Hildy staggered under the furry impact, but managed to keep upright. Across from her, she noticed Isobelle was still standing, but the witch wasn’t moving. She was frozen like a statue.
She looked down at Carol, who was finally coming around. “Guard her,” Hildy ordered the cats and headed over to investigate the mysterious Isobelle.
***
She was reaching out to touch the strange witch when a large feminine hand grabbed hers. “No touching,” the woman said. “The dark magic will leave her and go into you. For the moment, it’s bound to her body. If she dies though, it will be dispersed into the world. We can’t have that.”
“Are you a witch too?” Hildy asked.
“Not really,” the woman said, waving a hand over Isobelle. The witch moaned quietly, but otherwise made no movement.
When Hildy looked over her shoulder, she saw the cats kneeling in front of Carol and looking at the woman.
“Oh… you’re… oh dear,” she said, her gaze coming back. Hildy pulled her hand away and knelt at the woman’s feet. “Thank you for hearing me, Goddess.”
Morgana sighed and fisted hands on her hips. “Rise, child. We’ve no time for pleasantries. Save your prostrating for another time.”
Hildy rose and wiped the dirt from her knee. “Carol is hurt.”
Morgana nodded. “Yes. She is. She fought well, but Isobelle had harvested much dark magic from the demons she’d hired. Carol wasn’t strong enough to stop all that by herself.”
“And I didn’t help her when I should have,” Hildy admitted sadly.
“You did eventually,” Morgana pointed out.
Hildy shook her head. “No, I chose to protect the bear. I chose the shifter. If I’d stood with Carol and we had combined our magic, would we have been strong enough to defeat her?”
Morgana nodded. “Yes.”
Hildy felt tears well in her eyes as more guilt washed through her. “I knew it. I’m not worthy to be a Baba Yaga.”
“Child, everyone has different gifts. What matters is what you choose to do with those varied talents. Look at the poor decisions Isobelle made with hers.”
“But I’m a horrible person. I will always choose to save the shifter if it comes down to that choice. It is the only one I seem capable of making even when I know it’s not right,” Hildy admitted. She motioned to her friend on the ground. “Carol won’t even be mad at me, but I’ll always be more of a hindrance than a help to her. I can’t ignore that anymore. If it wasn’t for the cats, we’d both be dead.”
Morgana stooped, placed a palm over Carol’s shoulder, and healed the wound. The girl’s pain eased and she drifted into sleep. Morgana stood again and faced Hildy.
“What do you want most out of this life, Hildy? Speak your truth and do not lie to me. Not even Elenora gets away with that.”
Hildy sniffled, fighting not to cry. “I don’t want to fight. I want to heal.”
Morgana nodded. “Any kind of power will bring fights to your door, but a healing life is a mostly peaceful one. Very well… I release you from being my champion. You are no longer a Baba Yaga.”
Hildy looked across at Isobelle. “Is she still going to be one?”
Morgana sighed. “Isobelle had great potential, but in the end, she was not strong enough to fight the corruption of the evil witches and warlocks who trained her. She was never going to be as strong as the two of you anyway. She was supposed to be a creator witch, but now she’s given herself over to destruction.”
“Carol is the only real champion,” Hildy said firmly. “She’s worthy. She’s devoted. She adores you. Carol makes the best decisions… no matter how hard things get.”
Morgana smiled. “I know. We visit occasionally. She’s a lot more respectful than my beloved Jezibaba. I find Carol’s company quite charming.”
Hildy sighed and smiled through her tears. “Can I give my Baba Yaga power to Carol?”
Morgana stood to her nine-foot height. Her face beamed with joy. “Now why didn’t I think of that?”
Hildy bowed her head. “It will never make up for choosing to save a shifter instead of fighting with Carol, but at least next time, she’ll be able to deal with people like Isobelle by herself. She’s not just a fellow witch to me, Goddess. Carol is my family. If our positions were reversed, she’d do this too.”
“In the many millennia of my existence I have made some good choices and some bad ones.” Morgana glanced at Isobelle and back at Hildy. “Once in a while I make a great one. You will be the greatest healer this world has ever seen. But the position comes with one stipulation.”
“Done. Whatever it is,” Hildy promised.
“You’ll have to live in a remote area and get closer to Gaia. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. Gaia will help you develop your healing skills and teach you the secrets of the forest. How do you feel about living in West Virginia? I hear lots of well-hung bears like to live there,” Morgana teased.
Hildy glanced at Chuck, still tied to the tree. Thoughts ran through her mind that shouldn’t have been there. She fought her lust and won… this time. “Bears are nice, but…”
“But?” Morgana asked.
Hildy lowered her voice to a whisper. “Where Chuck lives, there’s no shopping, no five star restaurants, no… civilization. My amazing wardrobe will go to waste in a place like that.”
“Do you not magically transport?” Morgana demanded.
“I do, but I still get sick,” Hildy said, wincing in shame.
Morgana rolled her eyes. “Child, I can’t fix everything. Toughen up.”
“Right. Right,” Hildy said, sighing heavily. “I’m sorry. Of course I’ll go to West Virginia if it means I can be a healer.”
“Good.” Morgana looked at the tree and the chains fell away. “Charles, I need your help.”
The bear shifter scrambled to his feet and jogged to her side.
“Yes, ma’am… Goddess ma’am. You’re very tall and very shiny. Did you know that?”
Hildy looked at him standing next to her. Up and up her gaze went. Another shiver passed through her. “You’re incredibly huge yourself—in every way,” she squeaked, eyes averted from his straining jock strap.
Chuck blushed, appreciating her interest, but also noticing her embarrassment. “No worries. I could never hurt anyone who smelled like honey coated cinnamon buns. But you’re making me really hungry… for food I mean… well, and other things… but we probably need to get to know each other first.”
“Charles, pay attention here. I know it’s hard. When Hildy falls, I want you to catch her,” Morgana ordered.
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered, puzzled about what the shiny lady meant, but could tell it was serious from her tone.
Chuck watched as she touched Hildy, the good smelling witch, and something sparkly went out of her and into Carol, the brave witch, who was still lying on the ground. He had to scramble to catch Hildy up in his arms as her eyes rolled back in her head. She was such a little thing. He wanted to tuck her into a pocket and take her home with him… forever. Could he?
“You have to go to college first,” Morgana said, answering his unspoken question. “But she’ll be yours to have fun with after that.”
“There’s a two year college about a thirty minute lumbering run from where I live. Will that do? Someone might come along and mate her if I’m gone too long. She looks so pretty in her little witch clothes.”
“And someone else being with her would bother you?” Morgana asked.
Chuck glanced at the sleeping witch in his arms. “Evil Blondie said she was my mate. I thought it was weird when she told me, but now I don’t.”
“Isobelle talks too much,” Morgana said. “Fine. She is your mate, but you have to win her over. I’ve just given her a big job. She’s to be a Shifter Whisperer. It’s going to be a difficult experience for her.”
“She’s going to be a what?”
Morgana sighed and patted his shoulder. “Healer. Hildy is go
ing to be a healer. But she and the new Baba Yaga will always be friends.”
Chuck nodded, then frowned. “Wait… Evil Blondie doesn’t get to be the Baba Yaga too, does she?”
Morgana swept her hand across the ground, toward the cats. “No. This is the new Baba Yaga—the power of three will be combined into one. It wasn’t what I initially planned, but that’s how it’s worked out. Young witches are so unpredictable.”
Chuck looked at the cats, who were now staring up at the Goddess in awe. He looked back at the shiny woman.
“No offense, Goddess ma’am, but don’t you think even that big cat there is a little small to be the next protectoress? Now the Jezibaba… that’s a real one. All that red hair and those long legs and boots. She’s got a real mean look too. I saw her and Mac go toe-to-toe when his parents were killed. Man, I thought he was going to be turned into a toad or something for talking so ugly to her. I hear the Jezibaba likes turning people into toads. I hope the Baba Yaga is nicer. Maybe a soft, cuddly cat is a better idea.”
The cats perked up and Morgana snickered. “I’m not talking about the cats, Charles. I’m talking about Carol. Carol is going to be the one and only Baba Yaga.”
Chuck looked at the brave witch who was now climbing to her feet. She glared at him when she stood up and saw him holding Hildy.
“What the hell did you do to my friend?” Carol demanded, glaring while she weaved in place trying to keep her balance. “And why do I feel so strange? I swear I heard the Goddess Morgana just a moment ago. Damn that elf. Iren better stay out of my brain from now on. I can’t handle this hallucinating shit.”
“Uh…” Chuck said, staring at a fuming Carol.
Morgana cleared her throat.
“Oh… she’s really here, isn’t she?” Carol asked, awareness washing over her.
Morgana grabbed her shoulder before she could attempt to kneel. “Don’t, child. We don’t have time for that,” she said, dragging her champion over to stand near her dark counterpart. “This transfer is going to hurt a wee bit, but it will be over soon. For the good of everyone, this has to be done.”
With a sweep of her hand, Morgana pulled the remaining good magic from a moaning Isobelle and moved it into Carol, who promptly screamed and swore at the sudden rush of all the combined power.
“Oh Goddess, I think I’m going to be sick for real,” Carol said.
“No you won’t. I forbid all barfing,” Morgana declared. “My new champion will not be getting sick on the job.”
“Your new champion?” Carol asked. She looked at Hildy. “What’s wrong with Hildy?”
“Severe power drain,” Morgana said. “But don’t worry, I’m putting a new kind of power back into her. However, I think it best not to overwhelm her right now. She’s been through a lot today.”
“Did Hildy save my life?”
“Yes.”
A chorus of yowling and hissing made Morgana laugh.
“Cut it out, you three, ” she ordered, staring at the cats. “I didn’t say Hildy didn’t have help.”
“What happened to Isobelle? She zapped me and knocked me out. That I remember.”
Morgana shrugged. “Short answer? The cats reflected her final spell back to her. That’s their special talent. However, since dark magic can’t destroy its vessel on this side of the veil… she still lives. Now I really must be going. I’ve done all I can. We’ll be in touch soon, Carol… or should I say… oh great Baba Yaga. Wow, I really like the sound of that.”
“Wait,” Carol said, lifting a hand and watching sparks fly out of her fingertips. She closed her fingers. “Shit. Sorry. I don’t know how that happened.”
“I do,” Morgana said, “and that’s all that matters for now.”
Then the goddess was gone.
Chapter 9
Carol felt deflated, but she trudged back to the bear. He was sniffing Hildy. “What do you think you’re doing? If you’re even thinking about eating my friend, I’m going to zap you back to West Virginia. Mess with me and you’ll be furless for the next decade.”
Chuck looked stunned over the threat. “I would never eat my future mate… well, not the way you mean… damn, that was crass. Don’t tell Hildy I’m crass, okay? I want her to like me. I mean, she saved me and all, but that could have just been her job. It’s so hard to tell with some females. Usually I never know what one is thinking until she grabs my….”
“Stop right there,” Carol demanded. Looking at his handsome, confused face, she suddenly laughed and groaned. “Hildy, Hildy. What the hell did you do to us?”
Chuck looked down at a sleeping Hildy and smiled. “She’s so pretty and she smells so good. She stood in front of you and dared the bad witch to hurt you. I like her so much. Morgana said I could take her home with me.”
“I’m sure she didn’t say it like that. You must have misunderstood.”
“No, I did not. I have exceptional listening skills. My mother insisted. I’m to go to college and after that I can make Hildy my mate. Well… if she likes me enough. Do you think she’ll like me enough? Morgana told me you two would always be the best of friends. Do you think you might put in a good word for me? I’m completely housetrained and I only shed in bear form.”
Carol sighed as she looked at the cats. “You three got anything to add to my current confusion?”
Fat Bastard snorted. “When youse got knocked flat on your ass, Hildy begged Morgana to give you all her Yagalicious witch power. Now youse is the whole Baba Yaga YourWitchNess. That’s the truth, so help me Bastet.”
Carol looked at her hands. “So not only do I have Isobelle’s power, but I have Hildy’s power too?”
“Like I said… youse got the whole Baba Yaga Gonadness.”
Carol snorted. “Since I actually understood that and it frightens me, I think it’s time we work on waking up your witch.”
“Dat is a good idea, YoBabaYaga-ness. The school was a dragon on dragon burn fest when wees left,” Fat Bastard stated.
Carol swallowed. Now the school was on fire? Goddess, what else had Thane done while they’d been fighting Isobelle? “Okay guys, let’s go home.”
“To West Virgina?” Chuck asked, perking up.
“Eventually,” Carol said, grinning. “But we have to stop at Witchery U for a while. There’s a lot of stuff Hildy and I have to get settled before she moves to the woods to become a frigging hermit.”
“Whatever you say, Baba Yaga ma’am. Can I stay with Hildy until then? I won’t take advantage. I just want to make sure she’s okay. I’ll just cuddle her until she wakes up.”
Sighing, Carol shook her head. How could she say no? It was her fault that Hildy was bonded to the bear shifter… and vice versa. In a strange twist of destiny, she’d brought today’s outcome on herself. But it still felt right to her—strange—but right.
“What about Her Evil Stiffness over there?” Fat Bastard asked.
Carol looked at Isobelle and sighed. “I have to set some priorities right now. Morgana took most of her magic. I’ll come back for her after we make sure Hildy is okay and the school is still standing. I’d leave you guys here, but Hildy might need you.”
She motioned the cats to follow as she walked to stand by the bear. Chuck was as huge and as tall as Professor Smoke. She put her hand on him and felt his pure love for Hildy flowing through his arms. If that was the power of mating energy, she fervently hoped her mate didn’t find her for many, many centuries. The beauty of that kind of magic was completely irresistible. No wonder Hildy had been so weird for a decade.
Carol blew out a breath and sought to find some calm center, but she didn’t seem to have one. Things were never going to be the same now, even though this was not how it was supposed to be. Sighing at the change in her fate, she looked once more at the comatose Isobelle and then transported them all back to the campus.
***
Carol’s mind took in the chaos and destruction around her, noting few buildings remained unharmed. All the class
room buildings, without exception, had been destroyed, even the library.
She forgot the destruction the moment her brain registered the giant Thunderbird standing in the middle of her and Hildy’s old training field. Ahmed had returned to the campus. Whatever had happened here must have been bad for him not to return to her.
Carol waited while Professor Smoke rose from what was left of the steps into the main building and walked towards them. It looked like the only buildings that had been spared were the dorms and one or two warded labs. Even knowing this wouldn’t have been her home after today anyway, all she could think was at least they still had a place to sleep tonight.
She met her worried Professor’s gaze. “Hildy needs a healer. This is Charles…”
“Chuck—not Charles,” the bear corrected. “I remember you sir. You’re a dragon too. Right? Only a good one, I hope. Not like the one who slapped me earlier.”
Damien nodded at the bear, wincing at his story, suspecting the good-hearted bear was referring to Thane. “Yes, I am a dragon. The good part is up for debate right now.” He met Carol’s clear gaze. “Is the test done?”
Carol nodded. “Yes. I’ll tell you all about it later. How many were killed here?”
“Some staff and a few of my guards. Because of Hildy’s strange talking cats, we evacuated the children as a precaution. Thane apparently picked up some military trained recruits from the Dragon Legion to help him do the damage you see. They came just as the last of the children left. We weren’t quite ready for such an organized attack. It was like being bombed.”
“Where are Thane and the dragons who did this?”
“They’re all dead or dying. Does the Thunderbird belong to you? He was quite helpful in the fight. I think he chased the dragons here, but even he couldn’t stop them all.”
Carol looked at Ahmed and lifted her chin. “That’s Ahmed, the best familiar in the whole wide world.”
“I think I would agree with that statement. He has a present for you under his claw. He wouldn’t let us near the last one he captured. I’m not happy with his decision, but seeing the amount of power you’ve gained today, I think I understand his thinking.”
Magic and Mayhem: To Yaga Or Not To Yaga (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Baba Yaga Saga Book 3) Page 7
