Chapter 56

Bryson

“That looks wrong!” She shouted above us, but the barrier looked done. She didn’t want any local covens, or the church to see, or sense the dark energies I tried summoning.
My little niece was flying around for me, doing me a favor as payment for Tyson’s aid. I didn’t even know that he went to Romania, but as King, I’m sure he’s traveled all over…
I hated that I didn’t know what I was doing. Rituals and instructions like this weren’t my strong suit.
/….but Mother said that was natural. I do not understand you. Wake me up when there’s blood to spill or our little mate to fu-./
“I am not very old, not compared to a brother.” I told Zackery, cutting off the little pervert. “I am not strong nor wise, but I was gifted a family. That is something even Xaxas can’t rightly say he knows… or understands. This could affect *your* family if you’re here.” I warned. “Your involvement in a ritual meant for Tarteron’s king may make you a part of the fold.”
I had no fucking clue what I was doing out here either… but I never marked Zackery, nor my pack as mine… I did that so they still belonged to mother, and that they could pass to her realm, not mine.
My realm isn’t necessarily one made for punishment being an endless forest… but I still didn’t want to send good men to hell for no reason.
“It does not matter what you are, or your position is Alpha; we wolves follow. Well, at least *I* do.” He said bowing his head.
“You’ve worked with me over a century. I expect you to feel that way… But this may mark you as mine. Are you alright with that?” I asked. “My wolf mentioned this earlier, and I ask you again are you *sure* you mean to help?”
“Sir… honestly if I got pulled into some kind of eternal servitude, I know you’d still be a good boss. I know with permission, should I die, I’d be allowed to see my mate and pups too.” He said firmly. There was no room in his heart for hesitation or disloyalty…. “What step’s next? The fire’s turning blue.”
“Damn… it was supposed to keep getting redder until the flames went black.” I mumbled. “Tiffany, come down here!” I shouted. She zipped on her broom, and landed probably going 30 miles an hour.
Tiffany was only 18, yet led Yellow Diamond, since this is her second life. She supposedly still looks somewhat similar to her former self, keeping her black hair but gaining light tan, almost pale skin, unlike other dark witches. Her husband, Zayde Yoltier, was a little gray skinned, since his blood is black… and Zayde’s substantially paler.
“Oh darn it’s blue. There’re multiple kinds of cinnamon. Did you use the flakey, thin, flat spice or the thick one that’s kind of curled in on itself?”
“No.”
“The second one…. That’s the right cinnamon master.” She said a little sheepishly. They were labeled but… it really would have helped if she didn’t right this as if I were a witch too.
“It’s the first thing you think of when you say ‘cinnamon’.” I complained. I used the grocery store variety.
“Master… Cassia isn’t the *right* one for this spell, its Ceylon. but I didn’t explain… sorry.” She bowed her head, and it made me feel a little guilty. I forget, even with some relatives, that I am the ‘Master Birrai’shivaal’ to her… not ‘Uncle Bryson’. My words mean too much to be even a little displeased.
/Fix this Bryson./ growled Ven./It would not be good for our blood to leave so upset./
“I still want to know though.” I said as a bit of encouragement. She’s young and excited.
It doesn’t matter how she got here either. It matters that she came. I agreed with my wolf, but ignoring him and doing X thing is better than stopping every time he says something.
“Alright.” She smiled. “It’s a different variety, so its properties are different.” She summoned it. “This is the right one, and now I need yellow sulfur beats to counteract the blue…” she summoned, then stuck half her body inside a different leather bag.
I started to wonder how many storage bags of holding she had? I had one somewhere around here, but mine was full of wolf pelts. Most were Rogues who pissed me off, or those who challenged me. I haven’t peeled anyone in probably a decade. No one has pissed me off enough to.
“Next is a boar’s tusk. I found this flying around.” She said sheepishly, tossing it in. “Boars are strength.”
“Right.” I said looking at her take a feather and break it before tossing it in. “That was a raven feather. The only thing I needed them for was the color.”
“What if you used a white bird or something?” Asked Zackery.
“Uh…” She thought a while, tossing a jug of black water into the flame… it went out before bursting to life again. “If it’s an eagle, I think you’ll end up with an explosion. If it’s like a seagull, I think it would work? It’d have to be from a mischievous bird.”
“Interesting.” Said Zack. “Maybe I’ll learn this so I can summon Alpha.” He chuckled.
“I already have *enough* with Carlos.” I grumbled, referring to the teenagers.
She grinned. “You can though. When you go home, light a black candle, and do this part.” She summoned a candle and passed it to him.
/Maybe we could skin some Rogues. The borders haven’t had flags in nearly a century./ Interrupted my wolf.
/Shush! I want him to learn this./ I chastised. The kids don’t need to know, but my Betas might. They can’t link me from outside ONE pack range… I run the state.
/Pelts are like potato chips; you cannot have just one./
He said this as a joke. Ven wouldn’t actually harm pack for no reason. Summoning wasn’t a reason; I thought that with a small glare at him. He holds a space in my mind, and he chose to be sassy, and snort at me.
/That was funny and you know it./ he scoffed.
I ignored him, so I could watch Tiffany work. The fire became redder and dimmer until it was supernaturally black. It didn’t emit light anymore, and it seemed around us, the dark night was darker.
Crows cawed, and the wind picked up. Whatever she’d done was working.
She sat on a log across from me, and drew a little dirt hammer in the ground. “I summon Birrai’shivaal, the God of Justice.”
The fire was black, and stole all the light around it. If not for her summoning, I don’t think they’d be able to see.
Without warning, I was still on the log half, though now I was maybe 2 feet to the left. The flame of my crown lit the area, since the campfire provided none.