Red Witch: Book Two of the Wizard Born Series (33 page)

“Mmm.” He fingered his lower lip. “Oh, by the way, Melanie had a good idea about how to get the witches to tell you where you are. Can you get into their dreams?”

“Ew!” She made a face. “What for?”

“To give ’em nightmares. Keep ’em awake for a few nights and they’ll slip up, I bet.”

“I’m pretty sure I can do it, but it’s so…gross.” She stuck out her tongue.

“Think of it as a way to get even with them for torturing you with that doll.”

Her face brightened. “Wouldn’t mind doing that.” She narrowed her eyes and nodded. “But not tonight. It’s Christmas.” She put her arms around his neck and looked at him suggestively.

“Fred, I’ve been thinking.”

“Think later. Kiss now.”

“No, hear me out, before I forget. You know how you believe you’re a lot more powerful than those other two witches? And we were thinking that it’s because you got some of my magic when our mom’s touched bellies when they were pregnant and all that?”

“And playing in your yard, too. I probably absorbed some of Eddan’s magic there.”

“Right. Let’s suppose you did, but….” He held up one finger. “Suppose, just suppose, that you were
born
to be a witch. That you were already a witch before our moms even met.”

“Huh? That’s nuts.”

“I don’t think so. We can assume now that a certain percentage of witches naturally occur in the human population and —”

She put a finger to his lips. “No geek-talk, please.”

“Okay. But witches are born naturally, anyway, like Rita and Cassandra, right? So think about what our moms said about the time they met in Lamaze class. You and I started kicking in their wombs like crazy
before
they even touched.”

“Like we wanted to meet each other. That’s what my mom said.”

“I think that you were already a witch and I was a sorcerer, and we sensed each other’s magic when our moms got us close together. That’s why we kicked so hard.”

Fred gave a little shrug. “Could be.”

“And you absorbed more magic when our moms touched and from playing in my back yard and stuff. You got an extra helpin’ of magic mojo!” He grinned. “That’s why you’re stronger than the average witch.”

Fred pursed her lips and looked at the opposite wall. “Maybe. Just maybe.” She looked at Jamie. “I overheard Rita tell Cassandra that she thinks I may be stronger than the voodoo queen that gave them the doll.”

“Wow. What are the chances of a sorcerer and a witch being boyfriend and girlfriend? Wonder what the odds are.”

She dragged her fingertip slowly along the edge of his jaw. “Did you ever stop to think that it wasn’t chance at all? That maybe we were fated to be together? Hmm?”

“You mean, like there’s a higher power involved?”

“Just giving you a little something to think about, Mr. Science.”

Chapter 32

Fred’s nose itched and she rubbed it with the back of her hand to suppress the sneeze she felt coming on. Dust and bits of herbs littered the table in front of her, and the particles that had become airborne had found their way into her eyes, forcing her to blink constantly as they watered.

“You need to work faster, Fred,” Rita said, sitting on the other side of the folding table with Cassandra.

“I’m going as fast as I can.” Fred pressed the pestle into the mortar. “Why don’t you get a food processor or something if you want to make big batches of this stuff?”

“You still need to connect magically with it. I don’t think you can do that with a food processor.”

Fred had connected with the spells so many times, she barely thought about it anymore as she worked. It was automatic. “I — can — certainly — try,” she grunted as she ground. She stopped and shook her hand. “I’m getting a cramp. How many have I made?”

Cassandra counted the little plastic zip-top bags in front of her. “Twenty-seven. Only…uh….”

“Twenty-three to go,” Rita finished for her.

“How did you get so many orders for love powder?” Fred said, dumping the contents of the dark green ceramic mortar into the white bowl beside her.

“We did a website like you said. Percy made it for us.” Rita proudly held up a bag and waved it at Fred. “We got almost fifty orders for these on the first day. The very first day! You were right.”

“Percy…that’s Geraldine’s son? He knows how to set up a web store?”

“Yep. He’s a smart kid.”

So much for my getting access to a computer
.

“Now you got a lot of work to do,” Cassandra said, sealing another bag. “Can you hurry so we can finish by supper?”

Me and my big mouth. I’ll be doing this all afternoon, looks like
. Fred dropped the pestle and picked up one of the little bags from the pile on the table. “Where’d you get these little things, anyway? They’re kinda cute, like mini-sandwich bags.”

“Big Dan orders them in bulk. It’s what he sells his cocaine in.”

Cocaine. Great. We’re strolling down Lowlife Lane, now
. She set the bag down beside her.

“But that Percy did a great job on our site, I think,” Cassandra said. “Geraldine suggested we change the name of the spell to
amore powder
. For marketing purposes.” She cackled. “Marketing. Us. Who’d a’ thought? We’re gonna be big-time, now.”

And my hand is gonna fall off
. Fred eyed the pile of bags.
Those might come in handy. I need something to put the knockout powder or the counter charm in if I ever get the chance to make them.
When Rita and Cassandra weren’t looking, Fred snuck a little bag from the table and tucked it under her thigh. Then she quickly picked up the mortar and pestle again.

Fred finished another batch and handed the white bowl to Rita, who dumped its contents onto a sheet of paper, then tilted the paper and tapped the powder into a zip-top bag that Cassandra held open for her.
I’m doing most of the work here
, Fred thought angrily. “This is really inefficient,” Fred said. “If you’re not going to get a food processor, then at least get a bigger mortar and pestle. And if you set up another table, this one wouldn’t be so crowded.”

Rita surveyed the cluttered work surface. “Maybe we could get a card table, Cass. You and I could work on that and Fred could make the powders on this one.”

“Maybe one of you could help make the powders and you could get Geraldine or somebody to help package them,” Fred said.

“We won’t be bringing anybody over to help, at least not until you do the blood bond. We don’t want anybody knowing you’re here.”

Cassandra added another full bag to the pile. “You ready to do the bond today?”

Fred glanced at her but didn’t answer.

“I thought so,” Rita said. She pulled the doll from her pocket.

“What’s that for?” Fred said. “I didn’t do anything.”

Rita grabbed the pin and stuck it into the doll’s leg. “Ow!” Fred yelped as she grabbed her thigh. It was all she could do to keep from jerking her leg up and revealing the bag.
That hurts!
She kept it hidden by a terrific act of willpower, her teeth gritted against the pain.

Rita withdrew the pin and said, “Every day you refuse to do the bond, we’re gonna stick the doll. We’re tired of dealing with you being chained up and having to take care of you.”

You’re tired of it?
Fred wanted to scream.
How do you think I feel?

“So,” Rita continued, “if you don’t want to keep getting hurt, you might want to think about doing the blood bond.”

Fred glared at her and massaged her thigh.
And you might want to start being nice to me, because when my boyfriend finds me, he’s gonna turn you into a toad. No, you already are one. A pig. A big fat pig… with phony red hair.

They had to stop working when they ran out of Adam and Eve root. They’d only filled forty-five bags, and Rita griped as they packed up for the day.

Cassandra rubbed her lower back when they finished putting the herbs in the box. “Rita, let’s just leave this stuff in here. I’m tired of hauling it back and forth.”

Rita and Cassandra dragged the table to the far corner next to the window. Then they set the box on it and Rita brushed her hands together and scanned the room. “We’re done here. Fred. It’s Cassandra’s night to babysit you, so she’ll be doing dinner.” She barked a short, ugly laugh. “What’s on the menu tonight, Cass?” she asked as they walked out.

“I don’t know, Rita. I’ll have to ask the chef.”

They closed the door and Fred scowled.
I hate them. I hate them I hate them I hate them!
“Argh!” She waited until their footsteps died away before grabbing the little bag she’d hidden under her leg and slipping it under her mattress.

She looked at the table and the box full of herbs on the other side of the room, just out of reach, her chain too short.
So near but so far. I think a couple of ingredients I used today are in the knockout powder recipe, or the counter charm. Can’t remember.

She picked up one of the spell books from the bedside table and began flipping through the pages.
I need to find out and make sure. Never know when I’ll get a chance to steal the ingredients.
She thought about the little bag under her mattress.
Should’ve taken two. One for the knockout powder and one for the counter charm.

Fred pictured herself pulling the little bag full of powder from under her mattress when the witches weren’t looking. Then Fred would dump some into her hand and blow it at them, a surprised look on their faces as they collapsed on the floor, a look Fred would savor gleefully.

I’ll knock them out, grab the key to the ankle cuff, and get out of here. I don’t want to wait for them to slip up and tell me where I am. I want to go home now. Right this second.

She sat on the edge of the bed and ruthlessly scanned the pages of the magic book for the spells she needed.

* * *

Jamie appeared on the bed beside her and she kissed him before he could say hello. “They hurt me again!”

Jamie’s face grew hard. “Again? Did you do something to make them mad?”

“No. Rita said they’re gonna do it every day until I give in and do the blood bond.”

“You won’t do
that,
though.”

“Of course not.”

“Does it hurt a lot when they stick the doll?”

“Does sticking a knife deep into your thigh hurt?”

“I imagine. Is that what it feels like?”

Fred nodded, mouth pressed tight. “I want to hurry up and start giving them nightmares, so don’t get mad if I make our visit short.”

“I don’t blame you.” He exhaled heavily. “Are you sure you can do this without getting tired?”

“I’ll be fresh as a daisy in the morning. I’m the Dream Fairy, remember?”

Jamie laughed. “Before you go, I need to tell you…your mom wants you to try and talk to her in a dream. She misses you really bad.”

“I don’t know if I can find her, she’s so far away and all. I think I found you because we already have such a strong bond.”

“I’ll tell her you’ll try.”

“Good.” She put her hand on his arm. “Tell her I love and I miss her and I’ll see her soon. My dad, too.” She kissed Jamie lightly and wiggled her fingers goodbye.

Fred let Jamie go and slipped back into the realm of dreams, searching for the witches. Fred quickly found Rita’s slumbering consciousness, a red glowing form in the darkness, and circled it as she pondered what nightmare to conjure.
The chased-by-the-ferocious-dog dream
, Fred thought with a satisfied smile.

And I know just the dog for it.

Fred called up a long, open grassy field. At the far end stood a tree, with an upright ladder beside it, leaning against a stout branch. Fred willed her body into the shape of a gargantuan Rottweiler —
good ’ol Ralphie
— the scariest-looking dog Fred had ever known, only she exaggerated the jaws and turned her teeth into monstrous fangs, with wicked-looking spittle dripping from the sharp tips, for good measure.

Wish I could see myself in a mirror. Bet I make a fierce dog.

Then she dropped Rita into the scene, a few yards ahead. Rita’s eyes grew wide with fright when she saw the Fred-Rottweiler. Fred snarled. Rita yelped and bolted for the tree. Fred gave her a few steps head start, then bellowed a bloodthirsty howl and raced after her.

Rita shrieked as Fred’s jaws snapped at her bare heels.
This is too easy. I need to ratchet up the panic some.
Fred willed the grass to turn into soft sand under Rita’s feet, and Rita nearly fell as she stumbled on toward the safety of the tree. Fred chased her, barely a terrifying step behind, and let Rita get all the way to the ladder and pull herself up on a rung before clamping razor-sharp jaws on Rita’s bare heel. Rita screamed.

Now to start the whole thing over.

They were back at the other end of the field, Rita only a few steps ahead of Fred, the monster canine. Fred barked thunderously and charged. Rita shrieked and ran for the tree through the sand again. When they reached the ladder, Fred reset the dream, then did it again, and yet again. After the sixth or seventh time, Fred let the dream dissolve.
That’s enough for now. She should be awake for a while. Now it’s time to harass Cassandra
.

She found Cassandra’s sleeping form nearby and circled it, considering what nightmare to call forth.
I know she’s deathly afraid of being abandoned by her mother.
But Fred couldn’t bring herself to do that.
I’m not that mean. What to do
…
Drowning! That’s a good one.

She put Cassandra in an enclosed steel cylindrical tank that was just wide enough for her to touch the walls with her arms extended and barely tall enough for her to stand upright. A dim light appeared at the ceiling. Cold water rushed in at Cassandra’s bare feet and she gasped in surprise. “Hello?” Cassandra called. “Anybody out there?”

The water rose to her knees, then to her waist.
Colder,
Fred thought.
Ice cold.
Cassandra shivered and banged on the side of the enclosure. “Help! Somebody. Anybody!”