Magical Acts: (Skeleton Key)

by Michele Bardsley

Poof.

  As in, not there.

  She looked around, but no one else in the café seemed to notice that a man had just vanished into thin air.

  After paying check and leaving the café, Natalie wandered into the shopping district. The experience with Mr. Nameless had rattled her. She distracted herself by window shopping. Six blocks crammed with stores that sold food, clothing, art, accessories, handbags, and so much more. Pamper Palace sat in the middle of shopper’s nirvana like the big diamond in the queen’s crown.

  Even though Natalie had no intention of using Eliana’s credit card, she had decided to follow her stepsister’s advice and take the day off. Down the street was her favorite dessert place, which sold the best chocolate cake ever made. She’d buy a slice—and maybe pick up a box of truffles—then go home and finish reading Magical Acts.

  Just as she closed in on the dessert place, she spied a new shop: Strange Magic.

  Natalie paused and studied the navy-blue storefront. When had this place opened? Maybe Eliana was right—she really did need to get out more often. She studied the window display. On the left side was a three-tiered display of charm bracelets. The right side of the exhibit featured an array of colorful perfume bottles.

  Then her gaze was drawn to the middle object.

  A crystal skeleton key.

  Encased in a square of gleaming glass and placed like precious dragon’s treasure on a black velvet pillow, the key drew her attention completely. What was it for? Did it actually work? Or was it a display piece? It reminded her of the silver ring worn by the crazy yet gorgeous stranger who’d approached her in the café.

  I want it. Unaccountable longing wound through her. She had the most insane urge to own it. Buy something outrageous and useless. Eliana’s words flowed through her mind, daring her to purchase the key.

  Natalie shook her head. No. No way. It was too frivolous. She turned from the display and went straight to the dessert place. She ordered a slice of Devil’s Temptation, which had the most chocolate per square inch of any cake made, and coffee. She took her sugar-and-caffeine sins to a small table in the corner and then pulled out her tablet, eagerly clicking the cover of Magical Acts.

  Gretta threw her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. He chuckled and his warm breath skittered across her throat. “Auron!” she cried.

  “Sshh. You are safe.” He nuzzled her cheek his lips warm against her skin. She shivered as heat undulated through her. Never had she felt such desire. She had never felt this way with anyone. Hah. Not that she had many opportunities to experience the throes of passion.

  “Is there a door on the roof of the bakery?”

  “Yes. My key fits all the locks.”

  “Excellent. I’ll drop you there.”

  “Drop me?”

  “A figure of speech,” he said, lifting his head and grinning at her. “I like holding you. Perhaps I’ll spirit you away to my castle.”

  “Would you?”

  “Is that a question or a request?”

  A request. Spirit me away, please. Her cheeks heated with humiliation, and she looked down.

  The ground was far, far away.

  Her heart jolted to her throat and lodged there. She buried her face into his shoulder and tightened her grip. The wind whirled around them and brought with it the scent of wood-smoke. Gretta felt a slight jerk and heard the scrape of shoes against concrete. The breeze dissipated and the night scents faded into the yeasty smell of baking bread.

  She ventured a peek. Auron had landed on the roof of the bakery.

  “Do you want me to let you go?” asked Auron. Sensual innuendo seemed to cling to his otherwise tame words.

  “I feel as though you’re asking me something else.” Her whole body tensed as excitement and apprehension wound through her. She looked into his eyes. “Are you?”

  “Yes.” Auron put her down. He drew his forefinger down her cheek. Excitement and longing jumbled together in the pit of her stomach. He traced her mouth, allowing his finger to rest in the middle of her lower lip. He slipped his finger between her lips and of its own accord, her tongue flicked against the tip. His eyes went dark, and he inhaled sharply.

  “How long must you work?”

  “Four hours,” she said.

  “When you are finished with your shift, will you come to me, Gretta?” His palm ghosted under her chin, his long fingers trailing over her jaw. “I’ll send someone to pick you up.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “To be with you. To give you great pleasure.”

  “Pleasure? That’s what you offer?” she whispered.

  “It’s all I can promise.”

  Though his words cut through her like jagged blades, Gretta could not help but consider his proposition.

  His fingers drifted over the lace collar of her dress. “I want you. But it is your choice. I don’t compel women to warm my bed.”

  “I’m quite sure they leap in of their own accord.”

  He chuckled. “Ah, but not all of them. You, for example, are doing the exact opposite of leaping into my bed.” He took her hand and once again brushed his lips across her knuckles, his gaze lifting to meet hers. She stared into his blue, blue eyes. At that moment, she saw his regret, his pride, and his … desire? Need seared her. What kind of fool was she to resist such a man?

  “I will come to you,” she said.

  He stepped back, his cape fluttering. “Until we meet again.”

  He executed a bow and then he rose into the air. Higher and higher he flew until he disappeared completely into the night sky. For a long moment, she stared at the blue moons and wondered if she’d lost her mind.

  Chapter 3

  The brash ring of her cell startled Natalie out of the story. As she fumbled into her bag for the phone, she was amazed to note that she’d already devoured the cake, and her coffee was nearly gone, too.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Natalie,” said Eliana. “You’ve been gone nearly two hours. I’m so proud of you!”

  “Ha ha.”

  “You’ve never actually stayed gone before when I’ve kicked you out.”

  “Do you need me to come back?”

  “Hell, no. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t shopping for metal spikes. You know, for your pit.”

  “That was my next stop. The last place only had wood.”

  Eliana laughed. “You want to meet up later? I need to go shopping for the Hot Pepper party.”

  “Sure. By the way, have you seen that new shop? It’s called Strange Magic.”

  “No. But it’s gotta be the size of a closet. I didn’t think there was any space left on our block.”

  Natalie frowned. Eliana trolled the shopping district far more often than she did. If she knew nothing about the odd shop, it must’ve just opened. “I saw something there. Um … it’s pretty cool.”

  “Buy it. And don’t lecture me about the cost of things.”

  “I don’t know, Eliana.”

  “Consider it a birthday present or early Christmas gift or both. And come to the party with me. We’ll do a full-day spa treatment and then go wow them at Hot Pepper.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Natalie chewed on her lower lip. Eliana’s disappointment was palpable. Her sis loved her and wanted Natalie to be happy. As a concession, she said, “How about we meet for dinner and then go find you the perfect dress?”

  “Us. We’ll find us the perfect dresses. I’ll see you at six, okay? Kisses!”

  Natalie hung up her cell phone and dropped it into her purse.

  Buy it.

  Eliana hadn’t even asked about the price. Natalie couldn’t possibly justify the key’s purchase as a gift—unless it was five years worth of birthdays and Christmases. No, if she gave in to madness and bought the damned thing, she would create a monthly installment plan so she could repay her sister.

  Oh, for heaven’s sake! She wasn’t actually thinking about spending a fortune on a stupid key, was she? Wow.
Reality really did suck sometimes. She looked at the tablet. Reality couldn’t compete with the fictional awesomeness of Barrows Flat.

  Hmm. A few more pages wouldn’t hurt.

  Put before she could start reading again, she heard a female voice say, “That must be some story.”

  The accent was odd. Her voice had an Irish lilt but had a softness to it that was almost French.

  Natalie looked up and met the amused gaze of a woman standing near her table. She held a paper cup; her long fingers wrapped the cardboard sleeve. Natalie couldn’t look away. Her pixie haircut was a bright shade of gold. She wore a black bustier with black leggings and a gold tutu, topped off with a pair of military boots. She had the most amazing eyes. Almond in shape, the color was amber, but when she turned a certain way, they gleamed gold. The woman put her hand forward. “Tara,” she said.

  “I’m Natalie.” She briefly shook Tara’s hand. She patted her tablet. “It’s called Magical Acts. It’s a wonderful read.”

  “You certainly looked enthralled.”

  Natalie laughed, trying to hide her embarrassment. “Honestly, I’d live there if I could.”

  “Hmm.” The woman snapped her fingers. “I saw you admiring the items in my display window. I own Strange Magic. Were you looking at the skeleton key?”

  “How did you know?”

  “I have an instinct for matching objects to people. Why don’t you come with me back to the shop? I’ll show you the key.”

  Natalie hesitated. Did she really want to be tempted into buying what amounted to a useless object? She’d never been a knick-knack girl. Besides, she didn’t want to have to sell a kidney to own it.

  Tara must’ve seen the indecision in her expression. “I swear I’m not pressuring you to make a sale.”

  What the hell, Nat. Live a little. Natalie nodded. “I’d love to check out your shop.” She gathered her things and walked with Tara to Strange Magic. The woman unlocked the door and gestured for Natalie to go inside. The place was exotic. Brightly colored fabric draped the walls and dangled from the ceiling. Carefully placed lamps highlighted various displays. Herbal remedies. Love potions. Incense holders.

  The place smelled like lavender … and something else, something Natalie couldn’t put a name to. It was a comforting sort of scent that invoked the same feeling she got from a hug or discovered a bag of M&Ms in her purse.

  Tara walked to the display, opened the glass box, and withdrew the key. “This is a one-of-a-kind object.”

  Translation: It’s freaking expensive.

  She put the key in Natalie’s hand. Natalie swore the crystal was warm, almost like it was a living thing pulsating in her palm. It felt as if it belonged to her, always had, and she couldn’t bear to give it back. She wanted it—more than anything she’d ever wanted in her life.

  “You want it, don’t you?”

  Natalie didn’t want to admit that she felt like clutching it to her chest and running out of the store. “I can’t afford it.”

  “I’ll sell it to you for half-price.”

  “What? Really?”

  “I think it belongs to you,” said Tara.

  Fifty-percent off? Hell, yeah. “I’ll take it.”

  Tara grinned. “Awesome.” She walked past the jewelry display cases and went behind the burnished wood counter. Natalie assumed that was where people mortgaged their souls to Strange Magic. With guilt swirling in her belly like too many margaritas, she pulled out Eliana’s credit card and handed it over.

  As the woman processed the transaction, she asked, “Have you ever heard of lampyridae?”

  “Is it a boy band?”

  The woman chuckled. “No. It’s a family in the beetle order Coleoptera. We call them fireflies or lightning bugs.”

  “Did they give their lives in the making of this key?”

  “No,” said Tara. She swiped the card. “Fireflies use bioluminescence to attract mates. They flit around and show their glowing abdomens to each other.”

  “Fascinating.”

  “It truly is. You see, some fireflies have too much or too little luminescence. But they keep flying and glowing. They keep searching for the right match. Just like we do.” Tara returned the credit card and present Natalie with a receipt, which she signed.

  “Sometimes love takes a huge leap of faith,” said Tara as she put the key into a velvet-lined box and slipped it into a bag.

  Natalie wasn’t sure where that comment had come from. Did she look like she had dated in a while? Okay, she hadn’t. Still, she found it weird that Tara would randomly offer romance advice. Especially after her encounter with the Invisible Man with the Nice Tush.

  Tara handed the bag to Natalie, and for a moment, Natalie swore she saw the woman’s eyes glow gold. “Good luck.”

  What an odd thing to say. Feeling flummoxed by the whole transaction, Natalie nodded good-bye and walked out of Strange Magic.

  Natalie felt utterly exhausted by the time she got home. Her one-bedroom apartment wasn’t fancy, but she kept it clean and tidy. With its warm earth tones and comfortable furniture, it was a cozy space she enjoyed. Her home was her sanctuary. She headed into the bedroom, dumped her bags on the floor, and toed off her flats.

  She had plenty of time to relax before her shopping and dinner plans with Elaina.

  After soaking in a hot bath and putting on her silk robe, Natalie felt more relaxed. She still had hours before it was time to meet Eliana.

  Natalie found herself drawn to the key again and again.

  She studied the skull. It was beautiful. She drew her finger across the smooth crystal. She felt a beat, a pulse within her, a warmth that felt so familiar. For some odd reason, it reminded her of the blonde-haired man with the beautiful eyes and knowing smile. It felt somehow as if he and the key were connected.

  She sighed at the wistful, and entirely unrealistic, thought. If only she could be someone else for a while. Someone like Gretta Junot in Magical Acts.

  “If only I were more like you, Gretta,” she whispered. “Hmph. If only I were you.”

  Natalie fixed herself a cup of green tea and then settled onto the couch with her tablet. With a single swipe, Magical Acts opened. She could get in a couple of chapters before she needed to get ready.

  Gretta took a quick shower and wrapped herself in a thick, soft robe. She searched her closet for a suitable dress and found herself dissatisfied with the grays, browns, and blues that inhabited her small wardrobe. For the first time since she was a little girl, she longed for a gown that was pink or violet or sage.

  She chose a blue dress and spread it out on the bed. Maybe she could update its style and take up the length. She needed to get rid of the atrocious lace on the high-neck collar, too. Gretta frowned, considering the terribly outmoded garment.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  Who in the world? Gretta had no friends and Hannah rarely visited. Trepidation crept through her as she approached the door. After checking the peephole, she opened the door to a red-haired boy, about ten years old, dressed in a yellow shirt, green overalls, and brown boots. He held a large box.

  “Hello, Mistress,” he said. “This here’s for you. It’s from Master Tarlett.”

  She accepted the box. “Thank you.”

  “What’s your name?” asked Gretta, charmed by his ruffian manner.

  “People call me Lick. I deliver stuff.”

  “I’m Gretta.” She realized the boy was probably waiting around for a tip. “Wait here, please.”

  Lick considered her. His brown eyes measured her worth then he nodded as if he felt she merited his confidence. “Yes, Miss.”

  She returned with a few coins and put them in the boy’s hand. He grinned. “Thank you.”

  He nodded goodbye and took off. She watched him dodge people and carts, and soon, he had disappeared. Her gaze went to the east. All she could see were the buildings that lined the cobblestone street. But a few miles past town was the road no one ever took. It led to the forbid
ding mountains and dark lands of Barrows Flat.

  Ring. Ring. Ring.

  Natalie grabbed her cell from the coffee table and looked down at the number. She hit the answer button on the display. “Hi, Elaina.”

  “Hello. I’m so sorry, Natalie. I have to cancel. Mom called, and she’s having a meltdown.”

  “Dress, drink, or Delilah?”

  “She found out Delilah is wearing the same designer to some shindig they’re both attending, and Mom’s on her fourth vodka martini.”

  Delilah was married to Eliana’s father and was twenty years younger and about thirty IQ points lower than Elaina’s mother. “Sounds like an all-nighter, sis.”

  “You have no idea. Rain check?”

  “Better. I’ll go with you to the Hot Pepper opening.”

  “You will? No take-backsies!”

  Natalie laughed. “No take-backsies.”

  After they had ended the phone call, Natalie settled onto the couch and sipped her tea. Now that her evening was free, she could do whatever she wanted. She put the mug on the coffee table and then slid her tablet next to the mug.

  Drowsy and comfortable, she decided to take a nap. Yawning, she stretched out on the couch. She took the throw she kept draped on the back of the couch and pulled it over herself. She closed her eyes and fell asleep immediately.

  Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked around. Her vision barely penetrated the darkness. She was standing in a bedroom of sorts. A low fire burned in the hearth. The nearest object was a huge four-poster bed draped in blue curtains. Her heart leapt. So, it was going to be one of those dreams. Her subconscious really liked creating the fantasy romance with the cursed mage. She dreamed so often of Auron, she felt like she was in a relationship with him.

  “I’m glad you’ve returned to me.”

  Eager now, she hurried to the bed and grabbed the curtain. The fire whooshed and went out instantly. The room was cast into total darkness. Heart pounding, she parted the soft material and kneeled on the bed. “Why is it so dark?”

  “You can’t see me tonight. And you must not touch me.”