Witching Time

by Yasmine Galenorn

  I sighed. “All right, tomorrow we work on figuring out just how we’re going to take down the wight. And Wager wanted to see me. For now? I just want to go home and sleep. It’s been a long, wearying day, and my heart feels heavy.”

  As we walked back to our cars, sans Kipa’s guards who stayed to guard Akron and his crew, Kipa and I filled Ember and Herne in on everything that had happened the past few days.

  “It’s a nightmare. We have to find and kill the wight so that Marigold’s no longer under his compulsion.” I shook my head. “And we have no clue on how to do this. Ember, you said you’ve heard of them before? Do you know of anything that will destroy them?”

  “Fire, for one thing. Lightning. As to what else? Weapons? I don’t know.” She shrugged.

  “Do you know of any way to beat the invisibility?”

  “No clue, I’m sorry,” she said, looking around. “This is a beautiful farm.”

  “You should see it in the daylight,” I said. “I hope we can break the spell on Marigold. She and Rain are working so hard to make this farm a full-blown moneymaker. And the fair—it’s fun and lively. But this year, unless they do a Samhain-themed one, will be a money drain on them.”

  “Maybe we can help. If you can free Marigold, we’ll bring over all our friends and fill the place.” Herne reached around Ember to clap his hand on my shoulder. “You really do care about this family, don’t you?”

  “They were Llew’s friends first, but Rain and Marigold are good people. Their kids are good kids. I want to see them make this work.”

  We were near the makeshift parking lot. I glanced over at the darkened house. “I’ll call Vixen and see how they’re doing. And I should call Llew to make sure he and Jordan made it home safe. I won’t rest easy until everybody’s checked in.”

  “Save it till we’re in the car. It’s almost eleven p.m. We need to go home,” Kipa said. He and Herne shook hands while I gave Ember a hug. Akron’s hearse and his crew’s trucks were still in the yard.

  “We should wait for them, I guess.”

  “My men know how to contact me if there’s trouble. We’re fine to leave them. Just make sure all their cars are locked tight.” Kipa motioned to Herne. “Check the doors, would you?”

  After making sure that Akron’s crew hadn’t left any of their doors open, we filed over to our vehicles. Ember had ridden with Herne and they drove off, waving. Kipa held the door for me and, relieved, I slid into the passenger seat.

  As we headed out, I pulled out my phone and made two calls. Vixen told me that Rain, the kids, dog, and cats had made it safely to their place, and they were all settled in for the night.

  “They’re doing fine. I fed them and sent them to bed. They looked so rattled,” Vixen said. “Apollo’s here, so he can help out if they need it.” Apollo was one of the Ante-Fae, and he was Vixen’s boy toy. He was studying to become co-manager of the Burlesque A Go-Go.

  After chatting for a moment, I said good-bye and then called Llew. He and Jordan were safely home and watching a movie. I told them we had found Aida’s body.

  By the time we got home, I was exhausted. As we walked through the door, I let out a sigh of relief. The smell of chicken soup and fresh-baked bread lingered in the air, and my father—who had been cooking up a storm—had the table ready for dinner.

  I dropped into a chair at the table, absolutely exhausted. Curikan took one look at my face and brought out the food, ladling large spoons of soup into the wide bowls, and handing us thick rolls with fresh butter. The yeasty scent made my stomach rumble.

  We ate in silence. I was too tired to talk, and Kipa seemed reticent, as well. Curikan didn’t ask a single question. Instead, he just encouraged us to take showers and go to bed.

  Later, as I was sitting in bed, leaning against the headboard, Raj climbed up to snuggle between Kipa and me. I wrapped my arms around him.

  “I love you, pumpkin.”

  Raj gave me a skeptical look. “Raj isn’t a pumpkin. Raj isn’t orange and doesn’t turn into a magical coach.”

  Laughing, I kissed his forehead again. “Thank you. I needed that laugh.” At his look of confusion, I did my best to tell him that it was just an endearment. Unimpressed, Raj gently headbutted me, then climbed out of the bed to wander back to his own bed in the living room.

  Kipa scooted close to me and draped his arm around my shoulders. “It’s been a day.”

  “You can say that again.” I closed my eyes and found myself drifting. The next thing I knew, he had eased me back onto my pillow. Before I drifted off into a deep sleep, the image of Aida’s corpse flickered back into my mind. But this time, she began to form again, as though the layers of skin and muscle were flying back on her, like running a movie backward. Then, as she stood in front of me, I realized what a lovely young girl she had been. She smiled and leaned up on her tiptoes to give me a kiss on the cheek.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you again.”

  “You’re welcome,” I murmured, and the next moment, I fell into a deep and, thankfully, dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The next morning, the storm had broken and I woke early to a cool autumn sun that was just rising above the horizon. It glimmered through tree boughs, their leaves a cacophony of raucous color. They fluttered in the breeze, waiting for one big blow to send them whirling down to blanket the ground. I glanced over at the other side of the bed, but Kipa was nowhere in sight. He had left me a note, however.

  Love, I’m going to feed the ferrets for you and get breakfast for everyone. I’ll take your father and Raj with me, but I’ll make certain Curikan doesn’t come into contact with anybody. We’ll be back by eight a.m.

  I stretched, yawning, then opened the window so the breeze could sweep through the room and clear away the dusty air. UnderLake Park was ablaze with the colors of autumn. My window looked out into the park proper and I had a beautiful view. While the majority of the trees were coniferous—tall fir and cedar—the woodland was interspersed with a proliferation of maple and birch, cottonwood and a few oaks here and there. The brilliant colors nestled among the perpetual green lifted my heart. I loved this time of year. It made me feel alive.

  Heading over to my closet, I slipped on my black leggings that had a silver spiderweb pattern embroidered on them, then slid a black long-sleeved cold-shoulder dress over my head. It had a flirty, flippy skirt that hit mid-thigh. I belted a silver chain around my waist and then laced up my knee-high granny boots with kitten heels. A blast of wind came whistling through the room and I hurried to close the window.

  Brushing out my hair—the voluminous curls were a deep brown with natural streaks of purple running through them—I finished dressing with applying my makeup. I felt naked without at least a thick layer of eyeliner and a dark vampy lipstick.

  After peeking in on the ferrets to find them sleeping again, I wandered into the kitchen.

  It was nice to have the kitchen all to myself, and I soaked in the silence, grateful for the respite. It was seven-thirty, and I needed to be on the road by nine if I wanted to reach Wager’s office on time. Debating on whether I should just eat breakfast now, or wait for Kipa and Curikan, I saw the copy of Beltan’s Bestiary sitting on the table and noticed a bookmark protruding from it. I opened the volume to the page on autumn wights.

  Sure enough, there was a sketch of a twisted figure that looked vaguely human, though it was hard to tell because it was so contorted. I ran down the list of notes. It was just as my father had said. Rare, sometimes created by followers of Reyas, they fed on life energy, but were also known to abduct and eat their victims as well. That, I hadn’t known.

  “So I told him, get out of my way or I’m going to whip your ass.” Kipa’s voice echoed from the front door.

  “And what did he say?” my father asked.

  “He didn’t say a word. He just moved. I think that was the start of our rivalry. Herne’s never forgiven me for making him get out of the way and let me t
ake my turn first.”

  Kipa, Curikan, and Raj entered the dining room, carrying multiple bags, most of which smelled divine. Well, Kipa and Curikan were carrying the bags. Raj just lumbered along beside them, looking delighted to be included.

  I leaned down and held out my arms. “Raven wants to give Raj a hug!”

  Raj hurried over to me, his eyes gleaming. “Raj went for a ride with Kipa and Curikan. Kipa said it would be all right.” He headbutted me lightly, leaning into my hug.

  “Of course it was okay. Raj knows that when Kipa tells him something, Raven will be okay with it. Did Raj enjoy the ride?”

  “Raj loved the ride. Raj loves autumn and rain and clouds.” He let out a happy sigh. “And Curikan bought treats for breakfast. Raj is hungry.”

  “Raven’s hungry too. And Raven also loves autumn and rain and clouds.” I kissed the top of his head and he headed toward the kitchen.

  Kipa peeked around the corner. “We’re having a smorgasbord for breakfast.” He carried in a platter filled with whole-grain bread, cheese, sliced meats, lettuce, pickles, olives, cherry tomatoes, mustard, mayo, and ketchup, and set it on the table. “I’ll go get the drinks,” he said, heading back to the door.

  Curikan followed with a tray of pastries and fruit. “We thought it would be fun to have brunch. Early.”

  I stared at the spread. I would have been happy with cereal, but my stomach decided this was much better and rumbled in anticipation. “Well, then, I’d better get the plates.”

  I carried plates and silverware to the table as Kipa returned with a tray of coffee drinks. For me, a triple-shot caramel mocha, a caramel macchiato for Curikan, and Kipa had an extra-large vanilla latte. Kipa had bought Raj his favorite cat food and served up his breakfast, Raj happily swaying back and forth as he waited for Kipa to feed him on his tray near the table.

  “So,” Curikan said as we settled in at the table. “What’s on the agenda today?”

  “I need to be at Wager’s by ten. He said he had found out some pretty important information. And we need to figure out how to kill the autumn wight. Until we do so, Marigold will remain under his influence and she’ll be a danger to her family. Could you do some research on that while I’m gone? I’ll set you up an account on my computer—”

  “No need. I have my laptop with me.” He shook his head. “Reyas is a bloody, gory god. How he ever got connected with the harvest, I don’t know.”

  “Harvesting food isn’t a gentle act. It’s all death, whether it’s a vegetable or a pig. And when you talk about Samhain, the harvest of meat, and the harvest of the dead, it makes sense. Though this whole business of creating land wights to act as scarecrows—that’s just gruesome.” I made myself a thick roast beef sandwich and bit into it. The beef was moist and tender, the bread just chewy enough, and the bite of mustard with the sweet tang of ketchup rested on my tongue. “This was a good idea for breakfast.”

  “So, I called Herne and we talked for a while,” Curikan said. “He’s going to help me with my move over to Annwn.”

  I froze, staring at my sandwich. Then, slowly, I took a long sip of my mocha and let out a slow breath. “You’ve made up your mind, then?”

  He nodded. “I can’t see going back to Connecticut. It’s so built-up and I’m feeling more confined every day. I thought about your mountains here, honey, but Y’Bain seems a better choice.”

  I wanted to argue but I knew it was useless, so I didn’t try. “When will you go?”

  “Well, once I made up my mind, I called your mother yesterday afternoon and asked her if she’d finish packing up my things. I don’t want to drive all the way back home. She’ll have everything ready to ship through a portal within two weeks. After my visit with you, I’ll go straight to Y’Bain and stake out a homestead.” He raised his macchiato. “I will miss these. But I’m sure I’ll be able to make a good facsimile there.”

  I said nothing, just picked up my sandwich again, but even though the flavor was good, I had lost my appetite. I finished what I could, then carried my dish to the kitchen. I stood, hands pressed against the counter as I stared into the sink. I didn’t want my father world-hopping. I wanted him where I could call him, where I could reach out and know he was going to answer.

  “Are you all right?” Kipa asked, coming up behind me and placing his hands on my shoulders.

  “No,” I said. “I don’t want my father to move. At least not over to Annwn. I want him here, near me. My mother left when I was twelve, and Curikan was all I had. Oh, Phasmoria and I have a good relationship now, but all those years, I mostly just had my father. He took care of me. He taught me to stand on my own two feet. He taught me to be a good person. My mother lives with the Bean Sidhe in the Morrígan’s castle. I can’t reach her that easily. Now, my father’s going away, too.”

  “Tell him how you feel,” Kipa said, nuzzling my ear. “Let him know how unhappy the idea makes you.”

  I shook my head. “No, I can’t. That wouldn’t be right. He’s got his own life to lead. I do understand why he can’t stay in Connecticut. But why can’t he just move here? There are so many remote areas where he’s not likely to run across anybody on a day-to-day basis, but I could still get in touch with him.” I turned to gaze into Kipa’s eyes. “I know I sound weak, but…”

  “You don’t sound weak. You sound…downright human. You love your father, he’s always been there for you, and you don’t want that to change. And that’s understandable. You’re barely of age, given the Ante-Fae’s longevity. Yes, you can take care of yourself—most of the time. But he’s your father, he matters to you, and you don’t want to lose touch with him.” Kipa gathered me in his arms, turning me to face him. “I understand, love.”

  I reached up on my tiptoes to kiss him, seeking comfort in his embrace.

  “I guess I’d better head over to Wager’s office. I have no idea what traffic’s like this morning,” I whispered, searching Kipa’s eyes.

  I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. Perhaps a glimmer that said he wouldn’t leave me, that he would stay. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, or that I didn’t feel our relationship mattered to him. But my mother had loved me and she had still had to leave. And Ulstair had loved me, and he had died. And now, my father—who loved me—was going away.

  “Drive safe. Remember to wand down your car, love.” Kipa slowly stepped back.

  I gulped back a stray tear, breathing deeply to steady myself. “I will. Are you going into work today?”

  He shook his head. “No, I have errands to run today. Call me if you need me, and for the sake of the gods, don’t go out to the farm again unless I’m with you, all right?”

  I promised him, then said good-bye to Raj and my father, gathered my purse and jacket, and headed out to my car. My father’s RV was parked at the end of the cul-de-sac, which was right next to my house, and I stared at it, long and hard, wondering how hard it would be to turn it into one of those tiny houses. We could buy up a lot near here and…I promptly nixed the idea. It was impractical and Curikan needed unpopulated land to live on. I waved to Meadow, who was out checking her mail. Then easing out of the driveway, I headed out for Seattle.

  Seattle was bustling. Even with news of the dragons, the city was swarming with people. But there was something different about the energy. I frowned, gazing at the expressions on the shoppers’ faces as they hurried past me. I found a place to park near the Viaduct Market and, as I watched the throngs of shoppers, it occurred to me that it wouldn’t be difficult for aliens to enslave the planet. People heard disturbing news and just let it pass through one ear and out the other. They didn’t want to be inconvenienced. Instead, they went about business as usual, and I was pretty sure most of them only gave a fleeting thought to the dangers we were facing.

  I locked my car and headed into the Market. It was nine-fifteen, and I had about thirty minutes to shop before I had to head into the Catacombs to talk to Wager. He wasn’t a vampire, but he worked among them, and he
had a good working relationship with two of the muckety-mucks at the Vampire National Bank. They had funded his business. Even though he had long ago repaid his debt, Wager had an affinity for the vampires and they sent a lot of business his way.

  I headed into the Art Shack, one of the secret entrances into the Catacombs that covered as a makeshift art studio. Vivian, the main guard, posed as a teacher and discouraged anybody from hanging around.

  Even though she recognized me, I flashed her my badge and she motioned me through the curtained-off back room that led to the elevator and stairs heading down into the Catacombs.

  There were “legal” entrances, where most people entered and exited the underground labyrinth running below Seattle. But there were plenty of hidden passages, used by those looking to enter and exit without being spotted. While I had no reason to hide my comings and goings, I still was cautious about using public gateways because a lot of scammers and con artists manned those entrances, looking for prey. And some of them were black marketeers looking for sex slaves or worse.

  Wager’s office was on Sub-Level 2.

  Exiting the elevator, I headed at a good clip toward his office. I had learned a number of things about hanging around vampires.

  Always look like you know what you’re doing.

  Always act like you’re on your way to a meeting—that someone’s expecting you.

  Never gaze a vampire in the eye because their glamour can put you at risk.

  Never enter the Catacombs with the scent of blood on you.

  Never wear silver if you’re going to visit a vampire.

  There were a host of rules and I had committed most of them to heart. The last thing I wanted was for a vampire to target me.

  I entered the waiting room of Wager’s office and stopped cold. A young man around twenty, by the looks of him, sat at the receptionist’s desk. He was gorgeous, with tanned skin and long wavy black hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. He was also muscled, with deep brown eyes and a brilliant smile. In all the years I had known Wager he had never had a receptionist. Instead, he opted for a sign on the desk asking clients to ring the bell. But today, that sign was missing.