by Martha Carr
“With a lot of time spent on that fellow, Rhazdon,” Toni explained. “Stacey’s forever forgetting his name. It’s Rhazdon. Geez, Stacey, it’s not like there weren’t enough Saturdays talking about him.”
“Right, Rhazdon. It was some of his old artifacts. Somehow, they used ones no one knew about. The Order thinks it’s a bunch of misguided magical beings in this world who’ve started up the cult again after all these years!”
“Our own kind,” Toni wailed. “Can you believe it? Like we’re not misfits enough to the humans. If they ever found out we’d be toast!”
Correk was listening intently, looking for a place to put down his plate. “How did the battle end?”
“Well, that’s the weird part,” said Stacey, leaning in so no one else could hear them. “And Brian made us swear not to tell anyone else. Oh hell, after a few beers this whole place will know.”
“And he’ll make every person he tells, swear not to tell anyone else. It’s the way he is. Makes you wonder if there’s a bit of willen in him,” snickered Toni. She was getting tipsy.
“One of their own, an Order witch betrayed them and slipped out with the necklace and handed it over to the damn fools. The marauders got some kind of signal after that and just put down their wands and left. The Order captured the wounded ones but so far no one is talking.”
“Who betrayed them?” Leira asked.
Toni put out her hand to stop Stacey from answering.
“I know you’re more powerful than we are, that’s very obvious, and you can probably get us to tell you,” she admitted. “But before we do all the giving, there’s something we want from you. It’s only fair, especially seeing as how we’re all family.”
Leira glanced at Correk who looked more annoyed than worried, arching an eyebrow.
“What is it?”
“To be named later. You’d have to trust us that we won’t ask you to do anything unethical.”
“Well, not too unethical,” Stacey laughed. She was past tipsy, well on her way to drunk.
“And we have to trust that you won’t get us into hot water with the Order, or worse. Plus, I’ll throw in a bonus for you.”
“Oh yeah, that message we were supposed to give her. Totally forgot,” Stacey slapped her forehead with her palm.
“Ignore her. I didn’t forget. I was just feeling you out a little first. You’ve popped up on the government radar. Something about an explosion in Chicago?” Toni gave her a knowing look. “Yeah, I already knew you were somehow mixed up in all of that. As you might imagine, we have an amazing grapevine.”
“Don’t even need the two cans and a string,” Stacey chirped.
“Be careful,” warned Toni, growing serious. “The humans who work in politics are very tricky to deal with. We’ll all watch your back but those sneaky bastards can be at your door when you least expect it.”
Leira was stunned.
“Nothing to worry about, yet,” Toni reassured her, putting a smile back on her face. “But be aware. Some of our kind work for the government. It’s better that way. We find out what they’re up to a lot more easily and they feel better keeping us close. That’s good advice without any strings. We have a deal on the rest?” Toni spit into her hand and held it out for Leira to shake. “That’s not an Oriceran thing. It’s just something I saw in a movie, but it kind of works, right?”
Correk rolled his eyes and looked over to see where the troll had gotten to. He was dancing on the large boot of a man with short hair and a long red beard. “A carnival,” said Correk.
“I have one other condition,” said Leira, growing serious. “You tell me right now the name of the witch, and anything you know about breaking a magical person out of a psych ward.”
“Oh, that happens a lot to our kind. I would have told you that anyway. A crime, what they do to us. We have a deal?” Toni’s hand was still out, waiting.
“Deal,” Leira agreed, shaking Toni’s hand and ignoring the cold slime in her palm from the spit.
“The witch’s name is Hannah, Hannah Beecham. She comes from a long line of women who served in the Order. They had no idea. I hear they’re crushed, humiliated,” said Stacey.
“I’ll bet she had a reason.”
“You mean blackmail,” said Leira.
“Well, you don’t betray the Order without a really good reason. The consequences are a little steep. As for that other question you had, find someone who’s got enough power in the human world and trade them something they want in exchange for vouching for your loved one. In most cases, that’s not an easy trick to pull off, but with the power coming off you, it should be a snap!” Toni snapped her fingers. “You could even use a spell or two to make them think it was their idea all along.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“This is bad.” Correk stood in the middle of the dance floor, his hands on his hips.
“Let’s at least get out of the way. You look like a weather vane standing still in the middle of everyone having fun.” Leira found an empty pocket of space near the jackalope statue. “The Order grabbed the necklace. They lied to us after the explosion. I suppose that was their call.”
“And now they’ve lost it.”
“Because of one of their own. This keeps getting worse. What do we do now?”
“Not much we can do tonight. We enjoy the party. Patience is just as much a part of magic as are the spells and feeling the energy.”
“Detective work is a lot like that too. Wait, have you seen Yumfuck?” Leira peered around dancers and got down lower trying to see if he was dancing on shoes again, or ducked under a table.
No troll.
“Not good! I can’t see him.”
“He’s magically attached to you, like a bungee cord. He may stray but he’ll be back.” Correk picked his plate back up again and started eating.
“How can you eat with everything that’s going wrong?” Leira was still trying to spot the troll. “You don’t think he left, do you? Those streets at night are full of drunk twenty-somethings with big feet. He could get smooshed.”
“To your first question, Light Elves live for hundreds of years, so take that news in slowly, Cousin. You had better learn to take the long view and be present wherever you are, or life’s events will grind you down. Things are always happening around you, it doesn’t mean you have to see them as happening to you.”
“A regular fucking philosopher. That does make sense, though. I know, don’t even need to ask this one. Just allow.”
“Wash on, wash off,” said Correk, taking a big bite of potato salad.
“You were watching my Netflix.”
“Your technology is often very entertaining. To your second query, the trolls on Oriceran have to escape near death on a daily basis from great beasts with large teeth and horns and they do so, admirably. He can handle a few intoxicated human beings. Relax, dance a little, eat something. He’ll be back. He’ll even sense if you try to leave and come running. You can’t shake a troll once they’re attached.
***
Hagan stood in line at Voodoo doughnuts trying to decide what he wanted. He did this every time and then ordered the Maple Bars and the Mexican Hot Chocolate doughnuts. Sometimes he got a Grape Ape if he thought he’d be able to hold off and keep some for the next day.
The line was long, stretching down the narrow section penned in by a low wall down the far right side of the store. It was already full of drinkers coming in for a sugar hit. The three cashiers behind the counter were used to it and the line moved along steadily. Hagan waited, next in line, trying to decide who’d get done with their order first. It was a way to keep his patience with idiots too drunk to be able to make up their minds or pull out a ten dollar bill. He was tempted to flash his badge but that would just slow things down.
It’s gonna be the girl ordering the glazed doughnuts. Stepped right up, knew what she wanted, pulled out her cash. Not her first doughnut run. Excellent.
“Next!” yelled the short st
ocky man with wild, curly hair that seemed to be trying to escape his head, barely hiding his irritation with everything about his job. He was Hagan’s favorite.
“Two Maple Bars, two Mexican Hot Chocolate and two Grape Apes,” he blurted. The cashier was already grabbing a pink box, heading to the back. Hagan was a regular and inevitably ordered the same thing. Even the fight with himself was part of the routine. I can do it. Just eat two now, save the others. I’m a grown man. I can resist a… “What the hell?” Hagan thought he was seeing things.
Creeping along the back of the store was a familiar furry creature with bright green hair.
“Fuck me!” Hagan looked around, biting his lip, trying to decide what to do, momentarily resting his hand on his gun, throwing away that idea, slapping the counter, followed by a slap to the top of his head.
The troll spotted Hagan and waved, yelling, “Yum fuck!” He was grabbing doughnuts off of trays and throwing them into a box a cashier left on the back counter, while she went to fetch another tray of Homers, a strawberry iced doughnut with sprinkles. A couple sitting at a table nearby spotted the troll and laughed, waving back at him.
“Thank God for alcohol,” said Hagan, rolling his eyes as he watched the troll lift the box over his head and jump to the floor. Two doughnuts bounced out of the box on the way down but the troll quickly retrieved them, tossing them neatly upwards into the box. Hagan held his breath, waiting to see what might happen next. He had seen the five-inch creature grow to the size of a tree when angered.
“I do not want to shoot Leira’s pet.” He watched everyone around him, waiting to see how badly this would go. The troll was unconcerned, scurrying right by Hagan’s feet with the box, smiling at people as he went.
“Look at the cute little dog!”
“Is that a Chihuahua?”
“Wish I could train my pet to do that.”
“Even the rats like these doughnuts!”
The troll slid through the open door as a group of tourists came in, and he turned the corner, running away. All Hagan could see out the front window was the bobbing pink box, before it disappeared from view altogether.
Hagan shook his head, looking around at everyone in the place laughing and going back to what they were doing. “Why do I worry? Keep Austin weird. Here dude, keep the change.” He put two twenties down on the counter to pay for his, and the troll’s, doughnuts, and took his box. “I do not even want to know what that was about,” he muttered, as he headed for the door. “A troll getting his own doughnuts.” When he got to the street, the troll was nowhere to be seen.
“Fast little fucker, I’ll give him that. Strong, too.” Hagan had a Maple Bar out of the box, biting down hard, before he even made it all the way to his car. All part of the routine.
***
The Jackalope was hopping. “Last call to leave before we start the night’s festivities.” Jack was standing on a chair, wand in hand.
“I thought these were the festivities,” Leira said.
Toni smiled and replied, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. The fun’s just starting.”
No one moved toward the exit. Leira noticed everyone was smiling with anticipation, watching Jack.
“Okay, last chance. Three, two…”
A loud chorus of “One!” went up from the crowd. But before Jack could move, a pink box appeared to float around the corner, scooting into the bar.
“That has to be one of us,” yelled a man in the middle of the crowd.
The box weaved in and out of the crowd toward the food table and stopped in front of a woman looking over the desserts. Loud trilling erupted from under the box.
“Yumfuck!” Leira pushed her way through the crowd, grabbing the box as the woman stared, wondering what to do. The troll looked up and waved at everyone, heartily announcing, “Yum fuck!” He pointed at the box, waving his arms and pointing at the table until Leira put it down.
“It appears the troll wanted to contribute something,” Correk observed, peeking into the box. “Don’t eat any of them. I think he licked every last one.”
“Do you think he actually paid for them?” Leira narrowed her eyes, watching the troll. “No pockets in that fur.”
“Okay, nothing like a full moon party, motherfuckers!” Jack held up his wand, a toothy grin on his face. The crowd cheered. “One more time with gusto!” he said. “Three, two…”
The crowd yelled “One, motherfuckers!” Jack waved his wand and said, “Extemporius,” bringing down a continuous silver waterfall, complete with noise. Leira started to shout over it but quickly realized she could easily be heard. It was as if the background noise wasn’t there.
The crowd started laughing and someone yelled, “A newbie! Put her on the list!”
“Someone always falls for that,” said Stacey, swaying from side to side, still drinking.
“What list?”
“You’ll see. Jack put a glamour on the front of the bar. A pretty good one,” Toni told her. “He can only pull it off on the night of a full moon and only for a couple of hours. That’s why we wait until the party really gets going. From the other side it looks like the bar is closed. Can’t hear a thing, either.”
“I want to learn this trick,” said Leira, dazzled.
“Who doesn’t?” Toni squeezed Leira’s hand. She surprised herself by squeezing back, looking up at Correk.
“This is what a good time with your kin looks like, at least on Earth,” he whispered to her.
“But once he does it, you can’t leave until he pulls it down. It surrounds the building. Kind of a fire hazard but pretty much everyone in here knows the water hose trick, anyway.” Stacey leaned on Correk, who gently steered her into a chair, pulling himself out of her arms.
“It’s not just the beer,” said Toni, smiling at Correk. “You’re a nice big Pop-Tart of a man.”
“Big old blueberry one!” Stacey crowed.
Toni laughed. “I don’t know about that part but you got a little somethin’, somethin’ going on.” She gave him a gentle elbow to the ribs as his face reddened. Leira smiled and shrugged, holding up her hands.
“All right ladies and gentlemen, species of every kind!” Jack hopped off of the chair, still holding out his wand. “Who wants to go first?”
“Let the newbie! Rules are rules!”
“No,” Leira shouted, smiling. “I don’t know any yet. I’d be a flop!”
“Think of this like karaoke.” It was Jim from Lavender Rock. “You may not even know the words but you’ll have a good time trying.” He put his hand in the small of her back and pushed her out into the center.
“Magic! Magic! Magic!” The crowd chanted as Leira looked at Correk helplessly. He smiled and shrugged, holding up his hands. “Touché, Cousin,” she yelled. “Okay, free form magic. I can do this.” Leira shut her eyes. What did Correk tell me? Lesson number one. Imagine what you want to happen and believe in it. Got it.
Leira focused, steadied her breathing and opened herself up to the possibilities, allowing the energy to flow up through her feet. Don’t think, just be.
The image was firmly in her head. She embraced it in her mind, felt the joy come over her as the magic filled her, spreading throughout her body.
“Woooowwwww.”
“How’s she…”
“Whoa.”
Leira heard the gasps but they were far away and she let them slip past her, observing the stream of feelings passing her. She slowly opened her eyes, looking around, her arms outstretched, the symbols glowing in gold and silver all the way up her neck and face and down to the fingers, her eyes glowing. She smiled gently and looked down, knowing what she would see. She was floating just above the floor, inches off of the ground and her entire being was glowing. She looked at the faces around her, taking in their surprise. Time to land.
Instead of trying to think her way through coming back to the ground, she opened herself up to the magic doing it for her, leading the way, as her feet gently touched down. T
here was a general silence throughout the room as she let the magic seep out of her and back into the ground.
“Uh, okay, ladies and gentlemen,” Jack finally sputtered. “Who would like to follow that?”
For a moment, no one moved but then a burly man with blond curls yelled, “Well, that was fucking awesome! I will! This party is on!” A roar went up from the crowd and everyone broke into applause as Leira smiled, taking a bow. Correk handed her a beer, his usual look of exasperation and amusement on his face.
“What now? They loved it!”
“That trick is not in the usual tool kit. We don’t usually fly on this planet when the gates are closed. Takes a lot more energy.”
“I didn’t fly. I levitated. Big difference. You did it when I first met you.”
“Not really a difference. And you did all of this without wings or even a wand. I did it after years of mastering magic and with the energy from Oriceran.”
“I followed your rules. Imagine, believe, allow.”
“You’re picking this up much faster than I expected and in ways I didn’t imagine.” He gave her another long look, wondering yet again what made up her DNA.
“Wait a minute, are all those Disney movies messing with us? Don’t witches fly?”
“Not until the magic returns.”
“Oooh, he’s doing a fireball!” exclaimed Leira, moving closer to get a better look at how he did it.
“The girl floats above the Earth and is amazed by a fireball,” muttered Correk. “The surprises have no end.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
They were in the lobby of the movie theater, waiting for her mother’s friend Ralph to arrive.
“That was a good call leaving Yumfuck at home,” said Correk, holding onto a tub of popcorn with one hand and throwing some into his mouth.
