Witches & Stitches

by Beverly Sanders

  I watched as the swirling clouds above us began to spin faster and faster, creating a funnel. Almost like a movie, the library’s memories began playing out in the dark sky. There it was, the box containing the talisman, the one I’d found in Everly’s fridge. A door opened and a figure appeared in the center of the room. In the beginning, I didn’t recognize him, but then as he stepped into the light, I knew who I was looking at.

  “That’s him,” I said. “That’s the warlock who killed Elle. The one who killed the police officer!”

  Halloway turned to me. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  The women dropped their arms, causing the swirling clouds to come to a sudden and abrupt stop. Abben, Halloway, and Kianna turned to me. Each one was seemingly lost in thought, each one looking right through me. Then, I realized what was happening. They were scanning the realms, searching for the murderous warlock. Was this it? Could it be this simple? Would they be able to track and capture him?

  “So we’re just going to track and capture him,” Halloway said. “Cool?”

  “Great!” I snapped. “Where is he?”

  “Nowhere,” Abben answered. “That’s . . . odd.”

  “Nowhere?” I asked.

  “It’s almost as though he doesn’t exist. Like he’s—”

  “Got him” Kianna interrupted. “He’s in second Buckhead. Looks like we’re headed to the mortal realm!”

  One semi-drunk journey later . . .

  “I think I drank too much of that pink stuff . . .” I said as we appeared outside the door of Inner Bean.

  “Nonsense,” Kianna said. “You’ll get used to it! Now, let’s cut this corner Alias style!” She flung open the door to the small café. “Four lattes!” Her words carried through the air, directed at no one in particular.

  “You kind of have to sit down before you can order,” I said.

  “I wasn’t placing an order.” She winked as four piping hit lattes appeared on the table. It had been so long since I’d used magic for such things, I’d almost forgotten you could. We each took a seat at the small table in the center of the café. I wasn’t sure why we were here, other than maybe one of the coven members felt the warlock’s signature here, though I felt nothing.

  “Is he near here?” I asked.

  “Don’t know!” Halloway replied. “But we’ve drunk a lot of the pink stuff. Probably best that we get a chaser before heading out, right, Kianna?”

  “So says Sarah Jessica!” She snapped her fingers, giving a pretty good hair flip.

  “Sure.” I smiled. “I could use come coffee.”

  “Ah.” Kianna chucked. “You’re such a Charlotte.”

  This was one of the times I knew exactly which mortal pop culture show was being referenced. Though all mortal media is accessible in the magical realm, most of it is overlooked for better, more magical programming. Sex and the City, though, that was another story altogether. This woman brought Manolo Blahnik to the masses, and to me.

  “Really? I asked. “I always thought of myself as more of a Carrie.”

  “Could be.” Kianna took a slow sip of her latte. “I’ve only known you a few minutes. Though I’m sure you’ve figured out I’m the Samantha of the group, right?”

  “Totally,” I answered. “It’s so obvious.”

  “Right!” she snapped, leaning forward and thrusting her palm against the table.

  “Hey,” I said. “You know who you’d love? My best friend, Babbs!”

  “Really?” Kianna asked. “Why?”

  “I don’t know. You just remind me of her. You even kind of look like her.”

  “She sounds truly awesome!” Kianna said. “You’ll have to introduce me.”

  “I will.”

  We drank some coffee and then it was game on . . .

  The Atlanta streets were still wet from the popup thunderstorm we’d had while sipping coffee. It was just as well, though. I hadn’t realized just how strong that pink drink was until I sat down in the café. Well, either that or the mix of it and the always-rough trip out of Enchanted Lake. Either way, I was thankful for the extra few minutes of recuperation time.

  “He’s in there.” Abben pointed to the apartment door.

  I recognized it immediately. It belonged to none other than Everly Pine. This was the second time I’d find him with her. Fool me once, shame on me, but she wasn’t gonna fool me twice. Besides, no way was it just a coincidence that I’d found the talisman there too. No way.

  “That’s Everly Pine’s place,” I said. “That’s where I found—”

  “I know,” Abben said. “I recognize it from your memories. The thought of the hell I’d been through in that library returned to me. In addition to another memory.

  “It was Nicco,” I muttered to myself, my mind replaying the life I’d lived while separated from my memories. “It was Nicco. I loved him.”

  “What are you talking about?” Kianna asked.

  “Nothing,” I replied, a wave of something I couldn’t place running through my body as I pictured his face.

  I followed closely behind the three sisters as we—

  “We’re not sisters.” Halloway turned back to me. “And why are you narrating everything?”

  “I . . . wasn’t aware I was doing it,” I said.

  I followed closely behind the three witches as we headed up the steps toward Everly’s apartment door, the one I knew to be enchanted, the one I’d broken through a short time before. I felt the women power up as we stood at the top of the steps, each one readying herself for a fight. I did my best to follow suit, though I was out of practice.

  “Turn ut pulvis!” Abben placed her palm against the door, turning it to dust in an instant. I guess Everly’s hexes weren’t that strong after all. “Stop!” she yelled, freezing the room.

  There he was, the warlock I’d been chasing for so long. He and Everly were on the couch wrapped in a tight embrace, both frozen still as ice. It was the first time I’d gotten a close look at him since the runway. He was the same guy, all right, the same older, attractive sugar-daddy who was causing me so much stress. Only something wasn’t right.

  “What’s up with him?” I asked Abben.

  “Are you sure this is the guy?” she asked, waving her hand across his face.

  “Yes.”

  “Then we’ve been tricked,” she answered, her voice becoming deeper, angrier than I’d heard it.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Veritas,” she whispered in his ear, causing him to slowly disintegrate before our eyes. “This is no warlock. This is an illusion, a magical construct.”

  “What?” I replied, watching the last of him float through the open door and into the night sky. “Then who . . .”

  “Her!” Kianna clapped her hands together. With a loud gasp for air, Everly woke, panic washing over her face as she saw us standing over her, what was left of the warlock covering her couch.

  “What is going on? Who are—Ginni?” She turned to me with fear in her eyes.

  “Tell us about the warlock,” Halloway said. “About the construct.”

  “What construct?” Everly asked.

  “The one at your feet, the one littering your home.”

  “I . . . I don’t know!” Everly cried. “He was cute. That’s all I know. He didn’t feel like a construct. He, he felt real.”

  And there it was, the one thing she could have possibly said that put me right back to square one. Everly Pine was telling the truth. She was nothing more than a lonely witch who saw a cute guy. She just happened to have the rotten luck of falling for an illusion. And not even in the cute way it happens in movies where the guy turns over a new leaf at the end and ends up being the man of her dreams. Nope, Everly Pine had fallen for a literal illusion. Which also meant I’d been chasing one. Damn.

  17

  “So what now?” Kianna asked.

  It had been a few hours since we’d left Everly’s apartment, and in that tim
e, we’d basically done nothing but waste time taking in the sights of Atlanta. For me, it was old hat, but for the three witches, it was something else entirely. I’d gotten the feeling they’d been to the mortal realm before, but that it had been quite some time ago, as in hundreds of years ago . . .

  Not only was their coven small, but it was also very old, and in the world of witchery and magic, if your coven is old, then so are you. Time works differently depending on the magic you need and the magic you use. These ladies were probably hundreds of years old. They were somehow simultaneously amazed and unimpressed by the wonders of the mortal realm.

  Skyscrapers, cars, and culture, all of it just seemed to give them a sense of wonderment bigger than any I’d ever experienced. It was great and all, but it wasn’t going to help clear my name. I needed to get the focus where it belonged.

  “We need to find whoever made the construct, right?” I asked.

  “We do,” Abben said. “There’s no spell for that though. Constructs and illusions don’t really link back to their creator.”

  “What about the memories?” I asked.

  “Um . . .” Halloway spoke up. “We kind killed the construct, remember?”

  “Damn!” I said. “What if we bring him back? Do you think he can lead us to whoever made him?”

  “We can’t bring him back. You know that,” Abben said. “But . . . we can do something else. We just need a volunteer, someone you trust, someone willing to do something a little crazy.”

  “I know just the girl.” I smiled.

  A simple phone call and she was ready to go . . .

  We met Babbs right in the middle of Second Buckhead next to the large fountain in the village center after making a quick stop by Everly’s house to grab what was left of the warlock illusion.

  “So,” she said as I walked closer to her. “What do you . . .” Her voice trailed off. Just then, Babbs’s hand began to glow bright with energy. It rippled its way up her arm, swirling around and engulfing her from fingertip to shoulder. “What’s this? What’s going on?”

  “I have no idea,” I said. “I’m not doing—”

  “Look!” Babbs said, pointing to Kianna.

  I turned to see Kianna’s arm doing the same thing as my best friend’s. Magic, bright and powerful, swirled around in rapid circles. She had a look of total surprise on her face, one that Babbs mirrored exactly. The two women locked eyes then began a slow walk closer and closer to each other. The energy was an exact match, the same pattern on each arm.

  “What’s going on?” I turned to Abben.

  “This is natural magic,” she replied. “We didn’t call it.”

  Babbs and Kianna were only inches apart now, the magic growing brighter and brighter with each step they took until finally, as they touched fingertips, it exploded out from them in a massive wave. I felt it rush through my body, knocking me and everyone else to the ground.

  “What . . .” I stumbled back to my feet.

  I looked to see Babbs, my best friend, standing next to Kianna, each one now with a tattoo on her arm. Beginning on the back of their hands, a large, almost-tribal symbol snaked its way up, stopping just above the forearm.

  “How do you feel?” I asked Babbs, unsure how to react.

  “I feel . . . great!”

  “Me too,” Kianna replied, locking eyes with my best friend. “What was that?”

  “I have no idea,” Babbs answered.

  “Is it safe to go on?” I looked to Abben.

  She stepped closer, studying the two women. I was sure she could decide about Kianna almost instantly, but my friend, on the other hand . . . this was the first time they’d met her. They didn’t know her the way I did. They didn’t know how powerful, how resilient she could be, and I didn’t want them underestimating her.

  “I believe so,” Abben replied. “We’ll need to go to the Council, to inquire about the marks, about the magic. Though, as long as both of you are okay, we can wait.”

  “Fine,” Both Babbs and Kianna answered in unison.

  “Then let’s begin,” Abben said, taking Babbs’s hand and walking her to the edge of the fountain.

  She cast a few spells I was unfamiliar with, then scooped water from the fountain and mixed it with the ashes from the warlock’s construct. Mixing them together, she said an incantation then wiped them across my best friend’s brow. They glowed bright, sizzling and popping like a firecracker. Then, as suddenly as it started, the sound came to an abrupt halt.

  I was surprised by what I saw, which was nothing. Nothing seemed to be happening. We all just kind of stood there looking around for what seemed like forever.

  “Is something supposed to happ—” I stopped.

  Babbs began to shimmer, her skin alive with motion. It was like she split into a million little pieces, each one spinning around like a top. Then, they all stopped, quickly slamming together. My best friend was gone. At least, that’s the way it looked.

  “You look like . . . a guy.” I stepped closer. In an instant, Babbs had gone from a busty young woman to a tall and handsome older man.

  “The magic won’t last long,” Abben said. “A few hours at the most. But while I’m at it.” She snapped her fingers, instantly transforming all of us into completely different people. I was now a redhead with pale skin and freckles, though I still somehow managed to be pretty hot.

  Abben, Halloway, and Kianna all changed too, though now they just kind of looked like different versions of one another. Again, though, all still pretty hot. I’d never used magic to make myself look different. To be honest, though, it seemed kind of fun.

  “So what do we do?” Babbs turned to her, her voice now deep and masculine.

  “You’re the bait,” she replied. “With the ashes of the older construct and the cloaking spell I’ve used, you should be able to pass yourself off as the original illusion, even to your creator.”

  “All right,” I replied. “If she’s the bait, then we need to fish. How do we draw out whoever made him?”

  Abben placed her hand under her chin, letting the weight of her head rest on the back of her fingers as she considered my question. “What’s the one thing no employer likes?” She smiled.

  “A useless employee?” Babbs asked.

  “One who wastes time on the job,” Abben replied. “We’re going dancing!”

  A quick wardrobe change later, and . . .

  The lights were shining, the bass was pumping, and four witches were giving this place hell. Not sure what we were up against, we decided to head a little further up the interstate, where just north of Atlanta’s Perimeter Center Mall sat one of the most popular new clubs in the city. I know what you’re thinking. Wouldn’t it be wiser to stay in Second Buckhead where they were more accepting of magic? You know, just in case things went sideways?

  Normally, that would be pretty sound judgement, but I was with three super-powerful witches. Not to mention Babbs and me. Besides, as Kianna pointed out, we didn’t need any other magical energy blocking that of Babbs, which is why the three witches and I cast a small spell before entering. Hopefully, it would be enough to let my best friend’s energy shine through while blocking ours.

  “You’re going to have to do better than that.” Abben turned to Babbs. “You’ll need to really have fun, really lose control. It will help draw out who we’re looking for.”

  “You got it!” Babbs said, taking the floor. Sure, she looked like a really hot older guy and she was wearing a three-piece suit instead of a dress. That didn’t seem to matter, though. Once on the floor, Babbs had no problem letting loose. Especially when they played her favorite song, one that suddenly filled the air after a small enchantment from me. But hey, what are friends for, right?

  ♫♫♫ I know you like me,

  I know you do. ♫♫♫

  I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her eyes light up. Sure, to the rest of the world, she was a dude, but that was my best friend in there and I’d recognize her anywhere.
Those facial expressions, those eyes, and that smile . . . it was signature Babbs Mcghee all the way.

  She held out her right hand, placing the left one on her stomach, and then came her signature hip roll, the one I’d seen so many times in our apartment after a few too many glasses of wine. She dropped low, spinning, twirling, and doing everything she could to draw attention to herself.

  I just couldn’t help myself. The girl was having too much fun, and with each new verse, she beckoned for me to join her. So I did. It didn’t take long for me to lose myself in the music, to forget my troubles and eventually, the reason we were there in the first place. But just like so many times before, just as I started to really have fun, reality came knocking.

  “There,” Halloway whispered in my ear an hour later. “That’s the witch who made the construct.”

  She nodded her head, motioning toward a tall, slender woman in the distance. She wore a long black dress trimmed in floral beaded lace. With a high neckline and an open back, it was beautiful and somehow familiar, almost as though I’d seen it before.

  “How do you know that’s her?” I asked.

  “She’s the only other witch here. We’ve been watching her since she walked in. She hasn’t taken her eyes off Babbs. It’s her.”

  “What do we do?” I asked.

  “We need to get her alone. We need for you and Babbs to draw her outside. We’ll be waiting behind the building. Don’t blow it.”

  “All right,” I answered as Halloway and the other two witches disappeared out the back door.

  I gave it a bit of thought. How could we get her out there without making it look suspicious?

  “Hey, Babbs . . . grab my butt.”

  “What?” Her head tilted.

  “Just grab my butt. Like . . . really grab it.”

  “You got it, babe!” she said, her strong man hand slamming against my backside.