Triumph of Chaos (Red Magic) (10 page)

Izzy didn’t talk, but she began to hum a sweet melody, and I listened to the music as Dr. Farren and Lorna came out of the house.

I hadn’t seen much of them since they’d landed, and I studied Dr. Farren in the firelight. Her face was drawn, and her shoulders sagged as if she were already defeated, but I could see the same spark in her eyes that she’d had when we met a year ago. With a jolt, I realized I desperately wanted Dr. Farren on my side.

“That’s a lovely fire,” Lorna said softly.

“Thank you.” I shrugged. “Fire is easy for me.”

Lorna sank into a chair and pulled it close to the blaze. “I’m always cold lately,” she said in a light voice.

I looked at her, surprised. “How can anybody be cold in this heat?”

Lorna’s face clouded. “I guess it’s shock.”

I felt like an ass. “Right. I’m sorry,” I began lamely, but then I trailed off.

Lorna smiled at me gently, but her eyes looked strained. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Guilt tugged at me. Even though I assumed their Coven had been destroyed because of me, we had no proof of that. Yet.
But if Aphrodite isn’t bluffing, it will be my fault if anyone else gets hurt.

Dr. Farren looked at me, and I tamped down my frightened thoughts. She raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

Aphrodite’s warning flickered through my mind again, but I pushed it away. With effort, I looked Dr. Farren in the eyes. “Do you have any doubt that the world is ending?”

She shook her head curtly. “I will always work for truth and justice. And this is not the right path for our world.”

I nodded. “I know.” After a moment, I added, “I’m really glad you’re here.”

She smirked wryly. “Given the circumstances, I can’t say that I agree with you.” She sat down and looked at the fire. “Although I did have a feeling that you were not gone from my life forever.”

A twig snapped, and we all looked up in surprise. I felt my muscles tense as I pulled up Red magic: my arms tingled with power as I peered into the darkness, panic seeping into my bones. Had they finally come to destroy us?

“It’s just me. Sorry about that.” Justin came around the side of the house, and I relaxed.

Wordless, I reached for him, and his hand slid into mine. “Thank you,” I whispered.

He squeezed my hand in reply, his eyes searching for mine in the dark. “Are you ready?”

I turned and looked at the house, thinking of my parents. “Let’s wait a bit longer.”
They won’t really ditch me, will they?

Justin followed my gaze and nodded. “We can spare five minutes.”

Dr. Farren cleared her throat, and Justin and I turned to the fire. “While we wait, would you mind telling us your plan?”

I looked at Izzy, but she was still humming her strange tune. It was like she was in a trance or something. I took a deep breath. “We thought that a Coven would be our best bet to stand against the coming chaos.”

Lorna shuddered. “But after what happened last time—” Her voice faltered, and it hit me for the first time that Lorna had lost her mother.
Gods, they’ve all lost everything.
Julia was the entire reason Lorna had joined the Coven in the first place, and now she was gone. How was Lorna keeping it together?

“But there are no Black Witches here.” Dr. Farren spoke matter-of-factly, but Lorna shuddered again. “And we can all trust each other, yes?” Her dark eyes bored into mine.

I nodded. “We all want the world to last, don’t we?”

Everyone but Izzy nodded. She was still humming, and her eyes had glazed over. I glanced at her, worried.
Why is she hitting a trance now?
She didn’t move, and I looked around the circle again.

I cleared my throat. “Does anyone have any suggestions that don’t involve a Coven?”

The sound of the fire crackling seemed loud in the silence that followed my question.

I glanced over my shoulder at the house, but there was no sign that my parents were going to join us. My heart sank, but I tried to keep my expression neutral when I turned back to the group around the fire. “Does everyone agree that forming a group is the best way to stand against our enemies?”

No one spoke, but Justin nodded hesitantly, and Dr. Farren inclined her head.

Something had been bothering me for days, and I finally found the words to express it. Avoiding Lorna’s fragile gaze, I looked at Dr. Farren. “Are Roy and Samuel a threat to us?”

She paused, considering the question. “To be truthful, I don’t know. Their attack was unexpected, but then again, so was our survival.”

“Maybe they don’t know we got away,” Lorna offered softly.

I glanced at her. “Why do you think they turned on you?”

“Roy was mourning the loss of his son and blamed us for our inaction.” Dr. Farren’s voice was expressionless, but I still felt a twist of guilt at the mention of Marcus. “As for Samuel, I don’t know his reasons. His patron, Anubis, is the son of Set. In January, you and Marcus implied that Set might be working with Hecate.”

I shook my head. “Marcus said that. He never mentioned it to me, so I have no idea where he got that.”

“Even so, that might speak to their motives.”

Justin looked at her steadily. “So what you’re really saying is their attack is bigger than your old Coven. This might affect all of us.”

She nodded once. “I hope it does not. But you’re right: if they
have
allied themselves with Rochelle and the violent gods, they may still be our enemies.”

We fell into a tense silence. I watched the flames as they leaped up the edges of the fire pit, listening to the snap of boiling pinesap.

“Rochelle definitely wants the world to end.” A flash of memory assaulted me, and I grimaced. “She told me once that she doesn’t believe Nons have any right to share the world with Witches.”

“So we can reasonably assume that she has no problem killing Nons.” Dr. Farren tapped her forehead with her finger. “Which is in keeping with the disasters that have been happening in Europe.”

“What have they managed to do so far?” Justin asked.

“There’s the nuclear disaster, to start.” Dr. Farren looked pointedly at me as she said it, and I had to force myself not to react. “There was also a bombing in London today.”

“And an earthquake in Turkey, plus a volcanic eruption in Greece.”

Justin whistled quietly. “So Rochelle controls Europe. What about the third Red Witch? Do we know anything?”

I shrugged. “We’ll find out pretty quickly, I guess, depending on where in the world chaos starts popping up.”

“How will we stand against a Red in her own territory?” Dr. Farren’s question brought me up short.

“I don’t really know,” I admitted. “But when Rochelle tried to kill me in January, the only way I defeated her was with Izzy’s help. Different magics together are more powerful than even Red magic alone.”

“And that is why you want to form this Coven?” Dr. Farren looked at me searchingly. “To stand against chaos?”

“What other reason would I have?”

“You are not, perhaps, seeking revenge?”

I glared at her. “This isn’t about Rochelle. It’s about the world.”
Gods, did everyone think I was just some spiteful brat?
“When I became a Red, I didn’t know what I was getting into.” I took a deep breath. “I do now. I can either let chaos take over, or I can do as much as I can to control it. But there’s only so much I can do alone.”

Izzy stopped humming abruptly. “We should ask the gods.”

Everyone turned and looked at her. “Which gods?” I asked stupidly.

She giggled lightly. “Why, our patrons, of course!”

I felt a prickle of unease, but the others were nodding thoughtfully. “How do we do that?”

“You simply invite us to your fire,” Baldur spoke from behind me, and when I turned around, I saw that he was flanked by two goddesses. I stared at their blue robes and radiant black hair. One of the goddesses had rainbow wings sprouting from her back, and she crossed the fire to stand behind Izzy.

“A wise suggestion, daughter,” Isis whispered.

The other goddess must be Nepthys
, I thought; she looked just like her sister, only without wings. When she stood behind Lorna, my suspicions were confirmed.

“Where’s Hera?” I turned to Dr. Farren. She fiddled with her sleeves uncomfortably.

“My lady usually doesn’t take sides on mortal issues,” she finally admitted. “I have spoken with her individually, of course, but I do not think she supports us. Not,” she added hurriedly, “that she would do anything to harm our endeavor. She just doesn’t take part in such squabbles.”

Before I could say something, Baldur cleared his throat. “Do you have a patron, yet, Darlena?”

I shook my head. “No.”

He sighed. “Then those of us who are here must begin the dialogue. We have been invited, and we may give our views.”

“A Coven will strengthen you.” Isis spoke quietly, but her voice radiated power.

“But strength is also a weakness,” Nepthys added.

I looked at Baldur. “I already know what you think.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Have you told them what I said?”

I shrugged. “Some,” I answered honestly.

“I support this Coven,” he said quietly, “if you will consider bringing Nons into your circle.”

There was that word again: circle.
That’s what Aphrodite said
, I realized. I opened my mouth to tell them her threat, but I didn’t get the chance.

The fire exploded, sending a shower of sparks into the sky. I stepped back with a shriek, too startled to do anything. Lorna and Izzy quickly doused the flames with water, and the gods vanished in the smoke. Thick white steam obscured the other Witches from my sight, and I suddenly had the eerie sense that everyone had disappeared.

Marcus’s voice whispered in my ear, and I stiffened.

“Talk is not action. Stop wasting time!”

I glared into the empty night around me. “This is important.”

“Avenge me. Find Loki. That is all that matters.”

“Loki isn’t the only problem!” I said, clenching my fists.

He didn’t say anything else, but I knew without turning around that someone had been watching my strange conversation. The smoke cleared, and when I looked back at the smoldering ruins of our fire, Justin was staring at me.

“Who are you arguing with?”

Right. I’m going to tell you that I’m sort of being haunted by the other Red Witch.
I shrugged. “Just thinking out loud.”

His eyes never left my face, but after a minute, he nodded. “You’re right. Loki isn’t the only problem.”

I looked at him in surprise. “I would think that you and your patron would want him locked up forever!”

Justin shook his head. “Baldur wants us to work together. He’s advocating balance, not revenge.” He chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully. “I honestly don’t think he cares what happens to Loki. He just wants us to think about the Nons.”

“An interesting proposition.” Dr. Farren stood by the remains of the fire. “I have never known Nons who could work magic.”

I still didn’t think it was a good idea, but there was no point lying to her. “At my old school, Trinity, they sometimes recruited Nons. We called them Dreamers.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “Would our Coven include these Dreamers?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t got any clue how to find Nons who could even do magic.”

“I do,” Izzy said quietly, and we all looked at her.

“What do you suggest, Isadora?” Dr. Farren’s voice was quiet but commanding.

Izzy looked at me. “I can tell what kind of magic a Witch practices just by looking at them. I bet I could tell if a Non was capable, too.”

“That might work,” Justin began slowly, “but before we do that, I think we need to officially form this Coven.”

Lorna shuffled her feet. “Why rush into anything?”

Dr. Farren nodded. “Besides, a Coven is stronger when it’s formed all at once, rather than adding pieces over time. We should wait until we have all of our prospective members.”

“We can still make a vow to each other, though, can’t we?” Izzy looked around the circle, and Justin and I nodded. I couldn’t let all this time and planning be for nothing.

The words popped into my mind unbidden, and I spoke firmly. “I vow to support those who work against chaos.”

After a pause, everyone repeated what I had said. Lorna and Dr. Farren’s voices were faint, but Izzy and Justin sounded loud and confident.

I took a deep breath. “And I will not harm anyone who takes this vow.”

Justin responded instantly. I looked at Izzy next, and she smiled as she spoke. Lorna repeated my words softly, and finally I turned to Dr. Farren. She hesitated, and I narrowed my eyes at her.

“We aren’t a Coven yet. But I assume you’re willing to swear that you won’t do harm.”

Her eyes met mine. “Like my patron, I am always on the side of right. I will not harm anyone who takes this vow.”

Remembering the vow Marcus and I had made in the Black Forest, I held out my hand. Magic pulsed in me, and I felt singed when Justin placed his hand on mine. Izzy quickly followed suit, and Dr. Farren and Lorna clasped their hands on top of ours. A ribbon of Red magic snaked around our hands, followed by two strands of White and two of Blue. We didn’t move, and the magic wove itself in a complicated knot. After a minute, the colors faded, and the tingling in my arm dimmed.

“We’re allies now.” Justin smiled at me, but I looked across the circle at Dr. Farren.

“We’ve always been allies. Right?”

She raised an eyebrow and nodded at me. “Just because I will not rush into the bonds of a Coven quickly enough to suit you does not mean I will not help. I don’t want chaos to triumph, either.”

“I’m glad that we can agree on that.” I fought back my growing irritation and the fear that Marcus had been right. He hadn’t wanted to work with the Coven in Scotland because he said that they wasted time talking and deliberating. He thought they’d never take action, and after tonight, I was beginning to wonder.

But we’re not a Coven yet,
I reminded myself.
We’re just allies.

“We need a plan.” Dr. Farren looked at me expectantly.

“Izzy and I will look for Nons,” I began, and Izzy nodded eagerly.