Magical Twist: Paranormal Women's Fiction (Midlife Witchery Book 3)

by Brenda Trim

  Aislinn jumped up, and so did Violet. “Sure. I’d be happy to help before I take my turn in the bath,” Aislinn replied.

  We linked hands, and each of us cast a spell to cloak my magic with me going first. Aislinn headed for the bathroom, and I untied the bandage around Violet’s shoulder. When I did a check of my river, I found it flowing freely.

  If I had so much available, why was I so freaking tired? I should have been able to infuse myself with energy. As I was doing a mental check, I noticed a film surrounding the power. That was another layer blocking access. And it was always there, telling me that I must automatically erect this shield. Probably from years of living with a spell cutting me off from everything magical about me.

  When the bandage was unwound, I handed it to Violet and pulled her shirt away from the area. Then I scraped the hardened paste off her skin. “The wound is completely closed. There’s a red scar, but it’s not open, and the swelling is gone. It isn’t infected anymore.” Thankfully Violet’s back was to the others when I lowered the front edge.

  I brushed off the paste I used to cover the redness that had spread toward her heart. The streak that extended from the wound down her chest was gone, but the flaming bird was still there. It was no longer swollen and hot to the touch.

  “It feels close to normal. Only lingering pain when I try to lift my arm.” Violet bent her arm and lifted the elbow a few inches before she stopped. “I’m going to wait for Aislinn to be done so I can bathe next. Thank you.” After hugging me, she left the room, leaving me no choice but to join the group at the table.

  Bas gestured to the table. “There’s food. You need to eat something.”

  Aware of the eyes on me, I took the empty seat next to him and scooted it closer to him before looking over the selections. Most of it looked familiar to me from the night I was at Argies’s house. I hadn’t tasted much that time, and what I did I didn’t like.

  I ended up picking what looked like the meat he’d given me last time and took a small bite. When the flavor exploded over my tongue, I popped the rest of the piece in my mouth.

  Finarr poured blue liquid from a bottle into a glass and pushed it toward me. “It’s called zullon, and it tastes like wine.”

  I brought the cup to my nose and sniffed. It smelled sweet, almost like raspberry. My eyes went wide when I took a sip. “This is delicious. I assume Sebastian caught you guys up. What can I share to prove I’m on your side?” I tackled the issue head-on rather than trying to avoid it anymore.

  I had gotten lucky with Tim’s parents. They loved me and treated me like a daughter. The more I ate and drank, the better I felt. My eyes were no longer in danger of slipping closed.

  Sebastian’s sister watched me closely. It was unnerving as hell. “They’ve told us some pretty unbelievable things about you moving a portal that has been in the same location for millennia. First, you claim to have killed the second most powerful Fae in Eidothea and then the portal.”

  “Chasianna.” Bas’s voice held a warning that promised untold pain and suffering.

  “It’s okay, Sebastian. They don’t have to believe us. As long as the others are willing to join us in our fight against Vodor.”

  Argies sat forward and tapped the table. “We need to spread the word about the portal being located in the field close to the back entrance.”

  Sebastian nodded and handed me another piece of meat. “And tell them it will feel like a wood nymph to them. Do you think your grandmother will let the most vulnerable through?”

  My head felt better. The pain had decreased, making it easier to follow the conversation. “Absolutely. Should we send them through before we make a move?”

  “I’m not sure that’s wise. I’m afraid it will tip off Vodor and give him time to prepare for our attack. Or it could cause him to lash out even worse than he already has,” Argies interjected.

  “Enough. We will not be sending Fae to the middle of nowhere where they might walk into a trap,” Bas’s father barked.

  Something in me snapped right then. I pushed to my feet, sending my chair clattering to the floor behind me. “I don’t give a shit what you think. I’m sorry you’re too small to realize a hybrid has more power than a full-blooded Fae. I have put my life on the line for your people, and you have yet to say thank you. If you think any of this has been easy, you’re wrong. Although it was easier to kill the Queen than it was to move the damn portal.”

  Eliyen put her hand on his dad’s arm. It stopped him from snarling back at me, I’m sure. “The portal was harder to move because it shouldn’t have been possible for a half-breed. I don’t recall the prophecy indicating the half-breed would out-power our kind. Perhaps we need to have another look at it.”

  “Let her go home,” Teague, Bas’s brother, replied. “We don’t need her and don’t need to consult some damn prophecy.”

  “On that, we can agree. It doesn’t matter what some elusive seer said, however long ago. All that matters right now is that we pool our resources to beat Vodor. You can waste your time and energy doubting me and my abilities if you’d like. I’m getting some rest. And there’s an easy way to verify I am telling the truth. Go up to the field and knock on the portal. My Grams will answer.”

  “With luck, Isidora will help them pull their heads out of their asses,” Aislinn interjected as she returned to the room.

  Kelvhan stood up and extended his hand to me. “It’s hard to erase thousands of years of thinking.” I accepted his hand, expecting him to shake it. He didn’t do that; he laid the other one over it, and I felt his energy surround me then sink into my skin.

  The atmosphere lightened in that instant. I would tell them anything they needed to hear to keep their hope up. Believing they had a chance would go a long way to making us successful. If warriors already thought they were defeated, they would fall before they even began.

  Chapter 14

  “Are you sure this is a good idea? Your parents didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for us.” I refused to keep my mouth shut when I worried what traipsing around the Underground on Bas’s arm would bring our way.

  I ended up sharing the bed with Aislinn and Violet. None of us wanted to separate and relocate to other homes in the Underground. I was acutely aware of his parents trying to convince him to remain in Eidothea after removing Vodor. I know his dad wanted him to take the throne. There was no way I would ever stand in his way, but part of me prayed he would return to Pymm’s Pondside with me.

  My gut had been in knots for hours, and my mind was a whirlwind. It was entirely possible I would be going home without Sebastian only to find my Grams gone, as well. At least I would have my bitches by my side.

  “My parents do not reflect the feelings of the realm. Word has spread about how you killed Thelvienne and people wanted to catch a glimpse of the powerful hybrid.” Sebastian’s gaze was full of pride when it landed on me.

  I rolled my eyes and tried to hide the heat that built in my cheeks. All embarrassment was forgotten a second later when we entered the underground city's main cavern. We had been walking through a maze of tunnels that had magical sconces and colorful wooden doors.

  Nothing stood out much until we reached this area. Now, I understood why we hadn’t run across anyone else. They were all milling around the shops down here. The noise level went from our barely heard footsteps to hundreds, if not more, voices all talking simultaneously. It was a lot to take in. I had to stop at the mouth of the tunnel and take everything in.

  I hadn’t gotten a good look the first time I had visited. Now, I saw one- and two-story stone buildings set up in a square with concentric squares outside of that. There were at least four layers before reaching the core grouping of shops in the center. Like the halls of homes, the doors on these structures were just as colorful.

  Unlike the residential section, there were stained glass windows, signs, and various other items decorating outside this area. One shop had flowers painted on the windows and walls. Anoth
er had birds and other creatures painted on it.

  “Is that her?” My head whirled around when I heard the whisper-yelled question. A tall, slim elf woman was leaning toward a shorter, curvier elf woman. I had no idea which one had spoken, but it had to be them. They were both staring at me.

  I grabbed Bas’s hand and tried to melt into his side and disappear. I wanted to pull him back when he took a step forward. It made others stop around us. Before I knew it, several conversations erupted, all centered around my identity.

  “You sure do know how to grab attention, don’t you, Fi?” I glared at Violet, who was behind us with Finarr. Aislinn and Argies were still back at home. I had discovered it belonged to Finarr.

  “How do you know they aren’t staring at you? You’re the one with the big boobs.”

  She laughed at me and tugged her shirt down. “They are a sight, aren’t they?”

  “Hey, Adriana. Yes, this is Fiona and her friend Violet,” Finarr interjected in response to the elf women.

  The taller one beamed at him and clapped her hands. “Is it true? Did she really kill the Queen?”

  Sebastian growled low in his throat, making them jump. I smacked his arm. This time he ignored my attempts to calm him. “Yes. Fiona obliterated Thelvienne. She will be respected as the powerful Fae-witch she is. You don’t want to get on her bad side.”

  “Don’t,” I whispered to him.

  He cupped my cheek and ran a thumb across my lips. “You will not be treated poorly here. You deserve their undying devotion for what you’ve already done for them, and they should never forget that for one second. Besides, power and strength is the only thing Fae kind will respond to.”

  I decided to trust him and ignore any further questions. “You promised me the best meat pies in Eidothea.”

  Violet poked her head between us. “Don’t forget about the Fae version of cupcakes. I want to try those!”

  Sebastian chuckled and led us down a street between buildings. We passed by several stores. One looked like a grocery store, another looked like it carried tea, but it could have been dried herbs. All I could say for sure was that they had barrels of dried plants.

  In the second square of shops, all I could see were the ones closest to us because some shops cut off our view of the other side. “That looks like the place Argies took me to get clothes last time. The fabric here is the softest you’ve ever touched, Violet. We will have to visit one of them soon.”

  “I’d love that. When we aren’t in the middle of planning a war,” Violet replied with more excitement than she’d had since crossing the portal.

  Her shoulder was healed entirely this morning. It could have been the afternoon because we had no concept of time down here. While the scar was nothing more than a thin pink line, the flaming bird was still on her chest. None of us understood, but it wasn’t causing her problems, so we put that off to figure out another time. I personally thought it was kinda like my amulet—a change from crossing the portal.

  “How do you guys stay safe and hidden down here?” Violet’s question brought me out of my head. I had missed some of the conversation and was surprised to see we were now in the middle of the downtown Underground.

  The center of the shops contained a stunning garden. How the heck did they have grass and flowers without any sunlight? Given the pixies flitting around the park-like area, I guessed it was thanks to their magic.

  “The Underground was created shortly after Vodor took the throne. Every creature in the realm knew immediately he was corrupt and would be bad for survival. Hence, they started creating this location,” Sebastian explained.

  Finarr waved a hand around them. “The first buildings were created right here in this central square so Fae could shop freely without fear of being taken to the castle while they were out and about. Some dwarfs dug out the first homes for victims to take refuge. As the atrocities grew, so did the Underground. And here we are today. Our population here rivals that of Midshield.”

  “To answer your question, Violet. The Underground is hidden and protected by a collective barrier the King and his men cannot find.” Sebastian pulled me toward a group of stalls set off to the right while he spoke.

  I had been so focused on looking at the stalls they had in this section I hadn’t noticed the stares being sent our way. There were too many Fae to count, and they all seemed to be focused on us.

  I wanted to check out the ceramics offered at one of the stalls but didn’t dare ask Sebastian. It would only draw more attention to us. He continued walking and ignoring all the onlookers. He headed straight for a stall set up outside what looked like a restaurant.

  There was an outside seating area with tables. The door was a deep purple color, and the plate glass window had what looked like a pie with steam coming off of it painted on it.

  “Torvo! It’s good to see you again.” Sebastian embraced the Fae.

  Torvo held Bas at arm’s length, then looked over at me. “It’s about time you pay me a visit. I heard you were here not that long ago, and you didn’t stop by. I’d be offended if I hadn’t heard what your companion has been up to.”

  Sebastian chuckled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “This is Fiona. Fiona, this is a good friend, Torvo. He and his mate make the best meat pies in the realm.”

  “So, the rumors are true? You killed Thelvienne?” Torvo directed his question to me while he did something behind his counter. He opened something that was either holding or cooking food because steam and a spicy, herb-scented aroma lifted in front of him, making my mouth water.

  I walked closer and peered over the edge to see him grabbing what looked like a pot pie from beneath a stone lid that he’d lifted. He put it inside a ceramic bowl and scooped a ladle of gravy from a pot set to the side of the opening with the pies.

  “That looks delicious.” Heat filled my cheeks when I realized I had been so focused on what he was doing I had ignored his query. “To answer your question, yes, I killed her. It wasn’t intentional. I was fighting her and didn’t realize how powerful my spell and fire were. I’m not sorry. I just think it’s important to point out I’m not some homicidal maniac.”

  Torvo titled his head to the side and considered me. “I have no idea what that means, but you’ve done more than the rebellion has managed over the last century to improve morale. For the first time, we have hope we will be out from under Vodor’s evil thumb soon.”

  Torvo handed me a bowl with a spoon, then gave one to Bas, Finarr, and Violet. “It’s on the house.” The Fae waved Finarr’s money.

  I shoved my spoon into the flaky crust and inhaled the savory scent and steam that was released from the food. My mouth watered as I shoveled the first bite into my mouth. A groan left me, and my eyes rolled back in my head. “This is delicious. I haven’t found much food that I like in the realm, but I could eat this every day. So good.”

  Violet made similar sounds and gestured with her spoon. “We need to get this recipe. I’d like to try and make this for the kids.”

  Torvo’s chest puffed up, and a broad smile broke out across his face. “It’s a family secret, but I’ll happily share it with our saviors.”

  My next bite stuck in my throat, and I nearly sucked it down the wrong pipe. The tightness in my chest was worse than heartburn. Sebastian clapped his friend on the back. “We will be back by another time. The council is waiting for us to join them. I’ll have Teague drop the bowls off later, as well. Perhaps you and your mate can join us for a meal soon.”

  Torvo nodded and started making a bowl for the Fae standing behind us. No one was pushing for him to hurry. They all seemed to be listening to our conversation. Thanks to the countless conversations going on around us, I wasn’t able to hear what anyone thought.

  Sebastian gestured with his utensil in the opposite direction we’d come from. I kept pace beside him, eating the pie as we walked. Violet almost ran into my back when Bas stopped in front of the largest building in the main square. I hadn’t se
en the entire downtown Underground, as I thought of it, so I didn’t know if it was the largest overall.

  Finarr opened the green door and held it wide. Bas entered, and Violet and I followed. The entrance was open and had chairs set along one wall. Double doors were propped open along the far-left.

  When we looked inside, I was surprised to see Aislinn and Argies seated at the massive table on the other side of the room. Chairs were set up in a stadium-style seating in a fan between us and the table. At least a dozen others were sitting with them, including Sebastian’s parents.

  I was very self-conscious when all eyes shifted to us upon entering. At least we weren’t the only ones that had food there. The food was too good not to finish, and I didn’t have enough to offer the others. My Grams and parents had raised me to always offer others a refreshment.

  Sebastian’s father stood up and pinned us with a look I couldn’t interpret. “You’re right on time. We were just about to discuss the best approach to the final battle in this war with Vodor.”

  Sebastian set his bowl in front of an empty seat next to Argies and held the chair next to his out for me. “I told you we were on our way.” I sat in the chair and noticed Violet sit next to Aislinn. I wished I was next to my friends. The Backside of Forty made a formidable force when we were together.

  “I see you grabbed the best meat pies in Eidothea,” a Fae woman pointed out. I couldn’t recall her name, but I recognized her from the first time I spoke with this group. “Torvo’s cooking is nothing short of magical. Now that we’re all here, shall we get right to the point? We need a plan of attack.”

  Kelvhan nodded his head once in response and took his seat. “We need to hide our presence throughout Midshield during the day. As soon as night falls, we will spread out and surround the entire palace. We will need to move into position carefully so we don’t alert the guards before everyone is in place. Once everyone is in place, we will sneak into the castle in the middle of the night. It’s the best times because patrols are fewer then.”