I knew my friend well enough to guess she had something she really, really wanted to tell me about. She became like a little kid anticipating opening her presents for Christmas morning. But now was certainly not the time.
“Sorry, Rhia. I can’t now. I’ll call you tomorrow. Bye.” Without giving her time to try to talk me out of it, I clicked end and hung up the call. Pushing the button on the side of the phone, I turned the ringer to off, then buried it back into the pocket of my jeans.
It was getting darker as I escaped the lights around Beck's house, and the canopy of the forest cut off any light from the moon that might have shown my way. I swirled my wand into the air and the end immediately flared into a bright lamp. That was when I caught sight of the cave. I realized I might likely need my wand so I transferred the blazing light to my right hand, cupping the illuminated ball in my palm as I approached the rock opening.
I couldn’t imagine why any creature would enjoy the nasty odors that trolls did. The sound of grunts echoed out of the tunnel and the power behind those sounds gave me momentary pause. How big is this guy? I tightened my stomach and straightened my back as I trudged on.
I didn’t have to go far into the cave to find the MAUC in question. He was about nine feet tall and his waist was pudgy, about four times as wide as my own. His hair was brown and scattered in angry tufts in all directions and down to his knees – actually, his locks could have been any color but the long, tangled strands were so encased in muck and dirt that any other color than brown was lost. He was filthier than anything I’d ever seen.
The troll swam, or rather floated, in what probably used to be a beautiful spring. Now, however, it was black, goopy and slithering with all manners of nastiness. I cringed and then gagged involuntarily. The smell too strong to overcome. My coughing captured his attention. He jumped out of the water and slime-like goo dripped to the stone floor.
“You want what?” he asked, eyeballing me with beady black eyes.
I generally went into a situation such as this without any real plan. I was quick on my feet, and my ideas were better when they were shot from the hip. I spoke almost before I considered what I was doing.
“Me, well, I be here ta clean this here place. It looks ta me like a pigsty.” My impression of an English maid from a black and white movie was poor at best, but as I spoke I gradually effected a change of clothing from jeans and a chemise into an old-style housekeeper’s uniform. The troll didn’t notice the transformation.
“Mine!” he grunted, taking a few steps towards me.
“No, sir... it says right here. Thus place belong ta someone else.” I flashed a sheet a paper in front of him too fast for him to read – that was assuming he could read. “And this here won’t do, no, siree it won’t.”
“Mine!”
“Well, perhaps the master will letcha rent this here place.” As I moved closer to him, I waved my wand and opened a spigot in the wall. Soapy water shot forth from the stone and sprayed all along the nasty wall surfaces. I searched my mind for other means of neutralizing the horrible odor. I decided a little fresh air would do, and so I pointed my wand at the ceiling and forced away a chunk of rock to allow the cool evening breeze to divert into the tight space. Immediately I could breathe just a bit better.
“It say here, tha’ master wants some roses.” When I advanced towards the pool of rotten water, I saw little plants rising up from the surface, so I pointed again and transformed them into a row of fragrant blooming roses. “And ya’ know, you be needin’ a little ‘elp too,” I exclaimed as I misted him with a spray bottle of strong perfume.
“Ah! No, mine! Mine, no, no, no!” The troll reached down to pick up a boulder and tossed it like a pebble a few feet from me. The entire cave rattled with the sound of it as it slammed into the wall and shattered.
I shrugged mostly to cover up the quiver in my body. He was a huge ogre, and just the force of his words reverberated along my spine. I wasn’t sure if my actions were having any effect, but I fully intended to make this cave so uninhabitable for him that he’d vacate.
Along the stone floor I sprinkled baking soda, leaving a fine film of white powder all around. I conjured my wand into a vacuum hose and sucked all of the granules and hopefully some of the stench into an airtight bag.
The troll moved like lightening, coming up behind me and grabbing me by the scruff of my neck. I tried to point my wand over my head, hoping a spark of magic would force him to let me go, but I wasn’t fast enough. He waved me around like a lasso and tossed me hard into the wall. I slid onto the floor, the breath knocked out of me and a fuzzy blur of stars in front of my eyes.
When I put a hand down to help get to my feet, my fingers sank into a puddle of vile sludge. Still trying to catch my breath, I involuntarily gagged. A flurry of swallows kept nausea at bay long enough for me to stand and wave my hand at the floor under me to magick away the grime and replace it with more pretty flowers.
But the troll was having none of that. He issued a growl from deep in his belly, clenched his fists, and I knew he was about to come for me again.
Suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck began to prickle and I felt a cold wind rush not just into the cave, but through my entire body. I shivered and turned. The troll must have sensed something, too, because he was no longer scowling at me but was sniffing the air like an animal searching for prey.
And then she was there, at the entrance to the cave. Shimmering and translucent, but as beautiful as any woman I’d ever seen. Her features were perfectly proportioned; her entire body delicate like glass. The woman had strawberry-blonde hair that dropped in shiny waves across her shoulders and down to her waist. I couldn’t help but notice that her body floated just above the ground.
“Bruno, you were warned not to come here.” The woman spoke, and her voice held the same lovely ring that her daughter’s did, only without the soft child-like innocence. This was Justin and Jilly’s mother, Cheri. I was momentarily struck by the realization that this was also Beck’s wife. This was someone he loved.
The jealous spark searing a hole in my heart was unexpected. Cheri was so stunning suspended there in her ethereal form and I found myself comparing us from top to bottom. When she cast her gaze upon me, I was instantly drenched in her overwhelming benevolence and kindness and felt regret for those feelings of envy.
Snapping back to the reality of the situation, I turned to the troll and frowned. “See here, this be the master’s wife and she be wanting the place ta’ herself,” I said, cringing when I realized how silly I must sound. Cheri cut her eyes to me and smiled. I thought I was probably blushing.
“It’s time for you to go now, Bruno. This isn’t your home. And you’ll no longer be able to encroach here. Our power will be too strong for you to hold on to this place.”
“Mine!” he insisted, but I could see the hesitation on his grimy face.
He moved forward, coming to stand just in front of me. His hot breath rushed down against my face and the gross stench was strong enough I could actually taste the foulness on my tongue. I swallowed again to keep from vomiting.
“There’s a much better place for you, boyo. This place isn’t your cup o’tea now. Too clean, eh?” I managed to speak in a choked voice.
He eyed me carefully, but I pressed on and took my wand in hand and conjured a rolled-up piece of paper that I held out to him. When he used his clumsy, huge hands to open it, his eyes widened and I could see that I had him. On the map was a very simple, very clear map to a landfill not far from here. “X” marked the spot along with a picture of a very icky looking slop of land, but one that would be especially appealing to a troll. He smiled, and I gagged again when I saw his rotten, black teeth.
A flash pushed past me followed by a sickening wave of nasty stench.
Bruno was gone, hopefully for good. I sighed deeply, then regretted it immediately. The air was still thick with stink, and all I wanted was to leave the close quarters.
Cutting m
y eyes at Cheri, we took a moment to just stare at each other before I finally said, “I’d like to get out of here, if that’s all right.”
Cheri laughed, it sounded like clinking bells, “Of course! Let us step into the clear, clean night.”
She used the word “step” but the beautiful ghost simply glided on air through the opening of the cave. Once outside, I wasn’t sure what to do or say. I hadn’t actually ever met a ghost before. I wasn’t afraid, but it was a sort of intimidating moment, especially considering she was also Beck’s wife.
“I would like to see my family. Could you send them to me? I think it would be easier for them to come to me, rather than for me to go to them. Don’t you think?”
I nodded, then turned to head towards the house. Her voice caught me.
“Thank you, Lynlee. You’ve saved my daughter, and for that I will be forever grateful.”
I paused a moment, but didn’t turn back to look at her. “She’s a lovely girl. And Justin is a very special big brother. You’re very welcome.”
I found Beck, Justin and Jilly inside the house. Jilly had a broom in hand and was unsuccessfully trying to sweep mounds of dust into a pile in the kitchen. For his part, Justin was wiping down the kitchen cabinets, taking a moment every so often to rinse out his rag in the sink. Beck was standing sentry at the back door, looking off towards the woods behind the house.
“Well, your troll’s gone, but don’t expect me to stick around to help clean this place up,” I muttered dryly.
He turned swiftly, those cognac-brown eyes meeting mind in an attempt to look stern. But that failed, because I could see the relief on his face and wondered if it was because the troll was gone or because I was safe. I could only hope there might be a tad of the latter.
“You’re okay,” he said, then ruffled Justin’s hair when his son moved to stand beside him.
“Someone wants to see you guys. She’s waiting out by the cave.”
Beck looked confused, tilting his head to the side in askance.
“Mommy,” Jilly said, and her radiant smile made me feel warm inside. I conjured a small flashlight and tossed it to Justin.
“Yes,” I nodded. “Mommy. Go on. I’m not sure how long she can hold herself here, but she wants to talk to you.”
Their father was still confused, but when each child took one of his hands, he followed them out into the night. I was tempted to go with them, to listen in. I shook my head, irritated that I would even consider such a thing.
While they were gone, I headed out to my SUV and retrieved a big cotton bag. Once back in the house, I carefully removed my amulet base from inside the folds and placed it on the kitchen counter. As I leaned in close to examine the huge multi-hued crystal, the stone around my own neck began to warm in response. I liked to compare what I was doing to the way in which a master diamond cutter decides on the cut of a particularly valuable gem. I would know the right spot.
Just as I located the edge I wanted, I heard the sound of small footsteps on the porch. Justin and Jilly came into the house, and I spared them a quick glance, then returned to my task. For their part, the two children stood quietly and watched me with keen eyes. I removed my amulet from around my neck and used it to trace a shape into the crystal. Everywhere my little stone touched it, the crystal glowed bright blue.
Eyes bright, little Jilly stepped close, as if she knew this moment was about her. I nodded, then took my wand and tapped the amulet base. Instantly the newly carved piece of crystal popped free and landed with a thud on the countertop. I conjured a short gold chain and attached the new little amulet to it, then I reverently placed it around Jilly’s neck.
Beck entered the house at just that moment and stopped short when he realized something important was happening. His face was pale, and he looked overwhelmed. I dropped my guard long enough to give him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. The tension in his shoulders eased.
“Jilly, you’re one of my charges now. If you need anything, then you call on me with this. I’ll hear you.”
“He won’t come back, right?” Justin asked the question, and I turned to him with a very serious expression.
“He won’t come back. Right, Jilly?”
The red-head nodded to me, then turned to her brother and nodded again to press home how certain she was.
“Well.” I stood, repacked my bag and then rubbed my sweaty palms against my hips. “I have a long drive home. If you ever need me again, I’ll orb through the grotto next time. It’s much quicker. I really hate driving long distances. Always have...” I was starting to ramble. I never rambled, and I felt a little mortified by it. Taking my bag from the counter, I hurried for the front door.
“Lynlee...”
I ignored him and kept walking. I had to get out of here before I lost my senses. I heard his steps following me, and I closed my eyes and hoped he would just go back into the house. Please just let him leave me alone.
“Lynlee, I just want to thank you,” he insisted.
Tossing my bag into the passenger seat, I hopped into the driver’s side and closed the door. He stood beside the vehicle. I started the engine and released a heavy sigh before I rolled the window down.
“I didn’t really do much, Beck. And I have a feeling that Jilly’s strong enough now to protect her home. You all should be safe here. And if Jilly needs help learning her powers, I have another client who’s also a nymph, and she’ll be able to help. Jilly will be fine; most of it’s instinct anyway.” Am I rambling again? I quickly closed my mouth and turned away.
“Thank you, Lynlee.”
I nodded to him and put my car in reverse. I tried not to look at him in my rearview mirror as I drove away.
Chapter 10
LYNLEE’S HEART SPLITS open
I remained stoic for about two-thirds of the drive home from Beck’s place, then the dam burst. I cried so uncontrollably at first that I had to pull off to the side of the road for several minutes. The tears kept coming even when I got back onto the freeway. Desperate for help, I hit the button to call Rhiannon but got only her voicemail. I couldn’t speak to leave a message, so I just hung up.
I had all but dried up by the time I pulled into my garage.
Upon entering the house, I headed straight for the lower bedroom. Beck and the kids had neatly folded the linens and stacked the pillows on the bed. In the far corner, the little cubby through which Jilly had stuck her hand was still open a crack. I kicked it closed with my foot and cursed. My earlier depression had now turned into anger.
I wasn’t sure who I was madder with: Beck for dredging up my feelings for him again or myself for falling so fast after getting over him the first time. By the time I finished off an almost full tub of chocolate chip ice cream, I decided that I’d never really been over Beck in the first place. I also decided that now was the perfect time to let him go for good.
When my BFF Rhiannon called me back, I ignored her. I had a mission now. Immediately I headed into the spare bedroom again and started cleaning. Yes, it was true that Beck, Justin and Jilly had left the room almost exactly as they’d found it, but that wasn’t good enough for me. I vacuumed, scrubbed, rearranged furniture, changed bedding, and even took an extra step of switching the artwork and knickknacks around on the walls... anything I could do to change that room away from the memory of them there. And I refused to use my magic for any of it. Sweat dripped off my skin by the time I finished.
The kitchen was next, though I couldn’t very well rearrange anything there. I threw away the rest of the pizza and straightened up, but there wasn’t much more I could think to do to erase the memory of those kids and especially of Beck touching me. My cheeks heated instantly when I recalled the feel of his body against mine.
“What I need is a client,” I murmured to myself thoughtfully. “Why the hell are my charges completely silent when I want to hear from them and yet drive me crazy when I need to be left alone?”
I wiped my brow and then smoothed my damp
hair back behind my ear. A shower was what I needed, especially since I could still detect the troll’s nasty odor on my clothes. I huffed up the steps to the second floor and decided a hot bath would be better. The tub was halfway full when I chose to dump scented liquid into the tub for a bubble bath.
My body sunk slowly into the frothy warm water until only my head peeked through. I took a huge breath and released a decadent sigh, causing the bubbles to flurry out in front of me. It occurred to me that Jilly probably loved bubble baths.
I started crying again. These tears weren’t just for Beck, but for all three of them. He had the family I’d always wanted. His kids touched a place within me that I’d never admit existed before. Beck was the only man I ever saw myself having a family with. I had buried my hopes of that dream when we’d broken up. Seeing him again had toyed with my heart and left a bigger hole than before.
My monitor buzzed behind me, but I ignored it. The time for wanting a challenging “Neutralizer” call had passed. I wanted to wallow in my own misery. The alarm stopped and I continued hiccupping with tears. When my amulet began to buzz I started wailing. This was exactly why I worked so hard to keep my emotions in check. When I let them out, I became unstable. Why couldn’t I be left alone?
I shook my hand to release the bubbles from it, then sat up in the tub to clutch the stone resting against my chest. My entire body tensed when I realized the call came from Jillian.
“Jilly, you okay?”
“There’s a troll!” she exclaimed. Her tone gave me pause. She didn’t sound distressed, though there was a definite rise in the pitch of her voice.
“He came back? The troll’s there?”
“Another one. Not too big...” I thought for a moment I heard laughter in the background.
I jumped out of the tub and started drying off. “I’ll be there in a jiffy, Jilly.” I rolled my eyes when I realized how silly that sounded. “Just hang tight, and I’ll be right there.”
Trolling for Trouble (The Lynlee Lincoln Series Book 1) Page 6
