A Touch of Magic

by Annabel Chase

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “It might be more traumatic than you expect,” he said. “Seeing your mother after so long might trigger strong feelings of sadness or loss all over again.”

  I hadn’t considered that possibility. “I think I’m excited more than anything. I haven’t seen my mother in such a long time, except in the occasional dream. Sometimes I think I’m not even remembering her accurately.”

  “Memory does have a way of playing tricks on us,” Daniel said. “The longer you live, the more you realize how fallible memory can be.”

  “Hopefully, the spell will help me sort things out,” I said.

  “What’s on the agenda after lunch?” Daniel asked. “Would you like to spend the rest of the afternoon with me?”

  “I would love to, but I can’t,” I said, wishing I could cancel my client appointment. “I have to be in the office this afternoon.”

  “That’s okay,” he said. “I’ll head over to the Spellbound Care Home and see if I can make myself useful over there.”

  “I’m sure they’ll find a hundred things for you to do,” I said. Even if he just walked down the hall and waved to the residents, that was enough to keep certain members happy for a week. Daniel was a popular face in the senior citizen community. No doubt his good looks and charm had a little something to do with it.

  “I’ll be sure to say hello to Agnes for you,” he said.

  “You’re better off keeping a safe distance away from her unless I’m with you,” I warned. “She’s always full of mischief.”

  “Why do you think I’m so fond of her?” he said.

  Why, indeed.

  “You've got a doozy coming in today," Althea told me. She slapped the file on my desk. "You'd better try and keep this one under wraps. People in Spellbound get very worked up about this kind of case."

  I arched an eyebrow. "What kind of case is it?" My mind immediately went to the darkest possible places. I flipped open the file and scanned the highlights. "Animal cruelty?"

  Althea gave me her version of nonverbal sassy confirmation. "She’s young. But not so young that she shouldn't know better." Her snakes hissed angrily beneath her headscarf, as though they understood perfectly well the topic of conversation. I had no doubt that they did.

  "She?" I echoed. It was shocking enough to have a case of animal cruelty. It was even more shocking that the accused was female.

  "She's a sixteen-year-old nymph. Apparently, she was abusing her cat."

  I frowned. Usually I managed to find a way of empathizing with my clients, even if I didn't always agree with their actions. This one would prove difficult.

  “She arrives in an hour?”

  “Yes, boss,” Althea said. "Would you like a drink from Brew-Ha-Ha?"

  That was probably a good idea. I was going to need a little help getting through this meeting without turning my stomach. "Yes, please. A latte with a shot of tolerance."

  "You and me both," she said before disappearing out the door.

  I read the contents of the file, although details were sparse. Harriet Leafbottom was a student at Spellbound High School. Straight A's. A member of the gardening club. No history of troubled behavior. What on earth would cause her to abuse a cat? Briefly, my thoughts flickered to Magpie. I quickly brushed the thought aside. No matter how difficult Magpie could be, I would never be tempted to hurt him. Maybe only in self-defense.

  I read through the local regulations on animal cruelty. As expected, the penalties were harsh. It was Spellbound, after all. The severity of the punishment actually made sense to me here, given that we had a large community of shifters and witches with animal familiars. Mistreating an animal was on par with mistreating your neighbor.

  I sucked down the latte within five minutes of it appearing on my desk. I needed all the tolerance I could muster for this meeting.

  A knock on the door signaled the arrival of my client. Harriet was accompanied by a middle-aged couple, presumably her parents.

  "Miss Hart," the man said. "My name is Leif Leafbottom and I’m Harriet's father. This is my wife, Heather. We’re the president and vice president of the Spellbound Nymph Association.”

  Leif Leafbottom? Did his parents not love him? It was bad enough that the parents wore matching apple knitwear.

  "Please come and sit down. I can have Althea bring in a third chair."

  "I'm on it," Althea called from her adjoining office. Within moments she set a chair alongside the other two. The Leafbottom family sat down and I watched Harriet as she slumped between her parents. She was a plain girl with stick-straight brown hair and bangs. Her best feature was her eyelashes, which seemed to stretch all the way to her forehead. They made her dark eyes look enormous.

  "I had a chance to read through the file," I said, struggling to maintain a neutral tone. "The description of the cat’s condition is pretty grim, Harriet. How is he doing now?"

  "She," Harriet corrected vehemently. "Her name is Esmeralda. She’s still unconscious."

  "Esmeralda is being treated at the healer’s,” Heather interjected. "Harriet has been to see her as often as her schedule permits."

  Out of guilt? "Why don't you tell me your side of the story?"

  "It was an accident," her father said, not giving his daughter a chance to answer. "She was working on a project for school. Some type of chemistry experiment and she accidentally spilled it on the cat."

  "Esmeralda always lies on the desk when we're working," Heather added. "No matter how many times we sweep her to the floor, she ends up right back on the desk. Harriet always does her homework there and Esmeralda likes to bask in the afternoon sun."

  I looked from Mr. Leafbottom to Mrs. Leafbottom, amazed that neither was willing to let Harriet speak.

  "Is that what happened, Harriet?" I asked.

  "We just told you that's what happened," Leif said, clearly agitated.

  Harriet slumped further in her seat and she refused to make eye contact with me.

  "Mr. and Mrs. Leafbottom, I completely forgot. I’m going to need you to fill out some paperwork while you're here. Would you mind stepping into Althea's office next door and asking her for the forms?"

  "Oh, okay," Leif said. "One of us can stay here while the other fills out the forms.”

  "No, I'm afraid that's not how it works," I said. "When I'm dealing with a minor, I need both parents to complete the forms." A bald-faced lie. I hoped Althea would go along with it.

  I waited until the Leafbottoms cleared the room to address Harriet. "All right, Harriet. It's only you and me now. Why don't you tell me what really happened?"

  "They told you," she said quietly. "It was an accident. I spilled my chemistry project on her."

  I fiddled with my quill. Harriet was obviously hiding something. "What was the project?"

  "Excuse me?" Harriet glanced up quickly.

  "The chemistry project you were working on," I said. "What did you spill on her? I imagine that's important in her recovery. Knowing what’s attacking her system."

  Harriet looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure. I'm not very good at chemistry."

  "That's funny," I said, tapping the paper in front of me. "It says here that you’re a straight A student. It doesn't sound to me like you’re not good at chemistry."

  "I don't remember, okay?" Harriet said, her voice rising. "I wasn't paying attention. I just wanted to be finished with my project so that I could go outside."

  "What was happening outside?" I asked.

  "Nothing," she said. "But I'm a nymph. I like to spend as much time outdoors as possible."

  "Like with the gardening club?"

  She nodded. "I've been planting new trees in our yard. I wanted to see if any of the ones I'd already planted had sprouted anything yet."

  A nymph who loved nature seemed at odds with a girl who would abuse a beloved family pet.

  "How long have you had Esmeralda?" I asked.

  A vague smile formed on her lips. “Six yea
rs ago, at Paws and Claws. She was a birthday present to me."

  "Did you choose her or did she choose you?" When I went to Paws and Claws for a familiar, it was Sedgwick who chose me. That should have been the first clue that I wasn’t a regular witch. Everyone else had a cat familiar. I had a cantankerous owl.

  "We chose each other," she said. "I saw her across the room. This little black kitten with bright green eyes. She was so pretty. When I began to walk toward her, she started to walk toward me. It was fate."

  These were not the words of a girl who would mistreat her cat. Nothing about this made sense.

  "Why didn't Sheriff Astrid believe that it was an accident?" There had to be another element of the story that I was missing.

  “My neighbor," she mumbled.

  "What about your neighbor?"

  "Mrs. White said that she'd seen me hurting the cat other times," Harriet said.

  “And did she?”

  “Of course not. She’s a werelion,” Harriet explained. “She’s totally hypersensitive when it comes to cats.”

  I quickly reviewed the contents of the file for a mention of Mrs. White. Although she was listed as a witness, there was no further information. I’d have to go and speak to her myself.

  "So it's based on Mrs. White's statement that you've been arrested?"

  It was then that Leif and Heather Leafbottom returned to the room. Leif scowled when he heard me mention their neighbor's name.

  "I don't even want to hear the word ‘white,’” he said. "I don't care if you're describing a pearl or a ghost."

  "Well, I wouldn't describe a ghost that way. Gareth has the full color scale," I said.

  They all looked at me blankly. So not everyone in Spellbound knew my business. That was news to me.

  "I have all I need from your daughter at the moment," I said. There was no point in speaking to her further until I had more information. "I'd like her to come back on Monday to talk again, if that fits in with your schedule," I said. That would give me a few days for research.

  "I have a hair appointment," Heather said, patting the side of her chestnut-colored hair.

  "That's not a problem," I said. "I only need Harriet here. She's welcome to come on her own after school."

  Leif shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "She's a minor. I think one of us needs to be here."

  "You seem to forget that I'm defending your daughter, not prosecuting her. I'm on her side."

  They exchanged uneasy glances.

  "I'll come by myself after school," Harriet said finally.

  "Are you sure?" her father asked.

  She nodded and her stick-straight hair moved like a curtain. “Yes, I'm sure."

  I knew there was more to the story than Harriet was telling me. I only hoped that time alone would yield the answers I needed.

  Chapter 5

  I barely made it through the doorway of my therapist’s office before Dr. Hall handed me a glass of clear liquid.

  "You usually wait until I'm in my chair before you ply me with alcohol," I said. "What's the rush?"

  Dr. Hall gave me a serene smile. “It’s water, and Beatrice is on the clock. I need to get started." She ushered me into the room and I plopped down on the chaise lounge.

  "Beatrice?" I queried. "I thought you said the memory spell would be performed by Meg or Ginger."

  "I forgot to schedule them and Beatrice was the only one available on short notice," she said with a modest shrug.

  Beatrice entered the room behind me. "Hello, Emma," Beatrice said. "I look forward to working with you today."

  My brow creased. "I thought you were working for Markos now," I said. As far as I knew, Beatrice was the new office manager for the minotaur's architectural firm.

  "Markos allows me a flexible schedule for coven purposes," Beatrice said. "He's very accommodating. It's one of the things I really like about him."

  I bit back a smile. I knew from my time as an invisible witch that Beatrice had designs on Markos. She seemed nice, from my limited interactions with her, but I knew an employer-employee relationship was dangerous territory. I doubted very much that Markos would get involved with his office manager.

  "Markos is wonderful," I agreed.

  Dr. Hall clapped her hands. "Okay, okay. Let the lovefest be over. I'm paying her in six minute increments."

  "The coven has adopted the legal fee structure?" I asked.

  Beatrice smiled primly. "Only for outside events."

  I tipped back my water and tried to relax. It was unsettling to know that a witch was about to rummage around in my head. It was equally unsettling to know that I was about to enter a dream state that may or may not involve reliving a memory from my childhood. I might actually see my mother again. My mother!

  Dr. Hall scrutinized me. "You look tense. I think you might need a real drink before we get started."

  Beatrice placed a hand on the therapist's shoulder. "I can handle her nerves, Catherine."

  “You don’t know what you’re up against,” Dr. Hall said. “She makes an oak tree look as flexible as a caterpillar.”

  Beatrice stood behind me and placed her fingertips on my temples. "Relax the heart, relax the head/think of happy memories instead."

  I peered up at her. "Don't you need your wand?"

  She held up her fingertips for inspection. "I've dipped my fingers in a potion and applied it to your head. No wand required for this one."

  Interesting. I closed my eyes and began to relax.

  "Follow the sound of my voice," Beatrice said. It was lucky for me that she had a melodic voice and not the cat-in-a-tin-can sound that sometimes came from certain witches.

  "Dream catcher, dream weaver/break forgotten memory’s fever."

  My breathing increased before finally slowing down to a comfortable pace. My heart beat a steady rhythm and I felt my body go limp as darkness enveloped me.

  When I opened my eyes, I was in an unfamiliar place. This was not the house of my childhood. I rose to my feet and looked around. Where was I? The walls were made of stone and the air was damp and chilly. I spotted the figure of a woman seated in front of a small fire on the ground. She definitely wasn’t my mother.

  I walked toward her. "Hello?" I said tentatively.

  The figure didn’t turn toward me. This must be how Gareth felt with everyone other than me.

  The woman spoke in a low tone as she ripped off leaves from a plant and chucked them into the flames. She seemed to be performing some kind of incantation. I moved to the other side of the fire to get a better view of her. Her hair was a golden blonde and her skin was so smooth that I doubted it had ever felt the warmth of the sun. It was her eyes that unnerved me, though. When they darted up to admire the height of the flame, I could see that they were stark white. She had no pupils and no irises. I recoiled slightly before regaining my composure.

  Why was I here? This was not the dream I'd been having, nor was it a memory.

  I moved next to the woman to see if I could hear her incantation. Maybe that would provide a clue as to who she was and why I was seeing her now.

  I listened intently but could only make out certain words. They were in Latin and I recognized a couple of the words.

  The woman continued throwing pieces of plants and herbs into the flames until they exploded in a show of colors. She gave a satisfied smile and bowed her head in reverence.

  “Excuse me? Can you hear me?” I asked loudly.

  No response from the woman.

  I further examined my surroundings. Maybe the location would provide a clue as to the purpose of this dream. I walked the perimeter of the room, but there was no entrance or exit. It was like a prison cell with no bars and no signs of other life. What on earth was this place? More importantly, what if I couldn't get out of it?

  My pulse began to race. What if I became trapped here like this woman? What if Beatrice messed up the spell and was unable to get me out? Would I end up in some kind of magical coma, like Freddie the dwarf?


  My anxiety was on high alert and I pounded my fist on the stone wall. "Let me out!"

  This was definitely not a dream. This was a nightmare. My throat became dry and I gasped for air. I had only just been reunited with Daniel. I couldn't be separated from him now because of a spell gone awry. I had to get back. I whipped around, ready to test out my magical skills in a dreamscape, when I noticed the colorful remnants of the explosion drifting through the air. The particles moved to the perimeter, and as they split down the slabs of stone, the wall disintegrated. I watched in awe as daylight streamed into the room on all sides. Suddenly, we were standing in the middle of an open field. The woman stood and stretched, as though she had been sitting for hours. Maybe she had. She tilted her chin in the direction of the sun and closed her eyes, embracing the warm rays of light. Her mouth cracked open and a cackle escaped her lips that was so loud and so high that it caused my eardrums to hurt. A shiver ran down my spine. There seemed to be evil intent in her triumph, I could feel it.

  I focused on the woman to see if there was any glimmer of recognition. Who was she? What was she doing?

  As though reading my thoughts, her blank eyes fixed on me and she smiled wickedly. With a blood-curling screech, she began to run toward me at full speed. My throat tightened as I attempted to summon my will. I held up my hand, ready to throw my magic around, but I never got the chance. Just as she reached me, her blond hair streaming behind her, I felt my body jolt. My heart stopped. I was in darkness once again.

  I opened my eyes and gasped for breath at the same time. It felt like someone had jammed an adrenaline needle in my heart. My arms flailed and I grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be Dr. Hall's head.

  "Let's pretend that you grabbed the edge of your chair, shall we?" Dr. Hall said calmly, prying my fingers from strands of her hair.

  I glanced around the room in a panic. "I was trapped in a stone room. It wasn't my dream. It wasn’t a memory.” I tried to calm myself. “My mother wasn’t there.”

  "It wasn't your dream?” Beatrice queried. "How odd. Are you sure it isn't a different dream that you’ve had before? Maybe one you’ve forgotten?”