Magic and Mayhem

by R K Dreaming

  Suddenly she whipped her wand around to point it at Percy. “And now the password. Give it to me!”

  Percy gave a great sigh and nodded her head slowly.

  Nan flinched, has if she was scared of what Percy was going to say.

  Percy looked apologetically at her friends, and then said, “Well actually, I’ve forgotten it.”

  Juliet stared. “Forgotten it?” she said disbelievingly. “Forgotten it!”

  “It was such a complicated word,” said Percy. “We wrote it down, but we lost it on the way. We were in such a hurry to get here and save my mum you see.”

  Juliet looked like she was going to explode. Her wand was shaking so hard that Percy was astonished at her hair didn’t explode into a ball of fire.

  Gwendolyn was glaring at Percy as if trying to tell her to shut up and not goad Juliet.

  “But you don’t need the password,” Percy said. “All you need is the fabulous Gwendolyn Prince.”

  Gwendolyn frowned at Percy now. During the whole conversation her eyes had remained vigilant, always on Juliet, always searching for an opportunity to overpower her. But Juliet, wary of her adversary, had stayed far out of her reach.

  “What are you talking about?” snapped Juliet.

  “My mum really is as fabulous as people say,” said Percy. “Hank might have spent nine years looking for that walnut, but I bet my mum can find it in an hour.”

  Juliet stared at Percy with narrowed eyes. They were full of suspicion, but also a tiny gleam of speculation. Maybe even hope.

  Percy nodded. “I’ll bet she can use her magic to figure out a way to find that walnut, especially since Hank here has already narrowed the possible location down to just a few places. Haven’t you Hank?”

  He nodded. Three times.

  “Three places?” said Percy.

  Hank nodded again. And then looked apologetically at Juliet.

  “Are you really telling me that there are only three places it can be?” snapped Juliet. “Then why haven’t you found it yet!”

  “Because he hasn’t been able to use magic,” Percy explained. “He’s been afraid that because there are so few witches and wizards in the area, the conclave would know it was him using the magic. Especially since this was where he came the night that he lost the loot. He’s been afraid that they might be keeping a close eye on it.”

  Juliet suddenly looked wary. Her eyes flicked to the wand in her own hand. She had already used it to do magic.

  “They won’t be worried about mum using her wand here,” said Percy. “She is the famous Gwendolyn Prince after all. Above suspicion. So why don’t you give it back to her, and let her find the walnut for you?”

  “You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” hissed Juliet. “You know that I won’t be able to use my own wand to keep Gwendolyn under control. You know that the Conclave of Magic will be looking for any signs of my wand being used anywhere. They’ll turn up the moment I use it.”

  Gwendolyn made another sound in her throat. She clearly wanted to say something.

  “What?” Juliet snapped. “Voco!”

  “You used your wand at my house, I believe,” Gwendolyn said calmly. “And the conclave didn’t turn up then.”

  “Don’t try to trick me,” said Juliet. “I know full well that you’ve enchanted your house so that magic used inside it can’t be tracked.”

  Gwendolyn gave a little smile, and shrugged her shoulders. “It was worth a try,” she murmured.

  Percy didn’t know how her mum could remain calm in such a situation. It was like she didn’t care. Or like she was mildly amused by it as if it was a theatre show, and she was waiting to see how it would all work out.

  Her coolness was in sharp contrast to Juliet, who was practically gnashing her teeth. Clearly she wanted to find that walnut desperately and get out of here as soon as she could.

  Right after she had either killed them all or wiped their memories. Because Percy had no doubt that Juliet had no intention of giving up her famous lifestyle and going into hiding. She loved the adulation too much. No doubt she was anticipating playing the part of grieving widow for a global audience.

  Time was ticking by. Juliet was losing control. She could lash out at any moment. Percy had to get Gwendolyn’s wand into Gwendolyn’s hand. Because once Gwendolyn Prince had her own wand, then all sorts of possibilities opened up.

  “You can hold me hostage,” said Percy suddenly.

  “No,” said Gwendolyn sharply.

  Juliet blinked. She stared at Gwendolyn. A smile spread over her face.

  “Your precious daughter,” she said. “You don’t want me to hurt your precious daughter?”

  “Leave my daughter out of it!” said Gwendolyn through gritted teeth. Her eyes glinted like she meant to kill Juliet.

  Juliet sneered. She crooked her finger at Percy, indicating she wanted Percy to go over to her.

  “Persephone,” said Gwendolyn in a warning tone.

  “Sorry mum,” said Percy. “It’s the only way.”

  She stared at her mum hard, trying to tell her that this was her chance to save them. That Gwendolyn had to find a way once she had her wand.

  Gwendolyn looked surprisingly anguished.

  Percy reached Juliet, who used Gwendolyn’s wand to bind Percy’s arms tightly. Ropes appeared out of thin air and she used her wand to wind them all the way around Percy from her shoulders to her thighs like a mummy. It rendered Percy immobile, and they were so tight she could barely breathe.

  Juliet held her wand up beneath Percy’s chin. She prodded Percy hard. Percy gulped.

  “Yeah, I get it,” she muttered.

  “One wrong move, Gwendolyn,” said Juliet, “and your daughter’s head will explode. I don’t care if the conclave senses that I’ve used my wand and watch witches turn up here. It will be too late for your daughter then.”

  She gestured for everyone else to get up. She bound Nan and Shara’s arms in the same way that she had done to Percy’s, and put silencing charms on everyone. Finally she draped large overcoats around their shoulders.

  They all went out of the house like that.

  If any of the neighbors had been watching from their windows, it would have been a very funny sight. Five ridiculously stiff persons toddling in comical baby steps down the street, being marched at wand point by a Hollywood superstar.

  Except no one was looking out into the darkness, and there was no one out on the streets either. Which was lucky for them, given the mood Juliet was in.

  Percy was glad that Granny Hyde’s house was only a couple of streets away. Shuffling all the way there made the walk seem like miles. And being tied up like this meant there was no chance to disarm Juliet on the way.

  Hank led the way. He pointed out the house they wanted with a jerk of his chin when they got near it.

  “You’d better not be lying,” said Juliet.

  He gave a strangled moan.

  It was very late now. The lights were off on most of the street. The lights were certainly off inside the house.

  Hank gave that strangled moan again.

  “Voco!” said Juliet, pointing her wand at him.

  Percy felt a relaxing of the air in her own throat. She did not know whether Juliet had meant to do it, but she had undone everyone’s silencing charms. Percy wondered what would happen if she screamed.

  “A Humble family lives there now,” Hank whispered miserably to Juliet.

  “Then you had better hope they don’t wake up and come out to investigate,” said Juliet. “Because I’ll be forced to kill them all and it’ll be your fault, Hank.

  He flinched, looking terrified at the idea of all of those people dying.

  “We’ll be quiet,” he pleaded with her.

  “You had all better be quiet,” she hissed. “All those Humble’s deaths will be on your consciences.”

  It was very dark out here, but by the faint light of the distant street lamp Percy could see that a small pink tricycle
was near the door step of the house. Right next to it was a little blue scooter. Children lived in the house. Juliet was talking about killing them, and she was saying it with a mad smile on her face.

  A dark alleyway ran along the side of the house. Percy didn’t spot it until Hank walked towards it. “This way,” he whispered.

  The alleyway was pitch black, and Percy was afraid of falling on something. She tried to tread carefully, following the sounds of Hank shuffling along in front of her.

  Juliet did not provide any extra light from her wand. Clearly she didn’t care that anyone who fell might break their jaws since they couldn’t catch themselves with their hands. She only cared about not being seen.

  Percy cared about not being seen too, because anyone who saw them might end up dead.

  In the dark, the alleyway seemed to go on forever. Then the stone underfoot changed to soft grass. They passed out of the alley into an open space, leaving the houses behind them. In the faint moonlight, Percy could make out that they had entered a park.

  There were strange shapes in the distance. As they passed by it, Percy realized was a children’s play area. Now she could see something glinting and moving up ahead.

  Hank headed towards the glinting. The moon came out from behind a cloud, and Percy saw that it was a body of water. A large pond.

  “This is one of them,” Hank whispered. “I couldn’t get under the water to dig it up. I thought the walnut might be underneath.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I don’t know. I think so.”

  “You’re pathetic,” she said in disgust.

  Juliet held out Gwendolyn’s wand towards Gwendolyn.

  “Remember what I said I would do to your daughter,” she said in a warning, her wand tip pressed under Percy’s chin menacingly.

  “I’ll find your damn walnut for you,” snarled Gwendolyn.

  The ties binding Gwendolyn snapped loose and fell to the ground. She snatched the wand from Juliet’s hand.

  For a moment Percy’s heart leapt. Nan and Shara must’ve thought the same, because both them flinched away from Juliet as if sure that Gwendolyn was going to attack her.

  But Gwendolyn didn’t. She said coldly, “And when I have it, we’ll do a little trade.”

  “Yes, we will,” said Juliet coldly. “You get what you want only after I get what I want.”

  Gwendolyn turned towards the pond and murmured an incantation. The water started rippling violently, the glints of light on the surface churning. The ground underfoot trembled. Slowly something rose out from beneath the watery surface.

  Nan made a sound of disgust.

  What rose up was a huge mass of mud. It floated in the air. Water dripped from it and fell into the cavernous hole below.

  Hank Hyde and Shara both made sounds of admiration.

  Percy felt the press of the wand tip under her chin, firm and ready, never wavering. She wondered what would happen if she stomped on Juliet’s foot. Or if she whipped her head back and smashed it into Juliet’s nose. She was the only one close enough.

  But the wand tip was digging into the soft flesh of her throat. She imagined it going off like a gun. She’d be dead before she managed to do Juliet any real harm.

  “Metala brilo,” said Gwendolyn.

  Even Percy, who had seen her mother do a great many things with her magic, gave a murmur of surprise when hundreds of things within the mass of mud started to shine like they were on fire. Floating inside the mass of mud, their edges glimmered and glowed orange and red.

  And then Gwendolyn swooshed her wand sidewards, and all of the glowing things shot in an arc to the left, leaving the mud behind, and crashed onto the ground in a heap with metallic sounding clinks and clatters.

  If a Humble had been watching they would have been astonished. It looked like an eerie display of fireworks.

  It was metal, Percy realized. Everything made of metal that had been within the mud was now lying in a great glowing pile at the side of the pond. The mass of mud was dark again, and it fell with a great crash back into the water, sending up dirty spray that made them all jerk back.

  Splashes of water landed on Percy and Juliet, who made a sound of disgust. But even then, Juliet’s wand tip stayed pressed up against Percy. In the eerily glowing light, Nan’s face shone nearby, looking tense and frightened.

  Gwendolyn pointed her wand at the heap of glowing metal, and said, “Venu nukso.”

  Juliet gave a great gasp of anticipation.

  Nothing happened.

  Gwendolyn tried again, flicking her wand at the heap of metal, and crying, “Venu walnut!”

  Again nothing happened.

  Muttering in annoyance under her breath, Gwendolyn approached the pile of metal. She jerked once, nearly tripping over the trailing hem of her long skirt, then yanked it up off the ground impatiently.

  With flicks of her wand, she began rapidly sorting through the heap of metal, taking out all of the smallest things one by one, but so fast that they just looked like shiny metal streaks to Percy.

  By the time she was done, the metal was lying in two piles; one of larger things, and one of tiny things.

  Gwendolyn searched the pile of tiny glowing things again, this time more slowly.

  Finally she turned around and said flatly, “It isn’t here.”

  Juliet muttered a curse, and then said, “Hank, take us to the next place.”

  “It’s a nursery school,” he said. “In the school playground.”

  They crossed the length of the park, in the darkness stumbling over every dip and rise in the grass, and finally arrived at a building surrounded by a fence.

  Gwendolyn lit up the tip of her wand, which cast just enough light to be able to see a small playground through the fence.

  “I couldn’t dig here,” explained Hank. “An alarm went off whenever I tried to get in. I was trying to think of a way to disable it.”

  “Fool,” muttered Juliet.

  Gwendolyn paid them no attention. She disabled the alarm with a flare of magic from her wand that made electricity sizzle in wires around the school. Sparks shot out from the alarm box near the roof.

  However Gwendolyn did not open the gate and lead them all inside the fence. She simply did her magic from outside it.

  As she had done before, she tore up all of the ground of the play area. The swing set and slide rose with it. She did it with such ease. Percy realized she probably could have ripped up the building itself by the foundations if she had needed to. She felt a glow of pride, and sadness. So this was why her mum so badly wanted Percy to have magic. This was why it saddened her that Percy did not. It all came so easily to Gwendolyn Prince.

  With flicks of her wand, Gwendolyn shook the hard-packed earth until it loosened into floating in clumps. She set the metal in it glowing alight, and sifted through the muck and turf, filtering out all of the glowing bits of metal and inspecting them.

  The gathered group watched her work, their breath baited.

  Percy knew they must all be wondering what would happen if Gwendolyn found the walnut. Would she be able to negotiate for their lives? Or would it turn into a fight, Gwendolyn against Juliet? Would Juliet carry out her threat and kill Percy?

  Percy strained as subtly as she could against her bindings, trying to free her arms, but the ropes were unyielding. Every time she squirmed too much, Juliet’s wand poked her hard. She hoped the others were having better luck trying to ease out of their ropes.

  As she watched Gwendolyn shift through the bits of glowing metal she was struck with the sudden urge to hysterically giggle. How futile it all was! Two men in jail and Hank wasting the last decade of his life all for a bit of magic!

  Well, admittedly for a lot of magic. Some of the most powerful magic in the world.

  All her life Percy had wanted magic of her own. She had thought it would change her life. But here was Juliet Jolie, a grown witch who had it all — magic and wealth and fame. She had everything she’d dreamed
of, but it hadn’t made her happy. She still wanted more.

  With a wave of Gwendolyn’s wand, the last bit of glowing metal plinked onto the ground. Gwendolyn was done sorting through it all. She had not found the walnut.

  Juliet Jolie cursed, furiously threatening Hank with all sorts of trouble if he had lied to her.

  “You’d better not be wasting my time,” she snarled. “You’d better not be trying to trick me.”

  “I thought it had to be here,” he protested weakly.

  A now frantic Hank led them to his last remaining searching spot. Across the park they all marched again, on and on, until the moon came out from behind the clouds momentarily and Percy saw the silhouettes of roofs against the sky. They were approaching another street of terraced houses. Towards their back gardens Percy guessed, given the absence of street lamps.

  “Hush,” Hank urged them. “We’re nearly there.”

  The moon disappeared behinds clouds and it became dark again, apart from the glow of a few lonely night lights from the windows of some houses.

  When they got near, Hank slowed down and whispered, “It’s a house that an old man lives in. He never sleeps. He’s always up keeping watch, and yelling every time he hears a noise. And his stupid dog is always barking too. I could never get near enough to dig it up, and in nine years the two of them have never gone on holiday or been sick. Talk about bad luck.”

  “Why didn’t you just poison them?” said Juliet coldly. “Nobody would have missed a stupid old man and his dog.”

  “But… but… I never signed up to kill anybody,” said Hank in a weak voice.

  “Pathetic, that’s what you are,” Juliet spat. “Wasting nine years of your life for an old fool and his dog?”

  They approached the house as quietly as they could. Even so, the dog started barking well before they got anywhere near the garden.

  In the darkness, the pitch black, Percy saw a tiny orange glow. It was the old man upstairs in his bedroom, lighting up a cigarette, staring out of the window, not knowing that a group of witches and eldritch people were standing there staring back at him.