Blood of the Exiled (Witch Fairy Book 10) Page 13

  Flustered, the maid says, “I…I thought you had gone down for dinner.”

  Narrowing my eyes, I ask, “What were you planning to do in here?” Yes, I am crawling with paranoia now.

  “I…” she hesitates and I can’t tell if she is trying to come up with a lie or if she’s afraid of us. Probably both. “I came to turn down the bed,” she manages.

  “We will turn down our own bed, thank you,” Kallen says in a tone that also says ‘get the hell out and don’t come back’. The maid turns around and leaves without another word.

  “Do you think she was going to plant a bug or something?” I ask.

  Kallen is lost by what I just said. “Why would she bring an insect in here? Are there poisonous pests in this area?”

  I shake my head, remembering the lingo barrier between us. “Not an insect, an electronic listening device. That way Grandpa and his goonies could listen to our conversations without being in the room.”

  His face darkens. “I would not be surprised then. Are there other such devices we should be concerned about?”

  I’m starting to get a creepy feeling. “They could have some sort of video lead in here.” When he looks at me quizzically again, I explain. “That means they could be filming us, watching everything we do.” What a horrifying thought after just changing my clothes.

  “We should search the room.”

  I nod, dreading what we’ll find. Sure enough, I find a suspicious figurine on the dresser. Not caring if it’s valuable or not, I drop it on the floor and step on it. It shatters into a thousand pieces and inside there is a tiny camera. I am going to kill whoever just watched me get undressed.

  Deep in thought instead of outraged like I expected him to be, Kallen mutters, “I wonder…”

  I’m about to ask him what when he pulls an enormous amount of magic. Enough to make magic automatically draw into me in response. Worried, I ask, “What are you doing?”

  With a wry smile, he says, “Please do not let your magic attack me. I am going to try to pinpoint my magic to find all electronic devices in the house and destroy them.”

  Ignoring the implication that I will not be able to control my magic when it senses his, I say, “That sounds difficult to do.”

  He shrugs. “If my magic can restore things to their correct form and place, I will direct my magic to consider the electronic devices as a flaw that needs to be corrected. I am not sure if it will work or not.”

  I wave my hand in a ‘go ahead’ gesture. “It can’t hurt to try.” It could, but I hope it doesn’t.

  I feel Kallen let his magic go. It doesn’t shoot from him in a burst, it sort of oozes away from him. I feel it lapping at the nooks and crannies in the room as Kallen gently encourages it. I doubt I will ever have that much control over my magic.

  While Kallen pushes his magic out further, towards the rest of the house, I focus on the broken recording device on the floor. A spell races through my mind and a malicious grin crawls over my face as I say it aloud. “Privacy stolen from me by some unknown, a weapon concealed for this trickery now shown. To right this wrong of bare flesh desired, when in my presence, privacy lost will be required. Tit for tat, yin and yang, balance must be maintained. What has been seen will be shown, but not by only one alone. By several this trickery condoned, my wrath on all will be sown.”

  I find Kallen looking at me in surprise. “You know what that will do, right?”

  I nod. “Serves them right.”

  He chuckles. “I am glad you love me because I would hate to be on the receiving end of your anger if you did not.”

  I feel his magic pulling back. “Did you get them all?” I ask.

  “I think so. I cannot be certain that my magic searched the entire house, but I am certain any electronic device on this floor has been disabled.”

  I really do love him. “Okay then, let’s go to dinner.”

  He shakes his head in amusement. “This is going to be an interesting night.” Maybe too interesting, but like I said, they deserve it.

  The time it took to do our magic makes us the last to arrive for dinner. The formal dining room has a long table that can seat up to twenty people. There are place settings arranged with little placards telling us where to sit. The only one from my group who isn’t sitting on the opposite side of the table from my grandfather is Tana. He has her seated to his right. Fatin and the wire haired Witch, and two other Witches I do not know, are present as well. They do not look any more pleased about the situation than Kallen or I do. None of the Fairies from outside are here. They must be security only.

  An interesting thing happens when I enter the room and take my seat. The room warms with a flood of magic that circles the table, doing what it has been commanded to do by my spell. All conversation comes to an abrupt end and mouths gape open.

  I learn several things in the next thirty seconds. One, the wire haired Witch is wearing a pink, lacy bra to match her pink, lacy thong. My mind is now tarnished forever by the sight of her underclothes. My grandfather is a tightie whitey vs. boxers kind of guy. I would have predicted that. Fatin likes to go commando. Really, really didn’t need to know that. Fortunately, the cloth napkins are large enough for him to cover up when he realizes what happened. One of the female Witches I haven’t met, a pretty, dark skinned woman with braided hair, a flat nose and strong cheek bones, also likes to go commando, at least on top. Goes with the hippie style she was sporting, I guess. Being smart guys, Kallen and Kegan find other places for their eyes to rest than on her chest. It must be laundry day for the other female Witch I haven’t met, a woman with a slightly hawkish nose and straight black hair that goes down to her butt. I think this because her granny panties have an ugly hole in them and her bra looks like it’s a size too small since she is in danger of popping out of it. Jadyn, sitting between the Witches and my group, remains fully clothed. That goes a long way towards trusting her.

  My red-face, apoplectic grandfather bellows, “What is the meaning of this?! What kind of sick game are you playing?”

  I pick up a spoon and try a taste of the French onion soup in front of me before I answer. Not bad. After another taste, I respond to his question. “It came to my attention, after I changed my clothes, that there is a video camera in my and Kallen’s room. It is my guess that there are also cameras in the other guest rooms as well.” Alita’s face blushes a deep scarlet and Kegan looks a little ill. Adriel is pissed. “Now, I suppose you could argue that I should have known you would do such a deplorable thing, but I guess I am still young and naïve. Lesson learned. Now, until these cameras, which do not work anymore by the way, are removed from our rooms and not replaced, along with any listening devices of course, anyone having knowledge that these cameras were being used will become as,” I purse my lips as if trying to find the right word, “vulnerable as we were whenever you are in my presence.”

  Horrified doesn’t even come close to the looks on the Witches’ faces. Jadyn, however, is trying hard not to laugh. She has to bring her napkin to her mouth and pretend to cough. Kallen is sitting back in his chair with a grin almost as evil as mine. Over the shock of being caught on camera, Kegan and Alita look vindicated as they glower in the Witches’ direction. Adriel is still just as pissed as she was a moment ago.

  Barely heard over the outrage, is Tana’s voice. Studiously averting her eyes from Grandpa’s abundant physique, she says, “Xandra, is this really necessary?” Her expression is neutral. She is neither horrified nor amused.

  I meet her dull green eyes with mine. “Yes.” She gives a barely perceptible shrug and takes another spoonful of soup.

  Cloth napkin barely in place, Fatin stands. His chair tips backwards with his momentum and he just barely catches himself before turning around to storm out. He only has one napkin.

  My darling Kallen has other plans for him. He creates a wall of magic that encircles us, preventing anyone from moving too far away from the table. There is a challenge in his eyes when they meet Fatin
’s. He hasn’t forgotten the Fairy traps the Witch and his cronies had used on him the first time they met. After careful consideration, and awkward movements, the Witch retrieves his chair and sits his bare butt back down.

  Loud enough to wake the recently dead, Grandpa shouts, “You will not behave this way in my house!” He bangs his fist on the table for extra effect. Soup bowls at his end of the table slosh over. Tana frowns at him before going back to eating.

  I scrunch my forehead slightly. “Isn’t it a tenet of Witch magic that what goes around, comes around, or something like that?”

  “That is not what this is,” Grandpa growls. “This is intimidation and humiliation.”

  I put my elbow on the table, ignoring the bad manners of the action, and tap a finger against my chin. “I am assuming that you are saying my actions are humiliating and intimidating but yours were not. Is the difference the fact that I did not hide my actions?” I look at Kallen. “What do you think?”

  Giving me an endearing smile, Kallen says, “I love that you are always brave enough to use your magic honestly and overtly. Hiding behind ceramic figurines is a cowardly thing to do. To answer your question, yes, I believe that is the difference your grandfather is attempting to use as rationale.”

  “Do something, make her stop this disgusting behavior,” Grandpa pleads to Tana.

  Shaking her head, she says, “As we discussed earlier, Xandra is a willful creature, unable to be controlled.” My amusement slides from my face and magic begins to boil deep within me. Continuing, she says, “That being said, it was beneath you to spy on guests in your home.”

  Is that shame on my grandfather’s face? I’m surprised he isn’t breaking out into an itchy rash because I thought he was allergic to the emotion. Blustering put on hold, he says, “The electronics were suggested by my security team.”

  “Hmm,” is Tana’s reply. Her soup bowl has to be close to empty now because she has not stopped eating while all of this has played out. At least she has her appetite back.

  Grandpa tries again. “They are rarely turned on.”

  Instead of replying this time, Tana sets her spoon down next to her bowl and moves her napkin from her lap to the table. She stands and face still neutral, she says, “I find my appetite has left me. I will retire for the evening.” She turns to Kallen and raises her eyebrows slightly. Understanding what she wants, Kallen drops his wall of magic. Without a look back at any of us, Tana leaves the room.

  Kegan watches her go and then says to Kallen, “Have you ever seen the Queen so disappointed in someone?”

  Kallen hesitates half a second before playing along. “No, I have not.” His voice is terse but not enough to suspect he is lying.

  One of the Witches I don’t know clears her throat. “May we leave?” She’s the one without the bra. I’m more than happy to get her out of here.

  Genially, as if she simply asked to be excused instead of being set free from a magical cage, I say, “Of course. It was nice to meet you.”

  It’s not a surprise when she doesn’t repeat the sentiment. With a nod to my grandfather, she walks out of the room with her head held high. Good for her. I’m just happy to see she has underwear on.

  Grabbing another napkin, Fatin rises as well and says to Grandpa, “We will meet in the morning and I will help you work out this,” he glares at me, “problem.”

  I give a little princess wave in his direction. “Bye.”

  The remaining Witches follow suit until Grandpa is alone at his end of the table. He has been grinding his jaw hard as he watched his friends leave. I expect his teeth to be only half the size they were when he opens his mouth again.

  Finally, when the last Witch has left, the bluster goes out of him like a flag no longer in the wind. “Xandra, why are you here? You know how the Witches feel about you. Even if we had a relationship, fear of your power and dislike of your brash personality would make it impossible for you to be Queen someday.”

  That hurts a lot more than I thought it would. I actually feel moisture growing in my eyes. I’m hoping the heat and humidity in the room have risen to the point that my eyeballs are sweating because I certainly cannot be crying over something my grandfather said to me.

  Saving me from having to reply to his insults, Adriel rises from her seat and walks slowly to Grandpa, like a panther stalking prey. When she reaches the place Tana had sat, she puts her hands on the table and looms over him. He leans back in his chair but doesn’t get up. There is fear in his eyes, though, as he looks at the petite, blonde, and beautiful Fallen Angel. Smart man.

  In a voice that makes me want to leave the room, she says, “When you die, your soul will come to me to be stripped of every last bit of darkness. When I have you in my hands after you have been judged, there will be no mercy, no consideration for your pain. I can already see that your soul is filthy with the residue of the deeds you have committed against your kind and mine and I will enjoy every second of our time together. When I am done, there will not be enough of your soul to be reincarnated as a Patu Digua spider. That means that if there is any good left within you, it will be so miniscule that it cannot move on. It will reside in the Shadow realm for eternity. I alone have the power to intercede, to save you from the Shadows. Keep that in mind as you decide whether you stand with my very dear friend, your granddaughter, or against her.”

  Not everything she said is exactly true, Rashnu is her boss and she is one scary Angel, and there are other Angels of Death. But just as my grandfather does, I know Adriel will make sure she is the only one to have power over his soul remnants. Having said her peace, Adriel strides from the dining room leaving my grandfather open mouthed and terrified. That speech alone makes me glad she came with us.

  “You should know,” Kegan says to my grandfather, “Adriel never makes a promise she does not plan to keep.” With a glance in our direction, he says, “I believe we will retire as well. We want to be well rested for whatever tomorrow may bring.” There is a promise in his voice. A promise that says whatever happens, he and Alita are with us until the very end.

  What a crappy way to spend their honeymoon. Guilt is warring with my pride in having such generous, loyal friends. I’ll have to find a way to make this up to them someday.

  There are only four of us left in the dining room now. Jadyn has been silent this whole time, enjoying the show. It seems she is in it until the very end as well. I just have to figure out whose side she’s really on.

  Grandpa leans his paunch forward until he can rest his elbows on the table and puts his face in his hands. He rubs his wrinkled skin with great force. Maybe he thinks if he can rub hard enough, he can erase me from his life. He won’t get that lucky.

  Finally, he lifts dull, tired and now twitching eyes to me. “Xandra, what is it that you want from me?”

  Good question. I want his eyelid to stop going crazy because it’s really annoying to watch. I want him to have a stronger mind. I want him to stop associating with evil Witches. I want him to disappear so I don’t ever have to worry about him again. Deep, deep down, I want him to act like a grandfather should. I know that’s not going to happen, so I try not to want it too much. Maybe I could put him and his Witan under a sleeping spell that’ll last for eternity. Then I can go home and not have to think about any of them ever again. Knowing none of that is going to happen, I say, “I came to make sure you’re okay. I came to see if your weak mind is once again being controlled.” That came out meaner than I had intended. I find I don’t care.

  With a slight shake of his head, he says, “You are as willful and stubborn as your mother.” There is almost a smile behind those words. Almost. There is a scowl behind his next ones. “It is difficult enough controlling the world of magic. I don’t need your bad behavior getting in the way.”

  “Are you in control?” Kallen asks. His question doesn’t sound mean or accusatory, more matter-of-fact.

  Grandpa’s head lifts and his eyes flash with anger. They’re on his tongue
, the words to put Kallen in his place for asking such a question, but the words stay right there. He doesn’t let them go any further. Pushing back his chair, every bit of his age showing in his slow movements, he says, “I suppose that is for you to decide.” With as much pride as a King can muster in his tightie-whities, Grandpa leaves the room.

  Chapter 18

  Jadyn stands. “I will instruct the staff to bring the rest of your dinner to the library upstairs. I am sure your friends are still hungry.” Her voice is pleasant and her demeanor calm. “Is there anything else you need this evening?”

  “A cure for asinine Witches,” I mutter under my breath.

  Amused, she says, “I am afraid we are fresh out of those. Perhaps I can find one online.”

  I give her a weak smile. “I’ve looked already.” Kallen and I stand, ready to get out of this room. “So, no, we’re good. Thanks.” Jadyn nods and leaves, presumably to have our dinner brought upstairs.