Stir Until Petrified

by Theda Vallee

  Brady moved his hands in a circular motion, his brow furrowed in concentration. His hands moved faster and faster leaving a stream of color in their wake. Slowly particles of dust rose from the ground fusing with the air to create a funnel. Fleck by fleck the dust collected into the whirling air forming a massive dust devil. His hands moved outwards in a quick pulling motion. The funnel obeyed expanding its width, consuming every molecule of dirt in its path.

  With a flick of his wrist, the funnel moved through the pack of wolves sucking them up and tossing them out like a wood chipper. Some of the stunned wolves got back to their feet slamming into the barrier with even more ferocity. Most of the wolves who’d been caught in the funnel stayed down. Brady looped around for another pass with his dust cloud of doom. Another swath of wolves flew through the air as he slammed through the pack.

  Brett snarled, his eyes blazing with fury. He really didn’t like to lose. He closed his eyes raising his hands out in front of him. The air around his hands shimmered like the distant line in a desert road. The flexing of the air took shape becoming a solid object in his hands. It was a sword. What the hell was he going to do with that?

  “We’re fucked,” Brady yelled, dissipating his wind funnel and shoving his magic back into the shield.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Luc grunted.

  “The freaking Sword of San Galgano. How the hell did he get that?” Brady said, a thin layer of fear coating his words.

  “Etta, put everything you can into the shield. That sword is supposed to be able to penetrate anything. We need to keep this shield up another ten minutes or so. I activated a help signal but I don’t know how long it’ll take for them to get here,” Luc called out, his face pouring sweat as he channeled his magic.

  Stella didn’t wait for me to respond. She flung herself out of my body, building another layer of magic over the shield. For once I didn’t fight to control her. She was in self-preservation mode, which did nothing but benefit me.

  Brett walked toward us the sword held out in front of him, leading the way. Luc dropped a small amount of his magic back into himself. I watched it slither off the shield into his body. Lifting his hands as if he was conducting an orchestra he sent an onslaught of rocks and pebbles raining down on the wolves and Brett. A large rock struck Brett in the forehead, splitting his skin. Blood streamed down his face from the gash, pouring into his eye. His cocky smile disappeared as he reached up to palpate the wound.

  Without any further posturing, Brett let out a blood-curdling howl. Running with superhuman speed he reached the shield in seconds. Arching the sword over his head, he slammed down onto it. The sword lit up glowing with white light. Slowly he drug the sword down through our only protection. In the wake of the sword’s path, the shield gapped open, exposing us to the snarling pack of wolves on the other side.

  “You lose witches.” Brett laughed, as the wolves surged around him into the hole.

  Magic exploded all around me as Brady and Luc fought to keep them at bay. Within just a few moments they were both knee deep in fur. Wolves in nature were already superior hunters, using the strength of their pack to trap and kill their prey methodically. Add a human brain to that, and they became an unstoppable onslaught.

  “Fuoco!” Nerina screamed tossing a stone into the foray of fur. Fire burned a path through the invading canines as her spell rolled through the wolves.

  Three wolves circled me, slowly measuring my girth with their narrowed glares. They let out a series of low menacing growls, baring their teeth in anticipation. Maybe being a bear wasn't such a horrible idea after all. It would take them a while to chew me to pieces.

  The first wolf darted forward snapping its jaws closed near my face. I lurched back as his teeth clamped shut on air. He leaped back, circling around to my side. I reared up on my hind legs, the instincts that came with this body taking over. A second wolf leaped towards me aiming for my throat. I swiped with my six-inch claws smacking him across his face. His body tumbled through the air landing a few feet away. I let out a chuffing sound, which was meant to be a triumphant growl. I wasn’t getting the hang of these vocal cords.

  “Etta!” Nerina shouted as I felt the teeth of first wolf sink into my leg. I’d been so busy trying to scare the third wolf with my big bad roar, I’d forgotten the first wolf had moved to my side.

  I bucked trying to shake the wolf’s hold on my leg. The third wolf made good use of this distraction. He leaped on to my back, sinking his canines into the back of my neck. Despite the advantage of my thick hide, he was latched on good. I dropped to all fours shaking violently, trying to dislodge the wolf. Another wolf joined the foray latching on to my shoulder. I lashed out with my massive paw, ripping the wolf open from his shoulder to his exposed underbelly. I gasped in horror at the result. There was a gaping hole in the side of his body. Blood poured from him like someone had turned on a faucet. The ground around him was slick with intestines and blood. He lay on his own entrails unmoving, as death took him.

  I’d just killed someone. I’d taken a life. I stumbled backward, wanting to get away from the horrific sight. It didn’t matter. It was painted into my memory. A piercing pain in my back reminded me that this wasn’t over. There was no time to think about what I’d just done. I had to keep fighting or I would be the one laying on the floor bleeding out.

  The wolf riding my back had gotten a better hold on me. His teeth were sunk in deep. I slammed backward against the Mustang trying to dislodge him. The metal crumpled under the weight of my body, but still he hung on. We were so not getting our deposit back for the car.

  Nerina screamed, distracting me from the wolves gnawing at my body. She had a ring of wolves frozen around her, but she was out of bespelled stones. A huge black wolf leaped over his frozen brethren hovering in the air before landing in front of her. Frantically I twisted my bulk lashing out with my paw. My claw caught the wolf in the face wedging in just under his eye socket. When I pulled back I heard a sickening pop. With a yelp of pain, he staggered back his eye dangling from the socket on the side of his face. I swiped out again dislodging the swinging eyeball and tossing it to the side in disgust.

  The black wolf was injured but not down. He lunged for my shoulder locking on. My forearm exploded in pain as, yet another wolf found his way to me. I stumbled as the pack of beast’s road me like a bull in a rodeo. Blood was matting my brown fur, spattering onto the ground as I tried desperately to rid myself of the wolves. I looked to Luc and Brady, but they were both surrounded. Brady flung blood through the air with every movement from the wounds on his body. Luc was also covered in blood, but I had no way of telling whether it was his or not. We were probably going to die. Luc had been right. They would rather kill us than help us.

  If I was going to die, I needed to get Nerina out of here. She had stubbornly stood by me, not getting into the car like I’d begged. The keys were in the ignition. I just needed to make sure she could get in without being overwhelmed by the shaggy death machines.

  I charged towards her barreling through the frozen wolves. Their bodies shattered as I plowed them down. As careful as possible, I picked my sister up by the back of her tank top with my teeth, tossing her into the front of the damaged Mustang. She looked at me, tears streaming down her face. I could not tell her all the things I needed to because I was a stupid bear. Instead I tried to convey it all with my eyes. Find Carina. Tell Nonna I love her. I love you. She simply nodded, sliding over to the driver’s seat.

  With a guttural roar I turned to face the pack, hoping I could keep them away from the car long enough to let her get away.

  Chapter

  22

  “Enough!” a commanding feminine voice shouted above the fray. Her shout held an unnatural power that echoed through the air around us. “Would you like to tell me what the freaking fuck is going on here? Our orders were to bring them in alive. You were told specifically to call me as soon as your wolves had sight of them and let me do the negotiation. This
looks like a fucking war zone.”

  Like waves receding into the ocean the wolves began backing away, clumping around Brett. The furball on my back let go dropping to the ground. Slinking back to its pack, it turned glaring at me.

  “That big blond one hit me. I was doing like you said and letting him know you’d be here in a few minutes to talk and he just hit me. I tried to stop the boys, but you know how protective they are. Wasn't nothing I could do to stop them,” Brett babbled.

  “Do you want a war with the goddamn Osservatori? Your little pissing contest very well may have caused that if their precious asset is damaged. Get in the van, you stupid fuck.” She barely reached his chest, yet the man bowed his head, trembling at her words. “As for the rest of you, make no mistake, I will burn you to a goddamn crisp if you dare defy orders again. Get back on patrol. NOW!”

  The diminutive woman walked toward me, her body writhing with power. Her short blond hair was cut into a sharp A-line bob enhancing the contours of her face. She peered at me, open curiosity in her chocolate colored eyes. She wore a tailored black pantsuit, with stiletto heels that added several inches to her tiny frame. “Thank you for coming. I’m sorry you were greeted in this manner. That hadn’t been our plan. We don’t welcome you with open arms, yet we are curious to hear you out. My name’s Charlotte. My sister leads this enclave of misfits. She’s invited you to be her guest for the next twenty-four hours,” Charlotte said coolly.

  “Well, if this is how you treat your guests, I’m going to vote no on getting in a van and being hauled off to who knows where,” Brady said.

  “This was unfortunate. However, I’m offering a guarantee of safety as long as you’ve come only to talk.” She tapped her foot impatiently.

  Luc seemed to weigh our options before nodding agreement “Alright. We’ll come with you.”

  “She’ll need to transform back into her natural state. Our van can’t accommodate her present form.” She nodded at me.

  Well, that was easier said than done. I had no idea how to make myself change back to human form. It'd always happened on accident before. Luc turned toward me, placing a hand on my massive head. “Do you think you can get yourself back?” he asked.

  I made a serious of low growls and grumbles that I hoped expressed my doubt. I pushed my thoughts inside, nudging Stella. She fluttered about, content to allow me to remain in my bear state. As far as she was concerned this was the safest form for me at the moment. I snarled at her and stood my ground. I need to be back to my human shape, now!

  Stella did what was the equivalent of stomping her feet, which felt like someone doing the tango on my bladder. I pushed with my intent, demanding she comply. With a final flick of disapproval, she flooded my cells violently.

  My body contorted as the transformation back to myself began. As I folded back down to my human shape, I became acutely aware of the torment my body was in. It had felt minor while I was a bear. I thought at most I’d have some cuts and bruises. The damage I’d taken in my animal form was much worse when layered on my human skin. My knees buckled, sending me tumbling into the dirt. Laying on the ground naked and bleeding I wished I’d listened to Stella and stayed a bear.

  Luc leaned down next to me, ripping his shirt off over his head. Even through the haze of pain I could appreciate his well-sculpted chest. Nerina would be proud of me.

  “Cariad, your bleeding badly. Can you sit up?” Luc asked softly.

  I tried to move but the pain overwhelmed me, collapsing me back into the dirt. Brady scrambled around to my side, leaning down to help. I noticed he was still bleeding. There were two puncture holes near his ribs that were oozing red. He winced as he bent, lifting me off the ground while Luc carefully slid his t-shirt over my head pulling it down to cover my exposed body. Scooping me up off the ground effortlessly Luc cradled me against his chest.

  “Do you have people who can heal her? If not, we can’t accept your invitation.” His voice made it clear that there would be no argument.

  “We do. It'll be faster to get her to our place then to the closest hospital,” Charlotte answered.

  As she spoke two more black vans pulled in behind the Mustang. The back doors flew open and several people jumped out armed to the teeth. If they just wanted to talk they had a funny way of showing it. Luc followed Charlotte as she led him to the first van. He climbed in, trying his best not to jostle me. Brady climbed in behind us sinking to the floor. Nerina piled in last, her face a mess of dirt and tears. Someone handed Luc a blanket that he immediately wrapped around me. I was grateful for the warmth as my body began to feel the chill of the spring air acutely.

  The van slowly turned around, making its way back down the road. I groaned at each bump we hit. Vans were not designed for a smooth ride. My body felt like one giant exposed nerve.

  “Shh, cariad. We’re going to get you some help. Just hang in there for a bit longer.” Luc brushed the hair out of my eyes.

  “And by help he means drugs.” Brady gave a wheezing laugh. A pool of blood had collected underneath him.

  Nerina sat huddled against the wheel well, her arms wrapped around her knees. She stared at me silently. Blood caked to her face, but it was the fear in her face that broke me. This had been a terrible mistake. Tears slid down my face, a hollow sob escaping through my lips.

  “My love. Please don’t cry. Everything is going to be OK. We’re going where we can get you help. You’re going to be fine,” Luc whispered, stroking my hair to soothe me.

  “No, it’s not. Brady is hurt. I'm dying, I can feel it. Who the hell knows where they’re taking us or why. I killed someone. I watched him die. Everything is screwed up and it’s my fault. I’m the one that insisted we come here. This is my fault.” Deep shuddering waves of sorrow rippled through me.

  “You’re not dying, you idiot. You’ve been chewed up by a dog already once this month and survived. Today isn’t going to be any different,” Nerina said, choking down her tears. “We’re going to figure this out and save Nonna. There’s no other choice. Do you understand me?”

  I had nothing I could say back. Despite her attempted pep talk, I knew the truth. I was the reason this happened. I had thought I was so smart. I’d convinced myself that anyone could be reasoned with if you tried. What a naive idiot. A fresh wave of tears burned down my cheek. Luc held me tighter, helpless in the onslaught of my self-loathing. He rocked me gently, making soothing sounds as he tried to calm me.

  The van drove steadily, taking us further away from the coordinates that we’d sent to the Osservatori. If they wanted to kill us, there’d be no one to stop them. Each mile took us deeper into the wilderness and the uncertainty of what waited when we got there.

  I dozed to the steady back and forth sway of the van as it rolled over the unwelcoming terrain. Luc used the edge of the blanket to dry my face, caring for me with a tenderness I hadn’t suspected he was capable of. I could feel his magic swirling around me, rubbing against my skin like a concerned pet. The same magic that had been taunting me for weeks, only now instead of filling me with lust, it gave me comfort. I felt the van come to a rolling stop after what seemed like an eternity. We’d taken so long, I had a feeling I’d passed a point of no return as far as my injuries went. The flow of blood had slowed down but only because there wasn’t much left in me to bleed out. The back door slid open letting sun stream through. Luc climbed out turning back to lift me. I was grateful he was willing to carry me without question. My body felt like a rubber band.

  I glanced around squinting my eyes against the glare. All I could see was rolling plains of dead grass speckled with boulders. It was a never changing landscape for miles, until the mountains in the horizon finally broke the line. On the ground a few feet from where we stood was a giant wheel made of stones. Ten rows of rocks trailed out from the middle serving as the spokes. Luc took a few steps forward drawn to the magic pulsing around the wheel.

  “What is it?” Nerina asked. “I can see the magic and I’ve never be
en able to do that.”

  “It’s a wellspring. Magic bubbles up to the surface here,” Luc answered.

  This was something I’d heard of. I’d taken a class on Native American history that had touched on the wheels found scattered across the plains. Of course, my history teacher hadn’t known that these places were actually magic. The Native Americans had stumbled across wellsprings in their migrations. Their shaman had a deep connection with earth magic and knew these places held great power. They built the medicine wheels to mark the sites so that they could be found again as they journeyed back and forth across the plains. They’d come to these places to embark on spiritual journeys or to enhance the potency of their healing medicines. Over time they’d been lost or forgotten, only to be discovered again when archaeologists excavated the land.

  The pressing question was, why had the Benandanti chosen to build their base near here?

  “If you’re done gapping, this way please,” Charlotte said, signaling for us to follow her.

  We moved past the medicine wheel to a boulder the size of a small bus. Anyone walking through here would assume it was nothing more than a rock in the middle of a field. Charlotte tapped on the boulder in a rapid sequence and stepped back to wait. Within a few seconds the sounds of grinding emitted from the rock, like massive gears slowly turning. A crack appeared in the boulder spreading across the surface until it was a full-blown door. It slid to the side to reveal a set of stairs.

  As we descended the stairs lights flickered, buzzing to life. Sickly unnatural light penetrated the darkness. The walls on either side were reinforced with metal paneling, keeping the space that had been dug from the earth safe from collapsing onto itself. As we descended further the air became tinged with the moist coolness that can only be found underground. The smell of damp earth and minerals tickled my nose. I couldn’t keep count of how many flights we descended. It was enough to make me wonder why they hell they hadn’t sprung for an elevator.