A Witch, A Glitch, and A Dog

by J. E. Lezah

  “If you get any closer to me, you’re gong to be on the other side,” he whispered into her ear.

  “Pretend we’re dancing,” she whispered back.

  “But I don’t know how to dance.”

  Aldara did her best not to roll her eyes. For once, she just needed him to not state the obvious, and do what she said. “Just let me lead.”

  “You’re going to make me do this the hard way, aren’t you?” Tempest sighed. “Sisters come.” She called out to the rafters. Within seconds one after another, after an other of robed figures apparated into the room.

  “What is this?” Aldara stammered. “Who are those people?”

  Tempest spread her arms wide in acknowledgment of the others. “These are the Daughters of LeFay, and I am but a humble initiate, but with your help, after tonight, I shall take my place among them.”

  “So mote it be,” the group said in eerie unison.

  Aldara gripped Giles’s hands. She needed his strength to keep from collapsing. “How can an interview with me help you get into this…this…”

  “The Daughters of LeFay,” Tempest said.

  “Yeah. That.”

  “Enough talk!” A robed figure shouted as she stepped forward. “The time has come, Sister Storm. You must finish the sacrifice.”

  Aldara gulped down the terror at the back of her throat. “Sacrifice?”

  “Yes, High Priestess,” Tempest said.

  “You’re not going to harm her,” Giles shoved Aldara to the side.

  “You have no say here.” The figure reached a claw like hand toward Giles.

  Aldara watched as he grabbed his throat and he fell to the ground. Small gasps came from his throat. She dropped to her knees beside him, trying to pry his hands away. “Stop it,” she demanded. “You’re choking him.”

  Tempest snorted. “What’s one less diamage in this world.”

  “Please release him,” Aldara begged. “I will do whatever you want. Just let him go.”

  “The death of one like him means nothing. Therefore you have nothing to bargain with.”

  “He’s not diamage. He’s a witch.”

  “Balderdash!”

  “No. It’s not. Release him and you’ll see.”

  The clawed hand loosened it’s invisible grip on Giles’s throat.

  He took in deep, wheezing breaths between coughs.

  “Speak diamage. Does she speak the truth?”

  Giles nodded. “Yes,” he rasped.

  An almost imperceptible shadow caught Aldara’s attention, lurking near the top of the door. She blinked a couple of times, to make sure it wasn’t a trick of the light. She watched as it crept from the top of the doorway, to the ceiling, inching its way toward her. In the depths of its blackness, Aldara found an odd peace. She knew no matter what the Sisters of LeFay did she would be fine.

  Aldara stood and faced the two before her. “I told you if you released him, I’d do whatever you wanted.” She held out her hands, wrist together. “And I’m a witch of my word.”

  “I’m a witch of my word,” Tempest mimicked. “Soon you won’t be a witch at all. Jacob,” she yelled, and the cameraman came running.

  “Just look at the little red light, dear, and all your powers will be converted to me.”

  “You?” Aldara glowered. “You’re the one who cast the leech thing?”

  “Oh, I can’t take all the credit. Jacob had a lot to do with it.”

  Too bad looks couldn’t really kill, because at this moment, Aldara would be on the hook for murder.

  “No. No. No.” Tempest said, shaking her finger toward Giles. Although Aldara couldn’t actually see him, she could hear the sound of him trying to get up from the floor.

  Aldara glanced toward the ceiling again, the shadow was now directly above them. She closed her eyes tightly as Tempest took her face in hand, forcing it toward Jacob and his camera.

  “Come now, Aldara. Don’t make this harder than it has to be. Look at the pretty light.”

  No matter how tightly, Aldara tried to hold her eyes shut, they were pried open, and she was sure the High Priestess was helping.

  “That’s it,” Tempest crooned. “Smile for the camera.”

  “Bark. Bark. Barooo!” Aldara cut her eyes in time to see Ismarelda leap into the air, knocking the camera from Jacobs hands. It fell to the stone floor with a shattering crack. He scrambled to retrieve the camera, but the little dog had him by the pant leg, pulling him as hard as she could across the floor.

  “Stilettos are stupid,” Aldara said to a confused Tempest, before stomping as hard as she could on the woman’s foot. Tempest let out an agonized cry, stumbling backwards and crashing into the High Priestess.

  The dark shadow dropped from the ceiling, pinning Tempest and the High Priestess in place. Chaos wove its way throughout the room when the Council Wardens appeared taking most of the Daughters into custody.

  In the mealy, Giles had joined Ismarelda in detaining Jacob, by pinning him to the ground.

  “Papa.” Aldara ran to Keene wrapping her arms around his chest, and hugging him tighter than she ever had.

  “Are you alright?” He cradled her in his arms.

  “I’m fine.”

  “It was Tempest, Papa. Tempest was the one who put the spell on me.”

  “We know, Aldara. I’m just glad you’re okay.” He kissed the top of her head. “Let’s get this rounded up,” he barked orders to the wardens.

  “What’s going to happen to them?”

  “That remains to be seen, but we can talk about this once we get home.” He pulled away, and with a flourish of robe and smoke, disappeared.

  Aldara gave a weak smile at the sight of Giles, and Ismarelda standing near.

  “What do we do now?”

  Aldara shook her head. “I don’t know. Go home?”

  “What about getting your powers back?”

  She wrapped her arms about her waist. “I don’t know. Hopefully father can get Tempest or Jacob to tell him how to bring them back.”

  She felt the warmth of his hand at the small of her back as they walked down the stairs. “You know,” he began, If you’re powers are gone, we can use mine. That is, once I figure out how to use them.”

  “It’s not the same, Giles. I told you. The company is all I have. Wait. We?”

  He stopped and tilted his head, gazing at her. “Aldara, why do you think I’ve been your assistant all these years?”

  “I don’t know. You’re a fan of my screaming cherry pie.” She made him grin, warming her heart, making her feel all gooey inside.

  “I stayed because of you, and whether you want to hear this or not, I love you.”

  Aldara wrestled with the urge to slap her hand against her ear. Had she heard him right? He loved her? “Could you say that again?”

  “Which part?”

  “You know which part,” she smiled up at him.

  “Oh…the part where I love you?”

  Aldara’s pulse quickened. She felt grounded and light headed at the same time.

  For a witch who had spent her career dealing with every emotional situation possible, nothing had prepared her for this. He loved her.

  Taking his hands in hers, she scrutinized his eyes, looking past the flecks of blue and green, in search of verification of his proclamation.

  “Say something, Aldara. You’re making me nervous.”

  A gentle smile curved her lips. “So I make you nervous,” she teased.

  “Now would be a good time to tell me you love me,” he whispered.

  Aldara let out a small yelp as Giles pulled her into his arms. He bent near, and she wet her lips in anticipation of his kiss. With only a cat’s whisker of distance between them, she could feel the beating of his heart against her chest, the rhythm strong and steady.

  There was no question in Aldara’s heart that she loved Giles, but in her brain? That was another story.

  She couldn’t help but think of how crazy this all was.
Her powers. Giles’s parents. With so many things up in the air, was now a good time for her to tell Giles she loved him too?

  “There’s never a perfect time to fall in love Aldara. It just happens.”

  She squinted up at him.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I know how that brain of yours works,” Giles said.

  “You do, do you?”

  “I do. You’re trying to analysis why I’m here. Why Tempest picked you. What I’m going to do about my parents? Plus seventeen other things all bouncing around inside that brain of yours. Am I close?”

  Aldara nodded, without looking at him. It scared her to think Giles knew her so well.

  He placed a finger under her chin, coaxing her face upward. “Aldara, please believe me when I tell you, none of that is as important.”

  “But…” She wanted to voice a rebuttal, but found it impossible to form a completed sentence.

  He stroked the curve of her cheek with the pad of this thumb. “Do you love me?”

  There was no need for her to ignore her feelings any longer. “Goddess help me,” she whispered. “Yes. Yes, I do love you.”

  A broad grin lighted his face. “Good to know.”

  She pulled back to get a better angle on his face. “Good to know. Good to know? What does that mean?”

  “You love me and I love you. It’s good to know we feel the same towards each other.”

  Aldara shook her head. “You just had to ruin it.”

  “Ruin what?”

  “The mood, Giles. You ruined the mood.”

  “Rats, bats, and crickadats.”

  “Of for Merlin’s sake,” she said. Throwing her arms around his neck, Aldara pulled his lips to hers.

  Aldara began to giggle, as she felt Ismarelda’s soft pawing against her leg. As much as she didn’t want to break from their kiss, she knew she had to.

  Giles bent down, scooping the dog into his arms. Aldara kissed the top of Ismarelda’s head. Marelda,” she said. “You’re the best pup in the whole world, both witching and mortal.” The dog squirmed until Giles let her go, running ahead of the couple, who walked hand in hand back to Shadowfield.

  THE END

  About the Author

  J.E. Lezah is an experienced tarot and tea charm reader who has been practicing her craft for more than ten years. Educated at the University of Metaphysics and Mischief, she excelled in charms and dispelling hexes.

  With her familiar, Ismarelda, at her side, Lezah can be found scouring the antique shops for vintage brooms to add to her extensive collection.

  A Witch, A Glitch, and A Dog is Lezah’s first cozy mystery.

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