by Lauren Quick
“Wonderful. We’ve all arrived,” Elsie said.
Derek carried two pots of tea, one in each hand, and levitated a third pot out in front of him, down the porch steps, and across the lawn.
“Wow,” Vivi said. “Derek’s got this tea party thing down pat.”
Everyone clapped and Derek blushed. Henrietta waved her wand and levitated the teapots for him. “Take a seat, Derek. Time for some fun.”
With a flick of her wand, all the teacups leaped a foot off the table and golden streams of tea poured from the floating pots and into the cups in a marvel of magical coordination. Not to be outdone by her sister, Elsie floated finger sandwiches and scones to everyone’s plates. Next, dollops of clotted cream and lemon wedges went flying, landing on plates and splashing into teacups.
Honora leaned back as a flying cookie skimmed the tip of her nose. “Okay, you two. Let’s eat before you poke someone’s eye out with a flying macaroon.”
“Derek, tell us about the tea we’re enjoying,” Elsie said.
Derek cleared his throat. “We’re having a blood-orange red tea to start, followed by a passion fruit tea with notes of wild strawberry. I brewed them myself.”
Tea sipping commenced followed by satisfied “oohs” and “aahs.” Honora slathered clotted cream on her scone followed by a blob of strawberry jam. Her mouth was barely wide enough to fit the huge bite she shoved in. Jam dotted her chin and she groaned with delight as she chewed. Scarlet followed suit and then they both clinked teacups. For a few minutes barely a word was spoken as everyone devoured the delicious offerings. Music filled the yard, and with a wave of her wand, Elsie summonsed a swarm of butterflies that swooped around the arbor in a cloud of colorful wings.
Clover gulped her tea and reared back as a hummingbird buzzed a little too close to her face. She coughed, choking on her tea. Vivi patted her back, but Clover mumbled the word, “Water.”
Not seeing any on the table, Vivi jumped up. “I’ll be back,” she said and hurried into the house to grab a glass of water.
“Get some iced tea, too!” Henrietta yelled.
Vivi grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and filled it from the tap for Clover. Inside the refrigerator she found a large pitcher of iced tea. She snipped a stalk of mint from the potted plant in the windowsill and tossed it and a wedge of lemon into the pitcher. Right when she was about to head back out, Elsie pushed open the door, her face brightening.
“Vivi, I’ll take those,” she said, grasping the iced tea. “Will you do me a favor and go get your Grandmother Gwendolyn’s teapot for me? I want to show it off and I can’t find it. I thought I brought it down from the attic, but I must have left it in all the fuss. I’d ask Clover to get it, but she’s been so busy and has only now had a chance to slow down.” She batted her eyelashes innocently.
“No problem.” Vivi handed her the glass of water. “Will you take this to Clover for me and I’ll run up and get the teapot?”
Elsie winked at her. “Such a dear.”
Vivi darted up the steps and opened the creaking attic door. A waft of stale dry air hit her in the face, causing her nose to twitch. Stepping into the attic felt like entering a dry sauna. She glanced around in search of the teapot, realizing she should have asked where it was in all the jumble. Though tidy and well-kept, the attic was still packed with trunks and boxes and other Mayhem stuff collected and stored over the years.
Vivi wandered into the stacks and located a half-opened box with the word dishes scrawled on the side, spewing crumpled Witch World Daily newspapers. She opened the top and pulled out a few wrapped cups and saucers. Getting warmer by the second, she dug deeper into the box and felt the large round globe of a teapot beneath a layer of protective paper. Finding the pot relatively quickly, she unwrapped it and tossed the tissue into the box. She’d deal with the mess later, and instead cradled a beautiful eggshell blue teapot covered in white scrollwork in her hands.
When Vivi turned to leave, something flickered from the far side of the room, catching her attention. Sunlight streamed through the small attic window, glimmering off the edge of a giant silver-framed mirror that stood at least six feet tall. Vivi had never seen the mirror before and wondered if the aunties had brought it with them or just unearthed it from the rubble of cardboard boxes. They had probably been rummaging around in the attic. Through correspondence Vivi shared with them, she knew they didn’t sleep much anymore, and she was certain they were up half the night puttering around.
The mirror shimmered—the gilded frame was tarnished but still enchanting. Vivi glanced over her reflection. Her shift dress was shorter than she was used to wearing and her new strappy sandals were way more comfortable then high heels. Her make-up was minimal and her dark brown hair braided in a fishtail design. The mirror had an antiquated mottled surface with bits of silver flecked through the glass. Was it another mysterious family heirloom? She smiled. The aunties were always up to something.
Her hand glided over the gilded frame. The surface was warm, humming with magic, energy vibrating up her arm. She shifted, suddenly both afraid and intrigued, pulling away from the magical device. The glass wavered like the surface of a pond after a rock had been tossed into the center. Ripples flowed to the edges. A form gradually took shape and appeared in the mirror’s glassy surface. Vivi’s heart began to race so fast, she felt it might rise up her throat and fly right out of her mouth. She stumbled backwards, but her gaze was trained on the wizard who stood before her as if by magic.
Devlin Strange.
His face was pale, his cheeks hollow. Dark purplish bags hung under his eyes that were trained on her in an expression torn between anger and anguish. His gaze felt like an arrow piercing her chest. The aunties had done it, lured him to their house, their family sanctuary.
“I told you to stop looking for me,” his voice was muffled as if he were speaking through a cotton shroud.
“You came to me! This is our house.” Vivi’s voice came out in a rough croak.
She shifted the teapot in her sweaty hands and it slipped, crashing to the floor in a shatter of jagged bits. She jumped back with a yelp. The wizard used the distraction and held up the portal coin, pinched between his finger and thumb, muttered a phrase, and the blue stone glowed to life and spun in the center of the metal. The mirror rattled in its frame. Warm air blew across Vivi’s skin in a gust of invisible wind. She stumbled backward and gasped as the wizard stepped out of the mirror and into the attic.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said, reaching out to her. “I haven’t come to hurt you.”
Vivi pulled away from him, bumping into a stack of boxes. “Why are you here? What do you want from us?”
“I was summoned here.” He scanned his surroundings.
“Not by me,” Vivi said, but she knew better.
He nodded toward the mirror. “Someone used that.” He shook his head. “Henrietta!” he said it like a curse. “I should have known. That witch is like a dog with a bone.”
Vivi was only half listening to him, her attention drawn to the artifact in his hand. “The council is after the portal coin.”
Holding out his palm, he flipped the coin over for her to see. “I know. I shouldn’t have come, but I had to. Staying away has torn me apart,” he said. His brow was creased. Sweat and dirt marred his creased face. He’d been on the run and his weariness showed in his slumped posture.
Confusion and shock fought for Vivi’s attention. “But why? What do you want from me?” A burning sense of knowing welled up in her throat. Somehow apprehending Devlin Strange and getting the portal coin seemed impossible, even with him standing right in front of her. “You have to turn in the coin to the council before it’s too late.”
“Because the council did such a good job protecting it in the first place.” He snorted. “It’s already too late. I made mistake
s that I can’t undo. But I had to come. I knew the risks,” he rambled, his eyes focused on the far wall as if replaying a memory in his mind.
“Start explaining,” she snapped, focusing his attention.
“I have so many things to tell you and your sisters. I don’t know where to begin.”
“Why? Why do you care about us? You don’t even know us.” Vivi’s hands trembled. The jacket. It all went back to the family heirloom. Then she remembered what he said only seconds ago about her auntie. “Wait. How do you know Henrietta?”
His forehead creased. Her words seemed to cause him pain. “Not knowing you and your sisters is the tragedy of my life.”
“What are you talking about?” Anger sparked in her. She suspected he wasn’t who he pretended to be. “You aren’t really Devlin Strange. Are you?”
“Devlin Strange is an alias I’ve been hiding under. I’m Charles Atticus. I’m your father.”
The words hit her like the snap of a sheet. A flash of heat rose up inside her and over her skin. Her thoughts and feelings collided in a churning of emotion. “You’re what?” Her voice choked. Her throat burned. Her hands flew to her hips to brace herself. She glared at the mysterious wizard. “You’re a dream, a thief, a dark wizard working with a dark witch, but you are not my father.” She shook her head, but knew deep down that he was.
He stepped tentatively toward her as if approaching a wild animal about to flee. “Please, Vivian. Let me explain everything to you. Your great-aunt drew me here, but she was right to do so. I’ve been hiding, running for a long time. But it’s time for me to stop. I had to come to see you and your sisters to tell you the truth.” He held his palms up in surrender.
Vivi wasn’t buying it. “You could have told me the truth in the caves or years ago for that matter.” She shook her head, her heart hardening. “The truth is you stole the portal coin. You double-crossed your partner in crime, Kat Keene. You’re running from the council, and the Darklander, and you thought this would be a good time to introduce yourself to your daughters.” Her mind raced. Events were starting to click into place—the Darklander’s mission for her, the aunties suddenly coming for a visit, the dream visions, and her nagging feelings that she knew this wizard. Her lip quivered.
“No. That’s not the whole story. My timing is terrible, but unavoidable. All I ask is a moment to hear me out. I haven’t seen or spoken to your aunties in decades, but they are wise witches. They read the way the wind had turned. I read the article in the paper, and I knew that the family would be here today. So when the mirror summoned me, I came. It was my last chance to see you before I went deeper into hiding.”
The attic heat was stifling. Sweat dripped down Vivi’s back. She’d had enough. “More hiding! Hasn’t hiding gotten you into enough trouble?” she snapped. Vivi swayed on her feet. A loud banging sound and cheers erupted from outside. She hurried to the window and heaved it open, leaning out, letting the cool spring air wash over her sweat-dampened face.
Clover waved to her from the ground. “Vivi! Come on down.”
They were playing witch’s croquet and floating balls were whizzing around the backyard. “One second!” she yelled and waved to the others.
Vivi faced Devlin Strange/Charles Atticus. “I don’t know what to believe. I don’t trust a word out of your mouth. Answer me one thing. Are you working with the Darklander?”
His brow creased. “It’s complicated,” he hedged.
“You are. You are a dark wizard. That’s why the Darklander chose me. He knew that you would contact us or that I would find you. He’s looking for the coin. Is all of Everland, good and bad, hunting you?” Vivi realized something else. “Mom’s hunting you, too.” Her stomach churned. It seemed like everyone knew that he was her father and didn’t tell her.
“Please let me explain. It’s not what you think. I’m not here to hurt anyone or steal anything. I have the coin, but I had to take it. I’m not a bad wizard. Everything I did was for the greater good of Everland. Please remember that about me. You girls mean everything to me.”
But it had been so long since she’d seen him with no word. His words rang hollow. Noise rose from outside. Another ball crashed into the side of the house, causing the rafters to shake. “Vivi! Hurry up!” a voice yelled. Something was going on outside and she didn’t like the sound of the commotion.
Vivi didn’t know what to believe. It was all too much. She broke their stare and ran for the door. “You should go back to where you came from.” And then she raced down the stairs.
“Vivi! Wait!” The sound of his voice trailed behind her as she went to find her sisters.
18
Panic rose in Vivi like a wave about to overwhelm and drown her. Her feet wouldn’t move fast enough as she raced down the stairs, through the house, and barged out the back door, searching the yard for her sisters. But she was too late—something had already happened. The party guests stood around the lawn, clutching mallets, the game of witch’s croquet abruptly ending. A few brightly colored balls hung in the air, suspended but losing altitude. Others lay limp and discarded on the grass.
A glowing magical net had been cast over Clover’s yard and the house. It appeared to be some kind of containment field, a magical lockdown. Law enforcement had crashed their tea party. And no one was going anywhere anytime soon.
Taking charge, Derek corralled the guests to the side of the yard away from the commotion. Priscilla and Bear huddled together whispering behind their hands. Austin and Tabitha dragged chairs from the table and sat under the canopy of a red maple tree, giving them a view of the yard and the current show.
Vivi’s heart rose in her throat. Had Jack Rabbit suddenly shown up? She’d known he would and she’d done nothing to stop him. She searched the crowd—her aunties were talking animatedly to a wizard in uniform whose back was to her. With Scarlet by her side, Honora was in a heated argument with a witch wearing a red dress—Kat Keene.
The Red Queen had shown up to the tea party. What was that witch doing here? A sense of foreboding washed over her. Vivi’s thoughts buzzed around in her brain, words zinged off her tongue as Clover ran up to her, intercepting her before she could reach the rest of the group.
“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Clover said, grabbing her sister’s hand and focusing her attention.
“You won’t believe what’s just happened.” Vivi wiped sweat from her brow and took a gasp of fresh air. “I’ve seen him. Upstairs in the attic.”
Elsie’s stare pierced Vivi from across the lawn. “He’s here,” Elsie said, breaking away from the pack, her voice carrying across the yard. “Henrietta, he’s here!”
“Is he in the house?” Henrietta asked.
The aunties converged on Vivi and she pointed to the attic as if on command.
“The article in the paper and the mirror worked,” Elsie said.
“Who?” Clover asked. “Who’s in the attic?” Her eyes were wide as saucers. “I can’t handle another surprise today.”
Honora strode toward the group. “Is it the Darklander’s minion, Jack Rabbit?”
“No, not him.” Vivi stared hard at the aunties. “You two planned this all along.” Vivi swallowed and faced her sisters. “Devlin Strange is really Charles Atticus and he’s upstairs in the attic.”
“What?!” Honora’s expression shifted, tightened. “Our absentee dad is the one you’ve been looking for all this time?”
“He’s in the house right now?” Clover asked. Her face went pale. “I should have known he was involved the minute I discovered the jacket was his. It’s like the aunties knew this was coming.”
Vivi shifted. “We knew when Devlin came up as a blank page that he was probably using an alias. Don’t feel bad. I saw him face to face in the Canary Caves and didn’t know it was him,” Vivi said, her mout
h going dry as she watched Kat Keene over Clover’s shoulder.
Kat engaged the officer in rapid conversation, squeezing his arm. The officer’s broad back and muscular arms were familiar to Vivi. She could almost smell his fresh pine soap. Just then the wizard in uniform broke free of Kat’s grasp and turned around. It was Lance Gardener, the sheriff. Her Lance. Fatigue and annoyance marred his handsome face. He caught her gaze and nodded. “Why are the police here?” she asked. Her reaction was delayed from having to cope with her father’s sudden arrival in her life.
Vivi strode toward Lance and tried to take his hand, but he pulled out of her reach, making it clear he was there in a professional capacity. “I don’t understand. What’s going on? What are you doing here?” she asked. “I thought you were at the conference and couldn’t be disturbed.”
Lance’s shoulder’s slumped. He lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Vivi. I should have sent a message that I was coming over, but it all happened so fast. I was still at the conference this morning when Councilwoman Keene showed up unannounced to speak with me,” he said in a sharp tone.
Kat picked a clump of muddy grass off the sharp spike of her high heel. “It couldn’t be avoided. Evidence in an important case suddenly came to light and your services were needed,” she said, countering Lance’s annoyance with her.
Lance’s shifted his stance. “The council takes precedence, so I was pulled out of the conference to be here today, to handle the situation.” His brow creased. The news wasn’t good.
Kat wore a rueful grin on her face. Her slender arms crossed in defiance over her expensive red suit. “He came under my order. My authority,” she emphasized, showing off a row of bleached white teeth. “We’re here on serious council business.”
“What business? What’s going on?” Vivi tuned out the arrogant witch and held Lance’s gaze.