by Lily Webb
“To be fair, we already know a bit. When I was little, my mother used to read me bedtime stories about witches and warlocks who did incredible things with magical items,” Mallory said. “I always thought they were nothing more than stories, but now I’m wondering if that’s true.”
“I know which stories you’re referring to — my mother read them to me as a young witch as well — but as far as I can remember, I’ve never heard of any sort of necklace that grants someone riches,” Raina said.
“No, but there is a fabled necklace that’s rumored to grant something even more valuable: life,” Mallory said and I almost spit out my front teeth.
“What? Are you serious?” I asked.
“It’s not that hard to believe. I’m sure out in the non-magical world you had stories like that, didn’t you?” Mallory asked.
“We sure did,” Grandma interrupted over the top of her book — clearly, she wasn’t making much progress on it. “Matter of fact, I’m sure I told you a few of ‘em here ‘n’ there.”
“Probably. But wait a second, Mallory, you said this necklace could grant life. What does that mean?” I asked. Mallory and Raina exchanged looks.
“Immortality,” Raina said. The word rang in my ears as if I were a freshly-struck bell.
“But that’s not possible, not even with magic… right?” I asked.
“I can’t definitively say it isn’t, but yes, it does seem like a farfetch'd tale. That said, there’s only one necklace that fits that description: Merlin’s Heart,” Raina said.
“Wait, you mean the Merlin? Like, the one and only legendary wizard?” I asked.
“Warlock, technically, but that’s exactly who she means. This is one of the stories my mom told me. As the tale goes, after a lifetime of magical breakthroughs, when Merlin was on his last breath, he enchanted a necklace with his soul in hopes of living forever,” Mallory said. “The necklace is supposed to grant whoever wears it Merlin’s power and lifeforce.”
“Correct, but the story goes on to say that the necklace has been missing ever since it was created and closes by raising the question of whether or not it truly exists. It’s a children’s mystery,” Raina said.
“Okay, but is there any chance it could be real? And could it really be hiding out in the vaults at the bank?” I asked.
“At this point, anything is possible, dear,” Raina said. “Many people might resort to murder to obtain a powerful item like that.”
My head spun as I tried to wrangle all the thoughts stampeding through my mind like escaped bulls. I’d seen a lot of fantastic things in my time in Moon Grove, things I previously never thought possible, but an immortality-granting necklace felt like a stretch.
“Don’t you think someone would have tried to track this down before now?” I asked.
“I was wondering the same thing,” Mallory said.
“I don’t doubt they have, but if so, no one has been successful — or at least, maybe they weren’t until recently,” Raina said.
“But where would they have gotten it from? And how have they managed to keep it a secret all this time?” I asked. It was difficult to believe that something so powerful would fly under the radar for years — and it couldn’t have come out of nowhere, so where was it lurking before it was deposited in the Bank of Moon Grove? More importantly, who deposited it?
“Those are the questions we’re going to have to work to answer,” Raina said.
“I think I have one of my old fairytale books at home. I can see if the Merlin’s Heart story is in there,” Mallory said.
“That’s as good a place to start as any, though I’m not sure how much factual information it will yield,” Raina said.
“It might give us some clues as to where to look, at least,” Mallory said. “Of course, there might be something in the library at Veilside too. I’ll look there tonight after class.”
“I’ll consult the school’s private records as well. It’s unlikely that anything is hiding there, but I can’t say for certain until I’ve looked,” Raina said.
“The only thing that bothers me about all this is that I didn’t see the robber leave with anything — and they definitely weren’t wearing a necklace when they came out of the vault with Percy,” I said.
“Maybe they didn’t get to the necklace, or maybe it wasn’t there,” Mallory said. “For all we know, they might have been operating on bad information too.”
“But if we can find proof that the necklace exists, that will change everything,” Raina said.
“I guess I need to speak to Victor Thornheart again,” I said. “He’s the only one left who might know what’s down in the vault. Whether or not I can convince him to tell me anything is another story...”
“Is there anything I can do?” Grandma asked.
“Finish your reading assignment,” I said and Grandma scowled.
“The tables have turned, ain’t they?” she sighed. “Seems like just yesterday I was barkin’ at you to do the same thing, Sugar.”
“We all have a role to play,” Raina said, smiling.
“Thank you so much for this, both of you,” I said and give Mallory and Raina a hug in turn.
“Absolutely. It’s our duty to help solve this. If Merlin’s Heart is real and that’s what the burglar wanted, they might try again,” Raina said.
I shuddered. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind, but she was right. The masked murderer had probably been thwarted by the bank’s own security traps the first time around — which meant now they knew exactly what not to do the second time.
“Should I ask around at school to see if anyone knows anything?” Mallory asked.
“No, I think it’s better for everyone if we keep this to ourselves for now. We don’t know what information might get back to whom and when,” Raina said.
“Agreed. We don’t know how many people are after this necklace, if that’s in fact what they’re after, and we don’t want to leak any details that might point the wrong people in the right direction,” I said as I pushed myself out of the rocking chair.
“In any case, I need to get over to the bank before it closes. Sorry to run off on you guys like this, but my story calls,” I said.
“And I need to head back to Veilside for class. Let us know what you hear, if anything,” Mallory said and followed me toward the door.
“Will do.”
“Guess I’m chopped liver, after all,” Grandma said when my hand grasped the knob and I froze. I’d forgotten to say goodbye to her, so I charged across the room and threw my arms around her.
“Come on, Elle, you ought to know by now that nothing gets between Zoe and a story,” Mallory said.
“Oh, believe me, I’m well aware. I’m just teasin’ her,” Grandma said, smiling at me. “Now get out there and make me proud. I got a ton more readin’ to do anyway and your jabber jaws ain’t helpin’.” She held up her copy The Origins of Witchcraft and sighed.
I waved goodbye and stepped outside with Mallory to head to the bank. With any luck, Victor would still be there and would actually want to talk to me again. He did say he wanted to help, so this would be a great way for him to do it.
“Thanks again,” I said and Mallory shrugged.
“What can I say? It’s a gift,” she said. “Be careful over there.”
“I will. See ya later.”
“Yup, see ya,” Mallory said and disappeared down Moonbeam Lane.
I took a shortcut through the alleys linking Moonbeam, Tower Street, and Midnight Avenue to the bank — and almost dropped my bag when I rounded the corner. A crowd of people surrounded the entrance to the bank. Chief Mueller and Officer Barrett stood on the stone steps, hemmed in by a ring of FBI agents. Two magical medics in white robes crouched over a body-shaped lump covered by a sheet.
“No, no, no! Not again!” I groaned as I ran toward the throng of people. A fairy in sunglasses met me at the foot of the stairs and blocked my path.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, you can�
�t go any further,” the fairy said, his white-blonde hair like an open fire in the setting sun.
“What happened? Is someone hurt?” I asked but the fairy said nothing, his mouth a thin, taut line. “Mueller!” I shouted. The chief of police glanced over his shoulder and when he realized it was me, he shot Officer Barrett an annoyed look.
Mueller ambled down the steps, his hands on his belt, and a grim look on his face told me everything. Someone was dead, I just didn’t know who.
“It’s okay, you can let her go,” Mueller said and the fairy released my shoulders but didn’t walk away. “It’s okay, I know her. She’s a reporter for the Messenger,” Mueller said. “Don’t worry, I know how to keep my mouth shut.”
The fairy nodded and stalked off, though he kept his eyes on us.
“What’s going on? Is it the vault?” I asked, desperate to know. Mueller shook his head, his houndlike jowls flapping. He cleared his throat and refused to look me in the eye.
“There was an incident this evening. Mr. Thornheart decided to close early, and on his way out of the bank with Mrs. Thornheart, someone attacked them,” Mueller said. “We still don’t know who it was or why, but we’re working on it. The bank’s closed indefinitely while we investigate.”
“Is he alive?” I asked as my eyes darted to the sheet-covered body on the stairs. Mueller sighed and shook his head. My chest contracted, threatening to cave in on itself.
“It’s difficult to say for sure, but Mrs. Thornheart told us she’s certain it was a killing curse,” Mueller said and his face reddened as he realized he’d made a mistake telling me that.
“So Selena saw it all? What did she say happened?” I asked, striking while I had the chance.
“Yes. Victor was locking the doors and Selena was supposed to be keeping guard while he did so, but she must’ve gotten distracted,” Mueller said.
I couldn’t believe it. Both Thornheart brothers were dead, and both of them were killed at the bank they ran together. It couldn’t have been a coincidence.
“Where is she?” I asked.
“It’s irrelevant. I told you before, Ms. Clarke, this case is above your pay grade. While I appreciate the help you’ve given us over the last couple of months, I want to be clear: leave this to us and the FBI,” Mueller said and something clicked in my head.
What did he know that he didn’t want to tell me? Could he have found out about Merlin’s Heart too? If an immortality-granting necklace really was in the bank, it would explain why the FBI had gotten involved with the case.
Or maybe I’d jumped to conclusions.
“Talking to a witness isn’t a crime. Besides, why would you turn down help from someone you know can get answers?” I asked.
“You might think you can, but you can’t. Leave it. I won’t ask you again, Zoe,” Mueller said. Wordlessly, he turned and marched back up the stairs to the magic medics, who were hoisting Victor’s body onto a stretcher made from their two brooms.
After they were sure he was safely placed, they kicked off the ground and I watched them until they turned into a tiny speck in the sky on their way to Willowvale Hospital. When my eyes returned to the ground, I spotted Selena sitting alone on the side of the building, her head in her hands. Sensing an opportunity I might not get again, I darted around the stairs and sidled up next to her.
She jumped at the motion, but her face softened when she saw me.
“Zoe? What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice thick with grief.
“I came to talk to Victor about something,” I said. “What happened?”
“I don’t know, it’s all a mess,” Selena said.
“Tell me anything you can remember. Any detail might help,” I said as I placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed her affectionately. A sob shuddered in her chest, but she swallowed it.
“Victor decided to close early today. We haven’t had much business since the robbery, not that that’s a surprise,” Selena said, halfway between a laugh and snort of derision. “It kills me to be in the bank since, since… Well, you know, so I was glad to leave.”
“I understand. I know this is difficult, but is there anything else you saw?” I asked.
“Yes. We came out onto the stairs and Victor asked me to keep watch while he locked up the doors. They’re sealed with magic, of course, but for whatever reason he had trouble performing the spell to get them to lock. I turned to help him, since I’ve done it more than once myself, and that was when they said it,” Selena said.
“They who? What did they say?” I asked.
“That person in the mask with the leather robes,” Selena said, her lower lip trembling. “The one who killed Percy.”
My heart plunged into a pool of ice and goosebumps cascaded down my spine. It was the same person, returning to the scene of the crime, to finish what they started — just as I’d feared. Were they intending to break in again and give the vaults a second try, or were they just there to take care of Victor?
“What did they say?”
“They had their wand pointed at both of us, no one was around to see — like I said, there wasn’t any business lately — and they said, in that scary voice of theirs, ‘I told you you hadn’t seen the last of me,’” Selena said and melted into sobs. She buried her face in her hands and her body heaved as she cried.
But it didn’t make any sense. It wasn’t the robber who’d said that, it was Becker Bloodworth while he was in the bank trying to negotiate with Percy — I was there myself, I heard it first hand. Could it have been Becker all along?
“Selena,” I said, trying to pull her out of herself. She looked up with tears in her eyes, which she quickly wiped away as if she were ashamed.
“It was Bloodworth, I’m sure of it,” she said, her face hardened. “First he came for Percy, and then he came back for Victor. He probably would’ve killed me too if he could have gotten away with it, but my screaming scared him off.”
“How do you know it was Becker? Besides what he said to you?”
“He stole Victor’s wand,” Selena said. “I was too shocked to try to stop him, but he summoned it as it fell after he killed Victor. Who else would want to steal a wand beside someone obsessed with them like Becker?”
She had a point. I didn’t know of anyone else in town who loved wands as much as he did, but why bother stealing someone else’s? Like broomsticks, they were bonded to the witch or warlock who owned them and refused to work for anyone else. So unless Becker intended to disassemble it for some reason, what else could he do with it?
“Did you see anything else? What about Becker’s beard? It’s a forest, there’s no way he could’ve tucked it into a mask,” I said.
“I don’t know. It was the same mask, that faceless, terrifying mask, and the same leather robes,” Selena said. “Maybe he used magic to stuff it in there, or maybe he cut it off before he suited up for the second time. I hope the police arrest him soon.”
That didn’t make much sense either. If Becker was the burglar, he couldn’t have sheared off his beard for a robbery only then to grow it back in the same day — unless, of course, he’d cast some sort of spell to make it grow back instantly. It wasn’t impossible, and something like that would’ve been pretty basic magic for an advanced warlock like Becker.
“I thought I told you to stay out of this, Zoe,” Mueller barked, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. He towered overhead and blocked the sun, his shadow hurling us into darkness.
“Sorry, I was just on my way and thought Selena looked like she needed comforting,” I said as I pushed off the stone steps and dusted off my robes.
“She’s got it. Now go before I change my mind. I won’t be so nice next time,” Mueller said. Why was he so invested in keeping me out of this case? Was there something he was trying to hide?
“I’m already gone,” I said and waved to Selena as I stepped down Midnight Avenue back toward Crescent Street. I glanced over my shoulder and found Mueller watching me, his arms crossed over hi
s chest — probably to make sure I left.
Like insects trapped in a jar, thoughts whizzed around in my mind as I walked aimlessly south. Between the possible existence of a necklace that granted immortality and the death of Victor Thornheart, allegedly at Becker Bloodworth’s hands, I didn’t know what to think or do.
But as I ambled down Crescent Street, the shuttered facade of Bloodworth’s wand shop appeared, and I realized there was only one thing I could do: talk to Becker before Mueller or anyone else got the chance. Maybe I was wrong about him all along, or maybe he really didn’t have anything to hide and it was simply a case of mistaken identity on Selena’s behalf.
With a sudden burst of reckless courage, I stomped over to the store’s entrance and hammered on the door.
Chapter Ten
No one answered, but I wasn’t surprised. The last time I went to the shop, it wasn’t yet out of commission. Now, however, it seemed Becker had vacated in a hurry — had something changed to accelerate his departure?
Desperate, I pounded on the door again, as hard as I could, and shouted Becker’s name. It was faint, but when I stopped knocking, something scraped against the floor inside, as soft as a set of fingernails raking up the leg of a pair of jeans.
“Becker?” I called. “It’s me, Zoe Clarke. If you’re in there, I’d really like to talk to you.”
Another scraping sound scurried out from under the crack at the bottom of the door, and a moment later one of Becker’s wild eyes appeared in the space between it and its frame.
“What’s going on in there? Are you okay?” I asked. The shuffling noises I’d heard sounded a bit too much like a body being dragged across the floor for my liking.
“Closing up for good. I’m almost done. You caught me at a bad time, can we talk tomorrow?” Becker asked.
“This won’t take long, just a few minutes, I promise,” I said. I didn’t want to drop a bomb on him just yet — maybe he didn’t know about Victor’s death, and if he was the one who committed the murder, I didn’t want to press too hard before I got the truth out of him.
Becker hesitated, but eventually pulled the door all the way open. I gasped when I saw his clean-shaven face.
