Magic and Mayhem: Witch 'N Fire (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Magick & Chaos Book 2)

by Isabel Micheals

  “I see,” Cole replied, even though he wasn’t buying Gabriel’s story one bit.

  “Shall I introduce you to the rest of the players?”

  “Of course,” Zara spoke up before Cole could interrogate their host any longer. She wasn’t sure what had set off his alarm bells, but she was determined to play this out until the very end.

  Gabriel steered them toward the other men in the room, who seemed to be deep in conversation. Each had a drink in their hand and genuinely looked excited to meet them.

  “First, I’d like to introduce you to Mac, who has been playing in my private games for years. We actually grew up together right here in Nevada.”

  “Hello Mac! It’s nice to meet you,” Cole said as he shook the man’s hand, as Zara simply nodded in agreement.

  “Next is Rolo, Mac’s step-brother”

  “Like the candy,” Zara asked.

  “No, like from the Bronx,” Rolo quickly replied in a rough voice that had everyone in the room smirking.

  “Our final player for tonight’s game is Dick, but everyone calls him Smitty.”

  “Um. Oh-kay. Nice to meet you, Smitty,” Zara said, unable to maintain eye contact with the man. She wasn’t quite sure, but for some reason he set-off all her warning bells. She’d definitely have to watch him throughout the game.

  “If everyone would please take their seats, it would be greatly appreciated,” Gabriel said as he steered Zara and Cole to the seats the furthest away from the door. “Before we begin, I’d like to wish everyone good luck. Now, as they say in the World Series of Poker, ‘Dealer shuffle up the deal.’”

  Hearing those words sent a shot of adrenaline rushing through Zara’s veins. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on the cards. When she looked around the room, she noticed that each of the men were watching her intently, which was a bit eerie if she were being honest.

  Maintaining her poker face, Zara looked at her cards inwardly smiled. Tonight was already looking up for her. She decided to flop a nut flush with her Ace-King of hearts and bet it out. When the Jack of hearts ended up in her hand, she found herself with a royal flush. The only two players left in this round were her and Gabriel, who decided to fold. While she would have loved to take more of his money, she was satisfied revealing to the table one of the best hands she’d ever had in Holdem.

  “Come to mama,” Zara said with glee, as she moved the pile of chips to her ever growing stack.

  While Zara was enjoying her spoils, Cole could feel the tension and disdain rising in the room with every hand she won. He still couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong, but the longer they played, the higher the hairs on the back of his neck stood. All hell was about to break loose and he had a feeling that Zara and he were going to be right in the middle of it.

  “The witch is cheating,” Rolo said in a gruff voice, as he pushed his chair back from the table.

  “What did you just call me?” Zara asked in a deadly voice.

  Unwilling to back down, Rolo bent over the table and said in a calm, deadly voice of his own, “Which words did you not understand, witch or cheating?”

  “If you know what’s good for you, you won’t go there dog’s breath,” Zara countered, as she slowly began removing her earrings and pushing up her sleeves.

  “Ooh! My knees are shaking.”

  “What are you, five? My dog could have come up with a better insult and I don’t even own one.”

  “You think you’re funny don’t you, witch. But I promise when all is said and done, I’ll be the one laughing.”

  “Keep telling yourself that ass wipe. When I’m done with you, even ole’ Dick over there is going to avoid eating Rolos.”

  “Are you calling me a homo?”

  “If the shoe fits, wear it Cinderella.”

  “That’s it! I don’t have to listen to any more of your crap. Bring it on witch.”

  “Right back at you, snarl face.”

  Knowing Zara could take care of herself, Cole kept an eye on the rest of the men in the room. This was exactly what he was afraid of. Rolo had crossed the line and didn’t know it because nothing pissed Zara off more than being accused of cheating, even when she was.

  Unable to control her rage, Zara quickly lifted her hands to freeze everyone in the room. Since things were getting out of hand, she and Cole needed to make a run for it. Unfortunately, when she flicked her wrists, the wall opposite the bar exploded.

  “Oh my Goddess. What the hell was that, Z?” Cole asked, dumfounded.

  “I don’t know. I was trying to freeze them so that we could make a hasty exit,” Zara replied.

  “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that didn’t exactly work, Sweetheart.”

  “No shit, Sherlock Holmes,” Zara snapped, as a magenta fire ball zipped passed them.

  “Head toward the bar and take cover,” Cole yelled.

  “What do you think I’m trying to do?” Zara yelled back before making an unlady like dash toward the bar.

  Cole was right on her heels and had almost made it behind the bar when a magenta fireball hit him in the leg. Although the pain was excruciating, he kept moving.

  “What in the Hades hit me?”

  “A warlock’s fireball,” Zara said, instantly.

  “What do you know about warlocks?”

  “Cole, this is not the time nor the place for this discussion. We need to get the hell out of dodge.”

  “Nope, but I’m working on it,” Zara replied, as she stood and began randomly blowing up the room. “Why won’t these fuckers freeze so we can get the hell out of here,” she screamed to Cole.

  “Don’t ask me. They’re your wonky powers.”

  “You’re not helping, Cole.”

  “So sue me after we get out of this hell hole.”

  “Count on it,” she said, crouching down beside him. “Where’s the damned Charmed Ones when you need them.”

  “Focus, Z. We need to come up with a plan and fast before those assholes make Kentucky Fried Chicken out of us,” Cole scolded.

  “Think about it this way. We’ll be finger licking good,” she said with a smirk.

  Cole couldn’t help but laugh. It was either that or cry like a baby. When he stuck his head around the bar, another magenta fireball swished passed him, nicking his shoulder. When he yelled out in pain, Zara froze.

  Unable to turn away, she watched in amazement as her best friend’s body contorted until he had transformed into beautiful, red dragon.

  “What the hell, Cole? You’ve been holding out on me. It’s good to know I’m not the only freak in the family.”

  Distracted by the gasps in the room, Cole turned and witnessed the shock and horror on each man’s face. No, that wasn’t right. In his dragon form, he suddenly realized they weren’t men, but instead hyenas.

  What in the Hades had they gotten themselves into? he thought.

  When he tried to speak, his words were quickly replaced with fire. After setting the curtains ablaze along with several paintings, he decided it was best to remain quiet.

  “Damn, you really know how to light up the room,” Zara teased, as she looked up at him with such adoration, it made him smile.

  We need to get passed these hyenas and get the hell out of here before the cops come, he thought.

  “Wait! How could you tell those douche bags were hyenas?”

  Holy Smoke. You can hear me? Cole thought, again.

  “First of all, take it down about a million decibels. Second, of course I can hear you. I’m not deaf. As for the bad guys, their mangy asses skedaddled the moment you brought on the heat. We’re probably the only two left in the building. However, I do agree we need to get the hell out of here before the Po-Po comes. Can you shift back?”

  No, Cole thought in an anguished voice, as he remembered how much it hurt when he transformed into whatever he was now. What do I look like, Z?

  Zara gave him a peculiar look for a few moments and then said, “First of all, I just have t
o say damn. I mean really Cole. Who knew you were hiding all of this under that tight ass veneer you’ve been carrying around lately. Second, are you sure you’re full grown? I just ask because I thought you’d be bigger. You know? But don’t fret. Regardless of what everyone says, size doesn’t matter. Oh! You’re a red dragon by the way.”

  Holy Hell! We need to visit Claire. Maybe she can tell us what happened and how to fix this mess.

  “Here you go again with that damn sex shop. What is it about men and sex shops? I’m not going, Cole?”

  Yes, you are. If I have to light a fire up under your ass all the way there you are going because you have a responsibility in all of this mess the same way I do and we need to figure out how to fix it and fast. Now let’s get the hell out of here.

  “Fine. But for the record, I won’t like it,” Zara countered in a snippy voice. “Don’t know why I’m always the one getting blamed. I didn’t turn you into Puff the Magic Dragon. Size doesn’t matter, who am I kidding?” she mumbled as they walked toward the back wall she had accidentally blown up.

  I can still hear you, Z. Quit bitchin’ and let’s go.

  “Good. That means you’ll hear this as well, fire breath,” Zara said, tersely right before she started humming The Freaks come out at Night by Whodini.

  Cole wanted to swat her on the ass with his tail, but there wasn’t enough time. She was being a brat and he had neither the time nor the patience for it. They needed to get the hell out of Sin City and fast.

  When they exited what was left of the building, Cole immediately stopped, causing Zara to walk right into him. Houston, we have a problem, he thought, hoping Zara would stop singing that damn song and look up.

  “Hey, that hurt, Drago. Why’d you stop?” Zara asked, until she looked up and saw that Las Vegas’ finest had guns pointed in their direction.

  “Hold it right there. Don’t move,” the policeman with bullhorn said.

  “Aw damn! We’re about to spend the night in the pokey,” Zara whined.

  No. We. Are. Not. When I count to three, jump on my back.

  “Not on your life, scorcher. The scales on your back alone would ruin my new dress,” she whispered.

  Zara, either you jump on and I fly us out of here, or you become someone’s bitch in the pokey. Your choice.

  “Oh hell to the no,” Zara said before jumping on Cole’s back and holding on for dear life as he set a couple of the police cars on fire before taking flight. She screamed more out of exhilaration than fear, even when the cops starting shooting.

  Did you miss the part where I said I would count to three?

  “Sorry. It’s just the idea of being someone’s bitch in the pokey didn’t set well with me. Know what I mean? It’s kind of like you being Big Bertha’s bitch,” Zara laughed.

  “That’s not funny, Z,” Cole snapped, realizing too late he wasn’t supposed to open his mouth.

  Zara watched in amazement as the top of the Eiffel Tower Restaurant went up in flames. “Damn. I had hoped to eat there before we left.” Not wanting anyone to get hurt, Zara closed her eyes and chanted…

  Goddess on high, I ask of thee,

  Bring me water in abundance to Sin City,

  To extinguish a mouthy dragon’s uncontrollable fire, as we flee,

  I ask this of thee for the Eiffel Tower replica in Sin City.

  Once the fire had been extinguished, Zara patted Cole on the neck and yelled, “Okay, fly boy, get us the hell out of here.”

  Not in the mood to argue and grateful Zara was able to put out the fire, Cole simply nodded and headed toward Claire’s magic shop, The Phony Sword.

  Chapter 6

  “Stop pacing bank and forth. You look like the energizer bunny,” the Seer retorted.

  “Be careful with your tone, Seer. I might change my mind and turn you into a hyena after all,” The Sire countered.

  “Maybe! Maybe not, but your pacing is throwing of my vision.

  “Excuses. Excuses. That’s all I’m hearing from you ingrates. Your vision was way out in left field before I started pacing back and forth.

  Fed up with the Sire’s insults and accusations, the Seer decided to throw caution to the wind and said, “You don’t want the truth. Hell, truth be told, you couldn’t handle the truth, but here it is bucko. Your minions have failed miserably and are running with their tails tucked between their legs.”

  “Tell me what you see. NOW!” The Sire yelled. His impatience evident.

  “Unfortunately, since the last attack, the witch and dragon have been very aloof.”

  “What do you mean, aloof?”

  “Hold your horses and let me finish. Fortunately for you, my vision of the witch is becoming much clearer. In order to steal what you seek, your minions will need to follow the magic,” she said before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

  * * * * * *

  “I told you The Phony Sword was just that… phony. I mean really, Cole. If your little clairvoyant friend had been any more cryptic, she might have been able to give us the numbers to tonight’s lotto. At least then, all of our problems would have been solved,” Zara exclaimed in exasperation.

  “Like you had any better ideas,” Cole quickly shot back. “I never said she would have all the answers. I simply hoped and prayed to the Goddess that she could give us a heads up about what we’ve stumbled into.”

  “How did that work out for you, lover boy?”

  “I won’t know until we do as she suggested and follow the magic.”

  “What the hell do we know about following the magic? My powers are all over the place and you’re a fire breathing dragon, albeit a small one, for Goddess’s sake.

  “Z, keep harping on my size and I’m going to light a fire under your ass just fun.”

  “Try it and I’ll shrink your gonads to the size of a pea, Colrath McIlrath.”

  He hated when she used his full name and she knew it. If he were being honest, the information Claire had given them was sketchy. They were such novices to the world of Magic that it could have walked right up and bitten them both on the ass and they wouldn’t have known it.

  “Alright. I concede. You’re right. Happy now?” Cole exclaimed.

  “No. I’m not. I’m scared and worried. I have no idea who those guys were or if they’re still following us. I never thought I’d be saying this, but maybe if we ask nicely, Claire might be able to give us a little more insight on how to follow the magic.”

  “Wait! Let me set my iPhone to record because I might not ever hear you say I was right and you were wrong again.”

  “Ha! Ha! Aren’t you just a barrel of laughs?” Zara said, dryly.

  Cole walked closer before wrapping her in his arms. “All joking aside, I’m as scared as you are right now, but let’s look on the bright side.”

  “Oh, there’s a bright side to this mess. Please do enlighten me.”

  “We’re packing some serious magic and even though it might be a little wonky, as you so eloquently put it, we can still kick some serious ass.”

  “When you put it that way, it does make me feel a little better. I guess if I have to be on the run, there’s no one else I’d rather have by my side. I love you, Cole.”

  “I love you too, Z.”

  Chapter 7

  Swallowing their pride, Zara and Cole returned to The Phony Sword and asked Claire for another session. Although the information she provided was still somewhat cloudy, the one thing they all agreed on was that Zara needed to alter her appearance. Since everyone was looking for a red head, they had come to the conclusion that silky, black hair would complement her complexion and green eyes.

  Zara had to admit that she liked the new look, especially the sexy purple dress Claire had scored for her. When paired with a silver medallion that called to her in Claire’s shop, a matching belt that fit around her waist, and a pair of purple stiletto boots that Cole fondly referred to as hooker heels, she was a force to be reckoned with on any given day.

  Through
some pain, agony and help from Claire, Cole quickly learned how to shift. While watching him transform from man to dragon was fascinating, what fascinated her more was the fact that Cole had the ability to see through her magical disguise when he was in dragon form. She also loved the idea of them being able to mentally communicate with one another without moving their lips. Cole joked often that if all else failed, they could take their freak show on the road and make money.

  It had taken over a month, but Zara and Cole had finally found their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, otherwise known as Magic. However, after multiple wrong turns and wild goose chases, they never imagined that Magic would exist in a small, unassuming town like BassAckwards, TN. In fact, Zara was still questioning whether or not the town was real because she couldn’t find it anywhere on the map.

  “Are you sure this is the right place?” Zara asked for the umpteenth time.

  I’m positive, Z, Cole replied through their link.

  Once they had arrived at the church and everyone was inside, he had shifted into his dragon in case danger lurked nearby. From what he could tell, there was a mountain of Magic swirling around in the small church.

  “You do realize you’re never going to fit into that church in your dragon form.”

  What other option do we have?

  Before Cole had time to realize what Zara was up to, she quickly said,

  Trick a dee,

  Trick a dick,

  Trick a dunk,

  Allow this red dragon to be shrunk,

  Trick a dee,

  Trick a dick,

  Trick a dunk.

  “Hey, you could’ve warned a guy.”

  “I could have, but then there wouldn’t have been any fun in it for me. Besides, there’s something to be said about the element of surprise.”

  “I’m on your side. Remember? I don’t need to be surprised,” Cole yelled.

  “You don’t have to yell, I can still hear you loud and clear. You can also let go of your balls. I assure you they’re still small.”

  “I’m not laughing, Z.”