Too Hexy For Her Hat by Susan Hayes
13
Out of all theplans he’d considered and the countless exit strategies he’d devised, he’d never imagined this one… Probably because it was insane.
Instead of taking his witch and finding cover in a bunker somewhere, he was headed for ground zero of the coming Father of Shadows smackdown. Crazier yet, he was playing for the home team. If Frank didn’t kill him for his betrayal, the odds were alarmingly high one of the locals would. He hadn’t exactly made friends the first time he’d been to Wyrding Way.
The moment he started throwing magic around, Breeze would likely recognize his spell craft. If she didn’t, one of the town’s Shifters would figure out they’d caught his scent before. He should really tell Luna the whole truth, but she had already dealt with a lifetime’s supply of life-altering revelations today. He would have to figure out a way to keep both of them alive until he had time to explain himself and hope she forgave him.
“Ready?” Luna asked.
He turned to look at her and his brain shorted out, leaving his mouth with nothing to do but gape.
“Too much?” she asked with a playful twirl that made her ankle-length leather duster flare out around her legs. She was garbed in all black—from the tip of her perfectly polished combat boots to her leather and steel bustier. Her hair had changed, too. It was the colour of flame now, with just the tips dyed black.
“You look amazing. Also, red is your colour. Good choice going back to your natural shade.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You knew?”
“Well, yeah. There were childhood pictures of you in my briefing. But even if there hadn’t been… carpet and curtains, my darling lunatic. You forgot to make them match.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re the first guy to notice.”
“Yeah. I’m awesome. Amazing even. Attentive. Detail oriented. I am the gold standard of warlocks.”
Beaker snorted. “Are we really marrying that?”
“We aren’t. I am.” Luna waggled her fingers at her familiar. “Behave or I’ll take away your crystal collection.”
“That’s fine. If we’re going home, I know where to get more.” Beaker flapped his wings. “Snuffy will share with me.”
“If he remembers you.” Luna suddenly looked doubtful. “It’s been a long time. Maybe all of them have forgotten about us… about me.”
“Impossible.” Chad moved toward her and was cut off by a feathery missile.
“Never,” Beaker croaked as he claimed Luna’s shoulder. Then he cocked his head and gave Chad a gimlet-eyed stare. “Too slow.”
Chad borrowed a page from Luna’s book. “Your mistress isn’t the only one who can turn you into a flamingo. The kind they stick in lawns. Pink. Plastic. Silent.”
“Oh, that’s a good threat. I’ll have to remember that one.” Luna tapped her familiar’s beak. “Be nice. I can only count on a handful of people right now, and they’re all in this room. It’s time to be supportive.”
“And if you are, it might be that I bought a special shiny for you.” Chad poked a finger into his pocket. “Hissy, if you please?”
She nudged a faceted piece of polished onyx against his fingers. He fished it out and offered it to Beaker. “Peace offering.”
“Shiny rock. Shiny-shiny rock squawk!” The bird took to the air, snatching the stone out of Chad’s hand and moving over to the table. He set it down and hopped around it in agitated circles, admiring his new bauble.
“Do I want to know how he plans on carrying that to our next stop?” he asked.
“That was nice of you. And no, you really don’t.” Luna stood on her toes to kiss him.
They should be going. He knew that, but it didn’t stop him from taking control and kissing her until both of them were breathless.
When he finally let her go, she took an unsteady step backward. “Whoa. What was that for?”
“Luck,” he said.
“If that was for luck? We’re going to win for sure.” She eyed his swim trunks, flip-flops and tank top pointedly. “I’m ready. Are you? Don’t you want to change?”
“I’ll gear up when it’s time. You’re the one they’re going to want to talk to.” And the longer he could keep the attention off him, the better.
Luna took a deep breath and tightened her grip on his hand.
He squeezed her fingers back. “You got this, Tic. Remember you are not alone. I’m right here.”
“And me!” Beaker landed on her shoulder, his new prize stashed somewhere it was best not to think about.
“And me,” Hissy added, poking her head out of his pocket. “Frank isn’t going to know what hit him. Finally!”
Luna had already started the teleportation spell by the time Hissy finished speaking, so all she had time for was “Wha—” before they left paradise behind.
“—t do you mean, finally?” The rest of her question didn’t come out until they arrived at their destination.
It was foggy, chilly, and raining so hard they were both drenched in seconds.
“Welcome home,” he muttered. “Lovely weather.”
“Interlopers!” A crescendo of high-pitched war cries filled the air and a large swarm of somethings swirled around them. He couldn’t see what they were because of the rain and fog, but he could make a guess based on his last visit.
Pixies. A whole passel of them.
“What’s the password!” one of them demanded.
The swarm buzzed with confusion. “We have a password? What password?”
Luna groaned and flung out her hands.
“Stop this rain and clear the air,
So I can tell these dimwits why I’m here.”
The rain didn’t exactly stop, but a large bubble of calm weather formed around Luna and the rest of them. Every pixie present crammed into the dry space, and soon it was raining pixie-dust instead of water.
“Shiny, shiny!” Beaker took to the air to swoop and dive through the shimmering dust.
There was a moment of stunned silence, which Chad considered a Goddess-blessed relief.
Then one of the little winged creatures squealed in delight. “Beak Badda-Boom! You’re home!”
The raven was mobbed by the entire pixie pack, and soon he was on the ground, fluffing his feathers and flapping his wings like he was in the best birdbath on the planet.
“Huh,” Luna muttered, “at least they remember him.”
One of the little folk darted up to hover level with Luna’s nose. “Luna! Dat you?”
“It’s me… Snicklefritz.”
“You remember!” The little sprite spun in gleeful circles. “You’re the only one! How? No, wait. Dat not important. Guys! Go tell Breeze and Fern. Luna’s back! Luna’s back!”
The air erupted with delighted squeals and more of the damned pixie dust as the entire swarm shot straight into the air and vanished into the rain.
Beaker looked up, his expression mournful. “They left?”
“I’m sure they’ll be back, you glitter addict.” Luna tapped her shoulder. “Come on. We might as well start walking.”
The bubble moved with them, but the moment they passed the town’s welcome sign, their rainproof shield vanished.
“Sneaky,” Luna muttered.
“Very. Any spells cast before entering are automatically dispelled when you cross the town limits.” That ward hadn’t been there the last time. Fern and Breeze had been busy. It was hard to see much through the weather, but something about the town looked different. No. Not looked, felt. The air was thrumming with magic and had a lightness to it that made him want to take a deep breath and hold it.
The last time he’d been here, he’d been trying to accelerate the unravelling of the town’s magic defenses and weaken Fate’s power source so it would be easier for his father to take over. Now, the place was fortified… and that gave him hope. Maybe they could do more than just survive the coming battle. Maybe they could win.
He glanced over at Luna and felt a surge of love so powerful it nearly knocked him off his feet. There was no maybe about it. There couldn’t be. They had to win this fight. Luna and her friends had already suffered enough at his father’s hands. It was time to make this right.
