Witching Games: The Fire Witch Chronicles 1, R.A. Lindo [top 100 books of all time checklist .txt] 📗

“Well, if it does attack us I’ll look out for your laughter.”

“Okay, ladies,” Conrad interrupts, itching to get back into the air, “let’s get on with it. We’ve got a Domitus to catch.”

I leave the little spat with Lucy, conscious she’s got Noah’s date on her mind. “I say we catch the glass fragment, like we caught our Quivven’s light. It fits to the method Sianna used to illuminate the stained-glass floor.”

“I’m in,” Conrad said, a look of urgency on his face.

“Let’s go,” Lucy adds, and we reach up together, slowly placing our hands around the spinning glass shard.

I feel the glass graze my palm until a blanket of light falls over us, covering our bodies at the same time our Williynx rise up towards the source of light, shape shifting into larger forms as they do.

“Grab on,” Conrad urges, reaching for Erivan as his feathered companion glides towards the high ceiling, squawking to signal our impending exit.

I jump onto Laieya, checking to make sure Lucy is behind me — the three of us exiting The Sianna’s secret chamber, ready to blast into action once more.

We appear in the sky above The Royisin Heights, using the Verum Veras charm to hide our movements. Odin and his crew will be looking out for danger, probably firing desperate charms into the air if they spot us, so caution is necessary. There’s no plan for another fire fight but this could be unavoidable, depending on Odin’s reaction. One thing is certain: he isn’t going to make it to The Royisin Heights.

Conrad hands me a vial of white liquid called Semphul: a remedy for hunger on busy evenings of Night Ranging. Gulping it down in one go, I keep my eyes on the terrain below, waiting for Odin to appear. There’s nothing to say he isn’t using an invisibility charm as well now, possibly catching a glimpse of us appearing in the air before I suggested stealth was necessary.

It’s possible although we’re still some distance from his location, according to Sianna’s unique surveillance device buried in her walls. It’s more likely he’s using the darkness to stay out of sight or, less promising, has found another way to accelerate his journey. The Disira charm is always an option, allowing you to vanish to your chosen location, but it would be dangerous under the circumstances.

Odin knows he’s being tracked and is skilled enough in battle strategy to know the flaws of the Disira charm. It’s a quick means of escape but you don’t know who you’re going to bump into on the other side, so he’s stuck with natural travel for now, and I wonder if he’s regretting his visit to Poridian Parlour a few nights ago, calling out a young crew of wizards who don’t back down from a challenge.

We finally catch sight of Odin less than a mile from The Royisin Heights, walking with Alice Aradel’s old mob who do their best to provide cover. Odin walks in the middle of the group, his coat no longer lifted over his head. Instead, he’s used a disfigurement charm to mark the left side of his face — nothing extreme but enough to pass without being spotted, particularly to recluses largely uninterested in the movements of Society members.

We’ve got a vested interest, of course, so formulate the plan of attack, agreeing on the element of surprise. We’re still hidden behind the Verum Veras charm, the glittering interior curtain of light hiding us from view until we decide to reacquaint ourselves with Odin.

I doubt he’s going to react well so I whisper to Laieya, her powder-blue feathers lifting in recognition of my plan. I’ve got fire and Laieya’s got ice, meaning Odin doesn’t stand a chance. That’s what you get when you mess with The Fire Witch.

Conrad signals for us to go lower, descending slowly on our target while we ready our surprise. Flight is Conrad’s trusted mode of engagement, rarely activating defensive charms unless the situation becomes critical. He’s an elusive target in the air, having a particular affinity with Erivan — his turquoise Williynx who darts in and out of the rhythms he orchestrates.

Lucy combines charms at speed, usually relying on the Promesiun charm before adding water or fire to her blasts of light and energy. Together, we’re a pretty formidable force, surrounding the target on all sides until they submit or fire back, which is when things get interesting.

We’ll soon find out how desperate Odin is, aware the Domitus are proud soldiers. Damaged, yes, but proud, so it’s unlikely Odin’s going to submit without a fight.

“I’ll take care of Aradel’s mob,” Conrad says as we descend lower, “You and Lucy make sure Odin doesn’t get away.”

I nod as the wind lifts suddenly, whipping my long, brown hair back. Lucy’s cropped black hair gives her fewer problems, yellow ribbons of light spinning around her arms in preparation for contact with the target.

“And if they fire back?” Lucy asks, her hands placed around her Williynx’s neck.

“A prison of ice bullets,” I reply, already envisioning the cage to trap Odin and his crew in. Ice makes the enemy scatter, but ice bullets are something else altogether. It’s the weapon to end all arguments although serious injury hasn’t been authorised, meaning Odin’s about to step into a taming range of a different kind.

“Take out one of Aradel’s mob first,” Conrad adds, a natural leader in the sky, “Send them running for cover, creating the panic we need. The rest will be easy. Let’s go.”

With that, we tap our ankles against our Williynx and accelerate towards the small crew of malevs, their hopes increasing as they close in on The Royisin Heights. That’s until they see a blast of colour in the sky above them … too shocked to react quickly enough, scrambling to fire a volley of charms to distract us from our mission.

Lucy and I veer off in opposite directions, drawing the attention of Odin’s crew who