Lancothy

by Sarah Noffke

  “I’d be very interested in seeing such a broom if you ever get a real one and not one that’s a hoax,” Sari said, pulling a book from the shelf. She flipped it open, almost at once finding the page she was looking for.

  “I would never try to scam you,” Reynolds said. “And it wouldn’t work anyhow. You’re too smart for me.”

  Sari pushed the volume into Reynolds’ hands. “Here’s the book you were looking for. You’ll find this is the Anna Voy poem.”

  Reynolds looked down at the page, his mouth falling open as his eyes scanned the words. “You knew where to find it!”

  “I know everything,” she said, strolling off with a proud smile on her face.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The realtor’s body lay on a long table in what used to be a science classroom in the old boarding school. Ata had found it to be the right spot for his potion-making spells.

  Nenet eyed the body, disgust written on her face. “He’s dead!” she said, walking around the body. It was pale, and rigor mortis was setting in.

  “Yes. That’s what happens when vampires drain all the blood from a person,” Ata said, crushing up turmeric, which was a tasty spice and also the main ingredient in this spell. Curry spices were powerful when used in conjunction with other ingredients.

  Nenet narrowed her green eyes at him and flashed her fangs menacingly. She wasn’t going to attack him, because Cordelia had ordered all her vampires to leave Ata alone. Besides, she had just fed. He eyed the needle he’d used to withdraw his blood to feed Nenet. It wasn’t an idea she’d warmed to originally, but they both knew she didn’t want to attack people and distribute the virus. Those Nenet fed on would either die from blood loss or the virus that follower vampires spread with their bites.

  “You’re not the one who killed him, so I’m obviously not referring to you,” Ata told her. Nenet was still so emotional about her change. It was wrong for him to think that they could interact as casually as they had when he was king.

  “I can’t believe you’re going to send this monster after Queen Azure,” Nenet said, picking up the stiff wrist of the dead realtor, then letting it fall.

  “I don’t have a choice,” Ata said, gritting his teeth hard. He ground up the turmeric with a bit too much ferocity and turned it to powder instantly. That wouldn’t do for this particular enchantment. He discarded it and grabbed another turmeric root.

  “I completely understand,” she said with a sensitive smile on her face. If anyone understood the mind control and torture Cordelia and Hamilton inflicted on their captives, it was Nenet. She pulled her hair over one shoulder, and as she absentmindedly braided it the gold bangles on her wrist clanged together, making music of a sort. Nenet had always played with her hair when stressed, needing to have her hands busy.

  “I have no choice but to create this monster and send him after Azure,” Ata said. “Strangely, I’m not even allowed to come up with a lesser solution. Their control requires me to put my best efforts into this one.”

  “I fear what will happen to Azure,” Nenet told him.

  “I know little of the queen, but I did sense that she was very capable when we met,” Ata said, sprinkling the spices into the cauldron where it sparked. The liquid instantly turned orange.

  He picked up a strand of blue hair and added it as well. They hadn’t stayed long after Azure had knocked out everyone in the old hotel. However, the room where she’d been held had been searched, and Ata had found her blue hair. The controls Cordelia and Hamilton had placed on him caused him to serve diligently, so he had saved the hair just in case. It was this forethinking that made him the most powerful wizard in New Egypt, but now his ingenuity was being employed against the queen of Virgo.

  “She did escape right under your nose,” Nenet said.

  “It’s a good thing she did, because I’ve since figured out how to remove her necklace,” Ata replied.

  This produced a gasp from Nenet. “No!”

  He nodded, remorse heavy in his gut. “Yes, and if I ever encounter the witch again, I’ll have no choice but to use it on her.”

  “But then they’ll turn her!”

  “Which is why we have to hope she doesn’t get caught again.” Ata ladled the steaming liquid into a glass tube, which he held with a gripper to protect his hands. He gave Nenet a tentative look. “You will probably want to stand back for this.”

  She stepped back until she was against the wall, placing many of the old desks between her and the body. “I can’t believe that you can perform this kind of magic. No wonder you were king.”

  Ata smiled slightly despite himself. He was powerful, and that was how he’d become king—by being the best. Ata missed his people. Surprisingly, he even missed his brother Chibale. There was nothing his twin could do that he wouldn’t forgive. And in truth, his brother hadn’t known his actions would lead to all this. He hadn’t known vampires were lurking, waiting to take over. Was it right for him to trick Ata so he could take the throne? No, but Chibale was notorious for fighting unfairly.

  Ata parted the lips of the corpse and poured the potion into its mouth. The dead man wouldn’t be burned by the temperature. The hot liquid would actually help wake up his body, and the potion ingredients would sustain him and tell him who to go after.

  After all of the potion had been poured into the dead man’s mouth, Ata stood back and waited for the transformation. Before their eyes all the color drained from the man’s body, turning his skin a sickly gray, and his eyes sprang open, bloodshot and dark. A scream like glass breaking ripped from the monster’s mouth. Nenet covered her ears; it seemed like the sound would never end. The man’s mouth gaped, and the scream continued.

  “Enough,” Ata boomed.

  The man froze and then began to thrash, smashing his arms and legs down hard on the surface beneath him.

  “He’s going to hurt himself,” Nenet said, having to nearly shout over the racket to make herself heard.

  Ata pointed his crook at the man before he rolled off the table and the monster threw his hands into the air, completely lost in his rampant emotions. He continued to scream as he threw himself across the table, as if trying to break his body.

  Ata waved the crook in a figure eight and the dead man stopped, turned like a robot, and faced the wizard.

  “You know who you are to go after?” Ata asked.

  The man nodded, his eyes blank. He picked up the table in front of him as if suddenly overwhelmed by hot anger and threw it across the room, nearly hitting Nenet. As Ata had suspected, he was incredibly strong.

  “You are to bring Azure back here. Do I make myself clear?” Ata asked.

  Instead of answering, the monster grunted and flailed his arms over his head.

  “How is he going to do that?” Nenet asked.

  The man swiveled to face her with a crazed look in his eyes, then crouched and jerked his head back and forth like he was following an impossibly fast fly with his gaze.

  “Shhh,” Ata said, waving Nenet off. “No talking. He’s disoriented, and could erupt.”

  As Ata finished speaking the man sprang up like a frog jumping and ran toward the desks, picking one up and throwing it straight at Nenet. She reacted immediately, using her enhanced speed to dart out of the way. She also shielded herself. The man already had picked up another desk to throw at her. It was like he was tossing pebbles rather than large pieces of furniture.

  “Stop,” Ata said, holding up a hand to the man. He froze, still holding another desk over his head. His dark eyes blinked at Ata, and then he looked blankly at Nenet. He let go of the desk, which smashed into the top of his head before sliding behind him to hit the floor. Unfazed, the monster grunted, spit flying from his mouth.

  “No more,” Ata commanded. “Now go.” He pointed an authoritative finger at the exit.

  The monster looked suddenly sad, as if he didn’t want to part from his creator. He dropped his chin and sluggishly moved around the desk toward the exit. Several times he
looked longingly back at Ata, and after one final look he went out the door and disappeared.

  Ata let out a heavy breath before facing Nenet. She didn’t look scared, but she was definitely unnerved. “A zombie’s bite makes its victim pass out,” he said, answering her question from before.

  “And once he bites her he can bring her back here?” Nenet said.

  Ata nodded. “Where Cordelia and Hamilton will turn her.”

  They both stared at the door through which the zombie had exited, and a chill ran down Ata’s spine. He’d used a forbidden spell, one his people had outlawed centuries ago, and there was a zombie prowling the streets of New Egypt because of him.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The baking heat of the desert diminished considerably when the group descended into the Sphinx. Since Laurel couldn’t enter the structure due to her lack of magic, Manx and Finswick stayed back as well. They’d agreed to this arrangement too fast, which had instantly made Azure suspicious. However, she needed to leave for the Mountain of Truth soon, so she didn’t stay to question the felines. Manx now took that form most of the time when he was with Laurel and Finswick.

  “Just a bunch of cats hanging out on a fence,” Manx had caroled at Azure’s back as she left them.

  Unlike the first time they had entered the Sphinx, this time the three didn’t hesitate. They bustled through the false door that appeared to be a solid wall into the giant atrium. However, much like the first time they’d entered the New Egyptians’ headquarters, most in the room had turned to stare at the blue-haired witch and her companions. Azure suspected they looked as strange to this clan as the New Egyptians did to her, with their tattoos and white robes. She stuck out like a sore thumb in her red robes. She had managed to conjure up a pair of jeans and a T-shirt for the upcoming journey, though. Gran was going to have a fit when Azure showed up wearing casual clothes. She grinned to herself, relishing the opportunity to be defiant.

  The witches and wizards wading in the large fountain stole Azure’s attention, but then she noticed something swaying at the back of the giant room. She started forward, but something held her back.

  She gazed at the fingers wrapped around her arm. Ever was staring at the serpent that swayed behind the tall pillars as sunlight streamed onto it from overhead. Around the reptile were several witches and wizards, all of them kneeling with their heads bowed to the stone floor. The yellow snake was easily twenty feet tall, and its cobra-like head was four or five feet wide. A forked tongue flickered from its mouth as the snake hissed.

  “That’s dark magic,” Ever said, his grip tightening on Azure’s arm.

  “I agree,” Monet said, his face tense.

  “Dark times call for dark measures,” a voice called from the floor. Azure directed her attention to Cleo, who was Chibale’s familiar. The sleek black cat was wearing the golden snake jewelry around its neck, just as she had when they first met her. Azure suddenly found it strange that Laurel and Finswick couldn’t enter the Sphinx because they couldn’t directly do magic, but Cleo could. There must have been an exception set up.

  “Is that actually…” Azure pointed at the snake, which gave her chills even from this distance.

  “Yes,” Cleo answered, looking over her shoulder. “It’s a wizard whom Chibale enchanted with shifting abilities.” As Cleo spoke the serpent shrank and morphed into a man wearing the same robes as the rest. Also like them, his hands, arms, and legs were covered in tattoos.

  “But that kind of shapeshifting would involve sacrifice,” Monet stated, sounding offended. As well he should: it was a highly offensive topic, and a brand of magic that Virgo had outlawed long ago.

  “Yes, and vampires are incredibly fearful of the cobra,” Cleo stated matter-of-factly.

  “Take us to the king,” Azure demanded. “We have business to discuss with him.”

  Cleo eyed the queen, an entitled elegance in the cat’s gaze. “Very well. Follow me,” she finally said, strolling toward a nearby hallway.

  They took the same path to the king’s quarters as they had before and soon came to the round room where statues of the Egyptian god Anubis ringed the space. The figures were caryatids, and they held up the intricate crown molding that graced the room. The ceiling was a dome, and had been painted to look like a cloudy blue sky. In the middle of the room stood a throne covered in Egyptian hieroglyphs. On the throne, as if waiting for them, sat Chibale. His hands gripped the arms, and his eyes narrowed as Azure approached. She got the distinct impression that he was peeved about something.

  Nefertiti stood on his right, her expression at first full of contempt. It began to shift as Azure drew closer.

  “You found a tear,” Chibale said, his tone disapproving.

  So that was what this was about. The king had no idea. He thought he could punish Azure for acting alone, but he was about to get his tattooed ass handed to him.

  “I did,” Azure said, halting a few feet from Chibale. Monet and Ever flanked her.

  “And went through,” Chibale said. “I believe the agreement was—”

  “There was no agreement,” Azure interrupted. “I was asked to find a tear. When I did, I went through it. It took me to the Sphinx on Earth.”

  Chibale nodded. “Naturally. They are portals between the sister cities.”

  “I found a page from the Book of the Dead,” Azure said.

  Disbelief jumped to Chibale’s face. “You didn’t! Hand it over.”

  Azure looked at Monet, and he gave a minute nod to reassure her. “I don’t think so, King Chibale.”

  A deep line creased the space between Chibale’s eyes and he gripped the lion’s paws that terminated the arms of the throne. “How dare you? We have helped you. Given your friends refuge from the night. Who do you think you are, to deny us our ancient text?”

  “I’m the one who can see the tears between New Egypt and Earth,” Azure said calmly.

  Cleo hissed loudly, looking up at Azure in defiance.

  “Oh, quiet down, little kitty,” Monet said, shaking his head at the cat.

  “Your disobedience will be punished,” Chibale said, withdrawing his flail from his robes. He swirled it and the dog-headed statues around the room came alive, moving their limbs robotically.

  Ever and Monet whipped around to face the stone guards headed toward them and Monet pointed his wand at the closest one, shooting a ray of blue light at it. The Anubis replica moved his staff down to intercept the ray. Ever was similarly defending against the statues thundering toward them.

  Azure ignored them and stared coldly at Chibale. “How did you become king?”

  His nostrils flared, and he shook his head roughly at her. “I’m the most powerful wizard in this coven. That’s how queens and kings are chosen.”

  “But you are the most powerful wizard now only because you put a spell on Ata so he got lost in the desert,” Azure accused.

  “That is unacceptable. You can’t make allegations about our king,” Nefertiti said, but she didn’t look offended so much as confused.

  “These aren’t allegations,” Azure said. “These are facts. I was abducted by the vampires and brought back to New Egypt. It was there that I learned why the vampires have been so successful. They have a wizard working for them—against his will, of course.”

  Nefertiti spun to face Chibale. “This is so ridiculous. King Chibale, you shouldn’t have to put up with this disrespect from an outsider.”

  Ever smashed one of the statues to dust beside Azure with a spell. Monet had bewitched one of them to do his bidding, and it turned on the others.

  Chibale’s mouth remained in a flat line. His eyes were dancing with fire, but there was nothing for him to say. Azure knew what only he and Ata had known: that Chibale had cursed his twin brother in order to steal his throne.

  “Nefertiti, you shouldn’t call him ‘king’ while the true one is enslaved,” Azure said, her anger overwhelming her. She was an outsider in this affair, but because of that she was nonparti
san. She only wanted justice.

  Nefertiti pulled her crook from her robes. “I’ll make you pay for saying such a thing.”

  Azure reacted faster. She reached into her own robes and held Nenet’s flail at the ready before Nefertiti could fire off a curse. The young witch froze, her large eyes pinned to the magical instrument in Azure’s hand.

  Ever had demolished all the Anubises on his side, but Monet was enjoying watching the two remaining statues wrestle. The one he had enchanted had the other in a headlock.

  “I promise you that I have been with the vampires. It’s because of Nenet that I was able to escape,” Azure said, striding forward and handing the flail to the stunned witch. “She wanted you to have this. She said your crook will be more powerful if the two are together.”

  Nefertiti was incapable of speech for a moment. Her eyes welled with tears and her hand shook when she reached out and took the flail. “I never thought I’d feel the bond of our weapons again, but when you entered it returned. Ever so lightly, but still, it was there.”

  Azure nodded. “Yes, Nenet said the power you shared was diminished, but with her flail your crook would be stronger.”

  “You really saw her?” Nefertiti asked.

  “Yes,” Azure said, her eyes sliding to Chibale, who looked like the statues that had been stationed around the room with his expression frozen into quiet hostility. “I saw both your twins.”

  “You don’t understand,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Ata was really there?” Nefertiti asked. “He’s not dead?”

  Azure shook her head as Monet and Ever resumed their places beside her, having defeated all the statues. “He’s alive, but he’s the prisoner of two founder vampires, Cordelia and Hamilton.