Witch Glitch: Magic and Mayhem Book Two (20 page)

The wave of magic she threw was painful, but I was beyond feeling it. I never even got to call Naked Dude, Dad. He wanted me to call him Dad. I screwed that up too. The panic inside me was so real my breathing came in short uneven spurts. Spots danced in front of my eyes and I simply wanted to curl up in a ball and block out the world.

"I never should have had you," she screeched and laughed. It was a brittle sound and so very cruel. "You're worthless."

Energy from a place deeply hidden inside me burst free. I flew at her again, knocking her to the ground with a sickening thud. I had her exactly where I wanted her. She was helpless and I pinned her down with both my hands and my magic. It would be within my rights as a witch to kill her, but I couldn't. She killed my friends and my father. She wanted me dead and I still couldn't do it. I was a healer not a killer. I already had so much blood on my hands I was unsure how I would fare after all was said and done.

"You can't do it," she hissed and spat at me.

"You’re right, I can’t," I said as I wiped her spit from my cheek. I propped her still magically trapped body into a sitting position under a tree.

"You're weak," she said with disgusted snort. "You'll never be a Baba Yaga."

All she ever really wanted was power—absolute power and nothing else. She didn't want me or my father or any kind of love. She was incapable of feeling anything at all. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. In that moment, I realized I didn't have to kill her physically to kill her.

"I don't want to be a Baba Yaga," I told her. "Never even aspired to that."

I didn't bother to add I'd only realized it was merely a title this morning…

I straddled her legs and kissed her gently on her forehead head. "I love you even though you don't love me. You’re right. I can't kill you. However, it's not because I can't. It's because I won't. I wasn't made that way. But what I can do to you is far worse."

"Stupid girl, get off of me and let me go. I knew you'd amount to nothing."

"That's where you're wrong, mother. I am something. I'm something
wonderful
."

Her eyes grew wide with terror as I reared back my fist and aimed at her chest.

"No!" she wailed, but it was too late to bargain. The store was closed.

The feeling of my fist deep in her chest was horrifying. It was squishy and bloody, but I knew what I was searching for. It came to me quickly—I was thankful for that. I didn't want it, but she was no longer allowed to have it. She'd lost her right.

Her power floated to my hand, crawled up my arm and entered my body. I shuddered as I realized it was laced with black magic. Fuck. I now had my own magic, my aunt's and my mother's dark shit. This was surely a very bad thing, but what else was there to do?

I stood on shaky legs and stepped away. I was tired. I was done. She was bad and had worn out her welcome.

With a flick of my hand, I closed the gaping wound I'd made in her chest. My mother would live, but she would live as a mortal. It was a destiny worse than death for any witch.

I didn't kill her, but actually I had. That's when I threw up.

And after that little display of gross, I fell to my knees and sobbed.

Chapter 18

Mac's strong arms engulfed me and I found myself surrounded by Shifters. Tears clouded my vision, but I felt safe for a moment.

And then I remembered… Dad and Chuck and Wanda and Bo and Sassy. Gone. My sobbing renewed and I knew my heartbreak would last for eternity.

I'd only found my father a little over a month ago. It wasn't fair that he was taken from me so soon. Was it me? Was it my fault somehow? The panic bubbled up inside me and I buried my head in Mac's chest.

"I need gum," I whispered brokenly.

"What, baby?" he asked as he raised my chin.

I quickly pulled away. My breath could kill. Throw up breath was not something I wanted to share.

"Here you go," Roger said as he handed me five pieces.

I nodded my thanks. He looked bad, but he was still here.

"How many did we lose?" I asked and closed my eyes.

"Fifteen," DeeDee said gravely. "And Chuck."

I was silent as I digested this. Had no one died in the battle? There had to be at least fifteen in the basement not counting the warlocks. I idly wondered if the Baba Yaga would be angry about her posse being blown up.

I began to cough the smoke up from my lungs and couldn't stop. Mac loosened his hold and rubbed my back.

"Get her some water," he instructed.

"The kind from the toilet or the sink?" Sassy asked.

"Oh my hell… from the sink," I choked out between coughs.

"The toilet is better," she informed me clearly in the know. "It's colder and has sparkly stuff in it."

"I do not drink from…Wait," I croaked as I whipped my head around. "You're dead."

"Now that's just rude," Sassy said with a huge smile. "I mean I might be dead later when you see what accidentally happened to your Prada boots. Oh snap…I’m sorry, but they blew up. Why did I tattle on myself? I'm such a doucheweasel."

"You're supposed to be dead," I stuttered as a sob burst from my lips. "The house—the fire—the basement."

I was choking and crying. There was no way she could have lived through the blast and fire, unless she'd left the basement. Had they all left the basement? Please, please, please…

"The fire. It didn't kill you?" I asked, terrified to ask about the others.

"Hell no, those little warlock fuckers conjured up some kind of impenetrable explosion proof bubble and we all got under it."

"Them bastards saved your life," Jango Fett said with admiration for the same little dudes who had tried to burn him alive yesterday.

"All?" I whispered hopefully.

"Yes, all," my dad said as he broke through the crowd of concerned Shifters. He lifted me from Mac's arms and held me tight.

My body shook violently and my crying reached what could politely be called snotty hysteria.

"I love you, Dad," I blubbered. "I will call you Dad everyday for the rest of my years. I promise. No more Daaaaad, Nadudio, Naked Dude, Dudio or Fabio—just Dad."

"I love you too," he whispered against my hair. "And I don't care what you call me as long as you love me."

"I took her magic," I told him and waited for his reaction.

"You were kind," he said with steel in his voice as he stared at the passed out body of my mother with hatred. "I would have tortured her for hours and then killed her."

"I couldn't do it. I'm not made that way."

"You actually did something far worse than death," Baba Yaga sang as she poofed in along with a burst of rainbow glitter.

"You," I hissed as I disengaged from my dad and marched over to her. "You are a real assmonkey, Carol."

The gasps from the peanut gallery were loud and alarmed. I didn't care. Baba Yopoopy was on my shit list.

"Hello to you too," she said with a grin as she adjusted her silver unitard and fluffed her hot pink fuzzy leg warmers.

Her outfit threw me for a loop, but I was on a fucking mission. However, the fashion talk was coming soon—especially if she was going to date my dad.

"Some of my people died today. What the hell were you thinking by leaving?" I demanded all up in her face.

"I left you to your fate, dear child," she said with slightly narrowed eyes. "And you learned my name how?"

"Fate," I snapped. "It was my fate to know your name, Carol."

"I suppose you're right," she said and sighed dramatically. "You completed your mission… as did you, Sassy."

"I'm not going anywhere else, Carol. No more dumbass screw ball missions for me," Sassy threatened. "I like it here and I'm staying. Jeeves is hot and likes horses. Zelda's house rocks…Whoops, I mean rocked."

We all turned and took in the still smoldering pile of ash that used to be my beautiful home. There was a lump in my throat, but I didn't cry. The house was simply a house. People mattered, not stuff. Holy hell, I was growing up.

"And Chuck died nobly," Baba Yaga said with a delighted smile as she clapped her hands.

That was fucking
it
.

I didn't care if she was the leader of all witches. She was crazy and cruel. How could she be joyous over the death of my friend?

"What the hell is wrong with you," I shouted. "Chuck was my friend. I loved him."

"You certainly love a lot of people now," she commented with raised eyebrows.

"Figure of speech," I mumbled as her tinkling giggle made me grind my teeth.

I was pretty sure I did love all these people and I was beginning to believe that they loved me too.

"Chuck is happy," she said softly. "Turn around and see for yourself."

Slowly I turned and gasped as tears filled my eyes for the umpteenth time today. Chuck and Hildy floated together hand in hand. Their love was so evident it made me cry harder.

"To be without your mate is a slow death," Baba said as she walked toward her Hildy and Chuck. "You died nobly my friend. You both have the Goddess's blessing to go on to the Next Adventure. I will miss you so."

"Wait," I cried out as I ran over to my aunt and my friend. "I don't want you to go. I want you to stay."

"Oh my dear beautiful child," Hildy said as she floated down to me. "This is no longer my world. I have done all I was supposed to do and now it's time for us to go. You are ready. You are strong. I love you more than you will ever know."

"But I want you with me," I whispered.

"That is not what fate decrees," she said sadly. "Fate and the Goddess smiled on us letting me come back and meet you. It makes my life complete. You were magnificent and you will be fine."

"Can you visit?" I implored.

Hildy looked to Chuck and then back at me. "I don't think so, but I will be your Guardian Angel. I will always watch over you. You must believe that."

"I don't want you to be my Guardian Angel," I said. "I want you with me. Who's going to teach me to use the stupid orange magic?"

"Dear, I've never actually pulled it up. Seeing you use it was a first for me too," she said with a giggle.

"Are you shitting me?" I demanded.

"Do I look like I'm shitting you?" she replied with a smirk.

"Might have been nice to have shared that little piece of info with me," I said as I gave her my raised eyebrow look.

"You had a lot on your plate, sweetie. Didn't want to freak you out," she said with a shrug and a grin.

She floated back to Chuck and he happily wrapped her in his strong transparent arms. They were beautiful together. My dad walked to his sister and flipped her the bird as tears streamed down his face.

"I love you, jackass," he said softly as he blew his sister a kiss.

"Back at ya, doucheknocker," she said as she flipped him off with a sweet smile.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked one more time, praying they'd stay with me.

"It's our time. No one lives forever. The Next Adventure is where Chuck and I are supposed to be now. Wish us well and release us."

"I'll miss you, little witch," Chuck said with a wink. "And my pick up truck is yours. You can get rid of your piece of shit lime green Kia. Please let us go now."

"You got a lime green one?" Sassy huffed jealously. "My piece of crap was purple. How is that fair?

"You can have mine," I told her.

"Yessssssssssss," she said and slapped Jeeves a high five.

"It's time for them to go, Zelda," Baba Yaga urged me.

Wait. What? I had to sign off on this to let them go? My gaze shot to Baba Yaga who watched me intensely. Her nod was quick and curt. She turned her back and walked away. I realized in that moment I could make them stay with me. I knew I could make them happy here.

Hildy had Chuck now. We could rebuild the house and all live together.

All eyes were on me. Shit.

"Why is it my call?" I asked.

"Because you're the healer. You are the Shifter Whisperer," Chuck replied simply.

"Shifter Wanker," I corrected him with a smile.

"Right," he nodded and chuckled. "We're caught here and we need someone with strong magic and healing power to lead us back to the Goddess."

What I wanted to do was wrong. What I was going to do would shred me. I looked to the sky and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and pulled up my big girl panties. I was going to let them go. It was right and would be my final gift to them. I blew my beloved aunt and dear friend a kiss and I reached down deep.