by Willow Mason
He burst out laughing this time. “Chance’d be a fine thing.”
I let my head fall sideways and stretched my hand as far as it could go, gently touching the back of my scalp. The skin was tender, similar to how it felt after a teenage experiment with peroxide had taught me being blonde was all about pain. I scratched at my hairline despite the new agony but couldn’t feel any dust.
When I craned my neck to one side, there was only the faintest glitter on my forefinger. A sick feeling rose in my stomach as I understood Leo had harvested me for pixie dust.
No wonder he’d been so happy to see me the day before! The scoundrel had eyes for only one thing and had drugged me to get it.
“Here,” Lucas panted. “I’ve got the pen knife, but I can’t angle the blade right to cut the ropes. Can you take it? If you cut backwards, we might get somewhere.”
My fingers curled around the handle, then flinched as one gripped the blade. The pen knife dropped onto the carpeted floor. I could only just see the red handle from the very corner of my eye.
“What was that?”
“Hm? What was what?”
“It sounded like something falling.”
“Oh, no. I didn’t hear that at all.”
“So, you haven’t dropped the knife?”
“No,” I lied, eyeing it with panic. “Just give me a minute. I’ll try my best.”
The thin sheen of dust on my fingertip wasn’t enough to get me anywhere. I bent over, to the other side this time, attempting to scratch out some more magic. It was even worse. A single speck of colour adhered to the side of my nail.
“Can you reach the ropes?”
I stared guiltily at the pen knife on the floor. Thinking magic thoughts that were closer to prayer than a spell, I imagined the knife rising up to slip into my cupped hand.
A tiny puff of smoke came off my hand. It floated to the floor and encircled the knife before disappearing. I groaned.
“What is it? Have you cut yourself?”
“No. Just feeling groggy. Have some patience and I’m sure we’ll be out of here, soon.”
Once again, I tipped my head to the side, jutting my hip out so hard it hurt. Ignoring the pain, I scratched into my scalp until I felt the stickiness of blood. With my eyes closed, tears trickling down my cheeks, I focused on the ropes falling away on either side.
Lucas gave a jerk. “My arm’s free.” His voice was full of excitement. “Pass the knife back and I’ll do the other one.”
“It slipped onto the floor,” I finally admitted. “Can you reach it from there?”
“No problem.” It was quick work for him to cut the remaining bonds and he leapt up the stairs, headed for the door. When I tried to follow, my legs sagged, and I had to grasp the chair to keep from falling.
“You probably got a bigger dose than me.” Lucas hurried over, supporting me until I got the hang of walking. “You weigh a lot less.”
Now my hands were free, I could feel all over my head. Loose strands of hair stuck to my palms, and I felt like sobbing. Even if I wasn’t great at magic yet, to lose it all to someone else’s nefarious plans was the same as being robbed.
“The door’s locked,” Lucas announced with a frustrated sigh. He leaned over the railing and surveyed the room. “Who would sleep down in this dungeon?”
“Leo doesn’t like sunlight much,” I said, choosing my words with care. “And I guess he’s living some kind of double life, considering what he just did to us.”
Lucas gave a snort. “That’s an understatement. Guess who’s gone to suspect number one on my murder list?”
“Can you kick the door down? Cops do it all the time on TV shows.”
“They’re not true to life and even if they were, I have nothing to brace against.” He poked at the rickety bannister behind him and it wobbled. “If I kick it, all that’ll happen is I’ll propel myself off the top of the stairs.”
“What else is on your pen knife? Can’t you pick the lock?”
“Knock yourself out,” Lucas said, handing it back to me. “I’m going to check there’s nothing useful around that bed.”
I waited until he was downstairs before scratching at my head, this time at the top of my neck, where it didn’t feel scraped raw. This time, there was nothing on my fingertip. Not even the faintest trace of glitter or colour. I wanted to scream and instead jammed the pen knife blade into the lock.
This was another thing that shows made look easy. Instead of instantly clicking into place and freeing the catch, the knife got stuck at an awkward angle. When I pulled back, it came loose with a jerk, sending me stumbling backwards.
“Careful,” Lucas called out, rushing for the stairs. He saw the knife blade and shook his head. “You can’t unpick a lock with a single blade, it’s impossible. Try sliding it between the door and the frame. If the tongue is angled, you might be able to force it to slide back.”
Unfortunately, the short blade couldn’t find any purchase. Stabbing the lock didn’t work any wonders either.
“What’s that?” Lucas asked, holding up his hand for silence.
I was just about to ask what he’d heard when the noise came again. A giggle?
My face drained of blood as I wondered what Leo was up to now. Somehow, I didn’t think the adventures that would cause him laughter would strike me or Lucas as funny.
“There must be a way to get out of here,” I exclaimed under my breath. “Can’t we pop the hinges?”
“They’re on the other side.”
“Well, what fool designed this door?” I kicked it hard, ridding myself of enough frustration that it balanced with the pain in my toes. “It all seems backwards to me.”
“Is that you, Leo?” a voice called out.
Lucas and I stared at each other, wide-eyed for a second.
“If you’re hiding away, you’d better come out now. Rosie has a whole list of questions for you.”
“Such as why the supernatural authority claims no one lives here or told them about escaping prisoners.”
“Rosie! Posey!” I slapped my hand against the doorway, almost crying with relief. “Can you let us out? I don’t know where Leo’s got to, but he trapped me and Lucas down here.”
“Goodness me.” A flash of light illuminated the keyhole, and the door swung open. Posey swept me into a hug, whispering into my ear, “Why didn’t you use your magic to get it open?”
I tilted my head forward and when I glanced back at her, the twin’s face was grim.
“Leo did that to you?”
“Did what?” Lucas scanned me from head to toe, then flicked a cautious glance at the twins. “What’s happened?”
“Never mind, PC Bronson,” Rosie said. “I think you should get the word back to the station about Leo Matthewson at once. Syd can put an all systems alert out or whatever the equivalent is in a town this size. Kidnapping a police officer is a serious crime.”
“Of course,” he said, moving away to make the call.
“Do you think Leo is the killer?” Posey asked, her face filled with worry. “We only came over here because we couldn’t register him. The supernatural authority said there was no such vampire, now or ever.”
“And he definitely hadn’t reported an attempted escape from a prisoner,” Rosie added. “They were so concerned, they’re flying someone down from Auckland tonight to check the portal.”
“You mean he’s not some kind of quasi prison guard?”
The twins nodded. “He must just be squatting in the house.”
But my mind went somewhere much darker.
“Leo isn’t just staying in this house without permission, I think he’s an escaped prisoner.” I put a hand against the wall to steady me. “And if he’s evil enough to warrant such a strange punishment, then he must be behind the killings.”
“We need to find him at once,” Rosie said. “A vampire with no conscience and a stockpile of pixie dust would be enough of a menace without adding murderer to the mix.”
“W
hy? What can he do with my magic? Wouldn’t the universe stop him if he tried to use it for evil?”
“Vampires aren’t bound by the same natural laws,” Posey explained. “There’s a different rule for the dead than there is for the living.”
“Syd’s put an alert out,” Lucas said, coming back to the group. “Once I search this house from top to toe, I’m going out on the road to hunt for Leo. Do you need a ride back to town?”
“We can give Elisa a lift if she needs it,” Rosie blurted. “We’ll just go over the road to see if anybody saw Leo fleeing.”
“Good idea.” Lucas held up a warning finger. “But if anybody saw something, come back here and tell me. I don’t want you tearing after the suspect when he could be armed and dangerous.”
“Don’t worry about us, officer. We like a quiet life.” Posey tugged at my arm to hurry me along. “Quickly,” she barked once we were outside. “Before everyone who was at Erin and Andy’s morning tea disappears.”
“What time is it?” I asked, squinting at the sun for some clues.
“Right on lunchtime.” Rosie gave me a quick once over. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’ve been drugged and harvested for dandruff, all on just a couple of hours’ sleep. The last thing I feel is okay.”
She leaned in close to whisper in my ear, “Then you probably don’t want to know about the large brown stain on your jacket.”
“The what?” I twisted the light blue material around and stared in dismay at the mark. “Duh. I put a muffin in there to take home. Guess that didn’t work out as I’d planned.”
“Today nothing is working out like anybody planned.”
Posey arched an eyebrow as she raised a hand to knock on the door. “Let’s hope that extends to vampires, too.”
Erin welcomed us inside, explaining we’d hit the tail end of the refreshments. “Only the staunchest gossip mongers are still here.”
“They’ll be pleased they stayed,” Posey said, jumping a little with anticipation. She clapped to get the attention of everyone in the room, then pronounced, “We know who the killer is.”
“We have reason to suspect,” her sister corrected, but Posey waved in irritation.
“The vampire who lived over the road is the culprit,” she said in a low voice. “Now we need your help to apprehend him.”
“What vampire?” Erin moved to the window and frowned across the street. “I mean, we’ve seen someone in there for the past month or so but why do you think they’re the culprit?”
Posey jerked her head at me, “Go on,” she urged.
“Leo Matthewson—”
“Probably not his real name,” Rosie interjected.
“He drugged me and PC Bronson, tied us up in his cellar, then harvested my head for pixie dust.”
Gasps of horror exploded around the room. Erin covered her mouth with one hand and grabbed for Ruby’s with the other.
“Does anyone know Leo and his habits? Are there any hiding places you think he’d run to?”
“Nobody knows him,” Andy said, coming up behind his wife and hugging her shoulders. “The place across the street has been uninhabited for ages but always kept in a pristine state. It didn’t really strike us as odd when someone turned up there.”
“Who kept it pristine?”
He shrugged. “There was a gardening service and a cleaning service came by regularly.”
“He comes out of nowhere,” Ruby said, wiping her thumb carefully on the front of her dress before popping it back in her mouth.
“What do you mean, love?” I knelt down to her eye level. “The man next door?”
Ruby nodded, sucking anxiously. “When the door’s open in his playroom, I’ve seen him appear out of nowhere.”
Her worried mother pulled the girl into her arms. “When were you across the road, Ruby?”
The girl shrugged, pulling on her thumb like it was delivering oxygen.
“You know you’re not meant to go past the gate unless me or your mother are with you,” Andy said, wagging his finger.
“I was chasing a bug,” Ruby said, her eyes welling with tears. “Then the man came out of nowhere and I forgot about the ladybird.”
“When was this?” I asked the girl, trying to keep my voice light and calm.
“A few days ago.”
I exchanged a glance with the twins. If Leo had appeared out of the vortex earlier this week, he might be using it as a regular means of transport. “We need to get to the fair. If the opening for the portal is still in the ghost train, he could be on his way there right now.”
Chapter Fourteen
Part of me hoped we wouldn’t run into Leo at the fairgrounds. Another part hoped we could apprehend the vampire before anybody else wound up dead. By far the greatest part hoped Syd would beat us there and have it all sorted out before we arrived.
My eyes scoured the car park, hoping to see a police vehicle. No such luck. I gulped and hoped we were an equal match to the vampire when he wasn’t trying to be polite.
“Do you have your dust?” Rosie asked, all business.
I nodded and patted my pocket. We’d stopped off at home to fetch a small supply from the inheritance Esmerelda had left to me. Although my old next-door neighbour Hazel had stolen and tried to sell it, more than half the bequeathment remained intact after we’d thwarted out her plans.
“Just use it the same as you would if you picked it off your head,” she said, patting my arm. “And don’t be afraid of a magic fight.”
A magic fight? I gulped at the thought. My skills were so underdeveloped, it would be like pitting a toddler against a heavyweight.
I’d changed into my usual black jeans during the brief stop and picked up Muffin for the extra support. Now I asked her, “What do I do in a magic fight? What am I mean to picture?”
“Don’t worry about the technical details,” the kitten assured me, leaving a swathe of light-coloured hairs behind as she rubbed against my leg. “If you need to, just empty your mind and let your instincts take over.”
“I have a feeling my instincts suck.”
“You don’t have to lead this battle,” she said, pawing at my foot until I picked her up. “Chances are Leo is long gone but even if he’s here, you can leave him for the police to deal with. It’s what they’re trained for.”
Except Lucas wasn’t trained for anything and him collapsing at the moment of truth could distract everybody. No. I had my familiar, my inheritance of pixie dust, and my best friends. Between us, Leo should be the one quaking in his boots.
“Let’s go. The longer we stand here talking about things, the more likely I am to get cold feet.”
Posey wrapped her arms around my waist for a quick hug, then led the procession to the ghost train. Maisie floated near the entrance, giving us an enthusiastic wave as we approached.
“Thank goodness you’re here,” she said, weeping ghostly tears. “A horrible flame goblin tore through here, knocking the security guards out with one blow.”
I stared at the men lying unconscious on the ground. “Did you mean a vampire?”
Maisie’s face grew even more horrified. “We have a vampire in Oakleaf Glade? That’s awful. I hate the undead.”
“But you are—”
Rosie stepped forward, cutting me off with a glance. “How long ago was this?”
“Just a few minutes. I’ve been trying to grab someone’s attention, but so far no one can see me and the fair’s getting emptier by the second.”
She was right. In the past, when travelling fairs came through my hometown of Nelson, the final day had been crammed full of customers, making the most of the time they had left. Here, the Ferris wheel made a sluggish turn with half of the cabs empty and candy floss wilted in the humidity, the long queues from yesterday having departed.
“Can you see the vampire inside now?” I asked Maisie, who ducked her head into the ride for just a second before shuddering and retreating.
“He’s the
re. Even without the flaming skull, he doesn’t look good.”
I pushed aside the rubber flaps at the ghost entrance before there was time to change my mind. Inside, I remembered Syd’s advice and stayed still, my eyes tightly closed, until they adjusted to the dim lighting.
When I opened them, Leo stared at me from along the track. His face was twisted with menace and his eyes glowed red.
“We know you’re an escaped prisoner,” I said, forcing myself to take a small step forward before my body froze from fear. “Did you kill Blake Stone and Old Mr Phillips?”
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with, little pixie. How about you go home and leave well enough alone?”
“If you’re a killer, we can’t just let you go.” I took another step forward.
“Stay. Right. There.” Leo raised a hand, cupping something inside it. “You’re not the only one with magic at your disposal.” He tittered. “In fact, I think you’ll find it hard to scrape a single spell off your head.”
My hand desperately wanted to tap on my jeans pocket and check Great Aunt Esmerelda’s pixie dust was still there. It took all my willpower to keep my arms relaxed at my side. I might be inexperienced in magic, but I’d played a lot of poker games in my time. Only for matchsticks but the same rules applied. If you had a winning hand, you kept it secret until the other players showed their cards.
“What are you planning on using the dust for?” I asked, pleased my voice stayed level.
“To get out of this rancid town before my past catches up to me, with enough spare to keep travelling wherever I want to go.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Then I’ll use most of it to destroy you and your friends. Whatever’s left over will get me out of immediate danger.”
My eyes were now fully adjusted to the dimness of the ride. The vortex had moved again. Not far, but it now sat squarely in the middle of the tracks, a few metres behind Leo. If he was using it to move from one place to another, could I risk following him inside? To be ported across town was one thing. To end up in another country, or even another dimension, quite another.
“Give up,” Muffin said in a strong voice. “Throw yourself on the mercy of the authority.”