Kisses and Curses

by Michelle M. Pillow

  “Why would she play games?” Erik asked as he went inside the bathroom to look.

  “Play.” Euann tried to feel relief at the word. “Jewel. She could have done this. When Malina stopped playing with her last night, maybe she asked Cora to play with her instead.”

  “I don’t think Cora would have said yes again,” said Rory. “She seemed relieved to be free of the spell last time.”

  “Do ya have another explanation for it?” Euann demanded. “People don’t just disappear. Not without magickal help.”

  Rory lifted his hand in a weak gesture to indicate he did not have an answer.

  “Where is Jewel?” Euann left the room. He strode down the hall toward Malina’s bedroom. The sound of the child’s laughter stopped him. She was in Erik’s room.

  Euann changed directions. He didn’t bother to knock as he barged into the room. “Cora?”

  “No, silly.” Jewel giggled. She had picked up Malina’s British accent. Their ma would hate that. “He’s Uncle Raibeart, not Cora.”

  Raibeart had on a larger version of the pink tutu Malina had been in before. A tiara and wings had been added to the ensemble and matched Jewel’s green fairy princess outfit. He sat at a small child’s table with a teacup in front of him. His knees were pushed higher than the tiny seat.

  “Join us for tea, sir?” Raibeart asked in a staunch British voice. Jewel giggled again. “Or perhaps a crumpet.”

  “What’s a crumpet?” Jewel asked, losing the accent.

  “You have never had a crumpet?” Raibeart continued with his play voice. He appeared shocked. Jewel shook her head in denial and giggled again. Losing the funny accent, he leaned forward and said, “It’s like a tiny pancake, lass. I prefer the big pancakes myself, with lots of gooey syrup.”

  “Like this?” Jewel waved the plastic princess wand in front of her. A giant stack of pancakes appeared on the tiny table.

  “Where is she?” Euann searched the room. He pointed at the mirror. “Did she go through here?”

  “Just us, lad,” Raibeart said. “Misplace your girlfriend, did ya?”

  Euann looked under the bed. He found one of Erik’s dirty socks and pulled it out. He tossed it at Erik in the doorway. “Jewel, where is she hiding?”

  “I was looking for that,” Erik said.

  “Did someone say family Christmas card?” Rory asked, lifting his phone to take a picture of Raibeart. Their uncle held up the delicate teacup with two fingers and kept his pinkie out while Rory took the picture.

  “Jewel, let him go. He doesn’t want to play.” Kenneth came into the room and walked toward his daughter. “I told ya, ya can’t keep using your magick to force people to your will.”

  “Who’s forced?” Raibeart asked, lifting a fork and cutting into the pancakes. He paused long enough to gesture the fork at his teacup. “Need a refill, lass.”

  “She’s not making ya wear that?” Kenneth watched his daughter wave her wand over Raibeart’s cup. “And do ya have my daughter serving ya whiskey?”

  “Who invited ya to this party, anyway?” Raibeart waved an irritated hand even as he took another bite. “This tea party is invite only, and I don’t think ya have an invitation.”

  “Yeah,” Jewel said before resuming her British accent. “This tea party is invite only.”

  She waved her wand and pushed the intruders out of the room, all except Euann, who was not in front of the door.

  “Jewel, please, have ya seen Cora?” Euann knelt on the floor beside the child.

  “I haven’t seen her all night.” Raibeart tipped back his teacup to drink the contents and then held out the empty cup.

  “I saw her.” Jewel pointed at the window. “She was flying.”

  Euann placed his hand over the cup, stopping Jewel from refilling it. “What do ya mean flying? Is it another game? Is that why her window was open? Did ya turn her into a bird?”

  Jewel giggled. “People aren’t birds.”

  “Not true,” Raibeart disagreed. “Your uncle Iain is a bird. He turns into a giant chicken.”

  Raibeart bawked like a chicken, much to Jewel’s delight.

  “Raibeart, please, this is important.” Euann removed his hand from the cup.

  “If your girl flew the coop, then she did it on her own,” Raibeart said. “Birds like trees. Ya should check the forest.”

  “Damn it,” Euann grumbled in frustration.

  “Don’t ya talk like your uncle Euann,” Raibeart instructed as Euann hurried from the room.

  “Was she in there?” Erik was partway up the stairs. When Jewel ejected them from the room, she must have sent them farther than the hallway.

  “No. Jewel said she saw her flying.” Euann rushed down the stairs. “I’m going to check the forest.”

  “That’s not good.” Erik turned to follow him. Iain was standing in the front hall. “Iain, Euann needs ya. Cora was seen flying. Rory, check around out front. See if her car is missing. I’ll check the house top to bottom.”

  Euann hesitated momentarily. When Iain shifted into bird form, his magick was contained in the body of a small, wild creature. It was easy for him to lose himself in the freedom of flight.

  “Jane is my center,” Iain said as if sensing Euann’s thoughts. “I’ll be fine. If I become lost, I’ll always find my way to her.”

  “We don’t know anything is wrong,” Erik said. “Jewel has a vivid imagination.”

  “I know something is wrong,” Euann said. “I feel it. Something isn’t right.”

  “Do ya feel it or do ya fear it?” Margareta rested her hand on his arm.

  Euann didn’t know how to answer. He shook off her hand and ran through the house to the back gardens. All he knew is that he had to find Cora.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Excuse me,” Cora called from her place hanging from the trees. Her ankles ached but not as badly as her wrists. The two men had built a fire near her right foot, and she worried that it might light the leaves beneath her. “Excuse me?”

  The hatless man looked up at her. A jug he’d been drinking from sat by his feet. The fire illuminated the whiskers on his face, casting him in a terrifying light. This part of the forest was dark, and she had no clue what time it was.

  “There has been a big mistake. I’m not a MacGregor. Listen to me. Do I sound like a MacGregor?” Cora tried to smile. It was difficult when a second set of eyes turned up to look at her.

  Seconds ticked by like minutes. Suddenly, both men burst into laughter.

  “She thought that would work,” the hat man said.

  “Mama was right. Warlocks aren’t worth the magick they steal,” the hatless one answered.

  “I’m not a warlock,” Cora insisted.

  The men laughed harder.

  “Fine. I’m a great and powerful warlock, and I’m giving you the chance to release me.” Cora struggled against the vines. Her hands had gone numb. “If you don’t, you’ll be sorry. If you do, I’ll be forgiving.”

  “Warlock magick can’t break mountain magick.” Mr. Hatless spat at the ground under her feet.

  “Fine. Will you at least tell me your names?” Cora asked.

  “Hatfield,” the man without a hat answered, and this is my brother, “McCoy.”

  “Seriously?” Cora questioned before she could stop herself. She wasn’t exactly in a position to challenge them.

  “Mama always said she likes a good fight.” McCoy snickered as he grabbed his jug to take a drink. When he finished, he held it up to her. “Drink?”

  “Moonshine?” Cora asked.

  McCoy shook his head. “Water.”

  “Really?” She didn’t hide her surprise. That was too bad. A couple of shots of moonshine and maybe she could pass out and not remember she was hanging above a fire.

  Hatfield jumped up and became animated as he said, “You think we’re all just backward drunk mountain idiots, missin’ teeth, livin’ in a shack, chewin’ tabbaci, datin’ our sister, scared of the outside
world, don’t you?”

  “No?” A breeze hit her body, and she swayed.

  “Well, datin’ the sister part is true.” McCoy gave a lopsided grin.

  Hatfield slapped his leg as he laughed, doubling over. “Look at her face. She believed you.”

  “I don’t think that,” Cora said.

  “I’ll have you know I went to college and even graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science.” Hatfield pointed up at her. “Bet you didn’t see that one coming.”

  Cora kept her mouth shut. He was right. By the looks of him, she wouldn’t have guessed that. Then again, she wasn’t bound to think too highly of the people who had her tied up, let alone contemplate their educational history.

  “Why do you always have something to prove? Who cares what a MacGregor thinks about us?” McCoy shook his head as if disappointed in his brother.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” Hatfield ordered.

  “I can’t help it my face is this handsome,” McCoy taunted. “Don’t be jealous.”

  “We’ll see how handsome it is when I get done with it.” Hatfield lunged at his brother and they began wrestling. They rolled out of her eye line but she could hear them.

  Cora used all her strength to try to pull free. She thrashed in the air.

  The scuffle instantly stopped.

  “What was that?” Hatfield asked.

  “Someone’s coming.” McCoy came back into view, dusting leaves off his disheveled clothing.

  The sound of footsteps was unmistakable. They were on MacGregor land. Was Euann looking for her?

  “Help,” she yelled.

  The footsteps stopped.

  “Help!”

  The steps started up again. Euann ran past along a narrow path, not seeing her.

  “Euann,” she called out. “Euann, I’m here.”

  It was then she realized the two below her were quiet. How could Euann miss the fire?

  “Euann?” she whispered.

  Laughing sounded beneath her.

  “Euann,” Hatfield yelled, mocking her.

  “Euann,” McCoy added.

  They both screamed, flailing their arms and jumping up and down.

  A tear slipped down Cora’s cheek. Magick somehow created a barrier. Euann couldn’t find her. His footsteps faded. She really was in trouble.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Euann stopped, breathing hard as he looked around at the endless trees. There were eighty acres of property owned by his family, and more land beyond that. He couldn’t search it all by foot.

  Euann closed his eyes, trying to sense Cora. Instinct told him to turn around, so he listened. He felt she was in the woods. His magick tingled as if to warn him. He ran faster. When the tingling subsided, he stopped running and looked around.

  More damned trees.

  He closed his eyes, again trying to find her. His senses told him to turn around once more. He did, running slower in case he might’ve missed something. Again his magick tingled, and again it subsided. He turned around once more, heading back toward the house. Whatever this sensation was, it was sending him on a wild goose chase.

  “Cora,” he yelled, willing her to hear him. “Cora!”

  A few birds lifted from the trees, startled by the sound he made.

  “Iain,” he called. “Iain, are ya there?”

  An eagle landed on a branch and gazed down at him.

  “Have ya seen her?” Euann asked. “I feel her near.”

  Iain’s eagle form glided down to the forest floor. His winged body shook. Skin stretched, the feathers parting as Iain pushed to get out. The bird body extended and contracted before finally exploding to release Iain from within. His naked brother knelt on the ground.

  “What did ya see?” Euann reached down to take his brother’s hand to pull him to his feet.

  “Something isn’t right with the forest. I tried to pull magick from a tree as I soared, and it blocked me. When I dove down, I could perch on the branches, but I couldn’t pull energy from it.” Iain lifted his hand toward a tree, sucking the life force into himself. The tree began to wither, and Iain pushed the life force back. “My powers work here. There is something wrong with that spot in the forest. Something there is holding the energy hostage. We have to get back to the house to tell the others.”

  “I can’t. I feel Cora out here. I have to find her.” Euann started to run the path yet again in search for her. Maybe this time he’d be lucky.

  “Euann, stop! If she is trapped in the dead spot, we need help. I have never seen anything like this before.”

  Euann turned back to his brother. “Ya go. I will keep looking for her.”

  “I can’t leave ya out here alone, not when we don’t know what we are dealing with. If ya want to find your woman, then we need the others’ help.” Iain nodded toward the mansion. “The faster ya stop with your stubbornness, the faster we can be back here.”

  Euann growled in frustration because he knew his brother was right. “Fine. Hurry.”

  He ran with his brother toward the mansion. Iain leapt into the air and cried out. Euann heard his brother’s bones snap as feathers sprouted over his shrinking body. His feet cracked apart into talons. Iain flew ahead faster than Euann could run.

  Euann willed himself to transform, desperately wanting the speed of the fox. It wasn’t to be. His body wouldn’t shift. It had forgotten how.

  When he finally arrived at the house, Iain had already filled everyone in on the situation.

  “We have to go,” Kenneth said.

  “Yes, to the forest,” Angus commanded. He waved his hand and, the furniture disappeared from the front hall.

  “No, I mean Jewel and I.” Kenneth went toward the stairs. “I know the kind of spot you’re talking about—where the trees are alive but contain no energy to borrow. They’re called hollows. There were pockets of them when I was with Geneva in the forest. It’s mountain magick. That’s all I know. I don’t know if they’re left over from using magick, or if they are meant to hide something or are dimensions to another realm. All I know is Jewel can’t be near them. I knew we shouldn’t have stayed here. The magick in this place is too great. Magick calls to magick. It’s hard enough hiding Jewel when we are on our own.” He turned to yell up. “Jewel, honey, come down here.”

  “Running away is not the answer.” Margareta’s voice held a hint of desperation. She could not lose her son, not again. Euann didn’t think she’d be able to take the heartbreak.

  “We think they have Cora,” Iain said. “Euann feels her in the forest, but we can’t get to her. I think she is in the hollow.”

  Euann went to Kenneth and pleaded, “Ya know more about this kind of magick than all of us. Please, ya have to help me.”

  “I’m sorry, I can’t. I have to protect my daughter.” Kenneth wouldn’t meet his gaze.

  “But I love her,” Euann pleaded. “Please. I need your help. I’m begging for it.”

  “I’m sorry,” Kenneth denied.

  “Kenneth Raibeart Aloysius MacGregor,” Margareta scolded. “I have tried to be patient with ya—mostly because your da asked me to—but I have had enough of this tomfoolery. You’re family, and family does not abandon family. Your brother Euann needs your help. Your daughter needs our help. I am your ma and an elder. I command ya to pull your head out of your ass. Now, do ya understand me, lad? And before ya answer, remember you’re not too old for a petrifying spell. I’ll freeze ya in that spot, so help me, until the end of time. Jewel will grow up with a statue for a da.”

  Silence met her anger.

  “I said, do ya understand?” Margareta repeated with more force. The hum of energy snapped around her body in warning, twinkling like little angry red fireflies.

  “Yes, Ma,” Kenneth answered, his voice small like when he was a boy in trouble.

  “Good. Now that leaving nonsense is settled.” Margareta turned toward the stairs. “Raibeart, we need ya!”

  “I’m not sure ya want to see—
” Erik started to say when Raibeart appeared in his pink tutu. “Never mind.”

  “Playtime is over.” Margareta took Raibeart in stride. “Take off your princess wings. Ya need to come with us.”

  Raibeart motioned his hand over his body. A kilt and a t-shirt replaced the pink outfit. “What’s happened?”

  “Cora is in trouble,” Iain said. “We think she’s in a hollow. It’s mountain magick.”

  “Where’s Malina?” Rory asked. “I haven’t seen her in a while.”

  “Oh, um, Jewel wanted to play sleeping beauty. Malina is fast asleep in her room.” Raibeart said. “Want me to have the child wake her?”

  “We need to go.” Euann bounced on his feet with nervous energy, trying to will his family to move faster.

  “No,” Margareta answered Raibeart. “Let her sleep.”

  “Ma.” Erik frowned.

  “Fine, yes, wake her,” Margareta amended. “She can stay here with Jewel.”

  As Raibeart went to find Jewel, Angus held out his palm. Silver amulets appeared. “We do not know what we’re dealing with here, so everyone put these on. It won’t stop the magick completely, but it will help lessen the blow.”

  “How old are these?” Rory asked, blowing at his to rid it of dust.

  “Older than ya, that’s for sure,” Angus answered. “We haven’t had much cause to use them. Most witches we encounter are a good sort. Let’s hope we don’t need them and whoever is out there can be reasoned with.”

  Euann grabbed one and slipped it over his neck. The medallion hung in the center of his chest. He hurried toward the door, trying to get them to follow. “I need to find Cora.”

  “Jewel jumped out the window.” Raibeart hurried down the stairs.

  “Is she hurt?” Angus asked.

  “What happened?” Kenneth demanded. “Where is she going?”

  “She’s unharmed. She heard Cora is in trouble and said she was going to find her friend.” Raibeart nodded at Euann and grabbed his nephew’s arm as he passed. “She’s in the back garden. Hurry.”

  “She’s running right toward them.” Kenneth followed them into the gardens. “Where is she? We have to find her. Do ya see her?”