The Wizard Wolf: WindWard Book One Page 8

  Strong hands grabbed hold of him, turning him around so he was forced to face Johnny. The other man was gazing down at him, eyes fierce and almost inhuman. Yet the Johnny that Kell had come to know was still there, and he shook his head.

  “Don’t. If you do that, you might bring the whole house down on us and you can’t guarantee either of us won’t be caught in the crossfire. We don’t need to use a hammer for this. I have tricks still,” Johnny assured him.

  The window sounded close to breaking, and Kell gritted his teeth. “Then I would start pulling them out of your hat.”

  Johnny closed his eyes and Kell felt something pass in the air between them. Light filled the room from outside as flames leapt up around the house. There came a chorus of snarls and pained yelps from the wolves outside. Kell watched in amazement as the fire licked and shifted around the perimeter, encasing it in a protective sheet of heat and smoke.

  “I might have a laid a few traps out before I came into the city. I was hoping they’d get more aggressive before I triggered them,” Johnny explained with a smirk.

  It had only deterred the attackers for a moment, as another, slightly softer thud hit one of the windows. Kell saw what looked like a rock hit the large window before them and knew they were taking a different approach.

  “How long will the wards hold?” Kell asked nervously.

  “They’ll need something better than rocks to get through them. But the fire will hold them off so long as I can maintain it,” Johnny told him.

  Kell jerked his head up. “I thought you said they were traps, not magic.”

  “I never said they weren’t magic, but it’s easier to set a magical trap up beforehand to fuel later than to try to outright summon a wall of flames which can’t hurt the house,” Johnny explained.

  “What do we do?” Kell asked.

  Johnny smiled. “Talk to me.”

  Kell blinked. “Talk?”

  “I can focus and listen to you at the same time. It’s better to listen to you than to the sounds of them trying something else. Listening to you is calming,” Johnny explained as he closed his eyes.

  Kell sputtered. “This is not how I pictured us having a nice heart-to-heart, Johnny.”

  “You haven’t had very many of those, have you?” Johnny asked with a snort.

  Kell frowned. “I haven’t had the chance to get close to people in the past. Every time someone has ever tried to get close, something weird happens and it chases them away. Between that and the IED, no one hangs around me for very long. The only person I’ve had for years was Carson.”

  “That’s the man whose apartment you were hiding out in, correct?” Johnny asked.

  Kell nodded. “He was a foster kid like me, except he got adopted into a real family. We kept in contact over email throughout the years. There were computers at some of the houses I stayed in, but other times, I had to find a library to be able to talk to him. After I hit eighteen and wasn’t in the system, though, he moved out to live next door to me when he had the chance.”

  The earthy scent around Johnny was overwhelming with the two of them pressed so close together. Kell prided himself on his ability to keep focused when he really wanted to, but he was amazed at how distracting Johnny’s presence was becoming. Despite the howls and snarls from outside, the presence of fire outside the house, Kell, unbelievably, could feel himself growing aroused.

  “That’s one hell of a friend,” Johnny remarked.

  Kell smiled fondly. “Yeah, he’s a good man. But there’s something to be said about being friends with someone through the hardest years of your life. He lost his family and I was in the first foster home he was put in. We bonded quickly and he didn’t seem bothered at all when weird shit happened. In fact, he always made jokes about it, made me feel better, like it was something I could make fun of instead of being worried about it all the time.”

  Johnny opened his eyes to look down at Kell. “Just you and him huh? That’s not a very long list of people that you trust.”

  Kell shook his head. “He was the only kid who didn’t seem bothered by me. Some of the foster parents did their best, but looking back, I can’t blame them for wanting to get rid of me. Well, some of them anyway. Weird things happened around me, and they were often dealing with other kids and their problems too. There was one man though, Deacon Primrose, who I grew to trust. He was probably the only adult I ever felt that way about.”

  “What made him so special?” Johnny asked, eyes darting toward the window at another noise.

  Kell shook his head. “He was like Carson. He wasn’t bothered by the odd things that happened around me, he never treated me any different. He was my social worker for about a year and he always did his best to do right by me.”

  “One adult in a sea of other adults you dealt with. That’s a little sad,” Johnny said.

  Kell was inclined to agree, but he stopped when he realized the noise outside had stopped. Johnny seemed to have noticed the absence of snarls and howls as well, and the fires outside the house began to die down. When they were gone, it took Kell’s eyes a moment to adjust to the return of the gloom. He couldn’t see much through the dirty windows, but he swore he could feel something just past the porch.

  “They’re still out there,” Kell said quietly.

  “They’re not alone,” Johnny muttered.

  Kell tried to use his senses to reach out and touch whatever was out there, but the power sputtered and fizzled out. A flicker of annoyance passed through him as he tried again, receiving not even the barest blip of power. Despite his earlier success at manifesting his power, he still had a way to go before he’d be able to reliably use his powers for even a simple task such as sensing.

  The sound of someone walking on the porch brought Kell’s attention back and he tensed. The thump of what sounded like boots made their way across the porch to the door. Kell waited for the handle to turn and was surprised to hear a short series of knocks instead.

  “Johnny,” A familiar female voice called through the wood.

  Johnny’s eyes closed. “Alyssa.”

  “You’re a little surrounded at the moment,” Alyssa informed them.

  “Brought some of your friends, did you?” Johnny asked, his voice light but his forehead furrowed.

  “I could stand out here all day and trade quips with you, but we don’t have the time. Both the Coven and the pack are out here,” Alyssa said, her voice tight.

  “This is the part where you tell me they’re getting along enough to work together,” Johnny said, the lightness in his voice disappearing.

  “You know how these things work, Johnny. If they’ve got a common cause...” Alyssa trailed off.

  Johnny looked back at Kell. “Or a common problem.”

  Kell winced. “I’m sorry, Johnny.”

  Johnny took hold of Kell’s hand. “Don’t be. You’re no more at fault for who or what you are than I am. It’s their fault for needing to have every scrap of power they can get their greedy hands on.”

  “There’s no way out of this, is there?” Kell asked, his voice tight.

  Johnny shook his head. “If the Children start working together, there’s not a whole lot that can stop them when they’re set on something. The best thing we can do now is to play their game and figure things out from there.”

  “Sounds about as much fun as a bullet to the leg,” Kell said, trying for a soft laugh.

  Alyssa chuckled from the other side of the door. “Far better than one to the head.”

  Johnny squeezed Kell’s fingers. “I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to get us through this and for you to come out in one piece. I’m not going to let them use you, okay?”

  Kell thought of the brilliant white light Alyssa had shown him around Johnny and nodded. “I know.”

  He hated the idea of giving themselves up after how the Children had treated them so far, but Kell could see there was no option. They were surrounded, and there were apparently werewolves and w
itches aplenty willing to work together in order to get their hands on them. The only option they had left, other than to go down fighting, was to try talking their way out.

  Kell nodded.

  Johnny turned to the door. “Tell them to send only a few to talk. We don’t need the whole damn group in here.”

  “I’m sorry, Johnny,” Alyssa murmured quietly before walking way.

  Johnny said nothing but Kell could see the regret in his eyes. The only thing they could do was wait. Kell could only hope that, together, they’d be able to face down this problem as well.

  Chapter 6

  Johnny

  “This might be contrary to what you’ve seen so far, but if they’re willing to parlay with us, it’s a good sign. You’ve seen their harsh and brutal side so far, but the Children can be rational people,” Johnny said, unsure if he was reassuring himself or Kell.

  Kell looked up at him, smiling sadly. “I certainly hope so. It’s not as if they’ve given us much choice in this.”

  Johnny nodded. “I said they could be rational—I never said anything about them being easygoing. If they want something bad enough, they’ll move heaven and hell to get it. That they’re willing to talk means they probably want you on their side.”

  “Must be pretty bad if they’re willing to work together,” Kell said with a glance toward the window.

  “It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, big things tend to happen,” Johnny said grimly.

  A pack of mad wolves had required the combined forces of two other packs and a group of witches to stop their rampage of murder across the Irish countryside. Most memorable, had been the witches in France, who’d done far more than simply dabble in the darkest parts of magic. It had required a dozen witches and three separate packs of wolves, as well as some members of the Vigil, and there had still been heavy losses in the fighting.

  The Children weren’t known for their cooperation, considering they had a war going on. It was technically a cold and quiet war, played out in the shadows, and whatever fighting took place quickly and out of sight. For all their avowed differences, even the Children could be united under a single banner. The problem, for Johnny, was that they rarely cooperated, save to bring down a perceived greater threat.

  “And I’m that big thing,” Kell said without inflection.

  He wasn’t quite sure what to say to that, and everything he thought of would take more time to explain than they had. Johnny wanted to see the cooperation of the Children as a positive thing. Not only was it typically used to bring down great threats, but he hoped it was a sign that peace between the groups could one day be found.

  Johnny took hold of Kell and gently pulled him with him. “I want you to understand, the fire trap outside wasn’t the only one I have around here. In all honesty, the whole place is wired with different things we can use if it comes down to it.”

  Kell gained a newfound wariness as he looked around. “Such as?”

  “You can’t see them, so there’s no point in trying to look for them. But some of the doors have been rigged to give a huge electrical shock if they’re touched after activation. There’re at least two snares coupled with some nasty, lethal traps in every hallway. Every room can be sealed with the same sort of ward I used for the exterior of the house, and I made sure to lay a trap on each side of the doors as well,” Johnny explained as they backed away from the door.

  Kell blinked, looking up at Johnny. “When the hell did you find the time to do all that?”

  Johnny grinned. “I always make sure my out-of-the-way places are secure. Every time I know I’m coming to a new city, I find an out-of-the-way place and hole up for a bit. Then I take a day or two, making sure it’s secure, and setting up wards and traps.”

  Kell was still looking around as Johnny spoke. “I guess I never would have thought to put so much effort into it. It seems like an awful lot of work when it sounds like you’re always on the move.”

  “It pays to be cautious,” Johnny said.

  Kell snorted. “I mean, yeah, but this just seems like…a lot.”

  “Are you going to complain if they decide to start trouble and we have to fight back against all of them?” Johnny asked.

  Kell shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. This sort of thing can make the difference between us making it through or being dragged away in chains. I just wasn’t expecting to put this much effort into defenses.”

  Johnny tried to keep his expression neutral, with just a touch of exasperation as he moved to make a show of checking over the rooms. The two of them had only sparse moments to share things about one another, and they’d yet to get to the darker chapters and secrets of Johnny’s life. His caution wasn’t unwarranted and he’d learned long ago that he could pay dearly if he wasn’t careful.

  Kell took hold of Johnny’s elbow. “Hey, talk to me.”

  “We don’t really have the time to make idle chit-chat,” Johnny said, refusing to look back at Kell.

  Kell gave an insistent tug. “And I’m not trying to make idle chit-chat either. This isn’t the sort of prep work someone does when they’re just wandering around the world. Only someone who expects trouble wherever they are would go to this extent. You mentioned once that they were just as likely to come after you, or something to that effect. Why?”

  Johnny sighed. “It’s…difficult to explain.”

  “Difficult because it’s a long story or are you just stalling?” Kell asked.

  Johnny laughed. “You are one of the bluntest people I’ve ever met. Do you ever pull punches?”

  Kell stepped around Johnny so he could face him. “Only for the people I don’t care about and trust.”

  Johnny smiled, ducking his head as he accepted defeat. Kell could single handedly knock away any defense Johnny mustered with the brutal honesty and emotional earnestness he summoned. If Johnny for a moment thought it was an act, he wouldn’t have been influenced in the slightest by it. He knew deep down that Kell was being genuine with him. Johnny wouldn’t have denied the man anything when he was being so openly trusting.

  “This should be easier to tell you because you won’t understand the implications,” Johnny began.

  Kell raised a brow. “Because I don’t understand the world of the Children?”

  “Yes and no. It’s more that you weren’t raised in the environment, you didn’t have the laws and edicts drilled into your head from a young age. Do you remember me telling you about The Choosing?” Johnny asked.

  Kell squinted in thought. “I don’t think you used that exact word. Sounds like the sort of fancy title someone would call the choice you had to make a long time ago between wolf and witch though.”

  “Which is exactly what I’m talking about. When a Child of the Moon manifests the abilities of both a witch and a werewolf, they are forced to undergo The Choosing. Whichever side they forego is burned away. Both witches and werewolves have their own respective rites, but it amounts to the same. In my case, the witches used their rites to burn out the magic from me,” Johnny explained.

  Kell shook his head. “But not all of it?”

  “Well, I told you what I was doing was hedge magic. Which, even someone whose magic has been burned out can do. Hedge magic doesn’t bother the Coven. Even humans can do it if they know the proper steps and have the materials,” Johnny said.

  “None of this has been hedge magic, has it?” Kell asked, eyes widening slightly.

  Johnny smiled. “You are, as ever, a fast learner. No, it’s not just hedge magic I’ve been doing. Some who go through The Choosing don’t lose their other side completely, and others have been known to spontaneously regain their other half. I’ve heard rumors that in recent generations, the reformation of the other half has been happening more frequently, but that sort of thing is difficult to track.”

  “I can’t imagine too many would want to talk about it. From the sounds of it, those sorts of people wouldn’t exactly be welcomed,” Kell said.
>
  “And you would be right. While those who regain their other half aren’t outright snatched up, they are watched very closely. If they should make too big a show of what’s happened to them, one or both factions will come down on them. They’ll still come after someone like me, who, while not making a huge show of what I can do, isn’t averse to using all their power,” Johnny explained.

  Kell chewed his bottom lip. “And I’m guessing, from all of the prep you’ve got here, that you’ve had them come for you before.”

  “There have been a few attempts in the past but none of them were concentrated. It’s been my belief that they aren’t quite willing to come for me just yet, and the previous attempts on my life were warnings,” Johnny said, glancing toward the window facing the front.

  “And now that you’ve been helping the person they believe is the Windward, you think they’re going to come after you for real this time,” Kell finished.

  “Until now, I’ve never crossed a line, only toed it,” Johnny said.

  The incident in the bar wouldn’t have helped his case very much in the Coven’s eyes. Now with the Pack out there as well, Johnny didn’t see how his own chances of surviving the upcoming meeting were high. Neither side of the war liked having the hybrids running around. They were willing to tolerate them so long as they stayed quiet and at least made a marginal effort to aid the side they were supposed to be aligned with. Johnny had been negligent in his duty to the Pack for quite some time and had been waiting for someone to finally have had enough.

  “I just don’t understand why they expect someone to give up half of who they are,” Kell murmured, looking thoughtful.

  Johnny shook his head. “It’s the war, simple as that. I can’t say what the exact reason is. Perhaps they don’t like the reminder that witch can mingle with wolf in the same body. Maybe they don’t like having those who could potentially feel more than one allegiance working beside them. It’s something which has gone on for generations and no one bothers to question tradition.”