Curses and Cream Puffs

Vivi sat in the corner and watched Lena as she calmed down a fussy Damien, making him lie down and rest to recover from his stabbing. Her expression was a combination of curiosity and suspicion.

“How did you wind up working with a hunter, anyway?” she asked. “Why didn’t he kill you?”

“Because he thought witches were evil, half-human hags and I shook up his worldview by being normal.”

“So...what do you two do, exactly? He’s wearing an emblem so he clearly didn’t quit the profession.”

“We investigate reports that he receives about witches. We stop the bad ones, clear the people who aren’t witches, and help the good ones escape.”

Vivi’s eyes widened slightly, her eyebrows raising. “And you two are...together?”

“You can file that under business that’s none of yours,” Lena said, sitting primly on a kitchen chair.

“You have a wedding band on.”

“It’s complicated.”

“That’s something grown ups say about people they want to f-“

“So do you live here all alone?” Lena asked loudly, changing the subject.

“I live with my aunt, but she’s away from home for a few days.” Vivi studied her for a moment. “So what sort if magic do you specialize in? Your powers obviously aren’t bound, but it’s like you’re suppressing something. Are you a Seer?”

“No.”

“Because I’ve heard that a lot of Seers try to resist their gift because it can be traumatic seeing the future.”

“I’m not a Seer, and you ask a lot of questions.”

“I don’t get to meet other witches very much. And it’s boring around here.”

“I mostly use small spells on things I bake,” Lena said. “Things to brighten people’s moods, give them a boost of confidence, that kind of thing. I don’t like to use my magic for bigger things if I don’t have to.”

“What kind of bigger things?” Vivi prompted. Lena leaned over and gave her a small jolt, much like she’d done to Nikolaj. Vivi yelped, scooting always from her and rubbing her arm.

“And you spend your time doing mood spells?” she muttered. “That other hunter I saw, does he know you’re a witch too?”

“No.”

Vivi let out a low whistle. “This is some risky stuff you’re involved in.”

“Clearly, what with Damien being stabbed while out for a walk,” Lena replied dryly.

“Sorry.” Vivi shrugged. Lena lapsed into silence, thinking about Louis. The blonde Vivi had mentioned must have been Oksana Mortecombe, but Lena couldn’t fathom why Louis would have let her go. Maybe Oksana had enchanted him. That was her usual method to get out of trouble. The anxious feeling she had had since they arrived there grew stronger. When Damien had recovered his energy, Lena gave Vivi strict orders not to tell anyone about her and Damien working together, and the two of them returned to the inn. Damien watched her as she folded her cloak and got ready for bed.

“Are you all right?” he asked finally. “You’ve been really quiet, and I’ve barely seen you blink since we were at that brat-uh, Vivian’s house.”

“I’m just wondering what exactly your brother is up to,” Lena said. “Something feels very off about all of this.”

“We’ll figure it out. At least it doesn’t seem like there’s any permanent damage to the people here. My father isn’t going to be thrilled that I didn’t resolve the problem though.”

“Just casually ask Louis why he didn’t handle it when he was here.” Lena quirked a mischievous smile. “That ought to distract Rupert.”

“Devious,” Damien chuckled. The next morning Lena tried again to see if she could pick up the trail the witch who had attacked Jadire, but it had gone even colder; she could barely pick up a trace at all anymore.

”I guess there’s not much else we can do here,” Damien said. “At least the witch is gone, so everyone should be safe now.”

“Maybe,” Lena said, still feeling antsy. The feeling didn’t ease when they got home. Lena had the sense that someone had been inside the house recently, but nothing appeared to be missing and her protection spells were in place and untampered with.

“I don’t like it,” she muttered.

“We’re probably just paranoid because of the Mortecombes and the missing witch. Speaking of, I guess I should go tell my dad that we didn’t find them.” He grimaced slightly. Lena handed him another jar of salve.

“Give him more of this,” she said. “At least he’ll probably be in a slightly better mood if his back doesn’t hurt.”

Damien took the jar and headed out to his parents’ house. Lena remained behind, double and triple checking her protection wards. They were undisturbed but she didn’t feel any better. She was strengthening the wards around the upstairs when she heard the front door open.

“Damien, I just have a really bad feeling that-“ Lena stopped at the bottom of the stairs when she found Louis sitting on the couch.

“Sorry to disappoint, but your husband dearest isn’t home,” he drawled.

“Is there something I can do for you, Louis?” Lena asked warily.

“Probably, but I’m not really interested in my brother’s leftovers,” Louis replied and Lena grit her teeth.

“What do you want?” she snapped. “You already know Damien isn’t here. He’s with your father.”

“I’m not looking for Damien. Not right now, anyway.” Louis was on his feet so fast Lena barely had time to gasp before he’d seized her shoulders and slammed her against the door.

“I always knew my brother was too weak for this job,” he said, his grip bruising her arms. “His first assignment, and instead of doing it right he brings a filthy witch home with him.”

Lena tensed and he laughed. “Yeah, I know what you are.”

“So what, you’re here to kill me?” Lena asked, glaring defiantly up at him. He seemed slightly disappointed that she didn’t cry or beg him not to hurt her.

“Not quite yet. We have somewhere to go first.”

He startled when Lena reached up and put her hands against his face.

“If you think I’m going anywhere with you, you’re even dumber than you look,” she said. Then she zapped him with a spike of lightning. Louis yelped in pain and shock, stumbling away from her and tripping over the couch. Lena called for Duchess, who bounded into her arms. Then she bolted out the door. She had to find Damien and tell him that Louis knew about them. She spotted him coming up the road and waved, running faster to meet him. She skidded to a halt and tried to catch her breath to tell him what had happened.

She had barely gasped out his name when he clapped a rag over her face. Lena squirmed, feeling dizzy. Damien; or Nikolaj, again; caught her as she swooned. Louis joined them, his cheeks red and his hair sticking up. Lena released Duchess, who scampered back toward the house.

“Can I just kill her now?” Louis growled, scowling.

“No, you may not,” Nikolaj replied.

“Sons of bitches,” Lena muttered before losing consciousness. When she came to, she was lying in a dark room. She lit the tips of her fingers with light so she could look around. She was in a dusty old bedroom; there was a huge canopy bed on the other side of the room. Her skin prickled and she could sense dark magic. A lot of it. A heavy feeling settled in her chest as she looked at the shadowed corner where the bed was. She wasn’t alone in the room.

The door unlocked and Lena scrambled back. Louis came in, Nikolaj and Caleb flanking him. Caleb flicked his hand lazily and sconces on the walls lit. Lena blinked in the sudden brightness, extinguishing her witchlight.

“Working with the Mortecombes,” Lena said. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Rats do nest together.”

“Shut up, witch.” Louis crouched in front of her. Lena shrieked as he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her to her feet.

“You’ll make sure she doesn’t get away, right?” Louis asked. “I’m going to lure Damien here, and I want to make sure he sees everything that’s about to happen.”

“We know the plan, hunter,” Nikolaj sneered. Louis shoved Lena away, her scalp stinging. She edged away from Nikolaj and Caleb, but they didn’t seem interested in attacking her. Yet. The door opened again and Oksana sauntered in, followed by two eerie twins in matching black dresses. And finally, Stefano Mortecombe, patriarch of the Mortecombe family. He was a large man with close-cropped dark hair and a thin scar along his left cheek.

“So, you’re the little witch that’s been causing so much trouble,” he remarked.

“I want to see the girl,” a voice rasped from the bed. Stefano sighed, waving his hand and pulling the bed out of the shadows. The canopy drapes fluttered open and Lena cringed back. The figure in the bed reeked of dark magic. It was a woman; shriveled and frail with a few wisps of dingy gray hair hanging around a gaunt face. Sunken, white eyes regarded Lena with a predatory light.

“She’s young,” the woman said. She coughed wetly. “She’ll do well.”

“You’re the one from Jadire,” Lena said slowly.

“Those wretched human children were nowhere near enough to sustain me.”

“Who are you?” Lena asked. She glanced from the woman to the Mortecombes.

“Oh, where are our manners?” Caleb said. “Little witch girl, this is our dear precious grandmama. She’s not looking her best right now, but that’s why you’re here.”

“Grandmama is the last surviving member of the Coven of the Red Thorn,” Oksana said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. Lena jerked in alarm.

“We revived her rather by accident; she’d placed a sleeping spell on herself and we thought she was dead.”

“You don’t need to tell her everything,” Stefano sighed.

“What does it matter, Grandmama is going to steal her magic and then she’ll be dead anyway.”

“That dumb thug hunter is going to be mad when he doesn’t get to kill her himself,” Nikolaj remarked, smirking. “He went to all this trouble to get you and his brother out of the way. He has some real issues. Very dysfunctional.”

“I can’t disagree with you there, but no one is taking my magic,” Lena said. The Mortecombes laughed, except for the twins. They just stared at her intently.

“She’s planning something,” one of them said. Lena was pretty sure it was Irina who saw the future. She didn’t know yet exactly what Lena was going to do because Lena didn’t know herself. She imagined herself lunging for the crumbling fireplace and grabbing the poker to hit Caleb with it. Irina shouted a warning but as Caleb turned Lena just closed her eyes and jumped in a random direction. She landed beside Nikolaj, and kicked him in the shin.

“Dammit, Irina!” he shouted as Lena hopped away. Irina made a hissing noise, displeased that she’d been tricked. The Mortecombes turned almost in unison, bearing down on Lena to keep her cornered. She wasn’t going to get out of this by playing nice.

Lena took a deep breath, and tapped into the well of power she normally kept bottled up. It came surging to the surface and it gave the Mortecombes a moment of pause. “Grandmama” made a horrible shrieking noise.

“I know the feel of that magic. You idiots brought a Redferne into this house.”

“The Redferne line is dead,” Caleb said.

“Wrong, flame boy.” Lena lashed out with a jagged bolt of lightning, setting his sleeve alight.

“Damn it all, not the suit!” he cried.

“Shut up about your stupid suit!” Stefano hollered. Lena hit one of the twins, sending her flying across the room. Stefano and Oksana came at her at the same time, trying to force her closer to the dark witch.

“Take her magic already,” Oksana grunted. “She should be strong enough to keep you going for a while.”

Lena punched her and Oksana snarled at her like a wild animal. Lena felt a clammy, freezing hand clamp around her arm. Grandmama was stronger than she seemed. Tendrils of dark magic snaked into Lena’s skin, jabbing her like hooks. Lena let out a burst of magic, a storm of lightning filling the room. She tried to wrench free of the old woman’s grip; she could feel the dark magic searching for hers, so it could drag it out of her, and her life with it.

A bolt of lightning struck the fireplace, cracking it and forcing Caleb and the other twin to dive out of the way.

“The others are coming,” Irina said, gaze swinging to the door. The door opened to reveal a panicked looking Damien and an angry Louis. Grandmama Mortecombe dug her long nails into Lena’s arm, drawing blood. The slithering tentacle of darkness dove at the blood, which would allow for easier access to Lena’s magic. As soon as it touched the blood searing pain shot through Lena’s whole body and she screamed. Lightning exploded outward and shattered the windows as she tried desperately to pull her arm free. Damien lunged in the confusion, drawing his sword and severing the hand that was holding Lena in place. She staggered away from the old woman, gasping as the pain began to recede.

Damien reached for her but Louis dragged him away. His face was twisted in a scowl and he was yelling something as he took a swing at Damien. Her ears were ringing too shrilly to make out the words. Lena sagged against the destroyed fireplace, willing her strength back as the Mortecombes fell in around her and Damien like a pack of wolves.