by Sarah Noffke
Azure shook her head. “I won’t. And my name is Candace,” she said, remembering the name on her fake identification. Candace Smith. If she could just stall for a minute, she might be able to place a memory enchantment on this man, wiping the encounter from his mind.
“Candace, why don’t you come with me? I’ll escort you back into the Land of Terran,” the man said, but there was something incredibly wrong in the way he said it. And if this was Charmsgood’s murderer, then Azure couldn’t go anywhere with him. He was dangerous. She took two large steps backward, shaking her head.
“No. Stay away from me,” she said.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s no way to speak to the Duke of Terran. You will be punished for this.”
The man held up a hand, but Azure didn’t wait to see what he’d do next. She yanked the wand from her pocket, making his eyes widen with shock.
“Paralizovati!” Azure yelled, a streak of bright light streaming from her wand and hitting the Duke between the eyes. He instantly froze in place, petrified. The paralysis spell wouldn’t last long, so she turned and ran as fast as the dumb fucking shoes allowed. She wasn’t sure what sort of magic the man had been about to use on her, but she knew it wasn’t going to be good. Her heart raced inside her chest as she sprinted away from the man who was possibly Charmsgood’s murderer.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Azure didn’t stop running until she was too breathless to keep going. If the Duke of Terran was behind the ancient wizard’s death, that probably meant the entire government was corrupt. It could be the emperor himself who was responsible for her mother’s sickness. The paralysis would last for up to another fifteen minutes.
Heaving ragged breaths, Azure held her wand up and tried to focus. She placed her hand palm-up and conjured a wooden bowl. Something simple like a wooden object was easy to produce, although it wouldn’t last long. That’s why she uncorked the scrying potion Monet had made for her immediately. She emptied it into the wooden bowl and stirred the liquid with her wand as she repeatedly muttered a spell under her breath.
The green of the liquid faded and was replaced a moment later with a swirling purple that soon took the shape of a woman’s hair. A face came into view and smiled at her.
“What in the hell is wrong with your face, Azure?” Gran asked from the liquid’s surface.
“It’s called makeup, and don’t even get me started on my hair.”
“It’s atrocious. You look so ordinary. Are your eyes brown? Why would you want poop-colored eyes?” Gran asked, shaking her head of purple hair, which was cut into a bob.
“I have no idea. You don’t even want to know what I’m wearing.”
“I’m certain you’re right. Imagine my surprise when my scrying bowl called me and I find your face in it, looking as boring as an empty cauldron,” Gran marveled.
“Yes, thanks for asking if I’m all right. I was just nearly killed by Charmsgood’s murderer. I’ve been on Earth, and I almost ended up spending forever glued to a patch of pretty flowers,” Azure said.
“Charmsgood. Did you say he’s been murdered? Are you sure?” Gran asked, her wrinkles deepening from the horror on her face. Charmsgood was as old as she was, and had served their family as Potions Master for hundreds of years.
“I saw his body. He was attacked by a harpy. And I just ran into the Duke of Terran who had a restoration potion,” Azure said.
Anger overwhelmed Gran’s features, replacing the grief previously written on it. “Oh, dear me. I never liked that man. He’s no good. Stay away from him.”
“I paralyzed him,” Azure admitted.
“I told you to stay away from him and don’t draw attention to yourself,” Gran said, her image swaying slightly as Azure’s trembling hands caused the bowl of liquid to move.
“I didn’t mean to. I walked up on him while he was using a regrowth potion on the forest. Charmsgood is the only wizard around who knows how to make one, correct?”
“As far as I’m aware. And curious, since restoring the forest sounds like a good thing to do. Why would the Duke be doing such a thing?”
“Well, for one, the humans of Terran have pretty much killed this part of the Dark Forest. Also, I think he’s trying to get the rogue dryads off Terran’s back,” Azure explained, checking behind her to ensure she was still alone.
“Oh dear, this is sounding worse and worse all the time. No wonder they closed their borders to outsiders.”
“Gran, that’s not why I scried you. I need your help.”
“Oh, and by the way, your mother is livid about your and Monet’s disappearance. She doesn’t know where you are, though, and I won’t tell her. Two can play the secret game.”
“What did you tell her? You must have said something.”
“I did,” Gran told her proudly. “I told her that you and Monet had run off together because you were pregnant with his baby. She’s angrier than I’ve ever seen her.”
Azure actually laughed at that. “Thanks. I just puked in my mouth.”
“You’re welcome. I figured that it was the best lie to throw her off your scent. And since I knew that idiotic clown would accompany you on your travels, it was a great story.” Gran craned her neck, trying to see what was around Azure. “Where is that worthless piece of shit, by the way? I hope he didn’t get himself killed.”
“I left him with a gnome. They’re getting drunk in a grove of trees.”
Gran nodded as if that made perfect sense. “So why did you scry me? I hope it wasn’t to just catch up, dear. That’s a waste of a scrying potion, and by the way, this one is fairly horrible. Your face keeps blurring.”
“Monet made it from leaves and dirt or something.”
Gran lifted a chiseled eyebrow, looking impressed. “Maybe you should breed with that boy.”
“Okay, that’s fine. I didn’t need to keep the contents of my stomach down anyway,” Azure said, shaking her head. Gran loved saying things that made her granddaughter sick. “Anyway, I need to ask you something. How can I find my father? The Land of Terran is fairly large, so I need a detection spell.” Just then, she noticed the buzzing sound in the distance. It was faint, but had been growing louder for the last minute.
“Yes, you ran out of here before I could help you with that. I’ve got a better solution than a detection spell. Azure, you’re half human, so tapping into that part of yourself will be the best way to find your father. Your soul stone is the key. You have to use human magic to have the soul stone lead you to him,” Gran said.
“But I don’t know how to use my human magic,” Azure said. “I mean, I know I have to draw from the elements and use intention, but I—”
“It sounds like you do know how to use it,” Gran interrupted, cutting her off.
“Why can’t I use witches’ magic to have my soul stone lead me to my father?”
“Because you’re trying to find someone who is a part of you, and the best way to do that is to use his brand of magic. Using witches’ magic might just lead you back here.”
“Fuck! That makes sense,” Azure said.
“Naturally. Now, if my ears aren’t deceiving me, I hear a horde of trevor beetles approaching. They’ve been getting closer since we started talking.”
“What are trevor beetles?” Azure asked.
“Nothing to worry about, unless they get any nearer. They usually travel in large swarms and can devour flesh in a relatively short time. However, if you get to a body of water, you can throw them off your scent,” Gran told her calmly.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Azure asked, wheeling around to spy what was over her shoulder. For now she could see nothing, but the buzzing was louder now than before.
“I never kid, and you should get out of there now. Time is running out.”
“Okay, thanks. This conversation was mildly helpful,” Azure said.
“You’re absolutely welcome, my dear child. Come back soon. I need your help picking out a gown for my birthday celebration,” Gra
n said.
“Yes, that’s my top priority. Love you, Gran.” Azure tossed the bowl and its contents to the ground and raced in the direction opposite the buzzing at her back.
She held up her wand as she ran, turning it into a dowsing rod to lead her to water. It twitched to the left, so Azure made a hard turn and sprinted in that direction. The air suddenly felt cooler as she ran, a good sign that there was water close by—the one thing that could save her from the flesh-eating beetles.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Azure chanced looking over her shoulder and instantly regretted it. In that moment of distraction, the fucked-up heels she was wearing caught on a root and she tumbled forward, meeting the dirt face-first.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Azure sputtered as she negotiated her feet back under her. The buzz now rang in her ears—those trevor beetles were close. If she dared to turn around again, she figured they’d be in view. Her mind raced over spells she could use to defend herself from the flesh-eating beetles. However, if Gran told her to run toward water, it was because that was the best solution.
Azure set off again, keeping her eyes on her feet as they moved over branches and roots. The only saving grace about this section of this barren forest was that the vegetation had dried up, making it easier to traverse. The wand in her hand twitched to the left again, and Azure followed it, sprinting around a boulder that looked more like a mound of ash. The humans had stripped everything from this part of the forest.
Once around the boulder, Azure’s heart leapt at the sight before her. There was a lake. It wasn’t like the ones that bordered Virgo, which were full and nestled between rolling green hills. This lake looked to be drying up, but the water still rolled up on ashen banks. Azure pulled off the wedge heels, wishing she’d thought of that earlier. She left them at the tree line and raced for the lake, which was a grayish-green color. The water lapped onto her feet as she reached the shore, but she didn’t stop there. She dived forward, swimming out until she couldn’t touch bottom.
The buzzing was almost deafening, but when she turned, the swarm of black beetles hovered by the tree line. They bounced in the air, looking like one beast rather than several hundred hungry insects. The swarm darted to the left several feet and then back again. The buzzing intensified, becoming practically deafening. Azure waded in the water, not fully breathing as she watched the swarm. She considered swimming farther into the lake, but the murky water wasn’t inviting like the clear waters in Virgo. Who knew what lurked in this lake? Azure sure didn’t, since she couldn’t see more than a few inches into the water.
On the banks of the lake the trevor beetles had moved closer to the water and were darting high above the surface. Thinking they were about to dive at her, Azure sank all the way under the water, submerging herself completely. She held her breath, looking up at the surface. Her chest burned from the lack of oxygen, but she still didn’t return to the surface. She’d rather lose brain cells to oxygen deprivation than have her face eaten off by trevor beetles. Priorities were important.
A stabbing pain screamed in Azure’s arm. Thinking the beetles had figured out how to get to her, she whirled around to see something that she hadn’t expected. Staring at her through the murky water was something beautifully terrifying—a mermaid. She had a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth, and regarded her with a terrifying stare. The creature’s black hair billowed in the water, which was now laced with Azure’s blood. She reached for the wand in her pocket as she broke the surface, swimming toward shore as fast as her arms and legs could propel her. Once in the shallows she pulled her feet under her and strode through the water, the current trying to do her a favor by pushing her forward.
She felt a sharp stabbing pain on her ankle, and Azure broke into a run. She wasn’t going to be eaten alive by insects, but rather by a mermaid. Fuck. The pretty sea creature grabbed her by her injured ankle. She fell to the sandy beach, swallowing a mouthful of the gross lake water as she did. Azure rolled over and held the wand up at the mermaid, who was dragging herself forward on her stomach using her claws. Her hungry green eyes glowed, and then faded. The monster tilted her head side to side, lowering her lips over her pointy teeth, confusion on her elegantly beautiful face.
“You’re a witch,” the mermaid exclaimed, her voice high-pitched.
Azure didn’t answer, but took this opportunity to pull her legs up as she backed by using her hands.
The mermaid spit to the side. “I knew something about you tasted off,” she said.
A violent throbbing brought Azure’s attention momentarily to her arm, where she found a set of teeth marks. Blood ran down her forearm and puddled in her hand. That fucking mermaid had nearly taken a chunk out of her! And her ankles were scratched in several places from the beast’s sharp claws, which were now piercing the sand as she pulled herself forward another foot.
“What is a witch doing here?” the mermaid asked, twisting around and sitting on her bottom, pulling her emerald-green tail in front of her. The waters of the lake rocked the mermaid slightly. Azure backed up another foot, only too aware that the trevor beetles could be nearby.
The mermaid’s demeanor had shifted dramatically. Instead of looking hungry and murderous, she now looked curious.
“Wait, you don’t want to eat me now because I’m a witch?”
The mermaid laughed. “Everyone knows that eating witch will make you violently ill. As it is, I’ll probably vomit from the small amount of your blood I ingested.”
“Oh well, then I guess I’m safe from the trevor beetles,” Azure told her, pushing to a standing position, her arm screaming from the action.
“Trevor beetles aren’t affected by witches’ blood, just sea creatures. That’s why you’re usually safe around water,” the mermaid replied, flicking her tail in the water as if she were playing with it.
“So you’re not going to eat me? Well, maybe you can fucking apologize for the injuries,” Azure snapped, regarding the wound on her arm.
“I’ll do you one better. Wrap that seaweed over there around your injuries—it will counteract my venom. If you don’t, you’ll start hallucinating within the hour,” the mermaid explained, pointing at a mound of seaweed on the shore.
Azure regarded the mermaid with a great deal of skepticism. Only a moment ago she had been running through the water to evade this sea monster. Now the creature was casually offering her homeopathic remedies? Still, the wound on her arm felt like it was on fire, so she moved over to a patch of seaweed and wrapped it around her arm. It immediately soothed the laceration, cooling it and easing the pain.
“You eat humans, huh?” Azure asked. “That must be why this place is deserted.” She noticed now that the lake was large, extending for many leagues. The visibility in the immediate area made it hard to see the other side of the lake, though. A hazy smog sat on the far side of the greenish waters.
“I usually eat fish, but since the humans depleted my home, I’ve resorted to eating them. However, the forest and its creatures have started to rebel against their wastefulness, and therefore they rarely come out of their borders anymore. And if the rogue dryads catch them they’re screwed,” the mermaid said.
“They’ll turn them into statues, right?”
“So you’ve heard of one of their ways of punishing those who violate their laws?” the mermaid asked.
“I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” Azure told her, shivering at the visual of the statues with their horrified faces.
“The rogue dryads have been growing angrier. If they catch a human depleting the forest around the lake, their sentence as a statue will be quite long. Actually, I’ve heard a rumor that they’ve been trying to break into the Land of Terran to punish the humans for what they’ve done. However, I learned that from a sea turtle and they aren’t always reliable sources,” the mermaid said.
“What if someone were trying to regrow the forest?” Azure asked, thinking of the Duke and the restoration potion.
“Maybe they are
trying to calm the dryads, or even reduce a statue’s sentence. But it is just as likely that they’re simply running out of close resources, so they’re trying to restore the areas they’ve ruined. Humans can be very shortsighted,” the mermaid remarked.
Azure wiggled her nose when a foul odor passed in the breeze.
“Yes, it does smell here, thanks to the receding waters. The tide goes down and leaves sea life abandoned on the shores.”
“That’s awful,” Azure said, but was struck by an idea. It wasn’t a good idea, because it would steal much of her energy. However, she watched the mermaid, who had a light expression on her face but sadness brooding under the surface. Her tail flicked in the dark waters. This was her home, and humans had taken so much from it. It would break her heart if this happened to Virgo.
Making up her mind, she held her wand to the pristine blue sky, where not a cloud could be seen. Azure closed her eyes, feeling a storm brewing in her chest. That was the most necessary part for the spell—the intention. The next part was the incantation, which she’d have to speak aloud due to the complexity of the spell.
“Kiša,” Azure said in a whisper, but the intensity still lived in her chest. That meant it hadn’t worked yet. She opened her eyes to see the confused look on the mermaid’s face. “Kiša!” Azure boomed, her voice like a drum, making the water of the lake vibrate.
The blue sky dimmed and clouds instantly appeared above them. Azure turned her focus to the mermaid, who was sitting in the shadow of a gray storm cloud.
“You… But that would have cost you greatly! To make it rain takes the power of many witches,” the mermaid sputtered.
“Or the deep reserves of a single witch,” Azure stated. This was a spell her people had performed many times to avoid droughts. It was the reason that the hills of Virgo were a dazzling green and their wells were never low. Water was the greatest gift witches and wizards could bestow.
“Young witch, you have no idea how greatly you’ve blessed my home. Thank you!” The mermaid turned on her stomach and dragged herself to the lake just as the first drops began to fall. Big fat drops that were reminiscent of the first showers of spring.
