Blood of Retribution (2 page)

Chapter 2

The kitchen is already filled with people by the time we get there and none of them look happy to see us.  I’m not sure if it’s because it’s barely five o’clock in the morning or because Kallen sent them all migraine inducing mental messages.  Probably both. 

With a sheepish smile, I slip onto a stool at the island counter across from a churlish Kegan.  “Could this not have waited just a few more hours?” he asks.

“You tell me,” Kallen says, dropping the blanket and Tasmanian devil at his feet.  The blanket unravels quickly exposing the creature’s black fur and repressed snarling.  The muzzle is doing its job.

“What the hell did you bring that thing in here for?” Kegan asks, jumping off his stool and backing up a few feet.

“I certainly hope you are not planning to make the house an animal rescue,” a voice drawls from the vicinity of the coffee pot.  “I believe we are running out of room.”  Isla is in her bathrobe, sipping the hot brew that Tabitha has ready all the time.  I’m not sure how she does it.  Some sort of magic I haven’t learned yet, I suppose.

“You get that varmint out of this kitchen,” Tabitha demands with her hands on her hips.  “Filthy, nasty little things.  I would like to rid the entire realm of their presence.”

“I am afraid I cannot,” Kallen says, eyeing the devil before looking at the faces in the room.  “Xandra believes it to be her familiar.”

The room is quiet for a moment, then Kegan bursts out laughing.  “Your familiar?  Are you insane?”

I am so tempted to pull his chair out from under him.  I don’t.  I’m trying to seek other, more positive, outlets for my anger.  But, it’s really hard when he keeps laughing like that.

“Kegan,” Isla says sharply and the laugh is choked out of him.  She looks at me and says, “Why would you believe this creature to be a familiar?”

I feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.  “Because he told me he is.”  Really, really hoping I didn’t dream it all.

“He told you?” Tabitha asks curiously, but there is an undercurrent to her words that I can’t decipher.  A look passes between her and Isla and my blood begins to chill.  Something is very wrong here.

“Yes,” I say slowly, looking back and forth between the two Fairies.  Out of the corner of my eye I can see that Kallen is as confused as I am.

Tabitha waves her hand in the air.  “Nonsense, you must have been dreaming.  Kallen, take the nasty little thing outside.”

“No,” I practically shout.  A fierce feeling of protectiveness shoots through me.  All eyes in the room are glued to me and all of them are worried.  Some more worried than others because Kegan still looks annoyed about being woken up so early.  Clearing my throat and trying again, I say, “I think he should stay until we figure this out.”

“You want a Tasmanian devil to stay here.  In the house?” Kegan asks incredulously.

“He’s not going to hurt anyone,” I say.  There is an amazing amount of defensiveness in my voice.  I’m offended that they would think that he would.  Hmm.  Offended that they would believe a wild animal known for its ferocity is dangerous to keep in the house.  Yeah, that’s reasonable.  “I won’t let him,” I add. 

Kallen raises a brow.  “You will keep him bound and muzzled while we figure this out?  You do not think that a bit cruel even if he is a wild animal?”

Guilt washes over me.  I look at the Tasmanian devil that can only blink at the moment.  I am being cruel.  With a thought, my magic bounding him disappears.

“It is about damn time.  A fella could suffocate with that blasted muzzle on.  And who are all these wankers that want you to get rid of me?  Shall I bite their faces off?” the devil asks, his snout curling into a snarl as he looks around the room.

“I told you, no face biting,” I snap at him.  He’s not helping his case.

“Xandra,” Isla says with caution.  “Am I to understand that you are able to decipher words from the growling and gnashing coming from its mouth?”

Growling and gnashing?  I don’t hear him growling and gnashing.  Other than wanting to bite their faces off, the devil is being quite civil.  “Yes, he’s talking to me.” 

“Is everyone in this room deaf?  Bunch of wankers.  Except him,” the devil points his nose at Kallen.  “He’s a whacka.”

“What’s the difference?” I ask him, then I realize I shouldn’t be talking to him until everyone believes he is actually speaking to me.  I imagine I look like an idiot at the moment.  I look around at the faces in the room.  Yup, that’s what they’re thinking.

“The difference between what?” Kallen asks.

I sigh.  I might as well spit it out.  “What’s the difference between a wanker and whacka.  Because he says you’re the latter.”

Kegan bursts out laughing.  Even a stern look from Isla and a slap to the back of the head by Tabitha cannot stop him.  “I vote the Tasmanian devil stays.  He is an excellent judge of character.”  If Kallen was next to him I know he would have slugged him by now.

“Well, he did call the rest of you wankers.”  I can’t believe I just said that out loud.  It’s like my tongue thinks it’s dying and has to get every single word out before it’s too late.

“To answer your question, whacka means a driveling idiot,” Kegan says when he has gained control of his laughter.  “And wanker is a slightly less insulting nickname for someone who is stupid and annoying.  Amongst other meanings.”  I don’t think I want to hear those other meanings.

“Xandra, perhaps your friend could wait outside until we have worked through this,” Isla says, eying the creature.  It’s not a question; it’s more like an order.

“Fine.”  I look down at the ugly little beast.  “Go wait outside.”

“If this is how I can expect to be treated, I may need to reconsider this whole familiar thing,” he grumbles, but he walks to the kitchen door that Isla is now holding open.  She closes it firmly after he passes through.

Another worried expression passes between Tabitha and Isla.  “Kegan, Alita is due in a couple of hours.  I am sure there are a few details of your hand-fasting celebration that you could be working on so she is not doing all the preparations,” Tabitha says pointedly.

Kegan gives her a sour look.  “I am not an infant.  I believe I am old enough to know what is going on.”

Isla looks at me as she speaks.  “This is not a matter of your maturity, Kegan.  I am concerned more about privacy for Xandra.”

Uh oh.  Now I want to leave the room.  “Is it really that bad?” 

“Do not be ridiculous, it is probably nothing bad at all,” Tabitha says, suddenly busying herself by pulling things out of the fridge and setting them on the counter.  She’s apparently making pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, turnips, pickles, apples, raspberries and fish for breakfast.

“I hope you’re not making a casserole,” I say dryly, drawing her attention to what she is doing.

Her cheeks pink as she says, “I am simply moving some things out of the way to find what I need.”

Uh huh.  Sure she is.  “The suspense is killing me.  Will you two please just tell me what is going on?”

“I concur,” Kallen says, crossing his arms over his bare, muscled chest.  I’m tempted to say forget this conversation and go back upstairs with him.  He is mouthwatering gorgeous anytime, but half naked he is really hard to ignore.

“As you wish,” Isla says, sitting at the counter with her cup of coffee.  Her hands are shaking slightly as she sets it down.  Barely enough to notice, but I do notice.  With a sigh, Tabitha sits down as well.

“A familiar…” Isla begins then pauses. 

“Is a thing of legend.  Or at least, that is what I have been taught,” Kallen says coldly.  Obviously, his education in this area is lacking and he’s blaming the two Fairies who are responsible.

Isla nods.  “For the most part.”

“What part isn’t a legend?” I ask.  If she doesn’t just spit it out, I’m going to think of a spell that will snatch the words right out of her mouth.

“No way!” Kegan suddenly shouts and slams his hand on the counter.  “That nursery rhyme.  The one little kids sing when they are dancing around a bonfire.  It is true.”

“What nursery rhyme?” I ask, giving Kallen a quick look to see if he knows what Kegan is talking about.  From the firm set of his jaw and the neck muscles that are trying to escape his skin, I would say he not only knows, but is furious as well.

Turning back to Isla, I say again, “What nursery rhyme?”

“Singing, swinging as the world turns.  Dancing, prancing while the fire burns.  Fire, fire burning bright, ward off evil dark as night.  Wicked spirits keep away, and your familiars keep at bay.  No good Fairy knows your ways,” Kegan says in a sing-song voice. 

How cute.  Except that part about only wicked spirits having familiars.  I’m going to try to ignore it because I don’t want to think about what that says about me.  I’m like an ostrich with its head in the sand at the moment.  I’m in my happy place.  I am one with the universe.  I am Zen.  And apparently I’m deaf because Kallen is shouting in my ear.  “Xandra!” 

I glare at him for interrupting my attempts at repression.  “What?”

“Nice to see you are still with us,” Kegan says with a smirk.  I glare at him now.

“As I was saying,” Isla says, not using her usually brusque voice.  Instead, she is using her ‘handle this with kid gloves so she doesn’t freak out and kill us all with her wild magic she can’t control when she’s upset’ voice.  “The presence of a familiar does not necessarily correspond with being wicked.”

“Um, this ‘so called’ nursery rhyme sounds pretty clear,” I say dryly.  Great, now my life is being guided by nursery rhymes.  What’s next?  Am I going to have to consult my horoscope daily to see if it’s safe to leave the house?

As if reading my mind, Tabitha says, “Do you really think you can put much stock in nursery rhymes?”  She slaps Kegan in the back of the head for good measure.  I’m sure glad I didn’t grow up with her.  I’m surprised that the guys don’t have brain damage from all those blows to the head.

“Then it’s not true?” I ask hopefully.

Determined to burst my bubble, Isla says, “It is partially true.”  Please let the true part be about fire warding off evil.  It’s not.  “Familiars are conjured by dark magic.  Very dark magic.”

“What do you mean by conjured?” I ask.  I don’t remember doing any conjuring.  We’ve only been back from our honeymoon for a few days.  Conjuring was definitely not on our minds on our little island.  We had much better things to do there than conjure.

“She means that familiars are not organic.  The laws of nature must be changed to bring them about.”