Hex Appeal (29 page)

No kidding.

Do you have a plan?

Yeah, kick some vamp and wizard ass.
She took a deep breath and forged ahead.

When Jazz entered the large chamber, she found long wooden tables filled with various beakers and glass jars filled with contents she didn't care to further investigate. A large ornate leather-bound book of spells sat open on a carved ebony bookstand. The man who resembled a living skeleton wearing a dark blue robe stood at one end of the chamber facing an image of Angelica reflected on the stone.

The only good thing about the scene in front of her was watching an old enemy get his butt handed to him by a furious Angelica.

“This final dream spell is important,” Angelica ranted. “You must make sure she cannot wake up from it and I want it to look as if Nikolai Gregorivich is to blame for her death. That way both of them are taken care of. Considering his feelings for her, it will be assumed he killed her in a fit of anger.”

“What about the mortal in her house?” The wizard that Jazz knew as Dyfynnog, a powerful wizard with a sadistic streak and the owner of Fluff and Puff until Jazz
appropriated
the slippers from him. Since she had proof he had abused the bunny slippers in such a way the elder wizards would have gotten involved, he chose not to demand their return and Jazz promised to stay out of his territory and he out of hers. Now it appeared he'd found a way around that vow, so she was determined to put a stop to it...and him.

Unfortunately, her temper got the better of her.

“Because of your nasty little spells, I haven't had a good night's sleep for weeks!” she shouted, stepping into the chamber and throwing down a fireball that exploded near one of the tables. Luckily, the flame fizzled out as soon as it struck the floor, otherwise, the table would have gone up in flames.

Dyfynnog spun around. “How did you get here?” he demanded, a snarl on his lips. “This realm is protected.” He raised a gnarled hand; the palm etched with arcane magickal symbols that pulsed with his anger.

Krebs would have backed up, but Nick kept a hand against the middle of his back and pushed him forward instead, while Irma looked around in wide-eyed wonder.

“You are so busted!” Jazz was too lost in her anger to think exactly what she was facing; as in a 2,000-year-old wizard with more power in his fingernail than she had in her entire body. But Jazz was on a roll and she knew she had right on her side.

He pointed his finger at her, a strange reddish-orange light streaming from the tip. “You took my property!”

She was quick enough to dodge from it, while the light shone through Irma's body.

“I
rescued
them from your abuse. While you ruined my sleep, sent me disgusting nightmares, and had me dreaming I was driving a
minivan!”
She continued to advance on him, but kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't make any wrong moves. “Not to mention giving me the
worst 48 hours of my life
by making me mortal!”

The wizard looked at the three behind her. “Vampire, spirit, and human. So that is how you entered the realm. But do you think they can protect you?”

Jazz chanced a quick look at the stone wall that had harbored Angelica's image. Naturally, she was gone. She'd probably left the moment she saw Jazz and her crew. It didn't matter. She'd find a way to get the bloodsucking bitch too.

“You have broken so many laws among all our communities that you deserve to be destroyed a million times over,” she declared, making sure to keep a potions-covered table between him and her.

Dyfynnog sneered and shot a blazing blue light toward Irma. The ghost's mouth opened in a silent scream of horror. At the same time her image wavered and appeared to melt.

“
No!
” Jazz threw out her hands, instinctively sending a blast of cold power toward the light instead of Irma, deflecting the stream to one of the tables, detonating a bottle of bubbling mustard yellow liquid. The boom was loud enough to injure ears and the smell acrid enough to burn their nasal passages. Only Jazz's quick thinking sent a protective bubble around the other three.

“I told you, this battle is with me,” she growled, moving toward him. “Who thought this up? You or Angelica? Who found who? Something tells me Angelica, because while you have a totally insane sadistic nature, you aren't inventive enough to think about fooling with peoples' dreams. That sounds more like something Angelica would come up with,” she said, removing the protective bubble.

“What did she promise you, wizard?” Nick asked. “What did she say you could have if you invaded my dreams, twisted my darkest thoughts?” His fangs dropped and his eyes turned a deadly red as he moved slowly around the other side of the room.

“Stay with me,” Irma could be heard whispering to Krebs.

“Oh yeah, you make a great shield,” he muttered.

“
How?
” Nick roared.

Dyfynnog looked down his nose at Nick with all the disdain a lofty wizard could impart. “You are
nothing
to me, vampire, but I must say your deepest fears were interesting.” His gaze turned sly.

Nick's face seemed to have turned to stone.

Jazz's gaze shifted from one to the other. She could feel the abrupt change in the cavern's atmosphere and it wasn't good.

“What smells so bad in here?” Irma walked over to one of the tables. Her nose wrinkled up as something foul drifted up out of a beaker.

“You don't want to know.” Jazz watched the war of wills between vampire and wizard and knew if she didn't step in quickly, the battle would intensify to something none of them would be able to control. She knew what Dyfynnog was like. She had studied his nature and habits for some time before she had crept into his castle one late night to rescue a pair of bunny slippers that had been magickally created for his own dark-natured fun and games. From the day she liberated Fluff and Puff from their torture chamber, the slippers had been loyal to her and she had vowed to keep them safe. She just knew if she lost the battle here, Dyfynnog would take back the slippers and they would suffer unimaginable trials under his machinations.

It's always up to the witch,
she fussed and fumed.

She had no idea what she would do. No idea what would work against someone this powerful, but that hadn't stopped her before.

What do you intend to do?
Nick's words inside her head were calming in their own way.

Hell if I know.
I'm flying without a broom here.
She took a deep breath and just spoke from the heart.

“Four stand together. Four stand apart. All invincible in their own way. Ye must do as I say. No appeal on your part. No vengeance.” She spoke in a voice that throbbed with a fury she knew she couldn't unleash. “We leave ye alone. Ye leave us alone. And harm shall come to none. But if ye enter our worlds again, ye shall suffer one-hundred-fold as ye have made others suffer.” She held up her palm, displaying a tiny flame the same color as the amethyst that winked from the broom charm that dangled from her gold ankle bracelet. The flame slowly grew in size until it spilled out over her hand. “
Leave us alone!
Because I say so, damn it!” She pursed her lips and blew the flame toward him. It floated in the air until it rose up and wrapped around Dyfynnog in a blanket of cold fire.

“You can't defeat me!” he shouted, waving his arms in a vain attempt to dispel the flames.

“You're finished, Dyfynnog. You've escaped punishment too many times. This time your crimes include mortals and spirits. Your elders won't like that.” Jazz deliberately turned her back on him and walked toward Irma and Krebs. “Let's go.” Nick obligingly took up the rear.

“Your day is coming, witch!” Dyfynnog screamed after her from his prison of flames.

She stopped to give him one look. “You know what? I've heard that for years now and I'm still walking around. While you...” she flung her hands outward. The legs under the tables collapsed and beakers and bottles slid onto the floor, breaking and releasing their contents, “have nothing.”

“That flame won't keep him prisoner forever,” Nick said as Jazz led them out of the nightmare realm.

“No, but it will slow him down until I can report him to the wizard elders. Then they can deal with him.”

“He tried to turn me into goo,” Irma grumbled, pausing long enough to tighten one of her curlers.

“He's good at that.” Jazz stopped and indicated they form a circle with hands clasped. “

“We're not going to go back and find ourselves in the wrong bodies, are we?” Krebs asked. “Things can happen!”

“You'll return to your body and with luck, you might even find yourself in your bed.” She took a deep breath. “We have seen. We have defeated. We ask the Dream Master permission to leave this realm and return to our own. And we ask that the one who has tainted his realm be punished for his misdeeds. Because I say so, damn it!”

Jazz felt Nick's hand tighten his grip as the same tornado seemed to lift them up and return them to her room. When she opened her eyes she found only she and Nick present.

“I feel like Dorothy returning to Kansas! It's good to be home!” she heard Krebs shout from the room below.

Jazz laughed and grabbed Nick, tumbling them both backwards onto her bed.

Fluff and Puff screeched a welcome and scampered up the bed and swooped over them. Croc and Delilah were right behind them.

“I'd say they know what you did,” Nick said, fondling Puff's ears. The slipper practically purred from the attention while Fluff snuggled under Jazz's arm. The stilettos tried to find their way into his lap, but Jazz rescued him and warned them to behave themselves.

“I think they've always been aware of Dyfynnog even when he was far away.” She scratched Fluff's head between his ears. “Maybe now that link has finally been dissolved.”

Nick rolled over onto his side, keeping Puff cradled against his chest. Both slippers now hummed from contentment. He reached over the two furry heads and two crocodile ones to cradle Jazz's cheek in his palm.

“He'll do his best to discredit you,” he murmured.

“He can try.” She knew she sounded cockier than she felt inside, but her hatred for the evil wizard was still simmering strong inside of her. “Another reason why I wanted witnesses.”

“No supernatural court would accept the word of a mortal,” he reminded her. “Especially when the charges are against someone like Dyfynnog.”

“He tried to dissolve a spirit and that other spell would have destroyed all three of you. I should have taken video,” she mused. “Did you see his face when I deflected that stream against Irma? I thought he'd have a stroke. Too bad he didn't.”

Nick shook his head. “You took a chance.”

“And I won.”

“No, you didn't. You merely built a wall between you that one day he'll scale and he'll come after you.” He set Puff down on the black and white comforter and sat up.

“Aren't you staying?” Jazz felt high with success. Her blood was thrumming with excitement and she knew the perfect way to celebrate her triumph.

“No, I need to get back.” He stood up with fluid grace. He walked around the bed to drop a kiss on her lips that started out light then deepened. When he lifted his head, she felt the heat racing through her blood.

“Are you sure?” she asked archly.

For a moment, a hint of regret darkened his eyes. “Yes. Be proud of yourself, Jazz. You vindicated Fluff and Puff and you stopped Dyfynnog from creating any more bad dreams.”

“But Angelica is still at large.” She rolled over onto her back, allowing Fluff and Puff to slide over her prone body. Croc and Delilah had left the bed and tried to climb their way onto her dresser.

Nick returned to the bed and leaned over her, a hand planted on either side of her. “Be very careful, Jazz. She's not one to trifle with and she holds grudges for centuries.”

She shrugged off his warning. “I don't want to trifle with her. She might have great fashion sense, but I still want to see her as a huge pile of ash.”

He straightened up.

“If you don't have anything going on tonight, wouldn't you rather go out?” she asked, feeling the need to celebrate. “Find a fun club for some dancing.” She smiled and shimmied her shoulders as best she could what with the footwear all over her.

“I'll call you later.” Nick kissed her again and left the room.

Jazz lay on the bed, knowing she wouldn't hear Nick's footsteps on the stairs. If she hadn't strained her ears she wouldn't have even heard the soft click of the front door as it opened and closed.

“The man definitely needs some fun,” she murmured, hugging the slippers to her as she drifted off to sleep.

Jazz had barely closed her eyes only to find them popping open as she stood barefoot in her lilac robe on a cold stone floor facing a much too familiar ornate table with stern-faced witches seated across from her. The most daunting was the witch who was seated in the center.

Oh, this is not good.

“You take chances, young Griet of Ardglass,” Eurydice declared in a voice that echoed off the stone chamber.

If Jazz thought Eurydice was daunting, a more irritating sight was a chair off to her left. The woman seated in it looked much too smug as she smiled at Jazz, revealing a hint of fang. Her velvet gown was blood red, low cut, and dropped to her ankles, revealing a pair of red high heels that Jazz might have coveted if she wasn't positive they were as tainted as their owner. A blood red ruby ring sparkled on her ring finger with a matching stone embedded in a gold pendant that bisected her cleavage.

Oh yes, this isn't good at all.

“Our association with the vampire community is tenuous at best, but your accusation that the director is guilty of a magickal crime goes beyond the pale,” Eurydice went on.

“She started it,” Jazz muttered, earning a silent warning from the headmistress of the Witches' Academy and head witch of the Witches' Council. She knew the next time wouldn't be a warning. Her lips would be zipped shut. Perhaps permanently if she wasn't careful.

“And you know if a wizard targets others you must inform the proper authorities. Not take matters into your own hands. Dyfynnog would then be reprimanded and placed on a watch list.”

Her jaw dropped. “A
reprimand?
I was almost killed, as were my friends! He arranged to have Fluff and Puff accused of murder. He almost destroyed a harmless ghost who never did anything to him and all they'd do is slap him on the back of the hand?” No way she'd let Irma know she called her harmless. The spirit would find a way to whomp her for that comment. “So he had a grudge against me. Fine, keep it against me and not bring in others. He didn't play fair.”

“Wizards never play fair.” Eurydice's nostrils flared. “Still, your actions could have created a turmoil between the witches, wizards, and vampires. For that, you shall be punished.”

“I am glad to see you understand what needs to be done.” Angelica spoke up, the smile on her face innocuous, but Jazz could easily smell the bullshit behind it. Jazz idly wondered what the vampire bitch would look like with a fireball on her head.

“And it shall.” Eurydice's smile was equally unpleasant.

For a moment, Jazz was worried that the head witch had read her thoughts then she realized the woman was speaking to Angelica.

The vampire settled back in her throne-like chair, waiting for the hammer to drop on Jazz's head. Jazz hated the vampire with a fire that sent her blood boiling and the idea that the bloodsucking bitch would be present for her punishment was beyond unthinkable.

“Thank you for coming, Angelica.”

The vampire's smile dimmed. “But I thought I would—” She disappeared in the wink of an eye. Her displeasure at not being there to see Jazz suffer lingered in the air like a bad smell.

Once Angelica was banished back to her world, Jazz unfortunately opened her mouth. “Why couldn't I sense it was her behind it all?”

“You are still a young witchling with much to learn,” Eurydice informed her. “Especially in the area of thinking before acting.”

“And if I'd thought too much we all would have been dead in that cavern. Even with your edict we would be banished with only the power we had at the time; mine has grown over the years! I still should have known what she was up to.”

Eurydice looked at her as if she looked at a small child that amused her. “Reasons for everything. But you still do not have as much power as you would have had if you had not transgressed. That you risk your life for your friends is admirable, Griet. But you risked a tenuous link we have forged with the vampires and that we cannot allow. Therefore, fifty years has been added to your banishment.” She flicked her fingers at a plumed pen, which wrote across a scroll. “And I advise you to remain out of Angelica's sight for some time.”

“That I'm more than willing to do as long as she stays out of my way too.” She was relieved her punishment wasn't worse and she had to wonder why not. Of course, she could tell that Eurydice didn't think too much of the vampire any more than she did. So maybe she should count her blessings.

“Life for you and your sister witches will be not easy. Things are brewing. I suggest you watch yourself carefully, young Griet, and don't appear before us for some time.”

If Jazz expected to be zapped back to her bed, she was sadly mistaken.

This is that nightmare where I walk naked through the mall and not a credit card to my name.

She still wore her lilac robe, but now the hood covered her hair. She gritted her teeth not to shift back and forth on a stone floor that was freezing to her bare feet.

Jazz stared straight ahead. Power the likes of which she'd never seen before wrapped the ten throne-like chairs that lined the red carpeted dais. Two wizards, two witches, one of whom was Eurydice, two vampires, one of which was Angelica and so not a good thing for Jazz, two Weres, and two Faeries sat there with a tall vampire on one end and a Were on the other. Torches flared to life along the stone wall, adding yellow-orange light to the dark room.

The vampire bared his fangs at her and the Were merely stared at her as if she looked like a nice snack.

She stood in the presence of the Ruling Council.

Remembering her training, Jazz slowly inclined her head, making sure to bow to each member. Forgetting one was a slight that usually meant a limb chopped off.

“I do hope this means this
child
will be properly punished.” Angelica was the first to speak. Her dark eyes gleamed red with malice and more than a hint of bloodlust.

“You were the one to call us together, Angelica.” An ancient vampire named Mazcot idly inspected long yellowed nails. Jazz noticed his fangs were equally yellow.

“If anyone wanted to bring the witch before the Ruling Council, it would have been us,” one of the Weres spoke up. “After all, she did destroy one of us.”

“The spell used to destroy the Wereweasel was not of Griet's making,” Eurydice corrected him.

Angelica turned to the two wizards. “She killed one of your own. Dyfynnog was a great and powerful wizard. Why aren't you demanding her death?”

Jazz practically ground her teeth together to make sure she didn't open her mouth and say the wrong thing and end up burned to a charcoal briquette in seconds. With all the suffocating power in the room it would be way too easy to happen. But then, Jazz wasn't known for keeping her mouth shut.

“Dyfynnog was a sadist of the first order,” she argued. “He didn't work for the good of the magickal community. He preferred inflicting pain and death on those who didn't deserve it. He enslaved creatures, forcing them to do his bidding.”

Angelica smiled, allowing a hint of fang to show.

“Ah, yes, your precious little slippers. The ones who have been accused more than once of eating either magickal or mortal.”

“There was no proof they ate that squirrel!” Jazz barely held back her snarl. “They're not dangerous. They just get into mischief sometimes. But I keep them under control.”

“How lovely, the uncontrollable witch controls equally uncontrollable slippers,” Angelica sneered. “I demand Griet be tried for her attack on the great wizard Dyfynnog and her crimes against magick.”

Jazz felt her legs turn to liquid. Talk about an automatic death sentence! Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Reinhold's broad smile.

“Griet of Ardglass, why did you seek out Dyfynnog and attack him?” Eurydice asked.

She wet her lips and forced her brain into gear.

“I didn't purposely seek out Dyfynnog,” she said slowly. “I was looking for the one who was behind a series of nightmares and a plot to accuse Fluff and Puff of eating a member of the Were-pack. It wasn't until I confronted Dyfynnog and Angelica that I knew just who was behind it.” She faced the cold-faced vampire with a steel resolve she didn't wholly feel inside.

“Lies!” Angelica half-rose out of her seat. “How dare you!”

“How dare you!” Jazz retorted, forgetting her intention of remaining calm. “I don't even know you and you worked with Dyfynnog to ruin my sleep, a spell was cast to rob me of my power for forty-eight hours, and you fixed it so Fluff and Puff had to be put in bunny jail! So if we're keeping score, I'd say you're way ahead on the bad meter.” She froze the minute the last words left her lips.
Open mouth, insert both feet and the slippers too.

Both wizards turned to face Angelica, whose normally translucent skin was a mottled shade of red and purple.

“Is this true, Angelica? Did you work with Dyfynnog?” Pithias, the eldest wizard asked in a breathy creaky voice.

“I did not know it was a crime for a vampire to befriend a wizard.”

“It is if you use that friendship to attack members of the magickal community,” Eurydice said. “We must work together, Angelica. You know how important it is for us to remain united.”

“Griet does what she wishes,” Angelica argued. “If anyone doesn't understand the meaning of united, it is she.”

“Is this personal, Angelica?” Jazz asked. “Because I honestly don't understand why you despise me so much. After all, look at all you've done. You're now the director of the Protectorate. The first female to ever attain that right. So why would a lowly witch such as myself be considered a threat to you?”

Angelica sat up straighter in her chair. “You're right, you're nothing to me.” For a moment, red flared up in her eyes. “But your actions have worried many of us. Bringing you here shows that I am merely doing my duty by bringing those deeds to light.”

Eurydice fingered the large emerald ring that graced her slender fingers. “Are you intending to file charges against Griet?”

For a moment it looked as if Angelica would grind her fangs down to nubs. “No,” she said finally and very reluctantly. “Although I would like there to be a warning given.”

“That shall be done.” Pithias agreed. He turned to his counterpart and a silent conversation took place. After the second wizard nodded his head, Pithias turned to face Jazz. “Griet of Ardglass. While your manner of dealing with your foes could be considered unconventional, I must say that you show a strong loyalty to your friends and the need to protect those who might not be able to protect themselves. It is strongly suggested you do not meddle where it is not safe. If there is to be punishment, that will be left to Eurydice.” He nodded toward the head of the Witches' Council who inclined her head in response. “Angelica, as one of our leaders, you must remember that we all hold ourselves to a much higher standard. While your dealings with Dyfynnog may have been beyond reproach.” He glanced at Jazz who started to open her mouth then clapped it shut. “We still must be cautious.”

Angelica's smile was as cold as her non-beating heart. “The director of the Protectorate is invulnerable to any sanctions.”

“Not so,” Fergus, one of the Weres spoke up. He glanced at Jazz and waved his hand.

“But—” Just like that Jazz was back in bed.

“Damn it!” She pounded her pillow. “And just when it was getting good too! I wanted to see her get what's due her.”

That would not be a good idea.
Eurydice's voice rang loud and strong in her head.
Just be grateful that you were spared.

So that means I don't have to write
I will not try to kill Angelica
one million times?
She winced as pain flared against the back of her head as if someone had thumped her.

Be grateful no one cared for Dyfynnog and they all knew what he was truly like. And for once,
behave yourself!

The head witch left her head as easily as she had entered.

Jazz jumped out of bed and dressed in record time.

“I can't believe we're all still in one piece,” Krebs greeted her as she danced into the kitchen and hugged him

“Neither can I.” She poured coffee into a travel mug. She stopped to glance at paperwork littering the table. One printed word stood out and she squealed, hopping into Krebs's arms and hugging him tightly. “Thank you! Thank you!”

“Don't think the spa is just for you. I'll be using it too and I'll expect you to be totally gone when I have company over.” He laughed. “But I still want your input in what we want for a design.”

“Yes, yes, yes, and the duckies will be sooooo happy. They get cramped in the tub sometimes. They can use the sun.” She kissed him on the cheek. “And I promise they won't invite over their friends.”

“You know what? After what I saw last night, I'll pretty much believe anything. Are you sure he'll be up after last night? It's daytime, you know,” he told her, knowing exactly where she was heading.

“He'll be up.” She wondered if he had been called before the Vampire Council for his part in defeating Dyfynnog. Angelica hadn't said anything about Nick, but Jazz knew the fangy shrew wanted to create trouble. If Angelica did manage to make trouble for Nick then Jazz would get all witchy on the female vampire, no matter what the Ruling Council said.

When Jazz entered the carriage house she found Irma cooing nonsensical words to the dog whose tail wagged madly while Irma used a grooming brush Jazz had conjured up for her.

“How about a trip to the boardwalk?” Jazz asked.

“I'm sure Sirius would like that.” Irma beamed.

“Sirius, huh? The dog star.” Jazz skimmed her hand over the top of the dog's head. He looked up and panted happily as if he enjoyed the pampering. “It suits him.” She waited as Irma and Sirius climbed into the car. “It's a gorgeous day and we're going out to enjoy it.”