Spirit Magic

by Olivia Swift

  “Long blonde hair?” Jeanette said and picked up her friend’s pony tail.

  “You climb like his wife and have long, blonde hair,” Rula said. “Is it possible that he connects the two things?”

  “We could test it again,” Karla suggested and made Magda smile.

  “What about we do it after the café is closed and we bring Merle and Branston in as well?” Sam suggested. When they explained who Merle and Branston were, Karla and Jeanette said they were happy to come back and try it. The other two girls said they were welcome to it, and the four of them said thanks for the coffee and departed.

  “Call Declan as well,” Magda said to Sam, “and I will call Branston.” She laughed. “And despite pesky old Utric, I have to make truffles.”

  Branston put Merle on the cell phone and Magda related the story of the wall.

  “Can’t wait,” Merle said.

  Chapter 14

  Magda and Katie worked like Trojans for the rest of the day and the chiller was satisfyingly full again.

  “We can box up tomorrow, but at least we have stock again,” Magda said.

  Katie added that she would bring over the pictures when she came back and it reminded Magda to ask Declan for more sculptures and pay him for the two that she had sold.

  “They are quite beautiful,” Katie said, looking at the two remaining on the shelf. They locked up and planned to meet at seven. Magda left the book behind. She did not want Crystal getting her clever paws on it again.

  The cats were contentedly cozy and stretched out when dinner looked imminent. Sam and Magda grabbed a few quiet minutes as they ate their meal.

  “Come on then,” Sam said and offered a hand. “Let’s go and see this darn Viking again.”

  “Maybe he wants an invite to the wedding,” Magda smiled, and Sam took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her.

  “I don’t care who is there as long as we manage to get married.”

  “Don’t you dare climb on that wall, Sam Barnes,” Magda warned him as they arrived at the rock face in question. The others arrived in twos and threes, and the two climber girls were introduced to the ones they had not met before. Merle automatically took charge in these situations but said she liked to be able to see Declan.

  “It seems to work better together,” she told the rest. “Declan can let me know if he sees anything, and I can concentrate on trying to sense what is happening. If any of you feel like calling out just join in.”

  “Oh, my goodness,” Jeanette said to Merle. “My aunt will be so jealous that I met you. She would love to be here.”

  “Does she know who I am?” Merle asked in surprise. Jeanette smiled.

  “She’s so keen on all things to do with the spirit world, that her friends give her all sorts of news, and she heard that you helped the people at the woodyard.”

  “I didn’t do anything much really. Once the people there knew that the young man was upset, it sorted out the trouble for them,” Merle answered. “Give her my regards.”

  “Does she live far away from here?” Magda asked, and Jeanette said about five minutes. “Give her a call,” Magda added. Jeanette pulled out her phone and gabbled a quick explanation. Then she laughed and hung up.

  “On her way.”

  “We can decide what to do while she’s on her way over,” Merle said. “What do you want to do, Magda?”

  “Call out. See if he’s around and then let the climbers try the wall.”

  Mikey said he would go on the wall with all the climbers. Branston and Sam said they would stand underneath just in case.

  “I’m good at this,” Karla said. “I can stand a bit of wind.” Even as she said it, the breeze lifted her blonde hair.

  “He’s definitely around,” Merle remarked and Jeanette stood up to wave her aunt in to join everybody else.

  “Oh, this is so exciting,” Carrie Starling cried. “Thank you so much. I’ll never remember every single name, but thank you all.”

  The chairs were in a circle.

  “Take a seat folks,” Merle said, and they all sat holding hands. It was not lost on Magda and Katie, who glanced at each other with a smile, that Mikey had put himself beside Rula and was holding her hand before they were told what to do.

  Merle gave them a little bit of instruction and called out for some protection for all of them. Then she asked if Utric was with them. At the second time of asking, the breeze ran around the circle, and some of the hands tightened with a little excitement and also a little bit of trepidation.

  Merle looked at Declan and he nodded.

  “He’s in the corner watching,” Declan said quietly, and one or two heads turned quickly but saw nothing.

  “Can you describe him, Declan, please?” Merle asked, and the man looked across at what he could see.

  “Big man. I think about six feet tall in real life. He has bare arms with metal bands on them and his long hair is light-colored and hanging loose. He has something tied across his chest—I am not sure what that is—and he has pants made of some sort of animal skin.”

  “Thanks,” Merle said. “I can feel that he’s waiting to see what we do.” She took a breath. “Utric, can you step forward and join us?” She looked at Magda, who never seemed to mind calling out.

  “Utric, we don’t want anyone blown off the rock wall,” said Magda. We want everyone to stay safe. Why did you make a storm when Karla climbed the wall?”

  “Make a noise if it was you that made the wind blow,” Merle added, and there was a pause before a bang sounded on the ground, causing most of the circle to either jump or gasp.

  Carrie Starling was entranced by this, and burst forth with: “Do that again please, Utric.” There was another bang and she beamed a huge smile. “Thank you, young man. That was wonderful.”

  “He’s standing beside you now, Carrie,” Declan said, and Merle asked her to call out and ask if her niece could climb the wall. Carrie Starling was not the least bit troubled by suddenly being the center of attention, and talked to Utric as if he was her son or nephew and not a ghost from hundreds of years ago.

  “Young man, Utric,” she said loudly, “the girls are going to climb the wall and you have to behave yourself. It is an honor to meet you. I think you know that you have to be careful.”

  Merle nodded and said thanks and then went on to tell whoever was listening, that Jeanette would go first. Jeanette and Mikey started on the wall and the others stood up to watch.

  “Be careful, sweetheart,” Carrie said to her niece, but Jeanette just grinned and climbed up the face as quickly as Mikey. They were roped together for safety and the rope was fixed at the top. Mikey was taking no chances. As it happened, the two of them went up the wall without any trouble. There was no wind, and Declan said that Utric had just faded slightly and gone back to where he had been watching before.

  “Okay,” Karla said. “My turn.”

  Mikey roped up as before and Declan said that Utric had come forward again.

  “Right, big guy, I am climbing,” Karla said and started up the wall. Mikey went alongside and the wind started to blow. “Ready for you this time,” Karla muttered and went on climbing. The wind swirled but didn’t seem ferocious and the two of them reached the top unharmed.

  “He’s not quite sure about this,” Merle said. “Can you cover your hair and try again?”

  Karla grinned and borrowed Jeanette’s hat. She tucked in the blonde ponytail and started the climb again. Utric took no notice.

  “Well,” Merle said, “It must be the long blonde hair. There is something that makes him so sad when he sees a climber with the light hair.”

  “What about dyed blonde hair?” Rula asked. “I could go very far if I was roped to Mikey.” She shook her hair out loose, and Declan said that Utric had noticed what she did.

  “You only go a few handholds,” Mikey told her quite sternly.

  “Yes sir,” she grinned, and he hooked a harness around her. Sam and Branston stood ready to break h
er fall if necessary. “Never done this before but it looks possible,” Rula remarked and started to look for the places to hold. Mikey pointed out to her which ones to take, and she managed to get to about six feet up the wall when the wind started to blow. Mikey took the tension from the hook at the top and held it tight. The wind increased and the idea didn’t seem like such a good one anymore.

  “You’re safe, Rula. You can’t fall,” Mikey told her.

  Carrie Starling put her hands on her hips.

  “Young man, stop that nonsense this instant.” The wind died away and Merle laughed.

  “You’ve met your match, Mr. Viking,” she said out loud. “Come down, Rula.”

  Branston held out his arms, and Mikey lowered the rope until she could be lifted onto the ground.

  “Try me again without the hat,” Karla suggested. They took one more try with loose blonde hair, and the wind swirled around again.

  “Utric,” Carrie Starling warned, and the wind dropped again. Karla came back down.

  “Looks like it is the loose blonde hair that does it,” she said.

  “Let’s just sit back in the circle,” Merle suggested and she closed her eyes.

  After a few seconds, she asked if Utric missed someone with long, blonde hair. Merle nodded to herself and asked if it was his wife. A tear trickled down her cheek and she told them that he was so sad that it was hard for him to even think about.

  “I think she fell from the cliffs. He hasn’t said that, but it’s the feeling I get from him when I ask about her.”

  “Did she fall from the cliffs in Scotland?” Magda asked, and Merle nodded.

  “No doubt about that,” Merle added.

  “Is she still in Scotland, my son?” Carrie asked and looked at Merle. She shook her head.

  “That is why he doesn’t want to go back,” Magda observed.

  “I think you are right,” Merle added. “But I don’t know what we can do to help.”

  Declan asked if Merle could find out her name, and she looked at him in surprise because he had been very quiet.

  “Have you seen something?” she asked.

  “Not seen anything, but I just feel that maybe there is something I should see but can’t.” he answered. Merle nodded and looked thoughtfully at Carrie.

  “He definitely responds to you, Carrie. If you ask what his wife was called, I might be able to sense the answer.”

  The woman nodded and took a breath.

  “Utric. I think you miss your beautiful wife. Tell me her name. What was she called, please? We are trying very hard to help you. What was your warrior wife called?”

  “Say it again,” Merle asked and Carrie repeated the request. This time Merle called out to say thank you for the answer in her head.

  “Racksha,” Merle said and opened her eyes. “Racksha.”

  “That is wonderful, Utric,” Carrie said. “Racksha must have loved you very much.”

  Declan held up a hand and then dropped it.

  “She was there for split second and then faded away again.”

  Chapter 15

  “She was there?” Katie asked. “Can you say what she was like?” Declan shook his head.

  “It was too fast to take in, but there was a brief outline. It was female and then it was gone.”

  “We might reach her, though, eventually,” Merle said thoughtfully. “Do you think Utric knew she was there? There was no sense of anything like that.”

  “At least we know why the wind was blowing when I was on the wall,” Karla said.

  “If we want it to continue, everyone will have to wear a wooly hat,” Mikey joked.

  “Tell you what,” Rula added, “I was only six feet off the ground, but you are all welcome to clinging on to a mountainside by your fingertips.”

  “I think we have probably done enough tonight, folks,” Merle told them.

  “If we think about what happened, maybe we will come up with what to do next,” Magda.

  “Apologies for not coming to the café before,” Carrie said to Magda. “It is absolutely lovely.”

  Magda smiled and told her that she had missed out. “The old building had ghostly memories. You would have loved it.”

  “I have loved tonight. I watch on television, but being in on an investigation is marvelous.”

  “We’ll give you a call when we start again,” Merle joined in. “It was really useful to have you connecting like that.”

  Carrie gave a little shiver of excitement and said her goodbyes. The two girls left at the same time, and the others agreed to talk the next day. Magda looked around the gleaming kitchen before locking the door.

  “I am lucky,” she said and took Sam’s hand.

  He told her that he and Declan were taking four other men to construct the tree house the next day.

  “I won’t manage another get-together for three nights.”

  “It might be a good idea to leave a little space anyway,” she replied as they climbed into the car. “I am going to try and get some time with Rula to look for dresses as well.” As they drove along, she had another thought. “Could you bring the piece of Scottish wood back that we left beside the mountain?”

  “I thought you wanted to be rid of it,” he said.

  “It should really be with Utric, I think.”

  They found the cats sleepy but awake enough to look for treats, had a snack themselves and settled to watch some late-night television. Crystal suddenly stretched, strolled over to the coffee table, and knocked the book onto the floor.

  “Little madam,” Magda grumbled, but as Sam bent to pick it up, he noticed that it was once again open to the page with the picture of the longboat. He put the book back on the table and called for Crystal. He tapped the book with his finger.

  “Do you suppose it would work again?” he asked. “Crystal. The book is here.” The cat almost shrugged her shoulders in an exasperated sort of way, gave him a glowering look, and knocked the book onto the floor with one swipe. She stalked back to the couch in disgust.

  “Look.” Sam pointed at the floor, and the page that was visible had a picture of a longboat.

  “Well, I never,” Magda exclaimed. “Maybe it does mean something.”

  She tucked the book safely away and put it out of her mind.

  “How long will it take to build the tree house?” she asked, and he said that he hoped two days, but it might run to three.

  “Declan has spent two days making the structure in the workshop. It’s in two parts. We fix the bottom half and then put on the top. The stairs are in two parts as well, and the men will construct the walkway through the tree canopy on-site.”

  “Those are two lucky boys, with a dad who is making a surprise like that for them.”

  Sam grinned and said even grown-up boys liked a tree house or somewhere to escape and pretend they were out on the old frontier.

  “Except that this one has access to 5G coverage, and if they want to, they can sit in the tree house and play computer games,” he added.

  “Well, while you are building this fantasy structure, I’ll attempt to make orange liqueur, violet cream and rose fondant centers.”

  “Don’t suppose there is a pecan marzipan around,” Sam mused, and she went to find some.

  He told her that the next day would be an early start and said he might be late getting back.

  “We might keep going with the daylight,” he added. “I’ll go and retrieve the wood for Utric.” He kissed her good night and went off to his own house, reflecting that it would be easier altogether once they were married.

  Magda decided to start earlier than normal as well and had already made the violet creams when the others arrived to start the day. Katie had brought some framed prints, and Rula set them out on display.

  “We need more of Declan’s sculptured pieces,” she said. “They sold easily and they looked just that bit different.”

  “I’ll text him later,” Magda said. “They are building the tree house and plan
on working while there is daylight.” Everything seemed to be under control and the stock was building up nicely. Magda asked Katie if she could manage so that she and Rula could go shopping for dresses for the wedding.

  “Not a problem,” Katie said. “I’ll serve the customers and leave the truffle making until tomorrow.”

  Rula and Magda left her with Josh and Rita and tidied themselves up for a trip to look at dresses.

  “Plum for the bridesmaid would match your hair,” Katie called after them and they waved to her and left.

  “Good point,” Magda said, “With pink and purple flowers, it would all tone in nicely. What do you think?”

  “Sounds good, but you never know what they have until you look around.”

  The two friends walked purposefully to the one store in town that they knew was the best for these occasions. Magda took a breath.

  “This is a big step,” she said and opened the door. The ladies inside took over, and after a few simple questions, produced one dress after another for the bride.

  “Let’s look after the bride first,” the sales lady suggested, and Rula sat back to enjoy the show. Magda was not prepared for the shock that she felt when she first looked at herself in a wedding dress. Suddenly it was very real, and she was actually going to walk down the aisle and agree to marry Sam Barnes. The flutter in her insides made her feel a little weak at the knees.

  The lady who had helped her into the confection of lace had seen this so many times in the past.

  “It’s always a great surprise when you see yourself in this situation for the first time. Give it a twirl and show your friend.”

  “Thanks,” Magda answered and exited the changing room to show Rula, who had somehow acquired a glass of white wine. The glass stopped halfway to her mouth and she gasped.

  “Magda, you look sensational.”

  “But it’s a bit too fussy,” Magda suggested.

  “Maybe,” Rula agreed. “Bring on the next one.” After four more dresses, Magda looked at the fifth one and the sales lady knew that this was the one. She had seen the look many times before.

  The dress was smooth and fitted, apart from a crossover at the waist and a swirl at the hem. It was not strapless or revealing, and in fact, ran right up to a mandarin neckline. The long sleeves swirled like the hemline, and the waistline was encrusted with diamante. It was both demure and striking at the same time.