by A C Spahn
I took a deep breath to quiet my shuddering heart. My head felt like nails were rattling around inside it. With how much magic I’d just used at once, I counted myself lucky that a migraine was the only price I had to pay. “Who enchanted you?” I asked.
The bear shifter looked me up and down, then surprised me by bowing at the waist. He tried to move smoothly, but there was some lumbering awkwardness to the gesture. Possibly a side effect of his shifting enchantment, the way Kendall’s skittishness carried over from her animal form. The bear-man winced at the movement, no doubt pained by my magical attack, but he hid his discomfort well. “Enchantress. I’ve been instructed not to reveal my benefactor’s name, my lady.”
Heat crept into my cheeks. “Rise, please,” I said softly.
He did. Now that I took a look at him, I realized he was in his late teens or early twenties, only a year or two younger than me. His hair was brown, his eyes grey. He was large, and not particularly chiseled, though faint lines suggested a thick layer of muscle beneath his flesh. “What’s your name?”
“Peter Abercrombie. Pete to my friends, my lady.”
“Stop calling me that.”
He frowned. “You’re an enchantress. Magically speaking, you’re royalty.”
“And you’re a Seeker, to talk that way.” I glanced past Pete at Desmond. “A normal who discovers the magical world and seeks out enchantment to become a part of it.”
Desmond nodded. “I’m familiar with them. You’re lucky to be alive, Pete. Many Seekers wind up as lab rats for the enchanters who find them.”
“Or permanently disabled from enchantments gone wrong,” I said. “How much did you pay?”
Pete smirked. “She didn’t charge me. I’ve been looking for an enchanter for years. Other Seekers had told me to be ready to pay, but she didn’t ask for anything. Said she just needed to get rid of the magic.”
Desmond and I shared a look. She. Our rogue enchanter was a woman. “You realize what you did is illegal?”
“Sure, but only for the enchantress. They can’t prove I was a willing accomplice. I can just say she forced the enchantment on me, and those Hunters, whatever you call them, will let me go. That’s what everybody says.”
Desmond growled, “Unless you confess your crime to a Void, you dumbass.”
Pete froze. He glanced over his shoulder at Desmond and seemed to see him for the first time. He took in Desmond’s attire, his bare sword, the combative set to his legs. His eyes closed. “Crap.”
Immediately his shoulders began to grow. “Stop!” I shouted, brandishing the gun. But Pete was already halfway through the shift, and a heartbeat later the massive bear stood between us again. Before I could fire, he knocked me aside with one clawed paw. Pain slashed across my chest. My concentration slipped, and my conjured gun vanished from my hand. I hit the floor hard and skidded, rocky ground biting my palms. I heard a grunt, another animal scream, and then heavy steps lumbering away.
Desmond appeared by my side. Slowly he helped me sit up. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s not bad.” I had no idea whether that was true, but it seemed the thing to say. “He’s getting away.”
“Let him. He got you with a claw. Slashed your shoulder open. Barely missed your neck. I need to get your shirt off to see ...”
“No.” I closed my hand around his fist, gently pushed it away. “I’ll be fine.”
“Unless you’ve got a healing charm in your pocket ...”
I laughed and winced. “No. Healing is above my pay grade.”
Kendall suddenly popped up from behind the ruined worktable. Desmond and I both jumped. “So,” she said, finishing tucking her shirt back in, “this Shifty Pete guy was nuts, right? Getting enchanted by a newbie? Isn’t that like getting a tattoo from somebody who just picked up their needles?”
“He didn’t seem to know any better,” said Desmond, glancing up the stairs. “I’m guessing he just wanted to do something wild. Most people who seek enchantment are more ...” He trailed off.
“Desperate,” I finished. “They’re in some kind of trouble and think magic will get them out.”
“And enchanters prey on their misery,” said Desmond. “Like loan sharks, but dealing in souls.”
“Magic isn’t supposed to be used like that,” I said softly. “It’s not a dirty, treacherous thing. It’s meant for beauty. For art. It’s a tool.”
Desmond put a hand on my shoulder. “So is a hammer, but it can also be a weapon.”
I sighed. “The enchantress we’re seeking is getting more skilled. If she was able to create a shifter without any major side effects, she’s learning how to channel her power. She’s adding more weapons to her arsenal. And we don’t know anything more than when we got here.”
“We know there is another enchantress,” said Desmond. “Shifty Pete didn’t recognize you.”
“Pffff,” said Kendall, waving a hand. “We knew that already.”
I stared at Desmond. “You did believe I was innocent, didn’t you?”
His gaze dropped. “I wanted to. I really, really wanted to. It’s just ... it’s good to have proof.”
Shouts rang out at the top of the stairs. I tensed and conjured my gun again as men in black masks came pouring into the workshop. Kendall squealed, and Desmond raised his sword. One of the men grabbed my arm. In panic, I fired. A magical bullet burst from my gun and hit him right in the chest. He didn’t even blink.
“Assaulting a Void Union member is a crime,” said a familiar voice. I glanced to the top of the stairs as the man wrenched the bracelet from my arm and my conjured gun evaporated. Maribel stood haloed in moonlight, hands on her hips, glowering down at us.
The masked men relieved Desmond of his sword. Another snatched my purse and began emptying my pockets. A third patted Kendall down, searching for weapons.
Fear uncoiled in my belly. I raised my hands, sending a thread of pain through the cut on my shoulder. “You’re late. I saw the enchantress who did this, and fought off one of her creatures. She fled on foot. If you brought enough people, you might be able to—”
My words died as a man pulled my arms behind me. I hissed as my shoulder lit up with pain. Metal cuffs locked around my wrists.
“Hey!” Desmond shouted. “Maribel, it isn’t her!”
“She’s an enchantress,” Maribel said. “I gave her the benefit of the doubt earlier, but now we’ve found her in the culprit’s workshop, with a dead Void sentry in the stable, firing a conjured weapon on our people. Your word was enough before, Desmond Desoto, but not any longer. Now, she’s under my jurisdiction.”
The fear dug in claws and hauled itself up my chest. “I’m not a fleshwriter,” I said. “I would never use enchantment to hurt people.”
“Keep talking,” said Maribel. “Soon enough, your skin will show us whether you’re telling the truth.”
Chapter 12
“YO,” YELLED KENDALL, “this room sucks!” We were stuck in a ten by ten space, with no windows and a single door with no inside knob. The walls were painted lowest-bidder white, with bare concrete beneath us. My feet felt cold on the unforgiving floor. They’d taken our shoes when they searched us.
“Kendall, stop,” I said from where I sat against the wall, knees drawn to my chest. “They aren’t going to listen.”
She turned from the door. “Yeah, you go ahead and feel sorry for yourself. I’m not putting up with it.” She banged on the door again. “Open up! I have finals next week, assholes.”
To my shock, the door cracked open. Kendall had a brief moment to flash me a triumphant look before Maribel stalked in and slammed the door behind her.
In her hand she clutched the bracelet Kendall had picked up at the hidden workshop. “What’s this?” the Union Hunter demanded.
“Dunno,” said Kendall.
“It was in your pocket.”
“Yeah, have you seen how many pockets I wear? I can’t keep track of all the shit I pick up. Adrienne’s even worse
. Practically a hoarder, that girl.”
“I see.” Maribel waved the bracelet at me. “This one of yours, witch?”
“Stop calling me that,” I said.
“Yeah, the preferred term is ‘metaphysically challenged,’” said Kendall. “And I found that at the other enchanter’s lab. You know, the one who’s getting all murdery up in here. It didn’t kill me, so it’s harmless, and I like the way it sparkles. Give it back.”
Maribel glared at Kendall as she slowly affixed the bracelet to her own wrist. Kendall glared right back. As Maribel clicked the clasp shut, Kendall muttered, “Thief.”
“You stole it first.” Maribel then transferred her glare to me. “I told you not to go back to that ranch.”
“The enchanter triggered my trap.” I stood up. While the highest heels wouldn’t make me the same height as Maribel, I didn’t want to look smaller than necessary. “I couldn’t get hold of Desmond, and you people didn’t exactly give me a hotline to call, so I went to check it out.” I paused. “I’m sorry about your friend.”
“Should I take that as a confession?”
My simmering frustration began to boil. “Why do you hate me so much? I haven’t done anything.”
“Yeah,” said Kendall. “Haven’t you noticed? Adrienne is the quiet, sweet one. I’m the more likely psychopath.”
“Squirrel,” said Maribel, “if you don’t stop talking, I’m going to muzzle you.”
“Best of luck.”
“I’m not a killer,” I said. Tension crept into my muscles and made my fists clench. “And I don’t use magic to hurt people. I’m on your side, but you seem more interested in yelling at me for being what I am than actually finding the person behind this.”
Maribel barked a harsh laugh. “You really see yourself as innocent. Even when you channel magic every day, you think you’re not dangerous.”
“I can be dangerous if provoked,” I said, too angry now to think.
Kendall raised her hands, palms out. “Oookay, let’s calm down, kids. Adrienne is not a threat. Seriously. She collects seashells. And ribbon. And stamps. Not the post office kind, the rubber and ink kind. She has a rubber band ball. Have you ever known a serial killer to have a rubber band ball?”
“Ted Bundy once compared killing to collecting stamps,” said Maribel.
Kendall paused. “Bad example.”
“I’ve never killed a human,” I said hotly. “Ever. Can you say the same, Maribel of the Void Union?”
“Don’t you go using my name and title in that voodoo tone.”
I scoffed. “Words aren’t magic, just a guide for it. I don’t need your name to do magic against you.”
“Is that a threat?”
“You won’t believe me if I say no, so why bother?”
“You were found at the scene of the crime, not once but twice, with magical artifacts on your person—”
“She makes them, you dolt,” said Kendall.
Maribel slammed a fist against the door. “Get the shifter out of here!”
“Wait,” said Kendall. “You can’t just—”
The door opened, and a pair of muscular Void Hunters stormed in.
“She’s right,” I said as the Hunters grabbed Kendall and began hauling her, still protesting, from the room. “My enchantments are defensive, and I only used them because a bunch of this new enchanter’s accidents started trying to kill me.”
“Accidents?” Maribel’s tone colored with outrage. “You’re talking about people, real people who—”
“I know they were people! I know those under enchantment are people, better than you ever could.”
“What’s that supposed to—”
Kendall shifted to squirrel and tried to bite the Hunters. They kept a grip on her, awkwardly holding her at arm’s length as they slammed the door. A moment later Kendall’s voice yelled, “Don’t make me give you rabies!”
Maribel shook her head. “Voy a matarla.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You do speak Spanish. So you weren’t just being a total gonorrea about it.”
“Cállate, chica,” said Maribel. “I really am adopted.”
“So one thing you’ve said to me is true.”
“I haven’t told you a single lie, witch.”
“You keep calling me witch and insisting I’m behind these killings, and those are both—”
“The truth! The evidence is out there, girl, and I’m going to find it and make sure you—”
“Die, yes, I know you want to execute me, but I’ve never done a damn thing to you, so I guess I just have to assume you enjoy killing—”
“I do what is necessary to protect—”
“Save your justifications, Maribel. I’m sure they help you sleep at night, but I’m not buying the noble Hunter act.”
“This is no act, Enchantress. When I prove you’re the one hurting these people—”
“I haven’t hurt anyone!”
“You hurt people by just existing!” Maribel’s voice rose to an enraged shriek. Her fist flashed toward me. I skipped aside and slapped her hand away. For a lightning instant, our skin touched.
Kadum. Kadum. Kadum.
I froze in open-mouthed shock. “You’re enchanted.”
An inhuman growl crawled from Maribel’s throat. Her eyes brightened to gold with slits for irises and a faint rim of amber fur. Feral hatred twisted her mouth, and she whirled away, hiding her face.
I’d seen enough. “You’re a shifter. Feline. You’re the cat that’s been stalking me.”
Maribel took a few deep breaths. With deliberate slowness she straightened her shoulders. When she turned her face was human once more. The loathing hadn’t gone out of her eyes.
“Is that why you hate me?” I asked quietly. “Because you don’t like your enchantment?”
She barked a harsh laugh. “No, my enchantment works just fine. Better than fine. You know how many non-Voids have ever passed Union Hunter training? Three. I’m the third, and the first woman. Being a mountain lion comes in handy in a fight.”
“Then why?”
Maribel hitched up her pant leg to expose her calf. A black line curled there, a single unbroken strand forming a complex whorl. “That’s no birthmark,” she said coldly. “I wasn’t born enchanted. And I wasn’t enchanted alone.”
A prickle crawled down my spine. “It’s not your enchantment that went bad.”
“No. My parents were Seekers, and not the thrill-seeking kind. The desperate kind. The kind you people prey upon.”
I wanted to protest, but my voice wouldn’t work. Numb, I listened, knowing the direction this story would take and powerless to make it end differently.
Bitterness flavored Maribel’s words. “We needed money. My parents were real estate agents, and they lost everything when the bubble burst. My father had a contact in the paranormal world, and he convinced them to put us in touch with an enchanter. He begged that enchanter to do something, help us keep our house and put food on the table. Of course he couldn’t pay the man’s rates, but the enchanter agreed to help. For a price.”
I swallowed. “You.”
“All of us. Me, my mom, my dad, my little sister. All of us had to agree to be enchanted, once each, to absorb some of the magic pounding on the enchanter, or he’d let us starve. So of course we did it. He said it would improve our lives, that he’d turn me, my mom, and Kelly into shifters, and then put a small money charm on my dad to get us back on our feet.”
“On him? That’s so dangerous, why would he—”
“Because he was a liar, and he just wanted subjects to use to hone his powers. My enchantment went fine, but the others ...” Maribel clenched her teeth. Moisture glistened in her eyes.
There was nothing I could say to fix what happened to her. Worse, there was nothing I could do, either. “I’m so sorry.”
“I visit them. Sometimes. Every so often Kelly remembers who I am. She thinks we’re still little girls and asks to play dress up. Mom and Dad
are so far gone they need someone to spoon feed them.”
“I’m sorry,” I repeated, as if saying it more times would help.
Maribel swallowed and blinked the burgeoning tears away. Her vulnerable moment died, and the cold mask of the Union Hunter slipped back into place. “It’s nothing personal,” she said. “Some people are born sociopaths. Some are born enchanters. Both are a threat to society, and someone has to stop you.”
“I’m not like him,” I said softly. “Magic can be ugly and ruinous, but it can also be beautiful.”
Maribel paused. “I suspect you really believe that. But you’re wrong.”
“I could look at your family,” I said, raising my eyes to meet hers. “I can’t promise anything, but I might be able to draw the magic out of them, channel it somewhere else. It probably won’t fix the damage, but there’s a chance that another enchantment might—”
“No!” The vehemence in her tone scared me. Her eyes welled once more, and she raised a trembling finger to point at me. “You won’t go anywhere near them. I won’t expose them to any more magic.”
“I’m trying to help—”
“You think the other guy meant to screw up their minds? Even when you people mean well, you’re dangerous.”
“But if there’s any chance—”
“No! I’m done with you.” Maribel pounded the door again. “Take her.”
The burly Hunter stomped in again, this time heading for me.
“Wait,” I said. “There’s still another enchantress out there.”
Maribel turned away, deaf to my pleas. The guard grabbed my wrists and pinned my arms behind my back with one hand. He began dragging me toward the door.
“Please,” I said, ignoring the fresh stabs of pain in my wounded shoulder. “If you won’t let me help your family, at least let me stop this from happening to anyone else!”
We reached the door. I hooked my foot around the frame, to stay in the room, to make Maribel hear me. “You have to let me find her. I’m not the enemy!”
The guard kicked the back of my knee, dislodging my foot. He yanked me out of the room and slammed the door behind us. Before it closed, I saw Maribel’s shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
