Chapter 11
LILIS LOOKED BOTH relieved and worried. “First, realize you’re dealing with an extremely powerful sorcerer.”
“The fact that the goddess of the Underworld cursed him to a half-life tells me that much. It also tells me he’s not a very nice man. What else you got?”
“There is a ritual you can perform to appeal to Ereshkigal. You can petition her to curse him to oblivion. Put the blame on me if you want. She may be terrifying, but she is a fair goddess. You must follow the descent of Inanna. I don’t know the exact ritual, or I’d tell you in a heartbeat. But it is written in some of the ancient texts. I believe there is a book called the Journey of Ereshkigal that may have the instructions. It’s a translation of an ancient scroll. The book is so old that I don’t even know if there’s a copy left in existence. But if you can find it, I think it should contain the ritual that you need.”
I held her gaze. “Can I do this without magic? Your beloved Etum—”
“He’s no beloved of mine! It’s not my fault that my ancestor decided to come back in my body to wake up her lover. I don’t remember her, I don’t remember being her. I don’t want to follow through with her plans.”
I relented. It really wasn’t Lilis’s fault. “I’m sorry. I’m just on edge, given all that’s happened to my family. But can I do this without magic? Etum’s curse ended up giving me an allergy to my magic and it could kill me if I try to use it.”
Lilis closed her eyes for a moment, hanging her head. After a moment she whispered, “I don’t know. I’m not sure. I’m so sorry you and your friends have been dragged into this.”
At that moment Auntie Tautau reentered the room. She was carrying a tray filled with tea and sandwiches. I shook my head as she offered me a plate.
“I ate before I came, thank you.” I paused, then turned to Lilis. “Is there anything else you can tell me? Why did you create the secret room? Why the paintings on the walls?”
“It was an attempt to keep the room from ever being discovered. The paintings and glyphs were my plea for protection. I thought about trying to approach Ereshkigal over the years, to beg her to destroy Etum, but I couldn’t bring myself to. As the years went on, I began feeling urges to break open the urn. When I realized the urges were becoming stronger, I knew I had to seek help. So I had the room walled off. I came to Auntie Tautau and begged her to put me into the WPP. I told her I needed to live in a different dimension. But I didn’t exactly tell her why.”
“It is not the place of the Aunties to always ask why,” Auntie Tautau said. “In this case, I wish you would have told me, child. But the damage is done and we must do our best to rectify it. Etum must not be allowed to go free.”
“Then I have to figure out how to petition Ereshkigal.” I hung my head. “Fuck.”
Auntie Tautau motioned to Lilis. “It’s time for you to return to your home. I can keep him from sensing you for a while, but he’s powerful, and will soon know you are here. If you leave now, he will never suspect that you returned to this world.”
She turned to me. “Maddy, warn your friends who know what’s happened to keep their silence. The politics stretching out from this are myriad, and not all of the players will appreciate Etum’s destruction.”
“But how can I tell the entire Alpha-Pack to be quiet? They were there when it happened. I’m sure they’ve already told their families about it. Word will get out and I can’t stop it. I can shut my mouth about it, and Sandy and Max of course, and of course Aegis and Kelson will listen. But I can’t stop anything that’s already transpired.”
“Then we must hope that word never reaches the wrong ears. Now go, and ask your professors to find that book. Tell them to keep their silence. Tell them Auntie Tautau said so. They will listen to me.”
For the first time since I had known her, Auntie Tautau hustled me out the door, not even giving me time to say good-bye to Lilis. As the door shut behind me, I shivered. Hurrying to my car, I locked myself inside and held tight to the steering wheel. This was just getting worse and worse, and somehow I didn’t see us emerging from this totally free and clear.
I HEADED TO Neverfall next, to talk to Alaysia and Leroy. Luckily, I found Leroy in his office. I loved Neverfall, with its vast winding hallways, stone towers, and the electrified scent of learning in the air. Unfortunately, the school was also rife with magic and by the time I reached Leroy’s office, I was breathing heavily. Luckily, I had the injections in my bag that Jordan had given me, just in case I needed them.
Leroy took one look at me and hustled me into a back room where I suddenly felt better.
“This is a magical stasis room. No magic can be performed in here. It should make you feel better while you’re here.”
I nodded, breathing deeply. “It already is. Thank you so much.”
“Alaysia will be here in a moment. Do you have any answers?”
“Actually, I do, although I’ll need your help.” I leaned back in the chair, trying to relax until the elderly professor got there. Leroy rested his chin on his hands, staring quite openly at me.
“You confuse me at times, Mad Maudlin. It’s so hard to imagine you rampaging across the countryside, stabbing vampires right and left.”
“If you ever saw Sandy and me during one of our party-hearty evenings, you’d understand a little better. I’ve mellowed a lot, but to be honest, I recently pulled out my dagger again. I don’t trust that things will remain calm.” I wanted to tell him about the Arcānus Nocturni, but for his own safety, I bit my tongue.
Leroy paused for a moment, then asked, “Speaking of vampires…I don’t want to step on toes here, but how serious are you and Aegis? Is there…an opening?”
I blinked. That was the last question I had expected. Leroy Jerome was a handsome man, and he was smart and funny. But I had left my party-hearty with the satyrs days behind. I was a one-man woman now.
“We’re pretty serious. We’ve been together for a year. I don’t know how much I believe in soul mates, but if I have one, I think it’s him. I never expected myself to fall for a vampire. It seems like an oxymoron, considering who I am. But one thing I’ve learned through the centuries is to be open to the unexpected, and to be flexible.” I paused, then added, “But thank you. I’m flattered, if you’re asking what I think you were asking. If I were free, I’d definitely say yes. If I’m mistaken, then I just made myself sound like an idiot.”
He let out a sigh and gave a shrug. “I was asking what you think I was. I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but I respect your directness, and I wish the two of you a world of happiness.” He paused as Alaysia tapped on the door, then peeked inside. “Come on in. Maddy has some information for us.”
Alaysia took a seat beside me, giving me the once-over. “How are you doing?”
“I’ve been better. But Leroy is right. I do have some news.” I told them as much as I could without revealing that I had met Lilis, or who she was. “I have to ask you to keep your silence on this. Auntie Tautau was adamant about that. Etum is a danger we can’t afford to let into the community. I would tell you more, but I wasn’t given leave.”
Alaysia made a clicking sound with her teeth. “I think I know what you’re not telling me, but I’m not going to press it. I did some research. As far as the book you are talking about—Journey of Ereshkigal—I do have a copy of it. Parts of it are blurry. It was hand-copied over and over, and then in the modern day, someone finally photocopied the scrolls, and that’s what I have. But there’s enough still clear that I should be able to glean what we’ll need for the ritual. I’ll get on it as soon as we finish here.”
“Is there anything else I can tell you that will help?”
She shook her head. “Knowing the nature of the ritual and having a copy of the book are our two best bets.”
My phone rang at that moment, and I glanced at it. It was from Kelson. I excused myself to take the call.
“Maddy, I need you to get home now. Something’s happened.”
“What now?” My heart sank.
“Max went into the secret room to look around, to see if he could figure out anything. I asked him not to, but he insisted. He came bounding down the stairs in his tiger form. He can’t seem to transform back. Sandy said she’s worried that he might fully fall into his tiger nature and go ballistic on us.”
“Crap. Double crap. The last thing we need is a rogue tiger running around. I’m on my way. I’m at Neverfall so it will take me awhile to get home. You and Sandy be careful, you hear me?”
“I hear you. We’ll see you when you get here.” She hung up, and I shoved the phone back in my pocket. As I turned to Alaysia and Leroy, I saw they were both staring at me.
“Bad news?” Leroy asked.
I nodded. “It seems that Max has been affected by the curse as well. He’s now running around in his tiger form and he can’t change back. We’re worried that he might just go all jungle boy on us.”
“Tigers are more often found in the savannah and rocky climes than in the jungle,” Alaysia started but stopped when I glared at her. “But I guess it doesn’t really matter, in this case.”
“No kidding. This tiger happens to be inside my house. I’ve got to go. Call me as soon as you can, please. I’m relying on you, because I don’t know any other way to deal with this.”
“Go on, head home now. And don’t let your worry push you into reckless behavior.”
“I think I passed that point a long time ago,” I muttered as I left the office.
I CALLED JORDAN on the way, using my Bluetooth. “Do you have anything that can knock out a tiger? A weretiger?”
“I like that you didn’t even start this time with a ‘Hello, how are you,’ ” he said, laughing. But he quickly sobered. “What happened?”
“Max is in tiger form and can’t seem to turn back. Hence, I figure that—like Aegis—it might be a good idea to put him down for the count. He gets nervous when he’s a tiger and around a lot of chaos. And that’s one thing we aren’t lacking for.”
“I’ll be over as soon as I can. How are you doing?”
“Feeling nauseated. I’ve been around too much magic today and it’s only going to get worse. Do you have anything else that can help me?”
“I have developed something, but it will temporarily totally suspend your powers. It will make you immune to the effects of magic in terms of the allergy, but you won’t be able to cast any spells at all while it’s in your system. And it may take a few days to filter out of your bloodstream.”
“I’m desperate enough that I’ll take it. Bring it with you, please.” I ended the call, trying to focus on the road. It was true, my stomach felt like it was about ready to hurl, and I was tingling all over. I really didn’t want to have to give myself one of those shots, but I sure as hell didn’t want to go into anaphylactic shock.
By the time I arrived home, Max was running around the yard, with Sandy chasing him, trying to get him to slow down. He leapt into one of the trees, and was clawing at the bark.
“He’s upset. And when he gets upset, he gets a little bit twitchy.”
“We’re all a little twitchy by this point. Jordan is headed over with something to put him down for a nice long nap. We’re about to be down both Aegis and Max. And I don’t have use of my powers. In fact, Jordan is bringing along a shot that will totally suppress my magic. It will also suppress the allergy. I won’t be able to cast any spells, but at least I won’t die from being around magical energy.”
“Motherfucking hell,” Sandy said, sputtering. “Once we take care of this, girlfriend, we are going on a week-long binge. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. And I can’t imagine how you feel.”
“I feel ready to shit a brick.” I stood back, watching Max climb the tree. At least he had picked one that was sturdy enough to hold his weight. He was gorgeous, a beautiful massive golden Bengal, big enough to strike down just about anything that gave him trouble. And yet, he was graceful and delicate as he climbed the tree, his dagger-sharp claws digging into the trunk.
“Well, he’s gorgeous, I have to say that much.”
“You should see it when we go up in the mountains and he turns into his tiger self and goes running. It’s breathtaking to watch. It makes me wish I could do the same. The freedom that he must feel…” She paused, watching him, her eyes warm and loving. “And yet, Maddy, he’s one of the most gentle men that I’ve ever known. When I first met him he was a mess as far as dating was concerned. He wasn’t used to it. He loved his wife so much, and her death hit him incredibly hard.”
As we waited for Jordan, I couldn’t help but say, “Isn’t it hard to fill the shoes of a saint?”
She shook her head. “Even though he’ll always love Gracie, I know he loves me. What we have isn’t the same as what they had. We finally figured out that’s the easiest way to look at it. And that works for me. I’m glad that he loved her, and that she made him happy. He doesn’t have lingering resentments.”
She paused, then asked, “What about Aegis? Does he have any old flames who worry you?”
I shrugged. “I wonder about the woman he was in love with, the one Apollo cast him out because of. I think I remind him of her. I’m not sure what it is, but ever since we met, we’ve both felt this connection that seems to go into a past life. But we haven’t figured it out yet. So…no. I don’t feel threatened by anyone he’s talked about. Sometimes I do worry that one day, he’ll want to be with one of his own kind.”
“I think if he wanted to be with a vampire, he would have stayed with Rachel. But you saw how well that worked out.”
I laughed. “Yeah, just about as well as things worked out between me and Craig.”
At that moment, Jordan arrived, pulling up into the driveway. As he got out of his car, carrying his bag, I walked over to greet him. Sandy stayed where she was, to keep an eye on Max, who was still having fun up in the trees.
“As you can see, we’ve had a bit of an incident.”
“Lovely. I do have a shot I can give him. It should transform him back, but he won’t be able to shift again for a while. It’s the same base as the shot that I’ve prepared for you.” He paused, looking at me for a moment. “Maddy, are you sure you want this? It will mean you can’t perform any magic until it wears off. That could be a couple days, or it could be a week, or even longer, depending on how long it reacts in your system.”
“Right now, that has to be better than constantly worrying whether I’m going to end up gasping for air. Go ahead.” I held out my arm as he set his bag on a bench and rummaged through it. He brought out a long-needled syringe, holding it up and flicking the side of it with his fingers.
“This may sting a little bit.”
“I’m sure I’ve felt worse over the years.” I closed my eyes as he stabbed the syringe into my biceps. As the medicine filtered in, I grimaced. He was right. It did sting, but I handled it just fine. As Jordan pulled the needle out and wiped the area with a cotton ball, I felt an odd wave of dizziness rush over me. I sank down to sit on the bench next to his bag, rubbing my head.
“Dizzy?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Is that normal?”
“Very. Oh, one other thing. A positive side effect, you might say. I’m lifting my prohibition on sex. Now that the kundalini channels are effectively closed, you should be safe to scratch any itch you get.”
“Well, that’s good.” I closed my eyes as the drug seeped through my body. All over, it felt like sensory channels were shutting down, and I felt smaller than before. That was the only way to describe it. I felt like I was less than I had been. Part of myself seemed to vanish in those few moments. I burst into tears, not realizing just how intertwined my magic was to my being.
“It’s only temporary. Just remember that. I’ve used this before and I’ve seen the same reaction from every single witch I’ve used it on.”
I sniffled, wiping my nose on my sleeve. “That makes me feel better. It just took me by surprise. I guess we’d better get Max under control. What are you going to do? I’m not sure how to coax a full-grown Bengal tiger down out of a tree.”
“I thought of that. I brought my tranquilizer gun. I’m going to shoot the medication into him. So I advise you and Sandy to move away, because he’s probably going to come leaping down out of the branches at me. But it works so quickly that everything should be all right by the time he hits the ground.”
“I hope you’re right, for everybody’s sake.”
I called Sandy over as Jordan headed toward the tree. He had what looked like a small-gauge shotgun, and he fitted the drug-laced dart into it.
“Will that hurt Max?” she asked.
Jordan shook his head. “The dart will probably fall out of his skin as he transforms. It does sting, but it’s probably not going to leave a bruise. At least not a big one.”
He got near enough that he could aim at Max’s haunches. He leveled the shotgun, holding it steady to his shoulder, and then pulled the trigger. His aim was true, and the dart landed right in the hindquarters of the tiger.
Max let out a roar and, as Jordan predicted, came charging down out of the tree. Jordan took off running toward his truck, with Max was bounding after him. But not more than five yards from the tree, Max froze in mid-air, then fell to the ground, transforming quickly back into his natural shape. Jordan skidded to a halt.
“Are you all right?” Sandy asked, reaching Max’s side first. She knelt, stroking his hair out of his eyes.
As he pushed himself up into a sitting position, he groaned and yanked the dart out of his right butt cheek and tossed it on the ground. I grimaced, thinking that must have hurt like hell, and then as Max began to stand up, I suddenly blushed, realizing Max was fully naked. The wayward thought crossed my mind that Sandy was a lucky, lucky woman.
“What the hell just happened?” Max shook his head, glancing around at the three of us.
“Do you remember changing into your tiger form?” Sandy asked.
Max staggered to his feet, not seeming to realize he was naked as jaybird. “Not really.” He suddenly looked down, and let out a little groan. “That would explain why I’m standing outside in forty-degree weather without any clothes on.” He glanced at me, and let out a choked laugh. “Eyes to yourself, woman.”
“You haven’t got anything I haven’t seen hundreds of times over. How are you feeling?” I asked, stifling a laugh. But I couldn’t hold it in and ended up belting out a loud guffaw.
“That’s right, chuckle it up.” He snorted. “How do I feel? Like I got hit by a sledgehammer. What did you do to me?” He turned to Jordan. “The last thing I remember is…I don’t remember.”
Jordan nodded. “Let’s go inside and get you into some clothing. I’ll explain there.”
As we headed into the Bewitching Bedlam, it occurred to me that we were very quickly losing our power players. Aegis was down for the count. I couldn’t cast any magic now. And Max wouldn’t be able to turn into his tiger. Pretty soon, we would be left with only our wits, and that was a scary thought.
MAX TOOK A quick shower and changed clothes as Kelson fixed a pot of tea. I glanced at the time. It was almost three thirty and my brother was scheduled to arrive at around four. It occurred to me that maybe I should rent him a hotel room so he didn’t get hit by the curse as well. I hated not being able to offer him my hospitality, but it might be safer that way.
As we waited for Max to come down from the guestroom, my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID. It was Alaysia.
“Maddy? I figured out what ritual you need to do. It’s daunting, and it’s not going to be easy, but I’m calling you now because we have to do it tomorrow night. Rituals to Ereshkigal must be done on Saturday night—the seventh night. And we need to do it at your house, because that’s where the curse is. I’ll have to come out and set up tomorrow afternoon, if that’s all right with you. Leroy is going to join us as well.”
“Good. But I have to ask you something. Jordan Farrows gave me a shot that suppresses all my magic. Will I be able to go to the ritual even though I can’t do anything magical?”
“Oh, you can go through the ritual, all right. I don’t guarantee how you’ll fare without any magic, but it certainly won’t stop you from trying.” She paused, then added, “Really, this is the only solution if you want to break that curse. I know more than you think about it.”
“Let’s go for it. Why don’t you come over around three tomorrow? That will give you plenty of time to set up. Should we clear the house of everyone else?”
“Actually, anybody affected by the curse should be there. At least, anybody you can manage to have around.”
“Henry won’t be able to. And it’s probably a good thing, because if this ritual is to remove curses, it might affect the curse that’s keeping him alive. Besides, I have a feeling the stroke was brought on by something other than the magic.” In fact, I knew it had been. Not everything was magical in origin.
“All right. I’ll see you then.”
I hung up, breathing deeply. “Tomorrow night, Alaysia and Leroy are coming over. Sandy, you and Max need to be here. Aegis needs to be here as well. She’s managed to figure out a ritual that should break the curse.”
As Max entered the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Reeling from everything that it happened, I headed to answer. As I opened the door, a tall lanky man stood there, wavy brown hair down to his butt. As I stared into his eyes, I saw my mother’s reflection staring back at me. It was Gregory, my brother.