The Suck Stops Here

by Kristen Painter

  As soon as she hit send, she realized how harsh that must read. She sent off another quick text behind it. Sorry. I do appreciate that you’re helping. Just stressed. And I don’t want any of you getting in trouble for doing something you shouldn’t.

  There was no reply for a moment, and Donna could picture Bunni’s pout. She pressed her fingers to her forehead. She really didn’t need this right now.

  Bunni sent back the eye-rolling emoji, along with, Yeah, okay, sorry.

  Donna sighed as she shook her head and tucked her phone back into her jeans pocket.

  “You okay?” Will asked.

  “So long as Bunni doesn’t get into trouble for playing with Artemis’s personal stuff, then we’re good. But I am not here to babysit anyone.”

  Harper nodded. “You have too much to do already.”

  “Yes, thank you.” Donna tugged her cap down a little. “All right, enough of that. Let’s go back to our police search.”

  They started walking again, slowly, paying great attention to everything around them. Nothing stood out. Nothing looked interesting or unusual. But still, they kept going. Donna’s hopes sank. They were getting nowhere but deeper into the woods.

  Donna wondered if Will and Harper were listening for the gong as hard as she was. She hadn’t heard anything yet, however, so they trudged on. Every now and then, they heard the sound of wings overhead or the magpie’s call.

  The birds were still curious about the strangers in their forest.

  An hour or so later, feeling more than a little despondent about their chances, Donna caught her boot on something and almost fell but saved herself with her vampire reflexes.

  Donna looked behind her for whatever she’d tripped over.

  “Are you okay?” Will asked.

  “Fine,” she answered. “My foot snagged on something.”

  “A root, maybe?” Harper offered.

  Donna squatted down and brushed the leaves away from the offending object. It was a large, flat rock. She pushed more leaves out of the way until she could see the outline of the whole thing. “Maybe I’m imagining things, but doesn’t this look a little out of place?”

  Will and Harper came over to get a better look.

  Will shrugged. “Looks like a rock to me.”

  “I don’t know, Dad.” Harper rested on her heels beside Donna. “Kind of looks like a stepping-stone like you might see in a garden.”

  Donna nodded. “Yes, that’s it. There’s something deliberate about it. The shape seems…planned.”

  Harper put her hands on it and closed her eyes. A few seconds later, she opened them and shook her head. “If there’s any magic attached to it, I can’t feel it. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t put here intentionally, just that it was done by ordinary means. And any clue it holds is also of the ordinary variety.”

  Will didn’t seem convinced. “Okay, let’s say it was placed here. What kind of a clue is a stepping-stone?”

  Harper glanced up at him. “Stepping-stones are used to build paths.”

  Light filled his gaze, and he smiled. “I’m glad you got your mother’s intelligence.”

  Donna laughed softly as new excitement filled her. “Okay, this is good. This is something. Maybe it’s a clue, and maybe it’s not, but let’s shuffle our feet around in the leaves and see if we can find another one. Then we’ll know more. Of course, there’s no telling how widely spaced they might be.”

  They got up and started slow-walking through the leaves, dragging their feet and shuffling along to see what they could uncover. They worked outward, moving in an ever-widening arc.

  They were almost ten feet out when Donna let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m starting to think it’s just a stone. But let’s go a little farther.”

  So they did, for another five or six feet. At that point, Donna stopped and put her hands on her hips. “I don’t think there’s a path.”

  She walked back to the stone and stared at it. “Artemis would have known that any path would disappear under the leaves and possible snow, so maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part.”

  Harper and Will joined her.

  “Maybe,” Harper said. “But I still think it looks too perfect to be accidental.”

  Donna nodded. “I agree with you. So what are we missing?”

  Will grunted out a breath. “We haven’t checked the obvious.”

  Donna looked at him. “Which is?”

  “Maybe there’s something under it.”

  Donna’s brows went up. “You’re right. Be my guest.”

  He reached down, grabbed the big, flat rock by its edges, and tossed it aside.

  They all gazed at the bare dirt underneath. Not even a centipede.

  Harper sighed. “Well, that was anticlimactic. Back to the search, I guess.”

  “Agreed. I’ll put it back, since we’re supposed to leave things as we find them.” But Donna couldn’t quite bring herself to abandon the rock just yet. She stayed where she was, staring at it.

  Her companions started to move, then realized she hadn’t and came back to her.

  “What is it?” Will asked.

  “I don’t know. But my gut says that rock means something. I wish I knew what.”

  Harper lifted one shoulder. “Maybe you should put your hands on it. Just because I didn’t sense magic doesn’t mean you might not get some kind of vibe off of it. I’m not the final authority on all things magical. Especially not with a woman as ancient as Artemis behind all of this. Maybe she used vampire-only magic.”

  “Okay.” Donna walked over to the rock and bent, putting her fingertips on the cold, flat surface. “Nothing. Wait.” She pulled her gloves off and tried again. She shook her head. “Still nothing.”

  Then a new idea came to her. She grabbed one edge of the stone and flipped it over to look at the bottom of it, brushing dirt off to reveal something very interesting.

  Harper gasped. “You were right.”

  On the underneath was a large symbol drawn in white paint.

  Will came closer. “What is that? A mountain? A tent?”

  “Could be a mountain. It’s wide enough,” Donna said. She turned her head a little. “But there aren’t any mountains around here. Maybe it means the treasure is at the highest point on the property. Although it could also be a fat letter V.”

  Harper nodded. “Depends on how you look at it.”

  Will tipped his head as if trying to see the mark from a different angle. “Maybe it’s showing us a direction.”

  Donna nodded. “Could be. But directional arrows are usually more of a standard-sized V with a line behind them. Then again, Artemis could have intentionally made this confusing. And if it’s a direction, which way is it supposed to be telling us to go?”

  “Yeah,” Harper said. “It was upside down, so are we supposed to assume the direction it pointed at while in its original position? Or once it was flipped over? Because those are opposites.”

  Donna put her hands on her hips. “We don’t have the time to check both ways.”

  “Unless we split up,” Will said.

  The crack of a twig snapping came to them in the distance. They weren’t alone out here anymore.

  Donna stared in the direction of the sound. “I don’t like that idea, but it might be the only option we have.”

  “I’ll go alone,” Will said. “You and Harper stay together.”

  The flutter of wings swooped over their heads, along with the same ratchet call that they’d been hearing.

  Will looked up, shaking his head. “Those magpies sure don’t like our company.”

  “We are trespassing in their territory.” Donna stared at the stone as her head began to fill with thoughts faster than she could process them. Images and sounds flashed in her head. Will’s tattoo. The ratcheting sound. She grabbed her companions’ arms to keep them from going anywhere. “Wait.”

  “What is it?” Harper asked.

  Donna almost couldn’t breathe. She shook her head
as she continued to study the stone at their feet. “It’s not an arrow or a mountain or a tent or V.”

  She looked up at them, praying she wasn’t wrong. “It’s a bird.”

  Harper sucked in a breath and started nodding. “Yes, I see it now. But what does that mean?”

  Donna glanced up into the trees. A magpie sat high in the branches of the one on her left and stared down at her, head tilted just so. “It means they know where the hoard is.” She looked at Will again. “Magpies like shiny things, don’t they?”

  His eyes widened a little, and he blinked before answering. “They love shiny things.”

  “So why wouldn’t they have watched Artemis hide her gold coins out here? Maybe she even gave them a few as payment for watching over her stash. Or maybe she put them in charge of the whole thing.” Donna looked into the trees again.

  The magpie was still there.

  “Do you know where the coins are, little bird?”

  It continued to stare at her.

  “You do, don’t you?”

  She looked at her companions. “Do either of you have any change on you?”

  They both shook their heads.

  Donna thought hard. She needed something shiny. Something with enough glitter to catch the bird’s interest. Thankfully, she’d changed pretty quickly from her funeral clothes into the ones she was wearing now. So quickly, she hadn’t taken off her diamond earrings.

  She reached up and unscrewed the back from the large stud in her ear, then removed it and screwed the back on again. “I have no idea if this is going to work, but if it does, we can’t let the bird out of our sight. Do whatever you have to in order to follow it but without scaring it. We just need to find where the magpies keep their hoard, because I believe we’ll find Artemis’s coins there too.”

  Will and Harper nodded.

  “Fingers crossed this works.” Donna held her hand out, lifting the diamond earring like an offering and praying that it sparkled enough to interest the curious creature above her. She moved her hand ever so slightly, trying to make the stone catch what little light filtered through the trees.

  The magpie stayed where it was, looking but making no move to come closer.

  “You really think the bird will take the earring?” Will asked.

  “If they were used to Artemis coming out here with gold coins for them, then taking a diamond earring from me shouldn’t be much different,” Donna answered.

  The magpie continued to stare down at her, obviously curious but not yet willing to act on that curiosity.

  “Maybe I can help,” Harper said. She pointed her fingers at Donna’s palm, and a soft glow began to radiate off of it. Little sparks of prismatic light danced through the air and bounced off the trees.

  The magpie hopped to a lower branch, letting out an urgent chirp.

  “That’s it,” Donna whispered. “We mean you no harm.”

  A second magpie joined the first. Then a third. A fourth came fluttering in a moment later.

  Within thirty seconds, the trees above them were filled with the black-and-white creatures.

  Harper grabbed her dad’s hand. “Something shifted. There’s magic in the air. Heavy magic.”

  He nodded. “I’ll say. Look around you.”

  “No, it’s more than just the birds.” Harper shook her head as she blew out a breath. “Hang on. Something’s about to happen.”

  Donna tucked the earring into her jacket pocket since it no longer seemed important.

  A second later, the birds took flight, gathering in a small, tight flock, then descending back toward them. As the birds approached, they shattered into a sparkling shower of light and dark.

  The sparks fell to earth and turned into a gossamer form with golden-brown skin, a mass of reddish-bronze ringlets, and eyes that gleamed like polished obsidian.

  Artemis.

  Donna reached out, her hand slipping through the image as if it was vapor.

  Artemis smiled, not at them but through them, making it plain that what they were witnessing was nothing more than a preprogrammed magical hologram.

  “If you’re seeing this, you should already know that I am no longer on this earth. You’ve done well, very well, figuring out my puzzle. Follow the magpies. They will take you to what you seek.” Her expression turned introspective. “Ruling from the throne is not easy. Rule the best that you can, with thoughtfulness and fairness.”

  Donna swallowed, wishing she could ask questions and get more advice and that Artemis wasn’t really gone.

  Artemis blinked once, and her smile returned. “Farewell to whoever you are. The next life calls me…”

  She disintegrated into dark and light sparks again, and the birds returned, once again perched in the trees around them. Then they took to the air, this time headed deeper into the woods.

  Donna exhaled. “Here we go.”

  All three of them began to run as the flock above them sped forward. It was tricky running through the thick forest while keeping an eye on the birds and not running into anything at the same time.

  Branches whipped across their faces and tugged at their clothes. Fallen trees had to be jumped, thicker branches ducked under, and roots avoided.

  At last, the birds came to roost in a huge evergreen, and Donna, Will, and Harper stopped.

  Harper was breathing hard. She glanced at them. “I really need to do more cardio.”

  “What now?” Will said. “Are the coins in that tree?”

  Donna stared into the thick greenery. “That’s my guess.”

  Harper, hands on her hips, shook her head. “It’s impossible to see farther up than a few branches. Who knows what’s in there?”

  Donna nodded. “Looks like I’m going for a climb. Keep watch. If anyone else shows up, give me a signal.”

  “I’ll send you a mental shout,” Will said.

  “Perfect.” She found the closest branch that could support her weight. It was about fourteen feet off the ground. An easy jump for a vampire, but it was still dark out. And Donna hadn’t climbed a tree since she was a very young child.

  She got her bearings, bent her knees, and sprang up, grabbing hold of the branch above the one she landed on. She steadied herself, looked down, and gave Will and Harper a nod. They turned their backs to the tree and spread out, presumably to watch for any other arrivals.

  She started to climb, searching branch after branch, but nothing held anything that looked remotely like a hiding place for a stash of coins. The crisp smell of pine permeated the air despite the cold and made her think of Christmas.

  In a way, this day would be very much like that if she found Artemis’s stash.

  She was more than halfway up when, near the high center of the tree, she saw a large nest, maybe two feet deep and three feet across. There were magpies above it and all around it, but none on it or in it that she could see, making Donna think the nest was exactly where she should be headed.

  She inched her way through the branches to get closer so she could take a look inside. The birds stayed where they were, wary but quiet. The nest was filled with treasures. Bits of foil, a broken keychain, bottle caps, Christmas tinsel, a small, mirrored disk, a single gold hoop earring, a scrap of random metal.

  And there at the bottom of the nest, partially hidden by the found bits, was a black leather drawstring pouch neatly tied with leather cords.

  Donna exhaled a ragged breath. That had to be Artemis’s coins.

  She checked on the birds. They still surrounded her. All watching with their sharp black eyes trained on her. “I’m just going to look inside the pouch, nothing more.”

  No response. Although she hadn’t exactly expected one.

  She reached in and carefully lifted the leather bag. It certainly had the heft of coins. She braced herself between two sturdy branches and untied the knots to look inside.

  Gold gleamed back at her.

  Donna smiled. Unbelievable. They’d actually found them. At least it seemed they h
ad. She reached in and pulled out a small handful of coins. All of them looked very old, and all of them were of various sizes and countries of origin.

  A few soft caws started up around her. She looked at the birds. “Thank you.”

  Then she sprinkled the handful of coins into the nest. It was the least she could do.

  She retied the cords, tucked the pouch into her jacket, climbed down far enough to be free of the tangle of branches, and jumped to earth again.

  Will and Harper waited with obvious expectations.

  She shook her head. “There was a big nest up there. Filled with a lot of shiny bits and pieces.” She reached into her jacket, pulled out the pouch, and smiled. “But also this.”

  Harper let out a little gasp. “You found it.”

  “Yes, I did, but don’t make any noise. I don’t want anyone to know.”

  “Congratulations.” Smiling big, Will put his hands in his pockets. “Are you going to text the others?”

  “Not yet. We pull everyone in, and anyone who sees that will know something’s up. No, I’m going straight back to the house with this and getting it verified before saying anything. We do not need you-know-who tipped off.”

  “No, we don’t,” Will said. “In fact, maybe Harper and I should stay out here and act like we’re still looking. Anyone who sees us will just think you’re with a different group.”

  “Not a bad idea,” Donna said. She tucked the pouch back into her jacket. “I’ll text as soon as I have confirmation, then you can all come in. Do me a favor? Go put that stepping-stone back the way we found it?”

  Harper nodded. “Sure thing.”

  “Thanks.” Donna turned, then turned again. The forest was too thick to see through. “Um, which way toward the house?”

  Will laughed and pointed to the right. “That way.”

  “Thank you for your help. See you soon.” With that, she took off in the direction he’d indicated. As soon as she was clear of the trees, which was a longer walk than she’d imagined, she took off at full vampire speed for the house, its lights now visible. She hoped she was moving fast enough to escape notice.

  When she was a few yards from the terrace, she slowed to a normal walk, then stopped for a look. The house glowed with all of the lights on, and through some of the windows, people were in view. All searching. All desperate for the treasure she’d already found.