by Martha Carr
Turner Underwood leaned on the silver bird topping his cane, giving a sly smile with a tan felt Homburg firmly on his head.
Leira leaned back and took a second look at the older Light Elf. "You look tired. How is that possible? You're supposed to be doing less."
"There's still plenty for me to do. I needed to check on my star student. Why haven't you been returning my calls?" Turner made his way to the red velvet chair.
"A long and weird to-do list," Leira replied, hopping off the ladder. "Dead fathers coming back. Dark wizards setting traps."
"So I see." He pointed the end of his cane at the bruises visible above Leira’s t-shirt. "That looks fresh. What happened?"
"Sirius happened." Leira shrugged it off. "He took the worst of it."
Turner raised a bushy eyebrow and leaned his cane against the side of the chair, pressing his fingertips together near his lips and staring at Leira.
She stared back, playing out Hagan's rule. Whoever speaks first loses.
"You haven't been by the house for an official tour," said Turner.
"That's a dodge. I’ve come by a couple times. Why are you really here?" Leira stood up and walked past him, shoving a box out of the way with her foot, heading toward the kitchen.
"Are we relocating?" Turner sighed and grunted as he lifted himself out of the chair, walking after her into the kitchen, tapping his cane.
Leira watched how he was carrying himself. "You've been up to something. You're moving like you've been in a battle." She pulled a bottle of Dr. Pepper from the fridge and held it up to Turner, raising her eyebrows.
"No, thank you." He cleared his throat. "Not really my thing, though I do like a good cream soda."
"Dr. Pepper is made in Texas." Leira twisted off the top and took a sip, her eyes fixed on him. He smiled and looked at the floor, knowing she was waiting for something.
"Alright, I'll go first again." He rubbed his chin and settled back, his eyelids growing heavy. "I am tired."
Leira leaned against the old Formica counter, sipping the Dr. Pepper.
He glanced up at Leira. "I've been trying to help Peyton. Progress is very slow. It gives me pause when I think of what Wolfstan Humphrey is up to."
"He must have spent his entire time in Trevilsom Prison creating a fun mirror of a manifesto. He wants to connect all the dots. Oriceran's largest kingdom, this world's largest government, the corporate world, the dark families."
"Make them all bow to him."
"Who do you think kicked him around when he was a kid? It's the biggest chip on a shoulder I've ever seen." Leira finished the Dr. Pepper and put the bottle in the green recycling bin.
"It's up there, and with technology as a new wrinkle it has made things much more dangerous. You need someone on the inside of the operation." Turner rubbed his face. "That presents its own problems. Both sides have already thrown down so everyone's guard is up."
"We may already have someone."
Turner looked up, surprised. "A bit of good news I didn't see coming. That does not happen to me often enough." He sat forward, rubbing his hands together. "Who is it?"
"Lily Sharpton, a young witch who works at Fleeker in R&D. She's been there a while and knows nothing."
"The perfect plant."
"And Lois' niece."
"Huh, this day is turning around. A legacy no less."
"But we would be asking a young witch who has no tactical training to spy on the most dangerous magical I've ever met."
"My dear, if we don't do all we can, we will all be pulled into this fight anyway, but on the defense with a lot more horror. There is no question of whether or not we are all in it, it's about when and under what circumstances. Do you have an alternative?"
"No... no, I don't. I'll ask Lois. At least plant the seed because I don't see her saying yes, at first."
Turner Underwood rose out of his chair. "Come see what my oversized mansion can offer you and Correk while you're in DC. This remodeling you're doing can wait. Take a break with an old Light Elf."
"Pulling the old Light Elf card. That's low. Fine, it would be kind of nice to see the shiny doodads. Lead the way." Leira followed behind Turner who headed for the back door. "How did you get past all our wards?"
"Child's play for a Fixer."
"Oooh, does that mean Correk knows how to do that?"
"I taught Correk all my tricks, but it will take him years to make them his own and add nuance. Let's create the portal in the alley. Leave less of a trail."
Leira gave a crooked smile, stepping outside. "You didn't break all of the wards, did you?"
Turner let out a loud laugh and relaxed for the first time since he had gotten there. "No, you clever child, I did not. I saw that it was yours. Well done."
Turner stepped away from the walls of the townhouse and opened his hands, pulling apart an opaque bubble and creating a portal. A cool breeze hit Leira from the marble entryway of Turner's large house.
Leira shut her eyes, opening her arms wide. "AC! The best."
Turner walked into his foyer and waited, tapping his cane on the hard floor. "It's even better from in here."
Leira stepped through, the portal closing behind her with a loud zip.
"Welcome to my audacious home." He leaned on his cane with a tired smile. "No point in my trying to act humble. This is one of my favorite houses and it's badass," he said, leaning in with a wink.
"If you're saying that I'm going to assume there's hidden surprises I haven’t seen that will delight and attack."
"All kinds of hidden things. I've owned it for over a hundred years, and I've had time to embellish. Come on, let's start with something simple."
He led Leira down the wide center hallway past a formal living room. Turner waved to it saying, "I only use that room to welcome dignitaries. They need the dog and pony show." He kept moving, walking past several other rooms that stretched the hallway and came to a door on the right in the back corner that had no handle. He turned with a smile. "Now, here is where it gets interesting."
"Something new.Okay, you've teased it enough. Come on, show me the goods. How do we get in here?"
Turner's eyes glowed and he tapped on the door, a glass handle appearing. He turned the knob, opening the door with a grin and waited for Leira to go first.
Leira peered inside. "Aren't you a little worried about overselling? No? Okay, I'm going." She stepped through the door and was surrounded by a cold mist in complete darkness. "You do know how to build excitement. Turner?" Her voice echoed making her eyes widen with curiosity. She stepped forward a few steps, a crooked smile growing and waved her arms, sensing nothing close by as she kept walking.
Behind her Turner Underwood let out a deep, belly laugh. "You are the first to have that reaction! Most inch forward, reluctant to go toward what they can't see. You are always a delightful surprise." He snapped his fingers sharply and the light gradually came up from the floor, rising toward the ceiling.
Leira's mouth dropped open and she took in a deep breath, slowing down to take it all in.
Laid out in front of her was another large building, much bigger than the one she had entered from the street, and much less formal. "It's spectacular," she whispered. Doors lined the long hallway and different sounds and lights were coming out of each one. "Are those explosions?" Leira spun around, her brows knit together. "Was that sound a whale? Is that possible?"
Turner laughed again, the strain on his face easing. "Anything is possible. Always remember that."
"You made your own version of a secret garden." Leira ran ahead, disappearing into the first room on the left.
"Okay, don't wait for me," Turner chuckled. "Love that girl." He moved with a lighter step, still tapping his cane along the ground and followed Leira into the oversized gym. "It's ten thousand square feet with thirty foot ceilings," he shouted.
“This makes the gym you have in the main house look kind of sparse.” Leira was already at the other end, climbing the rope wal
l and leaning out to swing to the next course. "The wainscoting is a nice touch. A classy gym."
"I told you, I had time to make embellishments. I like nice things."
"I like that you like nice things." She jumped off the edge of a tall wooden block and grabbed onto a ring, letting go over a foam pit and crawling out, a grin on her face. "This is amazing!"
"This is nothing. This place is more of a necessity to keep me fit. The real fun is further down the hall."
"Then why are we standing here?" She ran ahead again, down the hall choosing the next door, which opened into a smaller room. It was a sparse room with only a tall mirror and a closet to one side. Leira turned to leave but Turner stopped her at the door.
"Don't be so quick. Take another look," he said with an arched brow.
Leira turned around and looked at the simple room again. "There's not much here."
"It doesn't matter how much is ever in front of you. It matters what they contribute."
"Oh, this is the best fucking day ever. A riddle for a detective without a gruesome ending." Leira opened the closet door and saw three empty hangars. She looked back at Turner, who shrugged. "Keep going."
She went and stood in front of the mirror and was about to turn away when a ripple ran through the center of the mirror from the top to the bottom and back up again. Tiny beams of light shot out, scanning Leira's body and head, circling every inch and retracting back into the mirror.
"That was a little invasive."
Turner snorted with laughter watching her.
"I don't get it." Leira looked closer and stood back again. The mirror had returned to its sedate reflective state.
"Check the closet again."
Leira tilted her head to one side and slowly opened the closet, letting out a whoop of delight. Inside on one of the hangars was a black leather jacket with silver zippers along each pocket and a pair of black leather boots. "Hot damn. That is exactly what I would want."
"The mirror is an old artifact given to me as a gift a hundred years ago from a tailor. It reads your body and your mood and creates an outfit to suit both. In over a hundred years it's never been wrong."
Leira slipped into the jacket and ran her hand along the soft leather. "That's why you always look so dapper."
"Come on, the boots will be waiting for you at the front door when we're done. There is a lot more to see."
Leira spun around in a circle before running out of the room, dashing past Turner.
"Wait for me before you go in the next room. I want to be there when you see it," he said.
Leira slowed down and stood at the edge of the darkened and quiet room, waiting for Turner. "I'm surprised you spend so much time in Austin." A look of surprise came over her. "Wait! Is there more to the Austin house?"
"A surprise for another day."
"How did I not know any of this?"
"Very few are ever invited into my inner sanctums. Too much risk in my line of business."
Turner stepped over the threshold of the room and took in a deep breath, dramatically raising his arms and looking up. Leira came in and stood next to him and looked up.
Fireworks appeared overhead, exploding far above what should have been the ceiling.
"How is this happening?" Leira's eyes shined, the exploding colors reflecting in her eyes. "Reminds me when I was little, and Mom and Grandma were there, and we would go and see fireworks together." Her voice was barely above a whisper, full of wonder.
"It's like a planetarium, but for fireworks. It never fails to get me to relax. It's why I put in the movie seating." In the center of the room were two rows of leather recliners separated by cup holders.
"Wow, you are even cooler than I realized."
"Yes, I am," he said, smiling. "I love fireworks. There's even a snack station behind a panel." Turner Underwood waved his arm and the sky changed, stars appearing clearly overhead. "But sometimes a planetarium is nice too."
"When I grow up, I want to be you."
"That's already taken by your partner. But maybe he'll share."
"I have to talk Correk into all of this." Leira clapped her hands together. "Does it do anything else?"
Turner snapped his fingers and a meteor shower shot across the artificial sky.
Leira tilted her head back even further, her mouth open staring upwards. "How do you fit all this in here?" She looked around, calculating the size of what she had seen so far. "There isn't enough space on this block and we still haven't seen everything. Are we in a weird kind of portal?"
This time it was Turner whose bushy eyebrows went up with surprise. "That is an interesting thought. I may have to look into that to see if it's possible to make an enormous permanent portal act like a room of its own. Hmmm... Of course, there's that pesky problem of a tear leading to the world in between."
"Yeah, pesky problem. Okay, then what carnival trick have you pulled off?"
Turner shook a finger. "That is a great question. There is very powerful magic that is not dark magic but is still not known by many. It takes a lot of experience to practice and keep it stable."
"It's like you bent physics."
Turner tapped his nose, wandering out of the room. "Now you've got it. I knew you would understand. All of magic must work with the laws of physics. Powerful magic can bend it more. These rooms all exist in a small space that can fit in the palm of your hand," said Turner, holding out his hand. "What the magic does is expand that space on a different plane."
"Okay, I kind of get it. How many places are there like this?"
"Hard to say. Like I said, this is one of the most closely guarded secrets. The Silver Griffins know but only at the top levels and as far as I know it’s only used when there’s a new leader. So far, we've kept it out of the hands of the dark families. Come on, just a couple more rooms to show you. That will be enough for today at least."
Leira let out a sigh. "There's far more, isn't there." She grasped her hands in front of her chest. "The world is an amazing place and just when I think I have a handle on it, there's more to see and know and do."
"This is why you possess the energy of light inside of you. Your curiosity doesn't end."
"How does that explain my dad?"
"Ha! Good point. Here we are at the next stop. This room is more functional and best hidden from any prying eyes. This is the last resort room, which fortunately I have never had to use, yet."
Inside, the room was ringed with wooden and glass cabinets and inside were different types of rifles, automatic weapons, ground to air missiles, and a large variety of handguns. The smile slipped from Leira's face and she walked down the line with her hands on her hips. "I recognize all of these. That's a pretty good arsenal." She stopped halfway. "But what kind of weaponry is this? Looks like a twisted Nerf gun."
Turner came and stood by a cabinet that had large weapons hanging on pegs. "Advanced technology with a little magic added in. I'll teach you all about them, later. But you are to never use them unless everything else in the two worlds out there has failed. I want your word."
"Armageddon weapons, I get it. Okay, sure, you have my word. Why create them?"
"Because dark magic has a way of popping back up and some day it may gain the advantage. We must be ready to take it back."
"Oof. I had forgotten for a minute about Wolfstan Humphrey."
"Then let's get out of this room and restore the day. The last two on today's tour are the best rooms of all."
"That's really saying something." Leira shook out her arms, letting the chill that had come over her pass. Save it for the world out there.
"I rarely get to show anyone this part of the house. I have to tell you," said Turner, the smile returning, "it's so much better to see it all through your eyes. This next room was created with the help of the Gardener of the Dark Forest. That's right, we have been known to collaborate together. One great Fixer of sorts to another."
"What kind of room would the two of you build?" Leira stepped th
rough a doorway and was in a short hallway, immediately surrounded by a clear bubble that moved with her as she walked. "Is this it? Does something happen overhead?"
"No, keep going and through the double doors. Over there."
She pushed at the doors and exited the bubble, entering into an endless room, her ears popping from a change in air pressure. Ten feet above her was a clear barrier and above that an ocean of water teeming with marine life. "The whale sound."
Just over her head a grey whale swam by, filling her view, barnacles clinging to its belly. Leira stretched out her arm, waggling her fingers. "That is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. You created a marine sanctuary in a house."
"Well, technically in another plane, but yes, it's a sanctuary. The wet version of the Dark Forest and without human or magical interference. Completely hidden away. It's a balanced ecosystem too. It doesn't really need much help from me."
A school of blue and orange fish swam one way and turned slightly, swimming in a new direction. Leira could barely take it all in.
"Those are mandarinfish. The only fish with a true blue pigment. There are over twenty thousand species in this ocean we've created."
"There's a question I've had since I learned about magic and how long I may live." Leira watched the fish swim out of view and an octopus inch along the bottom, its purple suckers peeling on and then off the smooth surface. "I wondered if I would get bored at some point. But there's so much to be learned and so much to see."
"It won't even fill up an old Fixer's lifetime," said Turner, smiling. "This one was a doozy creating the stability to hold up an ocean, but it's the next one where so far I have outdone myself and really begs for more people to come and visit."
"Just a few more minutes." Leira's head was tilted back watching the octopus gracefully swim through the water. Her eyes began to glow, and the symbols lit up along her arms. Turner reached out and grabbed her shoulder, evening out her magic. "That is forbidden in here. No excess magic, and in particular yours. I can't be sure how it would affect things and I don't care to find out. There aren't enough paper towels in the world."
