Wizard in a Witchy World Read online

  I overheard her talking to a barista. Apparently, she was a regular here. They had her coffee ready and she had cash in hand.

  "Thanks, Mike," she said over her shoulder as she walked back to the table.

  "So. What? Are you a lawyer or something?" I asked.

  She grinned. "You have a problem with that?"

  "No. I just haven't known that many witches who have professional day-jobs," I said.

  "Shh," she said, looking around to see if anyone heard us.

  I whispered, just for the effect. "Spelled the table. No one can hear us."

  She raised her eyebrows. "You can do that?"

  I wasn't in the habit of talking about the spells I knew and immediately regretted saying anything.

  "What was yesterday all about?" It was time to change the subject and I took a bite of the pumpkin bread.

  "Felicia doesn't want me saying anything to strangers," she said.

  "After our tussle on the couch, we're hardly strangers."

  "About that. Are you feeling okay? I've never had to attack someone and I feel terrible," she said. "What about your chest?" She reached toward me and instinctively I backed away.

  "I'm tender, but nothing I won't get over," I said. "You were channeling a crap ton of energy. How’s that hand?"

  She turned her hand over so I could see it. The skin had blistered on the palm and her fingers were bright red.

  "Looks painful." I held her hand gently while I inspected it. "I have something at the house that would make it feel better."

  She pulled her hand back. "It'll be fine."

  "Is Whyte Wood Coven normally that aggressive? I pegged you for Wiccans, but I've never seen a Wiccan go after someone like that," I said.

  She laughed. "Know a lot of witches, do you?"

  Memories flooded my mind. "My foster mom is a witch."

  "Who?"

  "She's not from around here." It was mostly the truth. I'd moved in with Judy when we both lived in a small town not far from here before moving to North Carolina.

  Her next question went directly to her purpose. "What are you doing in Leotown, Felix?"

  "So much for the social call," I said. "You answer my questions, I'll answer yours."

  "It's not like that," she said.

  "How is it?"

  She stared at me for a solid minute before replying. "You scared Felicia," she said. "She felt something when she read your blood. I felt it too when we were on the couch, like you were barely keeping a lid on things."

  I tried to squeeze out a laugh. "Isn't that true with everyone?"

  "No. It's not."

  "What do you want to know?" I asked, then huffed a laugh. "Right. What I'm doing here. That's easy. I had to get out of North Carolina and I picked Leotown."

  "Why Leotown?"

  "I grew up on a farm about sixty miles from here and I've always liked the city," I said.

  "Who brought you here?"

  "No one. Your turn," I said. "Why'd you attack me?"

  "We got a tip you were involved in the attack on Victoria."

  "A tip with my name and address? That's a heck of a tip."

  Red recognized it wasn't a question and nodded her head in agreement. "What were you doing at Victoria's house?"

  "Tracking a lycan that was tracking you," I said.

  "Me?" That sent her eyebrows up.

  "Remember when you went to Wheatfield's last Sunday?"

  "The bakery? How do you know about that?" she asked.

  "You picked up a tail when you were there," I said.

  "A lycan followed me from the bakery?"

  "That's right," I said.

  She frowned at me. "Were you following me too?"

  "No." I put my hands up defensively. "I was the guy reading a book trying to mind my own business. When Shaggy followed you, I thought you might be in trouble. You know… back before I found out you were a bad-ass witch and all."

  Her smile at my characterization was distracting.

  "So you followed me to Victoria's?" she continued.

  "I followed Shaggy, who followed you over to Mrs. Barrios'. Only I didn't follow until later that night, when the attack occurred," I said. "Shaggy waited for you to leave the house and then must have let himself in."

  Red’s eyes went flat. "You were watching me?"

  "No. Sort of. It's complicated. I used a spell." I hoped she wouldn't push me. I wasn't about to explain how I'd made the seer's glass.

  She nodded, knowing better than to try to pin me down any further. "After I left, what happened?"

  "Shaggy went into Mrs. Barrios' back yard and as far as I knew, didn't come out. About midnight, I followed his tracks and that's when the police nabbed me," I said.

  "What was this Shaggy doing in her back yard?"

  "Looking in her window."

  "Shit. You think he did it?" she asked.

  "It seems likely, doesn't it?"

  "So, you didn't see the attack?" Red asked.

  "No, but I saw the result. Mrs. Barrios was definitely mauled by an animal. It was gruesome," I said.

  Tears formed in her eyes and I reached over to place my hand on top of hers, mentally kicking myself for being insensitive. We sat quietly until she pulled in a big breath and let it out in an uneven sigh.

  "We don't know why she was attacked. Victoria was a powerful witch, but her mind was slipping. I doubt she could have defended herself," Red said.

  "What can you tell me about Leotown Witches' Council?" I asked.

  "What do you mean?"

  "I got a nasty-gram, asking me to register."

  "The five covens of Greater Leotown have formed a council," she said. "The most powerful, Illuminaire, runs the council, although each coven has a seat."

  "So, you've registered?" I asked.

  "Yes."

  "Why?"

  "It's how we keep the peace. The council draws territory lines and resolves disputes between covens," she said.

  "Like deciding who can gather reagents from Chamber's County Recreation?" I asked.

  "You didn’t."

  "I did. I ran into a rather unfriendly troll for my trouble," I said.

  "That territory is claimed by Illuminaire," she said.

  "It's public property. They can't claim a recreation area."

  "Not sure what world you're living in, but they've laid that claim," she said.

  "How powerful is Illuminaire?" I asked.

  "Forty witches."

  "Straightrod in charge?" I asked. "She signed that letter they sent."

  "Pishh. Hardly." Red practically spat the words. "No. Straightrod is a minor witch who happens to also be a lawyer. She's a major pain in the ass though, so stay out of her way."

  "So why coffee? Don't get me wrong, I'm all about being seen in public with beautiful women and all…" I let the words trail off.

  She looked down at the table and then back up, smiling. "I'm offended. Can't a woman ask a man out for coffee?"

  "Depends on what else you're after, because I had to buy my own coffee." I tried to keep a straight face.

  She rolled her eyes and pushed away from the table. "I have to get back to work, but next time, dinner's on me."

  I stood up and grabbed her arm before she could go. "Look. Whatever you're into with Shaggy, you need to be careful."

  "Whatever I'm into, Whyte Wood will handle. We've been handling our own business for a very long time," she said peevishly. I recognized the defensive posture and realized she felt I was denigrating her coven.

  "Don't be like that," I said. "I'm just concerned. I saw what that lycan was capable of and I'd hate to see anyone else get hurt. And, if anyone knows what you can do with your hands, it's me." I gave her my best smile.

  It took her a moment to finally respond. "You're incorrigible," she said and walked out, with just a trace of a smile.

  I turned back and grabbed my last crumb of pumpkin bread, washed it down with the cooled coffee and followed her out the door. />
  I'd hoped to learn more about the Leotown Witches' Council from Red. The idea of registering went against everything I knew. Wizards, and most witches for that matter, didn't write their names down on a list for anyone. It was a matter of history that our kind tended to get barbequed when those types of lists got into the hands of the wrong people. That said, I wasn't against talking to Liise Straightrod.

  Howling Hounds was only six blocks from the address Straightrod had provided for the Witches' Council building, so I decided to walk. The day had warmed up nicely and my legs had gotten a bit stiff while sitting with Red. Most likely, the muscles hadn’t recovered from my gathering trip the night before.

  Turns out that 1100 Jackson isn't a real address. I realized this when I arrived at the corner of Eleventh and Jackson and discovered 1102 was the first address to the west of eleventh street. Initially, I was just going to walk away, but curiosity got the better of me.

  "Altum Visu," I said, waving my hand across my field of vision, revealing the energies of the mystical plane.

  To the best of my understanding the mystical plane is an alternate dimension that shows all types of energies. Magical energies are brightest and mundane energy, like that which is required to hold one brick on top of another, are more muted.

  A hidden doorway appeared in the brick wall of the building in front of me. The ornately carved double doors sat beneath glowing words that hung in the air - Greater Leotown Witch Council.

  I drew in a big breath, sighed, and then grabbed the shiny, bronze handle on the right and pushed it inward. A spark of energy erupted at my touch and a force tried to probe my being. I wasn't prepared for the assault and it almost got past my defenses. Fortunately, constantly maintaining a strong defense was something Judy had drilled me on.

  Initially, I was incapable of letting go of the door's handle as the probe's energy intensified. I ratcheted up my own defenses and the pain intensified. I was going to have to go on the offense, since I sure as hell wasn't going to let some random force violate me.

  "Scutum," I said.

  The shield was the least provocative spell I knew and worked like I'd hoped, creating a barrier between my hand and the offensive door handle. I pulled back and let go of the shield spell.

  A voice in the back of my mind urged me to turn and walk away. Unfortunately, I almost never listened to that voice. I knew it was a bad idea to go forward, but I’ve always been curious. Someone had constructed a door, of all things, to breach my psyche. I certainly didn't know how to do that.

  The narrow hallway was lined on both sides with dark wooden paneling. There was gray slate flooring underfoot and a golden chandelier that glowed like the sun. A stairway was set back a few feet and led to the second level. On the left side, in the back, was an unmarked door.

  The entryway smelled of pine cleanser, smoke, and just a hint of blood. There was either a practicing enchanter nearby or something bad had recently happened in the foyer. I suspected the latter. The entire foyer was bright with magic and it was giving me a headache. It was probably not necessary to see the mystical plane anymore, so I dismissed my spell with a wave and the word, "Finis."

  I blinked a few times, allowing my eyes to adjust to the natural sunlight shining from large skylights in the ceiling above. The natural light was a dead giveaway that witches were in charge.

  "Mr. Slade, I presume."

  The voice belonged to a narrow woman dressed in a gray wool business suit, her straight, muddy blond hair pulled into a tight bun. She'd appeared at the top of the stairway and looked over the railing as she slowly descended. A veritable mountain of a man followed behind, dressed in slacks and a short-sleeved dress shirt complete with a dark-red tie. To say he looked uncomfortable in his outfit was an understatement.

  "I am," I said.

  She continued down the stairs and for a few moments it was just plain awkward. Neither of us said anything until she arrived at the bottom.

  "Magister Liise Straightrod," she said, holding her hand out.

  I wasn't sure if I was supposed to shake it or kiss the oversized ring on her finger. The only reasonable option was to shake it. Her hand tried to snake forward and I knew she was going for my wrist so I released her, allowing my arms to drop to my sides.

  "You sent a letter?" I said. It was a statement that I caused to sound more like a question.

  She looked at me appraisingly, with lips pursed. The goon behind her tensed up. I should have been more worried, but I was still annoyed by the trap at the door.

  "Yes, of course. We have many things to discuss. This way, please," she said.

  I felt like I was being led to the principal's office as I followed her down the hallway. Her still unnamed thug waited for me to follow before he fell in line. Apparently, I was going to have to name him myself. I decided on Caboose, given his position in line and the red tie.

  Straightrod pushed open the only other door in the foyer and I followed her through. This hallway had a few doors, all on the right side. She opened the second door she came to and gestured for me to go in, without entering it herself.

  "Aren't you joining me?" I asked, pulling up short.

  "I'll be along shortly. You didn't provide any notice that you'd be visiting today, so it will take me a moment," she said.

  Caboose was breathing down my neck and for a moment I wondered what would happen if I refused to go into the room. But I wasn't ready to get into it with him, so I complied. The only furniture was an old, rectangular wooden table with a single chair on each side. Given the interrogation room layout, I was disappointed not to see mirrored glass on one of the walls. But then, I was dealing with witches and glass would be too obvious.

  I'd been up for much of the night and was tired, so I sat in one of the chairs. Caboose shut the door from the outside. I slid the chair back, balanced it just right and leaned against the wall. It was about as comfortable as I was going to get, so I closed my eyes and tried not to wonder what I'd gotten myself into.

  Apparently, I dozed off since the next thing I remembered was the sound of a door slamming and my chair abruptly falling forward.

  "Please, Mr. Slade. You’re marking up the walls," Straightrod snapped.

  I was so distracted by the fact that she'd used a wand that I forgot to be annoyed by her abrupt entry.

  "Mind if I take a look at that?" I asked.

  "At what, Mr. Slade?" She looked at me like I'd asked her to square-dance.

  "Never mind," I said.

  "Quite."

  She placed a thin manila folder on the table between us as she sat across from me.

  "What do you need to know?" I was bored.

  "Fill this out, please," she said, pushing a piece of paper and a pen over to me.

  The top part of the form was ordinary: name, city, state, zip type of stuff. I filled it in, figuring it was information they already knew. If it had stopped there, I'd have been fine. As it was, the questions became progressively more intimate: asking about my lineage, coven affiliation history and a number of other things I wasn't about to answer. I pushed it back to her.

  "You are required to complete the form," she said and the paper made its way back to my side of the table.

  "I'm not a witch and therefore have no coven affiliation. As for lineage, I don't know. I was raised in foster homes," I said. It was a shading of the truth. I had memories of my parents, but I wasn't about to share the few details I had.

  Straightrod glared at me. "You're lying."

  "Not really. I'm not a witch and you're not getting my lineage," I said. I looked at the paper in front of me, grinned and pushed it back again.

  "Are you refusing to register?" she asked.

  "No, I'm refusing to share my lineage." I let out a breath. This was getting old. "Fact is, I don't know anything about my parents and it's going to stay that way."

  Involuntarily, she glanced over her shoulder, giving away that she was in communication with someone else.

 
"I see. You have not filled in information about your disciplines." She tapped the paper and made as if to push it back my way.

  "Maybe you're not getting it. I'm not a witch. I don't do things like you do."

  "You're claiming to be a wizard then?"

  "If you need a name for it, sure, I'm a wizard," I said.

  She sucked in a breath. Apparently, she wasn't expecting me to admit that. I wondered if I'd made a mistake.

  "You're trespassing, wizard. Leotown is claimed," she said.

  "Hold on there." I put my hands up defensively. "I'm not looking to step on anyone's toes. I was raised by witches and know for a fact we can get along."

  The woman practically snarled at me. "Impossible! No witch would raise a wizard."

  "Are we done here?" I asked.

  "No. There's another matter. You assaulted Amak, one of our employees," she said.

  "Did not. I don't even know anyone named Amak."

  "She was sent to discipline a thief on our claimed lands next to the river," she said.

  "Oh right," I said, nodding. "That was me. I was unaware of your claim and, in her words, she was going to hand me a beating."

  "As she'd been instructed."

  "Look," I said. "I'm sure you're all pretty busy around here and I'd be willing to cede your coven's claim to part of the river if you want to provide a map. Look at it from my perspective, though. It's a public space and you didn't clearly mark it."

  "Ignorance of a law isn't a valid excuse for breaking it," she said.

  "Do you punish regular people for picking flowers in the recreational space? Do you send Amak Angry-Pants after them too?" I asked.

  "Mundanes. We call them mundanes. And no, we don't consider their activities to be stealing," she said.

  "Because they're not witches." I shook my head. "Well, guess what, I'm not a witch either. What does your law say about that? I think you just told me that your employee attacked me out of ignorance and owes me an apology."

  "Don't try to turn this on us," she said.

  "Are you saying your laws are just convenient for you to get what you want?"

  "That's enough, Mr. Slade."

  "I couldn't agree more. I'll see myself out." I stood up.

  "You don't want us as your enemy," she said.