by P. K. Brent
"Don't you have servants to do that?," he asked?
Blue looked at him blankly. This must be a joke. With the house being so large, they did have a woman come in and clean every week, another escarpment witch of course, but Blue never though of her as a servant. She was, in fact, a second cousin and good friends with Grandma Lily.
"Servants?" she said, then immediately felt like an idiot.
"Yes, servants. "Afterall you are the McChesney heir. You should not be doing manual labor. It's beneath you. Not fitting at all."
Quantrill was not joking, and he looked to be sane.
Blue laughed. "Being the McChesney heir does not mean I get people to clean up after me. If anything, I get extra messes of various kinds to clean up."
Quantrill pondered this. "Then perhaps it is true, the rumors I hear, that you actually ride around with your werewolf grandfather in a vehicle labelled 'Buggymobile Pest Exterminators' to kill vermin?"
"Yes, that is true," replied Blue. "I'm a lot smaller than Grandpa and he's getting up in years, so I can fit into crawl spaces much easier. Plus there is the occasional paranormal spook to banish. We do kill our share of rats and other vermin, but any wildlife we relocate. Also, it is up to the property owner to remove the carcass once I drag it out."
"I would never allow that!" exploded Quantrill. "It is completely inappropriate for a lady of your stature to engage in physical labor, let alone crawl around in the dirt dealing with vermin. Figures your werewolf grandfather made you doing this."
Now Blue was mad. "Grandpa Lou doesn't make me do anything! I like working with my grandfather. It was my idea. And it's none of your business."
"It will be my business someday," replied Quantrill. "After a certain event occurs that unites our two families."
"What event?"
"Why our marriage, of course," replied Quantrill.
Blue dropped the trashcan lid and stared at him. He really was out of his mind.
"I have decided that despite the unfortunate connections on your mother's side -- the werewolf grandfather and Escarpment Witches -- your noble McChesney birth makes you a highly suitable prospect. Afterall, the McChesney family is like royalty in paranormal circles. It's unfortunate that your father has become an eccentric, but with proper management, a marriage would be advantageous to each of us and both of our families. The McChesney name still holds great status, plus there is both your family fortune."
"You think that I would marry you? After you insult my entire family? Let alone the fact that I don't even know you and I'm only fifteen years old!" Blue was sputtering her outrage.
"In a few short years you will be old enough," pointed out Quantrill. "The time will go fast. I will be on break from college for a few more days and will take this time to press my case and point out to you the advantages of such an alliance. You need to start thinking of things differently."
Blue grabbed the first thing she could and started pelting Quantrill. It was only potato peels and carrot stumps, on their way to the mulching pile, unfortunately.
"And you need a better attitude," Quantrill calmly stated. He pulled the car around to the door to pick up Zerelda and then sped off.
Chapter 5
Blue re-entered the house, feeling a little dazed. She wasn't ready yet to share the strange encounter she just had with Quantrill. But she knew she had to mention it, because the exchange had felt threatening and threats should be reported.
Stella whispered, "What do you think about the Council wanting to exterminate the dragons?"
Blue replied, "I think they're looking in the wrong area, but we don’t have to whisper anymore, since they left."
"Good point," replied Stella. "Zerelda makes me so nervous."
"I'm very uncomfortable about one thing," said Grandma Lily, as she opened her pocketbook and pulled out her tarot cards. "I felt a chill go straight up my spine when Zerelda Reynard asked you to bring her a baby dragon. I'm positive she is up to no good."
"When is she ever up to good?" replied Blue.
"This is worse than usual," replied Grandma Lily. "I know right down in my bones that Zerelda Reynard plans to do a frog-stuck spell with that little dragon." Since Grandma Lily was a reknown scryer, no one questioned her instincts.
"What is a frog-stuck spell?," asked Blue.
"Should I leave?" asked Stella.
"You stay Stella. Even though you never will do strong witch magic, you still need to know all about it. It will make you more effective as a necromancer to know about conjure work."
"A frog-stuck spell is a darkheart spell done by a witch to curse someone."
"Why a frog?" asked Blue.
"Frogs always symbolize the female. They are a creature of water and wells. In their crouched position they look like a woman giving birth. You can see on old celtic churches the stonework sheela-na-gig, which is a hunched up froglike woman with an exagerated vulva. Frog-stuck curses are most often done with frogs but also can be done with lizards or snakes."
"A dragon is a type of lizard," said Stella.
"Exactly," replied Grandma. "Even a baby dragon is one enormous lizard, much larger than a frog. Plus they are magical creature so doing frog-stuck curses with a dragon would be extraordinarily powerful."
"What exactly is done in a frog-stuck curse?" asked Blue.
"It's darkheart conjure," replied Grandma Lily. "The frog is dressed in cursing oils then ritually sacrificed, with the intent of accomplishing a particular curse. Most often the creature is slowly suffocated, with the belief that a painful and prolonged death makes the spell more powerful."
"That's awful," replied Blue. "Who would do such a thing?"
"An evil witch," replied Grandma Lily. "I will do that type of working if I must, but since I do only ladyheart spells, I won't kill a creature. There's always a work around. I'll use a shed snakeskin if I'm pushed into a corner and need to fight back with a frog-stuck spell. Then no creatures are harmed. Besides it being aesthetically displeasing to kill, doing such a thing will smudge up the practitioner's aura with dark energy, and will inhibit their lightwork spells. In fact, anyone who does darkheart magic routinely, won't be able to do lightwork spells."
"Another weird thing," Blue blurted out. "Quantrill says he is going to marry me."
"That sounds like a threat," said Grandma Lily, frozen still except for narrowing eyes.
"He acted like he was doing me a favor by making such an offer," replied Blue. "He was totally obnoxious and insulting about my family, and he acted like it was a done deal."
"Hmmmmm," replied Grandma Lily. "Pull a card, Blue."
Blue pulled the Page of hearts. Grandma Lily pulled four more cards, the three of hearts, the three of spades and the reversed Knight of hearts, and the reversed Queen of Spades.
"Not good," said Grandma Lily. "Someone plans to cross you."
"Cross her?," asked Stella.
"Curse, cross, hound dog her, conjure darkheart on her," replied Grandma Lily.
"Great," replied Blue. "What do I do?"
"First, we must be sure Zerelda doesn't get hold of a baby dragon," said Grandma Lily. "I can't prove it but my bones are shivering and I see in the reading that she plans to do a frog-stuck curse on you, so that she can control you and get you to marry her nephew Quantrill."
"Then they can control you and through you, your magical heritage and family wealth," added Stella.
"Next we need to burn a firewall spell around you."
"Like a computer firewall?" asked Blue.
"Similar, only a magical firewall. I need nine purple candles and nine white ones. I have a protective oil here in my purse. I made it myself from essence of lily with agrimony to undo curses, and angelica to enhance female magical power."
While Blue and Stella ran upstairs to the library to find the nine white and nine purple candles, Grandma Lily arranged nine old china saucers around the dining room table in a circle.
"Blue, hop up on the table and stand in the midd
le. Blue stood in the center, with the nine saucers around her. Grandma Lily arranged a purple and white candle on each saucer. Purple for protection and white for purity.
"Stella you sit at the foot of the table, here. I want you in my circle and I'll need you later." Grandma Lily walked around the table flicking ointment and salt both at Blue and around in a circle, chanting a ritual opening.
East. Air. Birds. Breath. To know………. Raphael!
Look favorably upon us oh powers of air. Cast out weakness. Bring us strength.
West. Water. Fish. Blood. To dare………. Gabriel!
Look favorably upon us oh powers of water. Cast out weakness. Bring us strength.
South. Fire. Serpents. Skin. To will……. Michael!
Look favorably upon us oh powers of fire. Cast out weakness.
Bring us strength.
North. Earth. Horned beasts. Bones. To be silent….. Uriel!
Look favorably upon us oh powers of earth. Cast out weakness.
Bring us strength.
All that is weak or evil be gone. All that is good or strong come to me.
By the power of the heavenly bodies that watch over us.
By the power of air, water, fire, earth, and spirit.
By the power of the God and Goddess, wherever they be found.
As I Will, so mote it be!
Next Grandma Lily lit the candles and then took a seat at the head of the table. She reached for Stella's hands, and they stretched out their hands toward each other.
"Stella, mentally envision us holding hand, and our energy surrounding Blue in protection." The candles all blazed around Blue as she stood on the dining room table with a circle of nine purple and nine white candles blazing around her.
"Banish mentally, Blue. Banish any evil influences and summon strength and purity. Meditate on your free will until the flames die down.
"And it be done, go in peace," said Grandma Lily, when the flames died down. "Let me know if anything else happens with Quantrill or Zerelda. We may have to take more aggressive action."
"Whew! OK." Stella breathed deeply. "I'll see you later Blue. "Don't forget, we have to walk Ivy to school Monday."
"OK," replied Blue. "Thanks for reminding me about Ivy. I hope she doesn't make us late. I hate being late for school. Last thing I need is a detention this week."
"Sounds good," replied Stella, as she waved good-bye and walked out the door.
Chapter 6
That evening Blue had time to check the McChesney records more thoroughly and headed upstairs to the library.
The library in the McChesney House was extensive and hidden. The entry to it was through Cormac McChesney's office. Cormac's office was furnished with a large, antique mahogany desk and leather chair in arts and crafts style. There was a fireplace, with bookshelves on either side filled with classic tomes in leather bindings, an antique divan sat in front of the fireplace and against the wall a liquor cabinet. An oriental rug in jewel tones spread across the mahogany floor. There was an unspoken rule that Blue was not to go in the library to dally, but only to read or do serious research. This is important. Blue decided that her need to find information on the dragons made using the library a necessity. She entered Cormac's office then walked to the far wall and pressed a panel. A secret door slid open and Blue entered the library. Le Roy was sulking on his perch, still unhappy that a dragon was in the house, so Blue ignored him. There were small, rectanglar, antique windows up high so that every wall held a built-in bookcase, except for the wall at the furthest end of the library, across from Cormac's desk. This wall had a large bay window and window seat and was a perfect place to stretch out and read. In the middle of the room were back-to-back cabinets that held different ingredients used for magical ritual -- herbs, stones, loose gems, candles, incense, and assorted items like feathers, dead spiders, and silk cloth swatches in different colors. Every bit of wall space held shelves full of occult books, including many rare titles. Then there were shelves containing the McChesney Records, and the McChesney Bestiary. Grandma Lily and Aunt Violet had also moved their Witch Grimoires to the McChesney house, figuring that Blue was the heir of both traditions and that the records would be safest in the McChesney mansion.
"Best to store these in the McChesney House," Grandma Lily had insisted. "You need them close at hand for studying and practice. Also, no damage will happen to them there for the McChesney House is charmed against fires, intruders, and thieves."
Belonging to not one but two of the most powerful paranormal families came not without complications. The McChesney line had wealth and a well-known patriarchal name, and was descended from druids. They also were sorcerers. Sorcerers cast destructive spells and sometimes used dark magic. Sometimes they were called sorcerers or warlocks, and sometimes battlemages, depending on whether or not the destructive spells were considered evil or not. Whatever the name, they were viewed with dislike by the Paranormal Council. The McChesneys had been successful at integrating into positions of power in mainstream society. Cormac was a wealthy real estate developer and always involved in one project or another. Blue knew his travel was not entirely due to real estate ventures, since sometimes he returned home battered and smelling of brimstone. He had clearly been fighting. What or whom he had been fighting, Cormac would not discuss.
Blue looked through the McChesney records, all leather bound. Most of the books displayed a large "M" for McChesney on the cover. Some had the imprint of a hand with an "M" in the middle.
"What can you tell me about dragons, LeRoy?"
LeRoy loved to talk and his love of lecturing was stronger than his desire to sulk.
"Dragons are a fascinating topic. They come in so many forms. They can have wings or not, legs or not, various numbers of legs. Like many magical creatures, most are entirely in the astral plane, a few types inhabit the physical plane and a few types can pass back and forth. Their power is elemental in source so they are fire, earth, air, or water dragons. Fire breathers are the most common. Earth dragons can cause earthquakes. Air dragons can cause destruction with wind. Water dragons breathe steam,or frost, and sometimes boiling water. The stinky little one you have downstairs looks like a breed of knucker, a small water dragon."
"Thank you, LeRoy."
"He'll not be the only one." Blue turned back toward LeRoy.
"Water dragons that age band in small packs. He must have been hurt while hunting and separated from his littermates. A fullgrown female water dragon whelps only one large clutch of eggs in her long lifetime. However, the eggs could be laid over the course of a few weeks, so they hatch in stages. The whelps stay with their mum for a year or two then go to find their own territory. The one downstairs is no more than a few weeks old. So there are others, plenty of others."
"How do you know so much about dragons?" asked Blue
"I once spent much time near a great and remote swamp," replied LeRoy. "Water dragons live near water whether it is ocean, sea, swamp, or lake. They fly above or swim while hunting for fish and crustaceans."
"I see," replied Blue. "Well, maybe they've come here before. I'll see if I can find any information."
"Yes. They have been here before," LeRoy commented. "A long time ago, when your great-great grandfather was alive they came here."
"You might have mentioned that sooner!"
Blue looked through the McChesney Bestiary and under "Dragon" found one entry that said "See Knucker." Under Knucker was a larger handwritten entry that first described the reddish brown British knucker. Then it expanded to discuss the North American variety. According to the beastiary, British knuckers had secretly come over in the hold of ships and bred with the elusive Canadian Ice Dragon, creating a North American breed of small water dragon that could survive in colder temperature, could fly, and was shades of green, blue, gold, and silver. At the end of the entry was an entry written in a neat script by Blue's great-great grandfather.
"Cullen McChesney, June 8, 1862. Infestation of knuckers fo
und at Birdsill Holly Manufacturing. I did a tracking spell using dragon droppings then banished them. Unfortunately, Birdsill Holly saw them. Now he's talking crazy about water pressure plugs to put out fires, and using steam to melt snow from sidewalks and heat houses. Possibly a psychotic break caused by the stress of seeing water dragons. I will keep an eye on him."
"Birdsill Holly?" Blue recognized the name from school fieldtrips to the local Erie Canal Museum and from tours of the Lockport Cave. She knew that he was a famous local inventor and friend to Thomas Edison. Stella was crazy about Birdsill Holly.
"Birdsill Holly did you say?" inquired LeRoy. "I remember him. Good friend of your great-great grandfather's. Clever man. He had over 150 patents to his name, some of which are still used today. Open a sink faucet and Birdsill Holly is to thank. He also invented fire hydrants and made plans for the first fire engine carriage. I gave him the idea, for faucets and municipal water systems, so you can thank me whenever you shower or do the dishes."
"I'll keep that in mind," replied Blue.
Blue knew that many of Birdsill Holly's inventions had to do with steam and water pressure. Could he have been inspired to create them due to having a water dragon infestation at his factory 150 years ago? There was only one way to find out. Some of the McChesney Beastiary and Record books were enchanted, the ones with the symbol of a hand and an "M" in the middle. All Blue had to do was sprinkle some dried and ground forget-me-not blossoms on the entry in question, recite the Witness Spell, and she would be transported back to that time and place where she could witness the event. There was time for a Witness Spell now. Although it was late, tomorrow would be even busier.
"LeRoy, I've decided to do the Witness Spell now, so that I can see what my great-great grandfather Cullen McChesney was referring to, in his log entry about a water dragon infestation 150 years earlier."
"That sounds like a good idea," replied LeRoy. "You might learn something, and it's not a dangerous spell."
Blue double-checked the directions. It looked easy enough. All she had to do was sprinkle some dried and ground forget-me-not blossoms on the entry, then press her hand on it while reciting the spell, and she would be transported back to that time and place. Blue wasted no time and with a flash of light travelled to that day in June of 1862 when her great-great grandfather met with the inventor Birdsill Holly to discuss the water dragon infestation.
