A Magical Trio

by A. A. Albright

  I was just about to check on the train timetable when my mobile phone began to ring. The number of the Daily Riddler flashed on the screen. You know that saying about your heart being in your mouth? Well, that was how I felt just then. Terror and hope intermingled, and I knew for certain: I wanted to stay here so badly that it hurt.

  I swiped to answer. Before I had a chance to say a thing, Grace began to talk.

  ‘I’ve just been speaking to Arnold,’ she said. ‘He told me you refused to take the test. Well, good for you. And I mean that sincerely, Ash, not sarcastically – though I’m aware that my tone sometimes fails to differentiate between the two. But I am sincere. I think you did the right thing. I like you, Ash. You’re a good egg.’

  I laughed softly. ‘Well, that’s nice, I guess. You might have to like me from a distance, though. Did he tell you what’s going to happen now? I’ve been wondering whether he’ll suddenly appear in the Vander Inn. And I can’t just sit here, twiddling my thumbs and waiting for my memories to disappear. I think it might be best if I just get on the next train. Oh, and also – did he happen to mention a broom?’

  There was a pause, and then Grace said, ‘He did mention that one of Abby’s brooms had decided to follow you home, and he told me you’re welcome to keep it. He also said you and he parted on bad terms, but I thought he would have at least tried to make his position clear. You’re not going anywhere, Ash. Well, unless you want to.’

  I held the phone away from my face and prodded a finger about in my ear. I had to have heard her wrong. ‘Come again?’

  She let out an irritated tut. ‘I mean, I’ve already had words with Arnold, but I’m going to have even more words with him as soon as I can. Ash, I don’t know what you said to that silly man. All I know for sure is that you refused to take the test. But whatever happened between the two of you … well … it seems to have been the kick up the behind he needed. He wants you to stay on. Based on your journalistic merit, according to him. He says the choice is yours, but either way he won’t try to interfere with your memory.’

  ‘Oh,’ I said. A moment later I added another, ‘Oh.’

  ‘Yes. Quite. Listen, I have to go now. But I hope I see you on Monday morning. Nine sharp. Oh – and I should probably tell you now while I think of it – I lied to you today. Your piece wasn’t just satisfactory. It was wonderful.’

  ≈

  It was Monday morning, and I sat in the dining room of the Vander Inn, chowing down on a big bowl of porridge and chatting with Pru. Nollaig and Jared were up in bed, and there were no other guests.

  Pru’s breakfast was a red smoothie, and as she drank it my mind travelled back to the previous Monday morning, when I met Bathsheba on the train. Detective Quinn had assured me Donald would be treated leniently, and I hoped it was true. I already had a series of articles in mind that I intended to write if he went to trial. Public opinion mattered, and I knew that if enough people understood why Donald helped his wife to die, then a trial might go his way.

  I felt positive about the outcome. I felt positive about everything, in fact. Outside, the sun was shining and the birds were singing, and I knew I was exactly where I ought to be.

  Pru put on her sunglasses and smiled. ‘I’m going to work up in Dublin today,’ she said. ‘There’s a big fête taking place on the posh side of the city. Sometimes I feel like I’m stealing candy from a bunch of great big human babies, seeing as I can read their minds. But I figure, that’s what any fortune teller does – right? We just tell people what they already know. Like last night when I told my brother that you wouldn’t go out with him if he were the last man on earth.’ She pulled her glasses down a touch and wiggled her eyebrows at me. ‘Because you wouldn’t. Would you?’

  I shrugged, digging into my porridge. ‘You’ve already told me you’d never stoop so low as to read my mind, so I guess you’ll just have to figure that one out for yourself.’

  ‘Speaking of unscrupulous vampires,’ said Pru, ‘I think I ought to teach you to block. My brother is not above fishing about in that lovely brain of yours – so he can pretend that you and he just happen to like all the same music and movies. I should warn you though, just like not all vampires can read human or witch minds, well … not all witches can block vampire intrusions. But we could give it a try.’

  I laughed. ‘You’re forgetting something, Pru. I’m not a witch. I’m a … well … I don’t know what I am.’

  She didn’t respond. She was too busy looking over my shoulder. I turned to see what was so interesting, and a bubble of happiness rose up inside.

  It was Fuzz, arriving in the dining room – sitting right on top of the flying broom, no less. What did I tell you? Riddler’s Edge was the sort of town where anything was possible.

  Pru giggled and reached out to stroke the cat. ‘Sure. You’re not a witch, Ash. Tell you what? Why don’t we just call you a little bit witchy for now?’

  ≈

  You’ve reached the end of A Little Bit Witchy. Book Two of the Riddler’s Edge series is now available to download from Amazon:

  Witchy See, Witchy Do

  And if you’d like to find out a little more about Ireland’s supernatural inhabitants, turn or swipe the page to find the latest Extract from the Compendium of Supernatural Beings.

  The next book in this collection, Katy Kramer Book One, will follow after the Compendium.

  Extract from the Compendium of Supernatural Beings

  Edition 5002.

  Year of Publication: the Year of the Woodpecker (otherwise known as 2018 AD).

  Chronicler: Adeline A. Albright (Senior Chronicler and Librarian, Crooked College, Warren Lane, Dublin 2)

  Major Supernatural Beings

  Witches:

  Witches, both male and female, are considered the most magical of supernatural beings. Their power is innate and (almost always) inherited. It would not be possible to list all witch abilities in this compendium, however many witches choose to specialize in one particular area. In the Year of the Lotus (2017 AD), Materialization was the most popular subject at Crooked College for the second year in a row. The Society for Senior Witches stated that this was ‘proof that witches are sliding further and further towards the pits of hell.’

  Most witches belong to covens. Whilst each family may legally form a coven of its own, it is more usual for the smaller, newer witch families to join the covens of the larger, more established families.

  Due to increasing pressure from other supernatural factions in recent years, witches have recently made their enclaves accessible to all other supernaturals. Whilst all supernatural enclaves (sub-dimensional regions) have always been accessible to witches, until recently the witches have kept their own enclaves closed to all but a privileged few.

  During the Winter Solstice of the Year of the Lotus, Agatha Wayfair, the now deceased Acting Minister for Magical Law, issued updated versions of the Pendant of Privilege to all Irish supernaturals. The old (and some would say ugly) jewellery was redesigned, and there is now a choice of rings, necklaces and other jewellery which will grant the wearer access to the witch enclaves.

  Warlocks:

  The warlock movement has been around for centuries. It began in the Year of the Snout (2001 BC), when a small group of male witches formed the Warlock Society. Their original manifesto has been lost to the ages, but it is widely accepted that their modern manifesto is representative of the society’s early beliefs: that men are unfairly represented within the matriarchal structure of witch society, and recognition of their unique male capabilities is important to society as a whole.

  Warlocks are (genetically speaking) witches. They’d just rather not be reminded of that fact.

  Wizards:

  (Note: This edition of the Compendium is only the second to include wizards in the Major Supernatural Beings section. To find references to wizards in compendia prior to the Year of the Lotus, the chronicler suggests you begin looking under the section labelled: Others)

&nbs
p; Wizards can be male, female, or anything else they like. They are also known as mages, shamans and wiccans, and are often overlooked. This is due to the fact that wizards are almost always of human origin. Their power is neither innate, nor inherited. A wizard’s power is hard won and, because of that, deserves the utmost respect.

  In February of the Year of the Woodpecker, wizards were finally granted equal rights, and they now have access to all major magical enclaves, tomes and educational facilities. Considering how far their power advanced without these privileges, this chronicler predicts an interesting future for wizards. Already, wizards are expert at harnessing and directing the elements, and utilising OUPs (objects of unusual power), OAPs (objects of awesome power), AUPs (areas of unusual power) and AAPs (areas of awesome power). With their new legal rights, they are sure to progress further.

  Wizards traditionally reside in the human enclaves, most often working in science and technology – though a small few run candle stores, yoga studios, holistic centres and the like. In recent years, witches have – somewhat – relaxed their attitude to wizards. They have been free to work in witch enclaves for a number of years, but now they are also free to reside there. As yet, very few wizards have made the move, preferring to remain in the enclaves that have always been open to others.

  As of December in the Year of the Lotus, there were more wizards working in the magical devices sector than there were witches. Sales of wizard-made brooms have now surpassed witch-made brooms.

  Mages: See entry for Wizards

  Shamans: See entry for Wizards

  Wiccans: See entry for Wizards

  Werewolves:

  Werewolves are an example to us all that, with the right attitude, you can make a curse work for you. There are many conflicting chronicles of how, when and why these beings were hexed. Werewolves themselves have a long-standing policy of neither confirming nor denying any single chronicle.

  What we do know is this: during the full moon (and including the day preceding and the day following said moon) all werewolves transform from their humanoid body, becoming wolves for three consecutive nights. Over the course of these three nights, the change begins at sunset and ends at sundown. Because of this, the transformation tends not to affect werewolves in their daily lives.

  The werewolf curse can be passed on via a simple bite or scratch to any part of the body. The curse has many upsides: unusual strength, longevity (some werewolves have been known to live as long as vampires) and good looks. Rigorous testing has proved that even the ugliest human or witch, when transformed into a werewolf, instantly becomes more attractive.

  The lure of werewolf-hood is irresistible to many witches. The well-known actress Veronica Berry has recently been turned by her werewolf lover, lead guitarist with the Call of the Wild. In a statement to Young Witch Weekly, Veronica said, ‘I was warned that I could lose quite a large chunk of my power, but that didn’t happen. I’m just as powerful as ever – except now I get to frolic with my gorgeous lover during the full moon.’

  Before she turned, there was much speculation that Veronica – already considered an incredibly beautiful witch – would become the best-looking witch in history. Opinions are mixed on whether Veronica has achieved that aim.

  Vampires:

  Like the werewolf curse, there are many conflicting chronicles of the origins of vampirism. Many vampires have submitted themselves for testing, and recent findings confirm that vampirism is, indeed, a blood-borne virus – albeit a virus with extremely unusual behaviour. The blood of a vampire is both a poison and an antidote.

  Often a human will resist a vampire bite. This is, frankly, the most foolish thing they could do. A willing bitee (as the vampires refer to them) will be drained by only a minor amount. Full penetration of the vein will do no damage whatsoever, and may even give the bitee a burst of energy equal to a strong cup of coffee or a shot of ginseng. After the bite, the vampire will perform a simple act of hypnotism, thus striking the event from the bitee’s memory and leaving them with nothing but a spring in their step.

  If the human resists and manages to escape before full penetration, a vampire bite can leave the victim feeling weak for days. Often, humans will complain of flu-like symptoms.

  The process of becoming a vampire is a little more complicated than becoming a werewolf: in order to turn, you must drink a vampire’s blood before sunset on the day following the original bite. It is always preferable to drink from the vampire who administered the bite. Drinking from a different vampire can result in many complications (further details of which can be found in the Compendium of Supernatural Ailments). In recent years, the virus known as Dayturning was thought to be caused by such turnings. New evidence, however, suggests that either the original assessment was wrong, or the Dayturning virus is mutating. For further information, see Dayturner entry.

  Benefits of the vampire virus are numerous. They include: increased strength; near-perfect health (a small number of humans and witches with terminal illnesses resort to vampirism in order to cure their illness. In the majority of cases, the vampire virus does, indeed, provide a cure); ability to transform into a bat; ability to transform into a nearly-invisible vapour; ability to hypnotise; telepathy (the telepathic link can generally be established from vampire to vampire only, however there are some vampires who can read the minds of all creatures); long lifespan.

  Problems associated with the vampire virus include: blood-drinking as the main source of nutrition (a small subset of vampires who were vegetarian in their previous life have set up the No Food with a Face Foundation. They are currently researching many alternatives to blood. Promising results have been seen with a vitamin popular in the human world, known as B12); sensitivity to daylight (although the hat and sunglasses sector is quite happy about this); long lifespan.

  Dayturners:

  (Note: in compendia published prior to the Year of the Lotus, dayturners were listed in the Others section)

  A hitherto rare being, dayturners are becoming more and more common, with three hundred new dayturners registered in the Year of the Lotus. Dayturners are vampires who feel the need to feed by daylight, and are incredibly sensitive to the dark. Feeding at night leaves them with serious indigestion (often resulting in hospitalisation). Additionally, venturing outside after sunset results in a rapidly spread rash, for which there is no known cure.

  The original assessment of the disease concluded that the virus was activated primarily by careless turning practices (drinking from a vampire other than the one who administered the bite). More recent research has, however, concluded that there are other ways of contracting the virus. The virus is becoming more communicable by the day, and any bite from a dayturner, no matter what precautions have been taken, should be avoided. Even long term, standard vampires have been affected by the dayturner virus in recent months, as tainted blood has begun to make its way onto the market. It is imperative that vampires verify the origin of their blood before consuming.

  A number of private and charitable organisations are spearheading the search for a cure, and government-run research (which was suspended in the Year of the Lizard – 2016 AD) is expected to resume in the near future.

  Weredogs:

  (Note: in compendia published prior to the Year of the Lotus, weredogs were listed in the Others section)

  Like werewolves, the shifting of a human into a dog is controlled by the full moon, but instead of transforming into a supernatural version of Canis Lupus Lupus, they transform into any of the many breeds of Canis Lupus Familiaris. There is little known about the origin of the species. In the Year of the Cat (2010 AD), outspoken vampire politician Mildred Valentine claimed to have been sent evidence that the weredogs are descendants of werewolves, having come about as the result of long-ago trysts between werewolves and Canis Lupus Familiaris. Both werewolves and weredogs hotly deny this. However, neither side will agree to DNA testing. As for the evidence Mildred Valentine allegedly received? She has refused to produc
e it, stating that doing so would endanger her source.

  Familiars:

  Familiars are animals with limited magical capabilities. They usually reside with witches. A witch does not choose her familiar. The familiar chooses the witch. The most common familiar animals are cats, though other animals have been known. The most notable magical ability of a familiar is the ability to communicate in any language it chooses – thus, familiars may communicate freely with their witches. They have been known to converse with other supernatural beings, but only when they want to. Speaking with humans is rarer still for familiars, but not unheard of.

  The Unempowered:

  Not to be confused with the disempowered, the unempowered witch is, like the wizards, far too often overlooked. In fact, unempowered is a modern term, and will not be found in compendia earlier than the Year of the Cat (2010 AD). Before then, there was no word for these witches. Officially, they did not exist. In the compendia dating from the Year of the Cat to the Year of the Lizard (2010-2016 AD) you will find the unempowered under the listing: Others.