Finding Real Magic

by Shawn Keys

  Angelica paused, then said, “Maybe heading for my house isn’t such a bad idea after all.”

  Francois cocked his head, looking at her in the mirror, “You sure, Ma’am?”

  “Do it, Francois.”

  Zahn was about to rebel, but she gestured him in closer.

  She whispered, “Francois helped keep us alive. Are you ready to invite him into the circle?”

  Zahn saw where she was going with this. “I know you trust him. But I can’t. Not with the secret to magic.”

  She forgave him immediately. “Don’t worry, I don’t think it’s right, either. He has a family. Better we let him fall off the trail these bastards are following. He’ll drive us in. Let the reporters make what they want out of the damage to the car. It’ll give them a thrill. I’ll give them a wave and make like it’s nothing.”

  “Why even open the window?”

  Angelica insisted, “I know what I’m getting myself into, Zahn. You’ll have to trust me on this. It’s my world. These pictures will be splashed on all the tabloids with every lame make-believe story they can dream up about why it looks like the limo was in a war zone. I need my family to know I was alive when this car came home tonight. I need to give them that much.”

  Zahn exhaled in sympathy. “I’m sorry, I forgot. Comes from not having any family to remember. You’re right. I’ll just lay low and make sure none of them see me.”

  “Right. Best case, these mercenaries who are after you decide that you’ve ditched me and I’m back to my celebrity existence. Francois can turn on some lights, crank the TV up loud, and make the house look occupied.”

  “And meanwhile?”

  “Meanwhile, we sneak out.”

  “To where?”

  She shook her head, ending with, “Even Francois doesn’t know about where we’re going. I’ll tell you later.” She sat back up tall. “Just take us through the main gate, Francois. It’ll be fine.”

  * * *

  Going through the gate to Angelica’s house was as eventful and yet non-eventful as she had suspected. The ravenous hoard of paparazzi clambered to get images of her. They yelled questions that ranged from the friendly to the obscene when she scrolled down the window to give them a wave. The fact that it was early in the morning didn’t phase them at all. They camped out night after night in shifts when they knew she was in town.

  The whole mansion stood on a large lot right on the northern outskirts of greater LA. The grounds were expansive, bordering against a lake and few patches of woodland. It was exactly the sort of place a powerful starlet would own, though Zahn found himself thinking that it wasn’t quite ‘her’ either. Like she had bought it because she knew she was supposed to own a place like this. He thought the luxurious yet personalized apartment was far more her style.

  Once through the gate, Zahn whistled, both impressed and horrified at the way the media whipped themselves into a frenzy over her simple entrance. “Always knew they could be bad, but I’ve never lived it. Not sure how you can stand it.”

  Angelica sighed. “I’ve made it worse over the last few years.” She went quiet, deciding if she wanted to get more personal. She finally admitted, “I was dating a minor celebrity named Harvey Simmons. Harv hadn’t quite gotten his big break. Did a few low-budget films. But he was fun and handsome. I would’ve called us semi-serious. Then without warning, he cut all ties and spread rumors to everyone with a microphone that he’d ‘had to let me go’. Made a name for himself as the ‘actor who dared to dump the superstar darling of Hollywood’.” She rolled her eyes, clearing thinking the grandiose title ridiculous. She sighed again. “He got the recognition he wanted. Ever since, I’ve kept my personal life strictly private.” She flickered her eyes to him. “I… haven’t even told you everything. I should, but…” The words strangled trying to come out.

  Zahn held up a hand, trying to stop her. “When it’s the right time. We’re on the run. That sort of thing can wait. I won’t ditch you. But if things go badly, we might have to suddenly part ways forever in order to save your life. I hope that isn’t the case, but you don’t owe me any explanations.”

  Her teasing smirk broke out again. “Even though I belong to you?”

  Zahn grinned back. “Maybe we’ll have a longer talk once we’re safe. Then I can pry out all the secrets of my most prized possession.”

  “Am I? Even more precious than your relics?”

  Zahn pretended to consider that, humming and hawing.

  She swatted at him. “You’re horrible!”

  He reached up and cupped her cheek tenderly. “The last two days with you have been the most special of my life. If I could have you forever, I’d move heaven and earth to make that happen. Never forget that.” He kissed her with all the sincerity in his heart, meaning every word.

  By then, Francois had pulled into the carport, well out of the line of sight from the cameras at the gate. “Ready.”

  Angelica gave Zahn one last fond smile, then slipped out of his arms. “Alright, you know the plan, Francois. Make the house look well-lived in. Free reign. Enjoy yourself. Take one of my cars out now and again if you want. Call a repairman for the limo. Don’t answer any questions about where I’ve been. As far as you know, I’m just taking a little time for myself.”

  He quirked an eyebrow, “And how will you get off the grounds?”

  She smiled playfully. “Why, that’s where Luke will come in.”

  “Ahh.”

  Zahn asked, “Luke?”

  She nodded. “I have a wharf on the lake. He comes in to do my maintenance. I can drive a boat, but don’t ask me to fix one. I’ll call him in to take a look at one of the engines. Once he is here, Francois, you’ll call him into the house. Use any excuse you can think of.”

  He nodded. “And then?”

  She turned to Zahn. “That’s up to you. Can you get us onto his boat unseen?”

  Zahn didn’t hesitate. “I see where you’re going with this. We slip onto his boat, and he takes us out of here. Anyone asks, and he doesn’t even know he helped us.”

  “Right. Can you do it?”

  “Absolutely.” They would have to talk about where to go after that, but she was clearly waiting so they could talk in total privacy. So, he held his tongue.

  The plan set, the three exited the shot-up limo and got to work.

  * * *

  The repairman’s boat was more a barge put to power. It gave plenty of cubby holes and nooks to hide in. The walkway onto the barge was plenty wide, letting Zahn easily shadow both of them under his invisibility cloak. Once aboard the barge, the pair tucked themselves away in a back corner and waited. Two small power boats and even a lone canoe lingered out on the water; their owners were pointing cameras at the wharf in hopes of catching sight of Angelica swimming or jet-skiing or whatever else the private star might do. None of them saw a thing.

  The wait was a pleasant one for Zahn. His cloak was not large, barely enough to conceal them together. Their cover while in motion wasn’t perfect, but none of the camera owners caught on. Once settled in place, they were able to arrange the cloak more perfectly. Angelica cuddled happily into his lap to aid in the process. Zahn spent the next few hours and a calming boat ride with her feminine curves nestled in his arms, his nose buried in her honey-cinnamon scented hair. There were worse ways to spend an early morning.

  The Fountain had blasted away any remaining fatigue he had, but Angelica wasn’t so fortunate. Gathering a travelling bag for Angelica had taken time. Luke had not been able to show up until seven in the morning, and even that was a personal favor to one of his most important clients. As, such, they were skimming over the water at around nine after Luke finished whatever fake maintenance Francois hired him to do. The late hours began to wear at her, and Angelica drifted into a kittenish sleep in his arms.

  They bumped against Luke’s home wharf about an hour later. Waiting until he had tidied up the barge and left, Zahn nudged his lover awake. “Time to go, Angie.” St
ealing ashore as quickly as they could, they trotted out to the main street without being seen.

  Carrying on in a hopefully non-suspicious stroll, Zahn breathed a little easier. “I think we’re clear of any tail. Now we need a place to hole up. That means we can’t use any sort of credit card. Not sure how long it will take those mercenaries to get access. But if we rent a car or buy gas with plastic, they’ll know you are still involved. Then, they can follow our locations.”

  Angelica sighed. “I can see why you don’t use anything that leaves a paper trail. Still, there has to be a way to get where we need to go.”

  Zahn quipped, “Short of stealing?”

  Angelica rolled her eyes. “Umm, yes.”

  He chuckled. “Never fear. Just because I can, doesn’t mean I often do. Only in major emergencies. Fortunately, there’s another option. I keep a roll of liquid cash on me for minor emergencies. I think I have enough to make this work.” He pointed at a nearby driveway where a rustic, beige minivan languished. “See there? He’s got a sign in the car window. $3,000. Hang back and I’ll strike a deal. We’ll be out of here in no time.”

  It went nearly as smoothly as he hoped it would. The man was in his late fifties, looked more bored than anything, and was more than happy to haggle down to $2500 before parting with the van. The thing wouldn’t win any awards, but it was the last vehicle you would search to find a movie star, her new relic-diver lover and their seven precious, ancient, magical relics concealed on their persons. It even came with a three quarters tank of gas.

  Angelica assured him, “That’s more than enough to get us where we need to go.”

  Zahn pulled into the streets. He didn’t drive often, but it came back quick. This wasn’t exactly a performance vehicle that demanded his full attention. “Time to talk, Angie. Where are we headed?”

  Angelica looked apologetic. “I’m sorry for being so cagey. After that terrible incident with that jerk, Harv, I needed a place where I could escape. There are maybe seven people in the whole world who know I own the cottage we’re going to. And my parents might know that it exists, but even they haven’t actually visited.”

  Given how reclusive he was, he wasn’t about to judge. Zahn replied, “Sounds promising. Where is it?”

  “An hour out of town, tucked into the low mountains. Cell reception is practically nothing. I had an internet cable run to it and I have a hard phone line installed. We can relax there and re-group for a couple days.”

  “Sounds ideal, Angie. You’ve sold me. How far away?”

  “Depends on LA traffic. But we should be there in under three hours. Take the next right here.”

  Their wheels kicked up dust, and they were off.

  Chapter 6

  A little under three hours later, Zahn crept their newly acquired mini-van along the rugged forest path leading from the highway in toward the cottage. The mini-van had handled the short drive well, but he didn’t trust its aging shocks to do any sort of off-roading.

  Angelica confirmed, “Just around this next bend. Glad the rain hasn’t turned this all to mud.”

  “Yeah. If it were any worse, we’d be walking. Beige thunder wouldn’t make it.”

  She giggled at his choice of nicknames. “Oh, he’s a valiant steed. Didn’t let us down and the air conditioning worked the whole way.”

  Zahn patted the van’s console over the wheel. “Hear that, B.T.? She believes in you. Don’t let her down.” He eased the blocky vehicle over the last rise and brought the Angelica’s cottage into view.

  The main house wasn’t very large, but incorporated a lot of style. Expansive patios, wide balconies and tall windows would make the whole structure airy and bright. Angelica said she owned two miles in every direction, so she didn’t have to worry about neighbors. As such, the main house was meant to blend with the outdoors rather than protecting privacy. The small cliff behind the house dropped off toward a narrow lake. She owned the boat house there, as well as the few small craft tied up to the wharf.

  Zahn pulled up to the front door and let the engine die. Jumping out, he hoisted open the back hatch and pulled out the bags they had packed. All of his personal items were still trapped at the hotel, but that didn’t amount to much. He lived out of a hiking backpack. The only items he really cared about were always on him – his relics.

  Fortunately, Angelica had managed to harvest her favorites from her closets back home. She had told him that she had a duplicate set of personal items at the cottage, so she had packed lightly to aid in their escape.

  As such, Zahn barely felt the strain as he lifted their two bags and walked into the open foyer. He let out a small sigh. It wasn’t just the fact that the cottage looked nice. This felt like a reprieve. Peace settled over him as he let the calm environment wash over him. The colors were cool. The décor was minimal and uncomplicated. Nothing about this place was challenging.

  Zahn wasn’t sure he could stay here forever. He enjoyed a little challenge in his life. It forced him to expand both his knowledge and his skills. But for today – today he could embrace relaxation.

  Angelica came up behind him and tucked herself against his back. Her lips pressed a sweet kiss onto the base of his neck, then laid her cheek on him. Zahn could feel her blonde hair tingling along his skin. “Welcome to my little hidden home.”

  He dropped his head back until it rested it on the top of her head and closed his eyes. “Couldn’t have asked for anything better, Angie. This is amazing.”

  “So, what first?”

  He smiled. “A shower.”

  Angelica let out a soft, sultry laugh. “Sounds heavenly.” She placed another kiss on his neck, then walked around him. Exaggerating the swing of her hips, she took five steps. Then, she folded at her waist, bending over without using her knees. She unlaced her boots. While doing that, her behind swayed deliciously back and forth.

  Zahn’s eyes fixated on the perfect heart-shape of her ass. Lust didn’t begin to describe the surge in his blood. Her jeans were meant for utility rather than design. But even the loose-fitting denim couldn’t conceal how her calves flowed to her thighs then into the tight firmness of her behind. She was sculpted by years of Hollywood training regimens that blended fitness with the need to look perfect. Clearly, she had been dedicated to her craft.

  With her laces opened, and she swept back up to standing with a flip of her hair over her shoulder. Then she toed first one and then the other boot off. She walked another few strides while grasping the hem of her shirt. Lifting up, she peeled away the covering, letting Zahn watch the play of the lithe muscles along her back. She reached to the sky in one long motion, carrying the shirt off her body so she could toss it aside.

  Her arms then crooked behind her back and unlatched her bra. Rolling her shoulders, the white undergarment soon joined the shirt on the floor. Her hands slipped in front, and Zahn heard the soft snap of her jeans button being undone. He was then treated to seeing her blend walking and shimmying so that the jeans fell down her thighs. With a few careful steps, she allowed her legs to slide out and leave the jeans behind.

  Now in nothing but socks and her cotton-white panties which barely concealed her round ass cheeks, Angelica padded to the archway leading into her bedroom. Making sure he had a nice long look at her buttocks bouncing with the rhythm of her walk, she tossed her hair over her shoulder again, peering back at him with a coy smile. “I’ll get started. Don’t be too long, hmm?”

  Zahn was frozen to the spot, mesmerized with the whole display. Nothing remained of her but a line of clothing and the memories that would last forever.

  Swallowing hard, he broke free of his paralysis. Some inner core of strength stopped him from running after her like a mindless beast. That wouldn’t have worked out well for either of them.

  The final image of her bobbing ass was seared into his brain. Nothing could banish it. As if it would help cool the fire, he reached down and drew the Fountain of Life vial from the sack. Tipping his head back, he allowed t
he crisp stream of life-giving fluid revitalize him. More refreshing than water. Not the fire or bite of vodka, but it struck right to his soul and supercharged his being. Every nerve ending was alive. He could feel the swirl of the air on his skin.

  He could also feel the first swirl of steam coming from the shower. He walked toward the bedroom, shucking his own shirt and pants along the way. His socks and underwear followed. Enjoying the freedom of striding naked through the open house, Zahn followed Angelica’s path past her majestic king-sized bed and into her expansive ensuite bathroom.

  Like the rest of the house, the adjoining bathroom was built to be decadent. The marble tile was cool on his bare feet. The open space in the middle was wider than many hotel rooms. And the shower was a glass wonder that stretched across the whole back width of the room. A rain shower was placed overhead while two separate shower spray systems came from each side. The effect surrounded anyone inside in multiple pulsating, massaging streams.

  Glorious.

  But not nearly so impressive as the sexy woman standing in the center of it all.

  The glass was not yet fogged, so Zahn could trace every curve of his lover. It wasn’t enough. He needed to touch. He padded over and slipped into the hot water beside her.

  Angelica had slicked back her hair, running her fingers through her dipping locks to smooth out any tangles. She kept her arms high, playing with her hair as she turned to face him. The effect was to lift her perky breasts up and into the water raining down on them. Her skin was wet and shimmering.

  Zahn leaned into the water and let it douse him as well. He rolled his neck briefly, enjoying the massaging impact of the powerful sprays. His eyes opened to find her watching him, admiring right back.

  Angelica reached out with her tongue, gathering some of the droplets off her lips. She rolled them in and out of her mouth, making them plumper. “I’m still yours. If you want me.”

  Zahn was enchanted. He answered honestly, “I’ll never stop wanting you.” He grabbed the body wash standing on its nearby perch. Aiming it at her collar and chest, he squeezed hard enough to douse her with slippery foam. Replacing the bottle, his hands swept over her tight stomach to gather the foam before it ran off her. Cupping his hands, he swam his palms up over the mounds of her firm breasts. They stood out beautifully, enough to fill his hands and a little more.