I nodded. “He says he was driving.”
She nodded, avoiding my gaze. “Okay. I don’t know him and wasn’t there so I can’t dispute that.”
“Neither can I.”
She looked at me for a long moment, as though she was debating whether to tell me something. Finally, she made up her mind.
“Don’t do anything rash, Haley,” she advised looking like a wise old owl. “Look before you leap and all that. But more than that, leave yourself room for new maneuvers and tricks.”
I blinked at her, bewildered.
“Huh?” I said, dumb as a rock. I get that way sometimes.
She moved closer and lowered her voice.
“Okay, don’’t get your hopes up or anything. But Shrimp knows someone who might know someone who has info about what happened to you and Piper.”
I closed my eyes and rocked backwards. “As specific as that, huh?” I murmured, trying to keep the deep disappointment out of my voice. How many times had I heard different variations on this theme, anyway? Too many to count.
“No, really Haley. This could be something. I’ve talked to some other people who know this person and…”
“Yeah, right.”
“They say he has pictures.”
“Pictures? Of what?”
“Of you. Of Piper. And the others in the car when it crashed.”
My heart leapt into my throat. I couldn’t help it, I was getting excited. I knew I shouldn’t. But I was anyway. “Oh. That would be great. So great….”
“Don’t get your hopes up. It might not happen. It might be a myth. I…I’ve been disappointed before.”
“Right.” I nodded vigorously. “I won’t set my heart on it. But if it should come to be that he gets hold of pictures….”
“You’ll be among the first to know,” she promised. “Meanwhile, you have to decide how to deal with this Marcus person.”
“Yes.”
“What does he want you to do?”
I hesitated for a moment or two. Did I really want to tell her? Might she start working to thwart the entire plan? She and Shrimp together…. wouldn’t get far but might manage to make things harder. Still, I didn’t think she would do that. I mean, why would she? It certainly wouldn’t help her find her sister any quicker.
But something was happening. As I watched, her eyes glazed over and she began to sway. Her lips moved as though in a trance, and a strange, exotic sounding bit of verse in a foreign tongue began to pour out of her, as though she couldn’t help but recite it, whatever it was.
I watched and I listened, a little disturbed, but fascinated all the same. She finished, closed her eyes and sort of shook herself, then opened them again and smiled sheepishly.
“Sorry,” she said. “That’s an old Celtic spell my grandmother used to use on us when we needed reminding of our heritage. I just automatically go into it at stressful times. It helps.”
“Wow,” I said, a little jealous. I wished I had something from my heritage. What was my heritage, anyway? If only I knew, that might help me feel less like a bit of flotsam in the supernatural sense.
“It was beautiful.”
“Thank you.” She straightened her shoulders. “Okay, I’ve got my mind clear. At least I think I do. So let’s do a quick inventory of this situation. The fact is, the Festival will be filled with magic from the fire. That is true. But the main thrust of the magic will belong to your grandmother. There will be no way to manifest it without her calling it forth. Does Marcus want her involved?”
I shrugged, not sure what to say to that.
“If he does, he ought to go to her directly. If he’s just trying to use her through you….” She turned up her palms.
I nodded. “Right. Problematic.”
“Maybe. We don’t know for sure. But it isn’t fair to her to do this behind her back.”
I quickly filled her in on what he’d told me on how he expected things to go.
“That sounds…I don’t know. Logical. Doable. Not particularly evil or dangerous.”
“So you aren’t advising I refuse on the face of things.”
She shook her head. “No. I’d want to know more, but no. It doesn’t scream out peril to me. Does it to you?”
I shook my head slowly. “I’m thinking of going over and getting Bentley’s opinion,” I said, watching for her reaction.
She brightened. “Good. Yes, get his take on it all. I would certainly feel better knowing he didn’t see chinks in the armor here. I don’t, but then, what do I know?”
“You know a lot more than I do. If I was raised as a supernatural, I’ve lost all that knowledge now. I could use a little guidance from an old hand at these things.”
She giggled at being called an “old hand” but she was willing enough.
“Haley, I first saw you at your grandmother’s, practicing magic with metallic ropes and a tall, enchanted boulder. You had an impossible task, but you worked at it until you got it. You remember?”
“Of course I remember. I had to prove something to my grandmother and I did.” I sighed. “I really thought I wasn’t strong enough, but I did it. Not that she ever commented on it.”
“I think you proved that you are capable of getting your old powers back, whether Gran Ana admits it or not. It will take time. But I bring that day up for another reason. I’m sure you understand the power of the five stones. You know that they guard and protect this haven. And you realize why one is broken.”
For some reason, I was trembling. I wasn’t sure why, because I did understand about the stones. She wasn’t the first to mention their significance to me. Still, here I was shaking at the thought of how powerful they were and how important they were to me and my very existence. But for some reason, I was tongue-tied. I couldn’t talk about it.
And another thing happened to give me pause. The bracelet Marcus had given me and said was mine was vibrating, as though something being said was important to it, or touched something in its very being. Why would that be? I didn’t know, but it was creepy.
I started to slide it off, but funny thing. It was stuck. I couldn’t remove it.
Mandy was still talking.
“You know that your grandmother had to break that stone to harness the dark power she used to bring you back from…”
“Don’t say it!” I cried. “I know what you’re talking about. Just don’t say it.”
Mandy nodded. She understood. That was what I liked about that girl.
She glanced at her watch. “Hey, I promised to take Gavin to the park. The carnival is already in full swing.” Rising, she gave me a quick one-armed hug. “Just relax, Haley. You’re going to do fine. Just make sure you don’t hand over control to anyone else. Go see Bentley. He’ll help you.”
And she was gone.
Chapter 13
Fifteen minutes later I was on my way to Bentley’s. As usual, I had my little dog Toto on a leash. He was jumping up and down with excitement, like a little fluffy brown dynamo. He loved to visit Bentley and Bentley loved to play with him. In fact, they were pretty much the first two beings I’d connected with when I came to Moonhaven. After the accident with the car in the lake, at any rate.
Oh yeah, there was Shane. I wasn’t about to forget him.
But as we started our journey, I realized Mandy was right. The carnival had taken over much of the park that filled the center of town and it was jumping.
We cut across the street and walked through some of the booths and stages that had been set up for the weekend festivities. Along with the usual Knock-Over-the-Milk-Bottle games and Test Your Strength contests, cotton candy machines and snow cone vendors, there were the type you probably don’t see at your average county fair: the Love Potion booth, Small Spells for a More Peaceful Planet, Ghost Stones, Powdered Healing Mints, Small Helpful Insects and so much more. I saw that the lady who knitted gremlin hats was there with her latest creations and she had quite a line in front of her booth. It looked like business wa
s brisk.
I walked past the hot dog stand toward where the children’s rides were catering to cart loads of screaming short people and on beyond where I could see that the Temple of the Spirit was still being erected, and the basin for the bonfire being prepared right out in front of it. That was going to be Gran Ana’s stage. I stood there and stared at it for a few moments while Toto tugged on the leash, wanting to get back to where the children were.
It was going to be quite impressive. The building itself formed a tall, slender arch with steps coming down toward the bonfire pit. A sign was lying on the grass, ready to be placed over the top of the arch.
Moonhaven~Sanctuary for Spirit Wanderers
For some reason, that gave me shivers.
But so did the voice I heard.
“Haley! You’re finally here!” Rennie came flying out of the building, down the steps and into my arms.
I didn’t mean for that lunge to end in a hug, but I guess Rennie did.
She was dressed all in green today. Bright green. Even brighter fuchsia tennis shoes of course. But otherwise, pretty well put together.
“Where have you been? Are you going to help me bring over the ashes? Haley, I can’t do this without you!”
“Yes, you can.” I pushed her back upright and Toto barked at her, just for good measure. “You’ve done it before, haven’t you?”
“Kind of. But Oliver helped me.”
“He’ll help you again. And I’ll be here. There are just a few things I have to take care of first.”
She grabbed my shoulders with both hands. “Please, please get back here before Gran Ana arrives. If she starts glaring at me I’ll fall apart and I won’t be able to get anything done right and then she’ll yell and then….”
“That won’t happen. I’ll be here. She can yell at me.”
I talk big but I’m just as shaken by my grandmother as anyone else. But at that moment, I meant to be there to back Rennie up once I was really needed. My intentions were good.
“It looks like you’re doing fine. It looks…beautiful, really.”
She turned and shaded her eyes to look at the structure. “It does, doesn’t it? I told them we need a few more green plants along the margin there. Don’t you think? But they’ve done a good job with the white paint. It sort of shimmers, doesn’t it?”
I nodded. I was impressed.
We went over a few logistics for that evening’s program and I gathered my faithful little dog and went back through the celebratory crowds and headed to Bentley’s. Toto perked up as though he knew exactly where we were going. I perked up a bit too. The only fly in our proverbial happy ointment was the evil Sherrie, Bentley’s secretary/receptionist.
As we strolled out of the park, dodging people coming and going and headed toward Bentley’s law office, I wondered what trick she would have up her sleeve today. She was bound and determined to find a way to keep me away from her boss, one way or another. I had to stay on my toes. There was no way I was going to let her win, even once.
But I hadn’t counted on…witchcraft!
As we strolled down the sidewalk, I could see Bentley’s house and office ahead. The entry area was obscured by the huge maze he’d put in place in order to fit in with the town’s Wonderland theme, a maze I could navigate with ease. But today, from a distance, the maze looked odd, as though it had been pushed aside and some sort of structure had been added.
As I got closer, I saw what it was—a high stone bridge had appeared, linking the sidewalk to the entry of the law office, bypassing the maze altogether. The maze entrance was blocked by yellow tape and signs that said, “STOP! Do not enter. Maze closed. Under repairs. No humans allowed.”
I stopped for a moment and stared. It looked steep, but not impassable. But I saw someone at the window of Bentley’s office.
Sherrie!
Ugly words began to fight their way up my throat as I tried to stay calm. It was Sherrie and she was staring out at me, looking as though she’d been waiting for this moment all day. Starting up the bridge, I quickly found out why.
The whole surface had been greased with some sort of thick lubricant. My feet slid right out from under me and only catching hold of the stonework around a light pole saved me from falling on my rear. I looked at the face in the window. Sherrie was grinning happily as though she thought she’d really put one over on me.
That was unacceptable. I couldn’t let her win. I started back at climbing the stone bridge. I urged Toto to pull me up. I grabbed anything I could to try to pull myself to the top. Nothing worked.
By now I knew this was witchcraft. I knew Sherrie wasn’t a witch, but she must have known one who was helping her. This just didn’t happen in real life. This belonged in the supernatural world, and I knew I should be able to counter it with a spell of my own. I tried a couple, but nothing worked. And there I was, holding onto a lamppost and hoping I wasn’t about to take a header off a bridge.
I looked up at her, a picture of glee, giggling and trying to hide her mouth with her hands but letting the secret out through her eyes. She was thrilled with my failures. I couldn’t stand it.
But what was I going to do? I tried going around the side, but it was blocked off. I turned to Toto.
“Come on, kid,” I urged. “Talk to me. Tell me the secret. Did Sherrie suddenly become a powerful witch? Or does she have a powerful friend? I’ve got to know. I can’t do anything about this until I know what caused it.”
Toto looked up into my eyes and barked happily. He loved any attention he could get. Not that he seemed to be able to identify it or do anything to help. It was about time to face the fact that Toto was just a dog. Nothing else. No magic there.
I sighed. “Okay. Looks like we’ve been outsmarted, kid. Sad but true.”
I thought I heard laughter. It had to be Sherrie. My insides shriveled a little. It looked like I was going to have to give up.
But…not so fast!
I heard a small, high-pitched sound of an engine out on the street. Quickly, I let myself slip back down to the road, hopeful, but it was only Vespa girl with her cute little motorbike.
“Hey Darlene!” I waved and she pulled over to the side.
“What’s going on?” she asked, pointing at the bridge. “Where did that come from?”
I hesitated. I didn’t really want to tell her that Bentley’s secretary had beaten me at last. Still, it was true. Might as well own up to it. I explained to her quickly and she laughed.
“Don’t be ridiculous” she said. “You and your little dog just jump on behind me and hold on tight. I’ll get you to Bentley’s office in no time.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“But the lubricant…”
“My tires have spikes. I go dirt bike riding all the time. Hop on.”
We did and she revved her tinny engine. I wasn’t sure if she was going to make it. After all, that slippery substance, whatever it was, wouldn’t take too kindly to her little motor bike.
And she did slip a bit. But she cried out, “Come on, sweet chariot, swing for the fences!” and the next thing I knew, we were sailing over the top of the bridge, landing right in the office where Sherrie was now frowning ferociously.
“Hi,” I said, collecting Toto and waving goodbye to Vespa Girl, then turning to Sherrie to smile with saccharin sweetness, hoping it curdled her blood. “I hope Bentley’s ready for a nice visit with his two favorite visitors.”
She turned away and began typing furiously.
“Oh well,” I said, still brimming with good cheer from my victory. “I’ll just go ahead and announce myself. Okay?”
I didn’t wait for her to respond and in seconds we were barging in on Bentley.
He laughed when he saw me and I draped myself into his arms dramatically. “Why does she hate me?” I asked plaintively. “What have I ever done to that woman?” I straightened and asked more seriously, “And where did she get that witchcraft she’s playing around with
out there?”
“Good question,” he said, setting me on my own two feet. “But you know she’s half troll, don’t you?”
“Ah. So that’s why the bridge.” I snickered at the image of Sherrie guarding the stonework structure and exacting a toll from anyone who wanted passage. “Next time I’ll throw her a quarter.”
He shook his head and took a minute to let Toto know he was still loved before we set off out the back door to take a walk around Bentley’s backyard chessboard. From the beginning we’d used this method of avoiding Sherrie listening in, though we’d never actually said as much in words. Still, it was comforting and we got exercise out of it at the same time. Win, win.
“To what do I owe this welcome visit?” he asked me after we’d had a bit of fun with the dog and chatted about the weather.
“Well,” I began a bit hesitantly, “I’ve come to you for moral guidance.”
He’s a handsome devil…or perhaps more accurately, vampire…always dressed flawlessly, always quick with the manners a woman appreciates in an appealing man. I considered him one of my best friends and had since the day I met him. But sometimes he balked at living up to his image.
“Whoa,” he said. “Stop right there. I don’t think I’m equipped for that role in your life.”
“You’re as equipped as anybody I know,” I protested. “I trust you.”
He wiggled his eyebrows at me. “You shouldn’t.”
“Come on. I’ve seen you go through a lot. I’ve seen you under pressure and I’ve seen you go through temptation. I know that your mind is about as clear as a good person can be. You know how to sift the good from the selfish from the completely corrupt about as well as anyone I know. I’ve seen you do it.”
He shook his head and looked a bit abashed. “Oh Haley. I’m not that person.”
“I don’t care. You’re the person I trust. I need advice and I’ve come to you. Okay?”
He sighed. “Okay. Just don’t make it sound so high falutin’.”
“Okay. I won’t.” I grinned at him. “Nothing fancy from your unique European background. Just give me ordinary, homespun, daily advice instead. Okay?”
Wild and Witchy Page 10
