Forging Day (Crucible of Change Book 1) (33 page)

The circle closed with a click that shook my bones. I walked to the center. “God and Goddess, Crom, Maiden, Mother, Crone. We welcome you to our circle. Let nothing evil enter this space. So Mote it Be.”

Kat responded, “So mote it be,” and the circle blazed into dancing light.

“Fear not,” a voice rumbled in my head. “You are safe between the worlds for now. Your enemies see only what they expect to see. The road is hard, but with strength and honor, your will may prevail.”

My holy symbol glowed a radiant blue, filling the circle with its light. “Korembi, Razaini, it’s your turn. Don’t cross the circle with your bodies or you’ll break the protection. Your spirit creatures should pass unhindered. May the spirits guide you.”

They sat cross-legged, facing each other and holding hands. I smelled their incense filling the night air, and it got richer and deeper, like freshly turned earth and morning rain. The breeze whirled around us and fire danced to the south. The ghostly raptor leapt forth from Korembi first. Razaini’s pterodactyl soon followed. The spirit creatures touched muzzles, and the pterodactyl burst into the sky as the raptor cleared the stone wall in a single leap. There was only a faint shimmer and the circle held.

I looked at the others. The Trolls had seen this before, way back at the Sylvan Faire. For the Humans at our gathering, this was all new. Lieutenant Clark, Sharon, Mikah, and Gracie were all wide-eyed and a little pale. “And now we wait,” I said.

I’d never been as aware of the energy of the circle as I was tonight. The air tasted like mint and my body tingled. I tried to smother my giggles at the thought of doing a Great Rite with Kat like this. I was getting drunk on the energy, and it felt good.

Focus
, I told myself.
This is the time for focus
. “Oh, Kat. The energy is buzzing my brain. Do you feel it too?”

“I feel something,” she said, “but I don’t think it’s the same as you.”

“If I get silly, or start to leave, you have to stop me. I don’t feel entirely stable right now, and you can’t let me break the circle, even by accident.”

“I promise.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught stealthy movement from outside the circle. I spun around, dagger ready, but it was only Doctor Evil. The cat stalked deliberately toward us, entering the circle with nary a ripple in the energy. I was kind of surprised. That cat had never shown an interest in our rituals before. Come to think of it, we didn’t have a cat door. He shouldn’t be outside in the first place.

“Fluffy, come here, baby,” Kat cooed at him.

He walked right by her, not even turning at his name, and then bounded to the top of the altar.

I started toward him to shoo him off, but the look in his eye stopped me in my tracks. I remembered how quick he was with claws and teeth, and I really didn’t want my ritual robe snagged or shredded. If the gods didn’t mind him crossing the circle, they shouldn’t mind him perching on the altar, I rationalized.

After a while, I ignored the furry interloper and let myself revel in the energy of the ritual circle. I lay back on the grass and marveled at the twinkling stars. I felt as if I could reach up and grab them in my hands. I did the energy exercise they teach you in Wicca 101—gathering invisible energy into your hands and forming it into a ball. I’d done it in class, but never really felt that much. This time it was cool and tingly, and soon I had a glowing ball that everyone could see. I caressed it, rolling it in my hands.
Let me not forget how this feels
.

I tossed the energy ball into the air and caught it. Fluffy followed the movement like it was a laser pointer on the wall. I tossed it again, and he stood up and wiggled his butt, following my every move. I tossed it into the air one more time, and Fluffy launched himself from the altar. Ball and cat met in an explosion of golden sparks and the cat dropped to the ground.

“Damn”
I heard in my head.
“That freaking hurt!”

“Olivia! What did you do to my cat?” Kat demanded. “Fluffy, baby?”

“Fluffy, are you okay?” I approached the cat cautiously.

“I said, ‘that hurt’, but other than that, I’m fine.”
I heard again.
“And by the way, I hate Fluffy. It’s a ridiculous name. Doctor Evil was a little better, but you may call me Imhotep.”
The cat stood up and shook himself vigorously. “
Ah, that’s better.”

“Does anyone else hear the cat talking?” I had to ask.

“Olivia, are you okay?” asked Sharon. “Maybe you should sit down.”

“I’m going to take that as a no,” I said, but sitting down sounded like a good idea.

“Don’t be absurd. Of course they can’t hear me. I’m your familiar, not theirs.”

“I don’t remember ordering a familiar,” I said out loud.

“I don’t remember ordering a Human either, but here we are. You raised the energy and didn’t give it direction. The magic called me. I’m the best thing that’s happened to you since Kat went feline. And kindly tell her to stop calling me Fluffy.”

“Kat, this may sound crazy, but Fluffy would prefer you not call him Fluffy. He says his name is Imhotep. Also, he says he’s my new familiar.” I smiled at her, trying to look sane and stable.

“Familiar?” said Lieutenant Clark. “As in crazy witch with a black cat?”

“I resent the ‘crazy’ part of that statement,” I said, “and Imhotep is obviously white.”

The moon was high overhead, and I was still digesting this unexpected turn, when I felt something approaching. Razaini’s pterodactyl burst through the circle and disappeared. She sat up with a gasp.

“I saw so much,” she said, “but I did not find the ones we seek. So much life in the city, in spite of the steel and concrete. You should see the Grove from the sky. It’s beautiful.”

May took Razaini’s hand. “Can you teach me how to do that? It was so beautiful. I want to learn to fly.”

Razaini patted her hand. “Later, May, when I’ve rested. I promise to teach you what I know.”

I was getting worried—and desperately needed to pee—by the time Korembi’s raptor leapt into the circle. An oily blackness peeled away and burst into flames as it crossed into our protection. Korembi gasped, and struggled to sit up. Razaini had to help him.

“I found them. Oh Gods, I found them. So much evil. So much suffering. Berto and Cordelia… They are physically unharmed, but their spirits are weeping with what they’ve seen. It’s only Colby’s strength keeping the lesser wolves away from them. They fear him. Two wolves and one Human were in the house with him. Another called in while I was there, reporting on the house.” He pinched his nose and shook his head. “I’m getting to old for this. Let’s be done.”

He looked pale, so I decided to do an accelerated closing of the ritual. I stood in the center of the circle and kissed my blade, pointing in turn at each of the elements. “Guardians of earth, of air, of fire, and of water, we thank you for your strength and protection. Depart in peace, as you came. God and Goddess, Crom, Maiden, Mother, Crone, we thank you for lending your strength and protection to our ritual. Depart in peace, as you came.” I drew an invisible line with the dagger, and I felt the circle part. “The circle is now open. As we came, so shall we part. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again. Blessed be.”

The energy left me with a rush, and I stumbled into Kat. “Oh, wow! I have a circle hangover.”

“You have a hangover? How do you think I feel? I’d appreciate a snack when we get back inside. I’ll wait for you there.”
Imhotep disappeared with a small
bamf
.

Kat quickly gathered the little brass bowls and May collected what was left of the incense sticks. We returned to the house for refreshments, indoor plumbing, and debriefings, but not in that order.

Operation Bad Dog

Memo

To:General Dxxxx

From:Major Parker

We have a potential opportunity to acquire three werewolf targets in a single location. The new nets are not fully tested, but I’m requesting permission to activate Operation Bad Dog and test them in the field.

With your approval, we can have a team on the ground in just a few hours. I’ve already had my secretary purchase a quantity of extra-large flea collars.

Memo

To:Major Parker

From:General Dxxxx

Operation Bad Dog approved. Tell your men we want as many live specimens as possible. Notify me as soon as your team returns.

For your sake, I will presume you’re joking about the flea collars.

Those Blasted Ducks Won’t Stay in Line

Back inside, there was a general rush on the indoor plumbing. Kat and I changed back into our street clothes before assembling with the others back at the gaming table with the big map.

Imhotep was already there, planted firmly in the middle of the map. A cat is a cat, no matter what else happens, I guess.

“I’ll fix your snack in a minute,” I told him. “Please move. The sooner you move, the sooner you get your snack.”

He slowly dragged himself to the edge of the map, somehow implying he’d never in his life been given food or water and that he might waste away at any moment.

“Drama queen,” I said.

“Drama King. And I’ll be in the kitchen. Humans. Pfffttt.”

Korembi, Lieutenant Clark, and Sharon waited patiently for the end of the cat drama. Mikah looked a bit more homicidal, but didn’t say anything. Korembi drew a red circle around one of the properties south of us, in Aurora. “I’m certain this is the one,” said Korembi. “I be good with maps, mon.”

“If you’re right,” said Lieutenant Clark, “and after what I’ve seen tonight, I have no reason to doubt you, it’s time to call in the professionals. We need to assemble a SWAT team. They are trained to neutralize criminals and rescue hostages.”

“How do you propose they’re going to neutralize criminals that are immune to their bullets?” I asked. “You have an unprepared team rush in there, and the hostages, along with the team, all end up dead.”

“Didn’t you say your brother was getting silver bullets?” asked the Lieutenant.

“Yeah, around fifteen bullets, we think, and maybe thirty shotgun shells. How many ways do you think you can effectively split that amount? We have silver flatware, too. You want to send your people out shopping at a department store for silver butter knives?” If I focused on the sarcasm, I didn’t have to worry about how desperately outgunned we were.

He looked frustrated and angry, but he wasn’t arguing.

“Let me make a few phone calls,” I said, “and get a better idea of where we stand with things.”

I called Leo first. “Hey bro, how are things progressing?”

“We should be done by early a.m., certainly before the banks open.”

“That’s good news. We have better news. We know where they are.” I waited for him to grab a piece of paper and gave him the address. “I’m going to put you on speakerphone, if that works for you.”

“Go ahead.”

“I’ve been thinking about how we’re going to do this. Let me lay out my plan, and then all of you poke holes in it, okay?” There were general nods of assent.

“At first I was thinking that pretty much everybody could sneak out and head to that house ahead of time. Leo goes straight there with the bullets. But here’s my concern—I know from the ritual that someone is still watching the house. Crom told me. If we leave right now, that person is going to call Colby and it won’t be good, so here’s what I propose instead. We’re supposed to get money at the bank in the morning. Mikah and I both have to go, since I don’t have access to that kind of money. Colby said we’d get a call giving me an address, after the watcher confirms I have the cash. We do everything the way they say up to that point, except as soon as we know the address, Tessa goes ahead to that location. She waits for me to get there, and she jumps in and mind-fucks the accomplice. I have you guys pick me up, and we all head to the location without Colby knowing what’s going on. We park a block or so away, go in on foot, and…this is where I’m stuck.”

“Excuse me,” said Gracie. I kind of ignored her. “I said, excuse me,” she said, much louder. “I know you guys have your plans, but I know that neighborhood. I hung out with a group that lived a couple houses up.”

Now she had our full attention. “Come over here,” said Lieutenant Clark. “Here’s where the property is located. What can you add?”

Gracie got a fresh sheet of paper and sketched a rough outline of the house and grounds. “There are trees along this side, a cement trash burner, and an old clothes line. I remember a lot of bushes along the back, and one of the owners had put in this giant dog run along the east fence. The car port is on the south side of the house. All the houses in the area had these big old basements. The window wells are tiny, not like modern window wells. You could maybe get into the basement that way, but it would have to be someone small.”

“Is there anything else you remember?” I asked her.

“No. That’s the main bit. There used to be a deck around the second floor, but one of the owners had it removed when the wood started to rot through,” she said.

“Leo, you catch all that?” I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture.