by Rose, Rhea
“Cut this sucker.”
I hesitated. I looked at Justine, then at Emilia, then swiftly pulled the sword around and brought it down and sliced through the handcuff chain.
“Rock beats scissors, sword beats cuffs!” Emila shouted. Now freed, Emilia turned to face down Justine. But the cop was gone. After I’d freed Emi I’d moved quickly to Justine and touched her with the card. I held it up proudly for Emilia to see. Devon got to me first and then Emilia. They crowded in to look at the card and inside it was Justine replacing the thin silhouette that held her spot while she ran free in Meadowvale.
“You go sexy girl,” Devon said, and he gave me a swat on the butt. I nearly elbowed him.
“Nice work, partner,” Emilia said.
“Bet you didn't know I could swing a sword,” I said to Emi and glared at Devon.
“Did you know?” Emi asked me. I shrugged. I decided to let that one remain a mystery for the time being. Then we heard a tiny voice yell up from the card. Justine’s voice. She stood at attention in her RCMP surge.
“What’s that you say,” I yelled down to her.
“Send my cuffs back!”
I glanced around the shop. I saw the pair that had held Malcolm. They were still in one piece. I’d forgotten that they fell to the floor when he was sent back. I retrieved them.
I held them up for Justine to see. “I got a date with these tonight,” I said.
Justine looked none too pleased.
I winked at Emilia. She gave me a luscious grin. “Oh,” I said awkwardly, “Not you, that’s not what I meant.”
Emilia looked perturbed.
Then it was Devon’s turn. He growled in a lusty animal way. “I love you, Janey.”
“Ah, sure you do, Devon, but I’m not using these with you either,” I said, realizing I was outnumbered by these two very powerful beings.
*
When I finally got home that evening, I phoned Glendie but she wasn’t answering. I really wanted to know what the status was on my kitten. I saw Sia’s collar still sitting on the mantel of the fireplace where I put it after I took it back from Glendie’s fridge. That meant she wasn’t back from the dimension she was wandering in. I wondered if Sia, being a Cheshire, could move in and out of dimensions at will.
If I put the collar on my wrist it kept me in her dimension and I couldn’t function that dimension, at least not easily. I decided to add the small collar to the chain around my neck that carried the tiny pinchers I used to hang on to my bank cards. I might need that collar to go fetch her if Maisie didn’t let her show up soon.
Once I had the collar tucked neatly beneath my t-shirt, I couldn’t wait to pour myself a tasty glass of cabernet. I had a delicious bottle of Sangria de Bruja, after a few glasses I found the courage to try out my new handcuffs.
I handcuffed one end to the spindles on my staircase and the other to myself. I was a bit drunk, but I think that may have helped. “Release me. Release me. That would please me.” I said these words over and over, until the entire stair rail began to vibrate and shake. A single spindle fell away and the cuff slipped off the end, but my wrist was still cuffed. I tugged lamely at it. “Abracadabra?” No luck.
Then my doorbell rang.
Chapter 5
Seven of Swords: Just Me and My Shadow
I looked through the peek hole, but didn’t see anyone there. Yet, I sensed someone. I scratched my head and conked myself with the handcuffs, maybe it was Glendie, but why would she come over at nine in the evening without letting me know? Maybe she had Sia! I peeked through the hole again and this time I saw who was there.
The shadow.
The same dark presence I’d seen before, following me on the street, then in Maisie’s shop when I’d escaped from the Star card. The long, deeply black shadow stained the sidewalk, up the two short stairs to the stoop, a slash of darkness fell over the peek hole, like a slender ebony ribbon dimming the porch light. It was him, the stranger, the stalker, he’d had finally caught up.
My heart stalled, my head buzzed. I was scared. I hated being scared it. didn’t happen often. No stupid shadow person was going to control me; I pulled the door open and jumped out onto the stoop. “Come and get me, Shadow man!” I shouted. Even though it was nine o’clock at night there was still enough light out to clearly see who, if anyone, was out there. A voice called out to me.
“Ahem, it’s me!”
“Me who?” I asked trying to sound challenging.
“Ah, your date for the night. You said come to your place.”
Omg, I’d forgotten all about that! I hadn’t done a thing to get ready. I was silent. I didn’t know what to do, then thought what the heck. Why not? “Oh, yeah, I forgot about our date, but come on in and have a glass of wine. Where the hell are you?” I asked?
“Down here.”
I looked down over the rail on my stoop and there below me, like Romeo looking up to his Juliet, was my date, in my bushes. To top it off, I recognized him. “Why are you down there?” I asked.
“Ah, I’m shy. After I rang the bell, I got nervous and changed my mind, so I ducked in here. But you got out here so fast.”
“You’re shy?”
“That’s why I have to look for dates online,” he said, but he didn’t sound very convincing.
“Well, get up here William.” Yes, it was William from Koldwell Bank’s board room! I soon learned that his full name was William Tell. I didn’t believe him at first and asked him to show me some ID and he did. He was the tall, skinny dude with the cool glasses, such a leader and tough speaker in the board room, was shy and retiring out in the real world, on a date, or so it seemed.
He was tall! Once I got him inside I saw just how tall he was. My guess was he stood about six feet, six. But I had nine foot ceilings, so it didn’t matter much. I offered him a glass of red wine which he took. He sat in a nearby chair and while he sipped I took a good look at this guy. He wore the long spaghetti western coat, a toque, fingerless gloves and a pair of sunglasses. He wasn’t dressed like this that day he sat in the boardroom.
“Well, William, what gives?” I asked, while he sipped. “You’ve been following me. And my friend Glendie seems to think you’re from the Cheshire society, whatever that is. I saw you at the Koldwell with Malcolm Press. So, give it up. You’re busted. I presume you answered my dating ad to get in to my place perhaps to brainwash me into the joining the society. So, here you are.”
“That’s a lot of questions,” he said.
“I’ve got more.”
“By all means.”
“Did you drop Theodosia off on my doorstep? Where is she now? Is she safe?”
He put down his glass of wine. “I’m disappointed,” he said.
“Really?”
“I had hoped a date with you was going to me more fun and less of an interrogation.” He linked his fingers loosely together, rested his elbows on his knees, leaned forward and stared at me. His posture, lankiness and attire gave him a kind of Ichabod Crane look, only more handsome.
I stared right back. What did I care if he was disappointed?
Then he said, “Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, to all your questions. In fact, yes, yes, yes and no. ”
“Really.”
“Really.”
“No. I didn’t answer you’re dating ad so I could get into your place.” He looked very honest when he said that.
“You got a lot of s’plainin to do Willy.”
“Please don’t call me Willy.”
“Hmm, that will depend on your s’plainin’”
“What do you mean – s’plainin?”
Omg, “Tell me what’s going on in this town and why me.”
“I thought it was obvious,” he said.
I shook my head no and gave my best inquiring look.
“I follow the cat. Kitten in this case,” he said.
“The cat? Sia?”
“Theodosia. I can’t believe she answers
to Sia, but she’s young. That’s right. Sia.”
“But you work for Koldwell!”
“That’s my ruse. I do work for them, but that’s not my raison d’etre.”
“But you’re not a major – are you?”
He laughed at that then and flicked a hand at me, waving that one off.
“Put your tarot deck away, Jane. You won’t be capturing me. I’m not part of that nonsense.”
“Well then, what nonsenses are you part of?” I poured myself a second glass of wine. He paused and watched me drink, and while I drank I looked at him through the concave side of the crystal wine goblet. He appeared to morph and become cat like in nature, which really freaked me out. I pulled the goblet away and looked at Willy; once again, he looked like his regular self.
“Jane, all of those majors that you released from the cursed tarot deck owe some form of debt to Maisie. They’ve wronged her in some way. She’s a powerful sorceress and they’re locked in her deck to repay her, and only Maisie decides when their debts are paid out. I’m not part of that nonsense because I’m not part of Maisie’s sorcery. When she created the deck and made herself a powerful sorceress, she let Anesthesia get away from her. Not all at once but little by little she lost her focus on her responsibility to her Cheshire, allowing Thesia to be captured. Anyway it’s all a long story.”
“But Thesia sounds like Theodosia?”
“They were sisters,” he informed me.
“No!”
“Yes! And The fact is I’m Sia’s factotum.”
“Whaaa? Fatsotum?” I put my hand on my belly. I pretended I didn’t know what that word meant, but I knew all too well what he meant. It was Ichabod’s turn to give me a look.
“Is Maisie still part of the society?”
“Of course she didn’t actually kill her cat. She left it in harm’s way”
“How?”
He shook his head no. “Another date and another time and I’ll tell you more.”
“But what’s your roll with Sia? I’ve got to know.”
“I’m her servant,” he said matter-of-factly. “Well, I was but now you are.”
*
It took William most of the evening, three bottles of wine and half my Benraich, twelve years old, to explain it all to me. At one point I noticed that he was wearing a cat collar much like Sia’s (only it was a deep purple color, not pink). It was hidden under the shirt and tie he removed that evening. Okay, so we got into a little cuddling and scratching behind the ears; what can I say? I knew he couldn’t remove that collar if he wanted to remain with me in the flesh, in this dimension. For a long, skinny guy; he was pretty cuddly, if you know what I mean. He was all muscle and sinew, like most cats, although technically he assured me that he wasn’t a cat, yet. He told me something that really surprised me. Something I hadn’t suspected at all. Well, he told me several heart stopping things, while we tumbled and chased each other around the condo. His telling always began with a question. He wanted to know if I’d ever wondered why I enjoyed my sexuality so much, why finding men online was such a turn on. I said I’d never really thought about it. He said it was because of my cat like nature. I laughed and hissed and scratched his back. Then he told me something that made my claws sink into the foam of my mattress.
He asked me if I knew that Maisie was a member of the Cheshire Society, as well.
“No way?”
“Don’t be so surprised. Meadowvale isn’t the cozy little hamlet you seem to think it is, and its folks aren’t the cozy little plebs you’ve sought refuge in. That fact that you found it, intuitively, says something about you, and folks here want to know what and who you are.”
Gob smacked is the only word that came to my mind. Words failed me for a second. “Talk to me like I’m a two year old,” I said.
He gave me an odd look, like an owl that spies a potential meal.
“That how she got put in charge of the deck,” he said, while nibbling on my ear. I couldn’t understand him while he gave me an ear lick, so I stopped him.
“Say, again?” I said. “She’s in charge of the tarot deck because she let her cat die?”
“Well, she didn’t let it die.” He kissed me on the forehead.
“What happened?” I lay back on the pillow, hands tucked behind my head. I wanted to hear this.
He played with my belly jewel. He looked at me. His eyes twinkled and looked guarded. Then he said, “They inked her.”
“Inked her? The cat?”
“That’s correct.”
“Look, William.”
“Thank you.”
“William, ever since I’ve moved to this town I’ve had the feeling that – how can I put it – I’ve been sought after. Followed, tricked, manipulated—capiche?” He nodded, yes. “It’s clear to me now that Devon follows me, probably to report my goings-on to Maisie, but I think the crazy demon has fallen for me – well—as best as a demon can, so now he really follows me! He’s cramping my dating style. He and Maisie have me bound to a cursed tarot deck which apparently I can’t get free of unless I return all the majors back to their dutiful place within the cards – I have no idea how long that’s going to take.
“I’m getting the sense it may take my entire life time – “
“Or longer,” he said.
“Or longer!” He nodded. I was on a roll here, so I wasn’t about to let up. “What’s going on? Can you connect the dots for me?” I gave him my best lamentable look and batted my lashes a few times, although I don’t think I’d dressed them up much, so he may not have noticed.
“You’re not the only one who wants her freedom; Maisie wants to be free too. I’ve given Maisie a gift to give to you.”
“That’s very nice but I need the gift of understanding. Tell me what’s going on.”
“You have lovely eyes, so green,” he said.
“Thank you.” I really was a push over for a compliment and a gift.
“Your Sia is safe for the moment. I noticed her collar on your fireplace mantel. You shouldn’t let it lie about.”
“I’ll go get it. I only put it there when we came in here” I said and tried to get up off the bed, but he pulled me back.
“Not so fast. I’m not finished connecting the dots,” he said and drew his finger up from my belly button to my left and then my right nipple. I grabbed his wrist with my none cuffed arm and pulled his finger to my mouth and bit down on his nail, not too hard, but enough to get his attention. He loved it!
“Alright! I’ll confess,” he said, and bent to whisper in my ear.
Chapter 6
Eight of Wands: Not My Magic
Christian Whitman is forty-five, tall, and white haired. He’s my school principal and the man who hired me for the Little Blossom Academy, a private all girl school for young ladies ages nine to sixteen. While he’s my boss, he’s also my nemesis. He’s a walking bean pole of double standards. He’s rotten, for sure, but I’m not sure how deep that decay of entitled male superiority has dug itself into that concave chest of his, where his red tie with a gold school crest clip settles while at the school.
During the day he’s a hands-off kind of guy, letting his bullish headmistress do his dirty work, but in the evenings, Whitman, a.k.a as Mr. Hyde, is all hands. But then, who am I to complain of the man’s shadow side. I have my own to contend with.
This afternoon I was enjoying a quiet moment at the desk of the teacher I was filling in for, eating my bagged lunch. The classroom was empty of girls. Thank goodness. I still hadn’t figured out how to get the one handcuff off my wrist and had to hide the other half up my sleeve all day and pretend I was wearing a cool bracelet! I’d been contemplating my success at having captured Justine and Malcolm and after my delicious date with William, I relaxed a little about Sia and decided that the whole capture and release tarot deck business was going to be an adventurous piece of cake. In fact I’d probably be sorry and bored once it was all over.
I watched the girls in the schoo
lyard eating lunch and playing games, or standing around talking. I saw two of the ‘bad’ girls, Casey and Sandra; go behind the trees where I knew they smoked cigarettes. I had my feet up on the desk and the chair pushed back enjoying the quiet moment. That’s when I heard him, Whitman out in the hall. I knew it was him because I heard him pull out his medieval ring of keys and rattle them around looking for the one that would open my classroom door.
I stayed where I was and let him search. I wasn’t about to jump up and help that guy get into my room any faster than he did. With any luck he wouldn’t find the key and he’d go away. I’ve seen that ridiculous dungeon master ring of clefs he insists on wearing under his jacket. It’s even got skeleton shaped keys on it, but I think they’re for show. I doubt they actually work anywhere in the school, but they might work in the old graveyard buildings across the street. The other teachers and I joke about him doing double duty as the undertaker.
Damn, he found a key for this room. He’s clunking it around trying to make it work. Unfortunately for me the door clicked open.
I didn’t bother to swing my chair around. I tried to act like he’d caught me by surprise during my lunch break. I heard the floor boards squeak as he stepped in. “Miss Starr,” he said. I turned my chair away from the window to face him.
“Mr. Whitman!”
“You were expecting someone else?”
“I expected no one. It’s lunch time.”
“Miss Starr – “
“Mz Starr.”
“Yes. I need you to take my lunch supervision. I need to leave the school to attend an urgent matter.”
I put down my sandwich. Take his lunch supervision? “Right now?”
“Now.”
I had loosened my mandatory red tie with the school crest on it which had allowed my blouse to relax and loosen up revealing a little of my double D cleavage. I saw Whitman’s eyes drop to the loose tie.
“Your top buttons are undone. Your cleavage is showing.”
“My buttons? No, it’s my tie. I loosened it for lunch. I didn’t think I’d be having any visitors.” I pushed my chair out. I put down my sandwich and began to adjust my tie.
