Fire Storm (13 page)

A strongly built woman in her early thirties handed her a .22 rifle from a table of weapons. “You’re the witch from America, aren’t you? I’m Greta. I didn’t get a chance to meet you yesterday.”

“Yes, my name’s Ari. Nice to meet you. It was quite a crowd, and I have to confess I don’t remember most of the names.”

“We all answer to ‘Hey You.’” Greta grinned, the action softening her square face, then she pointed down the range. “Just wait until everyone’s finished their rounds before you check your scores. We don’t want anyone to get pelted in the back.” Greta waved and walked away.

They were using human-shaped targets, and Ari’s first round was scattered head shots with one complete miss. She frowned, but her second round was perfect. She grabbed a much larger weapon, an M-16, and placed six shots in the target’s heart before setting the rifle back on the table. That was better.

She moved to the next set of targets and a table of handguns. She picked up a Luger, took a couple of shots, but it didn’t feel right. She traded it for a Walther PPS, which seemed molded to her hand. She fired off seven shots: four in the forehead, three to the heart.

Greta gave her a quizzical look.

Ari shrugged. “I’ve had a little training.” Yeah, like a dozen years worth under demanding perfectionists.
Be tough and then be tougher
. Her sensei coach had drilled that motto into her head. It had carried over to every discipline, including weaponry.

“Can you shoot like that every time?”

“Pretty much.” Ari wasn’t bragging; she’d had to practice until she could deliver a dozen perfect rounds in a row. “I don’t use guns much in my everyday work, but I visit a local range every month, sometimes more often. I carry a derringer for really close quarters.”

“Let’s see it.” Greta inspected the firearm, then handed it back. “Cute, but not what you need around here. You’re in a war zone now.” She picked up the Walther. “Keep this with you, and I’ll see you’re issued a rifle too.”

Ari hefted the pistol, then slipped it in her pocket along with the box of ammo and extra clips Greta offered. “Thanks. I’ll take you up on your offer while I’m here, but my favorite routine weapon is this.” She pulled her silver stiletto from its waist sheath.

Greta leaned forward to examine it. “A fine blade. Hand-to-hand?”

“Mostly, but I was taught to throw it too.”

Greta called to the two women still on the archery range. “Hold up a minute.” She pointed at the target. “Let’s see what you can do with that knife.”

Before Greta had finished speaking, Ari flicked her wrist, and the blade was sticking in the center of the archery bull’s-eye.

“Tomorrow you’re going to show us all how to do that,” Greta said. “Welcome to our group of instructors.”

Once Ari figured out Greta was serious, she agreed to help when she could. After all, the witches were willing to share their skills. It was only fair she returned the favor as long as it didn’t delay the rescue efforts. A constant knot in her stomach reminded her that time was passing.

The rest of the morning schedule was devoted to spells and potions, sharing and practicing. Ari hadn’t counted on picking up other skills and magics, but she was ready to learn. The coven had some pretty awesome witchcraft, including earth and wind spells. The earth spells came easy. If Warin had run one of his DNA checks on her, Ari figured he’d find earth magic in her ancestry. She was so intrigued by the new information and the need to absorb it quickly that she resented the break for lunch.

Early in the afternoon, the coven split up to take care of various tasks: shopping, cleaning rooms and camp grounds, or to attend to private business. Ari called Samuel, but he had nothing to report. She was just about to check out the archery range when a red sports car came up the narrow dirt road and parked in front of the main building. Gerhard climbed out of the driver’s seat, Warin from the passenger side. Ari joined them, and Sophistrina came down the front steps.

“Two days in a row,” Sophie said. “To what do we owe this honor?”

“Your visitor seemed to have an interest in discussing our fire abilities,” Gerhard said. “Last night wasn’t a good time.” His gaze moved to Ari. “But how about now?”

“It’s great for me, if it’s OK with Sophistrina. I’m kind of on her schedule.”

“Your time’s your own.” The priestess looked at Ari in surprise. “Since you’re not really a recruit, you can join in or ignore our activities as you please.” She nodded at the men. “Come on inside—as long as this is a talk session and no one will be shooting fire.”

“I just came to observe.” Warin gave Ari an assessing look. “I’m curious what another fire witch can do.”

Ari was curious too, but this intense interest, as if she was under his microscope, gave her the creeps. She turned to Sophie. “I can’t vouch for them, but your house is safe from me.”

They traipsed inside following Sophie to the kitchen where three of them had coffee. Warin insisted on tea, and Ari commented on his choice.

“It’s healthier than that vile stuff you’re drinking. There’s a reason they use coffee grounds in compost piles.”

“Ignore him,” Gerhard said. “I often do.”

“That’s usually when you get into trouble,” his brother retorted.

“I’ll let you get on with your fire discussion before this deteriorates into a bickering session.” Sophistrina grabbed her cup and stood. “I have errands to run, so I’ll be out of the camp for a while.” She gave Ari a crooked grin. “Don’t let them waste your time.”

“Sophie, you’re too cynical for someone so pretty.” Gerhard lounged back in his chair. “You need a man like me to show you the sweet side of life.”

“No one deserves that. You flit to too many flowers.”

Ari watched the by-play. The teasing had an uneasy undertone. Gerhard and Sophistrina clearly had a history, and one that hadn’t ended well. She stole a glance at Warin, but he seemed oblivious. It wasn’t any of her business, but it was interesting.

When the front door closed behind the priestess, Ari turned the conversation to their fire abilities. “You’re the first fire witches I’ve met, so I have a thousand questions. Does it always manifest the same way? Do you both shoot fire from your fingertips?” When they nodded, she added. “Are your stuns blue and lethal fire red?”

“Yes, exactly,” Gerhard said. “It is the same for all of us. What varies are the number of levels, the fire power, and the control. How many stun levels do you have?”

“Two. A pale blue, and a bright blue.”

“That isn’t very good.” Warin frowned. “Have you ever tried to do more?”

“No.” She was taken aback. “How would I do that? The three levels are what came naturally to me.”

“Many of the levels have to be learned,” Gerhard said. “Come outside, and I’ll show you.”

When Ari and Gerhard got up, Warin continued to sit at the table.

“Are you coming?” she asked.

“I don’t think so.” He pulled a dog-eared book from inside his jacket. “I think I’d rather read more about magical algorithms.” He looked at Gerhard. “She’s just a beginner. There’s nothing I can learn from her. Go on. Go on.” He waved them toward the door. “I don’t want to be here all day.”

Ari gave him a thoughtful look. He’d certainly lost interest in a hurry. Or was he deliberately leaving her alone with Gerhard?

* * *

Five minutes later, Gerhard stopped on the bank of a small brook. “It isn’t safe to wander far from camp, but we should be able to practice here without disturbing anyone. See that rock in the middle of the water? Hit it with your lowest level stun.”

Ari held out her hands and a pale blue flame arced from her fingertips to the rock, causing a loud sizzle from sparks hitting the water. “What do you mean it isn’t safe out here? The vampires should be in their sleep cycle.”

“They employ many bear and raptor lycanthropes who conduct raids for them. We can never let our guard down.” He raised his hands and shot a nearly white stream of fire. “That’s the next level down from what you just used. Relax your fingers and think cool. Picture the white flame in your head. Try it again.”

This time she produced a flame with less blue. It still wasn’t the white of Gerhard’s but it was visibly lighter. She smiled and rubbed the tips of her fingers. “I felt the difference.”

“Good. That’s a start. All you need is practice. You could discover several degrees of energy in between your two blues. Even one or two levels of red. Think the color you want, and accompany it with the appropriate amount of tension in your arm and finger muscles.”

She tried again, produced a stream that was almost white, and looked up in amazement. “I had no idea. Thank you. I wish I had something to show you, but I’m afraid I can’t do anything unusual.”

“Not yet, but you picked that up in a hurry. You have good natural ability. Have you experienced other forms of the fire?”

“Like what?” Ari bought time, rapidly sifting through possible responses. Should she lie or tell the truth? Something in between? Andreas had warned her to be careful about revealing her secrets. And while Gerhard might be a male witch, did she really know him well enough?

“My brother has had one or two dreams in which he saw a room full of fire that he could control with his mind.” Gerhard shrugged. “He’s never been able to do it while waking, so we don’t think it’s real. Still, there are stories about the ancient salamanders.”

“The fire spirits. Yes, I’m familiar with the stories.” She kept her voice nonchalant. “In some of the old tales, certain witches could summon the spirits to their defense.”

“That’s the theory.” His face was pensive, and he seemed to study the depths of the brook. “It would be a tremendous ability to have.” He booted a stick off the bank and watched it splash in the water. “There’s another manifestation called a fire shield.”

Ari stilled. Was Gerhard’s nonchalance a little too forced? She made a quick decision to play ignorant. “What’s it do? Protect against magical fire?”

“No. It’s a mental thing. An ultimate protection against bespelling by another conjurer.”

Interesting. She'd thought it just protected against vampires. “Do you know how it works?” She knew how it manifested, but not how to trigger it. Her Guardian mentor Yana had spoken of the shield when Ari had been attacked by the vampire Sebastian. S
omething
had blocked the pathways to her mind and prevented his mental probe from controlling her.

Gerhard frowned at her question. “I’m not certain, but when I was much younger, I experienced something like it. A sudden sensation of heat and then a door slammed shut inside my brain.”

Ari’s mouth dropped open before she could stop her reaction.

“You’ve felt it, haven’t you?” Gerhard seemed excited. “Tell me.”

She nodded reluctantly. “A vamp tried to enthrall me. He got past my normal shields, but then something stopped him. I felt the heat you mentioned.”

“How did you do it? Can you call it upon command? Perhaps you can teach me.”

“Sorry. I don’t know how.” She shook her head. “I didn’t even know it was related to the fire magic.”

“You never asked anyone?” He sounded incredulous.

“There was no one to ask. My mother and my Great-Gran died years ago, and my witch mentor wasn’t a fire witch.” And Yana, the family friend who seemed to know the answers, had been murdered before they could talk. Her death from a werewolf attack was still a painful memory. “I think we should go back. Your brother will wonder what’s keeping us.” She turned and started back along the path.

Gerhard caught up easily. “Did I say something wrong? If so, I’m sorry, but I think we should explore the shield together.”

Ari looked away. His eyes held that same bug-in-a-jar look she’d gotten from Warin. The brothers were certainly intense about their craft.

“It could be a useful weapon against the O-Seven,” he coaxed. “Think what we could do if our minds were protected from their intrusion.”

“I’ll think about it. Maybe, if we find time, but neither of us even knows how to start. How long’s it been since your experience?

“A while,” he admitted. “Probably ten years. I was only a youth.”

“What about Warin? Does he have the fire shield?”

“He doesn’t even believe there is such a thing. He says my experience was my imagination. We don’t talk about it anymore. In fact, I wouldn’t bring it up in front of him. He’ll only lecture us about believing in myths. He’s very anchored in science.” He stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Until we have proof to show him, can we keep this our secret?”

Sibling rivalry? Ari shrugged. “So far there’s nothing to tell.”

“Good.”

Still, it seemed odd that Gerhard was excluding his brother. She hoped it wasn’t so he could spend time alone with her. He’d been watching her whenever he thought she wasn’t paying attention. They walked in silence until he finally spoke again.

“I’d like to take you out for dinner tomorrow night. We could discuss our experiences.”

“Not a good idea.” She softened her abrupt response. “I’m here to train with Sophie’s coven, and I didn’t bring dinner clothes.”

He stopped and stared at her, his underlying emotion unreadable. “So it’s true you intend to take on the O-Seven.”

“It’s the reason I’m here. They kidnapped someone important to me, and I’m going to get him back.”

“Just like that. How? By storming their stronghold?” Gerhard snorted, his eyes mocking her, and he shook his head. “Our covens have tried to get inside for centuries. It can’t be done.”

Ari bristled. As they stepped out of the trees into bright sunlight, she cocked her head at him. “Don’t be so sure of that.
I
haven’t tried yet.”

Chapter Seven

The shrieking of a ward alarm tore through the early morning silence. Ari rolled out of bed, grabbing the new Walther in one hand, her dagger in the other.

Someone yelled, “Breach!”

Wearing only her T-shirt and pajama bottoms, she raced barefooted down the hall and out the front door. The smell and energy of vampires filled the air. The coven ran to pre-arranged positions carrying high-powered rifles or forming a circle around Sophistrina. A dozen or more vampires rushed at them out of the forest. Ari clenched the knife in her teeth and gripped the pistol with two hands. The rifle fire started. Magic spread out from the witches’ circle, raising the hairs on Ari’s arms and forming an invisible barrier around the coven. The vampires charged the circle, but the first wave tumbled to the ground when they hit the barrier. The others backed away, regrouping around a redheaded vamp. Ari emptied a clip of silver bullets into them, and they scattered.