by Willow Mason
Chapter Fourteen
It took me a few seconds to grasp the situation. “Wait? You came here of your own accord? Nobody is controlling you at the moment?”
My uncle’s baffled face was enough of an answer.
“Don’t worry,” I yelled downstairs. “False alarm.”
“What false alarm?” Uncle Pete staggered to his feet and moved to join me. “Who are these people?”
“Pete.” My mum pushed past Syd and ran up the stairs, throwing herself into her startled brother’s arms. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” She pulled back to study his face. “You are okay, aren’t you?”
He wiped the last of his tears away. “I’m fine. Just embarrassed to be caught at a bad time.”
“What did you think you were doing, scaring your niece and me half to death?”
“And why did you leave the mine?” I demanded, regaining some indignation now that the immediate threat was gone. “We thought you’d been possessed by an evil supernatural creature.”
Mum forgot about her brother as she turned to me in horror. “Did you go into the abandoned coal mine?” She slapped my arm. Not hard enough to hurt but enough to sting. “I swear, you’ll be the death of me.”
“It was perfectly safe,” I lied, then pointed to Syd. “A policeman was with me the whole time.”
“That was my fault,” Brody said, pushing his way forward. “I was kidnapped by—” His eyes slid to Lucas. “Well, something.”
“Great.” My mother folded her arms and glared. “That clears things up.”
Amid the heightened emotion, I was glad to see Syd pull his partner aside to chat. A few seconds later, Lucas headed out the door, shooting me one forlorn glance before leaving.
“I’m sorry to put everyone to such trouble.” My uncle hung his head and sighed. “Over the years, the thought of a man being trapped in this house has weighed heavily on me, but I guess I made the whole thing up.”
“Rubbish.” Mum slung an arm around his waist. “If you say something in the walls of this house talked to you, then it did.” She turned to me. “What happens now? Do you have an exorcist on tap?”
“Now we stop for a breath, have a snack, and let Rosie and me tell you all our news,” Posey said in a firm voice. “First, we have to introduce you to Hans Martingale’s son, Rickie, and you all need to listen to what he has to say.”
We trooped downstairs, and I put the kettle on while Muffin padded through at the sound of a bakery bag being opened. “What are we celebrating?”
I blinked in astonishment. “I can hear you!”
Mum stared at me with a puzzled expression. “Eh? Have you been deaf up to now?”
“No, I can…” My excitement trailed off as I tried to think how to explain it.
“Muffin is Elisa’s familiar,” Uncle Ben said, picking the kitten up. “So they can understand each other when they talk.”
“My powers must be coming back.” I ran to the hall mirror and stared at my hair. It was definitely taking off skyward. When I scratched my scalp, a tiny glitter of dust coated my fingertips. “It’s not all there yet, but it’s on its way.”
Darla snapped her fingers and a small spark shot out. “Me, too. I guess the potion only lasts for a few hours even when used in reverse.”
“The toybox,” my mother called out in a voice rich with delight. She ran her hand over the inlaid mother-of-pearl and peeked inside. “I thought this was out of a story or something. I’d forgotten it was real.”
“My father made that,” a middle-aged man said. He leant against the bench and I guessed he was Rickie Martingale. “He also made the house self-repairing in case of any accidents.”
I clicked my fingers. “I saw that in action upstairs. Your dad also built a closet with a false back. This morning, it was in pieces but right now it looks brand new.”
“That’s why he’s here,” Rosie said, bubbling with excitement. “His father knew all about the creature Desiree and Esmerelda trapped in the walls. They decided on the design of the cupboard and the modifications to the rest of the house to ensure it would never escape.”
Her face fell as she realised it hadn’t worked as planned. Muffin tipped over to her side, a loud snore announcing she was soundly asleep. Darla frowned and picked her up, studying the kitten’s face closely.
“What’s the creature?” Syd, Brody, and I asked in unison.
“A gremlin.” Rickie stepped forward, taking charge of the conversation. “He caused havoc in Oakleaf Glade many years ago and now appears to be doing it again.”
“What kind of gremlin?” my mother asked, wringing her hands. “I’m guessing it’s worse than something getting wet or fed after midnight.”
“They’re formless spirits from a different realm that don’t belong in our world. When they come here, they attach themselves to the living like a parasite. Under their possession, a person can be enslaved for many years, if they’re strong enough.” Rickie stared around the group. “We’re in luck that its long incarceration made this gremlin weak. If we can keep it from the spell to strengthen it, we can put it back where it came from.”
He picked up the magic toybox and centred it on the table, removing the old books from inside. They were once again magically whole, and I breathed a sigh of relief. If we survived until tomorrow, Patsy might get her library back.
“We should be able to use this container to resurrect the pixie skeleton that previously held the gremlin.”
“Was it Rose?” I asked, feeling a rush of embarrassment as six sets of eyes swivelled around to me.
Of the group, Brody seemed the most surprised. “You mean Grandma? She’s alive and well and watching Shortland Street right about now.”
Rickie frowned. “The bones belonged to Desiree. She passed her inheritance along to Esmerelda but on her deathbed insisted on trapping the gremlin. A spell should have kept her intact—a prison for the creature—but age must have weakened the magic. Once we trap it again, someone should take the role of guardian to ensure this never happens again.”
Uncle Pete sagged against the bench. “This was the man in the wall who talked to me?”
“Who lied to you from the sound of it.” Rickie put his hands on his hips. “If we’re all in agreement, we need to come up with a plan. First, to lure the gremlin here. Second, to trap it. Third, to keep it prisoner.”
“But…” My uncle’s face was strained. “What right do we have to keep it locked up forever? How is that fair?”
“Once trapped, the gremlin can return to its natural realm if it chooses. If not, when it dies, it will be free to cross over, just the same as you or I. Until then, it’ll mostly sleep. It’s not the same as a man being trapped in a cage. More like a patient lying in a coma in a hospital bed.”
“How did it speak to me if it was asleep?”
“Maybe your nearness temporarily woke it. Since it immediately lied to you and caused mischief, I’d think you’d be in favour of locking it up.”
“Not here.” I shrank against the wall. “Isn’t there somewhere else we can keep it? The skeleton of a pixie doesn’t worry me but knowing a malevolent creature lies within these walls will ensure I never sleep again.”
“Where else?” Rickie once again turned to the group and examined everyone’s face. He nodded after a minute passed with no suggestion. “Then it’s settled.”
“No, it’s not.” Darla stepped forward, her fingers crackling with energy. “Since I’m the one who’ll be trapping the gremlin, I should get the final say.”
“And where do you want it placed?”
Darla smiled at Rickie and a surge of electricity spiralled out of her hand. “Show us where the gremlin is?” she demanded, and the tiny lightning storm obeyed, drawing a picture in sparks.
“We should contain it in the same place it’s headed right now. The library.”
I clasped the box of pixie dust to my chest and peered between the shelves in front of me. The smell of old books crowded into my nostrils, and I
tried to ignore it. No way did I want such a pleasant odour associated with such an unpleasant task.
“Can you hear that?” Brody asked, squatting next to me. He already had a handful of dust at the ready, as did Uncle Pete who waited farther along the stacks.
The snort was quiet but louder than our group of vigilantes, all trying to remain silent. Patsy stumbled as the gremlin got used to inhabiting her body again.
Darla had explained her line of thinking, back at my place. “The gremlin’s only hope of increasing its power early is by using a spell or an incantation. Without one, it appears he can only move people out of the way. That must be why it tore the books apart. They didn’t contain the information it needed. But it will keep looking.”
“Why didn’t it possess Uncle Pete when he had all the pixie dust at his disposal?” I’d asked.
Syd had fielded the query. “Because my wand might be weaker than pixie power but it’s not useless. When I cast the spell to hold it immobile, it worked. We didn’t realise because we were chasing after your uncle.”
“It fears pixies,” Darla had added. “That’s why it fled the library each time you visited and left your home when you and your uncle entered.”
“Just like spiders,” I’d mumbled with an annoyed sigh. “They’re meant to be more scared of me than I am of them, but it never feels that way.”
Now, my heartbeat increased with every second and blood swooshed inside my ears. A drop of sweat trickled down my forehead, stinging my eye.
More scared of me than I am of it. More scared of me.
“Now,” Darla called, and we ran out from behind the shelves, dust and wands at the ready.
Patsy stood still, staring wide-eyed around our circle.
Except it wasn’t Patsy any longer. The gremlin had her in its grip.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Rickie open the magic toybox. Desiree’s skeleton rose from the opening until it stood her full five feet two inches tall.
“Gremlin. We cast you out on behalf of realm, the natural universe. Each thing in balance and all existing in harmony. Leave our friend.”
The rest of us chanted along, flubbing a word or two but with the spirit of the sentences remaining intact. Patsy cringed, her shoulders curling forward. “I have as much of a right to exist here as you.”
“You have escaped your given realm and deserve no safe harbour here,” Darla intoned. She raised her hands, lightning streaking from her fingertips. “Return or remain trapped here until your spirit dies.”
“No.” The gremlin stamped Patsy’s feet. “I’ve been locked up for ages. Can’t a girl just enjoy a fun weekend before you send her back to the slammer?”
The gremlin tilted Patsy’s head and forced an entreating expression on her face that made me recoil. Darla gave the faintest nod of her head and I raised my chin. Message received and understood. A picture of a prison cell rose in my mind.
“This is not your home. These are not your people. Return to where you belong or remain trapped until you die.”
With a snort, the gremlin spun on its heel and made for a break in our human chain. I blew the dust from my palm, just as Brody and Uncle Pete did. A gigantic pink cloud surged forth, encapsulating the librarian’s body.
“Then you have chosen.” Darla sent a pulsing wave of electricity from her hands, snaring the gremlin inside it like a net. A frown deepened on her face as she lifted Patsy’s body from the ground, beaming it across the library to land in front of Desiree’s skeleton.
I pulled another round of pixie dust from the container and handed it out. Brody, Uncle Pete, and I stood shoulder to shoulder, then blew the dust out in a cloud.
One final shriek issued from Patsy’s lungs, then she collapsed onto the floor. Desiree’s skeleton glowed an unearthly pink. So bright, I had to look away.
Rickie unlocked the repair room of the library, standing back to allow Darla to guide the skeleton and its prisoner inside. With gentle care, she laid Desiree’s remains on the central table before Rickie stepped forward again to lock the door.
Again, Darla’s hands spurted forth lightning bolts. This time they danced a shining path around the edges of the door. Rather than fade away, the bright sparks continued to glow just as strongly. White light to seal in darkness.
The real Patsy stirred, sitting up.
“Is it done?” Uncle Pete asked in a small voice.
I flung my arms around him and pulled him into a hug. “It’s done.”
Chapter Fifteen
The following weekend, Darla settled back on my sofa in the lounge, wriggling around to get more comfortable. “Just remember, the potion is supposed to be used the other way around. One close call was enough for me.”
“Has Syd been in contact with you yet?” I asked, kissing my mother on the cheek as I leaned over her to snag a cheese roll. “He got very excited at the thought of officers carrying it like pepper spray.”
“He has.” Darla teased off her sandals and wriggled her toes. “I don’t know why he thinks it’s a good idea. All I foresee is a generation of supernatural officers depriving themselves of powers because the canister is facing the wrong way.”
My mother burst into giggles. “They should make a show about that. I’d watch it.”
“You’d watch anything,” Ben said, waggling his eyebrows. “Ask me how I know the final pairing of every season of The Bachelorette? If you hadn’t said yes when I proposed, I’d be worrying.”
“It’s quality drama.”
“It’s a load of old cobblers.”
“Fine. You can go out to the garage the next time it’s on.”
Ben’s mouth gaped in horror. “But Tony and Belinda have a special date.”
Mum turned to me, crossing her eyes. “See what I have to put up with.”
Muffin strolled into the room, cased out the seating arrangements, and flopped down near the window. “Are there any muffins left, or did you hand them all out to guests again?”
“Good morning to you, too,” I said, carrying one across. “Careful your gloominess doesn’t put those rays of sunshine out.”
“I’m not gloomy.” Muffin wrinkled her nose in amusement. “I’m Emo.”
“Solidarity, little sister,” Darla said, raising a loose fist. “I don’t wear black all the time just because it’s traditional for witches.”
The kitten yawned and stretched, showing off her toe-beans. “I feel like I could sleep for a month.”
I shot a quick, conspiratorial glance at Darla. The witch had examined my overly sleepy familiar after our library escapade and concluded a spell had been placed on her to send her straight to sleep every time Desiree or the gremlin were mentioned. “As a familiar, it would be extraordinarily painful to know her mistress’s remains were housing such a creature,” the witch had explained. Together, we’d decided to leave it be.
Patsy knocked on the door, waving a basket full of scones. “Hope you don’t mind the intrusion, but I wanted to drop these off as a thank you. The magic box is working on the last book, so I barely notice my lack of a repair room at all.”
“It’s funny how I completely forgot about that,” my mother said with a nostalgic smile. “We used it all the time when we visited as children.” She nudged her brother in the leg. “Since someone thought the way to win any argument was to pull off a doll’s head.”
“That’s a perfect example of selective memory at work,” Uncle Pete said, tipping a wink to me. “I distinctly remember pulling arms and legs off did the treat just as well.”
I raised a coffee mug to Patsy, and she gave an eager nod. “That’ll go down a right treat. My muscles feel like I’ve run a marathon just walking to work in the morning.”
“Hopefully, that’ll fade in the next few days,” Darla called out. “But if it doesn’t, hit me up. I think I might have a cure stashed away.”
“Yoo-hoo,” Rosie and Posey called from the doorway. “Hope you don’t mind more company.”
“Th
e more the merrier,” my mother declared, standing and pushing Ben until he did the same. “Have a seat.”
“Shouldn’t you be the one resting?” Posey said with a quick nod to my mother’s stomach.
“I wish.” She groaned while stretching her back out. “Apparently, things have changed since I had this one.” Mum jerked her head at me. “Then it was all ‘rest up for the big day,’ and now it’s all, ‘exercise to get your body ready.’ I know which recommendation I preferred.”
“Let me guess,” Rosie said, squinting at me. “You’ve been hitting the potion before you go out on a date.”
I blushed and checked my hair in the mirror. Halfway down my shoulders already. Soon, I wouldn’t be able to hear Muffin talk. “It’s not really a date. Just a ride out to the beach.”
“With a picnic lunch,” my mother added. “And it took her three goes to find something suitable to wear.”
With nervous hands, I smoothed the front of my sundress. “It’s just hard to dress for this changeable weather.”
The group turned to stare out the window at the blue sky and sunshine.
“Yeah,” Ben said, pulling a face. “Difficult.”
“I don’t understand why you don’t make Lucas take the formula,” Darla said. “That’s what the potion is designed for.”
“Making Lucas into a human guinea pig isn’t something I’m keen on. Not unless he lasts longer than my previous boyfriends.”
“Ha!” My mother raised a hand in victory. “You said, boyfriend. I knew it.” She elbowed Ben in the side. “Remember that last one up in Nelson. Trent, was it?”
“Didn’t even make it to three weeks before you declared he breathed too loudly.”
My mouth fell open as everyone laughed. “Well, he did.”
“And Gregory. What was the complaint with him again?”
My mother’s eyes were sparkling with such mischief I just had to close my eyes and wait for the roast to be over.
“He liked tomato sauce on his steak,” Ben said with glee. “And Matty?”
“Had Velcro on his sneakers instead of shoelaces.” Mum was laughing so hard now, she had to hold her sides.