“You’re harmless to me Viola without your magic, which is the only reason I’ll spare your life on this day. But make no mistake witch, cross my path again and I’ll bury you where you stand. Once I’m healed, I’ll return for the witch they call Zoe and there won’t be a thing you can do to stop me,” he mocked with an evil laugh that set off every alarm bell in Hildy’s body.
Exhausted and in need of a healer, as well as a stiff drink, Alaric stopped pacing, quickly waved his hand and disappeared in a cloud of silver smoke before Chuck could say Boo.
CHAPTER 2
Zoe unlocked the door and gasped in horror as she took in the destruction of her home. There were only two things running through her mind as she scanned the room. Find Aunt Viola and call the police. Her frantic search was momentarily interrupted by Nicolai’s mewing.
“Nicolai, where are you boy?” she asked, turning her attention toward the sound at the top of the stairs. “Oh Goddess! Aunt Viola!” she screamed before quickly racing to her aunt’s side.
Fearing the worst, Zoe lets out a sigh of relief when she realized her aunt was still breathing.
“Hold on Aunt Viola. I’m calling for help. Everything is going to be okay.”
“Oh My Goddess, she’s the spitting image of Zelda. How can this be?” Hildy asked Chuck.
“I thought Zelda was an only child?”
“She was. I mean… she is. Oh, stop it! You know I’ve never been good with tenses. We need to figure out what in the Goddess’s name is going on here. Baba Yaga has some serious explaining to do, but before I can confront her, we have to stop Zoe from calling the police. We can’t let humans get involved in our magical disputes.”
“How do you suppose we do that?”
“We need to reveal ourselves to her. It’s going to freak her out, but desperate times call for desperate measures. So, on the count of three, show yourself.”
“I don’t think that’s a good… “
Hildy ignored Chuck’s objections and began counting. When she arrived at three, he did the only thing he could and revealed himself to the unsuspecting witch kneeling over her unconscious aunt.
“Zoe, you can’t get the police involved. It would be bad for the magical community.”
“Who said that and how do you know my name?” Zoe asked, frantically looking around the room.
“Oh for Goddess’s sake! Look up child.”
“Jumping Johosephats! Are you the Angels of Death coming to take my Aunt Viola? She’s not dead yet. I felt her breathing.”
“Goddess, I feel a migraine coming on already. No child, we’re not the Angels of Death. We’re ghosts sent by the Baba Yaga and the Fates to protect you.”
“The Baba Who?”
“The Baba Yaga.”
“The Baba Yo Mama? I’ve never met my mother. Aunt Viola has raised me since the day I was born. Besides, there’s no such thing as ghosts. You’re the Angels of Death and I will not let you have my aunt. She’s all I have left in this world.”
“Oh for Goddess’s sake! Once and for all, we are not the Angels of Death. We are ghosts sent by the Baba Yaga to help protect you from the warlock who is trying to kill you because you’re a witch,” Hildy retorted in a frustrated voice.
“Way to sugarcoat it, sweetheart,” Chuck admonished.
“Look, I didn’t ask for this assignment from the Baba Yaga or the Fates. All I wanted was for us to go on our next ‘great adventure’. Instead, we’ve been given the mission of saving a witch who is the mirror image of my niece, Zelda… might I add.”
“Hello, Angels of Death!” Zoe said, waving her hands to grab their attention. “I don’t mean to interrupt your bickering and I’m not sure why Bob Saget interfered with your next ‘great adventure’ or why he feels the need to protect me, but Aunt Viola needs medical attention.”
“Did she just say Bob Saget? What the hell does Bob Saget have to do with any of this?” Hildy exclaimed to Chuck.
“I’ve always loved Bob Saget and Full House. I still get a chuckle out of watching the reruns,” Chuck said.
“I need you to focus on the task at hand luv,” Hildy pleaded with her mate. Then, she turned and said, “Zoe, I need you to listen to what I’m about to tell you without any interruptions. I realize that your Aunt Viola needs help, but I assure you she will be fine once I summon a healer. If you understand what I’m asking you to do, nod your head twice.”
Zoe did as she was told for fear that the Angels of Death would change their mind and take her Aunt Viola instead of getting the help she desperately needed.
“My name is Hildy and I’m the former Shifter Whisperer of Assjacket, West Virginia. This hunk of burning love is my mate, Chuck, who also happens to be a Bear Shifter. However, in a recent battle with the honey badgers, we were badly injured and are now ghosts. Are you following me so far?”
Zoe nodded twice, so Hildy continued her story.
“The most powerful witch of all time, the Baba Yaga, sent us here to protect you from the warlock who is trying to kill you and to preserve the future of Magic as we know it. I understand that this is a lot for you to take in and that you’re worried about your Aunt Viola, but if you could just trust us, everything will become clear once your aunt regains consciousness and confirms our story. Please nod your head if you understand what I’ve just said.”
Zoe did as she was told more in an effort to get her aunt help than the belief she was a witch or that the Angels of Death were here to protect her. She wasn’t sure who Baba Saga was, but if she sent these Angels to save her Aunt Viola, she would be forever in her debt.
“Good! Now that that’s settled, let’s get someone to help your aunt.” Hildy closed her eyes and began chanting the following words.
Goddess I ask for a favor of thee;
To heal a witch who has fallen before me.
I call upon the forces you have bound to me;
To summon Fabio the Healer before me.
“What the hell Hildy?” Fabio groused as he materialized shirtless, wearing a tight pair of navy, Lululemon yoga leggings.
“For the love of Goddess, do I wanna know why you’re still wearing women’s yoga pants? Once you started dating the Baba Yaga, I thought you had given up on trying to lick your nads?
“How many times do I have to tell you that’s preposterous? I happen to like yoga. Why do you continue trying to embarrass me in front of Zelda? Wait! Zelda? What are you doing here?”
“Newsflash, you douche knocker, that’s not Zelda. Surprise! You’re a father again.” Hildy countered as she showered Fabio in colorful confetti.
“Enough with the damn confetti. What are you talking about you old hag? I have only one daughter and her name is Zelda.”
Hildy made an annoying buzzer sound before saying, “Wrong answer you testicle slurper. Looks like the Fates and your new Baba Love have been keeping secrets from us.”
Fabio took in several deep breaths, then really studied Zoe. Where her facial features, auburn hair and green eyes were identical to his and Zelda’s, it was obvious their keen sense of fashion had skipped Zoe. Instead of high designer clothes that made you go WOW, she had on an outfit that came right off the racks from Wally World and wow wasn’t quite the word rolling around in his head. But despite the homely clothes, he knew with everything in his being that the lovely, frightened creature standing in front of him was his baby girl.
Holy smoke! My pain-in-the-ass sister is right. I have another daughter. I’m the father of twins, Fabio thought right before he promptly fainted.
“Fabio, this is not the time for your dramatics. I need you to heal Viola.” Hildy shouted.
When Fabio didn’t respond, she snapped her fingers and a bucket of ice water appeared in front of Zoe. “Looks like we’re going to have to do this the hard way. Zoe, take the bucket of water and pour it on that fart nozzle. It’s the only way to wake him up so he can heal your Aunt Viola.”
“Are you sure? We have some smelling salts in the bath
room. I could run and grab them.”
“There’s no time child. Go ahead. Douse the douchebag with the water,” Hildy said with an evil glee in her voice.
Shrugging her shoulders and desperate for the strange man in the women’s leggings to heal her aunt, Zoe did as she was told.
Fabio let out a shriek loud enough to wake up the neighborhood. “Hildy, I’m going to smite your ghostly ass the first chance I get. How dare you trick Zoe into doing your dirty work?”
“Bring it on leotard boy!”
Zoe had reached her limit with these two and their shenanigans. Aunt Viola was still unconscious. She had a headache a mile long that was quickly morphing into the mother of all migraines. It had become obvious that the Angels of Death and Leotard Dude didn’t like one another; and she was still unsure of what the heck had happened in her home today.
She put two fingers in her mouth and let out a loud whistle that silenced the entire room. “Enough. I’m not sure what the deal with you two is, but I don’t have time for your antics right now.”
Quickly looking up at Hildy, Zoe said, “You promised that someone would heal my Aunt Viola if I didn’t call the police. Either keep your word, or I’m dialing 911.”
“Well, don’t just stand there Fabio. Get the lead out of your leotards and heal Viola before she gets the humans involved,” Hildy pleaded.
“Oh! Now you want my help,” Fabio countered as he kneeled over Viola and released a light purple flame that began healing her shoulder.
“Whoever she battled did some serious damage, so it might take longer than expected,” Fabio said feeling the drain on his power.
“But she will be okay when you’re done, right?”
“She’ll be as good as new, Zoe. I promise,” Fabio replied. When he had done all he could, Fabio gently lifted Viola and carried her to the bedroom.
“Why is she not waking up?” Zoe asked in a panicked voice.
“I’m not sure. Most witches would have awakened by now. She is a witch, correct?”
“I didn’t say she was a witch. The Angel of Death up there keeps insisting that she’s a witch.”
“Once and for all, we are NOT the Angels of Death,” Hildy admonished. “We are ghosts sent here to help protect you Zoe, but that’s neither here nor there right now. Fabio, the warlock she was battling took her powers. I’m sure that’s why she’s not immediately waking up.”
“I see.”
“Do you? Because I don’t!” Zoe snapped.
“Zoe, I need you to calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down. The Angel of Death promised that you would heal Aunt Viola, but she’s still unconscious. That’s it! I’m calling 911.”
“Noooooo! They all screamed in unison.”
“Do you have any smelling salts?” Fabio asked.
“Yes, in the first aid kit we keep in the bathroom.”
“Good. Please go get them for me. I think your aunt needs a little extra help waking up since the warlock drained her of her powers.”
“Fine! But this better work or I’m calling 911. I’ve had enough of your antics for one day,” Zoe countered as she stomped toward the bathroom.
Once she was out of earshot, Hildy quickly brought Fabio up to speed on what had happened and the mission Baba Yaga had saddled them with.
“UN-freaking-believable! Smiting Baba Yaga’s boney ass when I see her again will totally be worth spending time in the pokey.
“We don’t have time for your foreplay with Baba Yaga. We have to help Zoe before Alaric returns.”
“Wait! Who’s Alaric?”
“Alaric is the warlock who attacked Viola and he’s a nasty son-of-a-humper. From what I could gather, Viola and he were romantically involved at one time, yet he had no qualms taking her magic.”
“Why is there always one warlock determined to make the rest of us look bad?”
“Just one? Seriously? That’s what you’re going with?”
“Enough, Hildy. We don’t have time for this bickering based on what you’ve told me. We need Viola conscious… like yesterday.”
“I know that ass-fart. What do you think I’ve been trying to tell you?”
“Um… guys. Zoe’s on her way back. Maybe we should table this discussion for later.”
“Good idea, luv,” Hildy said before giving Chuck a smoldering kiss that instantly triggered Fabio’s gag reflex.
“Ugh! Get a room already. I don’t need to see my sister fornicating with a big, burly Bear Shifter. Mate or not.”
“Don’t hate the player Fab-a-douche. Hate the game,” Hildy replied smugly.
“Hildy, ghost or not, I can still smite your annoying ass into a black hole for a century or two.”
“Try it and you die leotard boy,” Chuck said in a deadly tone that raised the hairs on the back of Fabio’s neck.
“Fine! Let’s call a truce until we can sort this mess out and eliminate the threat to Zoe. Deal?”
“Deal,” Hildy responded with a knowing smirk. She loved how protective her big, burly man could be and big he was. Let’s just say being mated to a bear had its advantages both in and out of the bedroom and she wasn’t complaining one bit.
CHAPTER 3
Zoe entered the room and immediately handed Fabio the smelling salts. She paced back and forth like a caged animal as he broke the seal and waved it under Viola’s nose.
What will I do if she doesn’t regain consciousness? She’s the only family I know. I can’t lose her now. Please Goddess let this wor,. Zoe rambled in her head.
Aunt Viola pounding Fabio on the chest as he screeched in pain was music to Zoe’s ears. “Who the hell are you? Where’s that backstabbing, two-timing, ass-wad, Alaric?” she furiously asked, but no sound came out.
“Ouch! Stop hitting me, you crazy-ass witch. I’m only trying to help,” Fabio exclaimed.
Zoe quickly rushed to her aunt’s side and wrapped her in a hug that threatened to cut off the woman’s air passage. “I thought you were dead. Thank the Goddess for answering my prayers.”
“Um… Zoe, I hate to interrupt the tender reunion with your aunt, but we have another problem in case you hadn’t noticed,” Fabio said in a soothing tone.
“What do you mean?” Zoe asked as she wiped tears from her vibrant green eyes that mirrored his.
“Hmm. How do I put this? From what Hildy tells me, Alaric not only stole your aunt’s powers, but also casts a spell to prevent her from speaking.”
“What? Is this true, Aunt Viola?”
Viola feverishly nodded in agreement before slouching down in the bed and dropping her pounding head into her hands in defeat.
“Look at me,” Zoe demanded. “We will fix this and get your powers back. Wow, you really are a witch! How did I not know this?”
Viola made a writing motion with her hand, which was Zoe’s clue that she wanted something to write on. Once Zoe had obliged, she quickly wrote, “It hasn’t been easy over the years, but I’ve always done my best to only use my magic when you were out of the house. It was easier when you were a kid because I could use it to entertain you.”
“I just thought you were a cool magician. It never dawned on me that you were actually a witch.”
“I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry for deceiving you all of these years, but it was for your own protection.”
Zoe leaned in for another hug and softly whispered, “What about the Angels of Death? Why are they still here?”
“Are you freaking kidding me? We’re back on that again?” Hildy shouted. “What is it going to take for you to believe that we are actually ghosts and not the Angels of Death? For Goddess’s sake, how can you believe in witches and not believe in ghosts, especially when they go hand-in-hand?”
“Hildy, calm down, sweetheart. I’m positive she’ll eventually come around,” Chuck said in a soothing voice.
Zoe moved closer to her aunt, as Hildy’s iridescent form glowed brighter and brighter the longer her tirade continued. It was Fabio’s
turn to let out a loud, ear-screeching whistle that once again momentarily silenced the room.
“Well, now we know where she gets that from,” Hildy said sarcastically. “Am I the only one who’s concerned that Alaric is going to eventually return and try to kill Zoe? We don’t even have a plan yet.”
“No, you are not. But it’s kind of difficult to devise a plan when you don’t know what’s going on. Therefore, shut your trap and let Viola tell us the rest of the story,” Fabio seethed.
“Fab-a-douche, you’re trying my patience today.”
“If only you knew the meaning of the word, Hildy. Now zip it,” he ordered with an exasperated sigh.
“Just ignore them Aunt Viola. From what I can tell, this is their normal behavior around one another. It quickly became clear to me that the Angel of Death doesn’t like Leotard Dude.”
“Not again with the “Dude.” I just got your sister to call me dad for the first time in forever and now I have to start all over with you? The Fates have a shitty sense of humor that I’m not finding funny… not one bit.”
“I sure hope you can shed some light on what he’s talking about Aunt Viola because I’ve yet to make heads or tails of all their ramblings.”
“Let me save your aunt the trouble. Hello Zoe! My name is Fabio. I’m a warlock, a healer and your father, but I suspect your Aunt Viola already knows that and has for some time now. The iridescent Spawn of Satan that you so fondly refer to as the Angel of Death (good one by the way), is your Aunt Hildy, my evil, pain-in-the-ass, canker sore of a sister; and the big, overprotective burly guy is Chuck, who is a Bear Shifter and her mate.”
“Oh my Goddess, she was telling me the truth earlier?”
“Yes, dear,” Aunt Viola wrote on her notepad before handing it to Zoe.
“What else have you not told me?” Zoe asked in shock, handing the notepad back to her aunt.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Viola started writing out the whole sordid affair.
“Alaric, the warlock who wants to kill you, was my lover for over a century. When I caught him cheating, I left his sorry ass and asked the Goddess to relieve me of my duties on the Council of Witches. Instead, she offered me an opportunity to raise a child as my own who was destined eventually to become one of the most powerful witches of all time. You are that witch, Zoe.”
Magic and Mayhem: A Witch Possessed (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 2
