by Susan Harper
“But then why leave the gold?” Abigail pointed out.
“I’m not sure,” Brian said. “But I don’t think he was done with his gambling days so quickly. If he was as big of an addict as Akt seemed to suggest, it’s unlikely that he would just quit cold turkey. I guarantee you he found himself some new gambling buddies he felt he could keep from Zora.”
“Then I guess that’s who we need to talk to,” Monica said. “We just have to figure out who that is.”
Monica whistled for her broom, and it came soaring out of the nearby trees. She changed it into a motorcycle, and they all climbed aboard before heading back to Wysteria. Looking down toward the main street, Monica could see the Wysteria Werewolves gathered outside of Mona’s side of Backroom Books. “I thought they were supposed to all be out celebrating?” Abigail said.
“That’s what they said,” Monica said curiously as they came to a quick landing not far from them. She changed her motorcycle back into a broom, and they approached the group.
Every last one of them looked upset. Trixie in particular was cussing and swearing under her breath, pacing while Clowdia tried to calm her down.
“Guys?” Brian called.
Urrgah spotted him first. “Friend Brian!” he said, waving them over. “Brian help. Big problem!”
Monica, Brian, and Abigail approached. “Is something wrong?” Monica asked as Mona stepped out from behind Urrgah.
“Yeah, I’ll say,” she said bitterly. “The Romp-A-Roo game officials filed an appeal, saying it was their legal right to determine whether or not players were unsuitable for play. They’re fighting the Sorcerer’s Council decision to allow Urrgah and Brian on our team. They don’t want them playing in the professional leagues.”
“You’ve have to be kidding me,” Brian said. “What happens now?”
“Now we have to do a follow-up hearing,” Deimus said, crossing his arms and scowling. “The council will stick with their decision, I’m sure. The officials are just trying to hold us up in legal battle so we have less practice time, I think. They want to make sure we lose out in the first round when semi-finals start.”
Brian shook his head. “Well, then they’re idiots if they think that’s going to hold us up. Right, guys?”
Urrgah smiled wildly. “Yeah!”
Bolt nodded as well. “I’m with the mortal. This is just getting me pumped to show those jerks just how awesome a team like this can be.”
Clowdia clasped her hands together. “I say we squeeze in our first practice tonight. What do you all say?”
“Definitely,” Brian said.
Monica smiled. “Mona and I can act as practice safety witches, then.”
“Perfect. Then we can practice for real,” Deimus said. “You know a magic suspension spell, Mona, that we could use to get a legit practice in?”
“But of course,” Mona said, and soon they were all headed off to the Romp-A-Roo field.
9
“Okay, easy,” Monica said to Holly as they flew over Wysteria. It was the following evening, and after a long day at the shop, the two ladies had headed over to the other side to give Holly a chance to practice flying on her broom. Her makeshift training broom was quick, but it took forever to ascend and descend. “You are supposed to lean into your turns, but not that much. You’re going to wind up throwing yourself clear off your broomstick if you keep flying like that.”
“Sorry,” Holly said a bit anxiously. “You know, here’s my question… We know my mom was a witch now, right? Former member of Remembrance who turned from her ways. Blah, blah. So, why am I having to use a training broom? If I’m part-witch, your broom shouldn’t have bucked me off the way it did, right?”
“You know, I’ve been asking myself the same thing,” Abigail said from behind Monica. “But I think I know the answer.”
“Okay, and what would that be?” Holly asked.
“Well, you’re not part-witch,” Abigail said matter-of-factly. “You are one hundred percent Ibeji.”
“But by definition, an Ibeji is part-wizard and part-immortal,” Holly said. “That would make me part-witch.”
“Well, no one has seen an Ibeji in generations. They’re supposed to be extinct, right? How are we supposed to know whether or not Ibeji had been able to fly brooms, right? Even during the Salem days when I was growing up, Ibeji were already pretty rare. I never saw one until I met you and your younger sister.”
“Yeah, well, I guess that’s true, then, isn’t it?” Holly replied. “I may have a witch for a mom, but that doesn’t necessarily make me a witch.”
“Just like having a dad who is part-immortal doesn’t make you immortal,” Monica pointed out. “You are an Ibeji, and apparently, my broom didn’t like a non-wizard riding it.”
“At least the training brooms are less picky,” Holly said.
“Brian wants to get one,” Monica laughed. “I wonder if a training broom would notice if a mortal was on its back? It doesn’t seem to care who’s riding it, but we’ve only tried training brooms out with mystics.”
“Good question,” Abigail said. “Next time we see him, we should let him give it a go by himself and see if it bucks him off.”
“You’re so cruel,” Monica said, shaking her broom slightly and nearly knocking Abigail off the back.
“Oh, take a look,” Holly said, pointing down to where they could see Madam Warz leaving a potions shop, a little shopping bag on her arm.
“Madam Warz?” Monica said.
“You know, I’m getting tired of this whole maybe we shouldn’t say anything bit about me being Ibeji,” Holly said. “I want to know why they we lying to me. Madame Imelda was no help. Maybe Madame Warz will be.”
“Holly, I don’t think—” But before Monica could say much more, Holly was in the middle of her descent. The training broom descended slowly as was typical of a training broom, but once she was low enough, Holly simply hopped off and hurried down the sidewalk toward Madam Warz.
Monica and Abigail hopped off her broom and hurried after Holly, but she had already reached Madam Warz. The woman sighed as they approached. “Holly, always a pleasure,” she said in a rather unconvincing sort of way. “What can I do for you?”
“I want to know why the council lied to me,” Holly said flatly, and Monica felt the urge to slap her own forehead. They had already decided it was a bad idea to talk to the Sorcerer’s Council about this, but Holly apparently couldn’t resist confronting them.
“I beg your pardon!” the elderly woman exclaimed.
“The ancestry test,” Holly said. “I want to know why you all lied. I know what I am now, and I know you do too, so don’t try lying to me again.”
Madam Warz’s eyes narrowed. She looked from Holly to Monica, then back to Holly again. “Fine,” she said, much to Monica’s surprise. “So, you know the truth, then? What you are? What did you do, perform your own ancestry test?”
“Maybe,” Holly said, lying.
“Then tell me what you are.”
Holly paused for a moment, and Monica was silently pleading that Holly wouldn’t say it, but she did. “I’m half of an Ibeji,” Holly said flatly.
Madam Warz exhaled, and Monica wondered for a moment if it perhaps sounded like relief. “Yes,” Madam Warz said, studying her for a moment. “You… Did you meet your family perhaps?”
Holly gritted her teeth. “Why? You going to have them killed?”
“We are not the Sorcerer’s Council of the past, Holly,” Madam Warz said. “And, clearly, you’ve met your father.”
“You know about him!” Holly exclaimed.
“And, as you probably can tell for yourself, he’s perfectly fine and hasn’t been hunted down by the council for being part-immortal. While we don’t exactly want the world finding out about him as it could cause a bit of panic, we understand that we are in a different world than we were five hundred years ago,” Madam Warz said, still plain and unmoving as ever.
“If you knew… If you knew
I was Ibeji and didn’t care about my father being part-immortal, why not just tell me the truth?” Holly asked.
“We didn’t want you to go looking,” Madam Warz said. “He didn’t know he was immortal, though I am guessing he knows now!”
“Yes,” Monica said.
Madam Warz huffed. “Well, we are sorry for the deception, Holly. We don’t care that you are part-immortal, believe me, that’s not what we were worried about.”
“Well, then, what were you worried about?” Abigail asked.
Madam Warz hesitated for a moment before puffing out her chest. “Enough of this. You know now. It’s out in the open. That being said, do be careful about who you share this information with. I really don’t want to start a panic. Now, I suppose, you all have heard about the upcoming hearing for Mr. Brian?”
“Yeah, whether or not he can play Romp-A-Roo?” Monica said.
“Whether or not the game officials have the legal right to deny players based solely on ancestry, yes,” Madam Warz said. “It’s going to be a rather historic trial, if you ask me. Brian is going to be required to be there, of course. We sent the court subpoena just today. I’m sure he and his other team members are receiving ones as well. Will you be attending?”
“We will definitely be there,” Monica said. “When you all rule that those prejudiced game officials have to suck it up.”
Madam Warz smirked ever-so-slightly. “Yes… indeed…” she said. “Have a good evening, ladies,” she said and continued on her way.
Monica, Holly, and Abigail watched her leave. “She saw something else in your ancestry test,” Abigail said. “Other than you being Ibeji.”
“All the more reason to finish our version of it,” Monica said. “It’s been brewing low for three days now, and it’s time I add a few more ingredients. It really is a difficult potion even for me.”
“It sounds more tedious than anything,” Abigail said.
“It is,” Monica agreed.
They flew back to Backroom Books. The shop was closed for the night, but Mona was inside along with Deimus and Brian. Brian was surrounded by stacks of books at the small study table in the middle of the shop. “He hasn’t moved in two hours,” Deimus told them with a yawn as they walked in.
Brian promptly shut his book and sat upright, smiling. “How was your evening flight?” he asked politely.
“It was nice,” Monica said, sitting next to him. “What on earth are you reading up on?” she asked, picking up a handful of books.
“Everything,” Mona moaned before plopping down across from them. “He’s got books on witches, our history, goblins, ghosts, vampires, the Salem era, the Split…everything.”
“Just trying to understand this new world I’ve been introduced to is all,” Brian said. “Particularly the law, as I have my first written test tomorrow. If I’m going to continue being portal keeper, the Sorcerer’s Council wants me to go through the same training that any other Wysterian authority would have to do.”
“Makes sense. If you’re going to be an authority, you’re going to need to understand our laws,” Deimus said.
“Exactly,” Brian agreed. “And this might even help me a bit with our upcoming hearing.”
“Good,” Deimus said. “Because I heard they’re going to ask you to speak. As the first mortal to ever be invited to play professionally on any sports team, the mystical world is going to be looking at you in judgement.”
“Nice pep talk there, Deimus,” Lenore, Mona’s familiar raven, said as she swooped down and landed at the center of the table.
“Sorry,” Deimus said. “I guess I’m a little nervous. I mean, I expected a little bit of backlash putting a mortal on the team, but after the first hearing, I thought they would drop it. But they’re fighting back hard. Suing for the right to…well…discriminate.”
“That’s a good line. You should use that when you speak to the court,” Abigail said.
“Thanks,” Deimus said. “Hearing is tomorrow. I’m not sure if I’m going to get a chance to speak or not, but I have plenty of things to say if I do. I’m getting tired of the way the game officials treat our team. They’ve been after the Wysteria Werewolves ever since Clowdia.”
“They didn’t like a selkie being on the team either, huh?” Brian asked.
“They’ve been fighting back to prevent non-wizards for years,” Deimus said. “The first vampire played in a Romp-A-Roo professional league thirty-five years ago, and it’s been changing ever since.”
“Isn’t one of the RAR officials a vampire?” Brian asked.
“Yeah,” Deimus said.
“I wonder why he wouldn’t get it, then,” Brian said. “His people were once forbidden from playing, and now he’s fighting to keep me and Urrgah off the league?”
“I guess some people just forget where they came from,” Mona said. “You guys don’t need to worry, though. The Sorcerer’s Council already made their position clear the first time around. The officials don’t stand a chance in court. And with Brian being portal keeper, he’s practically a poster child for anti-prejudices in sports.”
“Thanks?” Brian said skeptically, and Monica laughed a little at his expense.
“We’ll just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings, I suppose,” Monica said, leaning back in her chair. “But I think I’m ready to get back home to my cottage. I need sleep.”
“It has been a crazy couple of days,” Brian said. “As soon as this hearing is behind us, I can focus on Romp-A-Roo training and the actual case at hand and find out what happened to Chip.”
“Agreed,” Monica said, rising from her seat and stretching with a loud yawn. “Come on, all aboard for those heading back to Bankstown.”
10
Monica sat nervously in the back of the enormous council chambers. The room always intimidated her, but she was fairly certain that was the point. There were rows and rows of seats in the round room. Those on trial would have to stand at the center, craning their necks to look up at the councilmembers, who sat on the large podiums all around the room. By the doors were guest seats. This was a different setup than usual, but the Wysteria Werewolves versus RAR Officials case was one that merited accommodating numerous onlookers.
Monica sat with Holly to her right and Mona to her left. Pretty much everyone who was on the Wysteria Werewolves team had been called to speak, and frankly, they all spoke rather passionately, even Urrgaah, who was not the most skilled speaker to say the least. When Clowdia had been speaking, Zora had jumped up and accused her of bewitching all the male councilmembers with her selkie infatuation curse, but Councilman Nud had quickly shut her down and explained that the room was charmed and no one need worry about spells or curses of any sort. Zora had made herself look rather foolish.
Bowman had surprised them all, stating that he felt Brian and Urrgah should both be permitted to play—however, as he had pointed out, he felt that it should be up to the officials whether they could or not. Zora and Monte both stated on the stand that the officials should be permitted to turn down players under any circumstance, and they both stated that if granted the power, they would not allow Brian nor Urrgah to play professionally.
It was rather clear to everyone in the room what decision the council was coming to. Zora and the others had not managed to change the council’s mind in the slightest. Madam Imelda spoke loudly. “Now, I believe, it has come to a vote on the filed appeal regarding the decision as to whether or not sporting officials may remove players from individual teams on the basis of ancestry, be it mystic or mortal. For those in favor of granting the game officials this power, please say aye.”
One warlock said aye, but he seemed to regret saying it when he realized he was the only one. The man straightened his collar. Madam Imelda continued, “For those who feel that it should be made illegal to neglect play of any sport solely on the basis of mystic or mortal ancestry, please say aye.”
The room erupted in ayes. Monica tried not to squeal in excitement, and s
he met Brian’s gaze. He was seated a few rows in front of her with his team, and he was looking back at her with the biggest grin on his face. “The council has made its decision,” Madam Imelda stated. “And, as a final note, I must say how disappointed I am with the current RAR officials and their standing on this matter. I recommend, if you three want to keep your positions, as I believe there is a new vote coming up in a year or so, that you get with the times, as they say. Court dismissed.”
The lobby of the council building was soon flooded with reporters and those who had sat in on the hearing. It was a madhouse trying to get to Brian, but Monica threw her arms around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “This is amazing,” Monica said. “It’s official now. You’re really going to be able to play!”
Urrgah was clapping wildly as he spoke with a reporter, hardly able to contain his excitement as the woman desperately tried to get an intelligent-sounding quote out of him for her article. “Urrgah is certainly happy,” Brian said.
“Can you imagine if you guys actually make it to the finals?” Monica asked. “Everyone is going to lose their minds. This is the most diverse team in the league.”
“We certainly are breaking the mold,” Brian said.
Suddenly, Bowman came strutting up to them and clasped Brian on the shoulder. “Hey there. Just wanted to give you a congratulations.”
“Really?” Brian asked. “Weren’t you one of the ones trying to prevent me from playing?”
“Now, now,” Bowman said quickly. “I was merely trying to keep government and politics out of the sporting arena. I don’t think it’s the Sorcerer’s Council’s business, really. I was going to vote you and your little troll friend to remain on the team.”
“You and I both know you would have been outvoted,” Brian said. “Zora and Monte made their positions perfectly clear.”
