Everwish: The Primati Witches Book One

by Amelia Oz

  "We also want at a dozen peanut butter chocolate cups. The kind from the orange wrappers. Deal?"

  I sat back on my hands, considering. I wasn't sure what Layla had in the pantry, but I was absolutely curious about what the infamous Lion was afraid of, especially as I was meeting him tomorrow. I could check the garage for a flashlight.

  "I have to get back, but I'll return later tonight. How about nine-thirty this evening?" Murad was usually gone by eight-thirty.

  The mermaids grinned, their razor-sharp teeth on full display.

  Chapter 27

  The Lovers

  Stella

  urad and I were silent this evening, both of us lost to our own thoughts. It was a relief when he stood to leave. I walked him to the front door, something I rarely did, but he seemed to appreciate. The moment the door closed I ran up the stairs to change.

  It was growing cooler in the evenings, and I imagined the Washington shore would be even chillier, so I dug around until I found a navy fisherman's sweater, my trusty black jeans, and the jacket I'd borrowed from Ela.

  I tiptoed to the kitchen and found Layla talking animatedly to the contestants of a dating show on a flat screen TV. I'd asked Murad for a TV and DVDs and he'd brought the weirdest collection of television programs. She saw me dressed to go outside and stood with a worried frown. I smiled reassuringly and went to the pantry.

  I didn't see peanut butter cups, but I did grab a new jar of creamy peanut butter, two spoons, and a bag of chocolate chips. I shoved them into a cloth tote I found on a hook and swung it over my shoulder. I found a flashlight in a drawer. Miming a watch on my wrist, I tried to convey to Layla that I would return in two hours. I left by the backdoor and quickly crossed the lawn, steering clear of the stone cottage in case Murad was still there. When I was no longer visible to anyone looking outside the cottage door, I hurried.

  The wind rushed over the drying maple leaves in rising, rustling sounds overhead. The flashlight emitted a dim yellow beam, but it led me through the woods. Crossing the creek was a bit scary in the dark, so I did it as quickly as possible. The white stones in the crude cemetery were radiant beneath moonlight. I had no idea how to get to the shoreline without going through Lilly's garden, so that's what I did. I avoided looking at the stone gargoyle, knowing it would frighten the crap out me. Instead I tiptoed soundlessly through the garden and then onto the beach path.

  I slowed as I climbed around and over the large stacks of driftwood, not wanting to trip and twist an ankle. The beach appeared, pale stones glowing in the peachy light of a nearly full, harvest moon. The water lapped noisily as I walked the wooden pier in search of Hillary and Piper.

  "Oi! It's Stella." Hillary’s called out. Relief coursed sharp and sweet. I hadn’t imagined them. I knelt at the end of the pier, put the flashlight down between my knees, and squinted over the side. Hillary and Piper appeared, closer to the wooden top of the pier with the rising tide, and I grinned, opening the tote.

  "First thing first, let me see your bracelet." I tried not to flinch as Hillary hoisted herself up until she sat on the wooden platform. Piper followed her.

  "Aren't you guys cold?" I was freezing just watching them.

  "Not at all," Piper said. "We can tolerate extreme temperatures."

  Hillary held her pale arm out to me. As I'd seen earlier, it was a thick rubber bracelet with a flashing light. I took out a pair of scissors.

  "Wait! My sister said there was a steel cable inside. Scissors won't cut through."

  "Hillary, this is a modified fitness tracker. It's not an electronic tracking device. See here?" I explained, just as I snipped it from her wrist. It fell to the platform and Hillary picked it up, turning it around in her hands.

  "What is a fitness tracker?"

  "It counts how many steps you take—it tracks your exercise."

  "That lousy, fracking cow," Hillary cried, chucking the bracelet into the water.

  "Total meddler," agreed Piper.

  "I can't believe she got the better of me on that one. My sister Jessie is such a pain! Just because she's the oldest she thinks she can tell me what to do. We'll have to plot our revenge," she said to Piper, who nodded solemnly.

  "Sorry, we didn't have peanut butter cups. But I brought you something better." I said, pulling out the peanut butter jar and chocolate chips. They watched warily as I opened the jar and sprinkled some chips inside before handing a spoon each to Hillary and Piper. They accepted the offering, sniffing the mixture with suspicion. I waited as they first licked, then devoured the treat.

  "Amazeballs," Hillary said in a dreamy voice. Piper was already handing me her empty spoon, and I handed her the entire jar instead.

  "Okay—I freed you. Now tell me what the Lion is afraid of."

  Hillary smacked her lips, clearing her palette of peanut butter.

  "Dolls. He hates them. Oh, and cats."

  "Dolls? As in clowns?" I asked, stunned. The great Enforcer was afraid of kittens and dolls?

  "If the clown is a doll, then yes. My old nanny used to know someone who knew his old nanny from many years ago. Apparently, his half-sisters used to torment him with dolls, and he hasn't liked them ever since. Cats have always skeeved him out. So, if you ever need to buy yourself some time—just have a doll on hand. Or a cat," Hillary concluded. I looked at her, staggered.

  "This is absolutely terrible advice! How do I even know you're telling me the truth?" I demanded, pissed at being tricked. Hillary grew serious.

  "I do not lie. I am not my stinking sister. Take it or leave it.”

  Dolls. Jeez. I shrugged. We sat in companionable silence as they passed the jar back and forth.

  "You know, the Lion is terrifying, but I've heard tales of King Murad being much worse," Hillary shared.

  "He drinks people," Piper whispered in a horrified tone.

  "Of course, he does! He's a vampire, isn't he? I also heard he drinks from a special herd of wild magickal horses," Hillary responded with scorn.

  "I thought he was a demon?" Piper asked.

  "He's a demon-vampire. Keep up, Piper," Hillary scoffed.

  "He's a demon-vampire," Hillary continued. "He took Lila's light from her. That's what made him so powerful. He sucked it right out of her. And now he's going after her great granddaughter," Hillary said.

  "What do you mean?" My mind was still blanked at the mention of horses. Did Murad drink from his stable of horses? I shuddered.

  "Only that that same nanny said that the King needs to keep replenishing his light to stay powerful. They say he killed Lila's family to make sure she never ran away again. I never met the guy, but he sounds pretty scary," she said, flicking her tail so the tip fluttered.

  My head spun. "I thought he was planning to marry her?"

  "How can he? I heard that all but the water witches have turned against the girl. They think she’s an imposter only pretending so she can snag Murad and be queen," chimed in Piper. I sat back, speechless.

  "Yup. He'll probably kill her as soon as the Council meets," agreed Hillary.

  I stood and accidentally kicked the flashlight into the water. Piper slid gracefully beneath the dark surface and rescued it for me. I tapped it several times but the battery had died. This was turning out to be a terrible evening. Could I really be wrong about Murad? Granted, the mermaids were talking rumors, yet there was usually a kernel of truth in these things, wasn't there?

  "I have to go," I mumbled. The mermaids protested immediately.

  "I'll try to be back, but if I don't maybe we'll see each other somewhere else," I said, backing away.

  "If you see my boyfriend, will you tell him I'll be around for a few more days?" Hillary asked. I nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

  "Bye, Piper and Hillary," I called out as I headed back up the beach. I really had to talk to Bird about what he'd been up to.

  The path was a lot creepier without a flashlight. I was glad when I reached Lilly's backy
ard gardens. The house was still illuminated when I tiptoed along the path and I froze at the sound of voices. Although certain Ela and Lilly wouldn't mind my being here, I preferred not to be caught outside like a creeper. I slinked along the path only to come to a standstill when I spied two figures on an Adirondack bench ahead of me. I recognized the occupants immediately and icy dread filled me.

  Murad sat on the wide bench with Lilly in his arms. He cradled her delicate body, and I saw she wore a long white nightgown and robe with a lap blanket for extra warmth. Her bright hair was loose and fell like spun cotton candy over the front of her gown. She looked frail within his strong arms.

  "Tomorrow will be the equinox. Can’t you feel it? Isn't it beautiful?" Lilly asked in her dulcet voice. She was staring up at the star-littered sky. I followed her gaze and drew in a breath. Silver stars balanced within the velvet nest of night. Murad's head was bent towards Lilly, and I saw his profile as he stared at Lilly's uplifted face.

  "Yes. It's the most wonderful thing I've ever seen," he agreed. His voice held a tone I'd never heard from him before. It was tender and low, aching with repressed emotion.

  Oh, God. The truth dawned. Lilly was Lila. She had to be. Murad had only loved one woman, and it was clear he loved the one held reverently in his arms now, despite the massive physical age difference.

  What had Hillary and Piper said about Murad? That he needed her light? Fear gripped me and I backed away as silently as I could manage. Once I met the garden wall, I followed it all the way around to the side of the property. The gate loomed and my feet picked up into a run as I passed beneath its arch. The white stones in the cemetery came into view just before I collided into a tree and fell backwards. Strong hands gripped me as the tree became Murad, wrapped in shadows. How had he moved so quickly?

  I fought him, twisting and turning like a savage animal, even biting his hands where they grasped me. He shook me.

  "Stop, Stella! You'll hurt yourself!" he demanded roughly.

  I shouted through panting breaths, "How could you! You keep her prisoner here?"

  "It's not what you think! Please, Stella. I knew you were there. Listen!"

  "Let me go!"

  He released me immediately, hands up.

  I stepped away from him, feeling the wind kick up around us, circling through the stones. Another thought occurred to me, so painful it knocked the air from my lungs.

  "Who are these gravestones for?" I whispered. I couldn't see his face in the dark, but I noticed he put his hands in his pockets. Was my mother buried here?

  "I don't know. The land from here to there belongs to Lila. She imagines what she wants. That's how her power works. Through intention. She is no longer sane, and so asking her about it is a useless exercise," he said helplessly.

  "She chose this spot and it's on a ley line I had enchanted to connect our land. Only my brother knows she exists in this time and place. She punishes herself by allowing herself to grow old. During the day she is locked away in her mind, but at night she somehow comes back to a shadow of herself. Enough to hold small conversations as long as I stick to the weather and the garden," he admitted and I heard his grief.

  "You lied to me. You said you had hope that she was still alive. You knew that she was."

  "I said the agony of hope was something I've lived with a long time. That's true. She is physically near, yet forever beyond me. Being near someone you need more than air, yet unable to take a single breath, is a specific torture I wish on no being on earth or in hell.

  "I have no idea whether she can will herself to die, but I hold hope she will eventually return to her mind and to me. How were you able to cross her wards? No one can cross over but me. Anyone else is turned to stone," he said in a puzzled voice. I remembered the gargoyle-like statue next to the garden wall.

  "I don't know. Ela can as well." I pointed out. He tilted his head.

  "Who is Ela?"

  "Her companion."

  "She has no companion, Stella. She doesn't allow anyone near her. Not in hundreds of years," he said, concern lacing his words. I didn't know what to say. Should I admit I've been speaking with her in the daytime for days? Tell him more about Ela?

  "Why didn't you tell me about her?"

  "I couldn't risk you upsetting her. If I told you she was here you would have insisted on seeing her yourself. If she ever learned that Gracie, her daughter, lived—if she learned how they all died—she would never, ever recover. I can't demand it but I do beg you—please don't tell anyone else that she is here."

  He was keeping her under wraps for himself. It was wrong, but I could tell he would refuse to see it that way. He had a Lila museum set up right here, and he was the only visitor. If I let him, he would do the same to me in a bid to keep me "safe."

  "I won't tell anyone," I whispered brokenly.

  "I still want to marry you in name only, Stella. It will protect you. Once the curse is broken, we can annul the marriage, and you can meet Lila formally. Once the curse is broken, I hope she comes back to her own mind again. She will have you to focus on, and you will live a long enough life to coax her into living again," he explained.

  It was a dangerous man who loved a woman so deeply. I could see that Murad would do literally anything for Lila, and it made him both pitiful and terrifying. She wasn't worth it. If she were worthy of his love, she would never have left him to begin with. She would have fought for him. It was in that moment that I understood Alaric clearly, and I knew what I had to do.

  "You still lied to me. At the museum. You told me that grief was like a fog that would eventually end. You said to walk through it," I reminded him. His face crumbled.

  "Dear, Stella. I am still walking." My heart broke for him, despite his deception.

  "Murad—go back to Lila and make sure she gets inside okay. I'll see you tomorrow for the witch council, and we can talk afterwards. Don't worry. I promise not to reveal your secret," I said, my voice tight with unshed tears.

  He reached for my hand and in the next moment we stood before the mansion. His fingers trailed my cheek so whisper soft and fast I barely registered the movement, and then he disappeared, transferring back to Lila's side.

  Chapter 28

  The Joker

  Alaric

  watched the video again. Stella rushed to her bedroom, leaving her door ajar. The hall was well lit, without motion or shadows. Less than an hour later Stella left her room with a slight young man in tow. The video shifted camera angles as they moved through the kitchen and outside. The angle of the two cameras outside showed the events that played out clearly. The boy lowered down to the street by magick and then Murad arrived.

  "You did a fine job of putting this together, Grayson," I noted calmly.

  "Thank you, Sir. I also know the identity of the young man from Ms. Amanda. His name is Thomas and he is a friend of the young ladies. He is not Primati and their relationship is platonic, Sir," Grayson shared. I flinched, but he adjusted the neck of his shirt and kept his eyes on the screen. I turned off the monitor.

  "Delete all copies immediately. We've seen what we need to, and it is for our eyes only."

  "Yes, Sir. Already done but for this one copy," Grayson responded.

  Alaric, I'm here. My brother's thought invaded my own.

  Enter.

  "My brother is here, Grayson," I warned, pushing from the desk to stand. Grayson took my place. We were beneath my building, in our command center, and my brother was about to enter from a secret garage entrance. When he came through the door he was not alone. Daria Demir stood with Murad's hand clasped around her arm. The better to keep her from escaping. My brother wore a dark grey suit, his hair perfectly in place. Even without the dramatic cosmetics she favored, Daria owned a beauty and confidence few possessed. Her long, dark hair framed tawny skin and almond eyes that were nearly black.

  "Oh, Alaric. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you in this form. Did you miss me?" Daria
asked in an affected, vulnerable voice. She’d switched to Turkish, knowing it a nostalgic language we all shared. Murad looked at me with sympathy.

  "The bracelets are ready. Follow me," I said, walking my visitors to an interrogation room. I gestured to the three chairs around a metal table affixed to the floor. The table held a box with bespelled cuffs, and I opened it for Murad's inspection.

  "The enchanted bracelets will prevent her from performing magick. If she attempts a spell or tries to hold a Pagatio, the curse will implode her every cell, killing her." I hoped she would try it.

  "Kill is such a subjective term," Daria purred. My response was soft and deliberate.

  "Allow me to clarify for you then. If you try to use magick, you will be dead before the intention executes your will. Dead as in no coming back, dead. If something were to go wrong and you did manage to survive, I will scrape the pieces together and ensure the job is completed myself." Her smile faded and Murad pulled the box towards him.

  "Daria, you’ve already been sentenced to the ground and this is a reprieve from the remainder of your sentence. You will accept these measures, or you will return to bedrock immediately. It might be preferable for all Witch Queens to attend the Council, yet there is also option B—replacing you."

  "Murad! How can you say such a thing? Have I not been amenable so far?" Daria batted her eyelashes at him, a wounded child. I flashed back to Daria the way she’d been before her change. As if she could read my mind, she turned to me and smiled with sadness.

  "My love. I’m hurt at how little you both trust me. Don't you recall the old days? When we were all three mortal children in the palace?" she asked. The image she painted was blatantly false as Murad was a grown man when Daria and I had been thrust together by our fathers as a potential alliance.