by Kali Harper
“And this false wall is where exactly?”
“Run your fingers over the concrete. That’s it.” She paused a moment, her eyes never leaving mine. “You feel that?”
A part of the wall warmed under my touch, the concrete not as coarse as everything around it. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“Focus on it. Good. Now comes the hard part. I need you to envision yourself walking through that wall.”
“This is ridiculous.”
“Not all magic can be seen, but all of it can be felt.”
Oh great, riddles now? Taking a breath, I closed my eyes and did as she asked. It was a crazy thought, to imagine myself walking through a wall. What if I got stuck? How thick was this wall? Who’d get me out if I couldn’t find my way back?
“Calm your thoughts, Astrid.”
“How did you know?”
“The way you scrunched your face. You’re always so intense.” There was a playful lilt to her voice, one that made me smile. Even if I couldn’t see her, and even if this was one big horrible dream, I was talking to her. If I ever wanted a motherly figure in this town, she was it. “Now, open your eyes.”
Glancing at the wall, my breath caught as it disappeared, faded at first, then completely gone. Instead of staring at a wall of concrete, I was peering down a long, dark tunnel carved from the ground.
“It’s a good thing you like bugs,” Maggie teased, sitting at my feet.
“And what’s in there exactly?” Spiders, centipedes, and worms I could handle, but if there were any skeletons, forget it.
“A book.” She said it like it was no big deal. “A very special book.” Ahh, there we go.
“And I’m guessing it’s magic?”
“Mmhmm.”
“And you want me to go in there?” If I hadn’t known any better, I would’ve sworn someone had tried to tunnel their way out of Maggie’s basement, because that’s exactly how it looked.
“I need to stay here. Follow it to its end. That’s where you’ll find the book.”
“Why hide it though if everyone else in town has magic of their own?”
“The magic of one person is not for another, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t others out there hoping to steal it. There’s something to be said about magic in the wrong hands, and even if I’d had a child or sister, that doesn’t mean my magic would be theirs to take.”
“But you think it belongs to me.”
“I know it does because I left it to you. Once you bind with the book, it will be yours until you pass it on to another.”
“And if I don’t want this life?” Was it possible to go back to the way things were?
“You would be putting all of us in danger. You need the book, and this town needs you. I wouldn’t have chosen you if I thought any different.”
“You said you were this for Lucy.”
“By protecting you. She’d never asked me to give you my magic. That was my choice and mine alone.”
Taking a breath and looking from her to the very long, dark tunnel in front of me, I had to believe this was all a dream. A very elaborate one. The longer I stood there, the harder Maggie stared at me.
“Well?”
“Can’t we leave it there? I mean, you have it hidden behind a wall. It’s not like anyone else knows where it is.”
“Astrid, please. The fact you can see through the wall means the book is yours. The magic in that book must be bound to another otherwise it will be lost and free for anyone to take.”
“Magic in the wrong hands?”
“Yes.”
Steeling myself, I stepped into the tunnel and followed it to its end. Interestingly enough, there were no forks in the road and no surprise turns. The entire tunnel, however, lit up as soon as I left the basement. By all accounts, it should’ve been pitch black. Instead, I could see everything as if it were day.
“There you are,” I said, spotting the book on a wooden pedestal.
The book itself was black and had golden lettering on the spine much like the one Kat had shown me back in her bookshop, but even as I got closer to it, something about the book changed. It didn’t fly exactly, but it glowed a very faint blue. The change in coloration made me pause, my breath catching for what felt like the millionth time since early this morning. Then, after steadying myself, I reached out in front of me, running my fingertips along the hard leather binding. The book glowed again, but this time it was accompanied by a very soft hum.
“Well hello to you too,” I said, unable to help the grin on my face or how my hand shook the slightest bit as I opened the front cover.
Inside, the pages were blank, the old parchment stained from years of use. To be honest, I expected a book of recipes. I wouldn’t have put it past Maggie to send me after a book of baked goods, but charms probably didn’t work the same way.
Then again, she did say my magic could be completely different, so the blank pages were probably normal.
“I sure hope that was supposed to happen.” I’d have to check with Maggie once I got back.
Turning back the way I came, it didn’t take me nearly as long to get back to Maggie’s house. Maybe it was because I walked faster, but the tunnel seemed a lot shorter on the way out than it was going in.
“You find it?” Maggie asked, peering down the tunnel at me.
I held the book in front of me for her to see, then quickly escaped the tunnel before it could collapse. “It glowed.”
“It does that.” She turned away from me and headed back up the stairs.
“So no weird summoning ritual?”
“Don’t be silly, Astrid. You aren’t a necromancer.”
I shivered at the thought of raising bodies from the dead, even Maggie’s. I also could’ve done without the haunting, but at least she was possessing Sammy instead of me.
“Are you coming?” Maggie was already gone, waiting for me in the kitchen.
Hugging the book to my chest, I turned off the light and followed after her.
Chapter Six
“Again.”
Maggie sat on the kitchen table, her green eyes boring into me. Well, not her eyes exactly, but ever since she showed up last night, she hadn’t left Sammy’s body. We’d spent the entire night studying the book, or in my case, its blank pages.
Maggie insisted I could see something if I looked at it just right. I was beginning to think I’d need a decoder ring or the light of a rainbow, because no matter how much I stared or how I held the book, nothing changed.
“I need a break, Mags, and so does Sammy. Why don’t you go possess one of the other cats for a while? Sammy should probably eat anyway, and unless you like the taste of cat food…”
“All right, but only for a minute. I’m very fond of him.”
“You mean his body.”
“No. He’s in here with me somewhere. I can feel him.”
“Yeah, well let him walk on his own for a bit, will you?”
She let out a long breath, closed her eyes, then was gone, leaving a very disgruntled Sammy in her place. The gray tabby glared at me, not moving a single whisker.
“Nice to have you back,” I said, rising to my feet so I could get him something to eat. “I don’t know if you were aware of it or not, but Maggie possessed you.” I turned to him then, frowning once I realized he hadn’t moved. “You have to eat something.”
“I’m not hungry.”
His lips moved, but that voice wasn’t Maggie’s. “Please tell me I’m not being haunted by two ghosts.”
“You aren’t.”
“So you can talk now?” I asked, placing his food on the kitchen table in case he changed his mind.
“Always have. The only thing that’s changed here is how you can hear me.” He pawed at the book on the table.
“And Maggie?”
“Here,” she replied, having taken control of one of the other cat’s bodies. “Don’t give me that look, Samson. You know I had no other choice.”
“If I’d known
you were going to take over my body for the entire evening, I never would’ve gone to find you.”
“Wait a second,” I interrupted them, sitting back in my chair. “Sammy knew you were floating around in my house?”
“I wasn’t floating.”
“Then what would you call it?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Maggie said, dismissing my question completely. “When I came to, I was lying on the floor in your front hallway. When they took my body away, I stayed behind. I was stuck, Astrid.”
“And Sammy got you out,” I finished for her.
“Yes. I’d hoped you would’ve gone home first, which is why I made such a mess.”
Thinking back on the morning before, I wondered why Sammy hadn’t run in after Maggie then. “Sammy led me to the bakery. Why?”
“He probably wasn’t looking for me,” Maggie said, matter-of-factly. “Cats are very connected to their owners. Familiars especially.”
“So why the wait? If he’d sensed you last night, why not earlier?”
“Because I hadn’t come to until it was light outside.” Meaning she hadn’t what? Passed over to the other side?
I shook my head, deciding it was better if I didn’t ask. “So around the same time I was at Every Last Crumb, you mean.” We were quiet for a long moment. “I thought ghosts appear right after… you know.”
“After we die? It probably has something to do with how it happened.”
“You know how you died?”
“No, and before you ask, I have no idea who wanted me dead. I didn’t see a thing.”
“What about you, Sammy?” He’d been rather quiet up until now.
“We familiars are crucial to the survival of our witch. I had wards cast all around the bakery along with the house. It’s why I always sat outside, you see. It’s my duty to keep her—now you safe.”
“Wards are like shields,” Maggie explained. “All familiars use them around themselves and the one they’re sworn to protect.”
“Then how did someone break through them?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Sammy said, bowing his head. “I’ve always protected Maggie.”
Setting the spell book aside, I closed my eyes and took a handful of deep breaths to clear my mind. Unfortunately, with Maggie and Sammy bickering over her recent hobby of possession, it didn’t work. When I looked at them again, both sets of eyes were on me.
“What?”
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Maggie asked, clearly expecting me to take her side in whatever it was they’d argued about.
“What am I supporting exactly?” Taking a breath, I rubbed at my temples. Dark specks crowded my vision as my entire head throbbed with pain. Whatever she said next, I didn’t hear her, and when the noise finally stopped, Sammy’s paw was on my hand.
“Let her rest,” he said, his eyes on Maggie. “You can overwork her tonight, but you know pushing her will only make matters worse.”
Maggie sulked on her side of the table, then with a sigh, she agreed. “What you’re feeling is completely normal,” she said, cleaning one of her paws. “The exhaustion is only the start of what you’ll face as you come into your powers.”
“No magic switch to turn it on then, huh?” The heaviness over my eyes I could tolerate, but not the headache.
“I’m afraid not, dear. You see, most witches come into their power at a young age when they’re still growing. The pain is there but muted. The headaches will stop, however, once you accept all you’ve been given.”
“I can’t, Mags. Maybe if you’d given me a bit of warning, but blindsiding me like this?” I couldn’t wrap my head around it and the more I tried, the worse the throbbing of my temples became.
“You’ll get there.” She patted my hand, bowing her head as she more than likely would’ve preferred to comfort me in person and not while possessing another body.
“And so will you.” I winced around the pain and met her gaze. “Being a ghost must have a steep learning curve.”
Maggie nodded then and gave me the best cat-grin she could. “The only thing I’d like to change are my clothes. You may not be able to see them, but haunting in my nightclothes isn’t very fashionable.”
“Neither is a dress,” I told her.
“I could pull off the Fairy Godmother look if I did.”
“Where would you get your wand?”
She hesitated for a moment, then said, “At the ghost supply store?”
“If I can figure out this whole magic thing, I’ll see if I can’t do something about your clothes, okay?”
“Deal.”
“But no pushing,” Sammy cut in, promptly sitting between us. “She has to come into her power on her own. No influencing her.”
Maggie glared at him, giving the tabby the same death glare he’d given me, then, as though they’d come to a silent agreement with one another, Maggie turned away and hopped off the table. “I’ll be around if you need me.” With that, she was gone, leaving the cat to eat its breakfast as she haunted elsewhere.
“Take the book with you,” Sammy said as I stood from the table. Likely sensing my confusion, he said, “A witch never leaves it out in the open. Find a safe place to put it and keep it there.”
“What’s the point of having a book if you need to hide it?” Not to mention the fact I still couldn’t read it let alone see any words on the parchment inside.
“The book serves as a conductor. What’s inside the book isn’t as important as the book itself. It gives you the power you need along with the ability to control it.”
I nodded and tucked the book under my arm. “What about Dark Magic?”
“Does it exist? Sure. Dark Magic, not to be confused with Black Magic, occurs when an outsider who doesn’t have a book tries to learn our ways. Without the book to control the more chaotic side of the magic, their spells grow out of control. You know those firefighters who start fires and do a controlled burn? The same thing applies here. Magic isn’t to be used until you’ve fully grown into it and learned to control it on your own.”
“And once I do, what happens to the book?”
“You hide it the same way Maggie did.” Sammy stopped at the top of the stairs and sat back on his haunches. “I’ve watched over many witches and I know you can do this. However, unlike Maggie, I know your limitations as well.”
“Which is why you suggested I rest.”
“Yes. She may not remember, but there were times those in her family pushed her the same way she’s done to you. At the time, I cut in, reminded her folks of how critical rest is for the mind, then led Maggie to her room.”
“I thought a witch could only get power once another one has died.”
“Sometimes, but those like Maggie who were born into it have it in their bloodline. You do as well, but not as strong. Maggie knew it and so did I.”
“And the rest of Emberdale?” I asked after reaching the top of the stairs.
“Some weren’t as open to the idea of a semi-normal living among us. What I mean is, those who are born into it and learn it in their early years weren’t too fond of the idea. Maggie went to great lengths to make the situation agreeable to everyone.”
“Meaning her charms,” I said, opening the door to the guest room which Sammy quickly walked through before climbing on the bed.
“Yes, but enough of that. When I said you needed to rest, I meant it. We can talk more later, but I need you to promise me something.”
“Depends on what you’re asking me to do.” Filling his food bowl was no problem, but if he expected me to cook him an entire chicken, he had another thing coming.
“Please, please do something about Maggie.”
“She’s a ghost,” I reminded him, gently stroking behind his neck as I settled onto the bed beside him. “I don’t think there’s much I can do.”
“Then find out who did this. Do it for me. I may love her to bits, but I can’t stand sharing my body with her for another night.”
“And why do you think finding who did this will help?”
“Unfinished business,” he said, repeating what Maggie had said earlier. “She’s haunting us because of it.”
“How do you know she’ll leave, though? Maybe she has other things to do.”
“Promise you’ll try to figure things out. Either that or buy her a new cat to possess.”
“She has four others,” I said, “and she still chose you.”
“Please. It gets cramped in here with her and she’s very pushy.”
I couldn’t help smiling then. “This coming from a cat.”
“I can’t help my nature, but Maggie’s no feline.”
“Have you tried asking her?”
“Of course I did,” he said, rolling onto his side so he fit in the ball of my stomach.
“And?”
“She told me I could have it back later. Astrid, later could mean forever! If you hadn’t asked her to leave, I think she may have moved in for good.”
“I’ll see what I can do, but if the alternative is to have her possessing me—”
“She’d never do that. Not when you need to be of sound mind at all times in order for your magic to work. She’d never risk you losing the powers she’d already promised to you.”
“I’ll talk to her,” I said again, closing my eyes as I draped an arm over him. “No promises, though.”
Sammy didn’t budge when I woke, keeping to his ball-like form as I moved about the room, his ears swiveling as I did. He hadn’t said anything, but I knew he was listening. In fact, I wondered then if he’d slept at all or only pretended to sleep so he could keep an eye on me.
“Did you rest?” I asked, getting changed into a fresh set of clothes.
“Briefly, but we familiars don’t need rest the way you do. A catnap works just fine for me.”
“I always thought that was a funny thing to call them. A catnap is supposed to be short, but cats sleep all hours of the day.”
“That’s a very long string of catnaps,” he explained, stretching out on the bed before flopping on his side. “Are you rested?”
“I think so.” Given how sluggish I felt as I pulled on my shirt, it was hard to tell.