Anya Bast - Witch Fury

“You never answered my question.” Adam danced toward him playfully, sword in hand. “Admit you think she’s cute.” Theo took a step backward and was forced to set his water down. “Adam, I’m not in the mood for games.” He danced closer, blade at the ready. “Fuck, Theo, when are you ever? Come on, admit you think she’s cute. It’s not a hard thing to do.” Adam feinted, making Theo duck and back away.

Theo was forced to take his sword back up and block Adam’s jab. “Gods damn it, you’re a fucking pain in the ass.” “Like that’s news.” He slashed upward toward Theo’s chest and Theo blocked his swing. Metal clanging on metal filled the air anew. The hit reverberated down his arm. “Admit it already.” “Don’t make me hurt you, Adam.” Theo growled.

Adam took a swing that Theo blocked at the last second. “Just admit it.” “Yeah, okay, fuck! She’s cute!”

Adam raised an eyebrow and turned on his heel, bringing his blade down fast and hard toward him. “Now we’re getting somewhere.” Theo had only a moment to wonder why Adam cared what he thought about Sarafina before he was on the offensive and back in the battle again.

* * *

THE IMPRINT OF THEO’S KISS STILL WEIGHED ON Sarafina’s lips. The time that had passed since he’d pressed her up against the wall hadn’t diminished it. In fact, every time Theo looked at her — which was never directly these days — the memory became even heavier.

She shifted on the small couch she sat on and tried to focus on Thomas’s update and not on Theo, who leaned against a nearby wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

They’d gathered in one of the Coven’s general meeting/ receiving rooms. All of them were lushly furnished with overstuffed couches and chairs and had fresh flowers on the tables.

Somehow, some way, she’d been admitted into the Coven’s inner circle. She’d gone from non-magickal office worker, to being a suspected warlock, to being a confirmed fire witch who was intimately involved in the most powerful witchy organization of the realm.

She couldn’t think about it too much without seriously doubting her sanity, so she didn’t. Going with the flow seemed the best way to proceed at this point.

Sarafina assumed she’d been included in the inner circle because of her as of yet unknown special status. That she was of interest to Stefan Faucheux and his pet daaeman , Bai, was not in question. But for whatever reason they’d decided to include her, she’d been summoned along with about fifteen other witches to listen to periodic updates made by Thomas and Micah.

Even Isabelle’s perfectly groomed and highly fashionable mother, Catalina, was here for this discussion. Catalina, so Sarafina had been told, was doing her best to mend her relationship with her daughter. Apparently, when Isabelle had been growing up, Catalina hadn’t parented her well. However, now she was trying her best to make it up to her daughter, and so spent a lot of time at the Coven.

Today there were representatives from the East and West Coast Covens, too, an occurrence she’d gathered was rare. The Chicago Coven was not only the witchy headquarters for all the Midwest and the South, it was also the largest coven in the United States. However, there were smaller covens in Boston and San Francisco as well. Today Eleanor Pickens, an earth witch, had come in from the San Francisco Coven, and Darren Westcott, a water witch, had come from the Boston Coven.

The news they’d borne had not been comforting.

“There have been two killings that seem daaeman -like to us,” said Eleanor. She nodded at Darren, who sat on a chair not far from Sarafina. “Darren says they’ve had one in their area, too. Now, it could be a sick serial killer, but seeing as how the murders are scattered all over the country, it seems unlikely. The victims weren’t witches, but they were dismembered and disemboweled like an Atrika would do it. Not killed for blood magick, but likely for sport.” “So you’re suggesting Atrika are loose all over the country?” Micah interjected.

Eleanor shrugged. “You tell me. I’m just stating the facts. We’ve already established that the warlocks are getting rowdy everywhere, kidnapping more often, and taking bigger risks to build up their ranks. We’ve already established that there’s at least one Atrika Earthside.” Eleanor jerked her chin at Sarafina. “The one that’s so interested in her.” What a depressing thing to be known for.

Eleanor continued, “We don’t know how that one came through, so it’s not really a big leap to assume that others came through, too.” Silence.

Sarafina shivered, imagining more than one Bai loose in the world.

Micah cleared his throat and sat forward in his seat. “I think we should dangle a few juicy prospects in front of the Duskoff, hope they take the bait, and get some of our people in there to see what’s going on. There are a few Coven witches who look younger than they are, and who have backgrounds that would make them seem like good recruitment material. We should talk to them and see if they’re willing.” Thomas shifted and drew everyone’s eye. He walked from where he’d been standing by a wall into the center of the room. “We talked about this before and I have misgivings. First, there’s no telling if we managed to get witches undercover into the Duskoff whether they’d be privy to any of the warlock’s sensitive information. They’d be considered merely soldiers, nothing special. Second, it’s too big a risk. If the witches who go in are discovered, they’re dead. Simple as that.” “You talk about risk, Thomas,” Eleanor interjected. “What about the risk to all of us if the Duskoff have somehow allied with the Atrika ? Imagine a world overrun with the most violent daaeman breed, led by the warlocks? Try to imagine the carnage to both witch and humankind.” Sarafina hadn’t been around when Erasmus Boyle had terrorized the Coven, or when the other two daaeman had come through hunting Claire. Yet she knew all too well what a creature like Bai was capable of. She thought about Maria, Robin, Nick, and the rest of her friends. What if Atrika ran amok on Earth? What if a daaeman got their claws into one of them?

The thought was terrifying.

“You’re right, Eleanor. I know what you’re saying,” Thomas answered. “But it’s too much to ask—” “I’ll do it,” she announced. The abrupt words made even Sarafina jump in surprise. Theo’s head swung toward her, his eyes going dark. “I’ll go. I’ll do it.”

HER VOICE WAS SHAKING A LITTLE. “THE DUSKOFF will let me in. Stefan was all buddy-buddy with me, remember? I can go back to him, say I’ve thought things over and I want to join them. I can get Stefan to tell me what’s up and I can find out why I’m so special to them all in one go.” “No way in hell,” Theo interjected from where he stood near the wall. He unfolded his arms from across his chest and took a step forward into the room. He seemed to fill it suddenly, and every inch of him was menacing. “You’ve got an Atrika after you, Sarafina. Have you forgotten?” “No, I most definitely haven’t forgotten,” she countered, staring up at him. Anger laced her words and made them sound hard. “That’s one of the reasons I’m volunteering. I need to find out what the hell is going on. I don’t want to just hide in the Coven and wait for him to come back for me.” Theo fisted a hand at his side and a muscle twitched in his jaw. “You’re barely a witch, Sarafina. Your training isn’t even finished yet and you’d be putting yourself right into their nest without any backup.” “That’s bull, Theo, and you know it. I’m strong. Exceptionally strong, isn’t that what you told me?” “In healing you’re exceptionally strong, Sarafina. You’re stronger than most with fire, but you lack the skill to wield it properly. You’re not ready for something like this.” She continued on as if he hadn’t spoken. “And the fact that I’m inexperienced works in my favor. I’ll tell Stefan I spent some time here at the Coven, but you-all were too goody-goody for me. I’ll tell him I want to be with the ones who can help me maximize my skills and turn a profit from them.” She paused. “I was in theater in high school. I can do this.” Theo glared down at her. “No. Gods damn it, getting the lead in My Fair Lady can’t prepare you for something like this.” She bristled. “You’re not my—”