softly, “Ah, off with you, child. Come see me again very soon.” Clasping my hand, she looked deep into my eyes and said, “Please be careful.”

  I nodded and Nock groaned. “It’s getting way too mushy in here.”

  Aunt Tilly cuffed him, and I laughed. He took my hand, looking quite put out.

  I once again embraced the Earth with a renewed determination. It was time to take Olivia’s investigation into my own hands, Talon Sunstrike, illegal dust, and danger be damned.

  Chapter Nine

  I had never thought of myself as a physical person. So kicking in a door, even though it had just been slammed in my face, felt a bit alien to me. But maybe I needed to revise my assessment. I’d certainly done some damage over at the OS the day I tried to get information regarding Olivia’s investigation.

  I fully expected Chris to convert to all fours, and he didn’t disappoint me. But he did underestimate me.

  The quick transformation made me breathless. He changed from handsome to feral in the blink of an eye. He sprang at me with determination in his eyes. This time he meant to hurt me. I was ready. I ducked and rolled out from under him—just barely. He was really, really fast. I murmured tardus and heard him growl low in his throat, but his attacks slowed down considerably. He sprang, and this time I didn’t move. I whispered constringo. He paused in midair as, from out of nowhere, a blue light flashed and streamed along his body. Like a stone, he dropped to the floor and didn’t move.

  I had no intention of going one-on-one with a werewolf. There was a distinct possibility one of us would be seriously injured or worse. If I killed Chris, I would have his whole pack to deal with, and the biggest threat would be his mate. She wouldn’t stop until she could taste my hot blood against her tongue as she ripped out my throat. All I wanted was information, and he was damn well going to provide it.

  Of course, I ran the risk that by doing this I would dishonor him. But he left me no choice. The OS was being manipulated, or I was. It really didn’t matter to me. I would get the information I came for the easy way or the hard way. Chris had made his choice.

  And I had made mine.

  “You are making a grave mistake, little witch.”

  “That may be true, but I asked you nicely for an appointment. I have been rebuffed in all my attempts.”

  “I have nothing to say to you,” he answered, anger pulling his lips away from his rending teeth.

  I had expected this response, and stifled a sigh. “I think you do. Make no mistake, Chris,” I took a step closer to him. “I’m not leaving here until I have the information I need.”

  Chris made a rude sound. I knew how a pack worked. Alphas were fully in charge and had gotten there through being tough, smart and cunning. Chris was clearly all three. I was nothing to him, even though he had a relationship with us through business. Werewolves were all about where you fit into a pack and I wasn’t a part of his. So this is where I brought out my bad witch.

  “What is it you want with me?” he growled, eyeing me. He’d learned last time that I came prepared. I liked his wariness, it gave me the upper hand, and in a battle with an alpha, I needed it.

  “I want to know who Olivia’s contact was.”

  “Are you mad, girl? That is precisely what led her down the road to ruin. Don’t go that route.”

  I crouched down, my hands loose on my thighs. “No, you misinterpret my interest. I want to know who her contact was.”

  “I don’t know,” he snapped.

  I stiffened. “That is an out-and-out lie, and I’m ashamed of you, Chris.”

  He turned away, his nostrils flaring. By shaming him, I was reminding him of his duty to his pack and their reputation. But he remained silent.

  I met and held his feral blue eyes, holding my death there, his teeth snapping. My heart pounded again over the anguish of finding Olivia. Of seeing her interaction with Chris and knowing she was gone from me long before I’d found her body. With the anguish making my voice low, I hissed. “I know you are well aware who her contact was. You were there that day. The day she died.”

  His muzzle jerked and a new respect came into his eyes. It didn’t make him look any less threatening. Even werewolves appreciated cunning.

  “How do you know that?”

  “A little witchy bird told me,” I said, smirking to bolster my courage.

  He snorted.

  “There’s a reason it rhymes with bitch,” a female said. His mate! Her paws hit me in the back and threw me forward. She was on me in a second. I could feel the weight of her great canine body pressing me down and her hot breath only inches from the back of my exposed nape. I only had a moment before she broke my neck and ripped out my spine.

  I was trapped between her and the floor. “Wait!” I said. “If you kill me, your mate will never recover from my spell.”

  I felt her hesitation, her mistrust. I could only hope she bought into my bluff. While she decided what she was going to do, and to mask my intent, I wiggled and said, “Get off me.” Even as I felt her indecision, I whispered, “Dormite.”

  The weight lifted from my body and I heard a thump as she hit the floor. I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Serena!” Chris yelled, his voice a mixture of love and anger. I knew which one was directed at me.

  “What have you done to her?” Grief was raw in his voice. “I will kill you if you’ve harmed her.”

  “She’s asleep. It’s actually a very good spell. She’ll wake up refreshed and, I’m sure, spitting mad. I’m only here for one thing. Once I have the information, that’s the last you’ll see of me.”

  He sighed with a deep, threatening rumble in his chest. “I was there. I gave her the name of a new contact.”

  “I don’t want that name. It doesn’t do me any good. I want the name of the person she was getting the dust from before she died. If this is dust-related, he might have some answers for me.”

  His eyes on his mate, he growled, “You’re getting in way over your head, little girl.”

  “Look, I already have the dust hounds who suspected Olivia on my tail. It wouldn’t take much to get them on your tail, too, Chris. They’ll use you for a chew toy.”

  “The thrice-cursed FDA is involved?”

  “Yes. They had already suspected Olivia. I haven’t told their leader anything, but one word from me, and he’ll be diligently investigating every aspect of your business.”

  His voice went soft, concerned. “The...fae aren’t forgiving.”

  My eyes narrowed. I didn’t want to sic Talon on him. Chris was a good guy. He was trying to keep me out of it. “No, they a
ren’t.”

  He sighed. “It looks like you’ve got me by the short hairs.”

  “And I’m not letting go. I know the spell won’t last forever, so you could wait me out, or your mate will kill me when she wakes up. I have no doubt about that. She will consider this unforgivable.”

  “You know this, yet you came here?”

  “Yes. Olivia saved me, Chris.”

  It was all I said, but it was enough. His expression changed from anger and worry to sorrow. He dropped his eyes and looked lovingly at his mate.

  “I had a great affection for Olivia, Lily. She wasn’t part of my pack, but I know she would want you to stay out of this. But I also respect what you want to do. I could never let a murder in my pack go unavenged.” He paused. “Very well, Lily. I will give you his name, but I don’t want any thanks for it. Olivia was driven during the last six months. I don’t know why, but she changed, became colder, less approachable. She destroyed your business and your life. Your loyalty to your friend is...admirable.”

  “She was my lifeline. She gave me back my life. I will find out who murdered her.”

  “It could be the death of you.”

  “I’ve already been told that. The name.”

  “Styx.”

  A chill settled into my bones at the name. “As in the river in the underworld one has to cross in order to reach Hell?”

  “He’s an undead vamp.”

  Crap on toast, I thought. Anything but an undead. “Ah, so he’s already been there.”

  Chris chuckled, but the sound was more dark than light.

  “You jest well, but he is no one to trifle with and if you have fae on your tail, he will be more than willing to kill you and them to keep his secrets and his business alive. Tread very carefully.”

  “Solvo,” I said softly to release him. The blue light disappeared and he dissolved immediately into his human form and stood. Without a backward glance, he rushed over to his mate, burrowing his face into her soft fur. She was breathing deeply and rhythmically, and he huffed a sigh of relief.

  When he lifted his head, he said, “Go, Lily, before she wakes. If she gets into a blood craze and you’re still here, I might not be able to control her.”