Magician's Muse

by Linda Joy Singleton

  Spinning a three-point turn in a wide spot in the road, I drove back. I passed the lake again, noting a sail boat drifting toward a towering man-made dam.

  But I kept my gaze firmly on the side of the road—until I saw a skinny wood marker with engraved numbers: 1022. But where was the driveway to this address? I pulled over, and had to step out and peer under an umbrella of trees before I saw faint tracks in the dirt leading to a big metal gate.

  Cautiously, I moved closer to the gate, noticing a camera attached to the top of it like an alien eyeball. And on each side of the entryway, signs warned:

  KEEP OUT! PRIVATE!

  TRESPASSERS WILL BE ELECTROCUTED!

  Electrocuted? I gulped. I heard a low buzz of wires and realized they were charged with electricity. Way extreme security! What were Arturo and his magician pals hiding?

  When the alien eye swiveled in my direction, I hustled back into the car and locked the doors. Then I drummed my fingers on the wheel and thought hard. I couldn’t enter at the gate or bust through the electric fence—which seemed to go on for miles, probably all around the lake. Yet there had to be some way to get in without being electrocuted. But even if I found an entrance, it would take serious hiking equipment and skills to search the steep terrain.

  Since I wasn’t accomplishing anything here, I reversed the car and drove slowly down the road, following the silver flash of fencing. Then I saw it—a dented section, as if a car had lost control and smashed into it. The damage wasn’t that obvious unless you were looking closely.

  Pulling my car off the road, I looked for warnings about electricity here but found none. When I bent down to peer at the dented section, I saw what I was hoping for—a jagged rip just big enough for a person to squeeze through. And beyond the fence I spotted a rugged path, probably created by wild animals. The path plunged down to the

  glittering blue lake at the canyon’s bottom. This wasn’t a natural lake, but a huge body of water held back by a gleaming white dam. Silver-gray rocks avalanched down to the sparkling water, and on the opposite end of the lake, small boats bobbed by a long narrow pier. On the shore there were clusters of dark shapes that I guessed were cabins.

  I casually looked around to make sure I was completely alone, then jumped back into my car. I quickly sent Manny a text, letting him know where I was, then parked the car so that it was half-hidden under the thick foliage. I took my charm bracelet off and tucked it safely in my backpack, then shoved my backpack through the rip in the fence and started squeezing myself through after it. The hole was big enough for squirrels but a tight fit for me. Still, I squirmed and dug at the soft red dirt until my head was through the opening, then my shoulders, hips, and …

  I was on the other side!

  “Woo hoo!” I did a little happy dance, dusting off dirt and shaking a twig out of my hair. I slipped the backpack over my shoulders and sucked in a deep breath, my triumph fading as I realized the true steepness of the path. It was a long way down to the lake, and looked like a rough hike through the dense foliage. It would be a treacherous fall if I lost my balance.

  Cautiously, I hugged the craggy embankment, pushing aside weeds and sometimes crawling to get through the prickly branches. Taking one step at a time, I balanced with the caution of a tightrope walker. Then gravel rolled under my shoes, and I grabbed a tree trunk before falling flat on my butt. I heard a rip but I kept moving, going deeper into the rugged woods. And then the ground leveled out a bit and I reached the edge of the dam. It wasn’t a thin wall, like I’d expected, but a thick mountain of gravel and concrete.

  Jade was probably across the lake, near where I’d spotted the cabins and boats. There would be trails, and the brush wouldn’t be as thick that close to the water. As long as I didn’t run into any electric fences, it shouldn’t be too hard to follow the edge of the lake.

  But I couldn’t go anywhere looking like this. Frowning down at my dirt-caked clothes, I was really glad I’d brought other clothes. And they were more than just any clothes, in fact. I smiled a little as I took off my backpack and pulled out a pair of white-washed designer jeans and a glitzy gold bag, which held a few special items and cosmetics.

  There was only one thing left to complete my new look.

  I pulled out a long, wavy, red wig.

  Peering into my hand mirror was like a magic trick: now you see Sabine, now you don’t. It was my own face, but when framed with crimson curls and bangs, reality shifted so that I could see Jade too. It was as if we were double-exposed into one image.

  I was certain that Jade had literally meant: Come. Be. Me.

  And we did look alike. All I’d needed was a long red wig, a cerulean blue shirt to mute the green in my eyes, and a hippy sway when I strutted in my new skinny-ass jeans. I’d layered on a wool-lined brown jacket, too, since the mountains were chilly. Being Jade would make me less conspicuous if anyone saw me, especially from a distance. Still, it felt weird to have fiery-red curls instead of straight blond hair tumbling down my shoulders.

  Moving away from the dam, I followed a rough path through brush. It curved and dipped along the cliff edge high above the shoreline, then plunged into a pine-scented forest of spiraling needles and lacy leaves, which swallowed me. Although the sun was shining somewhere far above me, the temperature dropped so that my breath was a foggy puff and a chill shivered through my jacket. Fallen leaves crackled beneath my feet and I kicked pine cones away. When I started to slip on a patch of ice, I dug my heels in to catch myself, glad I’d opted for sturdy leather ankle boots rather than fashion-worthy high heels.

  Just when I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever reach anything close to civilization, the drapery of leafy green around me shifted, offering a glimpse of the cabins.

  Is that where I’d find a walking trail that would lead to Jade?

  My heart fluttered like the dark birds flitting above me in the tangled branches. When a larger bird with scarlet-brown wings swooped toward me, my hope soared and I thought it was Dagger. But it wasn’t a falcon, just a red-tailed hawk.

  It was stupid to imagine Dominic being close by, I scolded myself. I couldn’t let myself think about him …

  about the hours we spent in the tree house, laughing at squirrels and playing card games … and holding each other, so very close. God, how I missed him.

  But hope ran deep. Maybe I should just try calling him, even though I was sure he wouldn’t—couldn’t—answer. I flipped my phone open … then groaned. Not even one signal bar. I couldn’t call anyone! Not Dominic, Manny, Penny-Love, Thorn, Nona, or 911. I’d have to return to the road to get a signal. But it was already past eleven o’clock, so either I kept searching for Jade or turned back now.

  Not a quitter, I kept going.

  When the trail started to twist deeper into the forest, veering away from the cabins rather than toward them, I wondered if I should double back. Had I missed a path? I began to seriously doubt my plan. What had I been thinking? Coming here alone, dressing up like Jade, and now headed for who-knows-where? What if I’d completely gotten Jade’s message wrong and was trespassing on the wrong property?

  Biting my lip, I pivoted slowly in the circle of massive, sky-blocking trees. Pine needles shivered in the wind and a gray squirrel skittered across the branches. Life pulsed around me in gold, green, and tawny auras, welcoming yet warning of hidden dangers. I considered retreating, feeling small and lost in this vast jungle of woods. Instead, I gritted my teeth, determined, sinking deeper and darker into the forest shadows. Within five minutes, the trees curved overhead like a dark tunnel and shut out the sun, blanketing me in chilly grayness.

  But I kept going, holding the image of blue water in my mind. And in a startling instant, I came out in a sunny meadow with a sweeping view of the dancing azure waters.

  Four cabins zoomed into view: square wooden structures no bigger than my bedroom at home, crafted with rugged logs. It was as if I’d slipped back in time a few centuries. There was no sign of people or a wal
king trail. And it was almost noon.

  So where was Jade? Trapped inside one of those cabins?

  Fear pushed me faster until I was running down the path. But then I stopped because, out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement—not from the cabins, but back by the dam where I’d started this insane trek. Cupping my hand over my eyes, I stared at the dam, figuring the flash of movement must have been an animal. But instead I saw four shapes—and only one moved on four legs. The other three were definitely human, and they were crossing the dam like it was a bridge.

  Or a walking trail?

  Jade had said: “Come be me. Noon. Damn!” I’d assumed the “damn” was because she had been caught sneaking a phone call. But what if her final word had been “dam,” a direction clue? Although it was hard to tell from so far away, one of the walkers either wore a red hat or had red hair.

  Just great, I thought, twisting a curl of faux-red hair around my finger. I’d spent nearly an hour hiking away from the dam. Now I’d have to go all the way back.

  Hiking uphill was killer. I stopped to rest midway, bending and panting for breath as I leaned against my knees. On the ground, oval and half-moon-shaped paw prints clawed the path. I wondered what animals had made them. Once, on a walk, Dominic had taught me how to identify different animal tracks. Raccoon, deer, foxes, possums, bobcats. We’d compared our own footprints, laughing a little at how his shoe was nearly twice the size of mine. Then we’d compared our hands, mine slipping into his as if they were made for each other.

  Thoughts of Dominic were like sharp claws ripping at my heart. Where was he now? Was he in jail? Sometimes I could mentally reach out to Dominic, as if my soul slipped beside his, sharing thoughts and emotions. But now I felt … nothing. Abandoned, disconnected, alone.

  Desperate, I reached out for my spirit guide. Opal often said she was always close by. Closing my eyes, I tried summoning her, and I did sense something: a whisper of energy, subtle as a butterfly’s flutter. Yet she didn’t show herself, only whispered a faint Keep going.

  So I did … but it was not easy. As the trail narrowed, branches snatched like vicious claws at my clothes and wig. I slapped, ducked, side-stepped, and even had to get down on my knees and crawl through a narrow opening in the branches.

  Hurry, I told myself, my urgency growing.

  Brittle twigs crunched under my boots. I stumbled over a jagged stone, but caught myself by grabbing a hanging branch. Then the forest rose up and I was back on the narrow cliff path leading to the dam. Like castle battlements, the silvery-gray dam rose out of the sparkling water and spread horizontally. And the top of the dam was in fact a paved road, wide enough for a parade.

  And indeed it looked like a parade, when the group came closer.

  Three people and a giant poodle.

  The poodle was midnight black with curly fur, a standard poodle, and was tugging impatiently on his leash, dragging a stocky, middle-aged man whose blue cape plumed behind him. Next came an older man, walking with a cane that seemed more like a prop. He reminded me of a #2 pencil—tall and thin with a tuff of scruffy orange hair. And trailing after him was a redheaded girl …

  JADE!

  I started to call out to her, then stopped myself. Hadn’t she told me she was a prisoner? Although her companions didn’t look dangerous, I didn’t want them to see me—and they were headed this way.

  Ducking underneath a canopy of trees, I wondered how I could get to Jade without the others seeing me. At their leisurely pace, they’d pass by my hiding place in about fifteen minutes. What I needed was a diversion, so I could contact Jade without alerting Blue Cape and Cane Man.

  While I was crouched down trying to come up with a plan, Jade beat me to it by stumbling into Cane Man. It was not an accident, I could tell.

  The elderly man cried out, his arms flailing, and dropped his cane. It tumbled and rolled toward the dam’s steep graveled embankment. When he grabbed for it, he bumped into Blue Cape, who stumbled and lost his grip on the dog’s leash.

  The energetic poodle took off.

  “I’ll get him!” Jade’s voice drifted down the dam and across the water. Then she sprinted away from them and down the trail toward my hiding place.

  I ran to intercept her, imagining how grateful she’d be to see me. She’d cry for joy and thank me for rescuing her. She might even hug me, and I’d hug her back in a mature I-forgive-you-for-being-a-bitch way. Then we’d escape together.

  Unfortunately, the poodle was faster than Jade. I don’t know if he smelled me or if I was just in his way, but before I could move aside, he pounced on me.

  “Get off!” I pushed him away.

  The dog barked, then slurped at my face with his long slobbering tongue.

  “He won’t hurt you but his dog breath can be lethal.”

  “Jade!” I rolled away from the poodle, then jumped up and rushed to my half-sister. I opened my arms, inviting a hug, but she held back.

  “Hey, Sabine.” She shrugged like we were meeting casually at a mall instead of in the wilderness. “So you came.”

  “That was the plan, right?”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t think you’d figure it out.”

  Furious retorts jumped into my head, but I was too weary for arguments. “Well, I’m here, and I even did all this so I’d look like you.” I gestured at my get-up.

  “Lime-green eye shadow?” Jade rolled her eyes. “You’d never fool anyone who knows me. The wig is too curly, and you’re smaller up there.”

  I clenched my teeth. “How about you not insult me?”

  “Just saying my opinion.” Her expression softened. “You know, I have lots of friends at school, but none of them would have done this for me. You got my brand of jeans right and the wig isn’t terrible.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Whatever.” She smiled wryly. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “It wasn’t easy finding this place—and even harder getting inside.”

  “But you never give up and you always figure things out. Dependable, considerate, clever Sabine. Just ask Dad. He says I’m too undisciplined and he wants me to be more like you.”

  I stared at her, shocked. “No way.”

  “He brags about how you help out your grandmother, get good grades, and go out with a great guy.”

  “The great guy broke up with me. I’m not sure what my parents will think of Dominic, but that could be interesting.” I grinned. “If it makes you feel better, Dad shows he cares by lecturing. Trust me—he’s not a fan of everything I do. When it comes to my psychic stuff, he has this ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy. And he lectures me about how I should be more like my little sisters.”

  “Well, they are cute,” Jade said, grinning wickedly.

  “And they never get into trouble.”

  “Like we do,” Jade teased.

  “Let’s avoid trouble this time by getting Josh and leaving ASAP,” I said with a worried look up at the dam. Cane Man was reaching over the dam embankment, trying to grab his cane, but there was no sign of Blue Cape.

  “We can’t get Josh,” she replied.

  “What do you mean? Josh is the reason we both came here and I’m not leaving without him.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way,” Jade said with a secretive smile.

  I glanced over at the dam again. “Let’s get moving! Your friends will reach us soon.”

  “You think they’re my friends? I’m seriously insulted. I only walk with them to get outside. Otherwise I’m trapped inside all day.”

  “We’ll both be trapped if we don’t hustle.” I grabbed her arm, but she pulled back and frowned at me.

  “Wait. I have to tell you something.”

  “Tell me all about it while we walk.”

  “But I can’t … I mean … You need to know—”

  “All I need to know is where Josh is.” Spidery red curls brushed across my mouth and I slapped them away. “I can’t wait to take this itchy thing off.”
/>   “Don’t!” Jade protested, jerking my arm. “Keep it on.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s safer.”

  “The only safe thing is to get moving … oh!” Something nudged my ankle and I instinctively jumped back, just as the black poodle hiked his leg.

  “No, Roscoe!” Jade grabbed the poodle’s collar, tugging him away.

  “I’m not a tree.” He wagged his tail as if I’d patted his head instead of criticized him. “Tie him up so he won’t follow us and ruin everything.”

  “He’s the least of our worries,” Jade said ominously as she glanced over her shoulder. Up on the dam, Blue Cape was helping Cane Man retrieve his cane. “Where’s your car parked?”

  “On the road past the dam.” I pointed.

  She nodded, her brows knitted as if thinking hard. “Did you bring a phone?”

  “In my backpack. But there’s no reception with all these pine trees. Jade, could you stop asking questions and tell me where Josh is?”

  “We can’t both leave.” She stared down at the dirt path, then back at me, frowning.

  “What’s your problem?” I folded my arms across my chest. “I went to a lot of trouble to come here—to rescue you guys—and now you don’t want to leave!”

  “It’s complicated.” Jade ran her fingers through her tangled hair. “I need to be here till tomorrow night for the Solstice ceremony.”

  “What ceremony?”

  She shook her head. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Sorry about wh—”

  Jade shut me down by lifting her head and shouting out toward the dam, “OVER HERE! I HAVE ROSCOE!”

  A man shouted back, “Jade! I’m coming!”

  “WAIT! I’LL BRING HIM TO YOU!” Jade yelled.

  I glared at my half-sister. “Are you out of your mind? Why did you do that?”

  She stepped away from me, not meeting my gaze.

  “Jade, we’ve got to get moving now. Tie the dog to a tree.”

  “Don’t you get it?” Jade actually had tears in her eyes as she whirled around to face me. “Grey threatened to kill Josh if I left before Solstice. I know you broke up with Josh, but do you want him to die?”