The Witch and the Bottle of Djinn (The Seaforth Chronicles Book 4)

by B. J. Smash

  Izadora continued to bob her leg up and down. What did she have to be nervous about? She wasn’t headed into unknown territory. She acted as though she were about to speak, and then her mouth clamped up tightly. She bent her head low and leaned on her staff for support.

  Drumm and I continued to bicker back and forth while my father stood by the railing. When he spoke, we stopped midsentence and listened.

  “He’s here. Right down there,” my father said. He was gazing down at a copse of shadowy trees.

  “Who?” we all asked at the same time.

  “Izaill. He’s here,” my father said.

  I leapt over to the railing to see for myself. Sure enough, Izaill stood on the ground, leaning on the trunk of a tree. He took a long haul from his cigarette and walked forward to stand below us. In the fading twilight his silver-grey eyes appeared rather…unholy. A brisk breeze blew swiftly by him, but didn’t ruffle a single part of his clothing or hair. He wore his famous white bowlers cap, a black button up shirt, with an orange bowtie. Over that, he wore a dark brown corduroy blazer, and black pants that matched his shirt. He always did have a funny way with fashion.

  “Hello, Ivy,” he said in a monotonous tone.

  “Hi Izaill,” I replied.

  “Will you tell my sister to make an appearance at the railing?” He puffed on his cigarette.

  Izadora heard him, and walked over to the railing. I noticed that she didn’t leave her staff behind, but brought it along. She and Izaill were friendlier now-a-days, but she would never let her guard down. No way, not after he had cast the maiden-mother-crone spell over her many months ago. She could never totally trust him again, and would always be prepared for him to turn on her. He had a crazy streak in him, and he was ultimately, unpredictable.

  “What do you want?” she called down.

  He chuckled, and then said, “I overheard you all squabbling. Hell, half the forest did.” He flicked the tip of his cigarette into the trees and then grabbed another one from his coat pocket and lit it with his breath.

  “Anyway…” he said as he talked through cigarette smoke, “I was just about to leave the forest, when I couldn’t help but overhear that Ivy here, stomped on the enchanted smokes.”

  “You weren’t just leaving, you old hoot. You were eavesdropping,” Izadora said plainly.

  He gave her a half grin, exposing a set of yellow stained teeth. With the combination of his silver-grey eyes, and yellow teeth, and over calm demeanor – my flesh began to crawl.

  “Do you want to hear what I have to say or not?” he asked.

  Izadora jutted her chin out, “Get on with it.”

  “The smokes are crushed. You cannot use them now. You cannot put them back together, because once the seal on them is broken, and the special herb is exposed to the air, the magic is nullified. So, I believe you want these.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out three more enchanted cigarettes.

  Personally, I don’t know why she trusted Izaill enough to except the “smokes” from him to begin with, but evidently they were on the same page about something.

  “I will give you these last three smokes, if Ivy brings me back a rare and exotic bean that is still in existence in the town of Helsberg. What, with pollution and all that crap, they don’t exist out here in the real world anymore… if this is what you call ‘real’ anyways. But I believe that they have been preserved in Helsberg. And you must fetch one for me, you delightful little lass.” Izaill said, winking a wrinkled eyelid over a silver eye.

  “What bean do you speak of?” Izadora grumbled.

  “Chimera bean,” he said.

  “Oh isn’t that just great. That’s all you need,” Izadora huffed. “But fine…she’ll get you the damn bean. Now toss up the cigs. I don’t have all night either. So, just do it and get out of here.”

  He tossed the three cigarettes in the air, and Izadora held her hand out, and they floated right to her. I stood there and watched as Izaill turned and strode back into the forest. His legs and feet moved unnaturally when he walked, and his footsteps couldn’t be heard. It never failed to creep me out.

  My father, who’d been silent the entire time, said, “What is a chimera bean?”

  “Well, if Ivy can actually find one, they’ll be somewhere in the forest, in a cave. The usual telltale signal for the location of a chimera bean is there will be white or red flowers at the caves entrance. The bean itself is small, orange, and shaped like a football.” She then turned to me, “If you can find one, bring it back. If not, it might cause a war between me and Izaill, but hey, that is the breakdown of it,” Izadora said.

  It amazed me that she was in cahoots with Izaill, and that she was agreeing to help him out. There was something fishy going on here. I didn’t believe for a second that we needed his fancy cigarettes.

  “You’re having me bring home a chimera bean for Izaill…all for a few measly enchanted cigarettes that make me disappear for three seconds?” I had to ask.

  She went on to explain that the cigarette smoke would help me to escape unpredictable circumstances, and also, the more I inhaled, the longer I would stay invisible. They worked from the inside out – instead of cloaking just the outside. Then she told me that the cigarettes were the best she could come up with in such a short notice. But I knew Izadora and I didn’t believe her. She could do just about anything that she wanted to. She could have made me a hat that caused me to disappear. Or a lotion. Or even a cape. Why did she have to involve Izaill?

  When I asked her, she wouldn’t answer. And so, I asked what a chimera bean could do.

  To this she answered, “It will grow the monster of your dreams…or nightmares. Depending on what kind of person you are.”

  Well, I knew what kind of person (or being) Izaill could be, and I saw no good coming out of getting him a chimera bean. I wasn’t about to go out of my way to find it for him.

  ***

  Shortly after our encounter with Izaill, I walked my father to Ian’s gate. He gave me his regular speech about being careful and concentrating on the task at hand. He also told me that if I didn’t return, he’d be coming after me. Then he went on and on about the dangers of the situation. Finally, at Ian’s gate, I gave him a big hug. I opened the gate and watched him walk through.

  He walked away, turning once to wave. Out of nowhere, a deep feeling of dread filled me, and covered me from head to toe. I wished that I was going home to Gran’s with him. What was it about this trip to the disappearing town of Helsberg that had me feeling so unsettled? I had to imagine that there was something else that Izadora was hiding from me. She always did. Why should it be any different now? And as I walked back to Izadora’s, I knew this had to be the riskiest quest she’d ever sent us on. What if we couldn’t find the bottle? What if Ish found it first? The worst part of it all…what if Drumm and I couldn’t escape the disappearing town before it vanished again? We would be stuck with the townsfolk in limbo for another seven years.

  Chapter Eight

  Izadora paced the floor while I sat in one of her lavender colored chairs. Drumm sat alone on the loveseat. I was still ignoring him. It was high time that he learned that I meant business.

  “Ivy,” Drumm said.

  I focused on my fingernails, holding my hand up to observe them more closely. They were short and had a little bit of dirt beneath the nails. My sister, Zinnia, would cringe at the sight of them. It couldn’t be helped though. I’d tried to keep them longer and cleaner, but I was always gardening for Izadora or doing something in the forest.

  “Ivy,” Drumm said again.

  “Oh for the love of God, would you just answer the boy?” Izadora was in a terrible mood. “So what if he obeyed my orders and did not get a chance to speak with you first. You two are going to have to get over yourselves and focus on your duties!”

  “He could have informed me first. He could have told me that he would be asking Ella to walk with him. But no… you two always have secrets. This is not the first ti
me, and that is why I am so angry. You two don’t trust me or something. I’m always the last to find out stuff. Even now! I know you’re holding back something.”

  She went to say something but she couldn’t force the words out. I couldn’t understand the look she was giving me. Her face softened and she sighed a lengthy sigh. Her shoulders loosened and hung low. “Never mind. Just get the job done.”

  She turned slowly and hobbled through the kitchen and onto the balcony, slamming the door behind her.

  “What is up with her?” I asked Drumm.

  “There is something wrong. I do know that, but I am not sure what.” He was just as mystified as me. Izadora was never, and I mean never, one to show any sign of emotion.

  I approached her on the balcony. She leaned on the railing and looked up into the star-filled sky. The night was clear, and thick masses of sparkling stars were visible. Her shoulders hunched and the corners of her mouth sagged.

  I leaned on the railing and said, “What’s the matter, Izadora?” I didn’t say it softly, but with some force. She would probably clunk me over the head with her staff if I spoke to her with pity in my voice.

  “Nothing. Is. The. Matter,” she said in a low tone.

  “Okay. If you say so,” I said, but I remained to watch the stars. About five minutes later, she spoke again.

  “Gemini.” She watched the twin stars Caster and Pollux. They were above Orion, to the left.

  “What about them?” I asked.

  “I cannot...say. But it will serve you well to remember…Gemini.” She looked at me sternly, turned and left me standing there.

  We didn’t speak again till it was time to leave. She walked us to the top of the stairs and said, “You will need the horse.” Using her forefinger and thumb, she whistled loudly. Moments later, you could hear thundering hoof beats, pounding through the forest. Solstice slowed and stood at the bottom of the stairs. I took a moment to admire his beauty. He was an Irish Cob elven horse, and half of his mane was black, and the other half white. He’d been trained by the elven from the time he was born, and I loved him.

  Neither Drumm nor Izadora had told me that we’d be able to take Solstice on our journey. Just another thing that they chose to keep to themselves. Regardless of my sour mood, I was extremely happy to learn that Solstice would be coming along.

  “You’ll need the horse for the race,” she said.

  I didn’t bother to answer. Instead I ran down the stairs and hopped on Solstice’s back. I could feel the muscles of his neck under my hands. He was one powerful elven horse. Drumm was soon behind me. Normally it was the other way around, and I sat behind him. Not this time. I was taking charge.

  “Ivy,” Izadora said.

  I didn’t even want to look at her but I did.

  “Be careful,” she said sternly. She had one hand on the railing and her staff in the other. The white shift dress she wore, fluttered in the wind.

  I had no idea why she was telling me to be careful. Drumm was her favorite. Shouldn’t she be telling him?

  Again, I didn’t speak but nodded my head. Leaning down, I whispered into Solstice’s ear, “Hunter’s Hollow.”

  The horse ground his hoofs into the earth and was off at such a high speed that Drumm had to tighten his grip around my waist lest he fall off. We thundered through the forest, but I knew that it was best to keep the noise down and I picked a random spell from mind and spoke the word, “silence.” There were some minor spells that I could use without the aid of herbs and potions. This was one of them. Whether it would work in Helsberg, I had no clue.

  Immediately, his stomping hoof beats were silenced as he tore through the woods. The horse could maneuver his way around most anything, but occasionally he’d just bust through whatever barred his way.

  When the air was damp, and the wood smelled musty, I knew we had entered Hunter’s Hollow. The beautiful star filled sky was now cloudy, and many frogs could be heard in and around the swampy areas. I told Solstice to walk, to avoid any injuries. The entryway was boggy, with patches of fog that mingled in the trees.

  Hunter’s Hollow was very similar to the rest of the forest, but it held a myriad of different things. Some areas were boggy, some dry. Sometimes you’d walk into a magical realm where everything seemed to sparkle and glitter. Sometimes you’d run into a place that was dark and terrifying. I never liked to come here by myself. It was a maze. Drumm knew his way around like the back of his hand. My Aunt Clover went four wheeling out here. She was no fool though. She stuck to the dirt roads.

  One time Drumm showed me the pixie tree, where all the pixie’s hung out. A few of them are Pladia’s distant cousins, and they know about my relationship with Pladia and how we are friends, but anyone else, any stranger that crosses their path – forget about having any peace. They love to play pranks. I think it saddens them that people don’t wander in here more often. Drumm told me a story about a poor drunken soul that wandered into Hunter’s Hollow. He’d had way too much whisky and swatted his hand at one of the pixies. Bad idea. The pixie’s placed a bubble around him and floated him up over the trees and there he hovered over a small lake. They pricked the bubble with a pin and the man dropped down into the water. He was then carried to the bottom of the lake by the water spirit that resides there. A nix, I believe is the proper term. As the story goes, the man was never seen again. Years and years ago, they held a funeral for him in town. His grave remains empty.

  I don’t know if the story is true or some fable made up to freak me out. But I wouldn’t doubt if it was real. This place reeked of the otherworldly. I have no idea what Izadora was thinking when she created this place. It must have taken her a long time to sort such a place out.

  Regardless, Solstice brought us to a large wooden sign that read, “DO NOT ENTER! GO HOME! FORBIDDIN!” Forbidden was spelled wrong; but I got the point. Beyond the sign lay a clearing surrounded by woods.

  This was the spot that we would set up camp tonight. By first morning light, the town should magically appear, somehow. I seriously didn’t know what to expect, but I wasn’t about to ask Drumm. As creepy as this place was…I was still mad at him.

  We let Solstice graze on the nearby grass. Further down was a stream where he could walk to for a drink. I was tired and could use some sleep, and so I climbed a tree and found a lone limb where I’d be on my own. Even if Drumm climbed the same tree, he’d never be able to get close to me. He didn’t bother to try anyway, and sat below with his back nudged up to a great oak. He crossed his feet and relaxed. He was probably meditating.

  I must have dozed off listening to the crickets chirp, but it wasn’t long before Drumm was standing on the limb beneath me. “Ivy!” he whispered loudly, tapping my leg. Hoof beats could be heard, and then loud manly voices.

  “Others have come,” Drumm said.

  I peered around the tree to find that there were several other dark shadowy figures on horses. Then more began to fall in around our camping area.

  “They are also waiting to enter the disappearing town. Looks like we are going to have some steep competition,” Drumm said.

  “I had no idea that many people knew about the race,” I said. “How could they possibly know?”

  My question was soon answered. Hobbling along with his nose stuck in the air, was none other than Egbert Winemaker. Behind him trailed a donkey with several bags on his back. Egbert wore a long gray robe and carried a lantern filled with yellow light.

  “What is he doing? Selling tickets?” Drumm asked.

  “No,” I said firmly. “Pixies.”

  When I focused in on his light source, I realized it wasn’t even a kerosene lantern. It was a pixie.

  “Awesome,” I said dully. Egbert was not one of my favorite people; that’s for sure. While he treated the pixies with care, he didn’t have a right to be capturing them in the first place.

  We continued to watch and listen as everyone folded in. A couple of rowdy fellow’s caught my attention. They had proba
bly been drinking, and as they got closer I noticed one of them had an eye patch. He was big and brawny, and had several tattoos on his arms. The man beside him was about a foot shorter, and his frail and bony stature was the total opposite of his friend’s. When he spoke, he had a few missing teeth.

  “Look at that horse! Is that an elven horse?” The little man pointed down to the stream where Solstice stood.

  “Leave the horse be,” Drumm said.

  They didn’t suspect that anyone else was around, let alone up in the trees. Both men jumped back about a foot. The big guy was about to use the little guy as a shield, but he whipped out his flashlight and shined it on us.

  “It’s a bloody elf,” the big brawny guy said.

  “I ain’t never seen one up close! Look at ‘em. He’s a tall one,” the little guy said.

  While they both stared at Drumm like he was in a freak show, the big guy noticed me. “Hey! He has a female.” He shined his flashlight in my eyes. I held up my hand to block it. “Hey, she’s pretty. You want to camp with us sweetie?” He jabbed the little guy in the arm with his elbow, and laughed.

  The veins in Drumm’s neck began to pulse, and the grip he had on the tree limb tightened so much that it broke in two. “I will break you in half,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “You couldn’t if you tried…” the big guy said, but the little guy nudged him in the chest. He probably didn’t know that we could hear him while he chastised the big brawny guy. “Shhh William. That’s an elf. Me mam told me not to mess with them.”

  The big guy then said, “Oh we was just messing around with ya. We’ll take the horse though.”

  By this time, Solstice was close by. His tall, muscular frame towered over them both. He pawed his front hoof into the ground and snorted fog out his nostrils.

  “We’re just going to camp over here.” The big guy, named William, pointed to an area far from ours. His voice had a nicer tone to it, and he turned and walked off. The little guy remained.