Toil & Trouble

by Nikki Landis

  “That was pathetic but cute.” Kayde stood next to me, his eyes watching the darkness as all of the noise, rumbling, and galloping seemed to silence in an instant. All was quiet so fast that I gulped loudly, the noise causing my skin to erupt in goosebumps.

  A chill was carried in in the breeze as I instinctively moved a step closer to Kayde and sensed each of my Cosan react immediately. We formed a circle – me in the middle with Kayde, Damian and Gabriel on opposite sides, and Ryder and his Ghoul brothers completing the protective barrier.

  A sudden screeching filled my ears as the Thrall attacked.

  I shook my head in disappointment as I realized the Thrall who bit me wasn’t here. The demon must be staying away on purpose.

  ‘Don’t worry. We’ll find him, pet.’

  ‘I know.’

  Thrall bodies slammed into the spirit soldiers as they were knocked about, some falling to the ground as others tried to penetrate the protective barrier. The first wave didn’t make it through my Cosan. Damian swiped at the creatures with his claws, sinking his fangs into their flesh and ripping it from the bones with brutal finesse. Gabriel’s teeth were shredding the Thrall and tearing them apart, yanking limbs from the bodies and leaving them writhing on the ground in bits and pieces, blood spurting from the wounds and dripping from his muzzle. His gray fur was mottled with crimson.

  Ryder and his brethren were no less brutal.

  I thought we were doing well until I felt the sudden presence of the demon I had been searching for since we arrived. The evil creature leaped across the backs of his fellow Thrall and leaped over my Cosan. Dropping to the ground only a few feet away, the demon snarled and snapped its massive jaw.

  “Come on,” I taunted, “try to bite me again, you nasty vermin.”

  It lunged forward with a screech and I spun, catching the knife Kayde tossed in my direction. Slicing outward, I caught the Thrall on its gangly arm and smiled in satisfaction when it howled in pain. Answering screeches could be heard as others began to fling their bodies toward Gabriel, Ryder, Damian, and the other Ghouls.

  “Cass, be smart. This isn’t magic. Fight them ruthlessly but watch your back.”

  I nodded to Kayde as we stood back to back, facing the Thrall as more pushed their way through. My shoulder and arm chose that moment to throb and ache, the pain so strong and overwhelming that I fought the urge to sink to my knees.

  “Cassie, fight!” Damian spoke out loud when he realized I was in danger.

  Kayde was wielding dual blades, slicing into any Thrall bodies foolish enough to venture closer. “You have to fight this, Cass. No one can do it but you.”

  What did he mean?

  My head began to spin as I felt the renewal of attacks on my shields. The rogue witch awaited the moment I was weakened to breach my barriers. Converting all my magic to my shields, I didn’t notice when the Thrall leaped again and landed feet first into my chest. The breath was knocked from my lungs as we hit the ground and the massive jaws of the Thrall snapped, biting down on my shoulder in the same spot as before.

  Screaming in agony, I shoved and pushed but the demon wouldn’t release me.

  “Cassie!”

  “No!”

  I felt the panic and terror of my Cosan flood into my brain as each fought with renewed strength to reach me.

  “Banish it, Cass!”

  Why didn’t I think of that before? Because magic didn’t work against these creatures!

  Chanting and calling the ancestors, I spoke so quickly that I wasn’t sure what spells my frantic mind cast or conjured. All I know is that one minute I was beginning to fade, certain the end was near, and the next . . .

  I was free of the Thrall.

  Gazing up into the worried gaze of the witch hunter, I couldn’t form any words. The rogue witch was hammering against my shields relentlessly. My shoulder and arm throbbed as I moaned, my head pounding as my vision blurred.

  A brief flash of fear filled Kayde’s eyes. The look tossed everything I thought I knew about him right out the window, metaphorically speaking. I could swear that I heard him say my name with such conviction, such longing and emotion, and a depth of sorrow that proved he cared way more than he ever let on.

  Cradled against his chest, I heard him yell at the others.

  “Move out of my way!”

  A few seconds later he pressed a kiss to my forehead and whispered, “I’m sorry, princess.”

  Chapter 9

  October 6th, midnight

  I floated in and out of consciousness . . .

  “Cassie, can you hear me?”

  I blinked, moaning at the barrage of pain that flooded my veins, pulsed and throbbed through every organ in my body.

  “Cassandra.”

  Candlelight flickered in the dark night, marking each of the five points of my body. My arms and legs were stretched outward as I felt the power of the ancestors hover above.

  “Let us in, dearest.”

  “Mom?”

  “Drop your shields. It’s okay. Only those who love you are near.”

  I sighed softly as my eyes fluttered and I felt my body release. A whoosh of air rippled against my clothes as I gasped, the ancestors’ power filling me with healing. My shoulder and arm began to throb and ache as the screams launched from my throat. I couldn’t stop my response. It felt as if someone was ripping the muscles, tendons, and bones apart with their bare hands.

  I muttered under my breath, unsure if I added to the spells and incantations of the ancestors or if I simply babbled incoherently.

  “Cassie, my sweet daughter, you can stop fighting. It’s okay.”

  My mother’s voice sounded foreign, distorted and warbled.

  “It’s the rogue witch. He had a hold on you.”

  The moment she said the words, I knew they were true. Sharp talons were locked on my shoulder as my head continued to pound. My mother and ancestors were battling the rogue witch, demons and thrall, and pure evil for my soul.

  I had to do something.

  In a moment of clarity, I realized the rogue witch sent me to the Ether to ensure I was bitten by the Thrall. I was meant to be weakened, my magic vulnerable. The only way to penetrate my shields was to steal a portion of my soul. No amount of magic alone could do such a thing, but if combined with a Thrall bite the demonic creatures could steal a portion of it while I lost control.

  Now the rogue witch had exactly what he wanted. He owned a piece of my essence.

  As soon as the knowledge entered my head, the pain began to fade away. A sinister chuckle echoed in my head and I yelled, calling out and threatening the witch, cursing him and swearing my revenge.

  I’d steal my essence back. No one would stop me.

  The witch’s voice answered with sensual promise. “I truly hope so, my sweet Cassandra.”

  Bolting upright in my backyard, I found the astonished stares of my ancestors, my Cosan, Gypsy, and my aunt. With a flick of my wrist the candles burned higher and I sank to my knees, speaking to my mother with renewed strength and vigor.

  “I’ll find this witch and end him, I swear. Bless me ancestors, I ask for your strength and extra power as I hunt him down and destroy this evil once and for all.”

  My mother smiled but the worry was apparent in her eyes. “You don’t need anything further from us. Your power already rivals the extent of the coven.”

  Gypsy and Aunt Gwen issued audible sounds of surprise but I simply nodded.

  “Thank you, ancestors. I love you, mother. So mote it be.”

  “As I love you, my daughter. So mote it be.”

  The spirits of my ancestors faded as I stood and waved my hand in the air, extinguishing the candles before I spun on my heel and walked toward the manor with purpose.

  If war was what this rogue witch wanted, so mote it be.

  * * *

  “What’s the issue with Kayde?” I stood in the kitchen with Aunt Gwen after a long nap, raiding the fridge and cabinet, followed by several w
arm Soul Cakes cooling from the oven.

  It was Samhain, after all. I was supposed to indulge.

  Aunt Gwen opened her mouth to answer when Gypsy glided into the kitchen and snatched a Soul Cake, flicking off the extra raisins.

  “He’s a Van Helsing. They’re always grumpy.”

  Frowning, I took a bite of my cookie and swallowed. “I thought his last name was Winchester.”

  “It is,” Gypsy shrugged, “you can ask mom about that.”

  I turned to Aunt Gwen expectantly.

  “The Van Helsing line is an old one. A powerful hunter lineage that combined with an equally potent line of hunters with unique traits. The Winchester clan are gifted in their ability to locate and hunt immortals, specifically those with magical qualities.”

  “You mean witches,” I pointed out. “Why is he here?”

  “Because I’m the only one who can save your ass from that rogue witch and his demented group of damned followers.” Kayde’s deep voice surprised me and I nearly jumped as he sauntered into the room, laying a crossbow down on the counter as he picked up several cookies. “And I mean damned as in demonic, little witch.”

  “I suppose you think you’re some expert,” I retorted. “If that’s true, then why haven’t you figured out who he is?”

  “Cassie,” Aunt Gwen warned but I ignored her.

  Kayde and I seemed to be right back where we were before. He irritated me, I assuredly irritated him. How was this supposed to work again?

  “There’s not a lot of options, hot stuff, so we narrow it down. There’s only so many of you Salem bloodlines.” He leaned back against the counter and gave me a once over as he bit into a cookie. “I’d say your enemy is probably one of the Salem lineages not included in the original thirteen.”

  Aunt Gwen straightened with a gasp. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “Why didn’t the Third Eye reveal it?” Gyps asked as she munched on the rest of her cookie and took a sip of tea. “The leaves were quiet last tonight.”

  “If they’re using blood magic – voodoo – it’s possible you’re being blocked.” Kayde picked up his crossbow and headed toward the backyard. “You coming, princess?”

  I sighed and followed him out the door, leaving Gypsy and my aunt to discuss these new details in depth. “What do you want, Kayde?”

  “You need to practice. A strong witch doesn’t rely on magic alone. There are times when you’re vulnerable and will need to fall back on your training to survive.” He spun on his left heel and faced me, his arms held out as his sides like we were ready to duel pistols at sunrise. The brown leather of his trench coat brushed the top of his boots as I caught a glimpse of knives strapped to his powerful thighs. “Today would be great. You can check me out later, little witch.”

  I’m not sure which was more annoying – the constant snide remark about being little or the sarcastic princess. “I’d prefer if it you called me Cassie. Nothing else.”

  He smirked and I knew I just gave him reason to annoy me further. “Time to train. Show me what you got, princess.”

  Oh yeah, he was going to deliberately call me anything but Cassie now. Feeling aggravated, I called to the elements and rained down lightning and hail directly on top of his head, soaking him instantly as little jolts zapped his leather coat in dozens of spots.

  I was caught off guard when he countered easily and hit me square in the chest, knocking my unprepared ass right on the ground. Stunned, I didn’t jump up for about ten seconds.

  “Learn to block me or suffer the consequences,” he uttered without a hint of remorse.

  I gave him everything I had for the next ten minutes – spells, incantations, conjuring the elements – until I landed on the ground, again and again, flat on my back.

  Slapping the ground in frustration, I jumped up once more. “Let’s go.”

  He shook his head, somewhat humored. “Why bother? I’m worried you can’t handle yourself very well in a real fight. You’re constantly injured, overwhelmed, and easily defeated.”

  Fuck!

  Was it necessary to point that out?

  Ten more minutes saw the same results.

  “Ahhh!” I yelled in frustration, gasping for breath.

  “Magic won’t always work, little witch. You’ve proven this in the Ether when you went up against the serpent. Learn something for once and stop repeating the same irritating mistakes.”

  He was right. Kayde wasn’t fighting me with spells or magic. He was blocking all of my attacks easily. In fact, he seemed to be expelling nearly zero effort as I dripped sweat from all my exertion.

  Nodding, I got to my feet. “One more time.”

  Kayde shrugged and then fired his crossbow. I caught the bullet with magic but grabbed it with my hand and snapped it in half before dropping the pieces to the ground and stomping them into the grass.

  “Better,” he admitted grudgingly, tossing me a bottle of water as he sat.

  “How are you able to thwart me so easily?” I asked after chugging half the contents.

  “I specialize in anti-magic.”

  “Anti-magic?”

  “Pretty much. I can counteract magic or its effects. Oppose it, you understand.”

  Not really. “You have to clarify this for me.”

  “I have the ability to nullify and destabilize almost all forms of magic, and even destroy a magic user's (or witch’s) capability to utilize magic. For some, I can cripple and/or kill them.”

  Holy shit.

  “You could take my power away,” I exhaled, shocked. Kayde was a dangerous enemy, but as an ally . . .

  “I can see the wheels turning in your head. I don’t go around killing people, Cass. Gwen asked me here as a special favor. I’m probably one of few who stands a chance of stopping this rogue witch.”

  “You’re not part of this Cosan thing then, right?” Kayde was brought here to help but he wasn’t appointed by the ancestors like Damian, Ryder, and Gabe. I don’t know why that didn’t occur to me before now.

  He shook his head, his expression amused. “Nah, I think I’m good.”

  At least he didn’t insult me. I wasn’t sure what to make of this friendly version of Kayde. Part of me was waiting for the other shoe to drop. “You’re different than I thought.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t judge people so easily or quickly.”

  “Point taken,” I conceded, “but you haven’t made it easy.”

  He shrugged. “True, I suppose.”

  We both sat quietly for a minute before Kayde nudged me with his shoulder. “Your dad would have been proud of you. Not many witches can take everything a Winchester can dish out.”

  I ignored the compliment. At least, I thought it was a compliment. With Kayde I was never certain lately what his motivation was or what his tone was meant to convey. “You knew him?”

  “Of course, Gil was one of my closest friends.”

  What? I found that hard to believe. Then again, maybe that was why Kayde was here. “How long did you know my dad?”

  “Decades.”

  “What do you know about his death?”

  He cleared his throat, looking away from my penetrating gaze. “Gil Corey’s reputation was beyond reproach. He was the best of men, respected by all, especially within the covens.”

  I already knew that part. “You’re avoiding my question,” I pointed out.

  “You didn’t let me finish.”

  “When someone stops talking it usually means they’re done,” I retorted, folding my arms across my chest.

  “Always such a little spitfire. You’re so like him,” he added, gazing off into the trees.

  “I don’t remember him as anything but kind and soft spoken.”

  “Oh, around his little girl?” Kayde chuckled. “Gil adored you and never raised his voice. The sun rose and set on his precious little Cassandra and I say that without sarcasm. He loved you dearly.”

  My heart ached with those words and how much I missed him.


  “But when he was away from you and your mother . . .” Kayde’s voice trailed off and he laughed again. “He had a temper, a foul mouth, and little patience for stupidity, annoying humans or immortals, and answered to no one. Only your mother seemed to tame him.”

  I couldn’t prevent the grin on my face at the thought. “He was always smiling around me and mother. I can still close my eyes and hear his deep laugh.”

  Kayde finally turned, our eyes meeting with a swiftness that caused my breath to suck in and whistle between my front teeth. “So can I.”

  There was no stopping the tears that filled my eyes in response. “Kayde,” I whispered with agony, “tell me how he died.”

  “He asked me to keep those details to myself, Cass. There’s no point in hurting you further.”

  “I thought you didn’t care.”

  “Sometimes that’s better than caring at all.”

  With that simple phrase I understood why he pulled away from me. I reminded Kayde of his dead friend.

  “Gil was my best friend and my closest confidant. It’s not right . . . what happened to him or,” he gulped and choked out the next words, “how I feel about his daughter.”

  Shocked, I couldn’t speak.

  “Isn’t this touching?” Damian stood within the shadows of the trees, his voice dripping with sarcasm as it echoed across the dewy lawn. “Finally admitting how you want her?”

  Kayde’s mask returned in that moment, swiftly becoming the hard shell I was accustomed to seeing. Without a word he jumped up and stomped off, his long leather trench coat billowing behind with every step.

  “You’re an asshole, Damian.”

  The vampire was in front of me so fast I barely blinked. ‘Watch it, precious.’

  “Why?” I asked, challenging him. “Sometimes you go too far.”

  The expression on his face proved Damian didn’t care about anyone besides himself.

  ‘You assume so much, little Raven.’

  “Really? I think I see you for what you are, Damian.”

  His green eyes seemed to glow brighter as he snarled, coming close enough that we were only an inch or two apart. “You don’t know anything, witch. Experience has been a poor teacher. You still behave as immaturely as a spoiled child.”