Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
“That’s an understatement.”
The incoming storm unnerved me, and for the first time since moving into my slice of heaven, I closed the exterior gates of my home, locked them, and herded all my horses and cattle inside the courtyard, where I might keep them safe no matter how bad the weather soured.
After being certain all the livestock were safe, I took David to the shed, harnessed him, hooked him up to the cart, and hauled their new batch of feed and care equipment into the garage.
When the clouds turned a sickly gray-green before darkening to an all-encompassing black, I guided the animals inside my garage, accepting that I might be needing a new truck and trailer should things fail to go well.
I grabbed my cell and called Isaac.
“Hey, what do you need?” the incubus asked.
“Bring the dragons and Ashley to my place. I’ve moved my livestock to safety, and I’m about to go fetch my chickens. It can withstand a hurricane, and I don’t like the sky right now.”
“You got it. We’ll be right over. We’re at my place.”
“I’ll open the main gate for you,” I promised before hanging up and doing just that.
Then I hurried my ass up and headed for the chicken coops, beginning the tedious process of weaving together a charm that would convince the birds they needed to follow me despite the thunder rumbling and growling overhead.
Upon my arrival, the flock vocalized their distress, and I doubted I needed the charm at all.
Every last bird crowded against me and pressed close, seeking comfort and shelter.
I picked up Joy, wishing I could carry all the pullets, who would struggle during the walk.
Mr. Magic the Bold chose that moment to waddle out of the brushes and approach, his mouth closed and his dark eyes gleaming in the flashing lightning. He moved into position near my chickens, and with admirable patience, stopped and waited.
I hoped I understood the massive reptile’s intent, and I went to work placing the weakest of the birds on his back, making use of the charm to convince the fowl to stay with their unusual friend.
They did, and after the alligator was covered in feathered bodies, he followed me towards my courtyard.
I got the flock inside the garage before the skies opened and a cold rain fell. The wind began as a soft and despairing moan. Ashley, the two dragons the size of large dogs, and Isaac scurried across the courtyard, and I held the door open so they could join me inside the cramped garage.
Ashley stared at Mr. Magic the Bold, and her mouth dropped open.
I shrugged, closed the door behind them, and began the tedious effort of dodging livestock on my way to the house proper.
I urged the chickens to join me, and as such, the giant alligator followed in my wake.
Once I had the interior door open, I eyed the entry, decided it would do for a temporary measure, and began laying boundaries so only part of my home would be damaged from the inevitable mess having so much livestock indoors would create.
In good news for my sanity, I could repair everything, but I’d exhaust myself afterwards.
Until the storm passed, I would conserve my strength in case I needed to take desperate measures to safeguard my neighbors.
As Mr. Magic the Bold waited with infinite patience with his pullet charges, I crouched, praised the alligator, and scratched him between his eyes before encouraging his passengers to explore the entry.
One of the Rhode Island reds protested separation from her new scaled friend, and I let it be, permitting the pullet to stay as she wished.
Then I made certain the area was warm enough for everyone, the reptile included.
“Something about the storm is bothering me,” I told the quartet after encouraging them to come into the house proper and pointing in the direction of my first floor kitchen. “And now I’m grateful that the Devil broke my barn, because the opening gusts were concerning.”
“That’s an understatement.”
Outside, lightning crashed and the wind howled.
I grimaced at the thought of my trees being destroyed during nature’s temper tantrum, and I closed my eyes, focused on the warding I’d established along the edge of my property, and built on what I already had, creating a dome meant to slow the wind and redirect it elsewhere.
As the castle in the middle of the lake could likely withstand the gusts, I used it as a target. A tendril of magic feathered against my senses, and I recognized the node. The sensation passed over me, and then the barrier I’d begun erecting flared and strengthened.
The noise outside quieted.
I breathed a relieved sigh. “Well, I guess I can show you folks to where I was thinking you can take over when you move in. There’s no time better than the present, right?
I’ve laid charms to encourage the chickens to stay in the entry, and the cows and horses will probably wish I hadn’t charmed the feed bags against them having unauthorized snacks.
My garage is going to be a disaster by tomorrow, but all the animals will be safe. ”
“How are you going to clean it?” Ashley stared at the hardwood floors in horror. “They’re going to pee on your floor.”
“Magic. I can restore the wood with some work, and even if Mr. Magic the Bold gets uppity with the furniture, for the most part, I can put it back together. It’s just tiring.
I mean, this area gets storms, but this one is a doozy.
” I eyed the dragons, who took care to keep from gouging my floors with their curved claws.
“I don’t suppose you two know what’s going on? ”
The pale green and the pale blue dragon eyed each other.
I picked the smallest of the pair, which shared the same color as the sky on a crisp day. “Please tell me what’s going on.”
My chosen victim whistled before sighing.
“The magic of the level required to raise the castle created a fluctuation of power, which has resulted in a series of severe storms making an appearance. It’s normal—well, as normal as this gets.
Whenever we bring our domiciles from their resting places, this happens.
” The dragon tilted his head to the side, and his eyes swirled with blue glimmers of light.
“Actually, you are to be praised. The storms are far milder than normal. I had not known a hedge witch could mitigate this so well. You are to be commended. There will be wind, there will be rain, there will be lightning, but unless humans make foolish decisions in the face of the storm, there should be few deaths, if any.”
“Car crashes will be a problem,” Isaac muttered. “People forget how to drive when the weather goes sideways. The smart ones will slow down. The dumb ones will plow their vehicles into the rear of the smart ones, and the smart ones will no longer feel smart. Thus is human nature.”
No kidding.
“Was I overreacting bringing my livestock in?”
The blue dragon shook his head. “Not at all. The animals would seek shelter with you, for they trust you to protect them, so bringing them in will keep them calm. Outside? They would panic. The wild animals will be less prone to such things.” He eyed Mr. Magic the Bold.
“Excepting that beast. You have meddled fiercely with that beast.”
“I did not wish to be eaten by an alligator larger than me by a significant margin.”
“Wise,” the dragon conceded. “But you should be aware that this alligator will be reliant on you for the rest of its long life. I recommend that you stock fish in the lake, as that is what he mostly eats, and bringing him a chicken at least once a week would be wise. It can be a grocery store chicken rather than one of your pets. There is no need to buy boneless meat.”
I could handle buying Mr. Magic the Bold whole chickens.
“I will take that advice and make use of it.” I narrowed my eyes, went to my kitchen, and opened the freezer, locating one of the chickens I’d purchased for a rainy day, plunking it onto the counter.
Making use of more magic, which drained away in an ongoing trickle, I thawed the bird to room temperature before going to the sink, cutting open the plastic, and rinsing off the meat, taking it into the entry, and offering it to my new pet.
Mr. Magic the Bold opened his mouth, gingerly accepted the prize, and went to work gulping it down.
I scratched between his eyes, gave him a fond pat, and left him to his meal.
Once back in the kitchen, I washed my hands.
“I doubt I could have gotten my pullets into the garage without him, and in that rain? They’d get sick, and I’d probably lose at least a few without the intervention of an archangel.
While I’m not against calling Lucifer and demanding help from one of his brothers, if I can avoid that, I will.
As it is, Darlene is out for my underwear. ”
Isaac snickered. “They aren’t pretty enough for her?”
“They really aren’t. She was making such a fuss about it. So, if I vanish off for a day, it’s because Darlene is taking me out shopping. It might keep the whining to a minimum.”
The incubus shook his head. “Has she forgotten you’re not even dating anyone right now?”
“She wants me to be dating, and this has somehow turned into an emergency. She’s being absurd. I’ll probably just order some lingerie online, leave it in its packaging, and tell her I got some to appease her.”
Everyone laughed at my suffering, and Ashley grinned at me. “Assuming we don’t lose power, I can show you some good shops online. With how it’s blowing out there, we’re going to lose power.”
In good news for us, I had a generator. “We should be fine. It’s our neighbors I’m worried about.”
Isaac pointed at the ceiling. “In good news for our neighbors, your upper floor can see the entire neighborhood, and if something does happen to them, we’re armed with two dragons. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be keeping a close eye out the windows just in case.”