by Brea Viragh
Morgan didn’t need to touch her. Not with his fingers. The shadow of wings stretched across the room and tapped the base of Karsia’s neck. She crumpled to the floor.
“Impressive skill. One day you’ll have to show me how to do that.” Astix spared a glance over her shoulder as the fight in the other room escalated.
“Are you all right?”
Using her sleeve, she smeared away the remnants of useless tears. “I’m fine. Let’s go. Now.”
Morgan gathered Karsia close for the second time that day and knew, when she woke up, there would be hell to pay. Literally.
He’d never seen the point of war. Men killing each other under the guise of religion, or for wealth, or land. People needed little excuse to hunt and slaughter their fellow man. He had brothers and cousins, aunts and uncles galore who relished the violence of the hunt. Who dove headfirst into battle and took a front row seat when the banners of war proudly flew.
Never had a taste for it himself.
The house threatened to collapse around them and Morgan drew his shoulders up and vowed to do whatever he could to help them out.
Astix used her power to safeguard them as they made their way out. Another loud shudder and the very foundation shook. They stumbled, nearly losing their balance, the integrity of the house compromised.
“Hold on to me.” Astix gestured toward her coat. “And don’t let go.”
In later retellings, Morgan would make sure everyone knew he’d led the way. The women were behind him and huddled close together for safety instead of the other way around. Now, he was too frightened to think straight and obediently grasped the back of her jacket. The small shred of material helped him balance his fear with survival instinct.
Astix pulled at the door and found it unyielding, the frame thrown out of alignment. “Come on, come on!” She pushed her shoulder into it, and when that failed, used her foot to kick it out with one smooth motion.
“Impressive. Do you have a plan yet?” Morgan asked, struggling to be overheard.
“I’m working on it!”
They forged a path through the snow toward the car, ducking against the howling wind. A fourth Claddium member rounded the corner, a woman this time. Startled to see them. She reached for her magic and widened her stance.
“Don’t move! You’re coming with me.” Posturing, she held her closed fists aloft and stared at the three of them.
Astix was prepared this time. “You people never learn.” She waved her hand and a rectangular piece of siding extracted itself from the wall and slammed into the woman.
She averted the blow with a casual sweep of her arm and the siding disintegrated.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” A single blast of magic poured out from the woman’s hand, solidified into a spear, burying itself in Morgan’s shoulder. He cried out.
The woman bolted toward Astix, who reacted instinctively with a second wave of magic. “Don’t you hurt him!”
Morgan hissed and tightened his hold on Karsia with his good arm, the pain like teeth gnawing into his flesh.
“Morgan?”
“I’m fine. Flesh wound.” He thought of what they had to do and pushed the pain aside. His body would heal the second he had time to draw on his power. The instant Astix took the woman down, they were flying around the corner of the house like animals pursued.
“I hope you have your keys on you. Because three of us are not fitting onto my bike.”
For a moment he panicked, before the reassuring heft of the key ring in his pocket registered. “Good to go.” He paused only to flick a glance at Astix.
They ran toward the front of the house while Morgan fished the keys out of his pants. He punched the key fob and had the doors clicking open for his arrival. They were like wild things, tearing around sleeping topiary, fighting to lose what hunted them.
He deposited Karsia less than gently in the backseat, then Morgan and Astix scrambled into the front. With the key firmly in hand, Morgan shoved it into the ignition with a single slide and twisted until the engine turned over reluctantly, working overtime in the cold.
“Is there any point in asking you to hurry it along, Professor?” Astix clicked her nails on the dashboard and stared at the house.
Color burst behind the windows as Thorvald and the Claddium members continued to flex their muscles. She knew he kept them contained and distracted until his girls were clear. It warmed her heart and she prayed her father had the mettle to pull through.
“You can’t rush a motor in this weather.” Morgan used the time to buckle himself in, careful to maneuver around his injured shoulder and keep it limp.
“I hate to ask this of you…but try.”
“All right, well, you’re paying for my oil change.”
With one arm looped over the seat, Morgan stared out the rearview mirror and backed out down the driveway with a screech of tires, turning the wheel rapidly to keep the vehicle straight without sliding into trees.
The foundation of the house rattled a second time and every window burst from within. She ducked even with the distance between them growing.
“I don’t want to leave them.” Astix stared back at her childhood home and tried not to clutch at the bar in response to Morgan’s driving. She memorized each line of the structure; every turret and gable and a proud widow’s walk the crown atop it all. Who knew the next time she would be able to come home?
If home still stood.
“What happens if he causes enough damage to collapse the second floor? Mom’s up there.”
“I’m sure he understands,” Morgan put in distractedly. “He seems like the type of guy who can handle things himself.”
“He’s alone. He’s alone and fighting for us.” Astix ducked her head until her hair hid the tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Any father would do the same.” Morgan slammed the car into gear and took off down the street. He waved jovially at a neighbor strolling along the street, wide-eyed, before speeding away. “If you don’t mind me asking, where exactly are we going?”
“I’ll let you know. If you don’t mind me asking, how long is she going to be out?” Astix gestured toward the back. “I really don’t feel like being in another car accident, thank you very much. Once was enough for me.”
“If I have to send her to sleep repeatedly then I’ll do it. You concentrate on navigating.”
Astix stared at him. “I would feel a lot better if you let me drive.” She gestured toward his shoulder. “Your arm looks painful.”
Morgan jerked his head in response. “I’ll handle it. I’m immortal.”
Immortal or not, she knew the pain of a spell gone wrong. Was intimately aware of the intense flash and burn.
It took them longer than she wanted to get out of the city. After several blocks, Morgan pulled to the side of the road so Astix could take over, and Morgan slipped into the back next to Karsia. Astix put the pedal to the floor and took off, away from the immediate influence of the Claddium.
He didn’t mind, truly, giving up the control. Call it guilt for the marks at her throat, the total devastation of her home and family. He always had been a sucker for the less fortunate.
Once he felt sure of their distance from the chaos, Morgan let his magic flow and shifted his form. It was a simple thing, not a true healing in the traditional sense of the word but a metamorphosis. Skin and bone loosened and re-knit until the damage from the magical spear was repaired. At once he felt a swell of relief.
Astix drove until the sky darkened and the day came to an end. She clicked the wipers on, smearing dirt on the mud-and-snow-splattered windshield.
“Is it safe for me to ask where we are?”
“No. It’s better if you concentrate on keeping her knocked out.”
The road snaked along in a sinuous line and the dark macadam stretched out under faintly glowing clouds. Tree trunks burst through the snow like bones through skin. They drove in silence without the comforting presence of the r
adio for a distraction.
The sky continued to darken while the car kept a steady pace. Hours later, Astix swiveled away from the road to park between two trees. Nothing surrounded them for miles except dusky woods creaking with the weight of icy limbs.
“Okay, we’re here.”
Morgan cricked his neck, rubbing a hand over his face and hearing the scratch of stubble. “Please tell me this isn’t where you’re planning to hide. Because I didn’t bring my snow boots.”
“This isn’t it. But with the weather, I can’t trust the snow to hide our tracks. We need to ditch the car and go the rest of the way on foot.”
“And how do you know those people aren’t going to be able to find us here?”
“Because this is my house. And I’ve taken great lengths to hide it from them.” In the dim light, Astix gestured ahead. “Can you get her inside the wards? She’d mentioned something about not being able to come here after the accident.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Karsia blinked and gasped, rising out of unconsciousness with the force of a submarine breaking the surface. “Where are we? What did you two do?”
“And, she’s up.”
Astix pocketed the keys. “We got you out of there before you hurt anyone.” She slammed the door behind her and shivered, her breath a white cloud. “And it was a damn close call, too. I think the words you’re looking for are thank and you.”
Karsia punched herself in the chest right above her heart. “It’s my right to hurt them when they come into my house and try to attack us. How is it any of your business to get in my way?” She let out a powerful exhalation and glanced around. “Bringing me out into the middle of nowhere so you can do me in? If you think you’re going to stop me by taking me away from civilization you are wrong.”
“Let’s not think about this right now, okay?” Morgan told her, moving closer. “How about we focus on getting out of the cold so we can find this stone? I presume that’s our end goal here?”
“You presume correctly.”
“No,” Karsia interjected. “I don’t want to find it, not yet. We need these powers of mine to take down the Claddium.”
“Whoa, hold on! Who said anything about taking down the Claddium? Are you out of your mind?” Astix asked, color staining her cheeks.
“I’m finally thinking straight. For the first time in a long time. You would be amazed at the kind of magic I wield!” Caught up in her own bloated vanity, Karsia allowed Morgan to lead her along as they followed Astix away from the road and through the trees.
“I really don’t think I want to know. That dark power doesn’t belong to you.” Astix trembled but kept her voice strong. “Soon you’re going to give it back.”
“I’ll give it back after I’ve had my say,” Karsia insisted, still arguing.
“You scare me when you talk like that,” Astix admitted. “It makes me think you don’t want to get that evil out of you.”
Karsia kept silent.
“You do, don’t you?”
Her answer was long in coming. “Yes.”
“Good. Then follow me and try not to kill me while my back is turned, okay?” Astix cracked a branch out of her way, the sound amplified in the silent night.
“I’ll try.”
The weight of those words hung on Astix as they traversed the minefield of snow-covered shrubs and bushes and thick underbrush. Astix made her way unerringly through the maze, having done it a hundred times in the past.
One step in front of the other, she thought. A few more feet and she would be home, in the picturesque cabin she and Leo fought so hard to find and hide. Great stone monoliths she’d plucked from the depths of the earth rose high in a circle around the property. Imbued with every ounce of power they had both been able to conjure, the stones helped distort the energies around the house until it was virtually invisible.
Astix had to be careful every time she retired to the cabin. She doubled back on her trail, turned in semi-circles, and followed the stars in the sky until she caught the wisp of smoke in the air.
“We’re almost there,” she called to the others.
“Thank God. If it were any further I would—”
Morgan cut Karsia off. “Please don’t finish your sentence. I’m not sure I want to know.”
“Are you scared of me, Professor? Now that you know what I am and what I can do, are you ready to turn your back on me?” Karsia’s hand reached out to grip Morgan’s, and he felt the punch of energy she radiated. Great waves of heat and terror rolled through him with enough strength to cause internal bleeding if he were a normal human.
Keeping his voice calm, Morgan patted her hand and pushed the fear aside. “I think that’s a conversation for another day, my dear.”
The pristine snow-covered meadow glowed with a light to rival the shadowy moon. In the spring and summer, wildflowers would perfume the air and bring with them the sweet possibilities of the coming year. There were no neighbors for miles, fields turning into forest and blockading them from the rest of the world. A dirt road wound through the trees and led up toward the cabin.
Nature. Privacy. Freedom.
They stopped to survey the two-story cabin made of log and stone. It was small, windows glowing orange from the fire within and tendrils of smoke trailing from the chimney.
Karsia commented first, hands on her hips. “Did it look like a piece of shit the last time I was here?”
They made it to the front door and Astix knocked three times, stomping her feet to keep the blood flowing. It took seconds for Elon to answer.
Blue eyes peered at them through a widening yellow sliver. “We wondered when you were going to show up.” He ushered them inside. “I’ve got stew on the stove and the fire roaring. Aisanna has been in bed crying all day. I didn’t know what else to do with myself except cook and look after her. I’m not great in a crisis. I admit it.”
All three stopped on the large mat in front of the door and shook the snow from their clothes.
“It’s fine. Thank you.” Astix moved out of her coat and flung it on a nearby hook before removing her boots. “She needs to get her head on straight and keep looking through the spell book,” she commented. “We can’t let ourselves be distracted by our sadness.”
Or so she admonished herself. She wouldn’t tell Aisanna about the latest disaster and the potential destruction of the house. Not yet, anyway. It wouldn’t do anyone any good.
“She’s been researching, too,” Elon commented, jumping to his girlfriend’s defense. “I wish there was some way I could help her. You know how she is. She barricaded herself in the bedroom and won’t let me inside.”
Morgan followed the girls’ lead and kicked off his shoes.
Tugging Karsia behind him, and infinitely surprised when she allowed him to keep hold of her hand, he walked out of the small foyer and into the living room. Two leather couches flanked a fireplace large enough to fit a moose inside. Shadows from the flames flickered against the walls.
He noted the muted hush immediately. This place was heavily warded. He took a moment to adjust the pressure inside his ears.
Elon followed them, flashing a brief smile. “I made up the spare bedroom for you,” he said to Morgan. “I had a feeling you’d be joining us before long. I think you’ll find the place more comfortable than you think.”
“I can see.” Morgan dropped to the couch and let himself stoop forward, elbows on knees, feeling the weight of everything that had happened. His bottom ached from the long drive and a phantom ache resounded from his shoulder. “How do you get used to the weight in the air?”
Elon shrugged. “You stop noticing after a while.”
Morgan glanced over at Karsia, noting the way her fingers trembled, knees bouncing up and down. Energy constantly in motion. Lifting a hand lightly, he slid it over hers and stilled the motion.
She leaned in close, her breath whispering in his ear. “Don’t think I’ve forgiven you for what you’ve done.”
“I expected nothing less.”
“Let me get you some stew,” Elon offered. “A family specialty, and about the only thing I can cook without a recipe. I’m good with soup.”
“I’m terrible at cooking. I’m grateful for anything at this point.” Morgan sent an exhausted smile toward his newest guy pal—his only guy pal, actually—before tuning in to the ominous rumble in his stomach. “Thanks.”
“It’s the least I could do. Stew for everyone. It makes me feel useful.”
“You’re human,” Morgan commented. “It doesn’t worry you? What’s happening?”
Elon grinned. “I love Aisanna. She tolerates me. I figure she keeps me around to cook while she’s off saving the world.”
“It takes a strong man to love a witchy woman.” Morgan made the comment offhand.
“It takes a strong man to love any woman, is what I think you mean. I’m no different from anyone else.” Elon tipped his head before retreating to the tiny kitchen.
Karsia pointed over her shoulder. “We’re planning a war while Martha Stewart over there is busy playing host. All he’s missing is the apron.”
“Leave him alone. He’s a good man and the only one of us capable of thinking about necessities right now. I’ve gotten to like him quite a lot.” Astix curled up next to the fire and warmed her hands, light glinting off the numerous golden rings in her nostrils. “I know I would feel a little better with something in my belly.”
“Fine, fine.” Karsia held up her hands. “I’m just saying what’s on everyone’s mind.”
“What’s on everyone’s mind?” Aisanna moved down the stairs, taking each step carefully, the skin beneath her eyes swollen and red. Her hands gripped the rail tightly.
“Never mind. Sit and try to relax.” Astix did not look up from the fire. “There’s not much time left. Please say you’ve done your homework and have something useful?”
“I’m sorry to tell you, I haven’t made much headway.” Aisanna sighed and sat next to Morgan. “Good to see you’re still here.” She awkwardly patted his knee.
“I can’t think of anywhere else I would rather be.”
The oddness of it was, every word he spoke was true. Being with them, being together, brought him a level of calm he had not experienced in a long time. They gathered around the room with a natural camaraderie born of people thrust together in unusual circumstances. Morgan appreciated each one for the energy they brought to the table. He slid into his role as voice-of-reason and casual-protector effortlessly, and with the danger ahead and the terror sitting next to him on the couch, he knew he was right where he needed to be.
