Tangling With Topper (9 page)

The slow-moving metal box pulled forward and then backed into the path where he stood. The dragon sheriff popped out of one side opening. A stranger popped out of the other and came to open the back of what appeared to be the containment area Topper had ordered. Stark shook his head. The vehicle no doubt ran on fossil fuels too.

After showing the sheriff and the other male the attached dakkari on the dogs, Stark loaded both abducted animals into the containment unit. When he turned back, Topper was
still
standing with crossed arms. And she was still glaring at him.

Stark’s amused gaze dropped to focus on the ground while he rapidly thought of something he could say without making his situation worse. It wasn’t that Glacierans were superior… not really. It was that Earthlings were not yet completely evolved. It was like comparing a small child to a full grown adult. There was no fair way to do it. But this was obviously a time for careful politics instead of scientific truth. This sort of thing was precisely why he wasn’t working in Polar’s position. He sucked at interplanetary diplomacy.

“What my planet has always believed about your planet has not previously taken witches, dragons, or other shifters into account. So the term
superior
cannot apply to any discussion we might have. However, when comparing average beings on my planet to average beings on Earth, such as those without any special powers, then it is only truthful to say Glacierans are more advanced.”

Topper glared. “And just how in the name of the Fates are Glacierans more advanced? Other than living longer and getting to look like kids when they’re really irritating, snooty old men?”

Choosing to ignore her insults, Stark thought for a moment. “Some of us have powers similar to yours… with the exception of magical transportation. Others are advanced healers, excellent builders, or artists whose creations move you to weep at their beauty.”

“Fine. Can any of your
advanced
beings open a damn space portal?” Topper demanded.

Stark grinned at her tone. “No. No, they cannot. I concede the portal does make me question the validity of my argument.”

“Because there is no valid argument in your words,” Topper declared. “This is exactly why I reacted the way I did when we first met. Arrogance is like your default setting. I can’t believe I forgot that about you.”

Topper waved her hands angrily, wishing she had the power to do something to him in retribution. When Theo and Malcolm called out her name and ducked, laughter over her actions caught up with her. She glared at Stark harder than ever.

“See what you do? Now I’m scaring my people because your alien arrogance makes me so mad. A witch with my power can’t go around losing her temper.”

Stark snorted. “I really do understand, Topper. Your Earthling self-righteousness about your people being the most valuable beings in the Goddess blessed galaxy is what compels me to correct you. Surely a powerful witch like you can handle the truth.”

Topper growled at his smirk and his tone. Was that really her making that animalistic sound?

“I am far more than human. I am a seventeenth generation hereditary witch, you hard-headed alien. Gaia, the Goddess of
my
planet, grants me her power to protect those you consider your inferiors. Just because my magic doesn’t work on you for some reason doesn’t mean you can say whatever you like to me. There are more than fifty other witches living in Magic. Any one of them would be more than happy to turn you into whatever creature I think might teach you a lesson in Earth-bound humility.”

Theo’s near ear-shattering whistle drew both their attentions back to him.

“Before you two make each other mad enough for Topper to blow up the whole town proving herself, how about we all go back to finding the last green meanie that’s still missing?”

Topper glared at Stark while she nodded. “Theo’s right, but I’m checking on Alfred first since we’re right here by his house. You
men
can figure out what kind of canvassing we need in the area to find the beeberg.”

Stark watched Topper stalk away. She was still angry at him. Perhaps he’d gone a bit far in indulging his amusement over her quick defense of her planet. When he heard the sheriff sigh beside him, Stark turned.

“You don’t
really
think you’re superior to us, do you, Stark?” Theo asked. “I didn’t chime in because I figured you were just messing with Topper. But you made her spitting mad and that’s not easy to do. Topper is usually a very even tempered person. I hate to tell you this, but you probably just blew any chance you had with her liking you—if your alien man stick was still pointing her direction.”

Stark chuckled.
Alien man stick
. He was going to have to remember that one too. He wondered if Frost’s anatomy had gotten a similar description. And yes. His alien man stick would always be pointing Topper’s way, no matter how much they argued.

“Topper was sickened by the dakkari. I merely meant to distract her from the unpleasantness of the situation. Her passionate reaction to such a minor disagreement was surprising.”

Theo laughed. “I’ve known that woman nearly all my life. The only time Topper ever gets mad like that is when government officials get nosy and show up in Magic. I’ve never seen her react to anyone the way she reacts to you. You seem to know exactly how to push all her hot buttons.”

Stark bowed his head as he smiled. “Thank you. That is high praise.”

Theo laughed. It took him a full minute to stop. “Dude… that was a warning.”

“Then consider it noted, Sheriff,” Stark said, bowing his head. “Now tell me about the residents nearby. Any of them have animals?”

Topper rang the doorbell and got no answer. She knocked several times, but that went unnoticed as well. Alfred was either not home or ignoring her. If it was the latter, he was in for a surprise. She was not going to let one bad date take out a friendship that had endured her entire lifetime.

Topper went to a nearby flower pot and retrieved the key from under it. She could have used magic to open the door, but that would have been an intrusion. Friends used keys, and that’s what she did today, letting herself inside without a shred of guilt.

“Alfred?” she called, walking back through the house. She heard a scrambling sound, then watched the back door slam. “Alfred—wait! We need to talk. There’s something important I need to tell you.”

She rushed down the back steps after him, lifted her hands, and sent a retrieval spell out to stop him from running off. Alfred paused in the back yard of a neighbor’s house, turned around to look at her, then stumbled off as if the spell hadn’t really affected him.

“Hell’s bells. This repetitive failure stuff is enough to give me a damn complex.
Alfred
,” Topper called again, chasing after him. Stark and Theo caught up with her before she got over the neighbor’s fence. “I tried to stop him, but it didn’t work. Something’s wrong with Alfred.”

Stark’s hand on her arm made her pause.

“What kind of creature is Alfred?” he asked quietly. “Is he more human or more something else?”

“He’s a… Alfred’s a fish,” Topper admitted. “He’s a shifter and has spent a lot of time in his animal form. He’s only been human for a short while now.”

“And he is immune to your magic?” Stark asked.

Topper stopped. “Not usually… no one in this town is immune. But weird things have been happening with me since you came to town. Maybe my magic isn’t working on Alfred either.”

She turned to Theo who grabbed at his clothes and held up a hand to stop her.

“No, Topper. No more magic tests. Let’s just say something’s wrong with Alfred,” Theo exclaimed. “I’m going around to head him off. See you two on the street.”

Topper turned back to Stark. “Do you think the beeberg is on Alfred?”

Stark straddled the fence with a single long legged stride. “I will investigate and let you know.”

Topper bit her lip. “Stark? Be careful. Alfred’s my friend.”

“I will be as careful as I can be,” Stark vowed, jogging ahead until he could see the creature in question.

The being was struggling to walk, no doubt fighting off Topper’s spell as he dealt with the dakkari now trying to control his brain. Stark walked quickly to catch up with him. He could see something moving on the man’s back under his shirt. That meant the dakkari had not taken possession yet, but she was working hard to do so. Well, at least they had found the beeberg.

“Alfred?” Stark called, speeding up when the being stopped and met his glare.

Alfred hissed at him—or rather the dakkari did—as they faced each other. Stark spoke to the creature in his native tongue, eliciting more hissing. At his continued approach, the hissing turned into a series of growls he doubted the poor shifter had ever made with his human throat.

He saw Theo coming towards them now from the opposite direction. Behind him, he felt Topper huffing as she caught up with them as well.

Stark spoke to the beeberg again in Glacieran. The beeberg controlled creature raised hands as if to claw at him. He put out his arm to prevent Topper from running forward and being on the receiving end of the creature’s wrath.

“Topper, no. Your friend is being controlled by the beeberg. We must find a way to separate them as quickly as we can.”

Topper swallowed back her pride. “My magic… it doesn’t seem to work. What else can we do?”

Stark turned and looked down at her. “Your magic might work if I can incapacitate the beeberg. Were you jesting about turning people into other creatures or is that a truth about your skills?”

Topper snorted. “Is this really the time to question my word? That’s only going to make me mad again.”

Stark drew himself up to his full height, the better to glare down at her. “Goddess preserve me. Calm that ego of yours, Witch. I just want to know if you can turn your friend into something smaller than the dakkari so it will make her turn loose of him.”

“Oh. Sorry,” Topper said. She fisted and unfisted her hands as she thought. “I don’t know if I can turn him into anything. But I can order him to revert to his animal form. Would that work?”

“Really? How can you order him?” Stark asked.

“It’s a pact everyone makes with Gaia when they come to live in Magic, New Mexico. The women in my family are the executors. We can order shifters to change either way. The magic law was put into effect for the safety of everyone in town. Sometimes a shifter goes into their animal state and doesn’t want to shift back. That can be problematic. We made the van for first timers. The young, arrogant ones are the worst.”

Stark nodded. “Okay. We need to be prepared if you can manage to get him to change. The dakkari beeberg will attack you as the source of her loss. I will stop her of course, but she can be quite vicious.”

“As vicious as Topper when she’s mad at you?” Theo asked softly, earning a hissing from Alfred and dual glares from Topper and Stark. “Hey… it was a joke. I’m tense over here. I’m hoping we don’t have to fry one of my best friends.”

Stark narrowed his gaze, holding the dragon’s. “This is bad, but it will be okay. I swear it.”

Topper nodded grimly. “Okay. If you’re that sure, I’m ready to do what I can.”

“Order your friend to change then,” Stark commanded.

Topper raised her hands and the wind lifted around her.

“Blessed Gaia, hear my call,

Help the one who’s now enthralled,

By your command and by my wish,

Let Alfred be once more a fish.”

They watched Alfred’s eyes grow wide and then the man disappeared into his clothes. A loud scream split the air as something fuzzy launched itself at Topper’s head.

Her answering scream froze Theo in place, but Stark reached out and snatched the creature mid-air. Topper watched his eyes shift and change. He spoke some words in his language. The screaming animal was suddenly covered in a block of ice with only its head outside of it. The hissing continued, but fighting was no longer possible. Stark worked his fingers free of the frozen block, until he held a beeberg popsicle in both hands.

“Alfred?” Topper called in alarm. She waved her hands, purple flecks of magic went flying everywhere, and suddenly a fully dressed Alfred stood in front of them. “Oh, thank the Fates.”

Stunned, Alfred’s gaze went from Topper to Stark to Theo and back to her.

“Topper? What’s going on? Why are we all out on the street?” he asked.

Topper stepped into Alfred and hugged. “I was so worried about you.”

“Ow… don’t hug me so hard. My back is killing me. Wait… did you just make me shift? Why did you do that out here in public?”

Topper looked at the ice bound dakkari in Stark’s hands. The ice wasn’t even melting. Later… she’d think about his magic later.

She hooked her arm through Alfred’s. “Come on. Let’s get you home. I’ll tell you on the way.”

***

Theo brought in Nonny to take a look at Alfred’s wounds.

Since all the dakkari were now accounted for and the threat was neutralized, Lacey and Frost were now heading their way to help with the mastiffs.

Topper and Stark were staring into the van at the dogs. “Could we do the same thing for the dogs?” she asked.

Stark nodded. “But it is hard to know if they will survive the dakkari being ripped from them.”

Topper turned away and rubbed her face with one hand. “I’m too old for this. If I hadn’t opened the portal, none of this would have happened. This is all my fault.”

“If you hadn’t opened the portal, Frost would never know about Lacey and his child, now would he?”

Topper sighed and nodded. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right. I just… poor Alfred. I should have been more careful. And now the dogs may die.”

Stark set the dakkari on the ground where he could keep an eye on it. The ice wouldn’t melt for some time, but he didn’t want to chance it escaping. He turned Topper by her shoulders until he could force her to look at him.

“We were able to quickly save your friend because of the amazing things you can do. This is no time to doubt your previous decisions. Yes—the two in the truck may die, but they also might live. All we can do is try and save them. At least then, we will have exhausted possibilities, yes?”