The Witch of the Western Gate: Dragon's Gift (19 page)

Blue snapped her attention to LeRoy. "You, buster, have some explaining to do!"

"I do?" asked LeRoy innocently.

"Yes! All these years and I never knew that you were a shapeshifter?"

"I'm not," replied LeRoy calmly. "I'm cursed. The hag was able to modify the curse some but she couldn't break it. I'm in the form of a crow most of the time. I remain as a crow until I need to defend the McChesney House or one of the McChesney kin. I remain loyal to the House of McChesney, as I was centuries ago, when I was but a McChesney druid wandering the moors of Scotland."

"Wow," was all that Blue could think to say. "Just wow."

LeRoy preened and smoothed some feathers, looking very pleased with himself.

"Why did you say I should be roasted on a spit, back in the ritual room when I invoked you?"

"I didn't want you to think it was me, LeRoy the crow, so as the kilted warrior I acted nasty. You were never in danger."

"I see," replied Blue, her eyes narrowing. We'll talk more about this later. Right now Quantrill has me so distracted, and we must get Took back!"

"You should have suspected," said LeRoy. "Afterall, Cormac McChesney would never have left his daughter alone and undefended. Not only do I protect you with my life but there are fierce enchantments on this house as well. You should have guessed."

"I should have," replied Blue. "I figured Cormac had protections up, all around, but I never knew that you and the hag were household guardians."

Suddenly the silence was broken by an angry yell.

"Belladonna Louisa!" Quantrill hollered from outside. "Blue!" The crystal chandelier shuddered and tinkled at the vampire's voice.

"You may think that you have won this round, but it has in fact only begun. You will learn to mind me yet!" The burled walnut chest in the entry hall groaned softly, diappointed with the recent turn of events.

"Quantrill!" replied Blue. "Don't come back. Ever. Unless it is to return Took!"

"Oh, I will be back," replied Quantrill. "Rest assured, I will be back. Also, first thing tomorrow I will advise my Aunt Zerelda that you were harboring a dangerous dragon in your house. The Witch Council will be very interested to learn that you not only haven't exterminated the dragon infestation, but you have turned one of them into a housepet!"

"You really know how to treat a girl," sneered Blue. "Just stay away from me, you snake, Quantrill!"

"Your vicious little dragon and all his vermin friends will be hunted down and killed! You must learn your place, Blue, and you must learn to obey your betters!"

"You come near me again, Quantrill, and I'll blast you silly!" replied Blue.

Finally Blue's senses informed her that the irate vampire had left. Blue slumped into the chair and pulled the quilt onto her lap. She waved at the fireplace and the flames lept higher. LeRoy nudged Blue gently once more then hopped onto his perch in front of the fire and gazed at her, while she rested in the rocker.

"What are we going to do?" asked LeRoy.

"Rescue Took."

"I know that, but when and how?"

"I don't know," replied Blue. "I'm going to text my friends now to see what they think."

Chapter 18

"I told you," said the iron turtle bearing swordplant, directing his comments to the other household furnishings.

"Right, as usual," said the cloisonne vase.

"I bet you knew that suitor was a vampire all along!", the girandole hissed accusingly at the turtle, who did not deign to reply.

"Perhaps," tinkled the chandelier. "Perhaps it is presumptuous of us to try and infuence a girl's heart in matters of love, especially when we can't even recognize a vampire hidden under a veil of glamour."

"We were just trying to save the family from being tainted further by Wolven blood," defended the burled walnut chest.

"Apparently there are worse things than Wolven blood," replied the chandelier. An uncomfortable silence throughout the house ensued.

A tremendous thunderclap shook the house, then a flash of bright light.

"The master is home," announced the iron turtle bearing swordplant. There was a scuffle on the stairs as Cormac McChesney stumbled down them, smoke curling from his black hooded robe and the acrid smell of brimstone in the air. He stared at Blue for several long seconds, exhaling deeply, his hands digging into the back of a chair as he steadied himself. Then he pulled Blue to him in a fierce hug. The quilt she'd been wrapped in slid to the floor.

"Cormac! She's alright!" said LeRoy.

"Thank goodness! I felt a ward go off and knew there was danger in my home. I was so frightened that Blue was hurt."

Blue stirred and opened her eyes wide, "Dad! You're home! Are you alright?" Blue grabbed Cormac's hand and led him to a chair.

"You've been fighting!"

"I'm fine," replied Cormac. "I had to check on you. One of my wards went off and I knew someone tried to break into the house. I could feel an attack on my home."

"I found out about LeRoy," said Blue. "I've seen him twice now as the kilted warrior. Blue held up her hand and the celtic cross of the McChesney druids showed on the palm, a fresh brand. "I didn't mean to, it just sortof happened."

"I can see that you have been up to something as well," replied Cormac.

"We have to talk Dad. These secrets about the McChesneys, it's too much! I'm in more danger not knowing than I would be if you told me."

Cormac sighed. "It's complicated, Blue, and it involves other people. I'm restrained by vows of secrecy. Someday you will understand."

Blue was insistent. "I need you to go back to those other people and work on them. Get their permission to inform me about what is going on! You must promise me that!"

"I promise I will try," agreed Cormac. "No guarantees, and you must understand that I work within strict parameters, oathbound. But I will try."

“What is it you’re fighting?,” asked Blue. “At least tell me that much. I know you are fighting. I saw it in the mirror and I can smell the brimstone on you now.”

“Cormac sighed. It’s a great evil, Blue. Very old and very dangerous. The Dark Abyss. That is all I can tell you.”

"Alright."

"It's late and you look exhausted, Blue. Let me help you up to bed." Cormac grabbed the banister and half carried Blue to her room, holding his daughter at his side. Blue turned to give LeRoy a warning look, and beckoned him to follow. Once in her room, Blue closed the door then turned to the crow.

"OK, LeRoy, time to spill the beans."

"Beans?"

"Time to come clean."

"I am clean," insisted LeRoy.

"I mean, time to tell me the full story about your curse. The curse that changes you from the kilted warrior to a crow, or is it from a crow to the kilted warrior? Who did it? How long ago?"

"It's a lot of bletherskite. You don't want to hear that," protested LeRoy.

"Blether-what?"

"Bletherskite. Silly romantic rubbish.
"I do want to hear it!" insisted Blue.

LeRoy sighed,"I suppose you have a right to know. You have discovered me and you are a McChesney, so I will tell you the story."

"Very good," replied Blue. "Begin!"

"I was born during the mid-1400's, the Dark Ages, as moderns call it, though we did not know at the time that this was a dark time for it is all we knew. My father, oddly enough, was a French noble, who travelled abroad and married into the McChesney Clan, thus my name LeRoy, which in French means "of royalty." My mother was a lovely young McChesney girl, who died young, leaving just my father and I alone. Aside from her untimely death, I lived a happy life and served The McChesney, as our Clan leader was called. I was both a swordsman and a bard. These both are common jobs young men in a Druid Clan are trained to do. The elders did most of the magic, study, and scrying. I showed a knack for magic and likely would have been trained in that field eventually.

One day I was out on patrol. There had been reports of wolves harrying our flocks of highland sheep. I was hunting for the beasts when I came upon a beautiful girl with long golden hair. She was sitting on a shawl spread out upon the grass, singing and playing a lute. I was immediately enchanted.

"Play a song for me, lass," I implored. She smiled and played the sweetest tune. I knew from the start that Shayla, was one of the fey, but she clearly cared for me and returned my compliments. I visited her every afternoon that week and at the end of it I asked her to marry me. She agreed. The next day I expected to take Shayla home with me, to wed. But she was not there on the hill that day. Instead an angry fey magus stood in her place and accused me of trying to steal their most beautiful ornament, Shayla. He cursed me. I was changed into a crow. He chose a crow because they often steal bright and beautiful things too."

"How can you turn into the kilted warrior then?," asked Blue. "And what on earth is all this about the fey?"

"One question at a time…. I had sworn an oath to The McChesney to protect his home and family, and an oath carries magical powers. Thus whenever the McChesney Clan leader's house or family is threatened, my oath takes over and I revert back to human form, with uncommonly great strength. Once the threat is gone, I become a crow again."

"Can't the curse be broken?"

"Many have tried to break it, including Grandma Lily. It is no use. I fear I am cursed until the day I can find my fey love again and marry her. Perhaps then it will be broken."

"I see," replied Blue, thoughfully. So what is the Dark Abyss that Cormac mentioned?"

LeRoy sighed. "It is a group of evil magi that are bent on taking over all who have magical powers. For if they do that, then they can dominate the world, and perform all the evil deeds evil geniuses are want to perform. That is why Cormac fights them, for the McChesney Clan has always had uncommonly strong spell casters. It's his duty."

"Cormac fights alone against these Dark Abyss magi?"

"No," replied LeRoy. "Cormac and others are engaged in this battle. Cormac is one of the leaders. It's all very secret and Cormac is bound by oaths not to discuss their plans. Since I am a crow most of the time, no one bothers to place me under oaths. So I know more than I should, as usual."

"Why is Cormac here, in America, when he belongs to a Druid clan and should be in Scotland?"

LeRoy sighed. "In the past century, the McChesney's suffered bad luck in battle. So the clan dispersed across Scotland, Ireland, and the new world. I was sent here with your great-great-grandfather with the hope that distance would weaken the curse laid on me, but it has not."

"I see," replied Blue. "Thank you for telling me, LeRoy. If ever I can break the curse on you, I will, and I will try to find a way."

"I know you will and I thank you."

Chapter 19

Blue sent a text out to all of her closest friends, Stella, Rafe, Brando & Talon.

"Q atked me. Now has Took. WTD?"

"R U OK?" replied Stella.

"Im OK. Need Took now. C is bck."

"Meet at med garden at 5AM. We attack while V zzzzz. Get zzzzz now." replied Brando.

They were to meet at the meditation garden at the Stella's family's funeral home, across from the McChesney house. Blue crawled into bed, hoping to get a few hours sleep. She expected to stay wide awake the entire night, but when her alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. she was sound asleep. Blue hit the alarm fast, hoping not to wake up Cormac.

"I cannot believe you are sneaking out now!" hissed LeRoy. "After all that happened tonight!"

"Don't worry LeRoy. Brando said to meet at 5AM. We need to attack once the vampires go back to their lair to sleep at sunrise. Brando, Rafe and Talon will be there first, watching for me and Stella. We're not stupid."

"What will I tell your father if something happens to you? Tell Cormac. He will help get Took back. It will take him all of five minutes to mop up those vampires."

"It's not that simple, LeRoy. I can't involve Cormac."

"Why not?"

"Cormac is largely ignored by the Paranormal Council. They know he is a battle mage and they don't like it, but they don't know much about his affairs. He leaves the Paranormal Council alone and they leave him alone. But if he wrangles with Quantrill, while Quantrill is following orders from Zerelda, and Zerelda is the President of the Paranormal Council, that would surely lead to problems."

"I understand what you mean," replied LeRoy. "Well, don't get hurt and be back fast. Remember to call on me if you have big problems. Sometimes the hag lets me leave the house to help a McChesney, though sometimes not. She's quite tempermental."

"I'll remember," replied Blue.

Blue crept down the stairs then out the front door, closing it stealthily behind her. Fortunately, Cormac was exhausted and sleeping soundly. Blue tread silently down the driveway, across the street and onto the path of the meditation garden, which was cleared all winter. Stella and Brando were there waiting.

"What happened Blue," asked Brando.

"After you dropped me off, Quantrill jumped me."

"He was here waiting?" Brando's voice had an ominous tone.

"He was crawling around on the back of the house like a bug, probably trying to break in, but he couldn't get through the wards."

"How did he get his hands on Took?"

"When I opened the door, Took flew out and attacked Quantrill. Then Quantrill's gang jumped over the fence and grabbed Took, while LeRoy and I fought off Quantrill. Le Roy was protecting me, and the vampires got away with Took. If only I were stronger, and didn't need protection, I could have taken them." Blue often bemoaned the fact that although she had the power of a battlemage, she was physically fragile and couldn't take a hit.

"I thought there were wards all over the property?," said Stella.

"There are, but they cover such a large area that they can't keep powerful intruders out, though they do keep humans out. They serve mainly as alarms. The house, being smaller, has powerful wards that prevent break-ins."