Tanged Fury
By
Shannon Tripp
Tangled Fury
By Shannon Tripp
Copyright August 2014 Shannon Tripp
Cover Design by Shannon Tripp
Thank you for downloading this
ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author,
and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or
non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage
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authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.
This book is a work of fiction
The characters are productions
of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously
Dedication:
To Kyla
Thanks for being a big part of this magic
Tangled Fury
Jasmine rolled over onto her back and waved her feet at the ceiling. She couldn’t believe how bored she was. Slowly she toppled onto her side and let her feet flop over the edge of her bed. Sighing in frustration seemed like the highlight of her day. Heaving another sigh, she flipped completely over, dislodging a number of pillows, and stared at the door. Something had to happen. This was hell after all. It wasn’t supposed to be boring.
Maybe she should go visit the pool. That was always good for a laugh or two. Stifling a groan, she slowly climbed to her feet, sidestepped the pillows littering her floor, and headed out the door. One, two, three… she counted the tiles on the floor as she passed them. It wasn’t like there was anything else to distract her. Hell’s hallway, she thought, snorting in disgust. Demons are not very creative. Sullen and still bored, she continued down the echoingly empty hallway.
Smack! Something tapped her on the rear, sending her, and the floor tile she’d been standing on, hissing toward the ceiling. What the hell? she thought. Looking down she spied an imp scurrying away as fast as its three inch legs could carry it. Finally, she giggled, glee filling her thoughts as she pulled her claws back in, something to do!
Before she could chase it, the world tilted and Jasmine slid down into a black gaping hole. The last thing she saw was the ungraceful backside of an imp as it disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.
* * *
Slowly the world spun back into view, although the fur covered legs were the last thing Jasmine wanted to see. Slowly she raised her head. Please don’t have horns. Please don’t have horns. The chant echoed in her head as her gaze passed his waist and continued up to his shoulders.
The bad news was that he had horns. The good news was that they were attached to a helmet. The fur-clad legs and the horned helmet was only the beginning of his outfit. He looked like a puffed up version of a Hollywood wannabe Viking. He even had the chainmail vest and the hilt of a sword peeking over his shoulder; just the hilt, no blade.
Before Jasmine could stifle it, she laughed, then tried to hide it by coughing and ended up choking. She lowered her head and proceeded to try hacking up a hairball, or maybe a lung. Either would make her feel better. She squeezed her eyes shut and gagged as she fought to drag in some desperately needed air.
The whistle should have warned her, but at that moment she was a little busy trying to remember how to breathe. Something soared through the empty space between her and Daddy Dearest and hit her between her eyes. She reared up in surprise, eyes wide and began to step backwards. Her foot slipped on the shiny, black marble and she started to tumble head over tea kettle.
She wrenched her tail sideways in an attempt to stay upright, but only succeeded in throwing her balance further off. With an undignified squeak, she felt her tail thump against the ground, followed quickly by her hips. The world tilted before any more body parts could collide with the unforgiving marble floor.
When she was sure the world had stopped heaving and spinning, Jasmine warily opened one eye only to see the stone and tile floor of her bedroom. From the corner of her eye she spotted one of her pillows inches from her sprawled body. Of course, she thought. Why aim for such a tiny spot just for my comfort? Not bothering to stifle a groan, she climbed to her feet amidst the clicks and pops of her joints protesting the movement. She staggered forward a couple of steps.
Something fluttered near the foot of the bed. Stiff legged, she stalked across the pillow strewn floor. A slim paper fluttered like a bird in a cage. One of its corners was trapped under the leg of her bed. She hooked it with her claws and brought it closer. She’d gotten a new assignment. I wonder what kind of avenging I’ll be doing? Oh, I hope it’s a robbery, this time. Or maybe a kidnapping. She loved being a Fury and avenging wronged women. It was the best job in the Underworld. She glanced down at the writing and felt the first grin of the day slip across her face.
Whistling, she sauntered over to her closet with only an occasional twinge from her still aching hips. Using her magic, she pulled the door open and let it swing. Once inside she turned to the right and followed the wall line, gazing at row after row of magic collars. They all looked identical to a casual observer, but to Jasmine, each and every one was unique.
Which one? Should I take the leather with the jewels and studs? Or maybe the studded leather with the jewels? Oh, I know. I think I’ll wear the jeweled leather collar with the silver studs. She had a feeling that this was going to be a fun assignment and she wanted the best tools for the job. Giggling to herself, she reached the chest of drawers in the back of the closet. She slipped her claws out and hooked them in the half circle in the top drawer’s face. Using her magic to lift the shiny collar reverently from where it was nestled in the black velvet lining, she paused momentarily to stare at it in awe. She slipped her head through the loop and sighed in relief when she felt the clasp catch. She was ready to go.
Reaching up to her collar, she tapped a paw against the ruby resting against her throat. A swirl of magic drifted through the room only to be sucked into the gem. Feeling secure with her collar’s magic replenished, she sauntered out of the closet and headed toward the hallway. Idly she wondered if it was possible to overloaded the gem.
Two steps from the door, the floor heaved beneath her paws. Her knees buckled and she slid head first down the newly reveled slide. Water rushed behind her and she ‘whee’-ed as she loop-de-looped, swished back and forth, shot through a series of tunnels, and skidded across the lake at the bottom of the slide.
Jasmine emerged from the lake. She wasn’t wet, thanks to the magic of home, but she shook her fur reflexively, making sure she still had everything with her. With her collar still tightly fastened, she headed for the glowing green exit sign floating in mid air. She poked her nose into the shimmering air beneath the sign, activating the portal.
A black hole, spangled liberally with pin pricks of light, sprang up, causing her to back pedal furiously rather than lose the end of her nose. Pulling out her assignment card – I hope no one asks where I keep them- she shoved it into the starry blackness. The lights swirled streaking around the shape of the black hole, spinning faster and faster until the streaks combined into a solid mess of random shapes and colors.
Giggling with glee, Jasmine stepped into the portal and with a flick of her tail, she disappeared.
* * *
Jeff huddled in his coat trying to hide at the back of the crowd. His mark was near the front, but it wasn’t time to spring his trap. Yet. Today was the conclusion of the contract. He hoped this mark wouldn’t remember the date. He hated when they made a fuss. Quick and easy, in and out; that’s the kind of assignment I’d like for once.
Sighing at the inevitable, he tried once again to focus on the man speaking at the head of the crowd. He didn’t understand this Saturday ritual, and he was af
raid that the day he did was the day he’d be stuck. I’ll be turning in my horns and pitchfork in for a long hemp shirt and a ukulele if I’m not careful. The thought dashed behind his eyes before it was fully formed. All he really got was an image of his loud Hawaiian shirt, baggy linen pants, and enough beads to keep him floating if he fell into the river. Shaking his head dislodged the image and he checked on his mark again before attempting to pay attention to the crowd coordinator.
Distracted once again, Jeff found his gaze drawn to a young woman, festooned with beads, chains and other bric-a-brac, moving through the crowd like a stream through rocks. Now I wouldn’t mind having someone like her for an assignment. I bet she’d do anything to extend her contract. Heeheehee. While he was busy fantasizing, the crowd moved, surging toward the blue roofed booth on the corner. He elbowed his way forward until he was nearly standing on his mark’s heels.
With a little magic to ensure his spot, he grabbed his site assignment envelope and hustled back to his van and his legion of helpers. It was time to set up shop. With the help of three imps, he was open for business in about fifteen minutes. Just one last finishing touch and I’ll be ready for this Saturday to start. He glanced down at his watch as he placed his right foot on the step ladder. Two steps later, he was growling for an imp to pass him the tent sign because he’d forgot to grab it before he started. Two steps or not, he wasn’t starting over.
With the sign in hand, he hooked one end over the tent pole anchoring one end of his booth, descended and moved his step ladder before repeating with the other side. Once safely back on the ground again, Jeff stepped back and looked up, trying to see if it was straight. Straight or not, it’ll have to do. I’m not fixing it.
The white banner proudly proclaiming “Dream Maker” in a cursive blue script, fluttered slightly in the wind. Jeff grunted in satisfaction. Ducking his head, he entered the booth and surveyed his new domain. A blue tablecloth liberally littered with flyers and leaflets covered the single table set up near the front of the booth. Behind the table were a couple of padded folding chairs; currently staffed by a pair of imps. Behind the imps, bisecting the available space, hung a matching blue curtain. This was where Jeff would do his work.
“Keep an eye on things, would you boys?” Jeff chuckled. “This could prove to be very profitable.” He sauntered past and peered behind the curtain at the remaining imp. “Ready?”
“Yes, Boss.”
Jeff felt his lips pull away from his teeth. On some people it might be considered a smile. “Then let’s begin.” His fingers closed around the cool, smooth black candle left out for him. With a snap of his fingers he lit the wick. For a second it burned bright before darkening; going through the shades from blue to purple until it turned black. As the black flame flickered, he waved his hand in a complicated gesture. Lines hung in the air, blacker than midnight. Jeff grunted and closed his eyes. He could still see the black lines, but with his eyes closed, he could also see the red outline the candle made as it passed. It was easier to keep track of what he was making. A few more passes and a click sounded. The spell was set. All it would take was a single drop of blood to set it in motion.
Now he had to wait. If he was going to snare his mark, he’d have to exercise a little patience. Slipping back to the front of his booth, he sat in his chair and watched the vendors setting up the outdoor market.
Most of the booths were capped with white or blue tarps and had various tables or shelves covered with bric-a-brac and knick-knacks. The booth vendor directly across the sidewalk from Jeff was selling various dog related items; from dog dishes to light switches painted with doggy faces, she had it all. The booth next to her had an older couple selling fruit tarts. Jeff’s mouth watered at the sight. He loved snacking on fruit, but there wasn’t much available back home.
Next to Jeff’s booth, his target was setting up. Paintings lined the back canvas. He’d hung a couple of local landmarks and landscapes – Jeff identified a series of waterfalls including the local Horseshoe Falls and the multi-tiered Wildweed Falls.
Jeff watched his target set up for a couple of minutes. When the young man left to park his truck, Jeff snuck over and drew a simple repellent spell on the base of the booth. With both hands on his back, Jeff straightened, feeling his back pop. Once on his feet, he headed back to his own booth and settled in for the wait. Just a matter of time and you’re mine. I hope the rest of the day is this easy. To bad I have to wait for the mark to realize his magic has been neutralized before I can collect. I can’t believe a demon from Hell has to follow the rules. His lip cured in a snarl. If I didn’t have to wait, I could collect his soul now and then sit back and enjoy the rest of the day.
* * *
Jasmine blinked her watering eyes against the glare of the sun as the portal spit her out before snapping shut. I might not know where I’m going, but I sure am going to get there fast, she thought as she arced through the air. As far as portals went, this one had been kind of tame. It had been a short jump from home to this place, wherever this place was, and it had been a rather smooth trip. The thought, “Except for the exit,” crossed her mind, quickly followed by, “And the landing isn’t going to be nice either.”
Lashing her tail from side to side in an effort to slow her fall was a futile maneuver. All it did was throw her further off balance. Extending her paws, she reached for a passing branch. Unfortunately her tail lashed sideways at the wrong moment and she went careening into the bushes. Leaves and twigs sticking up at every angle hindered her escape, but eventually Jasmine stepped onto the sidewalk. Heaving a huge sigh, she sat down. Licking her shoulder, she surreptitious glanced around. Somewhere nearby was her target.
Closing her eyes, she pictured what the assignment card had said.
Peter Robertsen
Blonde hair, Blue Eyes
Scar from eye to mouth on right side
Stocky and short
Saturday Market Vendor
Gifts Granted: Puppet Mastery
The assignment card seemed overly detailed. It definitely had the most information she’d ever received. She shrugged her shoulders. With a flip of her paw, she tapped on the sapphire embedded in her collar and suddenly all the babble around her made sense. Just on the other side of the bushes there was a couple making kissing and slurping sounds interspersed liberally with “yeah, baby” and “oh, god.”
At the corner a harried looking woman pushed a stroller down the middle of the sidewalk while yelling at twin boys as they raced around her. Jasmine watched as the middle-aged woman paused to push her hair out of her eyes before sighing in defeat and frustration. Then she started pushing the stroller again. Jasmine watched her until they disappeared into the slowly growing crowd. No chance there of a soul collection. If being a frustrated parent was grounds for soul relocation, home would be swarming with harried mothers and overwhelmed fathers. Ah, well.
She turned her attention to the man standing in the nearest booth. She looked him over and judged him, placing him in the maybe category. She’d keep an eye on him and maybe, if she had time later, come back and collect his soul. Her gaze skimmed over his booth, noting the drawings covering every inch of available table and spreading up the two canvas walls. The drawing of a Siamese cat hanging next to a lion’s portrait caught her eye and she admired it for a second before shaking her fur and returning to scanning the people.
She wasn’t finding her mark waiting here. Her assignment card said he was a vendor. She guessed that meant he was running one of these booths. She raised her paw, intending to tap it against emerald at her throat, but paused when it occurred to her that a giant map springing out of no where might be too attention drawing.
Standing abruptly, Jasmine turned on her heel and weaved through the sudden appearance of a forest of legs. Barely ducking the hand reaching for her, she felt a soft tug on her tail before she managed her escape. Sauntering, tail waving in a majestic arch over her back she bobbed along dodging legs and whee
ls alike until she reached an alley sprouting off the side of the market.
“Finally,” she mumbled to no one. “Now, how about that map?” Tapping the emerald produced a map that glimmered against the wall in front of her. “Where is it? Where…is…it?” She drew the syllables out as she scanned the map. There were too many dots for her to focus on. She tapped the emerald again and all the white, pink and lite yellow dots blinked off. Now she only had to wade through the dark dots; the green, blue, purple and one sickly black dot. She traced a path from her current hiding place to the booth with the black dot. She tapped twice on the emerald, sending the map crashing back into the gem while a grin spread across her fuzzy face.
Time to go hunting!
* * *
Jeff leaned back in his chair and stifled a yawn. This was his first adventure at the local Saturday market and so far, he was bored. Feeling like he was only taking up space, he decided to wander. Eventually, his target would come to him and then he could get to work.
As he walked by, he glanced over at the next booth, noted his aversion spell still going strong, and had to suppress a smirk. The spell on his booth was working equally well. There wasn’t an empty square inch between the entrance of the booth and the tables blocking the curtained off area. The imps were having a busy day. Idly he wondered how many contracts he would get out of this days work.
The little park seemed small with so many booths packed together. The sheer amount of people encircling each booth was mind-blowing. Jeff rudely pushed passed an older couple strolling arm in arm. Two steps later he was stopping in his tracks as a toddler, barely out of diapers, charged in front of him. Growling under his breath, he sidestepped a boy with bicycle parked in the middle of the sidewalk perusing a booth selling comics.
Tourists and demons have one thing in common, Jeff thought as he pushed through to the street. We both love to do stupid things. He paused momentarily to consider what would happen if his human disguise was knocked off. Shrugging off his care and darting into the street, he was rewarded with a screech of tires and the crunch of metal meeting unyielding metal. He didn’t bother to look back, just blurred his features and clothing with his magic on the off chance someone might recognize him. He reached the other side and quickly disappeared into the crowd.