I’d finished what I could get done without having to think too much. It was past nap o’clock. We shut all the lights off, and after Fudge and I walked out the back door, Omar set the alarm system.
“On second thought, hang on a minute,” Omar disarmed the alarm and motioned us back into the house.
“What?” I asked.
“Gonna put a couple of lights on to make it look like someone’s here. Maybe our weasel will try something.” He flicked on the light to the breakfast nook then disappeared from the kitchen. I heard him tromp up then back down the stairs.
“Okay, we can go now.” He motioned us back outside. Two minutes later, we were in the cottage.
“I didn’t know where else to put it, so the kitty’s litterbox is in the bathroom. I put his food and water in the kitchen. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s per-perfect, thank you,” I said in the middle of another yawn. “I’m going to lay down for a while. It was a short night and stressful day. Gregory should be home in another hour or so.”
“I know. I got a text from him. Sleep well. I’ll keep an eye out.”
I retreated to the bedroom, Fudge in my wake. We curled up together and just before I conked out, I heard, “He is not the only one who will keep watch. Sleep, my human.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Amy, wake up. Dinner’s ready if you’re hungry.” Gregory’s voice penetrated my sleep.
“Huh? Oh. Hi. What time is it?” I tried to pull myself awake.
“Six-thirty. If you’re not hungry, I will put yours in the oven to keep it warm.”
My stomach growled. “I think there’s your answer. I’ll be out in a minute.”
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and padded into the dining area. Two places were set with steaming food on the plates. “Where’s Omar?” I asked.
“I sent him home for the night. I can handle anything he can and then some,” Gregory said as he spread his napkin over his lap. “He filled me in on the fake UPS driver. Have you any idea why whoever this is might be targeting you?”
“No,” I mumbled through a mouth of something tasty and beefy. Swallowing my food so I wouldn’t talk with my mouth full, I added, “The only people I’ve pissed off lately that I know about are elves. Obrist because I wouldn’t pay his stupid ransom, and Perchaladon because I wouldn’t join whatever rebellion he’s fomenting. But they’re in custody all the way down in Louisiana.”
“We know whatever it is goes beyond the elves. You did well to call Althea, by the way. I spoke with Ed while you were sleeping. The mundane police have an APB out for that car and they’re looking to see if it shows up on the traffic cameras for the time they think the fire was started. I suspect it will. Ed’s people are going through their ‘known bad guys’ file for a were weasel or rat.”
We were about half way through our meal (made all the more delicious because I didn’t have to cook it) when a loud beeping, similar to a smoke detector, came from the hallway.
“Smoke? Where?” I asked.
“No, that’s my perimeter alert for Ev’s house. Stay here.” He ran out the door.
Not on your life. I ran after him.
As he was running, Gregory keyed something on his phone. The house floodlights came on and illuminated a figure crouched at the back door, fiddling with the alarm keypad.
“Stop right there!” Gregory shouted. The crouching figure stood, took one look at Gregory, then started running around to the front of the house. Gregory raised his hands, preparing to throw a spell. I did the same.
Two spells flew. The one with forest green sparkles opened up a large hole in the ground, into which our potential robber fell. The second, carmine sparkles, cast a net over him. The sparkles faded from my sight as we approached our now-immobilized perpetrator. He was lying face-down, attempting to spit dirt out of his mouth but with his arms at his sides, there wasn’t much he could do about what covered the rest of his face.
“Oh, well done, Amy,” Gregory patted me on the back. “Would you mind burying him a little? It’ll hold him more securely while I get the dirt off his face to see who we have.”
Gregory flipped the guy on his back and I moved enough dirt to plant him about a foot deep, covering everything but his face and torso. At the same time, loose dirt moved off his face as if a blow-dryer had been aimed at him.
“Definitely a were rodent of some kind,” Gregory mused to himself as he hit a speed-dial number on his phone.
“It’s Gregory,” he said when whoever it was answered. “I have someone here I think is one of the fire perps or at least our mysterious UPS guy. You or the mundane cops?” A pause, then, “Of course. Ev’s house, side yard. See you in about thirty.”
Gregory took one peek around the corner of the house. “There’s a strange car in the driveway but this one is apparently alone. That’s good.”
“Who are you?” I asked the partially-entombed were. All I got was a growl in reply.
“Wait for Ed and his people to arrive,” Gregory admonished me. “Let’s go finish dinner.”
“Shouldn’t we watch him?” I asked.
“No. You’ve got him well covered and that dirt is heavy. It’s also wet from the sprinklers, which makes it even heavier. And undoubtedly more uncomfortable.” He snickered. “It would take more than a half hour to extricate himself and even then, all he can do is wriggle like a worm. Besides, I’m still hungry.”
So we left our man in the ground and went back to eating.
“You did well,” Fudge said. “You thought quickly and utilized your magic as you have been taught.”
“Thank you, oh wise familiar,” I answered. I could at least speak with Fudge without worrying about a mouth full of food. “I didn’t feel you. You didn’t help?”
“There was no need. I monitored but you were fine without me.”
We’d just finished cleaning up when there was a knock at the door, the bolt turned on its own, and it opened without any invitation. Ed Bartz stuck his head in.
“We’re taking him down to HQ now. Want to watch?”
“No. You will call with whatever you find out, anyway. Amy and I have had a rough couple of days and need our beauty sleep.”
“Okey-dokey.” Mr. Bartz was very relaxed. “We have him, so you can release your web. And we’ve covered over the hole, but you might want to encourage the grass a little.”
Gregory’s eyes went blank for a moment, then he made a slashing movement with his right hand. “Thanks. Web’s gone. We will deal with the grass in the morning.” Ed’s head left the door opening and a moment later, the door closed.
“He has a key?” I asked.
“No, but the door is keyed to him, just in case something should happen to me. We go back a long way and given the scrapes we tend to get into, it makes sense for someone to be able to get in without a key. All he has to do is put his hand on the knob. The reverse is true at his apartment.”
That made sense. I yawned again.
“We both need sleep,” Gregory said. “I prescribe a full, uninterrupted ten hours for both of us. Go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Where are you going to sleep? You don’t fit on your couch!”
“I’m going to import the bed from one of Ev’s guest bedrooms for the night. It’ll fit just fine between the back of the couch and the dining room table. I’ll give you the bathroom, first.”
I was brushing my teeth when I heard a “thump.” Not quite a perfect landing but then again, Gregory was probably just as tired as I was.
I awoke the next morning feeling like a new person. I woke my phone up and saw that I had had the prescribed ten hours. It felt wonderful. The smell of coffee wafted in and had me scrambling into some clothes.
“I know it’s Saturday and supposedly lessons but I’m guessing you have work to do,” Gregory said after I’d had a full cup and was on my way to the pot to refill it. I didn’t even have to dodge the bed because it wasn’t there.
; “Yes. I need to finish configuring the computers, download all the data, and figure out what’s lost forever and what can be recreated.”
“Omar will be here in about an hour. Then you can go over to the house to do whatever needs doing. I have permission to go into the ruins of the building to see if anything can be salvaged. I suspect Cassandra and Tommy will be doing the same thing. I also want to go down to headquarters and have a chat with Ed. Order lunch in. I should be back about three.”
“Now that we’ve caught weasel-man or whatever he is, can I go home?”
“Not yet. We know your weasel-man had at least one accomplice and probably more. Until they’ve drawn the net closed and figure out where you fit into their plans, I’d prefer you stay here.”
I sighed. It was nice having someone cook for me, but I missed my apartment. And the solitude that came with it.
“What am I? Chopped liver? That is a phrase I do not understand. Chopped liver is very tasty yet this implies something less than delectable. Speaking of chopped liver…”
“It means… Oh, never mind. I meant no people. I’m used to it being just the two of us. And I suppose I have to go shopping for you?”
“You have been instructed to stay here so I will have to wait. But yes, when you are able…”
Spoiled cat.
Omar arrived within the hour, we headed over to the big house, and Gregory left for the office. I put both laptops on the desk and started the process of restoring data backups. While they were working, I cleaned out Ev’s refrigerator for him. When I’d finished, Omar took the trash bag out, holding it at arms’ length. You know it’s stinky when an ogre can’t handle it!
Grub Hub delivered sandwiches for lunch and as I was finishing up the computers, Gregory returned.
“Thank goodness you bought fireproof filing cabinets,” he told me. “They had fallen into the basement but with only a few dents, are still intact. I’ll rent a truck on Monday and bring them here. I have the safe in the back of the Hummer.”
I heaved a huge sigh of relief. All our original contracts were in those cabinets, and checks were in the safe. I crossed one thing off my to-do list.
“How are Cassandra and Tommy?” I asked.
“A lot of their kitchen equipment survived, as did all the wrought iron furnishings. There’s a lot of cleanup to be done, naturally, but she thinks she only lost about fifty percent. That’s not including food, paperwork, et cetera.”
“And the building itself?”
“The shell is still there, although all the brickwork is covered in soot. It’s a question of rebuilding the interior. My best guess is, depending on the contractor she hires, about three months.”
Another sigh of relief escaped me. I knew she had business interruption insurance in addition to property insurance but nonetheless, it wasn’t quite as bad as it had originally looked.
“Did you see Mr. Bartz?” I continued my interrogation.
“I did. The man we caught last night is indeed a were-weasel. His name is David Sainsbury, and he’s part of a pack out of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. The license plate number on the car he used yesterday matches one on security cameras outside Cork’s Pub, so he’s probably one of our arsonists. He’s been turned over to the mundane authorities.”
“But why?”
“Ed’s trying to get those answers now. Mr. Sainsbury wasn’t talking so Ed has arranged to meet his pack leader in Eau Claire to see what, if anything, he knows. Remember, we’re dealing with a conspiracy of some sort, so this isn’t an isolated incident, directed solely at you, or Cassandra for that matter. If there are no answers forthcoming there, the next step is the Were Council.”
If they were as frightening as the Witches’ Council, I wouldn’t want to be brought before them, were I the were-weasels. Then again, I think I was a fairly sensible person. These people didn’t seem to be.
“Any news about what the elves are doing? Is Ev still okay?” I was full of questions.
“Nelion has contacted Althea. They believe they’re getting to the bottom of things but will need a few more days. Specifically, they want to hear what Ev has to say when he turns back into himself. Because ogres have no ruling council, there’s really no one to force the elves to give him up.
“On the other hand, they have the ability to confine the bat to a particular area. That leash Alberon mentioned on Thursday. We can’t do that, or at least I don’t know how, so it probably is best he stay with them. The bat can do what bats do, while still having an eye kept on him.”
Poor Ev. I hope he didn’t remember a lot of what happened. Ev didn’t like bugs (at all) and that’s what bats generally eat. Not to mention five hundred pounds of ogre crammed into about an ounce of bat. He’s used to being the biggest thing around and now could be easily squished by someone as small as me.
Gregory and I spent the rest of the day in his garden, taking out all the weeds that had popped up in his nearly week-long absence. After the sun was low in the sky, we hand-watered everything.
“Why not use sprinklers?” I asked.
“Because this ensures that each plant gets the amount of water it needs, rather than a generic amount that a sprinkler system would provide. The fruiting plants, like tomatoes, need more than the herbs. Make sense?”
“I guess so.”
We spent the evening playing Chinese checkers, and a bed from the big house plopped, more gently this time, into the living room when it was bedtime.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Gregory’s cell phone rang in the middle of breakfast the next morning. His eyebrows raised when he looked at the caller ID.
“Good morning, Nelion,” he answered.
I about spit out my coffee. I hadn’t expected to hear anything from the elves for about a week – at least that’s how long they implied the spell would last on Ev.
Gregory listened for a moment, then said, “Of course. I can be there later today.”
Then, “Thank you. I will let you know my arrival time.”
I stared at him as he finished his conversation. “What?”
“That was actually Alberon using Nelion’s phone. He believes he has figured out how to remove the spell from Ev without killing him. Because my beacon spell is pretty much woven into Ev’s DNA due to the way the transmogrification spell works, he needs me to do something. Therefore, I have to go back to the enclave.”
“You mean we have to go back to the enclave.”
“Why? There is nothing you can do. Stay here and I will, hopefully, bring Ev home with me.”
I shook my head. “Nope. I’m coming with. I don’t know why but I have to be there when Ev comes back to himself.”
“If you are going, then I am going, too.”
“Fudge says he’s coming with, too.”
Gregory sighed. “But it may be a few days before we return. What about recreating the office?”
“Sally can do that. She just has to be able to get into the house.”
“Very well. I know when you get something between your teeth, you won’t let it go. Call Sally. I will call Omar about access to the house and getting the file cabinets, as well as making our travel arrangements.”
He looked over at my cat, who was curled in the corner of the sofa. “Fudge, I’m afraid you will have to travel with us. I have no idea where we will be.”
“Something I’ve been meaning to ask. Can’t you just get him like you do his litterbox and stuff?” I was confused.
Gregory put on his lesson face. “Inanimate objects can be pushed or pulled through the ether. Familiars, who can traverse the ether on their own, can only be pushed to it. I don’t know the whys and wherefores, but I cannot feel him on the other side, as I do with his litterbox. Therefore, I can’t get him, as it were.”
“It is a failsafe device to prevent other magical beings from stealing us from our witch or wizard.”
I looked over at him. “That’s happened?”
“No, but it has been attempted. I
n the long ago past. It did not go well for the would-be thief. I will travel in that box with holes, but I expect a reward for doing so. Chopped liver still sounds delicious.”
Gregory and I made our respective calls. I also ran a load of laundry since I hadn’t planned on being gone from home more than a couple of days. By noon, we were packed and ready to go, Fudge reluctantly curled up in the carrier.
At four o’clock on the dot, our plane landed at the airport in Lake Charles. The same guard was waiting for us at the terminal. “The car is this way,” he greeted us.
As soon as we were out on the freeway, blindfolds were once again handed over the driver’s shoulder. Fudge snickered as I put the small one over his head.
“Elves think they are so smart, but they are no match for a familiar.”
I didn’t bother repeating that. Almost an hour later (it seemed like twice that when you’re left with only your own thoughts), we were driving over a gravel road, which meant we were near our destination. Finally, the car came to a halt and we were told we could remove our blindfolds.
I stepped out of the car into a fairy tale. Huge trees, hundreds of feet tall and thirty or more feet in diameter, surrounded us. Craning my neck, I could see swing bridges between branches, leading to what could only be described as elaborate tree houses, some two or three stories high, nestled in among the branches. On the ground, other structures were cradled between protruding roots, built to appear as part of the tree.
Nelion, Alberon, and a female elf emerged from one of the ground buildings. “Welcome,” Nelion said. “I trust your journey was uneventful?”
“Yes, it was, thank you,” Gregory replied in a somewhat solemn tone.
“Miss McCollum, we welcome you as well. Your familiar, too,” he said to me, then looked down at Fudge. “I trust you will abide by our conventions while in our enclave.”
Transformation! Page 19
