"That's it?" the man asked. "What a joke. I'm not paying for this. All you did was dunk his book in water."
"Finis." I released my wizard's sight. "Salt water," I corrected. "I don't need to be paid. I would, however, recommend giving your son a saltwater bath tonight. If he feels a compulsion toward death or book fairs, I'd come back and talk to Judy."
"I knew this was going to be a bunch of crap," he said.
I fished his book from the water and held it out to him. The book's curse had dissipated in the water. My best guess was that Willum had cursed some of the books simply so they'd keep kids interested until he could hook them with a real spell book.
"No!" He jerked his hand away from the proffered book. "You crazy bastard, do you think I'm stupid?"
"I have you pegged as an asshole and a cheapskate," I said. "Stupid would have been to ignore the problem. All in, though, I'm thinking not father-of-the-year finalist."
"I'm an asshole?" he started to talk louder. "You're the asshole."
"No argument from me," I said and pushed past him to the open door. Once outside, my eyes fell on who I immediately knew to be Wanda and Max. The plain looking woman wore a black peasant skirt and simple cotton shirt. The boy sat on the boardwalk and rocked back and forth, clutching a leather-bound book in his hands.
"Wanda? Max?" I asked as I approached.
"You were in the tent," she said. "I recognize you."
I furrowed my brows, not expecting to being called out in public.
"You were there? Are you a practitioner?" I asked.
"I am no one of special importance," she answered, holding her hand out cautiously for me to shake. I noticed she wore a wide, ornately carved, leather bracelet, effectively denying me access to her wrist - which I wouldn't have tried either way.
"Judy asked me to visit with you," I said. "How is it you think we might help?"
"I am wiccan," she said. "I don't mean to stir up trouble with Judy. I have respect for her, even though we have chosen different paths." I considered her words for a moment. Some of the covens around Leotown were wiccan, which meant they intermingled a religious component into their craft. Judy seemed to get along with them and I wasn't sure why Wanda was being careful.
"Your respect is appreciated. Is this Max?" I asked, not interested in pursuing the conversation.
"I should have known better," she said. "He found it at Eppy several weeks ago in their bargain books. It's my fault. I was greedy and believed we'd found an overlooked text. He loved it so much and I was thrilled to finally be sharing a part of myself with him." Guilty tears poured from the woman's eyes.
"Max, would you mind talking to me about your book?" I asked gently, sitting on the boardwalk in front of him, careful not to appear threatening.
"It's mine," he said. "You can't have it."
"Want to see something cool?" I asked. "It's real magic."
He looked at me skeptically. "Like what?"
"Well, I'm a lot like you," I said. "I came into my magic when I was about your age, but I didn't have very good control. Now I'm a lot better with it. Want to see a magic lantern?"
His eyes grew wide. "Here?"
"I'd prefer it if you and your mom came into the shop. We have a private area in the back. I bet she's already told you that we don't show people our magic," I said.
"Because they get scared," he said.
"Or angry," I agreed. "They might try to put you in jail. Do you mind coming in, Wanda?" I looked at the woman.
"If it is approved by Mistress Judy," she said.
"I think you've misread her," I said. "If you don't approach her with hostility, I can't fathom she cares a bit if you're in the shop."
"But we're different," she said.
"Then why did you come?" I asked.
"Because I'm nothing more than a kitchen witch," she said, as fresh tears popped out onto her cheeks. "I can't help him."
I took a deep breath. I wasn't about to fix this woman and her prejudices. "I already have permission to bring you back. Mistress Judy recognizes these are special times and that we must band together for the greater good. We even sought help from a Christian pastor."
She gasped. "You didn’t. Christians have always persecuted us. How could you?"
"I met the pastor. He is a gentle, kind man as well as a true believer. Without magic, that man walks in more power than I've seen before. What better man to protect a child from a demon?"
"Demons are a Christian construct," she spat.
"I'm tired, Wanda," I said. "I would very much like to help you and Max, but I have no interest in a religious debate."
Max broke the stalemate as the two of us stared at each other. "Mother, I'd like to see the magic. Please?"
She sighed. "Yes. Of course. I'm sorry."
"It is a stressful time for everyone," I said and led them into the shop which had started to empty. Apparently, Luana had walked right past me, because she was leaning against the counter talking with Gabriella. Her eldest, Estelle, stood next to Gabriella, perfectly mimicking her every move.
"Heya, Bug," I said, tussling her hair on my way past.
"Hi, Max," Estelle said, ignoring me and blushing. For his part, Max ignored her.
"What's that smell?" Max asked as we entered the private portion of the shop.
"You've a good nose, Max," I said. "That's a special concoction my dear Gia uses to torture me with."
"Really?" he asked, immediately concerned.
"Sorry, bad choice of words," I said. "It's for healing poultices and I'm not a big fan."
"Are you really going to show me magic?"
"First one is free," I said, bringing my magical lantern to life.
"That's amazing!" Max's response was so heartfelt that I couldn't help but show off further.
"Adoloret." I shaped a hollow sphere of flame and tossed it toward the refrigerator, where it broke apart, leaving behind a small scorch mark.
"Wicked!" he approved.
"Did you learn cool spells from your book too?" I asked.
"You're trying to trick me," he said.
"I showed you what I can do," I said. "It's only fair."
"I can find dead things," he said. "Like bugs or mice."
He opened his book and I pulled my sunglasses off for a better view.
"Your eyes are glowing," he said.
I winked at him. "Best not to mess with a wizard," I said. "Now go ahead."
The ghrelin's curse was all over the book as well as Max. It wasn't anywhere near as bad as Petaluma, but was considerably worse than the kid with the frog book. When he started to read, it became clear why he struggled with the magic - his ability to form the words was poor. My guess was he was a struggling reader, perhaps the best genetic gift he could have received, given the circumstances. A small trail of energy reached out from him to the cabinet beneath the sink and he got up and followed it, pulling out a dead cockroach.
"You have some of your mother's talent," I said. "But you're struggling. This book fights your mother's magic." I was implying a connection between the two ideas, even though there wasn't one. A wiccan would have no room for necromancy and the boy clearly had no real talent for it.
"What are you saying?" Wanda asked.
"You need to train him," I said. Max picked up on it and looked at his mother sharply.
"But he's a boy," she said.
"He has talent, but this is the wrong book for him. Would it be so hard to show him the spells you weave in the kitchen?" I asked.
"It's not done."
"I know several male witches," I said. "Some very powerful. I'm here to tell you it is a small sacrifice for ridding your house of this book of necromancy."
"Necromancy?" She all but started crying again. "Yes. I'll show him." She pulled the boy to her chest and clung to him.
"Max. Do you want to chase bugs all your life or would you rather like to learn the secrets your mother has? I bet she has much to teach you," I said.
"I can't give up my … book." He looked to his mother wistfully.
"This won't be easy for him," I said. "Hell, it won't be easy for me, but I'm willing to help you break this if you'll swear to train him."
"I swear," she said.
I stuck my hand out to her and she accepted it, even when I reached past her and grabbed her wrist. The leather bracelet provided a weak shield which I easily pushed through. She was telling the truth and I released before either of us could get in any real trouble.
"What about her?" Wanda asked, noticing the sleeping form of Lace in Gia's chair.
"Let's stay focused, shall we?" I asked, grabbing a bottle of salt from the cupboard and poured it in a circle big enough for me to kneel in. "Wanda, I want you to hold Max right there. Max, I need you to hand me your book."
"Will you give it back?"
"If you want it when we're done, it's yours. Deal?" I asked. This was the moment where everything could fall apart. Max might be a slow reader, but that didn't mean he didn't have his mother's propensity to witchcraft. It wouldn't take a very strong witch to see through my deception. Certainly, Petaluma would never have fallen for it.
I nodded solemnly as he handed the book to me. "Promise?" he asked, holding on.
"Promise. All yours if you still want it," I said.
He shrugged and let go. The energy trail between Max and the book wasn't particularly strong, but it was evident. After placing the book on the floor in front of me, I closed my eyes and reached out for energy, pushing down into the earth as I'd been doing more and more recently. As I mingled with Gia and Judy's energy, I smiled, their signatures as familiar as their favorite perfumes. The energy was nowhere near as strong as what I'd found in the sleepy mountain, but was there nonetheless.
"Sphaera." I invoked the spell circle and a translucent sphere formed around me. Max writhed in his mother's arms as the weak stream of magic between him and the book was cut off. He threw his head back and thrashed as the stream poured from his body and battered against the sphere. His addicted little soul fought for its magical fix and he bucked free from his mother, jumping toward me on the floor, contacting the edge of the sphere and rebounding.
"Adoloret." I channeled the energy I'd gathered from below through the wand and into the book. The curse first fought against me, then reached out and spread itself over the surface of the translucent sphere, searching for a way back to its host. I pushed more energy into the book, attempting to burn out the curse. A thumping sound caught my attention as Max wailed on the sphere with his small fists, trying to break through. The sickly green energy stream looked like an alien erupting from his chest, trying to rejoin the book through the impenetrable spell circle wall.
Finally, the edge of the book smoldered and I redoubled my efforts. The curse gave up its quest to link back with the boy and reached around, grabbing me unexpectedly. My throat burned and I struggled for breath as tendrils encircled my neck. Panic welled up in me as I started to wonder if I would have enough reserve to burn it out before I ran out of oxygen.
The edges of my vision darkened and I knew my method was too slow. I wouldn't make it if I didn't change my tactics immediately. I dropped the fire spell and pulled at the oak leaf around my neck as I toppled to the ground. With my remaining strength, I pushed the leaf beneath the tendrils of the curse. Immediately, they retracted and beautiful air once again filled my lungs.
"Shit," I said and looked outside of the circle. Lace had awakened. She, Judy, and Gia all stared at me with concern. Max sobbed, although I considered it good that he was conscious.
With the oak leaf in hand, I cast the shield spell, "Scutum!" With my free hand, I shaped the shield, causing it to envelop the smoldering book. I pushed harder, crumpling my fingers as if crushing a tin can. The book began to deform beneath my shield and I pushed even harder, willing more and more energy from my body. I was running out and would not have enough to finish it off. A desperate thought spurred me to action and I pushed my foot across the salt ring, breaking the spell circle.
All at once the noise of the shop found me. Everyone in the room seemed to be talking to me all at once, but I ignored them and reached down into the earth, pulling at the energy I'd found only a few minutes before. It was so sparse that for a moment, I thought all was lost. Finally, I found a small eddy and with a final flourish, I closed my fist, crushing the book into a fine powder.
Pinch of Salt
"What were you thinking?" Judy asked, annoyed. "You locked yourself into a spell circle with a cursed artifact?"
Judy and Gia helped me onto the couch next to Max's shell-shocked mother. Gia handed me a steaming cup of tea and I got a light whiff of the pungent scent of valerian root - a sedative. I noticed Wanda also had a cup in her hands which she hadn't touched.
"You lied." Max looked up at me from the floor, where he was picking through the remains of his book. His cheeks were tear-stained and I vaguely remembered that he'd been pulled off me while I battled with the book's curse.
"It was a miscalculation," I said, ignoring Max. "Lane's oak leaf saved me. Good news is I have some idea how to attack it now."
"You said I could have the book back," Max pushed. "I hate you and I hate her!" He pointed to his mother who was sitting still on the couch.
"Hard lesson, kid," I said.
"Your shirt," Lace said, hobbling back to her chair.
I looked down and rolled my eyes, I was leaking either poultice or the stuff behind it and Gia would no doubt be prompted to reapply the dressing.
"I don't know how to thank you," Wanda said weakly from the couch.
I gave her a wan smile, my energy level allowing for nothing more. "Removing this demon's blight from Crabtree Valley is the objective. I'm just glad you came."
Wanda sucked in air when I said the word 'demon,' but to her credit, she kept her objections to herself and smiled. I considered it progress.
"I'll see you out," Gia said. "Felix needs his rest."
"Of course," Wanda said, standing. "Max. We're going, get up. You need to apologize to Mr. Slade."
"Never," Max hissed.
"The curse was a compulsion. It's not reasonable to expect his gratitude," I said. "Someday he'll understand. But I think today is probably not that day."
Wanda gave me a hard look. She didn't appreciate my advice on child rearing and struggled to bite back a reprimand.
Gia, always quick to understand, gently guided the woman from the room, with Max right behind her. Just before he cleared the curtains, Max looked back at me and saluted me quietly with his middle finger.
"Making friends, as always," Judy said. "I have two more like Max. I'll ask them to come back tomorrow."
"Not necessary," I said. "Give me an hour and I'll be ready to go. I wasted a lot of energy, but I think I have it figured out as long as they're not as bad as Petaluma."
"I don't think so. Max was the worst we've seen today," she said.
The smell of garlic caught my attention just before Maggie sauntered back through the curtains, carrying three large boxes of pizza and laying them on a folding project table. I hadn't had much to eat and gratefully snagged a slice.
"Smells good for convenience store pizza," Maggie observed, biting into a steaming hot piece.
"How many calories do you think you've eaten today?" I asked.
"Five thousand, give or take," she said. "You'd think I'd gain weight faster; best I can do is a pound or so a week. I'd like to be closer to eight thousand, but it's hard to eat that much."
"This should do it," I said, biting through the thick layer of toppings.
"So good," Maggie agreed, eating a piece that was bigger than her hand. I pulled my phone out and snapped a picture of her and shot it off to Dr. Hornbeck.
"I thought we were going to lose you in that spell circle," Lace said, falling heavily into a metal chair at the table. "You sure take a lot of risks. Aren't you worried that's going to catch up to you?"
"Sometimes,
but what was I supposed to do? That kid was enthralled," I said. "You know as well as I do that longer exposure is more damaging."
Lace picked up a piece of pizza and gave me a withering glare. "You won't be able to help anyone if you're dead."
"At least Gabriella wasn't here to witness it," I said.
"I wanted to talk to you about her," Lace said.
I grabbed a second piece. "Shoot."
"Was she serious about helping me find a place to live in Leotown?"
"We both are," I said.
"Why would you do that? I've been nothing but trouble for you," she said. "Besides, I have no real skills."
"I lost my family when I was young," I said. "If it hadn't been for Judy and Gia, I'd be in jail, or worse. I want to honor that legacy of helping without expecting something in return."
"I bring baggage," she said.
"Do you think your clan will hunt you all the way out to Leotown? It's fifteen hundred miles from here."
"Not right away. They want to end my bloodline, especially with Willum and Ma gone now. When I was younger, they left us alone because Ma was a drunk and Willum was nothing more than an incompetent ranch hand. But Willum scared 'em."
"I don't see how they blame you for that," Maggie said. "That's dumb."
Lace turned her glare on Maggie. "Says the woman who all but killed herself to save her brother. Family means something and the Dark Folk understand that. They can't leave me alive."
"Doesn't change anything for us," I said. "Gabriella survived a culling of her own coven. She knows what she's getting into. So does Judy. You'd be safe with either of them."
"I'm not staying this close to Eppy Faire," Lace said with finality. "If I didn't have this broken leg, I'd have disappeared and left you all in peace."
Wicked Folk (Witchy World Book 2) Page 22
