by Rose Pressey
Finally, with shaky hands, I untied the ribbon around the scroll. My breathing came in short gasps as I unrolled it. It was a small map of the house. My aunt Maddy really was a strange woman. She had a tendency to forget things though, so it was understandable why she’d sketched a map of her little treasures. The attic had two spots marked, the location where I’d found the book and another spot in the middle of the room.
I walked over to the area where I’d found the book and stuck my hand behind the beam. The space was empty. I had to make sure there wasn’t something else there. I studied the map again. It had a spot marked right in the middle of the room. What could be there?
Walking over to the marked spot, I looked down. Nothing was there. I knelt down and ran my hand across the floor. It was smooth except for the imperfections in the wood. When I ran my hand across it again though, I noticed the board moved ever so slightly. I ran my fingernail under the edge, but couldn’t get it to come up. I needed something to pry the board up with.
I scanned around the room, then spotted a box in the corner marked dishes. I rooted through the box and found a few random utensils. A butter knife was one of the items. I was thankful that my aunt was so eccentric now. I never knew what I’d find in her stuff.
I rushed back to the spot in the floor and used the knife to pry up the loose board. It was hard to see if there was anything under there. I didn’t really want to stick my hand down there where I couldn’t see any possible rodents. I poked the knife down there and hit the subfloor. When I moved the knife back and forth, it didn’t catch on anything. Just when I thought I wouldn’t find anything, the knife hit something and a small clang sound rang out. Something was down there, but now I had to decide if I was sticking my hand down there to retrieve the item.
It didn’t look as I had any other options, so I closed my eyes and inched my arm down there. As if closing my eyes would protect me from something. I moved my hand around and reached, but still couldn’t find the source of the noise. Stretching into the far corners of the space, I finally felt it. It was a small, cold object.
I pulled my hand out of the space to see what I’d found. It was a key. I sit on the floor and stared at it. It was a long brass skeleton key. What was it for and why was it hidden? I flipped it around in my hand. There was nothing written on it, just a wispy swirl pattern on both sides.
The map was on the floor where I’d dropped it. I reached over and grabbed it. There were two more spots marked around the house. What was in those locations? There were two problems though. One location was in Nicolas’ room and the other was in Liam’s room. That could get tricky. And what was hidden there? Did it have anything to do with the key that I’d just found?
There was only one way to find out. I had to look quickly before they returned and I was caught. If they wanted the book, did that mean they’d want whatever else was hidden in the house? This just kept getting more complicated. What was Aunt Maddy’s involvement in the Underworld? There had to be a connection. I’d run out of options and knew that I had to break down and tell my mother about this, as much as I didn’t want to. She was my only connection to Aunt Maddy. She’d be the only one who could answer questions about her.
Pushing the board back into its spot, I grabbed the map and the key, then slipped out of the attic. I paused for a moment and listened. Isabeau wasn’t making noise, which was probably a bad thing. At least she was on the second floor and wouldn’t see me slip into Liam or Nicolas’ room, although I’d have to walk lightly or she might hear my footsteps.
What was I worried about anyway? I had a right to be on the third floor. It was my place. I could do whatever I wanted. She could just mind her own business. If she happened to see me I’d tell her I was cleaning the rooms, which technically I needed to do. But I’d have to look for the secret hiding spots before I did any bed-making or dusting.
I tiptoed down the hall, trying to avoid the spots in the floor that I knew squeaked. I eased into Liam’s room first because it was the first room on the right. He’d made his bed and everything looked relatively tidy. Discarded clothing lay across the chair in the corner of the room. Was it creepy that I wanted to pick up his shirt and give it a whiff? He just smelled so darn good that I couldn’t help myself.
I unrolled the map again and looked down. Apparently, something was hidden in the closet. Or had been hidden there at one time. Whether or not it was still there was the big question. I glanced over my shoulder. Liam and Nicolas were both still out, so what was I worried about? Sucking in a deep breath, I made my way over to the closet. When I opened the door, I peered in the dark space. Liam had a few pieces of clothing hanging up, but other than that the closet was empty. I reached up and felt along the shelf, but couldn’t see because I was too short. When I didn’t feel anything, I gave up.
The only other place to look was in the floor again. Why hadn’t I brought that knife with me? I knelt down and waved my hand across the floor. If Liam walked in and caught me, he’d think I was crazy. Just when I thought I was wasting my time, I felt another loose board at the very back of the closet. I pushed on it and tried to use my fingers, but it was no use. The thing wasn’t coming up.
I needed to hurry up. I still had to check Nicolas’ room. I jumped up and looked around the room. Did Liam have anything that I could use? I prayed I didn’t find a knife in his room. That would make my overactive imagination go into overdrive with visions of him as a serial killer. I mean, I’d found out he was a witch and Nicolas was a vampire. I just didn’t know if they really were being sincere or if they wanted to harm me just to get to the book.
Liam claimed this Mara woman wanted the book. He’d wanted me to give him the book. Maybe that was just a ploy to get the book from me. I stepped over to the dresser and spotted his bag. I hated doing this, but I had a good reason, right? I’d take just a peek.
The only thing in Liam’s bag was boxers and socks. I guessed that answered my question of boxers or briefs. If Liam caught me looking at his underwear, well, I’d never get over the embarrassment. There was no way to explain that one away. I’d be forced to tell him the truth. Even then, I doubted he’d believe me.
Just then I remembered that there was a letter opener in the desk drawer. I hurried over and yanked the drawer open. Thank goodness it was still there. I grabbed it and hurried back to the loose board. I poked the letter opener beside the board and pried it up. Most of my body was now in the closet. I reached my hand in. Again it was dark, even darker in that closet than in the attic. Seeing a thing was almost impossible, but I felt something right away this time. It was metal and quite large. It had a handle too, so it was easy to lift it out of the space.
I pulled it out into the light. It was a box and right there on the front was a hole for a key. Bingo. I pulled the key from my pocket and slipped in right into the hole. I should have taken the box to my room, but I just had to know what was in it first. My heart rate increased as I turned the key. When it clicked, I let out a deep breath. I lifted the lid on the box, not knowing what to expect. Inside the velvet-lined box was another book. Another spell book? What would this one do if the other reanimated the dead?
My hands wrapped around the book and I pulled it out. It looked just like the spell book that I’d found in the attic. Apprehension coursed through me as I studied the intricate cover and the leather binding. I was almost afraid to open the cover. What would I find this time? I inhaled and blew the air out of my lungs slowly, then flipped the leather cover. Staring back at me were words that I understood. This time the pages were filled with English and I knew every word.
I scanned the first page. I hadn’t been prepared for what I read though. According to this book, the witch who unlocked the power of the Book of Mystic Magic would be the leader of the Underworld. It was just as Liam had said. The witch was destined to oversee the laws and rules set forth. My head was spinning. Was I the witch who had unlocked the powers of the book? No, it couldn’t be.
I f
lipped through more pages. The text went on to list my duties as the leader. Basically, I would be the one everyone turned to for answers. That was a joke. They surely didn’t want my advice. Movement sounded from downstairs so I shoved the book back into the box, grabbed the key and bolted from the room.
I hurried down the flight of stairs toward my bedroom before I was caught so that I could to hide this book with the other one. I wasn’t sure if the footsteps coming up the stairs belonged to Liam or Nicolas, but either way I didn’t want them to see the book.
Forget making fantastic cupcakes. I just wanted things back the way they were. I enjoyed my substandard spells. I’d always wanted to be better at magic, now I was regretting that wish. Be careful what you wish for… or was it be careful what you witch for?
Chapter Twenty-Six
I rushed into my room and closed the door, locking it behind me. There was one curious thing mentioned in the book. It claimed that I could change my appearance. Of course that caused an idea to cross my mind—but it could be a very risky endeavor. That was if in fact it actually worked. The book said I had all these special powers now, but would I perform the magic any better than my lackluster attempts in the past? I had spell books that my mother had given me in the hopes that I’d someday need them, but they didn’t have spells like the ones listed in the Book of Mystic Magic.
The spells I really needed would be in the mysterious spell book hidden in my closet. Or the Book of Mystics Spell Book as it was apparently called. I retrieved the heavy tome from its hiding place, then sat on the bed with the book on my lap. When I flipped open the cover, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
The book was now all in English. I understood the spells and ingredients. There was even a table of contents. I scanned the list with my index finger stopped when I found the spell I needed. Could I really pull this off? Could I change my appearance and trick Liam into giving me the information that I knew he was withholding?
Aunt Maddy hadn’t led the Underworld, so why had she had the book? The book might have said that my magical powers were now needed in the Underworld, but I didn’t want that much power. I just wanted life to go back to the way it was before I cleaned out that darn attic.
But I couldn’t dismiss the fact that the book seemed to have had an effect on my magic skills. My witchcraft had improved beyond my wildest dreams. Baking delicious cupcakes was no longer a problem—would they come out perfect every time? My mother would be so proud. I could reanimate the dead, for heaven’s sake.
The book listed all my newly acquired powers now that I’d unlocked the magic of the book. It said that I could change an object’s appearance or even my own appearance if I wanted. That was a scary thought. Using magic for vanity would never work out in the end. At least that was my philosophy.
I hadn’t believed it, but the spell to change my appearance was actually listed on page fifty-two. Did I really have the nerve to try it? What if I was stuck that way forever? Try explaining to Nicolas why I had changed my appearance to look like him and then couldn’t switch back. I’d have to slip down to the kitchen to collect the ingredients for the spell. I hoped Isabeau wasn’t still down there stuffing her face with cupcakes.
There was no sign of Liam when I slipped out the door. The fact that he wanted the book made me nervous. I wouldn’t put it past him to be lurking outside my door at any given moment. Isabeau’s door was closed, so I tiptoed over and pressed my ear against the wood. I’d broken every code in the bed-and-breakfast proprietor rule book. I’d looked at one of my guests’ underwear, for heaven’s sake. Not on purpose, but I doubted that would be any excuse.
Noise sounded from the other side of the door. Thank goodness she was in her room. I rushed down the stairs, trying to keep from slipping and killing myself. I doubted Isabeau would use magic to bring me back if I died.
Once I reached the kitchen, I hurried and gathered my items—cinnamon, basil, cloves, and frankincense. I dumped the ingredients into the cauldron that was already in the big stone fireplace. It was about time that I tried using Aunt Maddy’s things. Someone once told me that anything could be performed easily with the right tools. Maybe I’d always assumed my magic was atrocious, but if I’d used the right tools, my magic wouldn’t have been half bad.
After adding water to the cauldron, I swiped a long match against the stone then lit the fire underneath. While I waited for the water to boil, I eased back to the kitchen door and peeked around the corner. No one was there. I hoped Nicolas didn’t catch me doing this. I hadn’t prepared an excuse in my mind if he did. There wouldn’t be one. If he caught me, I’d just tell him the truth.
Once the water came to a boil, I recited the words.
“For a brief time, make my appearance not mine. Alter my look to that of Nicolas Marcos and no one’s beliefs will falter.”
Nothing felt different. No wind whirled or brilliant light show appeared like with the spells I’d worked earlier. Maybe I’d been over-confident in my new found skills. After all, I’d only cleaned a kitchen and made cupcakes. What made me think I could change my entire appearance to look like someone else? Furthermore, what was I even going to say to Liam if it had worked? What made me think that he would fall for it in the first place?
As the thoughts whirled in my head, the wind began to stir in the kitchen. Pots and pans and dishes clanked. Blue and red and white lights pulsed and flickered around the room. The water bubbled like a sea churning in a hurricane. When the concoction finally settled down, the wind stopped and the lights settled down, I glanced down at my body. Everything looked the same to me. My hands looked the same, my body was the same. Nothing had happened.
I’d messed up the magic once again. There was no telling what this spell had actually done. I just prayed that it hadn’t reanimated more ghosts. I was running out of rooms. I hurried and cleaned up my mess, then grabbed the book and headed back upstairs.
I’d hide the book once again, but I was finished with this Underworld business. It was all a ruse. Probably some weird story made up by some wackos. Unfortunately, the wackos were the good-looking men staying in my home. Good-looking or not, they had to go. Why did they have to be crazy? Why couldn’t I just for once meet a sane guy? Of course if I did meet a sane guy, I always managed to do something to chase him away.
Once I made it back upstairs, I locked the door behind me and hid the book again. This was becoming my new normal and I hated it. I couldn’t deny that I was a little disappointed that the spell hadn’t worked. Not that I wanted to be the leader, because I didn’t, but I wanted to try to get answers from Liam. That would have been majorly deceitful though, so it was probably best that it hadn’t worked. Anyway, I was going to confront him right now about this fake Underworld business. If he wanted to continue to stay at LaVeau Manor, then he’d have to stop with that nonsense.
As I walked toward the door to have a confrontation with Liam, I caught my reflection in the dresser mirror. Only the problem was that it wasn’t my reflection at all. Staring back at me from the mirror was Nicolas’ face. I glanced down at my hands. They were still my hands. I looked down at my body and it was still the same. But when I looked in the mirror again, Nicolas’ reflection looked back at me.
Incredible. The spell had actually worked. I stared at Nicolas’ reflection. He really was gorgeous with his strong jaw and chiseled features. His long lashes rimmed his sexy cobalt blue eyes.
No matter how gorgeous he was, what I had just done was freaking me out. I reached up to touch my cheek. It still felt like my cheek, but in the mirror I was touching Nicolas. As I stared into the mirror, my heart pounded and I shivered at the realization of what I’d done. I had to talk with Liam and get rid of this spell before Nicolas came back. What if the counter spell didn’t work? It was too late for what-ifs though. The deed had already been done.
Would I be able to convince Liam that I was Nicolas? How did Nicolas walk? I watched in the mirror as I walked forward. I had way too much swing in my hi
ps. Nicolas didn’t walk like that. I spread my feet apart a little and attempted my best guy walk. It looked more like I was approaching someone to kill them than to have a normal conversation. This being a guy stuff was a lot harder than it looked. What did guys do? Should I scratch my genitals? Burp? No, Nicolas was way too suave for that, right? Oh, who was I kidding? All guys did that stuff sooner or later.
Okay, my guy walk would have to do for now. But what about talking? Did I have Nicolas’ voice?
“Hello, I’m Nicolas Marcos,” I said out loud.
I gasped. It actually sounded exactly like Nicolas’ voice.
Well, it was now or never. I’d get to the bottom of this Underworld nonsense and find out if this whole story was real or not. Attempting to master my manly swagger, I marched out my bedroom door and down the hall, but before I could make it to the head up the third flight of stairs, Isabeau approached me with a come-hither look on her face. Oh dear, I hadn’t thought about this scenario. Would I be able to fool her?
“Where have you been hiding, gorgeous?” she purred.
Isabeau stepped closer and ran her hand down my chest.
I stepped back. “Hey, you’re invading my personal space,” I said.