Witches Be Crazy (Not Your Basic Witch Book 3) Read online

  “Yeah, well, I’m his daughter, not Ignis, and being a stranger in your own home isn’t doing right by anyone,” I snapped, finally having enough. “You know what I don’t get, Councilman, is what I’ve ever done to you to make you hate me so damned much? Is it because I’m a Mixta and have five tethers? Am I distracting your son from his ‘prestigious duties,’ or is it because I’m not good or strong enough like everyone else my whole life has thought?”

  By the time I finished my tirade, I was screaming and nearly panting. My fingers curled into tight fists, nails digging into my palm. I didn’t realize until I finished my statement that I had stopped walking, too consumed with the anger that swirled. The others stopped at the base of the stairs, turning to look at me with solemn expressions, but Edmund was the only one who responded.

  “I don’t think you’re strong enough for my son.” His voice was hard and stinging as he finally spat out how he felt. “He doesn’t need someone who will hold him back from everything he’s capable of.”

  “I wasn’t, you were, by forcing him into the life that you planned out,” I challenged. “Xan isn’t just the son of a councilman like everyone seems to think. He’s passionate, an artist that sees the beauty even in the ugliest places. He’s his own person with hopes and dreams and a future that isn’t dictated by you! You may be a councilman for Akasha, but you don’t control every witch, not even your son. Xan wants to be an artist. Can you ever accept that?”

  “That’s not happening until he tells me himself. Until he stands in front of me and says that’s what he wants to do, he will continue to be on the career path we’ve worked so hard for.” Edmund dropped the pack he had been carrying and stormed forward. “I’m not going to let you force him into something where he will be wasted, like this Conduit nonsense. He’s a Spellcaster, and now he’s tied to you. Tell me, Miss Calisto, are you strong enough for my son?”

  A cold chuckle bubbled out of me, half of me was surprised even though I knew I shouldn’t have been that he thought our bond was something I had forced on them. Chucking the bag I had off to the side, I rolled my shoulders back.

  If he wants to see what I’m capable of, see if I’m strong enough, that’s exactly what he’s going to get.

  “You want proof I can be worthy of a councilman’s son?” I asked, ice threading through my words. I had spent years bowing my head, staying quiet, letting my colorful skirts and quirkiness help me have some individuality from the box society tried to shove me in, but not now. “A Rixa might sway you then.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw jaws drop and gazes widen. I understood their shock—what I had just issued wasn’t publicly talked about. The Rixa challenge had been something Akasha had been using for years as a way to prove who truly was the more powerful witch. Now the duels were mainly used as betting tools, underground fight rings, or as a way for the rich and powerful’s entertainment to stay out of the eyes of society, so my blatant challenge was no doubt out of the norm.

  “You want to fight?” he bit out. “Alright, then. Let’s see just how strong you are.” He struck first, quick as a viper, his murmured incantation releasing a wave of fire. Jumping to the side, the scorching flames missed me by mere inches, the heat making sweat bead on my skin.

  “Edmund!” Josephina shouted in shock. “Don’t hurt her!”

  “She laid the challenge,” he stated simply, his eyes never leaving mine. His easy dismissal of his wife only added to my annoyance. “She has to be willing to follow through.”

  Smirking, I pulled on several powers at once. The ground rumbled, cracking in a cascade of fissures between us. Edmund braced himself and started another incantation, but the gust of wind that swirled around in a growing tornado muffled anything he was saying.

  A rush of excitement filled me as I used my powers to their full capacity for the first time, fueling me as we went back and forth. The more he shot at me, the more irritated I became. His anger-fueled attacks weren’t a show of power but a personal, violent attack. Fire, concussive blasts of energy, hurling rocks, everything he could cast, continued to hurl toward me, but I had one advantage—I didn’t have to say a spell out loud, and those precious few moments gave me the upper hand.

  Until they didn’t.

  A whip of pure power cut into my skin, ripping a scream from me as searing pain spread over my collarbone and shoulder. The shrill sound and wall of tears that filled my vision blanketed what was happening around me, but I knew he was already casting another spell, so I moved. Despite the pain, the sweat beading across my forehead, and the dwindling adrenaline, I released one more wave of power.

  My telekinesis swept him off his feet, dangling him precariously in the air. With a final scream and clap of my hands, I sent a bolt of lightning barreling toward his suspended form. Everything seemed to slow, the nearly blinding bolt crackling from my fingertips as a deafening boom sounded. Inhaling, I halted the deadly stream of magic, only a breath away from his chest.

  “I am not weak,” I called, my voice rough. “I love your son, Councilman Eideann, and no matter what you say or do… nothing will change that.”

  Not now, not ever.

  Xanthius

  “Someone tell me we’re getting close,” Caspian whined, his voice sounding more exhausted than I’d ever heard it. He hadn’t cracked a joke all day, the mood somber between us. A tinge of sadness hit me that the council had taken his joy.

  “We’re only about ten minutes out,” Torryn promised, giving him a sympathetic smile, but it was more a grimace. We were all exhausted, and the oppressive heat of Ignis wasn’t helping.

  “When we get the—” Kye started, stopping as yelling filled the air.

  Panic gripped my chest in a vise as an ear-piercing scream echoed through the air, the feminine sound familiar. Aris.

  We all took off running, our familiars holding on tightly as we sprinted. Before we could even see the museum, a loud crack struck through the air.

  What the heck is going on?!

  Just as we broke through the trees, we saw my dad suspended in the air with an angry Aris below, screaming up at him. From the previous scream and the slight waver in her voice, she was beyond upset. And knowing my dad… it was all his fault.

  “Holy shit,” Kye muttered. “Is it wrong I find that sexy as fuck?”

  “No,” Torryn huffed as we approached, slowing down now that we knew she had it under control.

  “I am not weak,” she called, her voice full of emotion. “I love your son, Council Eideann, and no matter what you say or do… nothing will change that.”

  My chest warmed at the words. No one in my life had ever stood up for me the way Aris did. She was incredible and looked fierce with her hair whipping in the wind blowing around them. Gods, I love that witch.

  “What the hell, Father?” I screamed as we finally reached them. His eyes flickered to me, going wide in shock.

  “Xan!” Aris screamed, turning abruptly to face us. With her focus gone, her spell cut off completely, dropping my dad unceremoniously to the ground. My sweet muse ran to me and jumped, my arms looping under her to hold her up as she wrapped her legs around me. Only when she cried out, I noticed the blood seeping through the tear in her shirt. She just shook her head as I opened my mouth, tightening her grip and burying her head in my neck. Her entire body trembled as she clung to me, the other guys moving in closer, so we were all clustered together, comforting our girl.

  “Alright, enough of this, give me my son,” my mom’s voice cut in, amusement coloring her words. Aris laughed, pulling back and wiping her eyes before dropping her legs to the ground. She leaned forward and gave me a quick but deep kiss, leaving me dazed when she pulled away.

  “Go hug your mom. She’s been worried.”

  I smiled at her selflessness. The others rushed to her side, Mr. Stripes letting out a loud cry before clinging to her good arm while the others at her feet begged for attention. Torryn was already fussing over her shoulder, making me feel
a little better about stepping away.

  With a small smile, I stepped out of our circle and held my arms open for my mom. Her face flashed through a volley of emotions—regret, relief, sadness, joy, and anger. I knew she was likely struggling with the fact we’d fallen so far apart, but I was still working on forgiving them. Bonding with Aris and openly accepted by not just her, but the other guys as well helped me realize that I was the one in charge of my life. I didn’t want to be angry at her for letting me be miserable all those years or letting him squash out any spark of creativity I had.

  The moment she crushed me in a hug, the familiar scent of lilies enveloped me, and all was forgotten. If I could have my mom back, I would accept it for what it was—a second chance.

  “I’m so happy you’re okay,” I choked out against her shoulder. “I thought…”

  “Shh,” she cooed, squeezing me tighter. “I’m alright. I’m too stubborn to die.”

  Her statement made me chuckle, even though I felt my eyes burn with the urge to cry, but before I could respond, a throat clearing loudly had us pulling apart. Glancing over my shoulder, I found my dad looking at us, with a guarded expression. Anger welled in me. He didn’t get to come over here as if it would all be okay when he’d caused so much hurt and anger. The fact he physically wounded my girlfriend only made it worse.

  “How dare you attack Aris!” I burst out, my eyes narrowing as I thought on which words to use next. Fury coursed through my entire being, making it hard to think.

  “She challenged me to a Rixa,” he said with a shrug, the pure indifference on his face fueling my wrath.

  “And you fucking accepted?! You hate her that much? If she was anywhere near as weak as you seem to think she is, why would you stoop low enough to attack her like that? A full-blown Spell Caster attacking what he thought to be a Mixta is deplorable,” I raged on. Aris stepped up with a satisfied smile.

  “He thought I was weak, so I thought I’d show him how strong I could be,” she said with a smug grin, crossing her arms. Some of my ire faded, quickly replaced with worry when she winced again, reminding me she was injured. I was so damn proud of her. She never lost her ability to be carefree and bubbly, but underneath it all, she’d learned to be proud of what she was—something I still struggled with.

  “Yes, I accepted, and I stand by what I sa—” he started but was cut off as mom raised her hand in front of his face, stopping his words.

  “Edmund, dear, kindly shut up.”

  Aris snorted next to me before she tried to cover it with a cough.

  “I was far too quiet for far too long. If you can’t respect our son for who he is and who he loves, I hold no respect for you. He has proven himself over and over… so tell me, Edmund… when is enough, enough?

  “As if forcing him into your box wasn’t enough, now you treat his girlfriend like she’s a weak little girl, yet she showed her strength to us long before now. If you can’t be that man for them and for me, you can just leave.

  “That precious council of yours is full of assholes who have no morals. Yet here you are, acting better than all of us. They almost killed me, Edmund. Need I remind you she was the one who got you out of that prison? If not for her, we’d all be back there. She has no strength? I watched the girl get out of handcuffs and grit her jaw through the pain. Hellsticks, it hurt me to watch. So, maybe do some reevaluating. If not, maybe I should.”

  Her rant was glorious, eyes full of fire, her shoulders squared. My father deflated, his throat bobbing as he swallowed back what was likely a whole lot of regret.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry. I let my prejudices get the best of me. She more than put me in my place during our fight,” he said, giving Aris an attempt at a smile. Aris, being Aris, smiled back, beaming as if he’d handed her a plate full of brownies.

  “You did. Now stop being a jerk and tell your son you love him and are proud of him,” she demanded, kissing my cheek and walking away, taking Aris with her.

  “You know… I really am proud of you,” he whispered. “I just fought so hard to get where I was, I didn’t want you to have to do the same. By doing that, I was just as bad as my father was.”

  “Grandfather didn’t work for the council,” I said, confused. I’d only met him a handful of times, but he was definitely not a council member. If I remembered correctly, he was the head of the Spell Casters Association of Akasha, a place for Spell Casters to stroke each other’s egos, but they did do a lot of mentoring, so I couldn’t hate too much.

  “No, but he wanted me to take over for him when he retired, to keep the job in the family. But I went down the council path because I thought I could make a difference,” he explained, scoffing at his past self. “Being a historian sounded stiff and formal, and I wanted no part of the SCAA.”

  “Ironic,” I deadpanned, willing him to see the ridiculous similarities in our paths.

  “It’s similar but not the same, son. You can’t make a career out of painting. If it makes you happy, do it, but you need a path that will allow you to support your future wife.”

  “I get what you’re trying to say, I really do, but there’s a way to handle it, and physically harming someone you think to be weaker just makes you a terrible person.” His eyes closed at my words, pain etched into his face as the words sunk in.

  Clearly, it hit him deep… Good.

  “I’m sorry,” he muttered, the level of self-loathing in his voice striking. It was the first time in years I’d seen him show this much emotion, but a moment of humility didn’t fix years of anger or the fact he physically harmed Aris on purpose. I didn’t address it, though. He was the one who would have to live with his actions and fix them, however he could.

  “I’m not the only one you have to apologize to. Just remember, it’s my life, and I will choose to spend it how and with whoever I want. I love Aris with my entire heart and soul, and you won’t touch her ever again.” I didn’t look back as I walked into the museum. Hopefully, I’d actually gotten through to the man, but past experience had taught me to keep a tight rein on my expectations.

  The smell of food wafted through the area, shocking me. I hadn’t thought we were outside that long, but the conversation had plenty of awkward pauses to pass the time. Following my nose, I ended up in the kitchen. My mom and Lyra were standing over a fire, stirring a pot of something that smelled heavenly.

  “There you are.” Mom beamed, handing the wooden spoon to Lyra and coming over. Her hand rested on my cheek as she studied me. “You doing alright?”

  “Yes,” I promised, giving her a small smile. “Where’s Aris?”

  “The rest of your crew went off in search of a bathroom. Torryn was not happy about the wound on her collarbone or her wrist injuries from the cuffs, but she’s hoping the salve we picked up on the way will help soothe his... tantrum.”

  My jaw clenched, hearing about another wound she sustained, but I knew my mother would have disclosed if it was serious, so I shoved the anger away.

  “He’s a bit protective,” I smirked, kissing the top of her head before walking off to find them.

  “Just him?” she muttered under her breath, clearly amused. She had a point; we all definitely had that problem, even Aris. We protected each other as much as we protected her. After everything we had gone through, we were one unit.

  “It’s fine.”

  I heard Aris’ voice echo down the barren hall. Only one door was open, so I found them easily. Peering in, I found Aris pushing Torryn away and slathering something lavender onto her skin. The smell was a mix of herbal and medicinal, so I assumed she got something along the way for her wrists.

  “I’m so glad to see you safe,” Caspian whispered, his voice cracking. Aris made a strangled sound before launching herself at him, both of them falling into the tub in a heap. The familiar and ridiculous action made us all laugh, though Aris’ was filled with small whimpers of pain.

  “I missed you guys, too. It’s been a journey. We can fill each other in o
ver dinner,” she said, stifling a yawn as she crawled out of the tub.

  Kye wrapped his hand around hers and led her from the room. We all followed, taking seats around a large table. This was clearly a staff lounge or conference room of some kind, but it worked in our favor.

  “We need to make a plan,” Torryn started, but Lyra gave him a look that seemed to quiet him immediately.

  “No, we need to catch up first,” she said firmly, passing out bowls along the table as my mom started carrying a huge cauldron. Dad walked in and saw her, rushing forward and helping her carry it. I smiled, hoping that her lecture would change their relationship in a good way. I think the man she loved was in there somewhere, he just needed to stop being a toad long enough to fix it.

  “Well, gather round for storytime,” Aris said dramatically, casting a grin at everyone before launching into her story.

  By the time we had heard all sides, my father looked properly chastised, and we were deep in thought. We’d been through so much, and I knew life would never be the same. If Aris and people like Indigo had any say, it would be a better life than we’d had before. Freedom to live without society’s constraints was a big deal, something Akasha needed to embrace.

  If we can just figure out how to deal with the council, it will all fall into place.

  December 3rd

  Tuesday Midday

  Aris

  Everything felt so much better—my muscles finally relaxing, and my mind was able to silence long enough for me to get a good night’s sleep. Having the guys and my sweet familiar back made all the difference.

  The museum itself was huge but well-stocked from what we’d found so far. As I wandered through the halls, in an attempt to find the room where we’d met in last night, Mr. Stripes clinging to me, I found my gaze darting over everything. I couldn’t blame Mr. Stripes for not wanting to let go since we’d been reunited. Together, we looked over the different displays of artwork and other historical artifacts, and I was enraptured, seeing Ignis’ past in a new light.