Witching Fire: A Wild Hunt Novel, Book 16

by Galenorn, Yasmine

  “You’re right, of course. That’s a lot of change for one person, let alone all in one week. I guess Fate decided to take her foot off the brakes.” Kipa reached for the lasagna pan. “More?”

  I held out my plate. “Yeah, thanks. I suppose I should call Vixen and schedule a time for us to deal with the aztrophyllia. To think that this whole training thing started with me helping out a friend.” I paused, another thought striking me. “What about the ferrets? I can bring them to Tapiola, can’t I?”

  He nodded. “That won’t be a problem. Maybe Väinämöinen might even have a suggestion for you on how to break their curse.”

  That perked me up. “You’re right—if anybody might know the answer, it would be one of the Force Majeure.” Feeling hopeful—and anxious—about the coming year, I settled into finishing my dinner, trying to enjoy the time in my house while I could. Because once I returned from training, I wasn’t sure who I would be—or how I would feel.

  * * *

  I called Vixen that night. “How’s Lenny doing? I’ve been detained figuring out how to take care of the attachment that’s latched onto him, so I’m sorry I haven’t been able to call earlier. But I know how to deal with it now.”

  I didn’t feel like telling them what had happened—not yet. Not till I had at least told Ember and Angel. It struck me that I’d be away from my friends for a year, and that made me realize how close we had gotten during the past sixteen months I had known them.

  Vixen let out a satisfied sigh. “I’m so glad. Lenny’s getting worse, I can tell it. He barely showed up for our meeting yesterday about the website and he looks gaunt—like he hasn’t eaten for a long time. But I know he has. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

  Biting my lip, I said, “Yeah, I can, but you cannot approach him about it or you’ll make yourself a target. What has a hold on him attacked me in my home Sunday night and tried to kill me. It can detach from him, which is why I don’t want you going after him. The creature’s called an aztrophyllia, and it’s an astral entity that feeds off life force. I’m going to have to knock it back into the astral plane with Kipa’s help and then I have to seal Lenny against it ever getting hold of him again.”

  Vixen was silent for a moment, then they cleared their throat. “That sounds bad. Will he survive?”

  “Yeah, it is bad. As for whether we’re catching this in time, I hope so. It will be hard to say until we detach it from him and are able to calculate how much energy it drained from him. Theoretically, he should recover if he’s still alive and on his feet. But I’ve never dealt with one of these creatures, so it’s rather hard to say.” I paused. “Can you arrange for him to come over to your place tomorrow? Kipa and I will be there and even if we have to strap him down, we can attempt to remove the aztrophyllia.”

  “I’ll try. I’ll call you back. I might be able to persuade him to come over, but he’s resisting more and more.” Vixen sounded concerned and I realized that they cared about Lenny more than I thought.

  “Do what you can. If you can’t get him to come over, we’ll have to go find him.” As I hung up, I felt restless. Everything was coming tumbling down at once, it seemed like, and while I was looking forward to the sudden change in my future, I was also scared.

  I slid on my coat and found Raj’s leash. “I’m taking Raj for a walk in the park,” I said.

  “You want company?” Kipa asked.

  I thought about it. Mostly when he asked, I was grateful because I hadn’t liked walking alone ever since Pandora. A lot had changed because of her, and I knew she was still out there. But tonight, I had a lot on my mind and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted company or not.

  Kipa must have noticed my ambivalence because he said, “I can walk behind you, just to make sure you’re okay. Or we can go together and not talk.”

  Finally, I said, “All right. Maybe we can walk him and not talk so I can think?”

  Kipa shrugged on his jacket. “Sounds good. Hey, does Raj want to go for a walk with Raven and Kipa?” he called.

  Raj came bouncing over. “Raj loves walks. Raj go to the park?”

  “Yes, Raven and Kipa are taking Raj to the park. Now, Raj needs to sit still while Kipa puts his leash on.” Kipa leaned down and fastened the leash to the collar while Raj darted impatient glances at the door.

  “I need to read that book Dek lent me,” I said, staring at Raj. “Somehow, I don’t think that…well…this situation is quite normal, if you know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, but I wouldn’t worry. Very little ever goes by the book in life.”

  We headed out into the snow, toward the trailhead into UnderLake Park. I lifted my head to the sky, letting the snowflakes settle on my face. All around us, the world was muffled and frozen, but frozen or not, my life was moving forward in a direction I had never anticipated. I hadn’t even consulted my gods about it.

  We know. Do you think we don’t know these things?

  The words echoed in my brain as I felt Cerridwen stir her cauldron, catching up my fate and destiny with her. Suddenly feeling at peace—my gods were behind me on this, and that made me feel much more secure—I tried not to think about the coming fight with the aztrophyllia while we silently walked down the trail and into the park, under the veil of snow.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Friday morning came early. Our walk had been helpful, letting me calm my thoughts and focus them solely on being in the present. In fact, I slept deeply, my dreams taking me to Tapiola, where I saw a cottage covered with ivy and climbing roses, and in the dream, Kipa was making fried eggs and bacon for breakfast while I stood outside, breathing air so clear that it felt like my lungs might freak out. Raj was playing with a dog that looked almost twice his size, and a cat sat in the window next to the box of magical herbs. It was so calming that I woke to an anticipation I seldom had in the mornings.

  It dawned on me that maybe this move had already been in my destiny. Maybe it wasn’t just happenstance. Wondering about Fate and what part she played in our lives, I slid out of bed.

  Kipa was already up and I could hear him laughing in the kitchen with my mother. I was grateful the two of them got along so well. At first, there had been a part of myself afraid he might find her more attractive than me—after all, she was as wild as he was—but he never showed any sign of seeing her as anything more than my mother, and that set me at ease. I knew he wasn’t her type, but sometimes, having a mother who was Queen of the Bean Sidhe made for insecurity.

  I decided to be festive and slipped on a Santa red bra and panties, then fastened a garter belt to match around my waist, using the garters to hold up green, red, and white striped thigh-high socks. The next layer was a green tulle petticoat and then, a red satin circle skirt. Zipping up my red brocade corset over the top, I then added a green bolero jacket, and I was ready for makeup.

  I quickly did goth-chic eyes with green metallic eye shadow and heavy liner and mascara, and decided to leave my lips a pale pink for a change. After brushing out my hair, I put on platform calf-high boots and headed toward the kitchen, feeling ready to face the day.

  My phone jangled as I entered the dining room and I glanced at it. Vixen had convinced Lenny to be there by one.

  “Hey, Lenny will be at Vixen’s by one, so we should be there at least an hour early.” I entered the kitchen to see Kipa ladling out oatmeal with raisins into bowls while Phasmoria was stacking bacon and sausage on a platter. They both froze, staring at me.

  “Where’s your Santa hat?” Kipa asked, smirking.

  “You look…festive,” Phasmoria added. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you looking quite so…festive?”

  I stuck my tongue out at them. “I love both of you, too. Hey, I felt like celebrating the season, so keep your opinions to yourself if you’re going to play Scrooge.”

  Kipa laughed, setting down the bowl and the ladle. He pulled me to him and kissed me soundly. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it—you make a most comely elf—though frankly, mos
t Elves are insulted by their portrayal as non-unionized toy makers employed by a man who probably doesn’t even give them good health benefits.”

  I snorted. “I never thought about that.”

  “You’re lovely,” my mother chimed in. “I’m not used to seeing you wear much besides black, purple, and green.”

  “I have my moments,” I said. “So, did you hear me?”

  “We’ll be there early. I want to get this over with. We need to strategize, though.” He set the bowls on a tray and, with Phasmoria carrying the platter of sausage and me picking up the bowl of fruit salad, we carried our food to the dining room table. Kipa had already set out the plates and bowls, and I returned to the kitchen for the cream and brown sugar for the oatmeal.

  Raj was waiting at his dish and Kipa set a bowl of plain oatmeal down for him, along with a plate with several sausages on it. Raj began to lap up the oatmeal, using his paws to eat the sausages. He hated using forks and spoons. As long as he wiped his paws on the mat after eating anything that could leave a mess on the floors, I was fine with however he wanted to eat his food.

  “So, how are we going to do this? We go over there…are you going out on the astral before they get there?” I asked.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Kipa said. “Since the aztrophyllia is on the astral, it might sense me if I’m out there when Lenny arrives. We will probably have to restrain him because the moment the creature realizes what’s happening, it will try to get him out of there.”

  A thought struck me. “What if it leaves? What if it tries to save its ass and vanishes?”

  “Then we’re so much the better. You can seal Lenny off from it, because if it leaves, it won’t have a hold on him for that moment. And then we use that spell to seal it from ever getting back to your house.” Kipa paused, then said, “I know that look. What’s wrong?”

  “I wish we could get rid of it for good. I can’t help but think it’s going to search for another victim.” I hated unfinished business, and that’s what this felt like.

  “It will, love.” Kipa softened his voice. “One thing you have to come to terms with is that we’ll never be able to stop all the bad guys—or monsters—in the world. We’ll never be able to make the world safe. There will always be monsters and pain and victims. But there will always be beauty and joy, as well. And kind hearts. Do you understand?”

  I didn’t want to agree, but he made sense. “Yeah, I get it, I do. I’d rather not believe it, but you’re right. All right, now, to dislodge it you’ll need silver—how do you even take that over to the astral realm?”

  “I don’t, but we’ll take a good length of silver chain and…” Kipa paused, frowning. “You know, if we bind Lenny with a silver chain, the energy will resonate through his aura. Crystals and metals—they all have an energetic component, and when someone holds a crystal, that energy blends with their own. The same for metal. So if we bind him with silver, it may disrupt the aztrophyllia enough so that I can go after it on the astral plane, while you seal Lenny with the spell so it can’t reattach.”

  That made sense. “All right. I agree, you’re on to something. We’ll try it that way because I don’t have any better solution than that.”

  “What do you need to cast your spell?” my mother asked.

  “Nothing. Väinämöinen uses very few spell components. I get the feeling that the Force Majeure don’t need anything but their own energy to cast spells, and the way I see the spell working, it’s a matter of manipulating energy. I often wondered if they keep a room full of bones and feathers and so forth, and I get the impression through him touching my mind that he does have something like that, but it’s not always necessary.”

  I had also discovered that the saying was true: The Force Majeure were more removed from humankind than the gods were. When Väinämöinen had met me out in the depths of space, he had seemed far more alien than Kipa had. It was as through something had happened to him—shifted his DNA. In fact, I would never have pegged him for being one of the magic-born. He seemed so far beyond that.

  “Good, then. What do we have to do before we leave?” Kipa finished his breakfast and wiped his mouth on his napkin. I had taught him a few manners, at that.

  I pushed back my dishes, finished. “I need to tend to the ferrets, and I should meditate for a bit. I need to build up my focus for casting the seal.”

  “I’ll do the dishes and mind the house while you’re gone,” Phasmoria said, standing.

  We scattered to finish our tasks. Even as I fed the ferrets and told Elise about our impending move, my mind was hanging out in space, remembering Väinämöinen’s mind-touch. It had been perhaps the most intimate thing that had ever happened to me, and one of the greatest gifts. I had looked into the mind of brilliant power, and returned alive and unblinded.

  * * *

  Vixen was waiting for us at the door. They were in a feminine mood today, wearing a linen pantsuit that curved to their form with a smooth ease. They were holding a handkerchief and I could tell they were feeling anxious, because they were knotting it in their hands, using it like a worry stone.

  “Hey, Vixen,” I said, leaning in to plant a kiss on their cheek. “Kipa and I think we can free Lenny of the creature.”

  “I know, but I’m nervous. Will this hurt him? What if the… What did you call it?”

  “Aztrophyllia?”

  “Yes, what if the aztrophyllia decides to attack one of us?”

  Vixen was in a state and I couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Yes, the aztrophyllia was scary, but Vixen was a powerful snake shifter, and they shouldn’t be as afraid as they were.

  “Why are you upset?” I blurted out. “I know this is nerve-wracking and you’re afraid for Lenny, but you seem a lot less sure than you did the other day.”

  Vixen met my gaze, and I saw something shift in their eyes. “I was visited by an emissary from the Banra-Sheagh yesterday. I wasn’t going to tell you, but…”

  I frowned. “But what? What happened?”

  “They’ve threatened to not only exile me from the Ante-Fae, but they said they’d find a way to close down my club for good if I…stay friends with you.” Vixen let out a sigh. “They’re going to expel me from the Ante-Fae community, which I would be able to handle except they’ve also threatened to tear my club apart and to target every client I have, Raven. Basically, every client who comes to the doors of the Burlesque A Go-Go will find themselves targeted by the Banra-Sheagh for excommunication.”

  My stomach dropped. The club was Vixen’s life. They had fought long and hard to open it, first against the city itself who didn’t want an Ante-Fae nightclub around, especially a burlesque club, and then against the older members of the Ante-Fae who thought that Vixen was inviting too much of the human element in. It had taken them a long time to resolve both sides of the issue, and now it could be wiped out in one sweep if Vixen stayed friends with me.

  I sat down, realizing that it was time to be selfless. Vixen was my friend, and I wouldn’t let them be ostracized and their dreams destroyed because of me.

  “Tell them you’ll fall into line.”

  When Vixen started to protest, I held up my hand. “Vixen, I’m heading to Kalevala for a year next month. I’m going to train with one of the Force Majeure and after that year, I’ll be interning with him for another year. Maybe in that time, things will change so that this will all be moot. Regardless of what happens, I won’t let you lose everything you hold dear just because the Queen’s got her knickers in a wad.”

  Vixen was nothing if not pragmatic. They sat down and took my hand. “You really mean it, don’t you? And second, how the hell did you come to meet with one of the Force Majeure and insinuate yourself into a two-year internship?”

  “First, it’s a year in training and then a year’s internship. And second, I met Väinämöinen thanks to Kipa, when we were researching what Lenny’s attachment is. The bard thinks I have promise and his price for giving me the spell that can
protect Lenny from the aztrophyllia was that I train with him for a year.” I swallowed, feeling teary-eyed, but I blinked the tears away. “So, I’ll be gone anyway, and I can sneak notes to you through Ember and Angel.”

  Vixen shook their head. “Thank you, Raven. You don’t know what this means to me. But I mean it—say the word and I’ll give up the club. What they’re doing isn’t right. The Queen’s encroaching too much on our lives.”

  “Be that as it may, we might as well fly under the radar and preserve what we can while we sort all of this out.” I sighed, leaning back. “I’ll miss so many things, but you’ll be in the top five.”

  Kipa cleared his throat. “I hate to break this up, but when’s Lenny due? We’re going to need to tie him up and you can be sure the aztrophyllia won’t want any part of that.”

  “I have something that might be useful, darling,” Vixen said. “I have a chair that has automatic cuffs. Lenny’s never seen it. Only select members of my personal life know about it. It looks like any normal armchair, but it’s made for sex play.”

  Kipa stared at Vixen like they’d grown another head. “Well, then…as long as it’s not going to inflict anything else on him, we can use that and then wrap the chain around him. It will be less violent than me restraining him without help.”

  “I’ll have my man bring it up.” Vixen summoned the butler and requested he bring up the “Restraint Chair”…and apparently the butler knew exactly what they were talking about. When he returned with two of the housemaids who were carrying the chair, he arranged it in place of the rocking chair, which he moved out of the room.

  True to what Vixen had said, the chair looked like a sculptural piece, but one that was functional. The arms were curved and ornate, and the chair was padded with a velvet cushion. Vixen showed us the almost invisible slits on both sides of each arm that housed retractable cuffs.