by Holly Evans
"I don't deal with witches, so you're on your own. It was nice to meet everyone."
With that, she sashayed out of the church. Elise stared daggers at her back.
Lysander was still pacing and growling.
After a few minutes, I said, "Hound. Stop."
He lowered his head and stood before me, looking every inch the wounded puppy.
Jacob smirked. “So you have trained it after all.”
“Lysander is not an it. Why exactly are you here?” I said.
He shrugged. “I’d hoped to have some fun, but apparently that’s not going to happen. Petra had the right idea. Later, Elise."
She muttered something under her breath before she huffed.
"Looks like it's just us again,” she said.
I hugged her tight. "That's all we need."
Four
Lysander had remained glued to my side; Elise, however, stayed at her church, saying she needed to speak to her lady. I found myself running my fingers over the inside of the hound's wrist as we stood on the tram approaching Kadrix's workshop. The celestials had put him on edge, and my desire to soothe him overwhelmed the need to keep some distance between us.
A spark of electricity passed between us when the hound's fingertips brushed over mine in return. I turned away from him and pulled myself together. I could feel the smirk that sat on his lips as I walked ahead of him. Things had changed between us after the hellmouth had been opened. When I'd held him in my arms and thought I was going to lose him, something was knocked loose within me, and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't hide it away again. The sun crept out from behind the thick pale-grey clouds and blinded me for a moment; it always sat too low in the sky in spring. I swore I saw something skirt over the roof of the lékárna, although nothing was there when I peered at the red tiles. Shrugging it off, we walked into it, giving a polite smile to the guy behind the counter as we slipped into Kadrix's workshop. The feeling of magic surrounding me still put me on edge, but I was getting used to it. I'd seen that magic wasn't necessarily as evil as I'd previously thought.
The elf had his white-blond hair pulled back in a messy bun with his copper goggles perched on his head. It took me a second to spot Quin amidst the chaos; he was usually attached to Kadrix at the hip, but he had his back to the alchemist, a scowl etched on his face. I narrowed my eyes at Kadrix. I was very protective over my twin; if he'd hurt Quin, he'd suffer. Lysander cleared his throat while I wove my way between the sacks of books and workbenches covered in various alchemical paraphernalia.
"Is everything ok?" I asked Quin.
He sighed softly and glanced at Kadrix before he forced a smile. "Yea, it's… yea. What brings you here?"
Lysander growled, "Celestials."
Kadrix suddenly gave his us his full attention; Quin, however, merely frowned before he finished pouring the thick viscous liquid into the silver bowl in front of him.
"What about celestials, Evelyn?" the elf asked, his voice edged with daggers.
I pursed my lips and fixed him with a dark look. "They were in Elise's church, harping on about the balance being upset. What did you do to Quin?"
He paled and looked away. "That is between your brother and I."
"If you hurt him it'll be between you and my blades,” I growled.
"Evie, we'll talk later," Quin said softly. "What brings you here?"
I glared at the elf; Lysander was mirroring the expression. "The celestials mentioned something about a witch being too powerful; we're supposed to track her down and put an end to her nefarious, balance-disrupting ways. I was hoping that perhaps one of you had some connections we could use."
Things were rough between us and the witches; a lot of them had sided with the demons during the hellmouth incident. There were still hedgewitches and others, though, who could have been of use. Kadrix carefully fixed the vial he was holding in a set of clamps and gave us a small, tight, smile.
"There is a hedgewitch, as it happens. I've been trying to keep connections with them; they're good for profits."
He scribbled down an address and thrust it at us. Lysander took it from him while I caught Quin's eye; I wasn't going to let it slide. I wasn't what you'd call a people person, but I was fiercely loyal to those few I did have close. Quin glanced back at Kadrix before he muttered something about taking a break and gestured for me to follow him out the back door.
Lysander remained close on my heels, his mouth pulled into a stern straight line and his eyes dark. He'd quickly grown attached to Quin. His protectiveness was unlike anything I'd dealt with before; I didn't know what to do with it. Quin leaned against the wall in the small courtyard at the back of the lékárna, his eyes fixed down on the plain cream concrete.
I squeezed his arm. “Talk to me, you're worrying me."
Finally he raised his eyes. They glistened with the threat of tears.
His eyebrows knitted as the words formed in his mouth. “Kadrix kissed someone else."
Lysander's lips pulled back in a deep snarl. I ran my fingers over his hand to ease him without even realising. Images of skinning the elf flitted into my mind; no one hurt my twin. I squeezed my eyes shut and sought calm.
"Have you talked to him about it?"
He sighed heavily. “He just... shrugged it off. I don't know how I feel, I..."
I pulled him into a tight hug. "I'll have a word."
I waited for him to tell me not to interfere, that it was his relationship. He said nothing.
"Lysander, stay here. I have enough anger without yours fueling it."
He ground his teeth together but gave a small nod and stepped away from the door. I ran my fingers over the hilt of my blades. I still carried those Kadrix had made me from the feathers of celestials. The familiar tingle from them eased my mind and calmed me a little. It was a delicate situation. I was shit at dealing with delicate situations.
The elf had removed his goggles and was leant against a workbench when I walked back into the workshop. His pretty mouth was fixed in a hard line, his usually bright green eyes dulled.
"It seems that I upset your brother," he said.
I approached him slowly, watching for any sign of an attack. "He said you kissed someone else..."
"I didn't realise that was... hurtful," he said quietly.
I stopped and crossed my arms. "You didn't realise that showing someone other than your partner intimate affection, was hurtful...?"
"Evelyn, you may not have noticed, but I am an elf. We do not live by your... rules. It was not my intent to hurt Quin."
"And what are your rules?" I fought to keep the edge from my voice.
"We enjoy each other, there are no lines. We do not have the borders and boundaries that you do." He sighed softly. "I regret hurting Quin. He is… rather special."
"Talk to him,” I said simply.
With that I summoned Lysander and looked pointedly between Quin and Kadrix before I left with my hound. My own words echoed in my mind; I needed to talk to Lysander, but I couldn't face it.
Five
The hedgewitch in question was in Florenc, a pretty area in the centre of the city. It bustled a little much for my tastes, but it quickly dissolved into parks, churches, and wonderful burger bars. We slowly made our way along the road, with traffic buzzing past us and birds singing in the trees on the other. It was pleasant to enjoy the odd peace it brought, even if only for a minute.
The anger over Kadrix's actions was beginning to dissipate when Lysander asked, "What exactly is a hedgewitch?"
He looked away, his cheeks flushing slightly red. I often forgot that he wasn't of our world, and thus didn't know the ins and outs.
"A hedgewitch is a solitary witch that has either walked away from the witch goddess, the crone, or simply doesn't have enough talent to get into a coven. They don't have the same magical talents and abilities as coven witches, due to that lack of connection with the goddess. They're closer to alchemists. They're not respected among the witches, so they tend to hav
e information on just about everything, as the witches don’t worry about hiding anything from them."
"Are they trustworthy?" he asked.
I gave a small shrug. "As much as anything else."
Trust wasn't really in my nature; I trusted the word of a hedgewitch over a redcap, but I wasn't going to trust either with my life. Modern glass buildings butted up against old stone with pastel colours and plaster adornments; the city was changing, evolving. Things came and went in barely the blink of an eye. Such was the nature of Prague. Lysander's hand brushed over mine, drawing me from my thoughts. I refused to acknowledge the touch.
"What did Kadrix say?" he said softly.
I shrugged once more; it was between Quin and Kadrix. I was ready to skin the elf, but I needed Quin's say so first.
"He said elves don't live by the rules we do."
Lysander nodded and made a thoughtful noise. “You live very differently to what I'm used to, too."
My insides squirmed. I knew what he was doing. Fortunately, the small purple door to the hedgewitch's shop was right next to us. Saved by the witch; not something I'd expected to think to myself.
A quiet grumble came from Lysander. I ignored him. He could be as pissed at my avoidance as he liked; I wasn't having that discussion, and that was it. We walked into the dark, cramped shop, each space covered in varying dry herbs, tumble-stones, and statuettes. Just once, I wanted one of the magical types to work with a clean, bright, minimalist design. Just once.
A small woman in a flowing deep-red skirt with an expanse of black curls and clinking bracelets bustled towards us. She was the epitome of the stereotype; I had to assume it worked.
She grinned at us and ushered us towards the back of the shop. “Come, come, I was expecting you."
"We did arrange the meeting this morning."
I couldn't help myself, I had no patience for the new-age stuff.
She laughed to herself. "I apologise, I'm used to dealing with... other types of people. It's all a show."
We followed her through the purple velveteen curtain and perched on an old cracked leather sofa once she'd collapsed into a faded-green armchair that she seemed to vanish down into.
"You're here to gather information about a powerful witch."
I let her carry on, she'd been told all of this before we arrived. Her gaze wandered up and down Lysander. Her teeth tugged on her bottom lip.
"He's yours?"
"Yes."
I felt Lysander's amusement. I should have used a softer tone. She frowned, but looked back at me.
"I've heard rumours of a new witch; she came into the city about three months ago, I believe. People were scared, things started happening, the entire coven system got up-ended."
I frowned. “The coven system?"
She waved her hand and gave a little eye roll. "Oh yes, they're so hierarchical. Every coven fits neatly into its slot within the city. They have a territory, a social rank: It's all very complicated and egotistical."
Lysander gave me a questioning look. I waited for her to continue. She was happy to talk, and would likely give me what I wanted.
"As I was saying, a new witch came into the city, she caused quite a stir. There were feathers ruffled, a few deaths, and rumours of dark things happening."
"Just what we need, more rumours," Lysander muttered.
The witch pursed her lips. "I am a hedgewitch, young hound. I am excluded from their goings-on, deemed unworthy of their magic and rituals, but let me tell you this: I know more than they realise."
"Then why don't you share that with us?" he said with a sickeningly sweet smile.
She huffed and rearranged herself in the armchair before playing with her hair for a long minute.
"She is a scary creature, a woman of ambition. Covens fled the city, others bowed before her. Rumblings from the infernal realm started soon after, but you know that bit, don't you?"
She stared at him pointedly.
I leaned forwards a little and smiled. "Do you have anything more for us? Some way we could track her down, perhaps?"
Her hands fidgeted in her lap, wrapping around each other over and over, her eyes flitted across the worn wooden floor.
"No... you don't want that. I don't know where she is and I don't want to."
Her voice trembled.
I leaned forward a little more, and considered offering my hand. She shook her head.
"No, you can't protect me, not from her. I'm sorry. I can't give you what you want."
I smiled and stood. "Thank you anyway."
Lysander stood, his expression dark. We made our way back through the shop, careful not to knock the herbs.
Once we were back out on the street and had taken a few steps away, Lysander said, "Well that was a waste of time."
"It wasn't unexpected, though; now, if those celestials would help us, then we'd make some actual progress and return to our lives,” I said.
Six
I was in no mood to deal with Kadrix for fear of upsetting Quin by interfering, and I didn't have the details of any other hedgewitches that might be willing to speak to us. The frustration grew within me as we sat on a bench gazing at a particularly ornate church. The pigeons wandered down the tarmac path, lazily looking for crumbs or better. Crocuses grew in the narrow flowerbeds, and the trees were bursting with green. Lysander refused to settle, he kept twitching his feet and shifting position.
Finally, he broke and said, "Evelyn, we need to talk."
I ignored him. Another few minutes of his fidgeting were enough for me to be the one to break.
"Fine," I said without looking at him.
"I can feel your emotions... Why do you bury them?"
I curled my lip. The bond meant that I couldn't lie, and I was no mood to be honest about the state of my feelings towards the hound, a beast. Like it or not, I was increasingly protective over him and my desire to explore his tightly toned muscles and trail my fingers over the pale white scars left by his previous master was growing. He took my hand, a bold move that I didn't appreciate. I looked at him with a stern expression; he ignored it and kept my hand in his. His elegant fingers entwined with mine, his callouses gently pressed against my own. It was a snug and comfortable fit. I wanted him to be nothing more than a pet, a tool, but looking into his midnight blue eyes, I knew I couldn't do it.
"I bury them because I can't deal with them,” I said, looking away.
It felt rough in my mouth, but I had no choice but to admit it.
"Why?" he said softly.
Pain bloomed in my chest. His pain.
I frowned and pulled my hand from his. "Because I'm not ready, because I don't know how."
I hadn't meant to say that. In my head, I'd told him that we just weren't right, that it'd be nothing more than a fling. I cursed the bond and its damned way of making me speak the truth. A soft voice cut through my increasingly dark thoughts.
"It's nice to see you away from the alchemist's workshop, Evelyn."
My head snapped up; I recognised the voice. Azfin, the Sidhe. I narrowed my eyes at him, my hands reaching for my blades. The Sidhe had been helpful during the hellmouth incident, but I remained cautious. His delicate little mouth lifted at the corners before he pursed his lips, his eyes dancing while his hands remained tucked in his pockets.
Lysander growled, "What brings you here?"
Azfin refused to acknowledge Lysander. "There have been... shivers, movements."
I raised an eyebrow. "That sounds rather painful, have you visited a doctor or healer?"
His mouth split into a dark smile. "Not quite those forms, although I'm sure I could make you shiver."
His tongue flicked over his lips flashing his sharpened teeth. Lysander growled and edged a little closer to me. I kept my gaze firmly fixed on the Sidhe.
Azfin stepped closer to us, his slender frame managing to tower over me. I leaned back and smiled sweetly, I wasn't going to be intimidated by one Sidhe. He leaned over me, his hands r
esting on the back of the bench on either side of me, his breath warm on my neck.
"I meant the infernal realm. It has been shivering, twitching."
My breath caught for a moment; that wasn't supposed to be possible, not so soon. The bloodshed and chaos flashed in my mind. The death and pain were so recent. The city couldn't go through that again.
"Are you sure?"
I couldn't think of anything else to say; my mind was going blank.
"Unfortunately, yes. There is no doubt."
I swallowed down my fear and tried to think what I was supposed to do; I didn't want to go running to Elise, particularly with the celestials breathing down her neck. Azfin stood tall again.
"This was supposed to have been wrapped up."
His hands returned to his pockets. I opened my arms wide and glared at him.
"It was, what exactly are we supposed to do about it?"
His eyes darkened and flicked to Lysander. "Perhaps if you returned your toy..."
"No," I snapped.
The level of emotion in my reaction surprised me; I knew that I'd become attached, but still. Azfin laughed, a soft tinkling sound that still managed to hint at the predator he was.
He leaned back over me. "Have you claimed him yet? I've heard rather good things."
I didn't appreciate his tone, the taunting. Lysander bared his teeth and snarled at the Sidhe; I was tempted to swat him on the nose. Azfin did it for me. Only a fae could be so bold as to swat a hellhound on the nose in broad daylight.
Lysander lurched forward, his hands reaching to break the Sidhe's neck. I pushed Azfin back and pushed down on Lysander's shoulder forcing him back down onto the bench.
"Enough," I growled.
Azfin laughed. Lysander sulked.
"How do you know about this problem?"
A young woman in a brown flowery dress gave me an odd look, I smirked at her. Talking about such topics in public was never a good idea. English wasn't the native language of the city, but far too many people spoke it.
"I am... what I am. We have certain skills and abilities." He smirked at me, standing over me once more. "You look as though you need some of those skills, Evelyn, you're so... tense."
