Don't Hex with Texas

by Shanna Swendson

  “Oh, sh—shoot,” Dean hissed, glancing at me as he corrected himself.

  “We’re running around at midnight and doing magic,” I whispered back to him. “Do you think I’m going to tell Mom you used a bad word in front of me?”

  “Hush!” Owen snapped.

  I somehow doubted that with a wall of blue-white flame shooting to roof height, our whispering would be what alerted the cop to our presence, but I hushed, anyway. For all I knew, Sam might be able to veil the flame while it took too much extra power to muffle the sound.

  The police car slowed to a crawl as it passed the bank, and I held my breath. I knew Sam was good at hiding things magically, but all that flame—along with the light it cast—had to be a challenge.

  Suddenly the flame collapsed in on itself, leaving no trace. Even the powder it had grown from was gone.

  The police car kept moving at its frustratingly slow pace, but it didn’t stop. When the car at last passed out of sight, there was a collective “whoosh” as all five of us let out our breath. Then Teddy turned to look at Owen. “That was so cool!” he said. “What did you do?”

  “The energy that created the ward had to go somewhere, so it was absorbed into the powder and burned up,” Owen explained.

  I stepped in before the two of them could start discussing the chemistry and physics of magic. “Are you sure it worked?” I asked.

  Owen gestured at Dean. “Come over here.” Dean looked apprehensive, but he stepped forward. “Try to cross the threshold.” Dean visibly steeled himself, then stepped forward. He was able to get all the way to the bank’s door. “It worked,” Owen reported. “Now, we need to get all those stolen things returned. Based on the pattern from previous nights, I think the police car will most likely return in half an hour, so let’s hurry. I don’t want to test the limits of Sam’s veiling ability.”

  Dean and Teddy ran back to Dean’s car to get the goods and returned loaded down. “This is the first batch,” Dean said.

  “How much did you steal?” I asked.

  “I may have gotten a little carried away,” Dean admitted.

  “Which stores are those from?” Owen asked.

  “I thought we’d start with the jewelry store, since that was the most valuable stuff.”

  We made a funny procession as we headed across the square to the jewelry store. Sam flew ahead. I followed behind him. Teddy and Dean with their overflowing boxes were in the middle, and Owen brought up the rear. We looked like a gang of inept reverse burglars.

  “They didn’t have a camera here, but there is a security system,” Sam reported when we reached the jewelry store.

  “Yeah, I was able to bypass it,” Dean said. He looked a little too proud of himself for my comfort.

  “That’s not too difficult,” Owen said. “The spell that dissolves the window actually keeps the sensors intact. You were sloppy, though. You overdid it on the windows. They should have come back as soon as you were in and out. That wasted power and drew attention to your actions.” He faced the window, waved a hand, whispered a few words, and the glass vanished. “Okay, now put the stuff back in there.” Dean went to climb through the window, but Owen shook his head. “No, just leave the boxes there. You want them to notice it’s been returned. You don’t have your name or anything identifying you on those boxes, do you?”

  “These are the boxes I got from the store.”

  “Then put them in there.”

  Dean followed instructions. As soon as he was clear of the window, the glass reappeared. “You’ll have to teach me how to do that,” Dean said.

  “Somehow, I don’t think that would be such a good idea.”

  “I wouldn’t do it to steal stuff again.”

  “Then why would you need to be able to do it?”

  “This is amazing,” Teddy gushed. “Now, how does the ratio of matter and energy work on this? Are you actually making the matter go away, like into an alternate dimension, or are you just separating the atoms so it looks like the glass isn’t there, but all the matter actually still is?”

  “Teddy, we don’t have time for the scientific explanation,” I said.

  “Sorry. But can we talk about it later?” If they did, it wasn’t a conversation I wanted to be anywhere near. Thinking about how magic worked gave me a headache.

  We worked our way around the square, returning goods to all of the stores Dean had burgled magically. “What were you trying to do, open your own store?” I asked.

  “Something like that. I thought I’d unload a lot of this stuff on eBay when it cooled down a little.”

  “You do know that cops monitor eBay to look for stolen goods showing up, right?”

  “In this town? I’m not sure the cops know eBay exists.”

  “Jason’s wife sells collectible dolls and antiques on eBay,” I pointed out. “He’d know it exists.”

  “You took some extremely stupid risks,” Owen said. “You shouldn’t be doing anything with magic that brings unnecessary attention to yourself. That should be the first thing you learn, even before you start learning spells.” I could tell the night’s activities were draining him, even as he made it look easy. With each shop, the glass took a bit longer to disappear, and he walked more slowly to the next shop.

  When we were almost done and Dean had retrieved the last load from the car, the police car returned.

  “Sam, have you still got us?” Owen asked.

  “Yeah, but hold off on the hocus-pocus until he’s gone.”

  We all froze in place, holding our breath as the police car made its circuit. Just when we thought we were in the clear, the car pulled up in front of the jewelry shop, and the officer got out to walk the square, swinging a flashlight ahead of him. He aimed the flashlight into the windows, where he was sure to spot the boxes.

  “Now!” Owen hissed, getting Dean’s attention. The window we were in front of had gone. Dean dropped the box he held as quickly and quietly as he could, then the glass returned.

  From across the square, we heard, “Hey!” The police officer leaned against the window, getting a closer look. He must have discovered the returned goods. He went back to his car and got on the radio.

  “I suggest we scram, now,” Sam said. “I can bamboozle one of them, but not more with this many of us and at cop levels of scrutiny. Stick together, though. That makes it easier.”

  We clustered together and tiptoed away from the square, moving as one with Sam flying overhead.

  When we reached the spot behind the bank where we’d met, Owen said, “Now, go, but take the long way around instead of going straight home or looking like you were coming from here.” My brothers took off, and Owen turned to Sam. “Keep an eye on things and let me know what happens here tonight.”

  “Sure thing, boss. Now you get some rest.”

  When he was gone, we made our way back to Owen’s rental car. He tossed me the keys when we reached the car. “Do you mind driving? I’m not sure I’m up to it.”

  I noticed then that he was shaking. “You could have drawn power from me, or from Teddy,” I said.

  “I’ll be okay. It was quicker and easier this way.”

  He fell asleep almost as soon as he got into the car, and I hoped we didn’t get stopped this time, since I didn’t have any Jedi mind tricks in my arsenal. I’d have to resort to crying. I let the car creep away from downtown without the headlights on until we were well out of the zone of suspicion. Then I took back roads to arrive home from the opposite direction, as though we were coming from out of town.

  When I’d parked and killed the engine, I nudged Owen awake. “Are you wearing anything under that black sweatshirt that might look less suspicious?” I asked him.

  “What? Why?” he mumbled sleepily.

  “Because I don’t think you need to be climbing trees or in and out of windows right now. And I think you need sugar. We could go in the back door, have a snack in the kitchen, and then if we get caught on the squeaky steps, we can say we ju
st went downstairs for a midnight snack. The thought of food should distract Mom. She’ll be so terrified about her guest going hungry that she’ll insist on going downstairs and cooking you a three-course meal, and she’ll forget to wonder why she didn’t hear us going downstairs.”

  “Very good idea,” he said, making no move to get out of the car.

  I got out and went around to Owen’s side, where I opened the door and pulled him out. I nudged him into a position leaning against the side of the car and unzipped his sweatshirt to discover a plain white T-shirt underneath. I pulled his sweatshirt off him, removed my own sweatshirt, and locked them and the bag of magic tricks in the trunk. I then got an arm around his waist and led him up the back steps into the kitchen.

  Under the kitchen light, he looked even worse than I realized, very pale and drawn, and with his eyes sunk into dark circles. I put a kettle on to make cocoa, then found two packets of mix. While the water heated, I cut a couple of slices of cake and put one in front of him. “Eat!” I ordered.

  He nibbled at the cake while I mixed up the cocoa, then I put a mug in his hands and made sure he took a few sips. By the time he finished half the mug, he looked a lot more human. That was reassuring enough that I was able to sit and drink my own cocoa.

  “If doing all that had this effect on you, how did Dean do it?” I asked.

  He finished his cake, and I got up to cut him another slice while he replied. “I imagine it took him all night, and there would have been fewer patrols then. It was harder for me to do magic tonight than it was yesterday. I’ve probably been using more power than is wise in a place like this, for too many days in a row. I shouldn’t have done as many demonstrations as I did earlier in the day, and I may have gone overboard in controlling Dean. I probably could have done that physically, but I thought using magic would have more impact.”

  “I’m worried about you being weakened while Idris is in town and doing some pretty big tricks.”

  He shrugged. “He won’t be able to keep that up for long, and he doesn’t have any immunes to draw power from. I have you and Teddy. And your mother, if things get desperate, though I’d prefer it not come to that.”

  “Well, with any luck, Idris’ll just hide out from the fairy godmother from hell and his new bosses for a few days and leave us alone so you can rest.” I hesitated, then asked, “How long do you think you’ll be staying?”

  He flushed a pale shade of pink, but I couldn’t think of what was so embarrassing about my question.

  “It depends. I was supposed to leave today, but I want to make sure we know what Idris does, and I won’t leave as long as I know he’s here. Do you think your parents will mind me staying a few days longer?”

  “If you tried to leave before being here less than a week, my mom might hide your car keys.”

  A loud squeak on the stairs startled both of us into silence. A few moments later, Mom came into the kitchen in a bathrobe. “I thought I heard voices,” she said.

  “We were having a midnight snack,” I hurried to explain. “We didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  “Oh, it’s no trouble. I might even join you.” She then got a good look at Owen, and I found the play of emotions across her face to be fairly amusing. At first the mom instincts won as she noticed how sickly he looked. Then other instincts took over. The funny thing about Owen was that as gorgeous as he was, he somehow looked even more gorgeous when he wasn’t looking his best. He was a sight to behold in a tuxedo, but in a T-shirt, his hair rumpled, unshaven, with his glasses on, and with dark circles under his eyes, he could stop traffic. There was a hint of danger to him then, lurking beneath his boy-next-door exterior. Even better, he was entirely unaware of this effect and didn’t seem to notice when he was affecting women that way.

  Then the mom instinct fought its way back to the surface. “Are you okay?” she asked. “You don’t look like you’re feeling too well.”

  “I must not be sleeping well away from home. I never realized I was so used to hearing traffic and sirens all night long,” he said.

  “I can make something for you, if you like. Maybe an omelet?”

  He shook his head. “No, thank you. Katie made me some cocoa, and I had some cake. Now I think I’ll get back to bed and try to get some sleep.”

  As much as I wanted to get into my own bed, I lingered with Mom for a while. “Are you sure he’s okay?” she asked when the squeak on the stairs told us he’d made it to his room. “He doesn’t look too good.”

  “I’m sure he’s just tired,” I said. “Remember how it took me a few weeks to get used to the quiet after I got back here. And it’s never too restful sleeping in a strange place, especially in someone’s home.”

  “You don’t think it’s anything we’ve said or done, do you?”

  “Mom, he’s fine. He’s having a good time. I just think he’s a little overwhelmed. He doesn’t come from a big family, and he lives alone, so he’s not used to having all these people around. But I think he’s adjusting. He and Teddy really seem to be hitting it off.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “I’m sure.” I kissed her on the cheek, then headed toward the stairs. “Now, I’m getting back to bed.

  Good night!”

  It wasn’t until I’d reached my room that I realized she hadn’t even noticed the fact that both Owen and I had been fully dressed instead of in pajamas and bathrobes. And she hadn’t noticed that she hadn’t heard the squeak on our way down the stairs. For someone who could notice every detail of someone’s outfit and remember how often in the last few months she’d worn it, Mom sometimes wasn’t too observant.

  There was no sign of Owen at breakfast the next morning. I hoped that meant he was sleeping in. I wrote a quick note and slid it under his door before I headed to the store for work. Sherri was already there, which was an “alert the media” kind of event, and she was surprisingly cheerful. “Wow, you’re here!” I said, then immediately realized that probably didn’t sound so nice.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked as she straightened the display of small impulse items around the cash register. “I do work here, don’t I?”

  “Well, yeah, I mean, uh, well, with everything you’ve been through, I thought you could have used a break.” I thought that was a pretty good recovery from putting my foot in my mouth.

  She rolled her eyes. “If my husband is going to be a good-for-nothing, I’d better be sure one of us pulls in an honest paycheck.”

  “I’m glad you’re here. We’d be in a tough spot without you. And, um, it would be safe for you to go home now. We saw to that.”

  “I said I’d be gone a few days, and I will be. I’ll go home when I said I would.”

  “Okay, then,” I said as I headed to my own office with the beginnings of a grudging respect for Sherri. I never would have thought she had it in her. She might even be able to keep Dean in line in the future.

  Owen called me about an hour after I got to the store. “I didn’t mean to sleep so late,” he said with an audible yawn.

  “You needed it. How are you feeling now?”

  “Almost back to normal.”

  “I should be able to get away from here in a couple of hours, so you take it easy until then. I hope Mom’s not fussing over you too much.”

  “She is, but I don’t mind. She made an incredible breakfast. She said I looked like I could use a good meal. I guess she forgot all those huge meals she’s made in the past few days.”

  “She definitely shows her love by feeding people, so get used to being stuffed while you’re around here. I’ll see you soon.”

  About an hour after I talked to him, Nita called. “You are not going to believe the morning I’ve had,”

  she said. Given her fondness for drama, it was entirely possible that she meant the phone had rung once, so I avoided jumping to conclusions, no matter how worried I was about what one of her guests might do.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “I’ve been bus
y. Three people have checked in so far this morning, and I’ve made a couple more reservations. If this pace continues the rest of the day, I may have to see if the ‘no vacancy’ sign still works. We haven’t had this many people check in on the same day since that big family reunion a couple of years ago.”

  “I wonder what’s going on,” I said, instantly even more suspicious.

  “I think it may be the rest of the band! And maybe some fans. They all look kind of like the same types. It’s a sort of emo group, right?”

  I wasn’t sure I even knew what “emo” was. “They’re hard to classify,” I hedged. “Keep me posted, here or at the house. I’m curious. Are any of the guys cute?”

  She snorted with laughter. “Not even! I wouldn’t go this low, even as desperate as I am, and even if they are in a band. Of course, none of them are Indian. Maybe they’re here to work on an album in the peace and quiet. That’ll really make the motel famous if the album is big. Oh wait, would you believe, here comes another one. Gotta go. I think I should get a bonus.”

  I was sure there were dozens of highly rational reasons why unattractive young men would suddenly flock to this town, but with Phelan Idris, patron saint of unattractive social outcasts, in residence, I was inclined to think there was something going on.

  “I’m leaving for the day,” I announced to Sherri as I grabbed my purse and headed out of the office.

  “I’ve got all the orders and invoices taken care of. Call me at the house if you need anything.”

  “Is something wrong?” she asked.

  I was so surprised that she’d picked up on a subtle social clue from someone she wasn’t flirting with that it took me a few seconds to come up with an answer. “Owen wasn’t feeling well last night, so I don’t want to leave him alone with Mom too long.”

  “Oh, yes, you should definitely go home, then.” She sounded really and truly sympathetic, which a few days ago I would have considered nothing short of a miracle.

  Owen was sitting on the front porch swing, two dogs at his feet, when I got home. “You look a lot better,” I told him as I joined him on the swing.