by Willow Mason
My black magic might sing within me and spread out in a comforting crimson glow, but my old white magic was practical. Sure, it couldn’t raise the dead or split the ocean but hiding my face from a camera was sometimes all a girl needed.
“Now, you say Kevin Hollard was blackmailing Agnes Templeton,” the officer—whose full name was PC Cody Fitz—said before staring at me.
“Is that a question?”
“Just checking our facts are correct.”
“Well, he wasn’t really blackmailing her because he didn’t have any information. He was pretending to blackmail her to find out what happened to his girlfriend.” I rubbed at my forehead, cursing under my breath as it started my eyes throbbing again. “Kevin was convinced Desmond Templeton murdered her. Turns out, he should’ve been more scared of his wife.”
“Why didn’t you come to us when you found out what Kevin Hollard was doing?”
“Because our client didn’t want to reveal details, and we weren’t certain he’d committed a crime.”
“That’s our job.”
“And if Agnes Templeton had come to you to report it, I’m sure you’d have done a stellar job.” I pressed my palms flat on the desk. A yawn split my jaw open, and I didn’t bother to cover it.
A knock came on the door a few minutes later, sparing me from the tedium of answering the same questions, over and over. The doctor had arrived.
“You’ll be in pain for a few days,” Doctor Jamieson said after making me twist my arm and shoulder through a variety of moves and peering into my eyes with disconcerting concentration. “But there’s nothing broken or dislocated. Paracetamol should get you through but contact your doctor if the pain increases or your eyesight begins to deteriorate.”
He handed over two tablets—so generous—and a tiny cup of water. Now I just had to wait an hour and the pain should finally subside.
PC Fitz came back with a prepared statement and I checked and signed the papers. Next came a swab inside my mouth and oil on my fingertips to get my prints and I was free to go.
“What’s going to happen to Kevin?” I asked. “Will you be charging him with blackmail?”
“You know I’m not going to answer that, right?” the constable said with a smile. “Keep an eye on the newspaper and you’ll find out along with everybody else.”
“Only…” I paused and swallowed hard. “If he hadn’t done what he did a double murderer would’ve gone undiscovered.”
“All of which will be taken into consideration by the prosecution service before they make a decision.” Fitz pointed the door out to me in case I’d forgotten it was there.
Outside, the fading afternoon sunlight made my eyes stream with tears. The right one had developed an itch that drove me crazy, but I knew better than to rub it. In fact, I might never touch my tender eyes again.
“What happened to you?” Trevor called out from along the street and I waited for him to catch up before answering with a quick explanation. “I leave you alone for five minutes…”
“Most of the day, actually,” I retorted, then paused, biting the inside of my cheek while I decided whether to mention Glynda and what I’d seen. Better not. I liked living for the most part.
“Is it too late for you to give me a lesson?” I asked, falling into step beside him as Trevor continued along the footpath. “Only I could really have used some magic today if I could be sure it wouldn’t cause an explosion.”
“You controlled it?” Trevor peered at me and I knew he was staring at large bruises leaking out around my eyes. “Those injuries look really painful.”
“Yeah. It wanted to come out, but I couldn’t stand the thought of causing such havoc again.”
“If you can hold back when you need to, that’s half the battle. And no matter of training will get you to a place where you can use it for little things. If you’d used it against an attacker, there’d either be destruction, or they’d be dead.”
“This is like not having magic abilities at all,” I grumbled. “If the only times I want to use my powers, I have to balance it up against what could happen, I’m back to square one.”
Trevor slung a friendly arm around my shoulders, and I suppressed a yelp. “You have an enormous gift to use when a dramatic change is needed. Sure, you’ll have to give up tiny spells and an occasional helping hand, but wouldn’t you rather have the power over life and death and time itself when needed in exchange for walking and having to do the dishes?”
Right then, the answer would be a resounding no, but it seemed rude to tell him. Instead, I dutifully nodded and hoped one day I’d actually feel that way.
“There’s Glynda,” Trevor said, straightening up and removing his arm. “Isn’t she glorious?”
I presumed that was a rhetorical question. Glynda looked the same as always to me. “You’ve changed your tune. Yesterday, you could barely stand to look at her.”
“The scales have fallen from my eyes.” Trevor pressed a hand to his heart. “I know now, there’s no other woman for me.”
His eyes were dazed, and I pulled away, ready to cross the road. I didn’t need to see their love fest in action. “What about our next lesson?” I pressed, realising he never gave me an answer.
“Tomorrow morning. Meet me in Derry Park on the outskirts of town and we’ll practice some stuff that’ll get you excited about what you can do.”
His arms reached out to touch Glynda and I walked away, trying to ignore the sounds as they embraced and kissed right out in public, on the side of the street. Yuck.
Chapter Eighteen
That night, Beezley took care of me, snuggling close on the sofa and fetching the occasional snack. Since most of my comfort food was encased in cellophane or foil, it was easy to wipe off his doggie drool before opening the packet.
“Next time, you should take me along with you,” he insisted, conveniently forgetting he hadn’t wanted to come. “Now tell me again how you defeated a mass murderer with your bare hands.”
He even snuck off to check on the computer, keeping me up to date with how the case was progressing. As each series of notes from the interviews with Kevin and Agnes were loaded into the file, he regaled me with the highlights, using funny voices.
“I suppose now we’ll never get paid,” I said in a forlorn voice. “We’ll need to find another job as quickly as possible.”
“Well, the card is in the community centre and DI Jonson knows to refer anything suitable along to us.”
“That’s hardly led to people pounding down our door,” I pointed out.
“We’ve had two cases this week. It’s just that one now won’t be paid in full and the other is being paid for in lessons.”
“I better get my money’s worth there, then.” I pulled a blanket over my legs, feeling cold even though the house retained the warmth of the summer’s day. “Although it’s going to be hard, considering his new attraction to Glynda.”
Beezley’s ears perked up at that and I explained the sights I’d witnessed and the profusions of love I’d heard.
To my intense disappointment, Glynda was sitting on the park bench when I turned up to my lesson the next morning. For the first half-hour, I felt Trevor was playing up to her to show her how wonderfully talented he was rather than concentrating on me.
“Now, this is a good trick,” he said. “But only the most skilled black magic practitioners could handle it.”
I waited for the reveal but saw nothing.
“I’ll do it again,” Trevor said, leaving me baffled. “This time, keep your eyes on your watch.”
Nothing. Nothing. My watch jumped forward three minutes. Nothing.
“I thought you weren’t into small magic tricks,” I said, beginning to think this was an elaborate scheme to make me look foolish in front of my coven leader. “Changing the time on my watch is hardly”—I made air quotes—“drama bigness.”
“Hold my hand.”
I complied, frowning as I waited for the punchline.
The worl
d stopped. Every bird froze in the air. Every leaf stopped rustling in the light morning breeze. Glynda was a statue, just waiting to be tagged.
“This is the biggest magic,” Trevor said. “Except for the ability to turn the clocks backwards, and I’ve never seen or heard anything to hint that’s a true possibility.”
“W-What’s happening?”
“The world around us is frozen. It takes a lot of power to hold it in stasis, but I think you’ve got the ability within you. In this state, you can change around anything you like, and nobody will know a difference.” He shrugged. “Unless you take something out of their hand.”
“If someone shot a gun at me, I could freeze everything and pluck the bullet out of mid-air?”
“Exactly. Although the time it took you to register a gunshot would mean the bullet had already hit. But a grenade lobbed at your head, sure.”
I was gobsmacked.
“What if I move?”
“Go ahead.” Trevor kept hold of my hand and followed me as I stepped a metre to the side. Glynda had been staring at him with rapt admiration so she’d notice he’d moved, even if she didn’t see me.
He snapped his fingers, and the world heaved into motion. Glynda’s mouth fell open in shock. Her eyes darted back and forth between me and Trevor, her eyes narrowing. “What are you two up to?”
“Just part of the lesson,” Trevor called back before running over and planting a kiss on her forehead.
I imagined this was what kids felt like when their parents made out in front of them. “Get a room.”
“Sorry.” Trevor walked back to my side. “Now, you try.”
“How?” I rubbed my elbows and stared around me, waiting for illumination to jump out of nowhere.
“It’s like I taught you with the ocean. Think about what you want done, summon the power, then let it go do its thing.”
I didn’t remind him the ocean had been a complete wash-out. My stomach felt queasy as I considered my failure when I’d been able to see what I was doing and focus on it. Time was such a vague concept I couldn’t foresee it working any better.
“What happens if I send out the power, but it doesn’t stop time?” I asked, taking a step back. “Where will the magic go?”
“That’s why we’re in the park. If you toss a bench around or shred a few trees, it won’t be too big a deal.”
I glanced over at Glynda, her adoring eyes fixed on Trevor’s every move. “What about her?”
“Nothing will happen to Glynda. I won’t let it.” Trevor snapped his fingers. “Come on, you’re stalling.”
Well spotted, Sherlock. I stared around the park, imagining what havoc I could wreak by accident. Closing my eyes helped to centre me. I felt inside for the black magic, letting it swell into song.
I opened my eyes, exultant as the power rushed through my body. Finally, I was doing it! I was obeying Trevor’s command and letting the magic flow out—
My mind clamped down hard. Instead of surging from my fingers, the magic whooshed back into my core, making my stomach lurch in pain.
Trevor stared at his watch, then at me. “Do you want to try that again? I’ll sit with Glynda on the bench while you get ready.”
I moved closer to the poplar trees lining the park on one side. A kitten scampered towards me and I bent down and clicked my fingers. “Here, kitty, kitty.”
After taking one step towards me, the animal’s face went slack. Its eyes turned into black holes, the pupil expanding out to swallow up the iris. The kitten turned at a right angle and began to march across the road.
“What are you doing?” I ran after it, checking for traffic. The robotic movements of the cat’s legs made me feel uneasy. “Come on, kitty. Come back to the park.”
But the kitten’s ears didn’t even twitch at my voice. It continued walking straight ahead, face blank, moving like an automaton.
A car drove by, tooting its horn as it sped past, the air fluttering my blouse. The animal didn’t flinch, even as I threw myself backwards.
On the other side of the road, the kitten fell into step with another cat, this one older. It was a tortoiseshell with gorgeous patterns running the length of its back. I got in front, meeting the same blank stare. No response when I snapped my finger before its nose. When I stood in their way, the cats just parted and walked past on either side.
Another cat walked down a neighbouring drive and joined the parade. I turned and saw half a dozen more stalking in a straight line towards them. So many shivers crowded along my backbone that it felt tight.
No trace of playfulness or spontaneity remained. These cats might as well be cut-outs. Instead of joy, they sparked fear.
“Trevor? Glynda?” I called out, running back to the park. “Have you seen…?”
I trailed off as their blank eyes turned to stare at me. What I’d earlier classified as adoration I now saw was closer to their brains being disconnected. This wasn’t lust, it was a total absence of emotion.
“Go away,” Glynda said in a robotic voice. “Can’t you see we’re in love?”
Fear cascaded into my bloodstream, my heart pumping harder and louder with each beat. As I ran back to my car, my feet tangled, and I fell to the ground. A cat walked straight over me as though I wasn’t there.
“Get off,” I shouted, pushing it away as I struggled to gain my footing. My limbs were trembling, the ache from yesterday’s activities just a dull blur.
The key skittered all the way around the ignition lock before I socked it into place. I drove as fast as I dared back home, dodging stray cats all the way.
“Beezley?” I shouted, running up the front path. “There’s something terribly wrong.”
The door pulled open just as I reached it, a uniformed officer staring down at me. PC Cody Fitz. His expression was nothing like the calm and humorous man who’d spoken to me at the police station the day before.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, dangling a pair of cuffs from his right hand. “You’re under arrest for terrorism. We know you blew up the Grand Valley Lodge.”
Chapter Nineteen
I couldn’t breathe. Even when the policeman stepped back and waved me inside the house, I couldn’t move. My feet felt dipped in ice, my heart set in concrete.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
Beezley’s barking broke the spell, and I stepped inside, slamming the door shut against prying eyes. “What’s this about? You can’t be serious. How dare you break into my home?”
“I’m afraid I’m deadly serious, and the door was unlocked. I only stepped inside to check for you when the car pulled up.” PC Fitz stared at me with an inscrutable gaze. “We have evidence showing you entering and exiting the Grand Valley Lodge just before and after the explosion. We matched samples taken from the crime scene to your DNA and fingerprints.”
“But I…” My legs buckled, and I reached for the support of the sofa arm before I fell over. “What possible reason would I—?”
“You can discuss your reasons once you’re in an interview. You should be used to it by now.” There was a ghost of a smile on Fitz’s lips.
No human should be able to see me on the CCTV recording. The neural network should keep the images suppressed, leaving the people viewing them blind to my presence even as they watched the rest of the footage.
“What do you want me to do?” Beezley called out. “I don’t think this guy’s going to leave without you in handcuffs.”
PC Fitz turned and stared at the dog through wide eyes. “How did you…? Where did…?” He ran a hand through his hair. “How on earth did you teach your dog to talk?”
Fear spiked a rush of adrenaline. My feet wanted to burst into a run, taking me far away from the danger. Common sense overrode the desire. I was so out of shape, the policeman would probably catch up to me at the first corner.
“Go and tell Glynda what’s happening,” I said to Beezley. “She must know the entire network’s gone down.”
He wrig
gled through the doggie door and ran away from the house while PC Fitz stared after him, frowning with worry.
“A lot of very odd things have been happening today,” he said, then shook himself and grabbed hold of my wrist, snapping the cuff on. “Don’t resist or you’ll just add to your bruises from yesterday. If you need to explain anything, you can do it down at the station.”
The ride in the police car would have filled me with shame if the events unfolding outside the car window hadn’t filled me with horror. A circle of witches’ brooms danced in unison at a stop sign, townspeople openly gawking at them.
“No, no, no,” I whispered under my breath. “This can’t be happening.”
But it obviously was.
We drove past another line of cats, zombie slaves obeying some unknown leader’s command. Those children at the school had got one over on us. While Glynda had given them a dressing down, they’d be planning far worse behind our backs.
A woman stood at a street corner, serene in the face of abject weirdness. She looked vaguely familiar. A stunningly beautiful smile beneath eyes defined with long, black lashes. Her blonde hair was swept back from a wrinkle-free forehead and her slim curves were encased in a figure-hugging red dress.
If she’d been on a movie screen, I would’ve sworn it was Marilyn Monroe.
But she was in Riverhead, years after the actress had died, and the familiarity I felt upon seeing her face was nothing to do with a movie star. The glow around her spoke of strong magic. Stronger even than Glynda, and she had always been the most powerful witch in town.
Before I could put my finger on it, the lights changed, and the car whizzed away, turning into the gated drive behind the police station. Soon enough, Fitz got out of the driver’s seat and opened the back door.
“I’m going to escort you through the station now. You’ll be placed in a police cell until we—”
Car tyres screeched on the road outside, followed by a loud crash. Just as the PC seemed to regroup, another crash sounded, and another.
Still holding onto my wrist, he ran towards the commotion. A bunch of cars in jagged shapes were bent and broken in the middle of the road. As we watched, another vehicle drove straight towards the wreckage, adding one more metal body to the pile.