Clawful Reflections

by Harper Lin

  Blake pulled out of the parking lot and drove in the direction of my house.

  “Are you going to tell me what happened back there?”

  My heart was beating hard, and I decided that this was all or nothing. I was going to spill my guts and let them fall where they may, or something like that. “How much did Jake tell you?” I started.

  Blake said he had told Jake he thought Bea was acting strange not long after we started the case with Mrs. Kitt.

  I sighed. “Right. Okay. Here goes.”

  24

  Motley Crew

  I explained it all, including how Mrs. Kitt’s heart exploded, making sure Blake knew it had nothing to do with the one-in-a-trillion statistic he mentioned. I told him about Bea getting caught in the mirror and the Medusa Praesentia spell that was causing her to act so out of character.

  “I knew something was wrong with her when she came to the station,” Blake said. My stomach sank.

  “What did she do there?” I asked carefully.

  “Let’s just say it was obvious she wasn’t herself. She made me a couple of offers that had I been a dishonest man, I might have taken her up on. But after I talked to her briefly, she left and said she was going back home.”

  I wanted to know what she said, and yet I didn’t. She’d made enough clear when she was shouting at me and Jake and Aunt Astrid.

  “Did you tell Jake what she said?”

  “No. I don’t think I ever will,” Blake replied without looking at me.

  “You have to understand she wasn’t herself. And she’s still not better.” I felt tears coming to my eyes again. “Blake, she’s like those people that get certain kinds of brain tumors. They press on a part of their brain, and what was a normally nice, sweet person transforms into a foulmouthed stranger. They don’t even know they are doing it. You wouldn’t blame a person who had cancer. Please don’t blame her.”

  He took my hand in his. It was warm and strong.

  “Blake, my family isn’t like other families. We’re witches. But not like the movies or old-time books say we are. Don’t get me wrong, there are some bad ones out there putting curses on people and stuff, but that isn’t us. Nope. Every time I wanted to put a curse on someone, my aunt stopped me. So, no accusations of revenge would ever stand up in a witch trial. Not where the Greenstones are concerned.”

  “I know,” he replied.

  “What? You know? How?”

  “Jake told me.”

  My jaw hit the floor of the car.

  “When?”

  Blake took a deep breath and stretched his fingers out from the steering wheel. He was quiet for a moment, but before I could repeat myself, he opened his mouth to speak.

  “I think you and Tom had just started dating.” He swallowed.

  “You’ve known all that time and acted like you knew nothing?” I looked out the window and huffed before turning and punching him in the arm.

  “Hey, that’s assaulting a police officer!” he griped, rubbing his arm with his other hand.

  “Great! Take me in, and tell all the guys how I beat you up. That’ll get you the street cred you deserve,” I grumbled. “How come you didn’t say anything?”

  “I didn’t really believe Jake.”

  “But you guys are partners. Why would he lie to you?”

  “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Jake acts different around Bea all the time. He’s not the same guy, and I’m not saying it in a bad or derogatory way. When he said she could manipulate someone’s heart and feelings, I thought he was just being dramatic.”

  “She’s an empath. And she’s in trouble. And there isn’t anything I can do about it.”

  “And you can talk to the animals?”

  “Mostly just cats. I can communicate with most, but cats are the real talkers.” I shrugged. “It’s not as glamorous as Bea or Aunt Astrid’s gifts.”

  “Your aunt can see different dimension and the future.”

  “That’s right. Did Jake tell you that too?” I shook my head and reached inside the bag, grabbing a few fingers’ worth of French fries and shoveling them into my mouth.

  “Nope. She did.”

  “What? Why would she tell you that?”

  “She said she saw something in the future that would require I know the truth.” He shrugged.

  “Did she say what it was?”

  Blake shook his head no.

  I took a deep breath and another handful of fries.

  “Hey, some of those are mine, you know. I’m on duty. I need my strength,” he said and didn’t sound like he was playing at all.

  “Too bad,” I said with a mouthful. “Just wait until I see that motley crew of a family. I’m going to have quite a few things to say to them. Here I’ve been tiptoeing around telling you my big secret, and you already knew. The big secret was don’t tell Cath that everyone in Wonder Falls knows she’s a witch.”

  “I don’t know what you’re getting upset over,” Blake interrupted. “I didn’t think you were ever going to tell me.”

  “Don’t turn this around like I did something wrong. I kept my mouth shut for once. Do you know what a monumental achievement that is? Only to find out my whole family blabbed it all over the place.”

  When we pulled down my street, Aunt Astrid was walking toward my house. She was in her pajamas and a shawl. Blake pulled the car over, and she came hurrying to us.

  “She’s awake,” Aunt Astrid panted.

  That was all I needed to hear. I opened the passenger door and was about to hop out but grabbed the food, stuck my tongue out at Blake, and hurried to Bea’s house.

  I knew Aunt Astrid would invite Blake in. But I couldn’t wait for him to park the car. As soon as I pushed open the door, I heard the most wonderful sound. It was Bea and Jake. They were laughing.

  I bounded up the stairs and knocked on the door.

  “You guys were alone for a few minutes. Do you need to put your clothes back on?”

  “Cath?”

  I swallowed hard as I peeked in, smiling. Bea was sitting up. The normal rosiness was back in her cheeks. Jake kissed Bea on the top of her head as he got up from the bed.

  “Burgers?” he asked as he approached.

  “They’re both mine,” I grumbled as he took the bag from me and gave me a peck on top of the head, too, before heading downstairs.

  “How are you feeling?” I crept in slowly.

  “Well.” She started to cry. “Not so good, Cath.”

  I hurried to her side and sat down, taking her hands in mine. “Why? What hurts?”

  She tapped her chest. “I remember.” She cried. “I remember it all. It was like I was outside myself watching and listening to a movie. I was helpless to stop it. To stop myself from dressing that way and acting that way and saying the things I said. Cath, I’m sorry. You are my best friend. I love you so much, and I’m sorry for the things I said. I didn’t mean them. Not at all.”

  “Bea, I know that.” I looked at her curiously. “Do you really think I’d hold it against you? You were in trouble. And now you’re safe. And no Medusa Praesentia is going to keep me from you. We’re a team. Whether you like it or not.”

  “Cath.” She hugged me tightly. “How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?”

  “Right back at you, cuz.”

  When she leaned back, I had to wipe my eyes with the hem of my shirt.

  “But there is one thing I’m not sorry I said.” She cleared her throat and leaned back slightly as if she were afraid a slap might be coming her way. “I told you Blake loves you. He does. And you love him. Lord, I made a fool of him and myself. I’ll have to mend that fence sooner rather than later.”

  “So, you think that just because you were in a pickle with the Medusa Praesentia, I’m going to go easy on you? You’re wrong, sista.” I sniffled. “Blake squealed on all of you too. Jake, Aunt Astrid, you…well, wait. He didn’t mention you in particular, but you’ll just suffer guilt by association.”

/>   “What are you talking about?”

  I took a deep breath and smiled. “It can wait until you’re feeling better.”

  Jake came back into the room with a glass of seltzer water with sliced lime in it and a straw. He kissed Bea on the head, the cheek, quickly on the lips.

  “Gross. I’m out of here. We’ll talk when you aren’t being pawed by Jake.”

  “Don’t go far, Cath. We have something that needs to be done,” Bea said.

  “I live across the street, remember?” I winked. “Jake, take care of her.”

  “You know I will, Cath.”

  I went back downstairs and saw Aunt Astrid sitting with Blake. I arched my right eyebrow as I approached them. “What are you two talking about?”

  “Nothing,” Aunt Astrid said, and it was obvious the way she was trying not to laugh that she was lying. I picked up the white carryout sack that had delicious grease spots forming on it.

  “I’m going home now that Bea is up and back to her normal self. And I’m taking my food.”

  “Half of that is my food,” Blake said.

  “Then you better just come with me because I’m eating it at my house with my cat in front of my television.” I kissed my aunt quickly on the cheek. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  Blake kissed Aunt Astrid, too, and swiped the bag from my hand as he opened the door for me. I hated that I was loving his attention. Tom was still laid up without anyone being able to help him, and I was falling for someone else at the same time.

  You aren’t falling for him. You fell for Blake the minute you laid eyes on him.

  That pesky conscience never knew when to shut up.

  Blake and I did enjoy the burgers at my house. We talked about some of the cases he was working on, and I didn’t bring back up the fact that I came from a long line of witches. Why should I? Everyone else had already filled in the gaps.

  He left at about two in the morning, promising that he’d talk to me later in the day. I didn’t think there was anything odd about that until Bea called me at around eight in the morning.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Ready for what?” I asked, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

  “Ready to go help Tom?”

  25

  Black Plague

  “I feel like I’m going to war,” I said as Bea drove to the hospital. “Driving really slowly, with wind-chimey music to get me pumped and ready for battle.”

  “Aren’t you funny? The speed limit is thirty-five on this street.” Bea sounded just like her old self.

  “Yes, that means you can go forty, maybe even forty-two,” I urged.

  “All right, girls,” Aunt Astrid interrupted. “We are going to need a special protection spell that will not only protect us from what we know can be lurking in a hospital but from what we don’t know. This is going to be tricky.”

  She opened her big spell book to a page she had dog-eared.

  “Can we do this in the car?” I muttered. “Maybe we should pull over. Or if you need more room, you can use the back seat. I can get out and walk and still keep up with Bea.”

  “Ha ha.” Bea rolled her eyes in the rearview mirror. There was a glow around her that made me feel happy. It was so good to see her back to herself.

  “No. We’ll do this in the garage of the hospital once we park. I’ll get a better lay of the land that way,” my aunt said.

  “Jake and Blake are already on their way?” I asked.

  “Yes. They promised to run interference until Bea can assess Tom’s condition,” Aunt Astrid said.

  “Are you sure you are up to it?” I asked.

  “I’m dying to do it.” She shook her head. “That woman was definitely up to something when we came here the first time. I was just too out of it to help. I just hope that Tom’s condition hasn’t gotten worse.”

  We pulled into the underground visitor parking garage, and Bea led us around to an isolated corner for us to get ready.

  With a wave of her hand, Aunt Astrid turned the security camera in the opposite direction. Bea took my hand, and I felt her reading my aura before she patted me on the back. She did the same to her mother.

  “All our vitals are looking good,” she whispered.

  Aunt Astrid gave us each a white candle to represent our familiars who couldn’t come with. She lit them all in addition to a bundle of sage that also had fresh coriander wrapped with the dry leaves.

  I knew coriander had some strong medicinal properties. When my aunt reached into her purse that was really a huge sack embroidered with multicolored ribbons in a striped pattern and fringe hanging off the bottom, she pulled out a clove of garlic, a ginger root, and a plastic baggie of cayenne pepper.

  “This is an old spell. It was prevalent during the Black Plague. I’m thinking that it might be just what we need to keep whatever Patience is conjuring up away from us long enough for us to help Tom.” She smirked. “I’ll save the worst part for last.”

  “Worst part?” I looked at Bea, who shrugged. “What worst part?”

  Aunt Astrid shushed me, so I pinched my lips together and looked at Bea.

  “Placidus autem non imbellis,” she muttered as she waved the sage-coriander mixture over us. Then, with the garlic clove in one hand and the ginger in the other, we were marked on our heads, our throats, our chests, and our hands.

  “And now, for the hard part.” She took the baggie of cayenne pepper and pulled out a small, hand-carved wooden spoon. “Open wide.”

  “Ugh. We have to swallow that?”

  She nodded. “I’ll go first.” Down the hatch my aunt swallowed the teaspoonful. “There will be side effects, so let’s hurry.”

  I held my nose, took a deep breath, and opened wide while squeezing my eyes shut. In one gulp, I swallowed the powder. It was like it just ran to my eyes, making them burn and run.

  “Uh! It’s worse than I imagined.” I desperately wished for a Coke. “Why didn’t you warn us? We could have had some Mountain Dew in the car, or water even.”

  “It doesn’t work if you water it down,” my aunt muttered as Bea took her medicine without incident.

  I stared at her. “Nothing?”

  “That’s tasty.” She licked her lips. “I didn’t mind that at all. It really opened my sinuses.”

  “Aunt Astrid, I think I’m going to be sick.” I clutched my stomach.

  “That’s the whole idea, honey.” She handed me a plastic bag, and I dashed off behind the car to wretch. I wasn’t there long before I was feeling much better. Really good, as a matter of fact. Aunt Astrid had the same response as I did. When she appeared from around the corner, she was feeling better too.

  “You’re just as pleasant as punch, aren’t you?” I asked Bea.

  “Didn’t bother me in the least.” She raised her chin proudly.

  “Well, now I know what to make for you for your special birthday dinner,” I replied.

  “You are a riot. A regular comedian.”

  “I am, aren’t I?”

  “All right, girls. You’ve been cleansed from the inside out. We’ve got nothing for Patience to latch onto. Be brave. Be calm. And most of all, be careful. Let’s go.”

  We took the elevator to the lobby and were told by a kind older volunteer named Velma that Tom Warner was in intensive care.

  “It says here that only immediate family is allowed to visit. Are you family?” she asked innocently. I didn’t want to get Velma in trouble. But this was a matter of life or death. I looked to Aunt Astrid, but it was Bea who stepped up.

  “I’m his sister.” She touched Velma’s hand. “This is my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. It’s been hard on us. Especially since I haven’t spoken to him or my mother in a long time. Isn’t it a shame it takes a tragedy to bring people together?”

  “Better late than never, my mother always said.” Velma smiled and gave us each a visitor’s pass with today’s date, the floor, and room number on it. We left for the elevators.

  “Do you
think Jake and Blake had any luck getting her away from Tom’s bedside?” I asked nervously. The last thing I wanted was another confrontation.

  “We’ll see,” Aunt Astrid replied.

  “Well, that’s reassuring,” I muttered. “Don’t throw me a bone just to make me feel better. Patience didn’t call you a whore.”

  My aunt patted me on the shoulder as we piled in and went to the third floor. Aunt Astrid stepped off first. Her steps were sure but careful. She was moving around things only she could see, nodding to entities only visible to her eyes. I scanned the room for the devil. Patience Warner. So far, I hadn’t seen her anywhere.

  Jake and Blake were waiting outside Tom’s door as we approached.

  “Where is she?” I asked.

  “She wasn’t here when we got here,” Blake said. “How are you holding up?”

  “I’m good. My aunt tried to poison me with a spoonful of cayenne pepper.” I smirked.

  “That’s what that smell is.” He nodded and reached into his pocket to offer me a mint, but Aunt Astrid shook her head.

  “Sorry. Gotta stay funky for this.” I shrugged and walked past him to look in the window to Tom’s room. I could see his feet underneath the blanket, but the curtain around his bed was pulled out so I couldn’t see his face.

  “Look, whatever happens in there, don’t worry about Patience Warner,” Blake said. “I promise she won’t get to you like before.”

  “Thanks,” I said, looking up at him. I turned to my aunt and bounced my eyebrows. “Should I get the ball rolling?”

  “You go in first, Cath. Recite the words we practiced. Then I’ll follow, and finally Bea will join us at our full strength to finish the job. The boys will keep anyone from coming in. Right, guys?”

  “That’s right, Mom.” Jake kissed Bea on the cheek again. “Good luck.”

  I took a deep breath and walked into the room.

  26

  Hiding