Buttercup stood outside The Murky Cauldron, staring at the glass door as she debated within herself as to whether she really wanted to go inside or not. While it was nice to be able to tell Tansy all about everything she went through since working for Adrian Michaels, the whole idea of witches scared her. She had enough craziness in her life right now; she really shouldn't be adding more.Yet, with everything she witnessed, she felt like she needed some advantage over the evildoers. Never again would she be a victim. Plus, it would be nice to put a spell on Karl Bartlett. Maybe she'd turn him into a toad. Nah, too cliché. Not a rat, either. Has to be something really nasty. As she daydreamed about what she would transform Karl into, she reached for the door handle of The Murky Cauldron, her mind already made up without her even realizing she had decided. The little bell jingled over her head, and she surrendered to what her subconscious obviously wanted. She stood in the doorway, took
Buttercup clutched at her chest; her eyes wide with the bluntness of Jayden's words. "What? How? When?""What do you care? You left us, remember? Walked out on your family."More tears poured from Buttercup's eyes as she dropped her gaze to the floor, her arms now over her chest trying to hold her insides intact. On the verge of collapsing, she could feel her knees shaking as the room started to spin. Her father. Dead. And, Jayden was right; Buttercup hadn't known. To be honest, she hadn't even thought about them since Jerome forced her into prostitution. It hurt too bad to remember what life was like before Jerome and, to avoid that agony, she shoved it from her mind. She took a stuttering breath. She needed to leave, to get out of there before she had a meltdown.Tansy must have sensed what Buttercup was feeling because she moved over to her, putting her arms around Buttercup and giving her a squeeze in an attempt to offer her some comfort. "While I don't know all the history here, I
"It sounds like a pretty sucky night," Rhychard said as he snatched at the last piece of bacon on the plate before Famallumi could get it. The elf's appetite seemed insatiable, and Rhychard worried about whether Famallumi would eat him out of house and home. The Warrior glanced over at Buttercup as she stirred her scrambled eggs on her plate, toying with them more than eating them. The elf ate everything in sight, while Buttercup barely touched a thing. Maybe it'll balance out in the end. "I'm sorry your sister treated you that way. You don't deserve it. It was also a pretty shitty way to tell you about your father. I hadn't realized you left home eight years ago." He settled his gaze on her as he took another bite of bacon. "I've never asked you about your family or where you came from. I'm sorry. I just…well…I guess I just never knew how to ask you about your life before we met."Buttercup shrugged, her gaze still on the plate Rhychard knew she didn't see. "I don't blame you. I would
As Rhychard stepped onto the slab of rock, Kendalais kept his gaze on the other side of the creek, as if something of importance resided there for him to see. There wasn't, of course. It just allowed him to avoid looking at the human. "Tryna informed me that you are experiencing problems again, that you are unable to process some nightmares you seem to be having."Rhychard laughed. "You and I, both, know she didn't tell you that. Any particular reason you failed to inform me of Mephalus or even to give me the knowledge to keep him from doing whatever the hell it is he's doing?" He told himself he would remain calm, but Kendalais' avoidance of any wrongdoing on his part sent Rhychard's ire to boil immediately. He really hated needing this elf to help him. "Hoping Mephalus would be able to take me over, so you could kill him and me at the same time?"Kendalais turned, one eyebrow arched as he glared at Rhychard. "I am sure I do not have any idea what you are implying." He turned to face
Rhychard glanced around the wooded area once more, noticing that the boulders he stepped over to gain access to his haven were not the only ones in the vicinity. Actually, they arched out in both directions, curving back to connect with his Thinking Rock. A giant circle. A faerie circle.The Warrior Master pointed at the boulders. "This is the boundary of the faerie circle. Step within it, and you are not only invisible to those who would glance this way, but you can also be transported to the Land Under—if you have the magic to see you there. We can use this space to train without being noticed.""Marachin told me he built a bridge to the Land Under. He just forgot to tell me how it works. What happens if an innocent person steps inside the circle?""Nothing. The magic only works if someone tries to access the bridge. Otherwise, it's merely a ring of rocks."Rhychard stared at the boulders, not sure he truly believed what Kendalais said. "I heard stories when I was a kid that said dif
When Rhychard entered his condo, Buttercup was brushing Kree, who was sprawled across the loveseat, acting as if he was receiving a spa treatment from a luxurious establishment. Rhychard just rolled his eyes. "You are one spoiled pooch.":I am not a pooch. That is rather insulting. Besides, what is wrong with a good brushing now and then? You brush your own mane, do you not?:"Probably not as much as he should," Buttercup said with a weak smile. At least she was trying to get out of her funk. "And Kree had some spurs and twigs in his fur. Apparently, he went exploring today in the Bottoms.""Find anything?" Rhychard entered the kitchen, needing another cup of coffee.Famallumi came out of the hallway and took his normal seat on a kitchen chair. "Greetings, Warrior. I hope your morning with Kendalais went well."As Rhychard opened the cupboard door, he saw Renny float through the front door, her feet an inch above the floor. It gave him a fright, at first, to see her, but he would get u
He turned back to the scene in front of him, the townspeople screaming for Mephalus' death, the flaming arrows slicing through the night sky, landing on the ground, the dead bodies, even Mephalus. The flames rose, climbing higher and higher, as Mephalus screamed at Kendalais, calling the Warriors cowards for not facing him on their own, but rather allowing the townspeople to fight their battles. "Is this how your king passes judgment?" he bellowed into the night. "You allow these…humans…to kill one of your kind?"Rhychard watched as Kendalais slid his sword back in its scabbard, then crossed his arms over his chest. The expression he gave Mephalus was cold, deadly. "You know the Seelie do not interfere in the affairs of the humans. You crossed that line, Mephalus, and now the humans have decided to handle it themselves. They are the ones who have passed judgment, and we will not interfere.""Cowards!" Mephalus roared as more arrows struck him, knocking him to the ground, his body going
Rhychard turned to Kree who laid with his head on his forepaws. He had never thought about it before, but Famallumi was right. There were no other cosheys around for Kree to make a family. "Why did you do that for me?":Because you needed me. No one else would come to your aid, and that was not right. I could not allow you to face Vargas alone.:Rhychard felt the proud smile stretch across his face. "I will never be able to repay you.":I do not require payment.: Then Rhychard could have sworn he felt the coshey grin. :However, a pizza would be nice. Pepperoni, of course.:Rhychard chuckled. "I can do that."Tryna left Rhychard's side and walked over to where Renny hovered over the sofa. "As much as I am pleased to see you, my dear, you do not belong here. You should have moved on to the next life. I am afraid that none of us foresaw the possibilities at the time."Renny smiled at the small ellyll. "Well, there was a building exploding around you. I can see why you were a little distra
While their mother piddled in the kitchen fixing them a plate of fajitas, the Valentine sisters sat on the living room sofa, legs folded under them. Maria Valentine put most of the house back in order after Baltabek's attack, but the destruction remained obvious to Laci. She held tight to her sister ever since the Summerlands, scared to let her go. Jayden, of course, fussed at her to stop being a mother hen.Once everyone arrived back at Rhychard's Thinking Rock, a place Renny decided would cause the least amount of sightseers, the witches and Famallumi returned to the Murky Cauldron while Rhychard placed a still-weak Jayden in the back of Laci's car. The eldest Valentine wasted no time or words as she headed straight for home."I almost lost you," Laci said. "I don't know what I would have done if that happened.""Probably moved into my room since it's the biggest," Jayden said with a shrug."That's not even funny," Laci snapped, shoving Jayden's hand away from her in disgust.Jayden
Rhychard wasn't sure what he hit, but he found himself spinning backward, the Guardian Sword leaving his hand as he hit the ground with a hard thud, the air whooshing out of his lungs. Scrambling to his feet, a pain tugging at the back of his head from where he hit the ground, the first thing he noticed was Laci sprawled on top of Kree. Renny! He jerked his attention around until he saw her still gripping Jayden's arm as both women lay stretched out on the grass. However, he didn't see the wall he ran into, knocking him back on his ass. Another glance around, and he noticed the salt circle and the three witches sitting on the ground, eyes closed as they chanted. An older man he didn't recognize stood behind Wanda, his face a mask of admiration.A groan alerted Rhychard to Baltabek stirring, and Rhychard lunged for his sword. The demon moved faster, however, and shot a burst of his demonic power at the Warrior, knocking him back against the invisible barrier, the air he just managed to
Rhychard heard screams, but he couldn't tell whose or where they originated. They might have even been his for all he knew. Pieces of the broken table jabbed him in his back and legs, and he felt blood making a trail down his side. Groaning, he tried to sit up. He must get up. Renny needed his protection as did his parents.:Warrior, Baltabek is heading to your home,: Kree sent. Rhychard could hear the elven hound moving toward him through their connection. :He hid among the woods along the creek.:"Rhychard!" Renny shouted, and then he felt her hands on his arms along with someone else's on his other side.:Well, he knows how to make an entrance.: Rhychard sent.He could hear shouts of panic coming from the parking lot and other apartments, people screaming at the sudden explosion.Glancing up, he noticed the other set of hands helping him to his feet belonged to his father. His mother stood by the sofa, her face pinched with concern, and Tryna picked herself up off the floor from whe
Tansy walked over to where Alex's backpack lay on the ground from where the gnome dropped it when they first entered the Summerlands, pulling out the container of salt that rolled halfway out. As she stood, she couldn't take her gaze off the dark pack, remembering its owner and how far he came since walking into the Murky Cauldron that first day. Her heart twisted, and she did her best to keep the tears at bay. She didn't know how much time they had, so she needed to make sure she completed the barrier spell before Renny arrived with Baltabek.Kayla and Wanda sat off to the side, Kayla with her arms wrapped around her knees as she stared at the last spot she saw Alex, and Wanda absorbing her surroundings. Since the demons had been cast out of the Summerlands, the dank grayish color slowly faded away, replaced once more by the lush greens and vibrant colors of the flowers that filled the Land of the Dead. They had even seen the return of some of those who had already passed on from the
"Mom! Dad. What are you doing here?" Rhychard just stood there, staring. He didn't need this right now."Your father thought I was crazy," Catherine Bartlett said. "He even made sure I didn't have any hidden wine bottles anywhere. Empty wine bottles, that is. I had to drag him here to see for himself.""You're alive," Rhychard's father said as he stood there and stared at Renny, his brows bunched in disbelief. "How is this even possible?"Rhychard sighed. "I've discovered just about anything is possible these days.""Hello, Mr. Bartlett," Renny said as she casually closed her purse, hiding the gnomes from sight for now. Catherine didn't handle them well last time, and Renny didn't know how Rhychard's father would react. "I'm sorry we didn't come over and tell you. We've just been…well, we've had our hands full."James Bartlett swooped in, wrapping his arms around Renny and giving her the tightest bear hug she ever had. "I can imagine you have," he told her, his voice filled with enthus
Rhychard watched as Renny gathered up the other Warriors and returned them to the Guardian Sword, only to reappear a moment later with Pux on her shoulder. Laci paced the entire time until Renny returned, eager to be on her way to protecting her sister. With the bridges gone, she had no other way back to the Land Above than Renny. None of them did, actually. Rhychard ran a hand over his long, dark hair, worried about what they would find when they arrived in the Valentine household, concerned for his brother, just as Laci showed concern for her sister.Tansy still stood off to the side, holding a sobbing Kayla and a shaking Wanda. Both witches shifted back to normal once the demons left them, but still wore the wear and tear from the possession. Rhychard hoped they would continue to heal with time, at least physically. He highly doubted Kayla would heal emotionally anytime soon considering her hands snapped Alex's neck even though the demon controlled her. That would be a heavy weight
Karl stood there, still not sure what he should be doing or even what was actually happening. He saw what those demons did to downtown. He couldn't possibly stop one if it showed up now and took over Jayden's body. Glancing over at Famallumi, he wondered just how much power the elves possessed. Gormec seemed to always have his giant hammer nearby, and while Karl had seen its power before, was it enough to stop the demons? There were only five of them against a demon like the ones who killed a witch and almost defeated his brother, the Warrior. Karl didn't particularly care for his odds."How do you feel?" he asked Jayden, his hands over his chest."I'd feel better if you'd stop staring at me like I'm about to go off my meds," Jayden snapped."How about I go and fix us all some lemonade?" Jayden's mother suggested. "It'll give us something to do while we wait for the others.""Do we even know they're going to be here?" Gormec asked, leaning on the handle of his hammer. "It's been longer
The witches continued to shout their chant, their power strengthened with their success. Baltabek sent a blast toward them, but Rhychard blocked it and hurled the power at the demon's feet, the ground exploding and shoving Baltabek up and backward into the air. The other Warriors quickly pressed their attack while the demon lay on the ground.Kayla let out a wail, slicing the air, and dropped to her knees. The demon inside of her wasn't so easily taken, however. With clenched fists, he shoved his power at the witches, doing his best to stop their chanting. Rhychard caught one of the bolts before it struck Tansy, but the next slipped past him and struck Laci in the chest, somersaulting her backward to land on the ground in a heap.Kree leaped up on his back paws, spinning in midair before racing over to the fallen witch. Rhychard could hear her moan and breathed a sigh of relief that she still lived. :Is she okay?: he asked Kree.Kree leaned down, pressing his muzzle against Laci's sho
Rhychard blocked another blast, sending it off to the side to explode into the ground. The gnomes fought from inside the ground, churning up the soil the demons stood upon and causing them to slip and lose their balance. Kree darted in all directions, drawing the demons' fire while he attempted to get close enough to bite one of them. The witches sent their power at the demons, Rose from behind and the others in front, doing their best to keep Baltabek and the others from focusing on any one person. They all did their best to bide Renny time to bring the other Warriors out of the sword, but Rhychard wasn't sure how much longer they could keep it up.The demons who possessed the witches spun, one sending a bolt of power at Rhychard's head and the other one sending one at his feet. He swung his sword, blocking the bolt to his head, but missing the one aimed at his feet. The magic snatched at his ankles, spinning him around and dragging him to the ground. His sword arm hit the ground, his