Tea & Croakies

by Sam Cheever

  She didn’t look convinced. “Are they…safe?”

  The first niggling doubt twisted through me. Was she there to try to get information about the kittens’ location? I shoved the doubt away and nodded. “I can tell you that they are being well taken care of. I can’t tell you where they are because I don’t know. They were taken away from here for their own safety. I’m really sorry if that causes problems for you.”

  “No. I’m glad. I love my family, but they’re not always right.” She frowned. “I learned that the hard way.” She fell silent and I waited a long moment for her to tell me why she’d called me there. When she didn’t, I gave her a little nudge.

  “You wanted to see me?”

  “Yes. I know about the frogs. I think I saw the ritual that father used. I thought it might help you free Rustin if you knew how they did it.”

  My pulse sped hopefully. “That would help a lot, Maude. Can you describe it to me?”

  A distant owl called and Maude jumped, her wide blue gaze flying in the direction of the sound. The teen’s slender face paled under the light of the partial moon. “I have to go.”

  “Wait!” I said, moving quickly forward to grasp her wrist. “The ritual. You need to tell me.”

  Maude shook her head, and my chest tightened with disappointment. But she reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a cell phone, handing it to me. “I videotaped it. I couldn’t get it all, but hopefully I got most of it. Send the video to your computer and then return the phone here, hide it near the center support leg under the bleachers.”

  She looked as if she was going to run. I grabbed her hand, stopping her. She fixed a terrified look on me.

  “My friend, Sebille. Where have they taken her?”

  Maude’s gaze filled with regret. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you with that.”

  Couldn’t? Or wouldn’t? I fought the impulse to try to force her to tell me. She’d already risked her own safety by coming to give me the video, and she seemed terrified of something in the night. “Okay. Thanks for this.” I lifted the phone.

  She gave me one last look. “Be careful, Naida. Father isn’t messing around. And he’s already given the enforcer permission to do what she needs to do to stop you.”

  16

  A Predator Rises

  I watched Maude disappear back into the shadows, suddenly worried for her safety as much as mine. If the Quillerans would tear Rustin’s essence from him and stuff it into a frog, what would they do to a teen who was actively working against them?

  I started toward where Lea waited with mixed feelings. I was happy to have gotten information about the ritual. But I hadn’t learned anything that would help Sebille.

  I couldn’t shake the feeling that my friend was in terrible danger. And every hour that passed increased that danger severalfold.

  “Naida!” Lea suddenly screeched, running toward me with her arms outstretched. “Behind you!”

  Too late, I heard the thump of immense wings on the air above my head. I turned in time to see an enormous owl swooping down on me, massive talons curved for what could only be a deadly embrace.

  I had just enough time to look into the wide, yellow gaze before the owl grasped my arms with its deadly talons, piercing my skin and sending a scream reverberating along my throat.

  Despite the tearing pain, I thrashed against the predator’s lethal grip, earning myself nothing except the warm rush of blood down my arms and a belly-tipping sensation of being swooped high into the air.

  I kicked out, managing to catch the owl in the underbelly and gaining the satisfaction of its muffled cry of pain. The owl swooped lower, ducking its head and ripping at my middle with its razor-like curved beak.

  I arched away from it, sucking in a terrified gasp. The deadly beak sank an inch into my belly, the white-hot pain pulling the breath from my lungs.

  Desperate to get away, I slammed the eel bracelet into the bird’s enormous body. Electric energy arced out of it, spearing into the owl and causing it to twitch and grunt in pain.

  The talons around my arms loosened briefly, but almost immediately tightened again, driving even deeper into my skin.

  I screamed at the new pain, kicking harder but gaining nothing except more pain.

  White energy burst from the ground, slashing across the predator’s wide, feathery chest and drawing an agonized scream from its down-covered throat. The talons loosened and I started to fall, giving a terrified shriek as the ground flew up at me.

  Another flare of magic swept over me like a blanket, wrapping me tight and easing me to the ground.

  I forced myself to jump to my feet as soon as I hit the grass, and took off running.

  A beat later, the sound of enormous wings retook the dark sky behind me.

  Lea fired another arrow of pure, white energy and it exploded in front of the owl, sending it backward on a rush of sizzling magic. The huge predator slammed into the bleachers with a bone-jarring clang and slid to the ground.

  Lea grabbed my hand. “Hurry. It’s only stunned.”

  I didn’t argue. I let her pull me into a run as the air around us sizzled with frantic energy. I barely slowed as I reached the car, slamming my still-shaking hand against the warm metal as I skidded to a stop.

  Blood coated my fingers, making it hard to grasp the handle and open the door.

  Above the thundering sound of my frantically beating heart, I heard the ominous sound of wings pounding the air again.

  Lea grabbed my hand. “Go! I’ll slow it down. You need to get to a safe place, Naida. Don’t go back to the shop.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not losing another friend. We stand together, or nobody stands.”

  “Naida!”

  I gave her my trademark belligerent look, and she expelled a rush of frustrated air. “You don’t, by any chance have that book with you, do you?”

  My stomach twisted with regret. “I wish. I think Rustin took it with him.”

  Her lips twisted. “Leave it to a Quilleran to take back a gift.”

  I didn’t tell her I doubted he had a choice, given the way he’d been taken. It wasn’t the time for that discussion. “We need a plan to get away from this thing.”

  Lea wrung her hands, looking skyward. “Running is a good idea. Let’s get in the car and drive. I’ll keep firing at it until something slows it down.”

  As plans went, it was pretty sucky. But it was all we had.

  I climbed inside as Lea ran around the car. Starting the engine, I stilled at the sight through my window.

  The sky was shifting and sparking in the distance. The silvery moon and stars were blocked by some kind of progressing mass. It had no discernible shape, its edges changing and growing to block the night sky.

  Whatever it was moved inexorably toward us from across the football field.

  What looked like a thousand pinpoints of rainbow lights twinkled across the sky, undulating with movement as the pinpoints grew gradually larger.

  Lea slammed the door on her side.

  “What is that?” I asked her.

  Lea leaned toward me to look out my window, her eyes growing wide for a beat before she smiled. “I’ve seen that once before.” She turned to me. “When the Fae arrived at the greenhouse tonight.”

  I turned an awe-filled look toward the light show in the distance. “It’s Queen Sindra?”

  “Unless there’s another Fae army around,” Lea breathed.

  “But how? Why?”

  The airborne form of the oncoming predator briefly blocked the Fae army from view. It was getting closer by the second, and I realized we’d lost valuable time. “We need to get out of here!”

  Lea nodded.

  I started the car and put it into gear, only to jerk to a stop at the sound of a familiar voice.

  “Naida?”

  Queen Sindra? Her voice sounded so close. Like she was in the car with us. I looked at Lea and then turned to scour the back seat with my gaze.

&nb
sp; “Naida, girl, pay attention!”

  There was no mistaking the command in that voice. As my gaze swung back, it caught on a flicker of pale pink light in the rearview mirror. Sindra’s delicate form, multi-hued butterfly wings gracefully cutting the air above her, was caught in the frame of the mirror. All around her, lights flickered and wove in a never-ending pageantry of seemingly delicate beauty.

  But the perception of delicacy was misleading. Gram for gram, the Fae were the most powerful creatures in my wildly diverse world. “Queen Sindra…”

  “Listen carefully, child. I’ve sent some of my soldiers ahead. They’ll cloak you against the enforcer’s gaze. You must flee this place. Do not go home. Find a safe place to hide, and send one of my soldiers back to tell me when you are safe so I can pull my people back. Do you understand?”

  I nodded. “But why…?”

  “We owe you a great debt for our new home. You and your witch. The Fae never fail to repay our debts. Besides,” she said with a sad smile. “I am counting on you to find my Sebille.”

  My heart sank. No pressure there. But I nodded, blinking away tears. “Thank you.”

  She tilted her chin regally. “Stay safe, Naida Keeper. Our world would be less without you.”

  A whisper of sound brought our gazes upward as a blanket of multi-colored lights spread over my small car in an opaque wash.

  “The guards doing their thing?” I asked my friend.

  Lea shrugged. “I’ll admit I’m not really up on my Fae magic. I’ll need to fix that if we survive this current mess.”

  Watching her watch the owl approach, I felt suddenly sad. “I’m really sorry for getting you mixed up in this.”

  To my surprise, she turned to me with a wide grin. “Are you kidding? This is the most excitement I’ve had in weeks. I’ll be your wing man anytime.”

  I lifted my brows. “Wingman? Maybe not the best choice of words.”

  We both turned back to the terrifyingly enormous shape in the night sky. The owl’s bulky form was backlit by the rainbow-hued army pursuing it.

  As if suddenly realizing the Fae were there, the predator abruptly switched direction, turning in a wide circle as the sea of oncoming illumination adjusted and locked on.

  “You must go, keeper,” a masculine voice told me. I jumped in surprise, then glanced back to the rearview mirror, finding Adolfo, the guard who’d shown me through the palace earlier hovering in midair.

  He inclined his chin at Lea, his handsome face flushing. “Mistress Witch.”

  “Hey, Adolfo,” Lea said in a saccharine-sweet voice.

  I spared her a glance, dancing my eyebrows before starting up the car.

  “Where will we go?” Lea asked.

  I thought about it for a moment. “I know I’m not supposed to go back to the shop but I can’t leave Mr. Wicked and Wally alone. Once I get Wicked, I’m going to hit the road. You’re going home.”

  “Not a chance,” Lea said.

  I held up a hand, shushing her. “This isn’t your fight.”

  “It is now. The enforcer will recognize my magic signature. She’ll be gunning for me as well as you.”

  I sighed, realizing she was right.

  “Okay, but I’m not happy about it.”

  Strangely, however, Lea seemed to be very happy about it. She grinned widely.

  Silly witch.

  Slamming to a rocking stop in front of Croakies, I sent Adolfo and the other three guards away after thanking them for the magical camouflage.

  They tried to argue but I stood firm, finally reminding them that the Queen was in a dangerous battle and needed their help.

  That did the trick.

  When we were alone, I looked at Lea. “Gather up anything you think you might need to do the soul spell and a few clothes. I’ll grab the two critters and meet you back here in ten minutes.”

  She nodded and headed toward her shop.

  I opened my own door and stopped, turning to yell at her. “And snacks. Lots of snacks.”

  Lea sent me a thumbs up without turning around.

  She was such a good egg. I needed to give her something to thank her for all her help.

  Maybe she’d like a nice retro velvet chair. Sure it was slightly pervy, but she might enjoy that. After all, she said she hadn’t had a date for a while. Or maybe she’d like a bleeping parrot?

  Hm, I’d have to give it some thought. After all, my gratitude knew no bounds.

  And I had a lot of annoying…er…special artifacts at my beck and call.

  Mr. Wicked met me at the door, his orange gaze wide and his small form vibrating with excitement. As usual, he seemed to know what we were about to do before even I did. It was humbling being around a witch-trained cat.

  “I’m just going to grab a few things, Mr. Wicked. Then we need to be off.” I stumbled over something on the floor and had to grab a bookshelf to keep from going down. Wicked’s metal bowl rolled over the carpet and clanged noisily into the sales counter.

  I eyed the small mound of Wicked’s things. While I’d been sleuthing and running from giant, predatory owls, my cat had been packing all his favorite things.

  And I do mean all of them.

  I spotted a bag of catnip, his favorite laser light toy, a box of fish-flavored treats, his pillow ─ Side note: I have no idea how he got the pillow downstairs. I really needed to test him for latent magic soon ─ his favorite stuffed mouse, his food and water bowls…

  “Bawump!”

  His frog…

  “Wally! How’d you get out of your basket?”

  Wally’s tongue shot out and snagged a crawling bug off the carpet. While I was glad he was eradicating my insect population, I really didn’t have time to coral him again when it was time to leave. I gave Wicked a look. “It’s your responsibility to make sure he gets back into his basket when it’s time to go. You have five minutes.”

  Wicked rubbed against my leg, purring loudly as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

  I envied him that feline optimism.

  I grabbed a suitcase out of my closet and threw a few pairs of underwear, a clean tee-shirt, some stretchy pants, and a sweatshirt inside.

  The rest of the space I filled with my computer, food for Wicked and some bottles of water for Lea and me.

  Then I hurried downstairs and, on an impulse, grabbed Doctor Osvald’s book and shoved it inside. I stood in the artifact library, feeling as if there were a thousand things I should grab. I finally settled, reluctantly on one, okay two, artifacts that I hoped would protect us if we came up against the Quillerans.

  I zipped up the bag and rolled it out to the shop, locking the connecting door and saying a quick incantation, a spell with its roots deep in KoA history. The magic would expel everyone except keepers from trying to enter the room.

  I tried not to consider the instinct that told me to do that. If I didn’t return, the next keeper would be the only person who could breach the magic locks.

  I spared a beat to feel sorry for that person. Whoever it was, I hoped he or she didn’t waste energy and frustration trying to change the name of the shop.

  That way lay madness.

  Wicked was sitting beside his pile in front of the door when I headed toward the exit. Wally-in-a-Basket was beside him, the lid open on his plastic basket and a protuberant black gaze peering at me over the top. Mr. Wicked looked so proud as I told him what a good boy he was. I couldn’t help giving him a quick snuggle, though he squirmed impatiently in my arms.

  I set him back onto his feet and scooped all of his goodies into the suitcase. “Let’s go,” I told my critters, scooping up the basket and opening the door for Wicked.

  “Wait,” I told him, stepping around the little cat and staring up and down the street before nodding for him to go outside.

  Lea’s door slammed shut as I was setting the special locks on the front door, adding the keeper-only ward there too.

  She hurried up, her flip flops slapping against the concrete. Sh
e was rolling two enormous suitcases along behind her.

  “What in the world do you have in there?” I asked, wondering if we were going to be able to fit it all inside my little car.

  She shook her head. “A little of this, a little of that.” She chewed her lip worriedly as she looked down on the two bags. “I hope I didn’t forget anything.”

  Settling Wicked and Wally into the back seat, I couldn’t resist teasing her. “Did you bring your bed?”

  “Covered,” she said without hesitation. Her eyes sparkled as I looked aghast.

  I popped the trunk and we wrestled the bags into the small luggage area. “Troll snot!” I murmured, trying to get the trunk to close.

  “Naida?”

  My little bag kept getting stuck in the door when I tried to close it. I tugged it out and moved Lea’s bags around, shoving my much smaller suitcase into the hole I’d made.

  Lea’s hand found my wrist. “Um, Naida?”

  I slammed the trunk, rubbing the back of my hand over my brow to wipe away the sweat. “What?”

  “That doesn’t look good.”

  I followed her line of sight and barely kept from gasping. “Frog’s cankles,” I muttered. I jerked into motion. “We need to go!”

  Lea was barely in the car when I took off, leaving behind some of the rubber on my tires as I peeled away from the curb.

  Still, it took only a few moments before the massive wall of oily black smog reached us, and only a heartbeat longer for it to completely envelop my small car.

  17

  Dang my Authority issues!

  Okay, I’ll admit, my problems with doing as I was told sometimes came back to bite me in the derriere. I wish I could tell you that made a big enough impression on me to change. But, yeah, I had a lot of faults. Lying to myself wasn’t one of them.

  But enough about me…

  “What in the name of all the gods and goddesses is that?” Lea asked. I threw on the brake as the fog enveloped us, unable to see beyond the cloaking mess to move forward.

  A strange, all-encompassing silence filled the car, broken only by the odd sound of Wicked purring.