Jezibaba cleared her throat when Zenos appeared to run down a bit. “If it’s Nathaniel’s time to leave this life, there’s nothing to do but honor his last breath. Morgana will come to claim his spirit as her own when it roams free of its earthly shell.”
“Bull bollocks, woman. He’s leaving over my dead body and that’s never going to happen. I swear on the source of all, that ungrateful, lying banshee will not have the druid today. I know a way to get around her greedy, conniving goddess arse.”
She watched as Zenos marched to the bed and pulled up a chair. He had to wiggle his substantial ass until he got his big butt to fit in it. Lifting Nathaniel’s hand, Zenos put the stone he’d brought with him in the dying warlock’s palm, then closed his own over it.
“Get out now and don’t come back until I tell ya,” Zenos ordered.
“I think not,” Jezibaba said calmly, crossing her arms. Nathaniel wouldn’t be the only one to use the last of his magic. She wasn’t going to let the mage harm her favorite warlock.
“Look, witch. If you value yer servant’s bloody life, step into the hallway and guard the door. Let no one in until I’m done here. And don’t come back yerself, no matter what kind of screaming ya hear. The healing won’t be pretty and it’s going to be painful for him when his organs regenerate. I did this to a human once before, so I know I can keep this fecking do-gooder from escaping to an early grave.”
Jezibaba raised her chin, fully intending to refuse. She’d just gotten rid of the last bossy male in her life. She was not taking on yet another one. “Why should I believe you?”
Zenos met her glare with his own. “May yer lying goddess strike me completely dead if I mean yer druid any real harm. Now go, woman. Trust me in this request and fight me another day. Nathaniel is about out of time and this takes a right bit to accomplish.”
“What are ya… I mean… what are you going to do to him?”
“I’m going to give him a bit of extra time. Nothing more complicated than that. Don’t worry. He’ll still be an annoying arse when I’m done.”
Jezibaba snorted. “That better be all you do if you want to live to see tomorrow. I will not hesitate to kill you if I have reason.”
Zenos chuckled. “Yes, I know that’s true. Your bloodthirstiness is my favorite thing about ya.”
Rolling her eyes at his odd sense of humor, she glanced at Nathaniel. He looked dead already to her. His natural face was skeletal and he hadn’t eaten in days. She knew he’d been dying, but nothing she’d done had stopped his condition from getting worse. She assumed it was just his time.
But what if Zenos could bring him back? She knew Nathaniel would want to monitor how things worked out between Zenos and the girls. And honestly? She wasn’t ready to lose the only male who’d never once betrayed her in word or in deed.
“I will hold you to your word even more than Nathaniel did,” she warned.
***
Leaving quietly, Jezibaba walked outside and closed the door behind her. The other warlocks were there waiting for the bad news.
“Nathaniel is facing his death, but the mage says he can heal him. I have decided to let him try. I’m not going to leave Nathaniel until this is done. I need you all to go find the girls and keep watch over them from a distance. If you see anyone strange hanging around, let me know. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.”
Asking no questions, the warlocks bowed their heads to show they were complying before they disappeared. Jezibaba sighed to find herself alone in the hall. Inside the room, she heard Nathaniel call out and flinched over the agonizing sounds he was making.
Morgana The Red would not be happy with her decision to let the mage try to heal Nathaniel, especially since Zenos was a non-believer. But then, Morgana wasn’t going to like her breaking things off with Damien either.
So much had been happening, she’d so far been able to avoid thinking about her break-up with the sexy dragon. She also refused to dwell on Damien’s lack of faith in her many centuries honed instincts. He had let his intellect override his heart when he’d chosen sides. His support hadn’t landed with her this time. As far as she had been concerned, that was the end of their relationship.
She rubbed her chest when Nathaniel called out again. She could tell he was in torturous pain. Healing the body was never all that easy. It hurt being born and it hurt again when you died. Some day she’d experience that end-of-life pain just the same as any other creature on the planet. There seemed to be no getting around that never ending circle, but some continued to try.
Whether the Goddess got angry or not, she had no choice but to let Zenos try to save Nathaniel if he could. She needed the warlock, and the girls needed him too. If Damien chose to return to his dragon lair, Nathaniel and the warlocks would be all the help she had to keep her replacements alive.
Reaching under her skirt, she pulled a large wand from a thigh holster she’d fashioned for it. It was the largest and most powerful wand ever magically charged by the elves. Costing the equivalent of a house on the most expensive beach in the world, the wand had been worth it because it functioned as an amplifier for the magic she had left. She used it now to drop a bubble around Nathaniel’s room, ensuring no one but her would hear what went on inside it.
***
Two hours later, Nathaniel’s pain-filled yells finally faded away to groans. Another thirty minutes later no sounds at all came from the room. When she knocked, she received no answer, so she opened the door and walked inside. There was no sign of Zenos anywhere.
The now vacant chair was still positioned by the bed, but the only occupant was a very well-built, completely naked man. He was lying on the bed where Nathaniel had lain. The man looked to be human and was in his late twenties or early thirties. He was sprawled on top of the covers, rolling and thrashing in the sweat pouring off him. When finally he stopped moving, he lay very, very still.
Creeping over to investigate, Jezibaba looked down into the man’s agonized face. Recognition had her pressing a hand to her mouth to keep from calling out. He must have felt her stunned staring because his eyes popped open. A very familiar, and very concerned, gray-eyed gaze bore into hers.
“What is it, M’lady? You look terrified. Have I succumbed to a spell?”
“Goddess, how did he do this to you?” she whispered, staring at Nathaniel in wonder.
“Who did what to me?” he asked in a whispered question.
“You were dying. Zenos… he… oh, Nathaniel. I’ve never seen such magic. Look at you.”
Nathaniel seemed hazy and confused, not to mention still being in great physical pain. Goddess only knew what he’d endured in the last few hours as he’d undergone his transformation to the man she now saw.
She yanked the tangled covers down under him and pulled them back up until only his head was showing. Nathaniel cuddled into the warmth of the covers like a child. He swallowed repeatedly as he fought to speak.
“Zenos came? The children. I’m so sorry, Great One. Never would I have suggested him if I did not believe he was mostly good beneath his bluster.”
“The children are fine, Nathaniel. Rest now. You’re going to live and that’s all that matters today. You need sleep to recover from your recent ordeal. We’ll talk tomorrow, old friend.”
“Yes, M’lady. I am rather tired.”
“I’m sure you are,” Jezibaba said.
She pressed a hand to his shoulder and felt large firm muscles beneath her palm instead of a bony shoulder blade. Her lead warlock had been well past his boyish prime when he’d come to serve her. Yet now a younger Nathaniel than she’d ever known rolled away at her command and fell instantly into a deep sleep.
It dawned on her that she could stand here all night and still not be able to believe what she was seeing with her eyes. How had Zenos restored not only Nathaniel’s health, but his youth as well? This was a level of magic no one but a god or goddess possessed. Was Zenos a god of some sort? Would the contrary old man even tell her i
f he was?
Morgana had always flatly refused to extend anyone’s earthly life no matter how much she’d begged for the person. Whereas Zenos had done this with only his own motivation to keep Nathaniel around. Did Nathaniel know how much power Zenos possessed?
At the moment, all she had about Zenos were questions without answers. Whatever the mage was, she now had a healthy respect for the amount of power he wielded.
Chapter 13
Carol and Hildy were walking back from the dining hall when the air shimmered in front of them and turned to molten silver. A tall white bird with an Egyptian headdress appeared. They drew in breaths and let them out again as the bird morphed smoothly into Emeritus.
“Wow,” Hildy said on a sigh. “You were a beautiful bird. What form was that?”
Emeritus bowed. “It was a Bennu, Hildy. The Bennu is my natural form. This human one you see, I emulate for the sake of my lovely Goddess.”
Carol swallowed hard. “I think I know why you’re here. You’ve come to say goodbye to us.”
Emeritus nodded. “Yes, but I will be leaving you in good hands, Carol. Your new familiar should be coming along shortly.”
Carol nodded. “Okay,” she said, her voice quivering. A ragged breath escaped before she could prevent her body from revealing her emotional state.
“Is that sadness for my leaving making your voice shake? You’re not going to weep, are you?” Emeritus asked.
Carol huffed. “No. Of course not. I’m just…”
She paused her denial and then remembered what the Jezibaba had said about it being alright to miss him. Her sigh of resignation was long and loud. She couldn’t help what she was feeling so she wasn’t going to fight a losing battle. Instead, she swallowed hard and lifted her gaze to the being who had been far better to her than she’d been to him over the years.
“I think this might be my first humble moment. Goddess, I hate this, but it needs to be said. I know I was not an easy witch to work with, but I will never forget how good you were to me. Never… absolutely never. And I will miss you, Emeritus.”
Beside her, she heard Hildy sniffling. She reached out a hand without looking and slapped her arm. “Stop blubbering,” she ordered her friend. “I can’t cry right now. It’s undignified for someone with our power to do that. No wonder people aren’t afraid of you.”
Emeritus laughed at their fighting, and then he smiled when Carol dropped to one knee in front of him. Hildy squeaked at what Carol was doing, blinked fast, and bit her trembling lip.
Emeritus bowed to them. “You are both fine witches. You’ll soon be amazing forces for good in the world.
Carol bowed her head. “Thank you for serving me, Great Emeritus.”
“It has been an honor to serve the Baba Yaga. Morgana is also proud of you both. She asked me to pass along her good wishes to you for your continued success.”
Hildy squealed then and Carol looked up and glared. “Could you please control yourself, Hildy? I’m having a serious moment here talking to Goddess Morgana’s main squeeze.”
“No, Carol… you need to look,” Hildy insisted, pointing to a large tan camel running across the grounds to them. It zigged and zagged and shifted as it ran. Awkward didn’t begin to describe its loping gait.
Carol climbed to her feet when Emeritus started laughing. “I wish you could see your face right now,” he said.
“A camel? My new familiar is a camel?” Carol said in shock. The camel brayed in greeting and trotted now in a straight line to her. “I’m surprised the Jezibaba’s not here laughing herself. I’m sure she’s been waiting impatiently for the last eight years just for the pleasure of informing me I was getting a camel for a familiar.”
“Well, he’s a bit more than a camel,” Emeritus said dryly, struggling not to laugh again.
Carol glared in his direction. “If he looks like a camel… he’s a freaking camel,” she declared.
The tan camel skidded to a halt about three feet in front of her. Then it morphed into a small, blond, yapping dog. It had on four blue leg warmers, a blue sweater, and had a blue bow on each ear. The well-dressed little dog danced excitedly at her feet.
Carol snickered. “Thank the Goddess. I see you’re mega talented. Are you going to be mad at me if I ask you to keep the dog form when you’re around me? Love the outfit by the way. I’m an eighties fan myself. I think I might even have a matching workout suit.”
The dog barked twice and scratched at the dirt sending it flying behind his back feet. He spun in a circle and yapped several more times.
“Okay then. What’s your name?” she asked.
“Ahmed,” Emeritus supplied. “He’s a reformed jinn out of Saudi Arabia. At the moment, he’s not allowed to do anything but morph from animal to animal. A former master of his denied him human form and speech. The Jezibaba refuses to give those powers back to Ahmed until he’s proven his worth to you. Apparently, he took an unsavory animal form and bit her once. The Jezibaba does not forgive easily.”
“Yes, I know,” Carol said, grinning. “How will we communicate if he can’t talk to me?”
Emeritus chuckled. “You see the lack of speech as a negative? How surprising. I thought you’d like working with someone who listened to your every word and never argued back.”
Carol laughed. “You’re right. That has an enormous appeal,” she teased. The dog yapped and danced. Carol bent to pick it up. It licked the side of her face and made her laugh harder. The dog laid its head on her shoulder and sighed contentedly.
“Oh. My. Goddess. He’s so stinking cute!” Hildy burst out, clapping a hand over her mouth. “Sorry. Sorry. Your big moment… not mine. Zipping my lip now.”
Carol laughed again. “It’s okay, Hildy. He is stinking cute. And the eighties outfit is to die for, isn’t it?”
“Yes. It looks great on him. Do you think Ahmed would care if I bought him some more clothes? The cats won’t even let me put collars on them.” Hildy giggled when the dog licked her hand.
“Thank you, Emeritus.” Carol said, smiling at the second most amazing being she’d met in her training so far. No one rivaled the Jezibaba.
“Ahmed, watch her back,” Emeritus ordered. “It has been a pleasure, Carol. I have to go now. Hildy, I’ll be back in two years to discuss your shifter training.”
The smile instantly left Hildy’s face. “Two years? I have to wait two years? Why?”
Emeritus shrugged and then nodded. “You must focus on your magic training until that time.”
“Six months,” Hildy insisted. “I promise you I’ll be done in six months.”
His answer was a smile and a wave goodbye.
Hildy turned back to Carol when Emeritus disappeared. “Six months,” she said firmly.
Carol laughed as her new familiar growled low in disapproval. “Ahmed says you’re dreaming. You know, I think my new familiar is going to work out fine. I swear… the Jezibaba is always right.”
Hildy giggled and nodded. They laughed and played with the dog all the way back to their room.
***
So tired she couldn’t even transport herself, Jezibaba trudged down two long hallways to get to her room. Nathaniel had been fitful and woken many times. She’d managed to soothe him back to sleep except for the last one. Nature had called loudly and he’d finally gotten a look at himself in the bathroom mirror. His scream of surprise would have been heard all over the building if she hadn’t kept his room silenced. It had cost her dearly in depleted magic, but at least the worst of Nathaniel’s epiphany was now over. She left him in bed staring at the ceiling fighting the rest his body still desperately needed.
Zenos, on the other hand, had completely disappeared. The returning warlocks had reported the mage was not in his room. But she had to have some rest before she could puzzle out the reason for the rogue mage’s absence.
Her door was unguarded for once which had her slipping the big wand from its holster in case she needed defense. Gripping it like a baton
she proceeded into the moon lit room. A sexy sleeping dragon took up all the space in her small dormitory bed.
Sighing, she carried her wand to a windowsill where a long amethyst cluster bathed in moonlight. She laid her big wand on it, then pulled the other two out of her bra. She’d used all three today and had needed them. Tonight they would be cleansed, so hopefully tomorrow they would be restored.
Jezibaba let out a tired breath and hung her head. It had been a long tiring day, and a demanding night. She had no energy to deal with Damien. When a wave of heat hit her back, she instinctively straightened. It only had the effect of lining up her body even better with his.
Familiar arms came around her. She couldn’t prevent herself from drooping wearily while he held her up. His lips grazed the back of her neck before dropping a light kiss on her ear.
“How’s Nathaniel?” Damien whispered.
“Not dying anymore. I think he is recovering at last,” Jezibaba answered.
“Good,” Damien said. “I know you’ve been worried.”
She nodded and tried to decide if she had the spiritual strength to push him away.
“Come to bed before you drop to the floor,” Damien whispered, slipping the elasticized skirt down over her hips.
He knelt and deftly undid the wand holster. It joined the skirt on the floor. The blouse she’d been wearing was soon unbuttoned and discarded as well. The bra joined the pile last, but he left her panties in place.
Damien pulled her nearly naked body into his arms, kissed trails over her face, and moved her backwards until they reached the small bed that didn’t fit either of them. She’d not wanted to waste her dwindling magic changing furniture out. And she’d been right. She’d exhausted herself fixing Zenos’s room for him.
No one was surprised more than she was when Damien tucked her under the covers and brushed her hair from her face.
“I’m sorry I added to your stress these last few days. It was never my intention to do that, even though I genuinely thought you were wrong in your assumptions.”
Magic and Mayhem: How To Date A Dragon (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Baba Yaga Saga Book 2) Page 10
