by Lauren Quick
“Never heard of him.” Dash crossed his massive arms over his chest.
Jenny squared her shoulders and took a step forward. “Try again, sender. Now, are you going to help us or am I going to have to call my contacts with the council and have your permits pulled? I’m guessing I can find a few out of date.”
“Whoa. No need to get testy.” His gaze shifted nervously behind the counter to a stack of parchments.
“You be nice to me and answer a few questions and I’ll be nice to you,” Jenny said. Tiny but tough was her motto.
He held up his hands in surrender and chuckled. “Tough witches. I like it.” He smiled showing off a row of silver teeth. “Yeah. I did some ink on a wizard named Rabbit. I do ink on a lot of wizards. Can’t tell you much about him.”
“Do you have an address or know where he hangs out?” Vivi asked.
“Nope.”
“You must know something,” Jenny said. “Who’s he getting messages from?”
“Sorry, can’t help you.”
“What if I wanted to send him a message? How does that work?” Vivi asked.
“I have an exclusive clientele and you aren’t on the list.” His brow creased. “Look, I didn’t choose my persuasion. It chose me. I’d rather do ink all day, but I’m a sender, and the deal with sending is no one knows who sends the message but the receiver and me. Got it?”
Vivi could relate, but she didn’t have time for persuasion-induced sympathy. She needed answers. “Come on. You know Rabbit. You know who he’s working for and it’s not just the Darklander,” Vivi stressed. “He’s getting orders from someone else. Who’s sending him messages?” There was no way the Darklander would waste her time or his if he knew where Devlin Strange was going to be in two days.
“Why would I tell you? Because you came in my shop and asked so nicely?” His biceps bulged, the ink sliding around, a snake coiling and uncoiling. Rising up off his skin and hissing. Vivi and Jenny reared back as Dash’s cool demeanor darkened.
“Is it the Red Queen?” Vivi asked, shooting into the dark. But his eyes widened, and she knew she’d hit on something.
“We’re done here. Don’t come back to this shop if you know what’s good for you.” The snake hissed again, sending the two witches for the door.
“What was that last question about?” Jenny asked as the two stepped out onto the street, an intense look in her eyes.
“You mean the question about the Red Queen? I was desperate. We were getting nowhere with him, and I was warned about a Red Queen in one of my dreams. I took a chance that he might know who she is.” Vivi shifted her purse strap higher onto her shoulder. “And from his reaction, I’d say he does.”
“He’s not the only one.” Jenny unlocked her bike.
“You know who the Red Queen is?” Vivi grabbed her helmet, excitement flooding through her.
“Actually, yes, I do.”
“Who?” Vivi’s pulse raced.
Jenny checked her watch and motioned to the bike. “Hop on and I’ll take you to her. If we hurry we just might catch her before she finishes up for the day.”
It didn’t take long to reach their destination. Vivi was a little surprised when Jenny parked the bike in front of the council building and they headed inside. There was a public meeting already in progress, but that didn’t stop Jenny from nodding to the security wizard who opened the door for them. They quietly slipped onto a bench in the back of the room and listened to the proceedings.
“Honora said she didn’t know her,” Vivi whispered.
“You know how Honora hates politics. She avoids council meetings like the plague and rarely reads about it in Witch World Daily. But I, on the other hand, keep up with them.”
“Which one is she?” Vivi scanned the crowd.
“That’s her on the right, wearing the red dress. She always wears red and thinks very highly of herself. That’s how she got the nickname the Red Queen,” Jenny whispered as the head of the council droned on about a new recycling program for old magical artifacts.
“I can’t tell if she’s the witch from my dream. I never saw her face clearly, only that she was wearing a red suit.” Vivi craned her neck to get a better view.
The witch looked regal in a fitted red dress. Her hair was shoulder length, cut in a short bob with bangs that showed off enchanting almond-shaped eyes. Her neck was long like a swan’s and she held her chin high, showing off a sculpted jawline, high cheekbones, and pert nose. She was a natural beauty.
“Her name is Kat Keene and she’s fourth in line for the head of the council.”
“What?!” Vivi said a little too loudly and garnered a few sharp stares. She lowered her voice. “How did she rise so high in the ranks and I haven’t heard about her?” Vivi didn’t follow the council business that closely, but she wasn’t totally clueless and she’d never read about Keene in the papers or heard her name.
“That’s the interesting bit. She’s relatively new to the council scene. She’s from a small town and moved to the city about six months ago. No one knows that much about her and she’s using that mystery element to charm her way up the ladder.”
“Is she qualified?”
“Yep. She’s got an advanced degree from Haven Academy’s School of Advanced Magic in political science and worked as a lawyer in her hometown. Plus, she has a long list of charities she works with. She also came with a ton of recommendations, one from the council leader himself. He supposedly knows her parents and knew her from a young age.”
“I see. She might be qualified, but it doesn’t hurt to know a few powerful wizards to grease the wheels of upward mobility,” Vivi said.
“Exactly. Why inch up the ladder of success working for years within the council framework when you can shoot to the top with a few well-placed phone calls?” Jenny smirked.
The room contained about a dozen witches and wizards. A few youthful witches scribbled notes onto parchment pads. Probably newbies with Witch World Daily, Vivi guessed. Other witches and wizards listened to the speaker and a few dozed. “This is a snorefest. No wonder Honora avoids it.”
“This is just the weekly brief. Not very exciting, I’ll admit. I usually only come when they have an announcement or are debating a controversial topic.”
The head of the council banged his gavel and the session wrapped up. Vivi leaned back in her seat and watched Kat gather her parchments and pass them to a young assistant.
“So the Red Queen is a councilwoman on the rise. Why would anyone need to worry about her? She doesn’t seem like a dangerous witch, in fact just the opposite.”
Jenny shrugged. “Who knows? It was your premonition.”
“What’s her reputation in Stargazer City?”
Jenny shifted in her seat. “Ambitious, smart, and a real do-gooder. She speaks her mind but not in an abrasive way. Gets along with everyone from what I’ve heard.”
“From what you’ve told me, she seems to have a good position with a good reputation. Besides, why jeopardize all that by being involved in something dark or dangerous?” Vivi shook her head, questioning her premonition. “I’ll have to keep digging. Maybe I’ll turn up something.”
“Good luck.”
In all the excitement, she’d forgotten about the coin. She’d had a good day, but still had more work to do. Standing, Vivi checked her watch. “I need to get home. Thanks for your help today.”
“No problem. I’ll see what I can find out about the coin and let Honora know. She can pass on the information.”
“Thanks. You’ve been a big help today. You solved my Red Queen mystery. Now I just need to figure out what’s so dangerous about her.”
Vivi rode the Silver Train back to Willow Realm. She’d had a productive trip, but was still wondering what it all meant. She checked the shop
, which was already closed for the night, and then headed upstairs to bed. She and Pepper had a big day planned tomorrow for a trip deep inside the Canary Caves.
9
Vivi stared into the depths of her closet, contemplating what she should wear to explore a dark, damp, bat-infested cave. Open-toed shoes were not an option. Neither was anything pretty, lacy, or delicate. She dug deep, finding a pair of old cargo pants, her least favorite T-shirt, a ratty button-down shirt she wore when cleaning the shop, and a pair of tall rubber rain boots with pink polka dots. Looking fashionable was not in the plan, but wearing clothes she didn’t mind getting bat poop on was. After getting dressed, Vivi braided her hair and pulled on a baseball cap.
Abby and Pepper were already in the shop when Vivi hurried down the steps from her apartment with a change of clean clothes for later. Pepper was dressed entirely in a protective white suit, wide-brimmed hat with goggles resting on the brim, and knee-high black rubber boots. The belt around her waist had numerous wands and potion vials attached to it.
“I feel a little underdressed,” Vivi said bounding up to Pepper.
Pepper scanned her up and down. “Cute boots. Don’t mind me. I had a spider nest incident the last time I went into the caves and ever since, I go a little overboard. You look great.”
“Spider nest incident!” Vivi held up her hand. “Don’t say another word. I don’t want to know.” She shuddered. Bats were bad enough, but spider nests were a bridge too far. She could only imagine an explosion of creepy spiders crawling all over her skin.
“Don’t worry. I memorized a bunch of extermination spells. We’re good,” Pepper said, sliding some sandwiches into a backpack.
Abby glanced up from the project she was working on. “The caves are a lot of fun. You’ll get to explore all the tunnels and chambers. Plus, the bat persuasionists give guided tours.” With a cool shag haircut, Abby had the lanky figure that made black jeans and an oversized shirt look hip. Rows of freshly filled potion bottles were lined up in front of her. She warmed a stump of sealing wax over a candle.
“Thanks for watching the shop today,” Vivi said.
“Not a problem. I could use the gold and I always like to come in and see what new potions you and Pepper have conjured up.” Abby dripped hot wax over the cork stoppers, sealing the bottles.
Pepper lifted the backpack strap over her shoulder. “We better get going. I borrowed my Dad’s hovercraft to drive us to the caves and I need to get it back to him late this afternoon.”
“Sounds good.” Vivi grabbed another supply sack Pepper had already packed and slid a bottle of water and her change of clothes inside. “Let the exploration begin.”
The Canary Caves were old mining caves located an hour’s drive north of Willow Realm. They arrived as the midmorning sun was arching into the sky. They parked, unloaded their packs, and approached the cave. A thick wooden pole with signs tacked to it announced the cave and additional trails in the area. A few other witches were hanging out waiting for the guide to show up for the daily tour. They were dressed similarly to Pepper, and Vivi had a feeling she was going to get her clothes dirty.
“It’s a small tour today,” Pepper said. “I picked a day with lower attendance so we didn’t have to share the caves with a large class tour.”
“Sounds good to me. Do you know what ingredients we need to collect for your potion?” Vivi asked.
Pepper pulled a piece of parchment from the pocket of her suit and unfolded a list of ingredients for the Ghost Potion she was developing. She scanned the items. “I’ve picked up most of the ingredients, but I still need to get dried bat wings and some bat leftovers.”
“What kind of bat leftovers?” Vivi’s nose wrinkled. “I thought you needed clippings.”
“Oh, you know. Sure, I need some clippings, but I also need some leftovers from their food.” Pepper smiled ruefully.
“You mean poop. You need dried bat poop!” Vivi said a little too loudly, attracting the attention of the other witches waiting. “What kind of spell uses bat guano?”
“A spell that hopefully enables me to speak with the dead. That kind.” Pepper shifted her pack to the other shoulder. “It’s a very specialized potion. Can I help it if the ingredients are a little eclectic?”
“No, but who in their right mind is going to drink a potion with poop as one of the ingredients? Not one of our customers. Their tastes are not that lowly.” Vivi cracked a smile, stifling a giggle.
“Laugh and kid all you want, but this Ghost Potion is going to get me on the podium at the annual contest. Plus, it’s not like the potion isn’t sanitized. The droppings have to be burned down to ash and then boiled with the other ingredients while the potion is brewing.”
“That’s a relief. At least it’s not raw poop.” Vivi threw her head back and cackled.
A chime sounded, drawing their attention. “Gather round, gather round.” A portly wizard wearing khaki shorts and shirt, waders, and a wide-brimmed hat waved them over to the mouth of the cave. He went down his list, taking names. “It looks like we’re all here and can get started. My name is Tim Tavish and I’ll be guiding the tour today. We’ll be exploring the ancient Canary Caves, then visiting the bat sanctuary, and lastly stopping by the gift shop.” His gaze scanned their attire. “Good. Everyone is wearing sturdy shoes and head gear.” He nodded his head and then reviewed some additional safety measures, rules, and the rest of the day’s activities.
Next, they lined up outside the mouth of the cave, Vivi bringing up the rear. “Are you sure you don’t want to go in front of me?” Pepper asked as they slowly descended a few steps carved into the hard-packed ground and entered.
“No. You need to be closer so you can hear what Tim is saying. I’ll be fine.” Vivi glanced over her shoulder as they entered the sharp narrow mouth of the cave.
Cold damp air enveloped her almost immediately, giving her a shiver. Daylight drifted away with each step until darkness surrounded them. The rocky tunnel was tight, cramped with room for a single-file line. Vivi paused, a feeling of claustrophobia washing over her. She braced herself. The walls of the cave were cold and rough to the touch, and Vivi had to watch her feet to keep from stumbling on loose or jutting rocks. Only a few sparse illuma lights were scattered throughout the caves to guide witches and wizards in case of an emergency. The bat persuasionists wanted to disturb the bats as little as possible and study them in their natural habitat, which to Vivi felt a little like walking into a haunted house. She wasn’t convinced something wasn’t going to jump out at her at any second.
Reaching a chamber in the cave system, the group stopped for Tim to give a talk about the caves and the bats, before finally reaching the roost. They were allowed to view the roost only briefly. Bats sleep during the day, huddled together, hanging from crevices in the cave ceiling in a roost and shouldn’t be disturbed. Therefore, Tim only allowed them to individually view the bats for a few minutes at a time.
Waiting for her turn, Pepper handed Vivi a water bottle. “Ready to see the furry little bats?”
“Sure. Can’t wait,” Vivi said taking a swig of water. Cool cave air blew against her sweaty neck.
Tim took each witch, one at a time, from the chamber down a narrow tunnel to the roost opening, which was another cavern. When it was Vivi’s turn, he motioned her forward to the edge of the roost and pointed to the ceiling of the cave that was covered in a blanket of furry hanging bodies. Vivi marveled at the tiny creatures. She stood in awe for a few moments, watching the shifting bats. They weren’t so bad. They looked much cuter while sound asleep, wings tucked up tightly. A soft ruffling sound filled the cool damp cave, causing goose bumps to rise on her arms. Amazing.
Once they’d all seen the bats, Tim addressed the group. “Next, you can use your maps for self-guided cave exploration and then I’ll meet you at the bat sanctuary in a half ho
ur, followed by a picnic lunch.” With a salute, Tim headed back to the opening of the caves. The other witches on the tour had their heads buried in their maps and trekked onward through the cave system.
“We’ve got some time to explore,” Pepper said.
“Are you able to get the materials you need?”
“I spoke to Tim when he took me to see the bats and he said he’d hook me up back at the sanctuary. In fact, I think I’ll head back sooner than later, if you don’t mind. The caves are cool, but getting my potion ingredients comes first.”
“Not a problem. I might explore the caves for a few minutes. I doubt I’ll get back out here anytime soon and I want to absorb as much as possible.”
Pepper slipped her pack on her back. “Sounds good. How about we meet at the sanctuary when you’re done exploring?”
Vivi nodded and Pepper ducked back down the tunnel. The soft sounds of the darkness surrounded her. Water trickled from somewhere in the distance. She pulled out her wand and illuminated the tip so she could see the map more clearly. A network of tunnels spider-webbed all around her. There was a natural spring that cut beneath the cave system that would be interesting to see. She traced her finger along the tunnel system and got her bearings before heading out.
The sound of flowing water grew louder and louder. Vivi reached a high-arching chamber that opened up into a large cave with a gurgling spring in the middle of the rocky floor. Stalactites hung dangerously overhead, but the air was cool and inviting, the spring crystal clear. She sat on a rock near the edge of the pool and pulled off her boots and socks. She dipped her feet into the cool water and relaxed. She remembered the nymphs playing in the spring and lounging in the sunshine and thought they had a good plan for life. She’d been working so hard over the past year to get her shop up and running, she’d hardly had time to think, and even less time to take a break. Her ambition had always driven her to succeed and build her business, and when she thought of the events of the past few days, the coin came to mind. Was the impending danger all for money? She twisted her lips in annoyance. There had to be more to it.