Chapter 6 #2
“Aosda already nagged me about the spell backlash,” Bodach assured her.
“I don’t need to relocate because the enchantment can never be broken.
What I need is to enslave everyone inside the spell trap so I can have them search for something on my behalf.
If they’re still alive that’s fine. I just need helpers I can control who won’t give me grief about it. ”
“Every enchantment can be broken, but fine. Sounds like what you need is a zed army.” She reached into the mass of vials and drew out one that was gleaming black and had a small scroll attached.
“Feed this to your bug before it crosses over into the pocket universe, and then cast the spell on the scroll. Your mama spider will contain the magic while her progeny bite the prisoners and turn them into the zed. Then as long as mama remains alive and intact they’ll do your bidding forever. ”
“Will the enchantment heal any harm they suffer after they’re enslaved?” he asked.
“Sure, if that’s what it’s supposed to do, but it won’t cure them of being zed.” She frowned. “Wait a minute. You didn’t screw up the enchantment governing this place, did you? Because that would be bad.”
He kept his expression bland. “Oh, I’d never do that.”
After he thanked the giantess, he poured some tea for her before listening to the latest gossip she’d heard about Elphyne.
His parents had been deposed by a turncoat goblin general who imprisoned them in a cell of eternal torment, which would torture them to the brink of death before reviving them completely.
Apparently his mother was enjoying herself immensely, but his father had already begun bargaining for his release out of boredom.
At the moment the general had arranged to take command of his parents’ army, and was dickering over extended use of their lands as hunting grounds.
Just before Bodach was about to take his leave, Mirry invited him to have a look at her bed chamber, which she had also just redecorated.
“I love the look of lavender, but it clashes with my eyes,” she said as she threw open the huge white doors, revealing the interior of a room with enormous furnishings and a blazing hearth.
“I’ve also been bored since my last visit to Willow Creek.
Have to help keep up the local tourist trade there, you know.
I promised Patterson and Gimlin that I would when I spared them for filming me. ”
“You’re always too nice to mortals.” Bodach squinted. “But I like the orange-red color scheme. Very tropical.”
“Also hides the stains when I lose my temper.” She hurried over to the bed, making the walls and floor shake, and drew back the nectarine-colored coverlet. Beneath it the bound reporter Bodach had abducted sat up and let out a muffled scream. “Hmmm. Cute, but a little noisy, Goblin.”
“You should keep something stuffed in its mouth,” he advised her, but she had already pulled off the duct tape.
“What the hell are you? My name is Jake–” The rest of what he intended to say turned into a shriek as his blindfold came off.
“I hope it doesn’t puke and piss all over the place like the last one,” Mirry said, and then crouched down to look into the reporter’s unblinking eyes.
“Yes, I’m very large and hairy. That’s why I can’t hunt your kind anymore; I’m tired of people taking pictures and calling me Bigfoot.
” She lifted her leg to show him a foot the size of a surfboard.
“I don’t think my feet are that large, do you? ”
The reporter swallowed hard and slowly shook his head.
“I also can’t get to sleep unless someone tells me a bedtime story,” she said. “Don’t make me lose my temper with a lot of questions you already know the answer to, okay?”
Jake looked around and nodded.
“This one might actually last a while,” the giantess said, grinning as she untied the mortal only to manacle him to the baseboard of the bed.
She kissed the top of his head, almost sucking the entire thing into her mouth in the process.
Climbing into bed with him, she used one meaty arm to plop him atop her mountainous bosom.
“I don’t like scary stories. My dad always told me those and that’s why I have so much trouble sleeping,” she warned Jake. “So tell me a nice story. Something with handsome princes and beautiful princesses who kiss a lot and don’t die.” To Bodach she said, “Thanks for the pet, Bodie.”
He bowed to her. “Enjoy, my friend.”
While walking out of the room he heard the reporter gasp, and glanced back to see the giantess had dragged him over and held him at her side.
“Be careful when you snuggle him,” he warned when he heard a familiar crack. “Mortal bones are like desert kindling.”
Darro spent what remained of the night aiding Alec with the patrols.
As he went to report to the laird, Farlan, the clan’s seneschal, intercepted him and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
Trained to be a mason by his mathair’s mortal husband, the seneschal had roof-beam shoulders and incredibly muscular arms. His sunny disposition and kindness made him one of the most well-liked men among the clan.
As half-brothers they got along well, although Darro secretly envied his ease with others, particularly females.
“’Twas brief, the attack in the night?” When he nodded Farlan sighed. “Too early for the next. All these changes to the cycle bode naught good for the clan. Who came, then? The MacBren after raiding the farms? He should have sent his bastarts over the wall as he ever did.”
“I must speak with the laird,” Darro said, his patience thinning. “Come if you wish to hear my report.”
“Och, you’re in a mood.” The seneschal eyed him. “You rescued the wee dark beauty when she came into the spell trap, I’m told. ’Tis something amiss with her?”
Simply speaking of Esme made his gut knot, but he shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “The lady, she’s too fearless. Lady Ava needs teach her to keep her distance from the garrison.”
“Sounds to me as if you wish to instruct her.” When he glared at him Farlan held up his hands. “I shallnae prod you, Brother. Only recall no McKeran ever forced himself on an unwilling lady. Nor should any of our brothers.”
“She may force herself on them.” That sounded both unkind and undeserved, so he quickly added, “In her ignorance, and her panic, she seeks comfort, ’tis all.
She’s grievous frightened.” That he was actually speaking of himself seemed ironic, but he couldn’t confide in the seneschal.
“I but wish to assure she doesnae create difficulties for herself. She’s been here but a moment. ”
“Ah.” Farlan nodded. “In my experience such comfort can be had by both lovers. I comforted my lady Grace when she first came into the spell trap, after that wall collapsed and trapped us together. She in turn gave me a night of my wildest dreams. Indeed, ’twas quite a passionate comforting.
A pity you didnae do the same with Mistress Martinez. ”
Now Darro wanted to punch him. “No’ everyone wishes ravish a female the moment they meet her.” Before the seneschal could reply he said, “I must go to the laird.”
Farlan’s eyes narrowed. “Good, for you came dangerous close to insulting me and my woman.” He left him at the archway leading into the great hall, and went on to his work room.
Darro found his eldest brother in the hall taking reports from the guard captains, and hesitated for a moment so he could tamp down his roiling temper.
He would have to apologize later to the seneschal for his poor choice of words.
Much of it had come from his current frustration with his own lot.
He also knew Grace, the seneschal’s lady, had great courage and strength, for she had suffered a great deal after coming into the spell trap.
During the last attack she had not only been badly burned, but also lost her grandmother, Inga Holm.
Since then the lady had taken Inga’s place as chatelaine, and did a remarkable job at managing the household alongside her husband.
Yet Darro suspected both of them put on brave faces to mask pain that would never fade.
Both of them hide as much as me.
He remembered Farlan’s kind màthair, her mortal husband and their daughters, who had been a close and loving family.
Being parted from them had nearly driven the seneschal mad during their first century in the spell trap.
As for his woman, Grace had been used for her stunning looks by her cruel màthair, and had later struggled after coming into the spell trap to keep from revealing the abuse to Inga.
She hadn’t been gifted enough time to spend with her grandmother before Inga had died.
Because she and Farland had known great heartache and deprivation, that had been the foundation on which they had built their love.
Why do I envy when I could share pleasures with one of our lady vassals? Doon or another of the older, unattached women would agree to share my bed. That should keep Mistress Martinez away from me.
Unhappy with his solution, but unable to think of another, Darro went to join the other men.
“Forgive me, Brother, but the chieftain went to the wall during the attack,” Tasgall said to the captain who was speaking when he saw Darro. “You only just now return? What saw you, Brother?”
He gave the laird a brief report on the bizarre attack.
When he described the raiders all of the captains exchanged troubled glances.
He didn’t have to tell the laird or the other men that never once since the clan had been cursed had such creatures come with the MacBren during his assaults on the stronghold.
“The fallen vanished with the dawn,” he said finally. “’Twas as if the enchantment wished erase them from our sight. Yet ’twas something wrong with that as well. The white lights turned red for a moment before the bodies disappeared.”