Life’s a Witch and then you Die: Part 4 of ?
Title: Life’s a Witch and then you Die
Author: AdventureLucky7
Fandom: The Hollows
Pairing: Rachel/Ivy (Seriously I will get there, it’s just going to take a bit…)
Rating: Mature, for language so far
Disclaimer: The Hollows characters and universe belong to Kim Harrison, I am just borrowing them for the story.
Summary: What happens when Rynn Cormel forces Rachel to find answers, and she discovers answers to questions she wasn’t even asking? Rachel/Ivy, Ivy/Rachel, Ravy
There was absolute silence after Al’s question.
Looking outside my circle knew that the stunned expression Ivy was wearing mirrored my own. Stunned disbelief quickly turned to rage. Al could sense my anger, and he hummed in pleasure at the chaos he created. What Al continues to forget, however, is he isn’t the only one who knows how to play games.
Smiling to myself, I felt my anger dissipate almost immediately, and Al’s eyes widened when he saw the corners of my mouth turn upward. “Let’s talk payment Al.” Sitting cross-legged in my protective circle, I began to tick the points off on fingers, “1.) You dropped into my kitchen unannounced trying to hide from a witch. 2.) I stitched you up, and bandaged your wounds. 3.) I negotiated with the reigning Master Vampire of Cincy for your safety 4.) I now face serious danger if black witch who tried to bind you comes here looking for you.” At each point I made, Al’s features flushed a little more.
“Well my itchy witch, you are correct, I will remove your demon mark and call us even.” Al reached for my wristed but I pulled away before he could get a grip.
Wagging a finger in his direction I tsked, “Now Al, that is not nearly payment enough, I received this mark for a ride through the lines. Surely saving your demon butt is worth more than that..”
Tapping my chin in thought, I made my counter negotiation, “1.) You will remove the mark off my wrist 2.) No more hiding texts from me, I assume that’s how you know so much about vampires 3.) You will answer any vampire questions I have beginning tonight. Those you don’t know you will either find the answer to, or figure out another source I can consult and 4.) I want to know the name of the witch that attacked you.”
Al smiled at my proposal, negotiations were really his element, and I knew it. “Should I be upset you are getting so much better at negotiating with demons?” He asked.
I shrugged at Al’s question, “You could be upset, or accept that I am learning from the best. Either way, you have not answered my proposal.” Gag me, but why not throw out a little flattery that was very much based in truth.
Resting his hands on torso, just shy of his wounds, Al answered, “Rachel Mariana Morgan, I will accept removing your mark, and I will give you the name of the witch who attacked me.”
“I accept.” I heard myself say, and I saw Al turn smug. Reaching for my hand, Al closed his fingers around my wrist, stroked his thumb over my mark and it disappeared.
Sighing in relief, I rubbed my wrist and cocked my head at Al waiting.
“Hortence Lenora Granville.”
My first thought? What a horrible name, poor witch must have been shoved into a lot of lockers. Tucking the name into the back of my memory I turned my focus back to Al.
Time to finish this, “Al, let’s talk about the other half of my proposal. I need to know more about vampires, and you have access to the demon texts I need.”
“Ah, well, I finally have something the witch wants?” Al looked smug again, that expression was getting old. “Do tell me Rachel Mariana Morgan, what would you like to exchange? I already have a familiar, but you would be a far better…companion”
Al was purposely being lecherous at this point; his strategy was an old one. Always try to make the other negotiator emotional, make them mad, then they won’t see the trap before they step into it. Ivy snarled somewhere behind me, but I ignored her, and the rising fear in my gut that negotiating with demons always causes.
“How about in return for meeting my other two requests, I won’t lower my protective circle and let Rynn test out his ability to bind you?” I asked.
Al realized his mistake too late, maybe I should be tired of being underestimated but mostly I was grateful. Trying to bluff Al said ,“Like I said my dear itchy witch, vampires cannot bind demons as they do humans and living vampires.”
“Well my dear demon teacher,” purposely mimicking his choice of words, “like I said, I am learning from the best. While you can’t lie, my guess is that you aren’t giving me the whole truth either. So I really don’t have much to lose if I take down my circle, Rynn has given his word not to harm you.”
Glancing over my shoulder at Rynn Cormel I saw him smilingly in a way that reminded me of Ivy. Predatory, hungry, and amused.
Calling to Rynn, I asked, “What do you think Mr. Cormel? Would it be worth a try?”
“Ms. Morgan, since it’s all in the name of continued research then I would be willing to lend my services.” Rynn helpfully supplied his head bowing slightly.
If Al’s eyes could have burned a hole into my skull, he would have done it. As it was, I knew I had him, his wording was too precise. Al was hiding something, and I would bet money it had to do with vampires binding demons.
Al ground out his next words as if each caused him physical pain, “Agree to leave me in a protective circle so I can sleep until the sun rises, and I will give you access to every demon text on vampires I can find. I will also answer any questions that I can, those I cannot answer, I will direct you to another source to continue your search.”
“When can I begin asking questions?” I asked, hoping feverishly I hadn’t forgotten something vital in this agreement.
“This Saturday, two days from now when we meet for our lessons.” Al growled.
“Agreed.” I said simply.
A noise behind me caused me to turn, and I saw Rynn putting on his gloves and hat, the earlier sound had been him putting his coat on. “Excellent progress Rachel, I am glad to see our night was so productive.” Smilingly, he bowed, Ivy placed her hand in the crook of his arm to escort him out. When they reached kitchen door, Rynn paused and turned back to me, “and dinner was excellent as well.” His comment made me smile, when he left I frowned, I was not supposed to like the dead vamp damnit. Why won’t common sense kick in?
“My itchy witch you play with some of the most dangerous forces this side of the line, it really is quite amazing you aren’t dead.” Al said thoughtfully. Sighing I turned back to the demon, I was tired of being in the circle and dawn was still a few hours away. Grabbing a knife out of my boot, I sliced my thumb and used it to draw a circle around Al. When I activated the circle again, only the demon remained inside.
“Sleep well Al, you will be safe until sunrise.” I said rising, and I headed back to the bathroom for my second shower of the night.
I smelled the coffee before I reached the kitchen, and I knew Ivy intended to stay up and keep watch with me until sunrise. I didn’t think Hortence would be paying us a visit tonight, but there was no reason to take any chances.
Ivy was at her computer, and I headed directly to the coffee maker and filled two cups. I put one cup near the computer and sipped mine thinking. It really had been a long night, and based on the tenseness of Ivy’s shoulders she thought so too. I began to plot, why the hell not, we had a few hours and we needed a distraction. You two need to talk said the voice in my head. That was true too, but it was going to be a long talk, and we were both at the end of our emotional stamina.
Going to the fridge, a plan began to emerge, and I grinned to myself. I took out the butterscotch putting pie, some whipped cream, and I knew had some chocolate shavings somewhere. Digging through my spice cabinet, again, I could hear Ivy’s typing stop.
In a somewhat amused, and annoyed tone, “Rachel, if you would let me organize your spice cabinet it wouldn’t take so long to find what you’re looking for.” No, I thought, it would take me four times longer. I pictured that worry line on Ivy’s forehead, dang I am a sucker.
Glancing back at Ivy I gave in, “All right, I leave it in your capable hands for organization, but not until after you have slept. Right now we have pie to eat.” About a second later I found the chocolate shavings and we were in business.
I cut two pieces of pie, sprayed a little whip cream on both, and chocolate shavings on top for good measure. After the first bite of pie, Ivy laughed and then said in a sultry tone, “Why Jane, I do believe this is butterscotch, you know how allergic I am to butterscotch.”
Feigning mock surprise, I put the palm of my left hand to my heart, and the back of my right hand to my forehead in an excellent feinting heroine pose, “Alexia, I do hope you will forgive me, how could I forget?” And then, in a motion disguised as dropping my hand to my spoon, I grabbed the whipped cream can and sprayed Ivy.
I couldn’t actually believe that Ivy had fell for it, she was so shocked that she sat in her seat blinking for a few moments. Taking advantage, I blew the top of the whipped cream can like it was a smoking revolver, and put it on the table. “See Alexia? Not a problem, there is plenty of whipped cream for you to eat.”
Ivy leaned back in her chair and with one finger she scooped up whip cream covering her chin. Studying it for a moment, she put the finger in her mouth and, before my eyes could even register it, her piece of pie hit me square in the face.
The pie crust slid down my cheek and landed in my lap. “So that’s how it’s going to be vamp?” I asked, shaking my head slowly.
Ivy grinned showing the tips of her canines. It honestly would have been scary if that whip cream blob hadn’t chosen that moment to fall off her nose onto the counter. Ignoring the whipped cream, Ivy cocked an eyebrow at me and said “If you can’t stand the heat witch…” but I interrupted her before she could finish when I threw a handful of pie and ducked behind the kitchen island.
Our duel quickly escalated to an all out food fight when the Pixie children began to swarm the kitchen. They quickly chose sides, and Ivy slowed her reaction time to make it a fair fight. At some point the pizza was commandeered for ammunition purposes, and the kitchen was now covered in a mixture of butterscotch and pizza sauce. About fifteen minutes after the fight had started I was lying on the floor on my back, laughing so hard I was crying.
Ivy stood at my feet trying to be menacing, “Do you surrender to our superior forces?” she asked, shoulders quaking with repressed laughter. Jenks buzzed by, butterscotch pudding smeared under on eye. “Disney’s whore Rachel! This pie tastes amazing!” It was then I realized he was slurring his words a bit. Looking around I realized that Jenks, and all forty seven of his Pixie children, were on a sugar high from the pie they had been eating during the fight.
Forty seven Pixie children on a sugar high? By the turn, we didn’t want them in the kitchen, my brain couldn’t even begin to fathom the resulting chaos. Ivy came to the same conclusion, and reacted more quickly then I could. Throwing open the kitchen door she hollered to the Pixie hoard, “Last one out has to stay and help us clean up the kitchen!”
The kitchen emptied before I could blink.
I sat up and leaned against the nearest kitchen cabinet, and started laughing all over again. How were we going to get the pudding off the ceiling? Hands on her hips Ivy turned to me with one eyebrow raised, and nearly echoed my thoughts when she asked, “Any ideas on how to clean up this mess?”
Still chuckling I stood up, extremely grateful I had the forethought earlier to spell the circle enclosing Al with a sound dampening charm. Living with Pixie children had made me especially adept at that particular charm.
Passing Ivy I stopped to pick a piece of pepperoni from behind her ear. Handing it to her I said, “Let’s start with showers and then worry about cleaning the kitchen. You first, I will guard Al while you get cleaned up.”
Ivy headed to her room, her steps much lighter than before. Some part of me warmed at that, knowing that even with a sleeping demon in our kitchen we could laugh. It was moments like this that made the chaos we lived in bearable.
My mind went back to earlier in the night when we held one another, and my aura cradled Ivy’s. Biting my lip I realized that I craved holding Ivy like that again, and my gut clenched in panic. Ivy and I had an agreement; I had made it clear that I was a very straight woman. My mind began swirling with all kinds of possibilities and what ifs. What if I wasn’t completely straight, but what if I changed my mind, what if Ivy thought I saw her as an experiment? That would destroy our friendship and both of us.
What in the turn am I going to do? I thought morosely. Putting a hand to my now queasy stomach, I knew I had to let go of all the dark thoughts that were teasing with the edges of arousal. The food fight had calmed Ivy, I didn’t need my hormones messing up the balance, and I desperately needed to time to think. Looking at Al, I knew I needed answers too.
Jenks buzzed in, his sugar high already gone, Pixie metabolisms are an amazing thing. “Jenks, could you stand watch? I want a shower to get the pudding out of my ears.” Ivy’s shower had just turned off, and I needed to get cleaned up and calmed down before she came back to the kitchen.
“Of course Rache, and that food fight was more fun than fairy wedgies. I haven’t seen Ivy laugh like that in weeks.” I smiled at him, and turned to my bathroom for my third shower of the night.
Once I was clean, and gratefully pudding free, I headed back to the kitchen. Matalina was already directing all forty seven of her children, and one husband, to the task of scraping the ceiling clean. Waving at her, I picked up a bucket and took it to the sink to fill with soapy water.
When the bucket was full, I glanced up to see Ivy leaning on the doorframe to the kitchen, she was smiling and her cinnamon eyes warm with laughter. I threw her a sponge, and we started to work. The demon was still asleep, the Master Vamp was currently satisfied, and Ivy and I were okay.
All was right in the world.