With a grin, Salem nodded back. The two joined hands and their lips moved soundlessly as they called upon their magic. A portal opened, and inside was Maria’s house.
Time to go home.
Lois stepped forward with a smile. “It was a pleasure serving with you all, as always, but I must get back home. If you need me, all you have to do is call.”
Gramps nodded. “Thank you, Lois—for everything.”
With that, the witch opened her own portal and disappeared to a place where the sun shone brightly.
“Could you possibly open one for me, too?” Gelbus asked when Lois’s portal closed. He stepped forward, now no longer lost in the shadows of the others.
“In due time,” Gramps said. “For now, we would like you to come with us.”
The Gnome’s eyes lit up. “To Earth?”
“If you don’t mind.”
Gelbus shook his head. “For Maria Apple, I would do anything. I owe her more than my life.”
Maria smiled. “No, Gelbus, you owe me nothing.”
“Without you, I’d be gone.”
“I was just doing what any good person would’ve done,” she answered.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, can we quit all this sappy crap and go home? I really could use a good rooting through the garbage.
Maria wiggled her eyebrows and laughed. “Oh, Sherlock, you’d be lost without your new Gnome friend. I saw you two kicking ass back there. Never thought Sherlock would be one to get chummy with you, Gelbus.”
“Oh, I quite like Sherlock,” Gelbus answered.
Blah, enough sappiness. Let’s go!
Maria nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”
They left Oriceran, but they all knew they’d be back. Next time, for a war, and sooner than they planned.
Chapter Thirteen
The Ohio air was sweet. Maria came out on the other side of the portal without any issue. Same with her two best friends, who had started to seem like they were getting the hang of the whole portal-ing thing.
Maria’s head swam as the colors of her hometown popped all around her. Everything was brighter than usual, even the asphalt of the road.
“Well,” Ignatius said, “one task is done, but there is much to discuss.”
“Yeah, the biggest task of all is coming up,” Maria replied. But that was okay. She was stronger now, more experienced. Though the world in between was as much a mystery to her as Rogue Dragons and Gnomes were, she knew there was no other choice. The best teacher, she had heard time and time again, was experience. “I think—”
“Maria?” A voice cut her off.
Sherlock sniffed the air.
It’s lover boy, how sweet. In Maria’s mind, Sherlock made kissing noises.
“Joe?” Maria found herself saying aloud. Oh, no, what is he doing here?
Behind her, Claire and Tabby gave her a nudge. “Don’t keep him waiting,” Tabby said.
Maria looked back at her friends. She could feel the color draining from her face. “How do I look?”
“Like you just saved a town and kicked a dragon’s ass,” Claire answered. “Now go before he sees the rest of us…”
Joe had come around the side of the garage, where the portal had opened up. He stared at them all with wide eyes. “Where did you guys come from?” he asked.
Gramps and Frieda stepped forward with uneasy smiles on their faces, trying to shield Gelbus from Joe’s eyes. They were not quick enough.
“Oh, we were just on a hike,” Maria said.
“Where? Back there?” Joe asked.
Maria nodded.
The woods behind the Apples’ house were sparse. A hike through them would’ve taken all of about fifteen minutes.
“I’ve been calling you. I got worried when it said the line was disconnected.”
At least that Willen didn’t answer him, Maria said, thinking back to when she had offered most of her belongings to the creature for his knowledge on how to get out of the sewer system below Ashbourne. She felt in her pockets. The Aztec change purse was still there.
“I’m sorry,” Maria said. “I didn’t think we were gone for so long.”
The sky was dark with the oncoming night. What day it was there on Earth, Maria had no idea.
“I figured I’d stop by and wait for you before I launched a full-fledged investigation.” Joe said this jokingly enough, but Maria knew he wasn’t joking at all.
An awkward silence fell over them—one so common with those head-over-heels for one another. Maria interrupted this silence.
“Oh, geez, where are my manners? Let me introduce the whole gang to you.”
Joe did his patented scratch on the back of the neck.
“That older, jovial looking gentleman is my grandfather Ignatius.” Gramps stepped forward and offered Joe his hand. Maria’s stomach dropped as she pictured Gramps giving Joe one of his weird handshakes, usually consisting of undulating and dropping to one knee.
“Pleasure to meet you, young man,” Gramps said. They shook hands like normal, everyday Americans…thank the two moons.
“Of course you know Tabby and Claire,” Maria continued. The two girls offered shy smiles and waved. “And Sherlock.” Sherlock barked.
“Hi, boy. Wow, he’s a good-looking Bloodhound,” Joe said, grinning.
Yeah, yeah; keep it in your pants, lover boy.
Maria chuckled nervously.
“These are Gramps’s friends Salem and Agnes. They own Salem’s Ice Cream down on Main,” Maria said.
Agnes bowed to Joe while Salem offered him a fist bump, which Joe hesitantly took him up on.
“Nice to meet you, bro,” Salem said.
Oh, God, Maria thought.
“And that’s Frieda, Gramps’s friend,” Maria said. “Now, let’s get out of here. Go to the front porch. Side yard is not that nice.” She tried to spur Joe forward without much luck.
“Wait, who’s that behind you two?” Joe asked. “Sorry, I gotta ask. I’m gonna be a police officer one day…well, if my mom ever gives up on the whole overprotection thing.”
“Uh, who? That’s…uh, nobody,” Maria said.
Joe pointed. “I see their legs right there.”
Frieda plastered on her best fake smile as she moved closer to Gramps.
“Nope, no one there.”
Then, Gelbus’s nasally voice cut through the budding awkward silence. “Jig is up, Maria,” he said, and he stepped out from behind his hiding place.
Maria chuckled nervously. This was the worst. She liked Joe too much; she didn’t want to mess anything up. It was bad enough that Maria was magic and couldn’t tell him. Since becoming a witch or at least unlocking her powers, she had often daydreamed about a life with Joe where she never told him. It was a daydream that continuously got dimmer and dimmer.
When Gelbus presented himself in full view, Joe’s jaw dropped. It was, after all, not every day that one saw a Gnome.
“Hello,” the Gnome said, “I’m—”
“That’s Frank,” Maria interrupted. “He’s a cousin from Canada.”
The eyes of the other wanderers pinged back and forth from Maria to Joe.
Surprisingly—well, really unsurprisingly, because Joe was such a polite man—he bent down at the knee and stuck his hand out to shake Gelbus’s.
“Hello, Frank, pleased to meet you. I’m Joe. I’ve never been to Canada, but I hear it’s nice.”
Confused, all Gelbus could do was smile and nod. “Yes, it’s quite lovely.”
Maria bowed her head. Dammit. He doesn’t deserve this. If I’m ever going to make it work between us, I have to tell him the truth. Rules be damned. After all, they’re meant to be broken, aren’t they?
“Joe,” she said, stepping forward, “I haven’t been completely honest.”
Now Joe got up and looked at Maria with an arched eyebrow. The tension in the air was thick. The other wanderers shifted uncomfortably on their heels.
“I’m a witch, and Frank isn’t Frank—he’s Gelb
us and he’s a Gnome from another planet called Oriceran, where I was born.”
Joe’s face went blank.
“Joe?” Maria asked.
“I—uh, that’s not funny, Maria.”
Maria looked to her grandfather, who could only shrug.
“I’m not joking.” She drew on the magic emanating from the Kemana not too far away, allowing it to run through her. A blue glow lit up the side of the garage.
Joe’s jaw dropped open.
“What the hell?” he said, his voice distant. Then, as if some invisible force had just clobbered him over the head, Joe rocked and swayed, his knees quivering, and fell backward into Gramps’s arms.
Gramps smiled. “He took it better than most.” He looked to Salem. “Care to help, old friend?”
Salem nodded, and they lifted Joe up.
“Come, come, we have much to discuss,” Gramps said.
Maria couldn’t say anything. She was just as shocked as Joe was—well, maybe not quite that much.
“And what better place to discuss it than over some buckeye ice cream?” Gramps continued. He tilted his head back and looked up to the darkening sky. Like a wolf he barked at the moon, but instead of a howl, he yelled, “WUEEEEEE!”
After Salem and Gramps loaded Joe into the backseat of his Honda Civic, Maria caught her grandpa by himself.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Oh, for what, dear?”
“For showing Joe that I’m magic. I know we’re not allowed to expose our magic to normal people.”
Gramps waved his hand. “Ah, a silly rule, if you ask me. Sure, most will not accept the fact that magical beings live among them in secret, but whose fault is that? I, for one, am a firm believer in the fact that everyone has a little magic ingrained into their DNA, though they may not show it. Look around.” He swept his hand out over the neighborhood. A squirrel climbed a nearby telephone pole and Sherlock was under it, barking his head off, waiting for the squirrel to fall. It seemed like the squirrel was teasing the poor Bloodhound. “This thing we call life is magical. The trees are magical, the roads, the cars, the sky and the stars. If one can wake up each morning without any clue as to why they are here and accept that fact, then they can surely accept witches, wizards, trolls, other worlds, and so on, don’t you think?”
Maria didn’t answer.
“There is always the option of wiping his memory, but I think it's best we don't. For your future's sake.”
Maria smiled.
“I know that may be confusing, but a wizard doesn’t always have to make sense!” Gramps returned the grin.
Nodding, Maria thought, That’s one thing I’ve definitely learned in my nineteen years. Gramps rarely makes sense. I think that’s how the world should be, though.
“Now, it may take Joe a good while to come around to the idea of all this, but I think he will. If he truly cares for you as you do for him, he will. Mark my words, sweetheart.”
“Did I do the right thing?” Maria asked.
“That is not up to me to decide, Maria. It is up to you.” Gramps tapped his chest right above his heart. “What does your heart say? You must listen to it when you ask such questions.”
Maria listened. “It says…I did the right thing.”
Gramps smiled. “Then all is right with the world.”
Before leaving for Salem’s Ice Cream, Gramps and Maria went into the house. Maria changed her clothes, glad to be out of the foul-smelling, singed garments and in something clean and comfortable. Sherlock ate a bowl of dog food; only half a portion because he said it was time for him to get back in shape. Speedos and beaches and all that…
When they all gathered in the driveway, Gramps had a small chest under his arms. Maria was wondering what could be inside when the garage door rolled up, and she saw the Firebird; its headlights looking at Maria, saying, ‘Drive me, drive me, please!’
Gramps threw her the keys.
Maria caught them with her mouth hanging open.
“We’ll meet you at the store,” he said. “There, we’ll discuss our next moves.”
I hope they’re dance moves. I need to burn off some of these calories, Sherlock said. You know what, for my next birthday, Maria, I wouldn’t mind getting a Fitbit so I can track all that stuff. Tell Gelbus to get on my back. I’ll carry him to the ice cream shop. I need the extra workout. Ooh, I’m gonna be such a ladies’ man. Can’t wait!
Maria looked down at the keys, ignoring Sherlock.
Gramps opened the driver’s side door of Joe’s Civic and got in. Through the windshield, he smiled at her.
He was actually letting her take the Firebird out on her own. As the Civic backed out with Frieda in the front seat, Salem and Agnes in the back, and Joe lying over their laps, Maria still couldn’t believe it. She watched for a long moment as the Civic’s taillights turned the corner at the end of the street.
“Pedal to the metal!” Claire said, slapping Maria on the back.
Maria had moved the music box into a different bag, which swung forward off of her shoulder only to come back and practically sucker-punch her in the stomach.
“You got the wheels, we got the looks. Let’s blow this pop-stand,” Claire continued. Sherlock barked in agreement.
“Oh, boy,” Tabby said, “that was unbelievably lame. Please never say that again.”
Claire stuck her tongue out at Tabby.
Maria turned around and looked at the gleaming Firebird.
“I’ve never been in an automobile before,” Gelbus said. “I’ve studied their technology back at the library, but never before have I even seen one in the flesh!” The Gnome sounded quite excited.
“Now’s your chance, my little Gnome friend,” Claire said.
They all went into the garage—even Sherlock, who, despite his new workout phase, could never resist a car ride.
Maria got into the driver’s seat while the rest piled in. She turned the ignition, feeling the thrumming engine vibrate the steering wheel beneath her palms.
Just like when she received the music box on that seemingly long-ago nineteenth birthday, and the sword shortly after that, it felt…right.
When they had gotten to Salem’s Ice Cream, the Muffler twins were just leaving. Both of their mouths were sticky with dried chocolate ice cream.
Salem stood by the door, waving. Under his breath he said, “I told them to go easy on the product before we left. Word to the wise, gals: never trust a Muffler.”
“Yeah, ever since I mowed that Arachnid down with my Kia, my own muffler has been making a ton of noise. I don’t think it trusts me…”
Maria and Tabby looked at her blankly.
“What? Nothing? Seriously, that was hilarious. That’s why I was voted second most-funniest girl in the eighth grade. Now I’m first, in case you two forgot.”
Tabby rolled her eyes, “That’s because Regina died last year.”
Claire shrugged. “I don’t make the rules. Still waiting for my official certificate.”
“You, my friend,” Salem began as he turned around and headed toward the back room where the card table was set up, “are cold-hearted.”
Sticking her tongue out, Claire replied with, “Because I eat your ice cream.” Then she chuckled and pointed upward. "I kid, I kid. Rest in peace, Regina."
Salem left and they followed him.
“I see you two have become quite chummy,” Maria said.
“The best of friends,” Claire replied sarcastically.
In the back room, Joe slept on stacked fifty-pound bags of sugar; three bags in length, four in height. Someone had been nice enough to put a blanket over him, for it was chilly in the room. Maria looked at him and shook her head.
Sorry, Joe. I really am. I wish it could’ve been a little more subtle. Though, I guess it wasn’t as bad as seeing a ghostly warrior from the world in between to confirm your magical suspicions.
She pictured Duke then, in his Dominion soldier clothes, and hoped he was all right.<
br />
The rest of the group were gathered around the square table, shoulder to shoulder, except for Sherlock who was currently sniffing around a shelf full of ice cream toppings.
Ohhh, this diet is hard.
“It’s been like thirty minutes,” Maria replied to Sherlock.
He glared at her. How long is that in dog years?
“I don’t think it works that way,” she said as she squeezed in between Tabby and Claire. Gramps and Frieda were across from her, and Salem and Agnes were to their left. Gelbus had a whole side mostly to himself on Frieda’s right. In the middle of the table sat the small chest Gramps had retrieved from home.
Maria couldn’t even begin to fathom what sorts of oddities were contained within, and part of her wasn’t sure she really wanted to know.
“First order of business,” Gramps said, turning to Gelbus, “we must learn more about this music box. Maria, can you please show it to Gelbus?”
Maria took it out of the new bag and placed it on the table, on the side of the chest closet to Gelbus. The Gnome’s lips parted, and his eyes quivered in their sockets.
“Two moons,” he said breathlessly.
“So you know of it?” Gramps asked. “Or can you not say? I had chosen to forget the old rule of the Gnomes.” He turned to the others. “It is ingrained in their DNA that they cannot spill the secrets of their vault. Many have tried to get them to do so—our Dragon Tongue friends included.”
Gelbus shook his head. “This is not a secret of the Gnomes, but I do know of it, as I have studied the history of the Dark Forest.”
“Can you tell us more?” Gramps asked.
Maria was on the edge of her seat. Nearly everyone at the table stared at the Gnome with intensity, waiting for his answer.
Gelbus sighed. With a shaky hand, he reached out and picked up the music box. He looked as if he were afraid it would bite him. Slowly, he opened it. The sweet song within played.
A tear fell from Gramps’s eye. “Ah, how that reminds me so much of Zimmy. My poor Zimmy.”
My mother, Maria thought. I wish I could remember you.
The only thing she did seem to remember was facing her mother-that-was-not-really-her-mother in the Cave of Delusion. That was not such a pleasant memory.
Midwest Magic Chronicles Boxed Set Page 59