How Sweet Magic I

by Amy Boyles

  “Zach,” Cordelia said. “He’s in the living room. We’re supposed to be having lunch.”

  Amelia’s eyes widened. “He’s here?”

  “Yeah, he’s like a boil that just won’t go away, or come to a head.”

  “Or like one that never should’ve existed in the first place,” Amelia added.

  “Yep,” I said.

  Amelia plopped into a chair at the table and picked up the key. She twirled it between her fingers. “So what’re you going to do about Zach?”

  “Tell him to get lost,” Cordelia said. She glanced at me. “Pepper helped me figure it out. I’ve already wasted too much time on him. I don’t need to waste another second.” She rose, smoothed out her clothes and grabbed the sandwiches. “Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck,” I said.

  With that, Cordelia disappeared through the swinging door and into the living room.

  Amelia stared at the key for a few more seconds.

  “I’d pay you a million dollars if you could tell me what it goes to,” I said, joking.

  She stared at it. “There is something familiar about the design on it.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

  “Yeah. There’s a box at the Vault that matches it.”

  I grabbed Amelia by the shoulders. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No.”

  “But how could Argus have a box there? I thought only town secrets and high-level objects were stored there.”

  “They are, but sometimes if a witch or wizard served in the government in a high-ranking office, they’re allowed access to store limited objects.”

  My eyes flared. “That’s right! Argus served during some werewolf war that he mentioned.”

  “It makes sense. Most of it is pretty top-secret stuff, but some rooms are lower-level security. That’s where I saw this same scrollwork.”

  I grabbed her shoulders. “Oh my gosh, Amelia. You’ve got to get me in to see it. That may be the box Axel’s been searching for.”

  She dropped the key with a clank. “Pepper, I only just got this job. I can’t risk it. If I were found to have let you in, I’d be fired, possibly arrested.”

  I got down on my knees. “Is there a way? Anything you can think of?”

  Amelia placed her hands flat on the table. “Security is tight.”

  “What about the key itself? Will it get me in?”

  Amelia gnawed her lower lip for a moment. “Yes, the key will get you into the outer office, but if Argus didn’t allow you any clearance, there’s no way you’d be able to get farther than that. If he did give you clearance, then you’d be able to go as far as the key would take you—directly to the box.”

  “Okay,” I said quietly. “I know there’s no way in high heaven that Argus would’ve given me any kind of clearance.”

  From her spot on the floor in a sunbeam, Mattie opened one eye. “You’re forgettin’, sugar, that Axel and Argus were friends.”

  I clicked my tongue. “Close enough that Argus would’ve given Axel access to the box?”

  Mattie yawned. “There’s only one way to find out.”

  I nodded. “There sure is.”

  I fished my phone from my purse and dialed Axel’s number. He picked up on the first ring.

  “I know where the box is, and I need you to meet me in ten minutes.”

  TWENTY

  Ten minutes later Amelia and I met Axel in front of the Magnolia Cove Vault. Just looking at the lions guarding the place sent a shiver straight down my spine.

  “I’m glad you called,” Axel said. “I’d stopped off at my house for a few things and was on my way here.”

  I nodded toward Amelia. “She says there’s a box matching the key’s scrollwork inside.”

  He studied Amelia. “You sure?”

  She gestured wildly as she spoke. “Yeah, I think so. I mean, I’m pretty sure. Heck, I’ve only been on this job for a day; there’s still tons of stuff I don’t know. Like I told Pepper, the key will get you to the outer chamber. Unless you’re on Argus’s approved list of people to enter, you won’t be allowed access.”

  Axel nodded. “Which means we’d have to break in.”

  I stared at the lions. “And be torn apart by those?”

  He shrugged. “I can be fast when I need to.” He pressed a hand to my back. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

  “Let’s hope,” I said weakly.

  “So we’re on our own?” Axel said to Amelia.

  “Yep. New job, new and better pay. I don’t want anyone to blame me if you end up breaking in, thank you very much.”

  “I wouldn’t tell anyone you helped us, if that makes you feel better,” he said.

  She shifted her feet. “Yeah, well, that almost makes me feel better.”

  Axel stared ahead before glancing down at me. “You ready?”

  I swallowed. “Let’s go.”

  We walked the long concrete sidewalk, slowly approaching the building. A willow draped the entrance, and a long shadow fell from the afternoon sun.

  I studied the lions. As we neared, their bodies appeared to sparkle as if someone had thrown a handful of glitter on them.

  “What are they doing?” I said.

  “Coming to life,” he said.

  I locked my knees. “Are you kidding?”

  “No.”

  I curled my fingers into his shirt. “I thought they only did that at night if you were going to break in.”

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you—they sniff everybody out before you can enter.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Why?”

  He shrugged. “No clue. But I’ve heard if they don’t like the way you smell, they eat you.”

  I stopped right there in the middle on the sidewalk. “You’re kidding, right?”

  He smiled down at me. “I think so, but like I said, it’s a rumor. So I guess we’ll find out.”

  I started to turn back. “I’m not finding out.”

  He grabbed my arms. “Come on, Cowardly Lion. You can do this.”

  A jolt of pain raced across my forehead. I paused, taking a deep breath.

  Axel pulled me up. “Do you want to go back?”

  I stared at the lions, the Vault and Axel. I was not a coward. My time in Magnolia Cove had proved that to me.

  “I’m going forward. Let’s do this.”

  Hesitation and panic bubbled in my veins as I approached the animals. Though I’d convinced myself I needed to walk past them, I really didn’t want to. All I wanted to do was tuck my tail between my legs. But still, I’d come this far, and I could take a few more steps to secure the prize of Argus’s labradorite.

  The glittering lions sparkled into flesh. I sucked air, but Axel’s reassuring hand on my back gave me an injection of confidence.

  “It’s going to be fine,” he murmured in my ear.

  “This is like in that movie The Neverending Story when that boy Atreyu, who was really cute when he was a boy but isn’t nearly as good-looking as a grown man, had to walk between those two sphinxes and try not to get fried by the laser beams that shot from their eyes.”

  Axel paused. “Yeah. Just like that.”

  The lions growled, and I swear saliva dripped from their fangs. They pawed the air. Axel shifted to guard me from them, placing himself in front.

  “I thought you weren’t afraid of them,” I said over his shoulder.

  “I’m protecting you.”

  “I thought we wouldn’t get hurt.”

  He glanced over his shoulder and shot me a scathing look. “Would you just focus?”

  “It’s okay if you’re nervous. I’m nervous too.”

  He rolled his eyes and returned to leading me between the lions. The one on the right sniffed Axel up and down, peeling back its lips to reveal razor-wire-sharp fangs.

  We’re almost through, I thought. Just think happy things and we’ll be fine. We’ll make it without any problems.

  I peeked around Axel and saw
the lion sniff him and then turn away, as if he wasn’t interested anymore. The second lion did the same.

  Whew. We were scot-free. I was about to be inside the Vault, having gone through some sort of mythological Greek trial. I swear, throwing me in a maze with a Minotaur and saying I had to find my way out before the creature found and ate me made more sense than being judged by two magical lions.

  I’d exhaled a breath that started all the way in my toes when I felt a paw hook into my shirt collar.

  “Axel,” I squeaked as I released my hold on him.

  The lion tugged me back. Hot breath poured down my neck.

  Axel whirled around. His eyes flared in fear. That was not good. Oh boy, was it not good. Like, really not good. I just knew it. I felt it in my gut—a gut that was churning, which meant I’d have to make a pit stop in the restroom as soon as we got inside.

  Man, I really hated having tummy troubles in public. There was nothing more embarrassing than having to stink up a public restroom. Of course, I always hid in the corner toilet and made sure everyone was gone before I exited so that no one could see who it was creating such a horrible smell.

  I’m sure none of y’all do that.

  “Stay calm,” Axel said.

  Fear had frozen me solid. He did not have to worry about staying calm because I certainly wasn’t about to start waving my hands in the air like I just didn’t care.

  A sharp claw scraped down my neck before hooking into the fabric and yanking me back another step.

  “I’d face them if I were you,” Axel said.

  “You’re not me.”

  “Just do it.”

  I exhaled and slowly pivoted. Two large sets of teeth greeted me. Panic scrambled up my throat and nearly escaped as a series of screams, but I bit it back down and faced the creatures.

  The one on my right opened its mouth and roared, creating a wind that whipped up my hair and fluttered my clothes.

  Please don’t eat me.

  The lion glared. I’d always read never to look a creature in the eyes because they think it’s confrontational, so I stared down. Finally the beast looked away, uninterested.

  I turned to go when the second lion snarled. I stopped and waited as the creature sniffed me over one more time and then settled back into a resting position.

  Relieved, but nearly about to pee my pants, I dashed to Axel and grabbed his arm.

  He squeezed me tight. “You made it. See? I knew you could do it.”

  I grimaced. “There’s something I need to do as soon as we get inside.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Visit the ladies’ room.”

  After a quick detour, we stood inside the Vault. The place was a fortress. Glittering black stone lined the walls, making the structure as foreboding as anything I’d ever seen.

  “What’s it made of?” I whispered to Axel.

  “Onyx. Many times onyx can be used to nullify magic. It keeps the Vault safe from being broken into.”

  “So Danny Ocean and the Ocean’s Eleven crew can’t show up and pull a heist?”

  “Just like that.”

  I clicked my tongue. “That’s what I thought.”

  “Come on,” Axel said, grabbing my elbow gently. “We’ve got to find the guardian and show him the key.”

  He led me to the back of the main circular room. There, standing before what looked like a prison cell made of onyx, stood a man in a long white robe with a lectern in front of him.

  He had dark skin, a white beard and silvery hair that was braided down his back. His face was long and drawn, pinched up as if he was perpetually constipated.

  Gosh, I hoped not. That would be horrible. Now I sounded like Betty. Old folks were more obsessed with constipation than any other age group that I’d encountered. And this guy was old—not quite ancient but definitely old.

  “How can I help you?” he said without looking up from a book settled before him.

  “I have a key.”

  The man blinked and glanced at Axel. “That’s wonderful. A key. Will it get you in?”

  Axel’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know. That’s what I’d like to know.”

  “May I see it?” the man said.

  Axel glanced at me. I suddenly remembered that I had it. I opened my purse and started fishing through the contents.

  “Now where did I put it?” I dug past used tissues, lipstick, a hairbrush, feminine products, gum, pens, pencils. “Nope, it’s not there.”

  I could feel both sets of eyes burning into me.

  “Oh wait, maybe I stuck it in this pocket.” I opened a small pouch along the side and stuck my hand in. I found a pill bottle, a notepad and finally my fingers brushed metal.

  “Ah ha,” I said proudly, waving the key in front of me. “I knew I’d find it eventually.”

  “Yes, well, I’ve been here for eternity and never leave, so time is all relative to me,” the man said.

  “You never leave?”

  He gave a slight bow. “I am Erasmus Everlasting. I have been the protector of the Vault since its creation and will be here until its destruction.”

  “Wow,” I said. “What do you do for fun?”

  Clearly I was out of my mind because my head was killing me and I was making small talk with the guardian of the Vault, who reminded me a lot of that guy in those Thor movies who used his sword to make the heavenly gate appear.

  Except this guy was stuck in the Vault until he died. Or was he immortal? Surely he wasn’t immortal. If that was the case, then Betty would also be immortal, because as she liked to say, she ran this town.

  Hopefully not into its grave.

  “My fun is in guarding these items,” he said stoically. “This is my life’s work, making sure all the precious contents stay secure.”

  He guided us toward the back wall, where a single keyhole had been constructed in the very center of the ebony structure.

  “All keys are to be placed here. If either of you are on the list, then you’ll be allowed to enter the inner sanctum. I will guide you to the location of your treasure.”

  “Treasure?”

  Erasmus gave me an amused smile. “There are all manner of things in this place. Some you may see, some you won’t.”

  I pressed at my temples, pushing back on the pressure threatening to swallow every single bit of my attention.

  “Let’s just make this fast,” I said.

  Axel shot me a concerned look. “You okay?”

  I exhaled a quivering breath. “I don’t know how much longer I can take this.”

  Axel squeezed my shoulder and raised the key. “I’m ready.”

  Erasmus stepped aside. “Insert at your leisure.”

  Axel pushed the key into the lock. For a moment nothing happened, and then the outline of the lock flared on the surface surrounding the key. A single line of red light shot up the wall and etched the outline of a box.

  Argus’s face flashed inside the box, and it was then replaced with another face.

  “Your uncle,” Axel said.

  A man with thinning gray hair, oval spectacles and red cheeks stared down at us. “That’s Uncle Donovan?”

  “It was him, yeah,” Axel said.

  Donovan’s image disappeared and was replaced by another—Axel.

  Erasmus opened his arms. “Congratulations, you have won the lottery.”

  I gave him a confused look.

  “Vault humor,” he explained. “It can get very lonely being here all the time.”

  “But you have help,” I said. “I know other people work here.”

  He nodded. “Yes, but I am the keeper, so it is my job to ensure part of the security. It is my task and one that I take seriously. Besides, I get every other weekend off and every Wednesday.”

  “Oh, that makes it better. I thought you said you never leave?”

  “I tend to exaggerate,” he said, blushing.

  The onyx wall dissolved, revealing another circular room. Where the outer room
had been quiet as a tomb, this one bustled with activity. People milled about dusting shelves, vials, amulet-looking things. A small orb floated through the air, spinning as it made its way around the room.

  “What’s that?” I said.

  “That is a magical baseball that will always give the batter a home run. It’s not particularly happy being stuck in the Vault.” He leaned over. “It’s restless, but we do what we can to exercise it.”

  As if on cue, one of the associates yanked the ball from the air and started a game of toss with another associate.

  “These are all the most magical items in Magnolia Cove?” I said.

  Erasmus nodded. “If not the world. Many things here. There’s a bag here that will fulfill your every wish. All you have to do is think it, dip your hand in the bag and pull. Next thing you know, voila! You’ve got a margarita in one hand and a barbecue sandwich in the other.”

  “Not sure that’s what I’d wish for,” I said.

  Erasmus smiled. “That’s the great thing about the bag—each person gets whatever it is he or she wants. It does not discriminate. It’s a bottomless pit by nature, but it can also grant wishes.”

  “And it’s here in Magnolia Cove?”

  He nodded. “Who would look for it in Alabama? That would be like finding the Holy Grail in the middle of a cotton field.”

  “Good point,” I said.

  We wove around the bustling workers and other items that included a tube of glowing lipstick. I wanted to ask what it did, but I figured it would be best not to. I mean, if it made me the most beautiful woman on the planet, I’d be tempted to steal it. Better yet, if it made me look like I’d lost ten pounds overnight and made my pants a little looser around the waist, I might actually kill someone for it.

  Just kidding.

  Sorta.

  I’d at least knock them out and run really fast.

  Finally the three of us reached a dark alcove cut into a wall. Erasmus placed a hand on the brick, and it fizzled away, revealing another room lined with boxes.

  “This is where you’ll find what you’re looking for.”

  “How?” Axel said.

  “Drop the key,” Erasmus said.

  Without hesitation Axel did as he said. The key dropped a foot before zipping halfway across the room. It floated up and down a moment before waving back and forth. It looked like a fish swimming in water. The bow of it was the tail, and the lock end, the head of the creature.