A World Enchanted

Tara glanced ruefully at the pile of books on her desk. "Probably n-not any of my books, anyhow. But I mostly use the library and Magic Box."

She definitely wasn't getting to Magic Box today, no.

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Kennedy didn't think about it for more than a second before she nodded quickly and reached out to put a hand on Tara's arm for a moment. "It can't hurt, right? I say you should go for it." She glanced around the room for the others' reactions, although there was the tiniest hint of you'd better say yes in her expression.

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Maladicta made a face. "So we have a lot of magic and no answers. Well then. I feel up for a stroll through an impregnable maze, don't you?"

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swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com

"I do," Dolf piped up. He might have been terrified, but he was also very, very... what did they call it these days?

Stupid?

"If it'll help."

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Raven nodded. She wasn't so sure it would work where Sookie's telepathy had failed, but it was definitely worth a chance.

Why waste your time with this, Daughter? Go in and take what is yours.

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"I'm in," Kennedy confirmed; her fingers, drumming restlessly against her knee, said a lot more than her next statement of "Hell of a lot better than doing nothing, or getting goblins to throw rocks at us. We need something to work with."

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Tara drew a breath and went to find the book. "All right. Let me try on you guys first, then if it works right..."

It was a long moment before she set the book aside and went to sit cross-legged in a corner, chanting something to herself.

[Raven, Kennedy, Dolf? Maladicta? Um ... hi? Anybody hear me?]

Her psychic voice, if anyone could hear it, was extremely self-conscious.

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"At least bring some back-up from the meeting tomorrow?" Tara suggested, since she was aware talking Kennedy out of this one was about as likely as diverting a freight train with bad brakes.

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"Whispering might be more effective in my case," Maladicta chimed in.

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"As long as no one gets stake-happy, we will all be fine,"

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"I hear you," Raven murmured aloud, eyes closed in concentration.

So do I. Trigon sounded almost bored. Raven quickly wrenched her mental barriers up around her core, trying to shield Tara from her father's gaze.

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"Whoa," Kennedy spoke up, looking a bit thrown. She was trying not to act wigged, but that had been new and different. "Having you in my head is trippy."

She went on, apologetically, "I mean, I can tell you were in there. I might be a little fuzzy on what exactly you said."

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Raven eyed Maladicta. "Stake happy?" she repeated.

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Kennedy brought up both hands to cover her face for a moment in a gesture so quick that the smack of impact was audible. "I promised that wasn't gonna happen again!"

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"It could be dark, instincts may take control..." Maladicta shrugged. "You never know. And we might not have Alexander's dustpan next time."

A beat.

"It's absolute hell on clothing, you know."

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Kennedy looked as close as she got to absolutely mortified, and poor Raven and Dolf weren't getting the benefit of any explanation here, were they?

"Yeah, well... I wasn't planning on using stakes on goblins anyway."

Mental note: get Maladicta a new suit for Christmas.

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Raven was on her feet and backing away. "You are a vampire," she said, struggling to keep her voice calm despite the surge of fear. She could feel her father twisting that fear, trying to fan it higher. The red glow of her eyes beneath her hood was more evident now.

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"And she's our friend," Tara said quietly, with only the briefest sense of wonder as to how she was saying this. "So let's -- let's not. Please."

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[Like I'm being quiet?] Tara asked, pointing the question more directly at Kennedy this time. She backed away from talking to Raven, not sure what the alien presence she'd just barely felt was; maybe that was how it always with with demons.

Then, aloud: "So. Kinda. A little?" She couldn't help being happy, even if the circumstances pretty much sucked. "If I could get to Emma or Karla..."

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Kennedy's eyes narrowed quizzically, and she had to concentrate to pick out the meaning, but judging from the way her face brightened she must've succeeded at least enough to guess. "Kinda. So not bad for a first attempt? Even in my head, you're cute when you're all shy." No, focus, Kennedy. "Dolf? Did you get any of that?"

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"And a Black Ribboner," she added, eyes narrowing slightly at the red. "A reformed vampire for lack of a better term."

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...trying to stop a half-demon from going after a vampire. There was so much possible brainhurty wrapped up in this situation that Kennedy-- who had no idea just what fabulously in-depth training for later in life this was-- refused to think about it.

"Chill, Raven," she cautioned in a sterner tone, getting to her feet to put herself between them if she had to. "Maladicta's cool; trust us on this. We have an actual problem to worry about here."

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If it displeases you, Daughter, destroy it.

Raven took another step back, fighting her rising panic. Her father would have had her lash out in fear as he teased her with images of being attacked by Sebastian and Max and how Sookie had looked bleeding on the floor when they'd found her. But she trusted Tara and Kennedy, and Nick had been different, and her brief interactions with Maladicta in the past hadn't been alarming.

"I am all right," she finally said, but her eyes hadn't changed, and her body was still tense. "I was merely caught off guard."

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"Yes, I can tell." Maladicta was so terribly helpful. "I believe this is where we pretend to be a pot and a kettle."

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