Silence descended on the Community Center as Virtue Williams walked the length of the center circle, looking at all of us. “If you have any information about people who are conspiring or collaborating with fairies, we know that you will be forthcoming with that information.” Her voice was cold and even, as if nothing had happened at all. Across from us, Orpheus was hunched over with his head in his hands. I could only imagine the emotions he was experiencing right now. We needed to get out of here.
President Sager cleared her voice. “I will be asking to randomly check in with some of you over the next few weeks, as a security precaution. So, think carefully about if you have anything pertinent to share. You do not want to wait too long. For now, you are all dismissed. Follow your class schedule as per usual.”
Quickly and quietly, people began to file out of the room. I was relieved to see that Anubis was able to hurry Orpheus out in one of the first groups. He was curled over, sweat dripping from his brow. Healer Miyako noticed Anubis struggling to get his trainer out of the Community Center alone and came to their aid. I could only imagine the strength of the emotions in that room.
When we got to the main aisle, I turned to my Perry and Itzel. “You two go ahead.”
The air elemental’s eyes widened, and he turned to face me. “What are you going to do?” He whispered tensely.
“I have to go say hello. It will be strange if I don’t.” I responded quietly. “Go check on Orpheus. I will be fine.” Both Perry and Itzel were moving to protest, but I popped out of the line quickly and they got stuck in the wave of people moving towards the door.
“Khlorie,” Virtue said as I walked over to her. “I was hoping you would say hello. I need to talk with you.”
“Of course,” I replied, pasting a smile to my face. I hoped it would effectively mask the anger and disgust that churned underneath.
“Let’s go for a walk,” she began. “Just us girls.” I nodded, following her out of the Community Center and into the bright morning sun. Down at the docks, I could see M.A.S.L.E.O. transport vessels, as well as The Wick waiting off the dock. “How are things going, Khlorie?” Virtue asked me, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
“Things are certainly different here than back home.”
She nodded. “Well, I know that your real friends miss you terribly. Brigid spelled herself home this weekend and she was bemoaning the fact that you couldn’t join her. If only she knew about you taking on two Inner Circle fairies. She would be so proud. I was quite surprised when Bodhi told me you took a stand and fought. Honestly, I was not sure that you had it in you.” She smiled her cold calculating smile.
“I didn’t think I did either,” I responded. “I was just so mad that they would deface that memorial. Plus, I’m stronger than I used to be.” A pause hung between us.
“Did you know that girl? The speedling?”
I nodded. “She is in my gardening class. Dido was the reason I had the accident triggering my earth power. She said something nasty about Mom. I guess you know that from President Sager’s reports, though.”
“These people who do nothing to make the world better, but love tearing hardworking witches down frustrate me, Khlorie.” Virtue said with a sigh. I nodded. “I have a couple of reasons for wanting to talk with you, besides just catching up. We found a book in Madame Spine’s possession signed by your grandfather.”
“Yes,” I responded. “Mother got it signed for me. Madame Spine told me that she was a big fan of grandfather’s work. I had no idea when I gave it to her…”
“Has Madame Spine ever had contact with your grandfather? Did she mention meeting him ever?”
It occurred to me that if Virtue knew about my Dad being an elemental, they would have reason to doubt my grandfather’s loyalty to the ACC.
“She didn’t say anything if she had. Although, she did ask me what he was like, which makes me think not. Why?” I asked innocently.
“Just doing my due diligence,” Virtue responded vaguely.
“It’s strange to have to be so careful about who you can trust.” I mused. “She is a sweet, elderly lady. I never would have thought she would have been capable of cavorting with fairies.”
“You have to be so careful these days, especially with your mother now an official delegate to the Council of the Harvest Moon.” She looked at me pointedly. “President Sager assures me that your control over your elemental abilities is strong. She thinks it would be possible for you to attend a typical university, as long as you had an elemental tutor.”
“Wait, what?” I asked, shocked.
“You could come home and go to Bishop College. I will get someone from my office to work with you three times a week and make sure that your powers stay controlled and discreet. I know being a potioneer wasn’t your first choice, but you are going to have to pick a specialty eventually. My understanding is that Spell Writing is an unlikely choice with your powers. Plus, Bishop College is in Boston and this really only works if you are home.” She stepped closer to me. “What do you think?”
“I don’t understand. The ACC sent me here with very little explanation and now you want me to leave? I am learning here. The classes are designed around me, and I have friends. I don’t want to leave Spindlewick after barely three months. That is crazy.”
Her face studied mine shrewdly. “All you wanted before you left was a normal college experience. I am offering you that. Do you think the other kids here would not jump at this opportunity? I’m glad you made friends here, and it certainly seems like they are loyal to you.” She leaned in closely. “Getting too close to people can be dangerous, though.” She looked over to Coventry Hall where Perry was waiting for me. “Not just for you.” The threat in Virtue’s voice was clear as day. If I didn’t want Perry dragged away, I needed to leave him.
“I’ll be back in five days for you,” she said, walking away.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Taking a picture of my Dad off the wall, I wrapped it carefully in a thick scarf that I bought to protect me from the Maine winter. Eventually I would use magic to do the job, but manually packing kept me busy as I processed my conversation with Virtue from the day before. Collapsing on the bed, I realized that I did not have any photos of Itzel or Perry. Would their faces be like details in a great dream, fading away over time? The idea plagued me. I had four more days. It was enough time to use a couple of snapshot spells.
Going back to Boston meant being under Virtue’s thumb. In my heart, I knew that she would never let me see Perry again. Just thinking about saying goodbye to him made my stomach churn. I wanted to hide under the covers and simply refuse to get up until life was simpler. I couldn’t sit here and be selfish, though. Viv was right. Even if I stayed, Virtue had no intention of letting me be with Perry, and I wasn’t the one who would be most at risk from our relationship. If I gave him up now, maybe he had a chance. His mother could lay low on her farm, and Perry could do his time for the ACC and then fight for his dream to study hybrid plants. He would have to play along to stay out of trouble.
A knock on the door startled me out of my thoughts. Reaching out along our tether, I knew it was Perry. For a moment, I considered not answering. There was no point pretending I wasn’t home with our connection, though. Taking a deep breath, I left behind the packing and walked to the door. Despite everything that had happened the day before, a bright smile lit up his face.
“Great news!” He beamed as he walked past me into the cottage. “I am taking you on a real date today.”
“What?” I asked, surprised.
“Ed convinced President Sager to let me take you to my Mom’s farm today- for educational purposes, of course.” He leaned down and pulled me towards him, kissing me. I hesitated, pulling away. His eyes searched mine, but he didn’t push. Looking at him, a selfish part of me desperately wanted to forget about everything and just enjoy this opportunity to be with him. Maybe having one normal day together would not make leaving worse. Maybe it
would be a cherished memory to which I could cling when I was on my own in Boston. The desire to pretend that everything was fine, and that Perry and I were a normal couple won out. Pressing against him, I returned his kiss passionately.
“Is that a yes, then?” Perry replied laughing. “I was worried for a minute.”
“Definitely a yes.”
“Ok, I will meet you on the docks in two hours. I’ll have the boat ready then. The marshals want to make some safety upgrades,” he replied rolling his eyes.
“We’re not taking The Wick?” I asked.
He shook his head. “One of the conditions of the trip is that we take a tracked vehicle. They do not want us spell traveling. President Sager said it would be too hard to tell if we were kidnapped. It’s fine with me. They have never let me bring my boat to school before and they are letting me take you off the island on it. My Mom had it dropped off this morning.” He leaned down and gave me a quick peck. “Ok, I need to go get everything ready.”
Two hours later, I paced back and forth outside of my cottage. I wanted to be totally committed to enjoying the day, but there was so much that needed to be said. I couldn’t pretend like Perry was going to be fine with my decision. However, we deserved to have one date like a normal couple, didn’t we? Neither of us chose to be born as crossbreeds. The guilt of misleading Perry clawed at me, but I wanted to show him today how much I cared about him. Knowing I had to leave him behind, it became very clear to me that I was completely in love with him. I needed him to know that and to trust that I would not leave by choice.
Walking towards the water, Perry came into view. He was already waiting for me at the dock, standing next to President Sager and Marshal Trackerson. Floating in the water was a sleek, wooden speedboat. Bodhi stepped onboard, motioning for Perry to follow. The older man was pointing to the steering wheel and dashboard and speaking animatedly. President Sager looked on with a stern and serious expression, occasionally glancing suspiciously as people walked near the boat and the dock. Now in earshot of their conversation, I stepped out onto the platform.
“The boat has a panic button that alerts the marshal station. If you have any need for help. It’s here,” Marshal Trackerson explained. “I don’t know why Spindlewick is letting the two of you go without a marshal escort. It’s foolish. If I had known with more lead time, I would have had a crew ready to go.”
“Marshal escorts are for criminals and heads of state, sir. I am neither of those,” I replied announcing my presence. “Certainly, the considerable talent of your marshals would be put to better use in other pursuits, Marshal Trackerson.” Perry turned from his perch on the boat and smiled warmly at me. He looked incredibly handsome in a pair of black jeans, a gray turtleneck, and a peacoat. It took a lot of energy to keep a smile on my face as my gaze traveled to Bodhi. His treatment of Dido had been barbaric, and I knew that he would do the same to my friends without a second thought if he perceived them as a threat. I would never look at him or his wife the same way again.
“We will be vigilant,” Perry responded to Marshal Trackerson without letting his eyes break contact with mine. I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks at the intensity of his stare. Desperately wanting to be closer to him, I moved past President Sager. As if on cue, Perry reached out his hand to help me on to the boat. Placing my hand on his, I walked onboard. Marshal Trackerson was speaking in the background, but I could no longer hear him. All that existed in this moment was Perry and his hand in mine. I focused on savoring every second of this feeling. Sparks danced underneath my skin and I knew that calling fire at this moment would be too easy. Taking my seat at the captain’s bench at the front of the boat forced me to release Perry’s hand before I was ready.
“Those are all of the security spells that we put in place.” Marshal Trackerson finished explaining. “We can disable them tomorrow, or we can wait if you think that you will be bringing Khlorie on any more learning excursions.” The marshal’s eyes found mine and he winked. He actually winked! He knew perfectly well that there would be no more outings.
“Thank you Marshal Trackerson for your diligence. We will be back before nightfall.” Perry reached out and shook the officer’s hand while President Sager looked on disapprovingly. She hadn’t said anything but was eyeing me suspiciously.
“Goodbye President Sager,” I remarked to the powerful witch on the dock. “Thank you for coming to see us off.”
“I allowed this trip because Ed insisted it was essential for Khlorie’s growth as an earth elemental. If the two of you are not back even a minute after sundown, the Marshals have been ordered to launch a full search party.” She glared at Perry and then at me. “I trust that you will not waste ACC resources in such turbulent times.” Her distaste for the outing was clear from her tone, and the way she glared at me made an icy shiver run up my spine.
Perry assured everyone that we understood our responsibility and would be back at, or before, the agreed upon time. Before they could respond, he joined me at the front of the boat. With the quiet command, “Pléō ,” the speedboat roared to life and Perry navigated us away from Spindlewick Island. The wind kicked up around us, and I wondered if Perry willed it at our backs to help the speedboat move forward faster. Once I could no longer make out President Sager and Marshal Trackerson on the dock behind us, I breathed a sigh of relief. Perry turned and smiled at me. Reaching out, I took hold of the air elemental’s free hand.
“This has been too long coming,” he said, smiling and shouting slightly so that he could be heard over the engine. “I cannot wait to spend an entire day with you, away from everything.” Despite the excitement in his words, his smile was brief. His jaw tensed and he turned back to the water.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, noticing the small movement. He squeezed my hand but didn’t say anything. There was so much I wanted to say in that moment, but my secret hung between us like a barrier. I wondered if he could sense that something was wrong. After about thirty minutes, I spotted the dock where my mother and I had boarded The Wick back in July. I assumed that Perry was going to pull in there, but he banked south and continued along the coastline.
“Enchanted Bounty Farms has its own dock in Winterport. It is spelled so that only supernaturals can access it,” Perry shouted over the engine of the boat. “It’s not much further.” Another fifteen minutes passed and then a green dock, crafted out of vines came into view. A small sign on the side read “Welcome to Enchanted Bounty Farms.” Squeezing Perry’s hand with excitement, I got ready to disembark as he pulled up to the extraordinary dock. A few witches were circling on the broomstick landing area directly to the left of where we anchored the boat. Another handful were spell traveling onto the dock, appearing in brilliant flashes of color. Perry used a quick spell to secure the speedboat and then nimbly hopped out onto the dock, turning to help me join him. When we were both onto firm land again, Perry leaned down and gave me a soft and tender kiss. Far too short for my taste.
“I wanted to do that since I saw you on the dock, but I didn’t think President Sager and Marshal Trackerson would appreciate it.” He smiled and then reached up to caress my cheek. “I am so excited about getting to spend the day with you, and more grateful than you’ll ever know to have found you my dieramai.” I looped my hands around his waist and held him tight to me. Reaching up on my tiptoes, I kissed him again.
“I’m so lucky to have found you,” I whispered against his cheek. Guilt flooded through me as he tenderly held me. I needed to tell the man I loved the truth. I couldn’t pretend that my decision to leave wouldn’t hurt him. “Perry,” I whispered, still holding him close, but no longer looking in his eyes. “I need to tell you something.” He leaned down and gave me another quick kiss.
“I have things to tell you as well,” he replied, his features darkening. “There will be a time for that later. Let’s pick some apples first and enjoy ourselves.”
Nodding in agreement, I took his hand and followed him up a mulched trail tow
ards the farm. Putting off the inevitable sounded good to me. All around us were witches and wizards garbed in every color. They chatted happily as they walked the gorgeous trail lined with maple trees above and pumpkin vines along the ground. The walk along the trail took about ten minutes up a rather steep hill. When we reached the top, the full farm came into view. My breath caught at such a stunning sight. On the far left were rows and rows of vegetables and fruits. I could easily make out the pumpkin vines, but there were also beets, fennel, garlic, carrots, an entire selection of greens, potatoes, sweet potatoes, raspberries, turnips, and radishes. Behind them was a small bog where cranberries were grown. In the center of the acreage were three structures. Two large greenhouses stood in the rear. They were identical except for their signage. One read Enchanted Bounty: Plant and Flower Nursery. The other read, Enchanted Bounty: Magical Plants and Potion Ingredients. In front of the greenhouses was a small green farmhouse that appeared to have been converted into a shop. Right now, witches were perusing goods on the wrap-around porch. To the right of the structures was a beautiful orchard with rows labeled with either the names of apples or pears.
Elements of Power (Council of the Harvest Moon Book 1) Page 24
