Rivals

by Phil Stern

  Grund lunged at Tiffany, but she merely used her gathered power to hurl him back through the air. The alpha wolf awkwardly came down midway between the witches and the other five wolves, landing on his rear end. Instantly, the shape-shifter reverted back to wolf form, snarling and howling.

  “Tiffany, enough,” Barbara muttered, coming up to stand beside her. “I think we’ve made our point.”

  “I’m not so sure,” she replied, still watching Grund.

  “Yeah, we’re not done yet.” Thoughtfully, Marissa glanced off to their left. “I’ll do it. You guys cover me.”

  “What do you mean?” Clearly, the Deputy Coven Leader was disoriented by the sudden turn of events. “Let’s get out of here!”

  “In a minute.” Clearly unintimidated, Marissa left the side of her Coven-mates to saunter toward Grund, her shotgun again becoming a glowing whip. The werewolf howled, pawing the ground.

  “Marissa, come back here!” Barbara hesitantly commanded, fearfully glancing behind them at the dead shape-shifter. “We need to...”

  “Let her make her play,” Tiffany muttered, her sword once more becoming a laser. With a sharp whine, the weapon charged to full power.

  “When wolves stalk the Coven, they die,” Solia quietly added. “Everyone knows that.”

  “We already got the stalker!” Flustered, Barbara’s sword flowed back into a simple belt dagger. “Grund just came to talk. We can’t just kill him!”

  “Barbara.” Briefly looking at the older woman to her right, Tiffany again focused on the action before them. “You’re really out of practice.”

  Coming to stand about fifteen feet before the incensed alpha wolf, Marissa deliberately stared him down, potent magic gathered before her. “You are a miserable, lazy mutt,” she announced. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”

  Eyes flashing a raw red, Grund took just a half-step forward, snapping and snarling. Muscles tensed, the pack leader deliberately appeared as if he was about to spring directly at the witch before him.

  But this did nothing to help the second, invisible wolf carefully padding in on Marissa’s left flank. Her eyes never leaving Grund, the sorceress’ whip lashed out to the side, instantly wrapping around the other wolf’s neck. Giving a firm yank on her Coven Stick, Marissa tugged this new, marauding beast from his feet, magically flinging him right into the werewolf standing before her.

  Barreling into Grund, both wolves fell down in a flurry of fur, tails, and paws. Finally disentangling himself, the stunned alpha found himself standing over a dead wolf, his neck broken by the magical force of Marissa’s initial jerk. Howling in rage, Grund again advanced, this time fully intending to maul the sorceress.

  With a dismissive motion, Marissa merely flung the leader up and back once more, this time to land among the rest of the pack. That, combined with Tiffany’s carefully placed laser bolts at their feet, was apparently enough. Turning about, the remaining wolves fled over a small rise, Grund himself pausing only long enough to give a final snarl before disappearing from view.

  *****

  The Zarth coven had an extensive network of safe houses and fortified positions sprinkled across Earth. However, each lower-level ruby witch knew of only a few of them, the better to limit exposure in case of treachery.

  Thus, Adrina’s first order to business was to check the three locations that Valensa was familiar with. Of course, since Tiffany’s sister knew of Claire’s plans for her demise, it was unlikely Valensa would actually be dumb enough to utilize any ruby facilities. But still, it was a place to start.

  A full day of monotonous, mundane traveling indeed revealed both the condo in Montreal and apartment in St. Louis to be empty. Adrina took the precaution of leaving behind magical wards, set to explode upon detecting the specific magical signature from Valensa’s stone. If the ruby renegade ever did become desperate or careless enough to visit any of these places, it would be the last thing she ever did.

  The assassin’s third stop in her magical mystery tour of Earth’s northern continent was also devoid of her quarry. However, the isolated, rundown Mississippi plantation was actually a camouflaged ruby command center, complete with an underground bunker and sensors covering most of the planet. Frankly, Adrina was surprised that Claire had revealed such a sensitive facility to Valensa in the first place, though the ruby coven leader must of had her reasons.

  As a Leven operative, Adrina’s stone had a security clearance only one level below Claire’s. Thus, upon touching the dusty basement door, Adrina’s mere presence was enough to diffuse the defenses and open the magical lock. A lighted, steel hallway lead down into the control center itself.

  Settling into the central chair in the futuristic-looking room, Adrina quickly brought everything online. In moments, the command center underneath the old plantation house was humming with both electrical and magical energy. Yet while dutifully showing the locations of two-dozen other ruby witches currently in the continental United States, the large wall screen failed to pinpoint Valensa’s specific ruby stone. Broadening the search parameters out to the entire planet was also a dead end.

  Thoughtfully, the blonde witch considered the implications. Could Valensa have used the Boundary to flee Earth already? Probably not without help from her sister, as the Haven Coven was much better at navigating the universe than they were. In fact, the ruby witches generally didn’t brave the Boundary in groups of less than three, for fear the unicorns might try to bar their passage.

  Thus, if Valensa had somehow gained Tiffany Smith’s assistance in escaping the dimension, she could now be anywhere. From a practical standpoint, they would both be effectively out of their reach.

  But somehow, Adrina didn’t think so. After all, Valensa had only recently betrayed Tiffany on Zarth, personally delivering her into Claire’s hands. So even if they were now in contact, would Tiffany feel comfortable allowing her unstable sister unlimited access to the universe? Probably not.

  It was more likely that Valensa was still here on Earth, somehow having found a way to mask her stone’s signature. Or maybe Tiffany had taken it away entirely, rendering the ruby stone inert and undetectable from afar? Well, that would only make things so much easier.

  The next stop, then, should be Tiffany Smith’s actual residence in a city called Philadelphia. A half-day’s trip by mundane means.

  Powering down the control room, Adrina then briskly opened what appeared to be a heavy bank vault in the corner. Inside was a small magical armory, each item neatly arranged on tidy shelves.

  Perusing the inventory, a thoughtful finger pressed to her cheek, Adrina’s deep blue eyes finally settled on a cat medallion. Simple but effective, especially with Earth itself seemingly infested with house cats. No one would even know what had hit them until it was too late.

  Putting the medallion in her pocket, the Leven assassin then selected a more conventional automatic handgun. Carefully charging the ammunition with glowing ruby magic, she then slammed the clip home in the weapon itself, using a shoulder holster to conceal it beneath her grey business suit.

  Closing the vault, Adrina quickly exiting the command center entirely. A moment later she was on the outside porch of the seemingly dilapidated plantation house, firmly shutting the front door.

  Vaguely sensing another human presence, she immediately whipped about, right-hand underneath her suit jacket. There was someone out there, perhaps in the wood line fifty feet off. The plantation house itself was a quarter-mile in from an old country lane, surrounded by fields and southern forest. While discouraging visitors, the isolated country landscape was also perfect for an ambush.

  Leaping over the creaky railing, Adrina landed lightly on the grass, gun now drawn. Tossing the medallion onto the ground, it immediately morphed into a sleek black cat, eyes glowing ruby red.

  “Go,” the blonde whispered, nodding at the woods. Hissing, the cat loped off.

  But Adrina’s precaution proved unnecessary. A moment later an old man ambled ou
t from the trees, staring in wonder at the plantation house. Shading his eyes, the hiker then consulted a compass, clearly confused. Shrugging, he then put the compass away, wandering towards the house.

  “Hello!” the stranger called out, putting an absurd, cupped hand to his mouth. “Is anybody home there?” First gawking at Adrina’s rental car parked in front, he then purposefully made his way towards the house.

  There was no magical signature coming from the old fool whatsoever. A harmless hiker, just out for a walk.

  Well, he picked the wrong house to investigate, Adrina thought. With a deep sigh, she then came out from behind a tree to meet him, gun still in hand.

  Upon seeing the attractive young woman, the man rocked to a halt, smiling broadly. “Well there, missy!” he pompously began. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!” Glancing down at Adrina’s right hand, his smile instantly faded.

  “That’s good to know,” she nonchalantly agreed, raising the gun and firing.

  A glowing ruby hole instantly appeared in the middle of his forehead. The man promptly fell over backwards, dead.

  Strolling up, Adrina emotionlessly studied her victim, a stunned expression still on his face. Jogging out from the underbrush, the black cat first carefully sniffed the corpse, then reproachfully looked up at the ruby sorceress.

  “Next time you can do it,” she agreed, snapping her fingers. “I promise.”

  Growling in resentment, the cat nevertheless transformed back into a medallion, flying up into Adrina’s hand. Placing it back in her left pocket, the sorceress then re-holstered the gun.

  A moment later the ruby assassin was back in her rental car, heading out to the main road and up to Philadelphia.

  *****

  Her hands bound behind her, Valensa’s entire body shook. Once more sitting on the couch in Tiffany’s apartment, where she’d tried to seduce her sister’s boyfriend, the defrocked ruby witch could now only stare up at Blake in helpless fury.

  “Let me go!” she snarled, her teeth painfully grinding together. “And give me back my stone!”

  “I can’t do that,” he wearily replied.

  “Where is it?”

  “In my gun safe, in the bedroom.”

  “Give it to me!” she nearly shrieked. “I’m in agony!”

  “You’re in withdrawal,” he corrected. “Here, take these.”

  Seething, she nevertheless swallowed the two pills he put in her mouth, flushing them down with water from a glass then held to her lips. A few moments later the brunette seemed to relax slightly.

  “I can’t stay here.” Tears began rolling down the girl’s cheeks. “When they come, they’ll kill both of us!”

  “Who will?”

  “My coven, you imbecile!” Fighting to free her hands, Valensa rocked back and forth. “Give me my stone!”

  “No.” Grimly, Blake shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”

  Bursting into sobs, Valensa angrily threw her head back. “I hate you! I hate all of you!”

  As a police office Blake had dealt with plenty of addicts, and he knew the signs well. Whatever that stone was doing to her, it was clearly potent stuff.

  But the girl was right about one thing. They couldn’t stay here. At some point the ruby coven would come looking for her, and they tended to play for keeps.

  “Valensa, listen to me.” Leaning down, he looked directly into her wild eyes. “You’re right. We do need to get out of here.”

  “Give me my stone,” she mumbled.

  “No.” Firmly, Blake shook his head. “But you and I are going underground. I have a place several hours from here. We can hide there until Tiffany comes back.”

  “My stone!” she shrieked. “Give it to me!”

  But the sedatives were taking a greater hold. With a shudder, Valensa’s gaze now became more glassy, her body relaxing just a bit.

  Grabbing his opportunity, Blake untied Valensa’s hands and hustled her down into the basement garage. Soon they too were on the road, heading north towards the Pennsylvania/New York border.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  THE WITCHES QUICKLY put some distance between themselves and the scene of the werewolf confrontation. Unlike before there was no idle chatter between them, each sorceress now concentrating fully on their environment.

  It took only forty minutes to reach the edge of the forest, the four women soon studying a Peth town serenely sitting across a patchy, scrub-filled field. It was obviously a human enclave, with an odd assortment of antennas and even a crude radar dish sitting atop the low structures. A few lizard-type creatures laconically circled about overhead, clearly acting as airborne sentinels.

  “That’s Henar.” Completely unfazed by recent events, Solia idly touched her Coven Stick, once more posing as a simple belt dagger. “I’ve heard of it, but have never been here before.”

  “I have. It’s mid-tech mundane.” Barbara's tone was also relaxed and businesslike, though it seemed like more of an effort. “Though they do allow some magic here and there.”

  “How nice of them.” By contrast, Marissa irritably rubbed her elbow. “But does anybody know anything useful, like how the good residents of Henar feel about us?”

  Standing a few feet behind the others, Tiffany cast a worried look at her friend’s back. Eleanor’s plan to work things out by throwing them all together on a mission appeared to be backfiring. Of course, the Deputy Coven Leader’s poor performance with the werewolves hadn’t helped.

  Speaking of which, Tiffany once more extended her magical sensitivity far to their rear. If the wolves were to strike again, this unofficial boundary of their territory would be the perfect place to do it. As far as she could tell, though, everything was clear.

  “The Henars like us. At least, they did the last time I was here.” As if reading her companions thoughts, Barbara now took a deep breath before turning to the three younger women. “Ladies, before we continue, I owe you all an apology. I was not on my game back there. At all. You guys pulled my stone out of the fire, no question.”

  Marissa pointedly looked off into the distance, saying nothing. For her part, Solia’s expression remained resolutely professional.

  “Tiffany’s right. I’m out of practice,” Barbara awkwardly continued. “But I’m getting my head back into things. It won’t happen again.”

  No one immediately replied, the silence now growing very long between them.

  “It’s all right.” Now stepping fully into the group, Tiffany did her best to project a relaxed ease. “After all, our only job here is to watch your back.”

  “My back, yes, but you shouldn’t have to watch my front and side as well.” Bitterly, Barbara shook her head. “I guess Grund made a fool of me.”

  “Yep,” Marissa readily agreed. “That he did.”

  With a shrug, Solia held up her hand. “We got through it.” In a burst of earth fire, a canteen suddenly appeared. “That’s all that matters.”

  “Barbara, we all know you’ve pulled my stone out of the fire.” Though trying to lighten the mood, Tiffany realized she sounded somewhat bitter. “And Marissa’s once or twice, if she was big enough to admit it.” Playfully, she swiped her fellow sorceress on the arm.

  Failing to respond in kind, Marissa bestowed a long, bitter stare on her friend. Magically producing her own canteen, she then angrily unscrewed the cap, turning away to take a sip.

  The vibe wasn’t lost on Barbara. “I guess some people have never made any mistakes,” she airily observed, the customary hard tone returning to her voice. “Or learned to respect their elders, even after what happened on Earth.”

  At this reference to her arrest at the Tennessee safe house, the sleek brunette whipped about. “That mundane shit isn’t going to play with me!” she angrily began. “You and I both know...”

  “You’re lucky Eleanor decided to restore you to full duty after the Conclave, because I certainly wouldn’t have!”

  “Oh yeah?” Now Marissa took a step tow
ards Barbara. “Well, maybe if Eleanor saw how slow you were back there...”

  “Enough!” Moving to block her path, Solia inadvertently bumped into Marissa. “You’re speaking to our deputy leader.”

  Holding herself very still, Marissa slowly turned her gaze from Barbara to the blonde sorceress. “Did you just shove me?” she quietly asked. “That’s not a very healthy thing to do.”

  “All right, ladies.” Smoothly stepping around Solia, Tiffany bodily moved Marissa away a few steps. “Come on, you. We need to talk.”

  “Yes!” Barbara agreed. “I think you do!”

  Giving the older woman a warning look, Tiffany firmly spun Marissa about, leading her about twenty feet off. The two of them then stepped around a large tree, Marissa clearly smoldering.

  “I am not going to take her crap!” Pointing a black-gloved finger back in Barbara’s direction, Marissa’s normally dark brown eyes blazed a rich, potent green. “And who is that bitch to push me...”

  “Stop it!” Taking her by the shoulders, Tiffany waited a moment. “We are on a mission, in what is becoming an openly hostile dimension!”

  “I know that!” she snapped back. “Does Barbara?”

  “Look, she’s admitted the clusterfuck with Grund. I mean, what else do you want?”

  “Maybe an apology?”

  “For this?” Tiffany swept a hand back at the werewolf-infested woods. “Or something else?”

  Though still glowering, Marissa’s eyes began whirling a bit more slowly. “Tiff, I was right in Tennessee, and she was wrong. And Barbara humiliated me anyway!”

  Just then a large, dopy houndfly came meandering up, hopefully hovering a few feet away. For some reason, most butterfly-type creatures in every dimension were attracted to Marissa’s particular magical signature. Usually it was cute, but sometimes got annoying.

  “I’m past that,” Tiffany wearily replied, thinking back to her exchange with Eleanor on that very subject. “And you know what? Sometimes things are more complicated than they seem.”