Triumph of Chaos (Red Magic) (7 page)

“But what good would that do?”

I shrugged. “I’m not sure, but Justin’s patron seemed to think it was important that I do it.”

She was silent, staring into her coffee cup. “It would be nice to have some guidance from my own patron.” Her words were quiet, but they still cut me.

I did this. She’s alone because of me.
Anger swirled inside me, and I clenched my fists. “You still haven’t heard anything from Demeter?”

Mom lifted her shoulders in a defeated shrug. “Not yet. But Persephone told you she’d try, and I suppose that’s all I can ask for.”

“Mom, why did you swear to Demeter in the first place?”

She stared at me in surprise. “You met her! Surely you understand. She’s the mother of agriculture, which makes her the guardian of humans. Her gifts have enriched the world. I had hoped—” her voice wavered for a minute before she regained control “—that I would be able to make as much of an impact as she has.”

I slid off the counter and put my arms around her shoulders. “Mom, you’re amazing. She’s an idiot if she isn’t proud to call you her Witch.”

“I really hope you’re not speaking of me, young one.” A melodic voice came from behind me, and the skin on the back on my neck stood up. Before I could turn around, Xerxes rocketed into the kitchen like a bat out of hell. He skidded to a stop behind me, and I heard him instantly start purring loudly.

I turned around and looked at Demeter. “It’s good to see you again.” I dipped my head in respect, trying desperately to bite back the thoughts that were whirling around inside my head.
Who does this goddess think she is, queen of the universe? How dare she hurt my mother?

“I am a mother, too, child. Don’t forget that I, too, have been hurt.”

I backed up, startled. It had been so long since I’d been around any gods, I’d forgotten that some of them had that nasty mind-reading trick. Maybe it was time for me to go back to guarding my thoughts like Aphrodite had taught me. Before I could speak, however, Demeter had pulled Mom out of her chair. They embraced like sisters, each of them clinging to the other. Embarrassed to witness such a personal scene, I slowly backed out of the kitchen.

I ran into my dad in the hallway, and for one awkward moment, neither of us said anything.

Finally, he cleared his throat. “What are you doing up so early?”

I shrugged, angling my body to keep him from walking into the kitchen. “Mom and I were having coffee.”

“That sounds like exactly what I need right now.” He started to push past me, but I put out my arm to stop him.

“Um, Dad? Demeter’s here.”

Surprise flitted across his face, but he didn’t push it. Instead, he grabbed his keys off the hook by the front door. “Let’s go get breakfast.”

I stared at him. “I’m still in my pajamas.”

He opened the door. “Does that matter?”

I glanced down. I’d put on a sports bra before coming downstairs, and aside from the cupcakes on my pants, I almost looked like I’d been out for a run or doing yoga or something. “I guess not.”

“Good.” He closed the door carefully behind us. “I want your mother to have as much time as she needs.”

I walked behind him down the driveway, surprised at how quickly he understood what I hadn’t said. My dad wasn’t usually intuitive, but I guess when it came to Mom, he really would do anything. We took a meandering route through town, and I kept waiting for Dad to harass me about going to school, but he didn’t seem inclined to talk. By the time we got back to the house with a big box of doughnuts, Demeter was gone and Mom was smiling brightly. She pulled Dad into the yard for a quick conference, sliding the door shut behind them. I don’t know what Mom said to Dad, but he was surprisingly chill when Izzy called from the airport. The only thing he said to me was, “Do we need to take two cars?”

I relayed the question to Izzy, and there was a tense silence on the line. “There’s only three of us,” she said softly, and a shiver passed over my skin.
What the hell happened to the rest of the Coven?

Dad and I took the old station wagon. Mom opted to stay home and do some last-minute cleaning, even though it seemed like that’s all she’d been doing since Demeter showed up that morning. I didn’t ask what had transpired between then, but for the first time in months, Mom seemed like her old self: bustling, cheerful, and constantly busy. I was glad she got a much-needed energy boost right before Izzy and the Coven landed; I was sure their news wouldn’t keep her happy for long.

We hadn’t even pulled up to the curb at the airport when Izzy walked outside, leading two women. I stared at Dr. Farren in shock. Her once-black hair was no longer streaked with gray—it was pure white. Lorna clutched her elbow, looking disoriented. Izzy appeared unharmed, but her eyes had a strange, haunted expression that reminded me of whenever I’d asked her about her captivity.

I swallowed nervously, and then I popped out of the car, a fake smile plastered on my face, and I heard Dad get out of the car too. I hugged Izzy quickly, trying to pretend I couldn’t feel her shaking, and then I glanced at the women with her.

“Um, Dad, this is Dr. Farren and Lorna. And you remember Izzy.”

He came around the side of the car and opened the trunk. “Where are your bags?” He spoke in a neutral tone, clearly not as shaken as I was by their haggard appearance.

“No bags,” Izzy said. “Just us. Is that okay?”

Dad nodded, trying not to look stunned, and I wondered what Mom had told him about the attack. He held open the back door of the car, and the ragged members of the Coven crawled in.

“What happened?” I hated to pester them, but I needed to understand what we were dealing with.

In the rearview mirror, I saw Izzy open her mouth to speak, but Dr. Farren cut her off.

“We’ll tell you everything when we can, but this isn’t a tale I want to relive more than once.” Beside her, Lorna shuddered and covered her eyes.

Dad’s eyes flickered to me. “Of course. My wife is at home waiting for us.” Without another word, he turned the key in the ignition, leaving me to wonder what had happened to the Coven.

Izzy sat behind me, and although we drove in silence, she leaned forward and gripped my shoulder. I put my hand over hers and squeezed, trying to ignore the gnawing guilt in my gut. I was certain that Roy and Samuel’s attack had something to do with me.

***

Mom was standing on the front porch when we pulled up, and my pulse sped up when I saw Justin leaning casually against the railing, talking to her. None of the three Witches in the backseat had said a word on the twenty-mile drive, and I looked over at Dad nervously.

He was still acting calm. “We’re glad to have you here in our home.”

Dr. Farren opened the door and helped Lorna out, and the Blue Witch whispered, “Thank you.” I didn’t know if she was speaking to Dad or Dr. Farren. Both, maybe.

Mom came down the driveway and gave Izzy a warm hug. “I’m so happy to see you again, sweetie.”

Izzy squeezed her back, but I noticed tears in her eyes.

“Thanks, Mrs. Agara. It’s good to be here, I guess.”

Mom patted her back. “Not the best of circumstances, I’ll admit, but you’re always welcome here.” She released Izzy and looked at the two women. “I’m Linzi Agara. Welcome to North Carolina.”

Dr. Farren straightened her shoulders, a little bit of her old authority returning. “I’m Talia Farren, and this is Lorna Osgood.” She hesitated, her eyes darting around as if she were waiting to be attacked again. “We appreciate your hospitality.”

Mom smiled warmly at her. “Lena has said a lot about you. I’m looking forward to getting to know you both.”

She guided them inside, Dad bringing up the rear, but Izzy lingered in the driveway with me. Justin was still standing quietly on the porch. I glanced at Izzy, but she shrugged. I turned to Justin, half annoyed that he was just waiting there. I really wanted to find out more about what had happened to Izzy, and I didn’t think she’d want to talk in front of a strange Witch.

“What are you doing here?”

Justin came down the steps to meet us. “I came over to talk to you, and your mom said you were at the airport.” He smiled at Izzy. “Who’s the kid?”

Izzy bristled, and her cheeks flushed. “I’m not a kid, thank you very much. I’m Isadora, beloved of Isis, mistress of magic.”

Nobody said anything for a minute, but then I burst out laughing. “Oh, gods, Izzy, if you could hear yourself! You sound like somebody in an old movie!”

Her tense demeanor slipped, and she smiled. “Old habit. I get defensive when people call me a kid.”

Justin held up his hands in apology. “I didn’t mean it. You’re just short for your age.”

I laughed again. “Izzy’s fourteen, Justin. She’s perfectly tall enough for her age. Not,” I added quickly, “that there’s anything wrong with being fourteen.”

Izzy shrugged. “You learned not to judge me by my age. He will too.”

Justin smiled. “I’m sorry, Isadora,” he said formally, “I won’t make that mistake again.”

She eyed him for a moment, but then she smiled. “Call me Izzy,” she said as she stuck out her hand. “Everyone does.”

***

Justin didn’t stay for very long, but he gave me a meaningful glance before he left, and I knew I’d have to fill him in on my houseguests soon. Even though Dr. Farren and Lorna were shell-shocked, it felt good to have Izzy around again. I’d forgotten what it was like to have a girlfriend, even one who was so much younger than me. Mom was sitting in the kitchen, talking quietly with the two Scottish Witches, so Izzy and I snuck upstairs and rushed into my bedroom. I sealed the room with a ward, and then I turned to her.

“Okay, now that we’re not on Skype, you need to tell me everything!”

Izzy frowned. “It was awful. The Coven was doing a ritual to try to stop the disaster in France, and I was with them. I didn’t usually do magic with them, but I’d gone out to spend the weekend with my grandparents.” Her voice cracked, and I gave her a quick hug.

I’d almost forgotten about them, and I felt a sinking sensation settle into my stomach. “Gods, Izzy, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even ask about them.”

She shook her head. “We’re the only ones who survived.”

There was nothing I could say.
What would I do if I lost my family?
I hugged her again, tighter this time. Izzy hugged me back stiffly.

She kept talking as if she were in a trance. “Just before we released the healing energy, Samuel and Roy broke the circle. They dropped their hands and stepped back. Then the room filled with black smoke, and I couldn’t see anything.” She lowered her voice. “I could hear them, though.”

I shuddered, not wanting to ask her what she’d heard, but she kept talking anyway.

“It was like when I was captured. Sounds of pain all around, but this time, they were voices I knew.” She stared into space emptily for a moment, and then shook herself like a wet dog. “I ran outside. Dr. Farren found me hiding under her car. She drove Lorna and me back to Edinburgh, and we went straight to the airport.”

“How did you call me?”

She smiled weakly and flashed her iPod. “Skype works on this, too. I called you from the airport lobby.”

I sat down on the edge of my bed. “This is all my fault. I’m so sorry, Izzy.”

She frowned at me. “Why do you keep blaming yourself for everything bad that happens?”

“Because I’m dangerous! People around me keep getting hurt.” I spat, feeling the pent-up guilt and rage that I had been ignoring for weeks come spewing out my mouth.

Izzy suddenly glowed with Blue light. “Look, Darlena, you may be a Red, but that doesn’t give you permission to feel guilty all the time. If I hadn’t been dumb enough to get captured, none of this would have happened.”

I wanted to believe her, but ever since I’d declared to Red magic, it had been one disaster after another. Finally, I shook my head. “What are you going to do with all that magic?” She was visibly pulsing with energy.

She glared at me. “I don’t know. Incinerate you?”

I laughed nervously. “But I’m the Fire Witch. Blue magic is tied to water.”

“Fine.” She sniffed. “I’ll drown you. Anything to make you stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

I drew a deep breath. “Izzy, I
am
sorry for my actions.” Her color flared up again, and I hurried to add, “But you’re right. I can’t control everything, and not everything is my fault.”
Even though a lot of it is.

She paused, but I could see the magic fading around her. “Just stop being such a twit, okay?”

I laughed. “I’m sure I will, now that you’re here.”