Fire Storm (28 page)

Sophie scrunched her face in a doubtful frown, showing her discomfort with the whole idea, but she suddenly grinned. “Oh, that part’s easy. Rebekah. She’ll be the perfect test, because she’ll resist you. What did you do to get on her bad side anyway?”

Ari shrugged. “Beats me. Sometimes I just affect people that way.”

* * *

Over Rebekah’s strenuous objections, Ari practiced with the original coven members the rest of the morning, and by noon she had breached Rebekah’s defenses, captured her magic, and pushed it to Sophistrina. The angry witch managed to break the connection within seconds, but Ari and Sophie were delighted with the progress.

Rebekah strode angrily up to join them, her jaw set with determination. “It was a fluke. I wasn’t ready that time. You won’t do it again. “

“Just keep thinking that,” Ari said. “I don’t want you to make this easy.” She suppressed the almost uncontrollable urge to grin. She already had a lot of fence-mending to do with Sophie’s second-in-command when this was over. For now, the witch’s anger only made the test better.

Rebekah’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “You can count on it.” She stalked away.

The sound of a car engine drew everyone’s attention to the camp’s parking area. A dark blue vehicle stopped, the doors opened, and four women exited.

“Were you expecting company?” Ari asked.

“Oh, good. The new recruits. We’re picking up a few witches from a Frankfurt coven. They think they’d like a little more action. We can definitely give them that.” Sophie included her in a conspiratorial look. “Since you’ve driven Rebekah off in a huff, we might as well take a break until later this afternoon. Say three o’clock.”

“Fine with me. I’d like a chance to consult my Book of Shadows. I’m wondering if a simple acquire spell could be adapted to this situation.”

“You
are
inventive. I’ll be curious whether it works.”

As Sophie walked toward the new recruits, Lilith got up from where she’d been sitting on the ground, watching the witches’ efforts.

“I still don’t like this plan of yours. She broke your link and the warlock is much stronger.”

“It takes practice. I’ll get better.”

Lilith gestured toward Rebekah’s retreating form. “Judging from the scowl on her face, so will she.”

“That’s why I’m hoping to find some insurance in the Book of Shadows. I can’t be the only Calin witch who’s ever needed to borrow a little extra power.”

Ari retrieved the grimoire from among her baggage, and she and Lilith settled on an outside log while the coven was involved with the new arrivals. The recruitment really didn’t concern her, and it provided an excellent excuse for research time. She spread the worn red-leather book open on her lap, carefully turning the pages. Lilith sat beside her.

“This is the first time I’ve seen the inside of your spell book,” Lilith said. “There are even some sketches.”

“We record everything important, in whatever way we can. Family history, unusual creatures, recipes for spells and potions. Sometimes a picture is useful, if you have the talent.” She quirked her mouth at Lilith. “I don’t. You won’t find me adding any drawings, but I have added a few spells and potions.” She flipped to the back, her fingers running down the page. “And see, here’s a section I added on demon image changers. The next generation will know all about them.” She flipped back to the middle. “The Acquire spell should be about here.” She turned a page, then another, and pointed. “Here it is. This version refers to capturing inanimate objects, but I think I can tweak it for a different use, and then store it in a spell capsule.”

“Those colored pills you keep in your pouch? How do they work?”

“They aren’t really pills. A completed magical spell has been stored inside each capsule. When I need the spell, all I have to do is break open the capsule, and—instant magic. It saves time in a crisis. Like during a fight with a warlock.”

“Cool.”

Ari shot a grin at her friend. “I haven’t used them much in the past, because they are so labor intensive to make, but Sophie showed me a shortcut the other day. See, I’ve learned a lot from our German friends.”

She focused on the page and started reading. She read it twice, before laying the book aside and digging in her pouch.

“What are you looking for?”

“Something to write on. I have to modify the words of the spell.”

“That tiny, tiny notebook you carry? You stay here and think. I’ll get something better from inside.” Lilith disappeared into the cabin, returning with pen and paper.

Ari scribbled a line of verse, stopped to run it through her head, scratched out what she’d written, and began again. Lilith wandered off to join several witches who’d set up a target range. Ari glanced over briefly and smiled. They’d stopped their own practice to watch Lilith shoot. She could put on quite a show with those twin pistols.

When Ari was satisfied she had the words right, she went inside to grab a single candle and her leather magicks’ bag and returned to the training area. She chose a tree off to one side, drew a circle underneath, and knelt in the middle. The leather bag yielded a small white cloth, which she spread on the ground, and a half dozen pink and white capsules. She lit the candle.

“Hey, wait for me.” Lilith ran toward her, waving her hands. “I want to see this part. How do you capture a spell?”

“You can watch if you want, but be careful not to touch the circle.” The witches from the target range came to stand beside Lilith. Ari’s eyes flickered to them, and she brushed her hair away from her face. “I’ve never tried this method before. You guys are going to make me nervous.”

“Yeah, you scare so easily,” a woman said. The others laughed.

Ari concentrated on the magic, gradually tuning out the sounds around her. Focusing on the smoke from the candle, she murmured the words of the Acquire spell.

Take from him the source of all; send his magic to my thrall;

Thought to deed, heart’s desire; with this thought, I shall acquire
.

Picking up an empty capsule and separating the halves, she held the white bottom in the smoke and said the words for capturing the spell.

Take this spell, wrap it tight; keep it safe from dark and light;

In these capsules, hide it all; set it free when I call;

Gracious Goddess, hear my plea; so mote it be.

When white smoke had curled into the capsule, she added the pink top. Setting the completed spell on the cloth, she picked up a second and then a third, continuing until she had completed all six. Finally, she thanked the Goddess, blew out the candle, and broke the circle.

“All done.” She gathered her items back into the magicks’ bag and stood, a smile on her face.

“How’d you make the smoke go into the capsules?” Lilith demanded.

“Magic,” a young watcher said, then giggled.

Lilith rolled her eyes. “Well, duh. I guess I walked into that one.”

Ari, Lilith, and the women who’d joined them headed back to the cabin. Sophie met them at the door. “Spell casting?”

“Tried your capsuling trick with only one candle. Much shorter ceremony, and it worked.”

“Of course it worked. Now let’s see if your spell can do as well.”

They trooped into the clearing, and Sophie set up a witches’ circle with her five remaining sisters. Rebekah would eventually be part of that circle, but for now she was once again playing the target. Ari went to the far side of the clearing, Rebekah spaced herself between the two, so they formed a triangle. The first time Ari tried it without using a spell capsule. Now that Rebekah knew what to expect, her resistance held for several seconds, and Ari broke off the attempt in order to bolster Rebekah’s confidence for the next try. The woman shot Ari an I-told-you-so look of satisfaction.

The second time, Ari broke open a capsule. The air shimmered as Rebekah’s magic responded to the spell, rushing toward Ari until she raised her magic to deflect it to the witches’ circle. Within an instant, the added power flooded back to her from the coven. Ari pumped her arm in the air.

“By the Goddess, it worked,” Sophie shouted. “I’ve
got
to have this spell.”

The witches met in an excited, congratulatory group in the center of the clearing. Even Rebekah seemed awed by what they’d done.

“So, how’d it feel?” Sophie turned a questioning look on Rebekah. “Will Warin know what’s happened right away?”

“I don’t think so. I saw Ari react before I felt anything, and then…” She struggled for words. “It was like I’d breathed out a long breath.” Her gaze slid to Ari, and she grudgingly added, “Good spell.”

“Fantastic spell, you mean,” another witch declared.

“Let’s do it again. Just to be sure.” Ari looked at Rebekah. “And this time, I’ll signal when I’m opening the capsule by a countdown to three. Set your shields ahead of time. Let’s see just how powerful this spell is.”

They took their places, Ari counted to three loud enough for everyone to hear, and released the spell. She felt the pull, the bounce. A moment later power rushed through her.

Rebekah lifted her arms in resignation. “I couldn’t stop it. It was just gone.”

The coven members cheered. They didn’t have a lot of clear victories in their fight against the vampires’ domination. Although this wasn’t a killing spell, it could level the playing field if the vampires continued to employ sorcery. Of course, it remained to be seen if it had any long-term applications or could be wielded by another witch, but Ari wasn’t concerned about that right now. Her main concern was Andreas, and this might just give them their ticket out of Castle Doom.

“So what happens after you get all this power?” Lilith asked. “This isn’t the teleport spell is it? Do you need another capsule for that?”

“No. We set that up so it’s invoked by one word. G.o.o.d.b.y.e. That’s the easy part.”

“Maybe,” Sophie said. “It worked when we had thirteen witches. We have no way of testing it until we have Warin’s power.”

Even with such a sobering thought, Ari and the coven couldn’t contain their excitement over the success of the Acquire spell, and they spent the next hour making several versions, including spells to take away weaponry. Ari had used that version before, but it would have limited uses against the vampires. Vamps rarely carried weapons—they
were
weapons. The same was true for the raptors, and to a lesser degree, the bears. Still, the idea invigorated the witch coven.

Supper was accompanied by friendly chatter, and spirits were a little lighter in the cabin that evening. A card game started, and those that weren’t playing watched. Lilith had just raked in a small pot of coins on an unlikely bet, when one of the witch sentries entered the cabin carrying a piece of paper and handed it to Ari.

“A werebear brought this to the edge of the clearing and left. Your name is on it.”

“Did he say anything?” Sophie rushed to the front door to scan the clearing. “Was he alone? Did you watch him leave the area?”

“Yes, he’s gone. And nobody was with him. I didn’t bring the note until we checked the entire perimeter.”

Ari stared at the paper. Her hand trembled. She recognized the handwriting on the outside. The note was addressed to Ari Calin in Andreas’s bold strokes. She stood and walked away from the others, flipping it open and read silently. Finally, she turned around and read it aloud:

My darling Ari,

I have learned you are in Germany to find me. I am grateful, but the situation is not what you think. Meet me tonight, and I will explain. Follow the path outside your cabin to a fork, take the right branch. You will come to a small glade. I will meet you there at midnight. Do not fail me. I have missed you.

Andreas

“You can’t go,” Lilith said. “It’s a trap. But it’s his handwriting, isn’t it?” She peered over Ari’s shoulder.

“Yes.” Ari read it silently once again. “He wrote it, but it isn’t his words, not entirely.”

“How do you know that?” Sophie demanded. “Wishful thinking? There isn’t a hint of warning.”

“But there is. Twice, very plainly. This is addressed to Ari Calin, and he starts out with
My darling Ari
.” She turned to Lilith. “How many times have you heard him call me Ari?” When the lioness frowned in thought, Ari answered for her. “Never. It’s always been Arianna. He’s telling me it’s a trap.”

“Well, of course, it’s a trap, but you’re putting a lot of faith in his good intentions on the basis of one word,” Sophie said.

“But she’s right,” Lilith said. “I’d never thought about it much, but he doesn’t call her Ari like the rest of us.”

Ari stood, putting an end to the discussion. “I trust him.” She wasn’t going to waste time trying to convince Sophie. “Sorry to break up the game, but I have some preparation to do.”

“For what? You can’t be planning to meet him.” Lilith’s tone said she was ready to argue. “You just admitted it was a trap.”

“I have no doubt about that. But the vampires want something. I don’t think they’ll kill me immediately, and this may be my way to get close to Andreas, even if I have to go inside the stronghold alone.”

“As a captive?” The horror in Sophie’s voice echoed in the sudden silence. “This is suicide.”

Everyone started talking at once. Ari raised her hands, gesturing for quiet. “Stop. I’m not changing my mind, not unless someone’s got a better idea of how I can reach Andreas. We’ve tried everything else and failed. Anybody?”

A few shuffled their feet, but no one spoke up.

“That’s what I thought. OK, then, I’m going. I’m still counting on you to get us out.”

“With the teleportation spell, you mean,” Sophie clarified. “How are you going to survive long enough to get him alone? There is so much that can go wrong with this plan.”

“I know, but this looks like my best chance…no, my only chance. Sophie, can I count on you to be there, to bring us both out?” The priestess dropped her gaze. “Lilith, tell her. Andreas has been in their hands almost two weeks. I have to go.”