The Sunken Tower

by J A Campbell

  Just beyond, the white church steeple stood out from the screed of shattered ice, almost like it was shooting her the finger. She turned to see Elise and Melanie walking through the door, laden with boxes and packages.

  “Come on up,” Melanie said. “We have chocolate.”

  Hagatha dutifully followed. The inn definitely didn’t have chocolate for breakfast, and sugar sounded good. Once they were in the room, Melanie handed over a Snickers bar, which Hagatha unwrapped and took down in three bites.

  Well, if she actually marries Marcus, she’ll at least be my family, Hagatha thought. But why does Marcus get her? She’s perfect for me. She plays like Hendrix’s long-lost kid and sings like Adele’s sister. She’d tried everything to get her student’s attention. Now she just wanted her to break up with Marcus. Maybe then Melanie would notice who didn’t just go off and leave her with some distant cousin to learn magic.

  “We have a pressie for you,” Melanie announced, her lovely face breaking into a cheerful smile as she handed over a heavy box.

  “Oooh.” Hagatha felt the power resonating through her fingertips. “Rocks!”

  “Yup,” Melanie said. “Elise picked them. She thought they’d make the best foci.”

  Hagatha tried not to feel let down. Why hadn’t Melanie chosen some for her? She had impeccable taste. Surely she could find something that would be just as good as Elise. Or, she could have at least tried.

  Hagatha forced a smile as she turned over the lid and perused the lovely selections.

  “The owner had some more rocks coming in,” Elise said. “The woman bringing them in had power.”

  I had power before the ocean swept what I’d stored away.

  She held onto the communication amulet Lord Clarion had given her, a lovely black tourmaline that somehow survived the seas. She had no idea why Marcus didn’t like the man. He’d shown nothing but kindness to her. The moments they’d shared after the last JM dinner still burned in her lonely mind. She had considered calling him just to hear the sound of his voice, but she didn’t want to seem as lonely and desperate as she was.

  She caught Melanie and Elise exchanging a concerned glance.

  “What?”

  “Just worried about you,” Elise said. “Would you like to go out with us for a walk later?”

  Hagatha shook her head. “I don’t have a passport, and I don’t want to get caught.”

  “Could one of you fake one up?” Melanie asked.

  Hagatha considered the possibility. “I’d be afraid they would catch me and add fraud to the charges.”

  “Is there anyone you want to call?” Melanie offered. “I picked up a pay-as-you-go phone for us to use.”

  “The only people I would call are here.”

  A knock at the room door startled her. She stepped behind Elise, heart hammering, knowing the woman probably had a shield at the ready.

  “Who is it?” Melanie called calmly.

  “Delivery for McLaren,” a male voice replied.

  They all stopped and stared at each other. Could this be more danger, or was the speaker simply who he claimed to be? She’d used her Grayson credit card to check them in last night, so the folks at Grayson would know she was there. Elise summoned shields just in case whoever it was blew something up in their faces. She nodded, and Melanie carefully moved to the door.

  “I have no idea...” Melanie unlocked the door.

  A hotel porter stood outside bearing a huge bouquet of red roses. Hagatha counted at least two dozen.

  “Nobody knows—” Melanie started to say. Her hand moved to the door, and she looked like she wanted to shut it in the porter’s face.

  “Grazie,” Melanie said and accepted the flowers. She handed over money for the tip and closed the door.

  “Oooh, you have an Italian boyfriend!” Hagatha couldn’t help but cheer. She had the card before Melanie could grab it.

  Inside it read:

  Bella, Please come to the wedding tonight with me. I have missed my little Irish girl. Love, Aldo

  “Are you going to go?” Hagatha rubbed her hands together excitedly. Maybe what Melanie needed was a hot Italian man instead of her cold-blooded cousin.

  Melanie’s eyes widened, her face pallid and expression appalled. “You can bloody have Aldo Machiavelli, his roses, and his red Ferrari, too!” Melanie stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

  Elise followed, but not before Hagatha felt the furious stab of her green eyes.

  Are they both against me?

  “Wait up!” Elise called as Melanie practically threw herself down the stairs. She might be tiny, but she was fast and clearly upset. She shouldn’t be alone in a strange place in this mood. Elise finally caught up with her outside on the street. Good thing neither of them had the time to remove their coats before the flowers came, or they’d both be freezing right now.

  “What can I do?”

  Elise guided her sobbing friend to a street-side café and got them both a table in a quiet back room that was almost as good as their normal room at Greta’s. Melanie sat down with her head in her hands.

  “We dated five years ago,” Melanie said. “He was an F1 driver and exciting. He’s very attentive and romantic—he can romance a woman in a way that would leave you breathless. But that’s when everything’s going well. He messed up the qualifying lap for the Grand Prix, and he got drunk. He hit me and broke my nose. I kicked him in the nuts and ran. Grabbed the first set of car keys I could find. It was his car. His Mafia family caught up with me. I think the Don might have killed me if I wasn’t tiny and bleeding. They took me to the hospital, and I got the hell away from him as soon as the hospital gave me clearance to go. I had to have surgery to fix the break and my deviated septum. My voice sounded strange for months. He is a bloody sociopath who doesn’t care a whit for me, save that I left him. He can’t even remember that I’m bloody Scottish!”

  “What a jerk,” Elise said.

  “He’s a narcissist,” Melanie said. “He thinks he’s the best thing since lasagna, and I agreed until I saw the other side. I’m over him, but he made me seriously reconsider having a relationship for a long time.”

  And she’d not gotten serious with anyone since. Elise recalled being at Grayson Security and overhearing a failed suitor complain that no one could get beyond the friend zone with her. No wonder. She probably thought she couldn’t pick men very well. It’d be better to have friends than bring someone close who could badly harm you. She wondered if she should tell her father. Marcus wasn’t the kind of man who’d hit a woman. On the other hand, he might just find Aldo and make sure he didn’t hurt anyone else ever again.

  Elise considered whether he should be told or not. That depended on how much trouble the Italian gave them the rest of their visit, she supposed. She might just have to take a leaf from Marcus’ book and take care of him herself.

  When a waitress came by, they ordered a pot of tea.

  “You think it’d be wrong to have some real food?” Melanie glanced hopefully at the menu and the clock. Lunch would start soon. “I haven’t eaten yet, but I hate to leave Hagatha…”

  “Hagatha has two dozen croissants and the bag of snacks you bought,” Elise said. “Plus, she ate at the breakfast bar. That should hold her until dinner.”

  At least that brought a half smile and a chuckle.

  The waitress arrived with a pot of hot water and, surprisingly, a tea box full of an interesting assortment of tea bags as well as various sweeteners. They both paused for a moment to get their cups sorted.

  Elise continued, “I don’t know what’s wrong with Hagatha. Maybe the near-drowning experience?”

  Melanie shook her head. “No, she’s been different since she came back from her vacation. It hit me after the forest that she’s been egging me on, trying to make me channel too much anger in my magic. I should not do that again unless we’re in danger.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Elise said, carefully stirring her tea. �
�We need to talk to Marcus about what’s happening with you, anyway.”

  “I wonder why he didn’t volunteer to teach me.” Melanie looked up into Elise’s eyes. “Every time we run into a problem, we need to talk to him. He obviously understands what’s going on better than any of us do.”

  Valonna, Elise wanted to answer. He can’t show any interest in you, or she’ll find out and try to kill you—and that’s the last thing he wants. I suspect he can pretend the engagement is political as long as he’s not around you. That’s likely why he sent you to our care. to keep you safe. But she couldn’t say that. She’d promised her father to protect Melanie. She was starting to wonder if keeping that secret was such a good idea, though. Melanie clearly thought he was cold-hearted. She had no clue about what was obvious to the rest of his closest family—he adored her.

  “We’ll get this case straightened out and call him,” Elise said. “You two need to talk.”

  Melanie nodded in what Elise knew was a perfunctory manner. Her lips pursed, and she deliberately changed the subject. Elise should have been grateful, but that unresolved feeling left a gulf between them she couldn’t bridge.

  “I think perhaps we should rent a car. It’s too cold to walk too far, and we can carry more in a vehicle. Plus, if we need to spend any time at that sunken tower, we should be doing it from a vehicle.”

  Elise nodded. “We can’t safely open a WayGate. A car is a sensible alternative.”

  Melanie nodded. “I’ll make arrangements after lunch.”

  The waitress returned, and they both ordered heaping plates of Italian food.

  “If it’s okay, I’m going to call Grendel while we wait,” Melanie said. “We’ll have enough notice of the waitress coming, so it shouldn’t be a problem, and I think he might have some useful information for us.”

  Elise chuckled and nodded. She’d never spoken to a dragon before. She was intrigued to see how this was going to work.

  “Grendel can use the phone.” Melanie smiled and shrugged. She tapped out a number on the phone and waited. “He’s been a cat for many lives, but he manifested himself as a polydactyl this go-around. Pretty ingenious.”

  Elise chuckled. Hagatha would love this. She adored cats and literally could not resist helping a stray.

  “Grendel,” she said into the phone. “It’s Melanie, pick up, please.”

  Then, “Answer the phone if you’re in the house. I need your help. I’ll pay you pretties.”

  “Thank you,” Melanie said after a moment. Someone apparently had answered. “I’ll put you on speaker.”

  “Hello,” came a combination of a purr and whisper spun together in spider silk.

  Elise caught herself taking a deep draught of her tea.

  “I need information about sea dragons,” Melanie said. “Please?”

  “It will cost you,” came the ghostly reply.

  “I figured that.” Melanie’s mouth twisted into a smile. “What will it be?”

  “I want your tinkly bracelet.”

  Melanie rolled her eyes. “Will you settle for one like it? Da gave that one to me.”

  A sigh. “I suppose so…if you throw in something…”

  “I’ll find something you’ll like,” Melanie said. “I’m in Italy.”

  “You think I can’t go there?”

  Another eye roll. “Certainly. Cats and dragons can do what they please.”

  That trilling sound was definitely a purr.

  “Tell me about sea dragons.” Melanie brought them back to the subject. “What do you know?”

  “They live in the sea.”

  Elise stifled a giggle when Melanie rolled her eyes again and pantomimed slapping her forehead.

  “They travel from place to place with tunnels beneath the waters. These paths are marked by some kind of edifice at the entry and exit points. But sea dragons have not been seen for centuries. Rumor has it that a mighty mage trapped them in their tunnels.”

  “Have you heard of the cruise line crash in the Mediterranean yesterday?”

  “Yessss. Big Thumbs and I watch the news together every day.”

  “I’m with a team of mages investigating,” Melanie said. “Just a moment.”

  She stopped speaking when the waitress arrived with a bowl of fresh salad, a basket of hot bread, and two plates. Once they’d been served, Melanie indicated the dragon should go on.

  “One of the mages with me is a necromancer,” Melanie said. “Meet Elise Macrow.”

  “It is a pleasure,” Grendel said. “I have heard of your House.”

  “Thank you,” Elise murmured. “It is a pleasure to talk with a dragon for the first time.”

  “The ghosts of the dead saw dragons in the water. Even some of the living passengers whispered about them where we could overhear. Do you think the dragons could have gotten loose?” Melanie continued.

  “Anything is possible,” Grendel whispered. “They are dragons, after all. They live long…and their memories of slights are infinite.”

  “Would they have humans to aid them?”

  “Silly question,” Grendel chuckled. “I have Big Thumbs, Red Hair, and the Stinky Twins.”

  Melanie laughed. “Do your humans know you call them that?”

  “Big Thumbs does,” Grendel said. “He does not mind. He is the one who talks with me and cares for my needs. I like him much better than Red Hair and the little ones. They stink and cry.”

  Elise cut in, thinking. “Could these dragons take other forms?”

  “I presume so,” Grendel said. “I could be a dog or a raccoon…something the same size as my body. But why would I want to be anything but a cat?”

  Melanie laughed. “Why, indeed. Grendel took his form when he left Faery for Egypt in ancient times. Grendel, you are a wise dragon, and you have it made with my friends. So these tunnels have exits and entries at some kind of structure. Like a church steeple?”

  “Possibly. Like your Nessie, they need places to hide from prying eyes, and of course caches for their treasures.”

  “So they are not Underhill?”

  “No,” Grendel said. “That is the place where my kind comes from. They are Undersea.”

  “Do you have any idea how to defeat or corral them?”

  “Find the mage who did it the first time…if he still lives…”

  “Do you know his name?”

  Silence at the other end of the line. “I do not. Those who knew it feared to speak it aloud for any price. I presumed it was wise not to press.”

  “All right,” Melanie said. “I’ll have your payment to you as soon as I return.”

  “And you will tell me the story?”

  “Of course.” Melanie laughed. “And I will scratch you in the places where you cannot reach. Plus, I will bring you a bag of your favorite food.”

  A resounding purr from the phone vibrated the tabletop where Elise’s hands were resting. She raised startled eyes to Melanie, who smiled.

  “And you will sing songs of me?”

  Melanie laughed. “If Puff can have a song, I suppose you can too. Goodbye, Grendel.”

  Melanie punched off the phone and shook her head. “So the sea dragons either have human helpers or the ability to shift to human form. That makes them fairly sizeable. And that tunnel ran, possibly, from the Med to here—if you heard the words right.”

  Elise nodded. “I heard it from more than one ghost as well.”

  Their food arrived, and they both dug in. Neither had actually eaten since the day before, and they were hungry. The food was delicious, spicy and warm. Fragrant garlic somehow soothed Elise’s jagged nerves.

  Elise sighed and sat back, smiling.

  “So we’ve got ghosts saying that the humans—and dragons—who robbed the ship came here,” Elise said. “The dragons travel via Ways beneath the seas, which have been closed off from the surface by some ancient mage.”

  “Which must mean something, or someone, opened those Ways for them?” Melanie’s eyes
narrowed. “Or perhaps the original magic spell deteriorated. Is that possible?”

  Elise considered her question. “Generally, a spell that is intended to last for long periods is bound with a combination of magic and some physical artifact that would be difficult to disenchant.”

  Melanie contemplated that information. “They’d have to have help, perhaps?”

  “Or they finally managed to figure out how on their own. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had help, however.”

  Melanie rubbed her forehead. “You know, Tallon talks all the time about unreliable witnesses. Pretty much anything can throw them off, which is why we have defense attorneys, and they have a field day in court. But I heard the word dragons in correlation with the human thieves. You did, too, and so did Hagatha.”

  Elise bit her lip. “In this case, I might consider my cousin somewhat unreliable.”

  “So would I.”

  They finished up. Melanie started up to the register to hurry up the payment process. She stopped in her tracks, seeing a huge man bearing down on their waitress.

  “You need to pay your dues.” The man spoke in Italian.

  “I scarcely made enough to feed my family.”

  “You have to feed La Famiglia first.” He chuckled darkly. “Work harder.”

  She might have stepped forward and told the brute off, but she’d already had a run-in with that branch of the mob today and didn’t want more of them to know she was in town. Melanie waited quietly while the woman paid up and then allowed her a few moments to quietly sob before she came forward with her credit card. Then she dropped every cent of cash she had into the woman’s shaking hand and folded her fingers around it.

  “For your family.”

  Elise got directions to the rental car agency, and they ended up with a cute yellow Fiat.

  “Let’s drive out by the tower,” Melanie suggested. “If we’re not using our magic just to survive, we might be able to sense something from the place.”

  Plus, the further she was away from that town, the better the chances that no more of Aldo’s family would find her.