Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus Allies

by Lydia Sherrer

  Well, when he put it like that…Lily deflated, letting out a gush of air and feeling her whole body sink into her bed cushions in defeat. “I’m hopeless.” She said, burying her head in her hands.

  Next thing she knew, Sir Kipling was rubbing on her elbow, his deep, soothing purr reverberating through her body. “Nonsense. You’re doing just fine. But it might help if you stop getting so indignant about everything. We’ve all been worried about you and about what might happen next. Sebastian was just helping keep an eye out in case your sire decided to pay a visit. I can’t keep you safe all by myself, you know.”

  Lily picked up her cat and buried her face in his fur, wishing his purr would make her confused tangle of emotions disappear. Why did being an adult have to be so hard?

  It was Sebastian’s whispered “Psst, Lily. You still there?” that prompted her to finally straighten.

  “Better now?” Sir Kipling purred, a satisfied look on his face.

  She took a deep breath. I can do this, she thought, deciding to ignore Sir Kipling’s description of Sebastian as her “crush.” She’d have to deal with it eventually, but not now. Not when they were in the middle of a crisis.

  She unmuted the conveyance spell and responded to Sebastian’s ever more anxious whispers. “I’m here. Everything is fine. Now, what do we need to do to get you out? We can’t wait for this to go to court, and you can’t take a deal from the FBI. You’re innocent and we need you out now.”

  He hesitated, obviously wanting to ask about her long silence, but sensing now wasn’t the time. “Well, about the deal with the FBI. I actually want to cooperate and tell them everything I know about Rex. But as of right now it won’t do them any good. We don’t have anything concrete on him, just suspicions.”

  “Wait,” Lily stopped him. “Remind me who this Rex guy is and how he’s relevant?”

  “What? Oh, er…” Sebastian said, sounding suspiciously reluctant. “We think he’s…ummm…an associate of, uhhh, your dad’s.”

  “I see,” she said through numb lips, determined not to let emotion derail her thought process. But it was a losing battle. Was having a normal father too much to ask?

  “Er, Lily?” Sebastian’s nervous voice came out of the photograph like a quavering shaft of light in the darkness threatening to overwhelm her.

  “I’m here.”

  “Look, let’s not get distracted, okay? Right now, the most important thing is to find Tina. We recorded the whole thing. With her and the tape, maybe we can at least convince the FBI I’m not their prime suspect and they’ll let me out on bail while they sort out the legal stuff.” He didn’t, of course, address how in the world they would explain a necklace randomly deciding to strangle a woman of its own accord. That’s what they had a lawyer for. “Hopefully the legal stuff will take so long, we’ll have plenty of time to find John Faust, save Allen, and get the evidence we need to clear my name. We can do this, okay? Just find Tina.”

  “But how?” Lily asked, feeling desperate.

  “I’ve got a plan. Here’s what you need to do…”

  They talked for another thirty minutes until Lily was sure she understood and had finished taking a few notes to pass on to Madam Barrington. When they finished, they said an awkward goodbye and Lily crawled under the covers, stroking Sir Kipling’s soft fur as he curled up next to her. She stared dully up at her dark ceiling, feeling nervous and emotionally drained.

  “This is not going to be easy,” she sighed.

  “If it were easy, I’d get bored.” Sir Kipling yawned at her, his pink tongue faintly visible in the light from the street lamps outside.

  “Humph. Easy for you to say,” Lily grumped. “You’re just a cat.”

  “Exactly. It’s what I do best.” He gave her a lazy stare, yellow eyes glinting in the dark. “And what you do best is save the world.”

  “Riiight,” Lily scoffed. “But only if it doesn’t interfere with tea,” she joked.

  “Naturally,” Sir Kipling agreed, settling his head down on his paws. “Now go to sleep. You need it.”

  “Yes, Mother.” Lily rolled her eyes at him in the dark but did try to relax and clear her mind, helped along by the furry motor at her side. Even so, it was a long time before she finally fell asleep.

  Atlas Galleries was located on the bottom floor of a high-end office building on Marietta Street in downtown Atlanta. Lily eyed its glass front, the atmosphere of imposing elegance adding to the nervous butterflies already whipping up a storm in her stomach. She wore her most expensive suit, charcoal grey, made of hand-finished wool, with a black silk blouse underneath. The combination was striking but not very comfortable to wear while standing around under the hot sun. Just because it was the beginning of September didn’t mean Atlanta’s famous muggy heat was ready to acknowledge the approach of fall.

  Straightening her spine and fixing a calm, aloof look on her face, she took hold of the glass door and glided into the art gallery. She was glad Sebastian’s instructions had included taking time to actually look at the art before approaching the proprietor, a man named Anton Silvester. It gave her a chance to collect herself. She was not good at this sort of thing. Cloak-and-dagger stuff was Sebastian’s purview. Yet she had no choice but to do her best. She tried to think of it as just another part of her job. A business transaction. All she had to do was keep cool and not do anything awkward.

  The art was actually quite beautiful. She found it easy to lose herself in examining it, enjoying the subtle shades and exquisitely evocative subjects of each piece. She became so absorbed, in fact, that she didn’t notice the tall, rail-thin man float into place at her side, silently watching her inspect the paintings.

  “Theodore Tresky. An excellent choice, madam.”

  Lily nearly jumped out of her skin. Somehow she managed to not fall over as she turned to face the silk-smooth voice. “Oh, excuse me. I didn’t see you there, Mr….” She let the question dangle.

  “Silvester, madam. At your service.” He gave the tiniest dip of his head.

  Lily arched an eyebrow, playing it cool and imagining herself channeling her inner Madam Barrington. “Pleased, I’m sure.”

  “If you enjoy Tresky, I have several other exquisite examples of his handiwork. If you would allow me,” Anton offered, extending a hand toward the back of the gallery.

  Nodding in acquiescence, Lily followed the thin man as he glided past painting after painting, his gait exceptionally smooth for one so angular. Near the rear wall, he showed her two other paintings, each depicting a different scene but both exhibiting the same ethereal style. They really were fine pieces of art, and if she made about four times as much, she just might be able to afford them. The brief thought crossed her mind that, had she joined her father, she could have had any painting she desired. Money would have never been an issue. The thought brought a stab of pain, but she pushed it aside. That wasn’t the life she’d chosen, for good reason.

  Dragging her mind back to Anton’s mellifluous voice, she listened as he extolled the virtues of his artwork. So far, this was going as Sebastian had described. Now it was up to her to take it to the next level.

  “They are, as you say, exquisite pieces,” she finally interrupted him, keeping her expression uninterested. “But my employer prefers art that is a bit more…unique. A commission, perhaps. Could you arrange such a thing, Mr. Silvester?” She spoke carefully, using the exact words Sebastian had instructed.

  Anton stared at her, unblinking, expression like a glass pool: completely opaque, revealing nothing of the depths beneath. Lily felt her resolve quaver. She wanted to look away, duck her head, blush, something. Such a prolonged stare was not only impolite, it was unnerving. But she held as best she could, masking her discomfort with an impatient arch of her brow. “I was told such…custom pieces were available at your gallery, and assured that your service was unparalleled. Were my sources mistaken?”

  “Not at all, madam.” Anton replied evenly, finally blinking and turning to a s
mall computer terminal recessed in the fine wood paneling of the gallery’s back wall. He took a sleek USB drive from a drawer beneath it and handed it to her. “If you would have your employer fill out the necessary paperwork and return it, we can begin inquiries at once. I will need some time, of course, to find a suitable artist. But I assure you, we will provide an excellent fit. Someone with more than enough skill to carry out your…customizations.”

  Lily took the USB drive, slipping it inside her suit pocket. “I will return within the hour. Time is of the essence,” she said, all business. On the outside, at least. Inside her heart was pounding and her armpits felt decidedly damp. At this point she was winging it. Sebastian had given her general guidelines for how to close the deal but couldn’t predict exactly what would be said. “My employer has a space in need of decoration for an important event and will pay whatever necessary to make it happen. There is, in fact, an artist he already has in mind. Someone whose work he has seen before. I’ll be sure he mentions it on the form.”

  “While I cannot guarantee any particular artist’s availability, madam, I will, of course, make every effort to secure their services. Might I suggest a generous, up-front offer to…encourage their participation?”

  She nodded. “Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll be sure to pass it on.”

  “Excellent. I look forward to your return…Miss Singer.”

  This time Lily really did jump, and blush, her careful façade slipping a fraction. How did he know her name? Forcing herself to look Anton in the eye, she searched his expression for any indication of his intentions.

  His gaze remained passive, not helping her in the slightest, and his words confused her even more. “If I may be so bold, madam, as to suggest you advise your ‘employer’ that he plays a dangerous game and has no business dragging you into it.”

  “I—I shall. Thank you, Mr. Silvester. Good day.” With that, she turned and headed straight for the door, hoping she didn’t wobble noticeably—her legs had turned to jelly in relief at finishing her ordeal.

  Back at her house, USB drive plugged into her computer, she spent a tense half hour filling out the form with Sebastian’s whispered help. He was in his cell, but guards passed at regular intervals and she could sometimes hear conversations carrying over from adjoining cells.

  When she told him what Anton had said, he cursed quietly.

  “What? What did it mean?” Lily shifted in her chair, anxious.

  “Nothing too bad,” he whispered back, pausing as the sound of footsteps grew louder, then faded. “I just didn’t expect him to recognize you. But it doesn’t matter. He’ll deal with anyone who pays. Well, there was that time…never mind,” he amended quickly, moving on to forestall questions. “I don’t know what kind of game he’s playing, but I think he’s just warning us to not try anything funny. And we're not planning to, so it should be fine. He’ll put out the job, and hopefully Tina won’t be able to resist making contact.”

  “Er, what about the payment?” She asked, addressing what seemed to be the elephant in the room. The amounts they’d put on the form were very high.

  “Don’t worry. I’m good for it. Just use the bank information I gave you. It’ll be fine.”

  Her curiosity burned, but she kept her mouth shut. If she asked how in the world a ne’er-do-well like him could get his hands on so much money, she suspected she wouldn’t like the answer. Better not to know.

  The return trip to Atlas Galleries went without a hitch. She didn’t even speak to Anton, simply walked in, handed him the flash drive with a curt nod, and walked out.

  Later that night, her worried fretting was interrupted by an unexpected but welcome call from her mother. Lily gave her the edited version of events, chiding her for not mentioning the existence of Allen.

  Her mother had the grace to be contrite. “I know, honey. It just never came to mind when I was with you. There were always other, more important things to talk about. And anyway, I never saw much of Allen. He’s not exactly the social type, as I’m sure you noticed. That poor thing,” she continued, voice sounding worried. “He and John never did get along, even as adults. Do you want me to come up and help you look for him?”

  “No, Mother. You stay right where you are. You’re the only thing protecting the family right now. But since we’re on the topic, are there any other family members I should know about?” She’d always been curious about her mother’s side; maybe now she would finally find out.

  “On your father’s side? No. Not that I know of. On my side…well, I haven’t exactly spoken to them in twenty-three years, but I suppose it’s about time I give them a call.”

  “Mother! Seriously? Why didn’t you contact them as soon as we started talking again? We might need their help, and I’m sure they’re worried stiff about you.”

  “Mh-hmm. Now who’s calling the kettle black?”

  “Well…” Lily bit her lip, blushing.

  “I suppose I never told you they weren’t thrilled when I married John. My parents were, quite rightly, wary of John’s controlling nature. And they were less than thrilled at the way Ursula looked down her nose at them. But I was headstrong and in love. After…everything that happened with John, I guess I was too embarrassed to reach out, knowing they’d been right about him. And, of course, I was in hiding.”

  “Well you aren’t any more,” Lily pointed out. “And after all, we worked things out alright, didn’t we? You’ll call them, won’t you?”

  Freda heaved a deep sigh. “Yes, I will, sweetie. I’ve just been putting it off. All the explaining I’ll have to do, it gives me a headache simply thinking about it.”

  “You’ll have fun, Mother, I’m sure,” Lily said, a teasing note in her voice.

  “No thanks to you,” she replied archly. Then her voice took on a mischievous air. “I’ll be sure to sign you up for the next family reunion, so you can meet all our friends and family at a big, loud, fancy party.”

  Lily gasped, only half feigning the horror in her voice. “You wouldn’t!”

  “Count on it,” Freda promised.

  “Humph.” Lily was inclined to be grumpy. “At least you asked first. Ursula didn’t ask, just threw a ball and tried to marry me off like a painting at an auction.”

  “Oh, sweetie, that must have been awful.”

  “You have no idea. It was the first time I yelled at her, too. I completely lost it when she scolded me for being impolite to my suitors and hiding upstairs.”

  Lily heard her mother chuckle, a warm sound tinged with ruefulness. “Ah, the famous Silvester temper. You have both French and Italian blood, neither of which are known for their—”

  “Wait a minute, what did you say?” Lily asked sharply, suddenly realizing what she’d heard.

  “Um, that the French and Italians aren’t known for their cool-headedness?”

  “No, before that. What is your maiden name?”

  “Silvester. My father is first-generation Italian.”

  Lily’s skin tingled uncomfortably, wondering what, if any connection, there was between her family and Anton. Was their shared last name simple coincidence? She considered asking her mother but decided that was a question best left for another time. Perhaps at a family reunion.

  “Is everything alright?” Freda asked into the silence.

  “Yes, everything’s fine. How’s Jamie?” she asked, changing the subject.

  Her mother heaved a great sigh, the rushing air causing static on the line. “He’s well enough, I suppose. Just impatient and restless as a caged lion. He pesters me every day to teach him magic. I’ve tried to start with the basics, but he’s so dismissive of learning ‘boring stuff,’ you know, the foundational things like meditation, mental exercises, and magic theory. I’m afraid he’s going to get himself killed.”

  Lily made a sympathetic noise. She understood what it felt like to just be stepping into the world of magic. She’d felt impatient as well. But she was also naturally meticulous, taking satisfactio
n in each little step on her way to bigger things. Her brother, apparently, did not share her methodical nature.

  “Just make sure he has a good personal ward and never tries magic outside a casting circle,” Lily suggested, knowing her mother would have already taken this precaution, but not having anything else to offer.

  “Oh, believe me, we’ve already been over that. His father had to whoop his hide black and blue when we caught him trying to light a candle in his room. Could have burnt the whole house down. He’ll be the death of me,” Freda finished, sounding weary.

  “Perhaps when, you know, all this is over, he can come to Atlanta for a while. I’m sure Madam Barrington could frighten some sense into him.”

  “Perhaps,” Freda agreed, then went silent, probably considering how to juggle the mundane and wizard education of her youngest child.

  “Well,” Lily said, “it’s getting late and I should be heading to bed.”

  “Of course, honey. Let me know if you need anything. And tell Sebastian I said hello. He seemed like such a nice young man, I hope things clear up alright.”

  Lily rolled her eyes, ignoring the little flutter in her stomach. But she promised to keep her mother updated, and they said goodbye.

  The next day, after work, Lily picked Madam Barrington up and they headed north. Just because Sebastian was temporarily out of commission didn’t mean they could sit back and do nothing for Allen. They’d decided to pay a visit to the LeFay estate, strictly to talk. Madam Barrington was fairly sure that, with Henry, Ursula, and the others there, it wouldn’t come to spells as long as they didn’t start anything. They hoped against hope to talk some sense into John Faust, a last-ditch effort to prevent open violence.

  They discussed casting technique during the drive. Lily had been practicing every spare moment she wasn’t at work or trying to unravel Sebastian’s mess. It was exhausting and frustrating, but she was making progress. She still couldn’t get the hang of silent casting, however. When she asked Madam Barrington about it and why she’d never taught her, the older woman thought for a moment before responding.