Earth's Requiem(63)

Aislinn laughed. “What’s that? Her version of chicken?”

Bella cawed at her, sounding annoyed.

Fionn eyed his bird. “Looks like she has your number, sweetheart.”

Another displeased avian sound burst from the raven. “I am not a chicken.”

“Oh, so that’s it!” Aislinn dissolved in laughter.

Fionn joined her.





Aislinn had been correct that the jump wouldn’t take long. Between Fionn’s magic, which was stronger than hers, and the relatively short distance, they stood in front of a dilapidated yellow and blue Victorian before Rune even had a chance to merge with her.

“Great!” Aislinn bounded forward, hit something invisible that tossed her backward through the air, and landed on her ass.

“Hmph. Answers one question,” Fionn muttered. “Wards are still intact.”

“No shit.” Taking his proffered hand, Aislinn pulled herself upright and dusted dirt off her pants. She looked reproachfully at Rune. “Why didn’t you stop me?”

“You moved so quickly, I did not have a chance.”

“Can you disable them?” she asked the wolf.

“No, but they’ll let me in.” As if to demonstrate, he sashayed up to the front door and placed a paw to the right of it. The heavy, ornate oak slab swung inward. Rune disappeared inside.

“Good for him. Less good for us.” Aislinn took off her pack, dropped it in the dirt, and sat on it. She sent her Mage senses spinning outward to try to figure out how to dismantle the warding. When she sensed the complexity of Marta’s work, she groaned. “This will take days,” she muttered.

“Maybe not.” Fionn returned from walking around the house. “The back is far less complicated. I say we attack it from there.” He pulled her to her feet for a second time. “What is it about you and sitting in the dirt. Do you like it down there? Get your pack.”



They worked together. He illuminated the working so it was visible, while she clipped a large enough hole in the weave to let them through. “Well,” she said as the last piece fell, making a hissing noise, “that wasn’t so bad.”

“I wouldn’t be too cocky, lass. Marta may have other surprises for us. I know I would.” He eyed Bella. The raven was perched in a large cottonwood tree, preening her glossy black feathers. “You stay there. I’m not sure we have a safe path yet. Or that we need you inside at all.”

“Yes, I do not care for inside.” With a squawk, the raven went back to grooming herself, apparently still annoyed about Aislinn’s chicken analogy.

They crept forward. Spooked by Fionn’s pronouncement, Aislinn kept her Mage senses alert and fanned about her. They’d no sooner cleared the warding surrounding the house, when a muted buzzing that grew louder by the moment broke the late afternoon’s silence.

“Bees,” Fionn hissed.

“No,” Aislinn corrected, seeing them, “wasps.” She slapped a ward around herself. For a time, all she could see was wasp bodies trying to get to her, stingers embedded in her ward. Suddenly, they fell away en masse. “What the hell?” she muttered and cautiously withdrew her protective spell. She tried to avoid stepping on the wasps, but there were so many it was impossible. Small bodies squished under her boots.

“I killed them.” Fionn’s voice was harsh. Angry welts covered his face and neck. “Let’s tackle the house.”

“How many stung you?”

Glancing at her, he shook his head, looking annoyed. “Oh, not more than a couple dozen. You were damned quick with your warding. Nice work.” Grudging admiration rang beneath his words.

“Once we get to the bottom of Marta’s protections, I can heal those.”

“Thanks. I may take you up on that.” He hesitated fractionally and then favored her with a wanton grin. “I am perfectly capable of healing myself, lass, but I far prefer the feel of your magic against my skin than my own.”

“You’re thinking about sex?” she demanded. “Now? We have to figure out a way in—” Realizing what she’d just said, she laughed.

“Yes,” he chuckled. “I am all about finding ways into things. Especially you. Careful now.” They made their way to the front of the house and up the steps, stopping a couple of paces from the door. “Rune,” Fionn called to the wolf, “open the door for us.”



“Smart,” Aislinn murmured. “He’ll have a way both in and out that won’t hurt him.”

“Maybe.”

The door swung inward soundlessly, as if someone had just oiled the hinges. Fionn held up a hand. “Let me go first.”