Magical Love

by Stephy Smith

  Walking to the communal pot, Greta lifted her basket and poured the berries in the boiling stew. A few other women gathered to toss in the cut up meat from a deer one of the men had brought in. Tonight, they would all enjoy a good meal. Then afterward, another nightly dance was in store for the throng. But she wasn’t going to it. If Thad couldn’t go, she wouldn’t either.

  Her body shivered. Greta knew someone was approaching her from behind. Uneasiness settled in her body. The hair stood on the back of her neck. The amulet cooled against her skin. The cold spirits of the ancient guardians swirled above her head. She turned to face the woman who had shot Thad. Drawing in a breath, Greta nodded and moved away, hoping she didn’t reveal that she knew.

  Questions formed in her mind, but now was not the time to confront Cleo. Without the evidence she needed, it would only cause more trouble than she could get out of. If she were a full-fledged Shuvihani, the clan would listen. Doriya had stood by her word by not telling the others about Cleo. Greta’s heart grew heavy. The clan knew of the rift between her and Cleo. They didn’t know about the dark witch that possessed Cleo. Greta was only an apprentice and capable of many mistakes.

  With hurried steps, she headed to check on Thad’s progress. Greta’s stomach twisted. All day she had left Mrs. Porter to care for her son alone. It didn’t seem fair, but she had chores to do and even did extra to make up for the absence of Mrs. Porter. She wiped her hands down her skirts and then ascended the stairs.

  After she tapped on the wooden door, she heard the woman’s voice call to enter. She twisted the knob and pushed it open. Thad sat in a chair. He held a cup of tea in his hand. Greta gasped. After the tea she had given him, she was sure he would sleep for a long while.

  “Ah. There’s a sight to behold.” Dimples formed on his cheeks.

  “You look as though you’re feeling better.” Greta leaned over and kissed his cheek. The smell of fresh herbs filtered through the bandage on his shoulder. His clothing had been straightened. She assumed his mother had help set him right.

  “Mrs. Porter, I will stay with him, so you can have a break. I’m sure he has done nothing to help ease your burden.” Greta smiled and watched Thad’s eyes grow wide.

  “You’re correct in your assumption. He’s been nothing but a thorn since you’ve been gone.” Mrs. Porter placed her hand on her well endowed chest and then laughed. “I shall return in a few hours. Thank you Greta.”

  Thad’s mother closed the door behind her.

  “She is such a sweet lady. You were truly blessed to have a mother like her.” Greta sat in the chair beside Thad.

  “Your mother would do the same. She came to visit me today. So did your father.”

  “I suppose you had many visitors today. As I did my chores, I saw them entering.” A twinge of jealousy gnawed at her.

  “None as lovely as you, my love. You seem to be in brighter spirits this afternoon.” His husky tone sent shivers down her spine. She could sit and listen to him talk all day just to hear his voice.

  He reached over and took her hand in his. “Now, would you tell me what had you so upset this morning?”

  “It was nothing.” The blood rushed through Greta’s veins.

  “Come now. You aren’t the type to get upset over a little nothing. Something was bothering you to have you in a state of unrest.”

  “It was just thoughts, Thad. You know, with the shooting and all. The whole camp buzzing with talk.” She wasn’t sure she wanted to venture into another discussion about Cleo and the gaje. Raising her hand, she waved the subject off. “Did you get plenty of rest?”

  “Yes, thanks to my beautiful wife to be. She brought me the nourishment I need to heal properly. Indeed, I am one lucky man to have been promised a woman to love me as she does.” He leaned toward her and groaned.

  “Sit back. I will come to you. I’m positive I can take your mind off your pain.” She placed her hand on his chest and lightly pushed him back into his chair.

  Chapter Eleven

  Greta held her breath when Mrs. Porter suggested she join the dance around the fire. Her heart thudded against her chest. The mere thought of placing herself in firing range was unthinkable. Yet how was Mrs. Porter to know she was in danger? Greta hadn’t mentioned a thing to anyone except the discussions she had with Thad and Doriya. Although, it was sweet of the woman to offer.

  Thad, like Doriya, wasn’t the type to repeat private conversations. Even if he did suspect she knew more than she told him.

  “How is Aisley coming along?” His question caught her off guard.

  “What do you mean? She is growing bigger each day. It won’t be long now before she is blessed with the babe. I hear in a couple of weeks, maybe sooner.”

  Her cousin’s husband, Sam Grey was good friends with Thad. Greta had never thought of him as noticing things like female transitions.

  “I haven’t spoken to Sam in a few days. He’s been out of the camp with his horse business. He usually tells me how she is holding up.” Thad’s eyes kept shutting, and then he would strain to keep them open when he talked to her. “I hope he will be home before the child arrives.

  She tried to envision herself plump with a child growing in her belly. Aisley wore her pregnancy well. She looked happier than she had in a long while. Greta knew it was around this time last year when Aisley lost her parents. That fact alone couldn’t be setting well, added with the wild hormones of having a baby running through her system.

  “I think you should spend more time with her,” Thad said through a yawn.

  “Yes. I should help her with her chores. She needs to quit working so hard now her time is near. I will offer tomorrow. It would be a shame if she were out picking berries when the baby decides to come.” Why hadn’t she thought of sharing her thoughts with Aisley before? She was, after all, one person she could fully trust with her secrets.

  They had never been close growing up. Aisley was a couple of years older and always busy. But when she could, she would make time to spend with Greta. Since Aunt Rosanna and Uncle Aleandro had died, they had become good friends and companions. On occasion, Aisley’s friend Sierra Lee, Greta’s soon to be sister-in-law, would join them.

  Thad’s snoring pulled her away from her thoughts. How was she ever going to get used to that? She was positive she would learn since the wedding date was fast approaching. A tingle of excitement coursed through her. Heat rose to her cheeks as she glanced at the man sleeping on the bed. She couldn’t pull her eyes from his massive chest. Until now, the thought of how comforting it was to watch the rise and fall when he breathed had never occurred to her.

  Her mother had already had the wedding night talk with her. She was glad that embarrassing moment had passed. Both she and her mother did a lot of shifting. Aisley had also told her a lot that her mother had left out. She hoped her wedding night was more blissful than her mother’s had been.

  The music from outside filtered in the shuttered window. A shiver ran down her spine. She moved to the door and threw the latch. Setting her fears at rest, she wondered what time the tryst between the gaje and Cleo would begin. What would she do if she met them on the trail? Or if they caught her spying on them from the brush where she had hid the night before? She couldn’t ask Aisley to go along with her. To safeguard the clan, she had to listen in to find out what the next move was going to be.

  If she went into Cleo’s mind, Doriya would know. However it was the only choice she had other than spy from the hiding space at the clearing.

  The pulsing in her chest picked up a pace. Her knees were already beginning to feel a bit shaky. It would still be hours before the clan called it a night. She settled in the chair and lowered her head across her folded arms on Thad’s bed. The urge to crawl in bed with him to get more comfortable worried her. Her eyes drifted shut, and slumber took over.

  Greta didn’t know how long she had slept. When she woke, Thad’s hand was on her head. The latch on the door rattled. Music and fun-filled laughte
r still filtered in through the shutters. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. The amulet she wore turned cold against her skin. She pulled away from Thad’s bed. Glancing at him, his eyes were open, but he lay there motionless. With one finger to her lips, she indicated for him to keep quiet.

  As she crept to the door, the only sound she could hear from inside the vardo was her heart pounding in her ears. She leaned against the wood and listened. There was a hushed mumbling. She was certain it was Cleo and the gaje. It wouldn’t be hard for anyone to figure out she and Thad were in his parent’s vardo.

  A rustling from the bed caught her attention. She turned her gaze to Thad, who was now sitting on the edge with a gun in his hand. He nodded for her to open the door. She shook her head. Had he lost his mind? It was bad enough he had been out in the open when he was shot. Having all four of them in a tiny vardo was insane.

  Greta pressed her ear to the door again. The footsteps upon the porch stairs faded. She could hear the cracking of twigs as the couple apparently left toward the woods, away from the music. Thad glanced out the window above the bed.

  He lowered his hand into his lap. “What did you see, Thad?” Greta’s fisted hands were perched on her hips.

  “I…I’m sorry I doubted you this morning. You were right. Cleo Little had a rifle in her hands. She was with a gaje named Robert Ray. He works at the livery in Linden. He had his hand on her…her backside.” Thad laid his pistol in his lap and then ran his hand through his hair.

  “So now you believe me? What did you think when I was telling you there was a possibility it could be a clan member? I know I didn’t want to believe it. I still don’t.” She marched toward him.

  “I wanted to believe the clan was safe from our own. As I stared at your amulet, I knew you were telling me the truth. How did you know?” He narrowed his eyes at her. His voice was gruff.

  “After I left here last night, I went to our spot in the clearing. Before I got there, I could hear voices, so I hid in some bushes. I heard what they said.” She sat on the bed beside Thad.

  “That’s when you heard them say they were trying to shoot…no, I can’t accept that.” He shook his head.

  “Yes. Cleo admitted she was trying to kill me. This man, this gaje named Robert Ray, wants the gold in my hair and on my skirt. Cleo told him I have more hidden under my clothes.” She couldn’t stop the sting in her eyes.

  “We need to go tell the elders. Come on, help me up.” He extended his arm.

  “No. You know Cleo will blame me. Doriya promised to keep quiet. I know she can’t much longer. I need a plan to draw them into the open in front of the clan.” She leaned forward and pressed her palm against his chest. Thad’s heart beat wildly beneath her touch.

  “That will not do any good. What if we can’t get them in front of the clan?”

  “Going to the elders now would be a mistake. Thad, if we could set them up to where the whole caravan can hear Cleo’s admissions, the elders will have no reason to doubt us. The way it stands right now, the influence Mr. Little has over everyone… They will more than likely be confused. How can we tell them evil has taken over one of their own?”

  “Maybe you’re right. He does seem to sway the others. I don’t want you going anywhere alone. That is not open for discussion. Take along as many as you can when you do your chores. You could let someone else do your chores for you.” He glared at her. His eyes darkened under his scrutiny. “Promise me, Greta.”

  “I’ve had all day to think about this. If I have someone else do my chores for me, Cleo will grow suspicious and wonder what I’m up to. We don’t want her to know anything is going to take place until it happens. After the bunny rattled my mind, I’d already decided it’s not safe for me to be alone.” Greta stood and paced around the vardo. She raised her hand to massage her forehead.

  Should she tell Thad about her meeting with Doriya and her plan to listen in on Cleo and the gaje’s plans? The worried look on his face answered the question for her.

  Cleo had been sneaky and conniving. This fiasco proved how demented the woman’s mind had become. Greta had witnessed some of the horrid things Cleo had done to others, yet none of those things threatened the lives of others. She tried to think of one reason why the evil gypsy would want to harm her. Nothing came to mind.

  They hadn’t been good friends for a long while, but they were cordial to one another. If there were any problems that had developed between them, no one had spoken about it. Then again, no one else in the camp had ever done anything to her either. Cleo had at one time expressed a desire to learn more about the non-gypsy way of life. Was this her way of getting what she wanted? She had been dancing for pay from the gaje for several years. The elder men went with her to ensure her safety and make sure Cleo hadn’t been defiled. But to let one touch her was forbidden by the gypsy standards.

  As Thad said, Cleo was letting the man paw her backside. Greta shivered. What else was Cleo allowing the man to do? How much influence over her did he have? How many others had she taken into her confidence?

  “What are you thinking, my love?” Thad straightened on the bed and then lay back down.

  “Do you think Robert Ray is the first gaje she has told about our people? Cleo can ruin the whole clan by her contact with that man.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “You should see them together, listen to them talk. They tell each other everything, including things about our way of life.” She paused in front of him and knelt down.

  “Maybe she trusts the man.”

  “That may be. Think about it, Thad. If she told him about me, what’s stopping her from telling about other clansmen and women? If you attempted to murder someone and you took me into your confidence, what would your plans for me be?”

  “How can you compare them with us? That is disgusting, Greta. Neither one of us would ever plot against one of our own.”

  “Everyone has someone they love. If he is her one true love, she will let him live. I’m afraid if he isn’t the man for her, she may kill him when she gets what she wants.” Greta slid forward toward the edge of the chair. Her hand rested on Thad’s arm.

  “Do you think they are in love?” Thad’s shudder shook the bed.

  “I don’t think she is capable of loving anyone.”

  “You think she is using him for a greater cause?”

  “Yes. I just don’t know what the reason is. Doriya still won’t let me go into Cleo’s mind. She says it’s for the greater good to wait it out and see what Cleo’s up to.”

  Greta glanced at the confused state edging on Thad’s face. It pained her to think she had brought trouble into his life. She pulled her hand away from his arm. The warmth of him lingered on her palm. She drew in a deep breath.

  The music had stopped, and the mumbles of good nights echoed through the shuttered window. Twigs cracked under footsteps. Greta turned to Thad. “Please Thad, promise you will not breathe a word of this to anyone. I’ll talk to Aisley in the morning.”

  A long sigh slipped from his lips. “I promise. You just make sure you speak to your cousin. I don’t see how that can do any good though.”

  “Doriya already knows. She will keep the secret for a while.”

  The vardo shook as the rest of Thad’s family climbed the stairs. Greta hurried to the door and unsecured the latch. She pulled the door open, and the family entered.

  “Did you have a nice time?” Greta tried to keep her voice jovial.

  “Oh it was wonderful as usual. I never grow tired of the socializing around the camp.” Mrs. Porter’s eyes gleamed with delight.

  “Thad was about to take his last dose of tea. He has slept most of the night without complaint.” Greta swept her hand toward Thad. He reached over and picked up the cold cup of tea, and took a sip. His face scrunched up.

  Greta glanced at the door. She hated to lie to Thad’s parents, but it was for the best. If they knew the truth, they could become the next targets of Cleo and the
gaje.

  “This stuff is nastier when it is cold.” He visibly shivered.

  Mrs. Porter pulled Greta to her chest. “Thank you for staying with him.”

  Greta nodded. “I’ll come check on him in the morning. I hope within a few days he’s able to venture out into the sun. It will do him good to see the daylight and get some fresh air.”

  “I hope it’ll be tomorrow when I can get out of this bed and join the living. I don’t like laying here like a helpless fish.” Thad turned his face toward the wall of the vardo.

  Stepping out onto the platform, Greta paused for a moment. She wondered if Cleo and Robert Ray would be in the clearing. She glanced back at the shut door. A few couples lingered near the fire, dousing water upon the hot coals.

  Hurriedly she ran across the camp and entered into her parent’s home.

  Chapter Twelve

  Thad lay awake for hours after Greta left. His mind reeled with all he had learned. The pulse in his neck beat against the hand he had placed under his cheek. He shifted as his body refused to tolerate the position any longer.

  Why Greta? What had she done to Cleo? There hadn’t been any recent rumors of a squabble between them. What was the difference between her gold and one of the other women’s? Greta didn’t have as much as some. On the other hand, she had more than the younger girls. What kind of connection should he be looking for?

  Twigs and debris crunched as the sound of footsteps neared the vardo. The nudge slightly shook the wagon as the person had apparently leaned against the outer wall. Thad’s talisman turned cold. He was aware of the ancient ones forming their guard around him. A muffled giggle barely reached his ears. It was the familiar sound of Cleo’s laughter. Thad fought the urge to thrust the barrel of his pistol out the window and pull the trigger.

  His father’s snores stopped. The rustling from his parent’s bed and the soft steps leading to the door were tell-tale signs his father was on his way to investigate. The sliver of moonlight filtered through the cracks in the window. Thad leaned up as his father breached the corner of the vardo.