Her Perilous Wolf by Julie Steimle (free e books to read .txt) 📖

Silvia examined it, she rubbed the bites with an oil and muttered words over them. There was no reaction.

“So, the curse is ended,” Silvia said with a relieved sigh, staring at the healed marks. “How did that happen?”

Audry then went into explaining about how she had contracted yellow fever quicker than normal and nearly died of it—until Eve.

Again Silvia gasped. She leaned back and eyed Audry over until Audry finally finished explaining with how she was well, and how Juma insisted she take the dog home with her, as Darth had not left her side willingly since.

Silvia scratched between Darth’s ears. He liked that. He leaned into it, closing his eyes with a doggish smile. The fact that he liked that warmed Audry’s heart. It meant so much to know he trusted Silvia. It was sign to her once more that Silvia was not this wicked person, but good at the core.

While Audry was finishing her story about how she came home and what the doctor did that made her mother freak out, Randon came in through the front door. “I’m home! What’s for lunch?”

 He smiled the moment he set eyes on Audry.

“Hey! Audry.” Smiling wider, in long strides he advanced on them. “Your cousin called. He’s worried about you.”

“I texted him already,” Audry said, nodding to him. “And I already spoke to my mother this morning.”

Spotting the dog almost instinctively, Randon walked up to Darth.

Darth perked his ears, barked then sniffed at Randon, looking heavily confused. Grinning almost like a Cheshire cat, Randon strolled up to him and extended his hand for Darth to sniff. They held this animal ceremony for a few seconds before Darth wagged his tail, giving Randon his approval. Then Randon sat next to Silvia. “What’d I miss?”

“An exciting African adventure,” Silvia informed him. “I’ll tell it to you later. Right now Audry has a problem. You know that old adage, if you are aware of the supernatural it will not leave you alone?”

Randon nodded, then went pale, looking to Audry. “Oh no. Are you serious?”

Audry shrugged. It was amazing the shorthand these folk spoke. And now she understood it.

“She’s seeing gremlins, possible elves, and demons,” Silvia elaborated.

For some reason, that made Audry quickly look to her knees, feeling sheepish. Perhaps it was the sad gaze Randon rested on her.

“I mean, I always knew she was naturally intuitive,” Silvia said, reaching over to scratch Darth’s head again. “But a person with clear vision, that’s a rarity.”

“That’s dangerous,” Randon mused aloud, his dark blue eyes raking over Audry’s humbled posture. “Even I don’t see all the supernatural things about, and I was raised by witches.”

Silvia nodded. “I know.” She looked to Audry. “Can I guess you are here for some kind of protective ward?”

Audry lifted her head and nodded. “If you have anything.”

Gesturing to the evil eye charm hanging from around Darth’s neck, Silvia said, “Those are pretty effective. It’s African voodoo, but—”

“That’s voodoo?” Audry stared at Juma’s charm.

Silvia nodded. “A branch of magic. I can make you a similar type of charm, but to be honest, it will not make you blind to the supernatural again. I don’t have that kind of ability. Once people see, it is sort of all over. But I can make a protective charm.”

Audry nodded. “That’s still good.”

Going about it, Silvia gestured to Randon to keep her and the dog company. “Tell her about yourself. The true story.”

Randon raised his eyebrows. “Are you so sure that is wise?”

“Why not?” Silvia retorted, getting down dried herbs and something that looked like a jewelry making kit. “She already knows about Howie Deacon. Your story can’t be more shocking.”

And yet Randon seemed to think it would be. However, he peeked to Audry and said, “You know my mother and sister are skilled witches, right?

Audry nodded, supplying back what she knew. “They used to torture you.”

He sighed. “Yeah. But specifically, they used to experiment on me.”

That did sound worse.

“Now my sister and my mom are almost on par with those witches from Middleton Village—” he started.

“Are they really that dangerous?” Audry whispered, leaning closer.

Randon nodded. “Well, yeah. You met three of them.”

She shuddered, thinking of Rick growing up in a town like that. Of course, so did Jessica and Silvia, and all their friends. But Rick had so much crap to deal with already.

“But anyway, I was their guinea pig.” He shook his head. “Their last experiment on me was a complex and powerful spell. Basically, they turned me into a familiar.”

She blinked at him. “A what?”

“I’d demonstrate, but I might freak out your dog,” Randon said, peeking to Darth.

“I’ll take him,” Silvia announced. She trotted right back and wrapped her arms around Darth in a hug. She also got a firm hold of his collar. He was off his leash in the house.

Once Darth was secure, Randon stood up. Before Audry’s two eyes, he shrank down, clothes and all, into the black cat with amber eyes who had followed her on the beach.

Audry drew in a breath, popping to her feet.

Darth barked at him, startled, but Silvia was laughing out of pure enjoyment. Clearly it was her favorite magic trick.

The cat leapt onto the couch, looking shy—perhaps apologetic. And Audry knew why.

Propping her hands onto her hips, Audry huffed. “You were spying on us.”

“That’s what familiars are for,” Silvia said kissing Darth’s excited cheek. He was nearly hopping, eager to play with the cat—hopefully not violently.

Randon pulled himself back up into full human form again, still clothed, and hopped off his couch. “Sorry. I spied on you back then. We wanted to see if you were ok. We didn’t mean any harm.”

Yet Audry stepped back, looking him up and down. She pointed to his work jacket. “All of you became that cat. But Rick had to take off his shirt.”

“Different curse,” Randon explained. He sat down on the sofa. Silvia let go of Darth who rushed up and stared at Randon, sniffing him up again, then licking him. Randon scratched Darth’s head, smiling, yet still blushing on Audry’s behalf. “Rick is the wolf. But me being the cat involves a lot more—which I don’t want to tell you the rest. Let it suffice that my mother and sister had plans for me, and I needed to be able to change at will, leaving no trace.”

Looking him up and down more, Audry nodded. “I can see that.”

“Almost everyone from Gulinger has some sort of thing that complicates their lives.” He shrugged. “The fact that you can see supernatural things now kind of makes you a ghoulie.”

“A what?” Audry pulled back, as it sounded like an insult.

“It’s just a slang term kids from Gulinger call the kids who are affected by the supernatural,” Silvia said, going back to her ‘crafting’.

“Which is all of them,” Audry murmured.

“Not really,” Randon retorted. He got more comfortable on the couch. “There are kids at the school who are there under witness protection—totally normal kids who had no clue the supernatural existed until they were sent to bunk in with us.”

“But anyway, back to topic,” Silvia interjected. She beckoned Audry near. “I will need from you one of your hairs, or an eyelash for this ward to work.”

Sighing, Audry, plucked a long hair from her head, handing it to Silvia.

Silvia wound it inside a brightly colored yarn, then snipped it in half. Then Silvia gestured to collection of stones and crystals she had spread out on the kitchen counter. “Ok, this is kind of like a game. Point to the stone that gives you the worst feelings. Then the second worst. Then the third worst.”

Obeying, willing to play, Audry chose the one orange cat’s-eye, then a jade stone, and lastly an onyx.

“Hmm.” Silvia nodded, she collected those, setting them to the side. “Now pick the ones you are most attracted to.”

This was a more difficult choice. There was one stone that was a rich green crystal. Another that was white like ice. The last was smooth obsidian. There was just something about it that entranced her. The dark volcanic glass was so intriguing.

“Interesting…” Silvia murmured. She took up those stones and set them aside. “Now which stone out of the remaining leaves you with a feeling of peace?”

There was one. Her eyes drew it automatically. It was smooth and glassy. It had a hole in it already and was shaped like a teardrop fish hook. The color was a mixture between white and rust. Audry pointed to it.

Silvia smirked. “Of course.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Audry asked, feeling she had just been played into some kind of fortunetelling. She hated fortunetelling. She thought it was hokey and extremely misleading. Only suckers bought into it.

Lifting up the smooth glassy fishhook stone, Silvia said, “This one reveals where you find peace. You find peace in danger.”

“What?” Audry pulled back.

“In risk,” Silvia continued. “You always slip off to Africa because it is not just beautiful, but a dangerous place. You are attracted to danger.”

Shivers ran through Audry.

“This is why you like Howie so much.” Silvia grinned.

Audry blushed. She reached out and slapped Silvia’s shoulder. “Will you stop that?”

Silvia shook her head. “Nope. You have to decide for yourself where you want to go from here. I can make you a charm that can ward off the evil eye. But you keep running to danger. You are no shrinking violet.”

She pulled up the stones Audry hated.

“Cat’s eye—you hate flashy, gaudy, tacky things. It makes sense. The jade? It reflects your recent troubles—being bit by a Chinese demon. I think you would have liked jade before this.”

Audry shuddered. To be honest, she did. She used to really love the color. But now, she could not help but think about those poachers when looking at that jade. And of that snake.

“And the onyx?” Silvia shrugged. “The darkness. Death. You have been scared to death. I totally get it.”

“What about the other three?” Randon asked, pointing to those three stones.

“What attracts her,” Silvia replied. “The white crystal is purity. Audry is attracted to goodness—which is a healthy thing. The green stone is her attraction to nature. It is rich like life. And the last one, the obsidian? She is attracted to mystery. I had to eliminate those extremes before we could focus on what gives her peace. Extremes are distractions.”

Audry felt like she had been stripped bare, though.

Silvia held up the fishhook stone. “I’ll give this one to you as a gift to remind you where your peace comes from. But your charm is going to have this one.” Silvia lifted up the white crystal. “Most people need this one. And I see you do.”

Gazing over her collection, Audry murmured, “But wouldn’t it spoil your collection? Ruin the game?”

Chuckling, Silvia said, “No. I mean, I may have to search for another like the fish hook, but I know a good shop. But the white ones I buy in bulk. I sell necklaces and earrings on Etsy.”

Of course she did. Audry nodded to herself. It was likely Silvia sold a lot of things on Etsy, but of the more pagan bent.

As Silvia worked on the charm, Randon made lunch. It was what he had come home for after all. He made sandwiches. He assembled one for Audry, apologizing that it was egg salad and asking if it was ok.

“I don’t mind eggs,” she murmured. “It is one of my guilty pleasures.”

“As is honey,” Silvia called out with a chuckle.

Randon shook his head, repressing a laugh, handing her the sandwich. “Honey, huh? Rick is totally allergic.”

Audry sighed. “I know.”

They chatted about a few other random things while Silvia tweaked the strings, stone, and threads with the crystal charm. Silvia murmured over it, probably chanting something. Darth was resting his head on Audry’s knee slobbering a little as he gazed up at her, probably wishing to go out again. Though he also looked hungry. Back when they were in the car, she had handed him some snacks, but that was not enough. She’d have to get him something with meat