"I suppose that's true. I'm sure her spell-book has quite a thick spine, just like mine."
"You think she could reverse certain magic?"
Martha set down her cup.
"This is about your friend, isn't it?"
Like with Martha and Aggie, Kevin had to question the use of the word friend.
"He's been alive for almost two centuries. He just wants to age again, grow older with his daughter."
"What that witch did to that poor man, it's unspeakable. Some magic sounds wonderful on paper, but not so much in use. That magic, I'm glad not many others know it. Honestly, your parents should never have written it down. It should be forbidden." She cast him a sideways glance, a half-smile on her face. "Just like gifting a vampire with daylight."
"Yeah, yeah," he said, rolling his eyes.
"I don't know every witch in the world, but I contacted who I could. No one knows of a cure for immortality, I'm afraid."
"Do you know any other full-blooded witches? Jack said the cure has to come from someone like me."
"And how does he know this?"
"Well, uh, he…he's beaten up a lot of witches."
The reaction wasn't what he expected.
"I almost don't blame him. I'm sorry, Kevin, if that's true, I can't help you. It'll have to come from you."
"Great. Thanks."
Martha stood up and stretched her arms.
"Well, I've got a busy day, and Aggie has already made me late. I have to go to the library, and tonight I'll be at the store."
"You know, I could probably set it up where you could do all your paperwork from home."
"Thank you. That might be a good idea. But I actually have to work the register. Do you remember Meghan?"
Kevin did. He met her once, on one of his stops at Martha's convenience store. He'd absorbed quite a bit of Sanders since staying with Martha. Her store was very successful, and he guessed one of the reasons was due to Meghan. Sweet and beautiful, shoppers always made sure to stop at the counter a few extra minutes when she was working.
"Yeah, I remember her."
"Her son is in a school play, so she has to leave early. Darlene is sick, so I'll be filling in."
"Got it. No dinner for you tonight."
"Like hell. You'd better cook something and put it in the fridge."
"Will do," he said, laughing.
Martha waved farewell as she left the house. The store was close enough that she never bothered to drive. Kevin shook his head as he thought about the morning. Meeting a witch elder was definitely unusual. He wasn't sure if he liked Aggie or not.
He wondered what Martha wasn't telling him.
CHAPTER 14
Every burner on the stove was on. Three of them had various foods. Ground beef, vegetables, macaroni and cheese. The fourth was reserved for magic. Kevin brewed potion after potion, capturing each in glass vials. He placed them carefully in the rack on the table, making sure to be quick. Dinner didn't need to suffer because of magic. He stirred the vegetables and went back to brewing another potion. Martha was nearly out of cinnamon, a key ingredient for invisibility. He'd have to chip in more money to replenish her spice cabinet.
Dinner cooled as he turned on her old radio in the corner. Music, magic, and food. The night couldn't get any more boring. Sitting at the table, he closed his eyes to enjoy the moment. Boring was exactly what he needed.
But he missed Leese.
He wondered what she was doing. Did she miss him? How was work going? Were nights out with the group the same without him? Had she met anyone new?
His thoughts were shaken when a black cat jumped on the table and nearly knocked over the vial rack.
"Oscar!" he said. "Be careful."
Oscar spun several times. Before curling into a ball, he shot Kevin a penetrating, green-eyed glare. He collapsed away from Kevin, giving him his back to pet. Kevin understood the meaning clearly.
"Yeah, I miss her, too." He searched the kitchen. "Where's Sebastian? Did you beat his ass?"
Upon hearing his name, Sebastian strolled past and aimed for the water bowl. He paid Kevin no mind. Sebastian liked Kevin, but he made it clear he knew who his master was.
Kevin was in the middle of changing the pot for more magic when the phone rang. He whirled in place, having never heard it ring before. Martha was relatively up to date with technology, but still had a land-line phone on the wall. He felt silly for a moment as he struggled with what to do. Should he answer it? Would an ancient answering machine somewhere else in the house take over?
Maybe it was Leese, trying to get a hold of him?
He tentatively approached and picked up the receiver.
"Hello? This is Martha's house."
"I'd hope so. You haven't taken it over yet."
He laughed.
"Hey, Martha."
"You know, I had to look up my own number. I haven't had to call it in years."
"Are you at the store?"
"No. That's why I'm calling. What are you doing right now?"
"Making dinner." He glanced at the vial rack, and his eyes went large. He'd been making potions at such a pace, he didn't notice how many he'd finished. A few more, and he'd fill up a one-hundred vial rack. "And a couple of potions."
"So, no plans? No hot dates or anything?"
That made him think of Leese. A lovely image of her sprang to mind, and he shoved it away quickly, before he became a bundle of nerves.
"I'm still on break from dating."
"Good. Because I need someone to work the store tonight."
Kevin laughed, but it was short-lived when Martha didn't join in.
"You're serious?"
"Yeah. Meghan's still there, but she'll be late to her boy's play if you don't hurry."
"You said you were working tonight."
"Something came up. Come on, Kevin. Help me here."
"But I don't know what I'm doing! I've never worked at a store before."
"It's a cash register." Her amused tone wasn't lost on him. "You used to work at the mall, right?"
"Well, yeah. But it's different."
"It's not that different. Meghan can give you a quick walk-through before she leaves. She's waiting for me to call her back. What do you want me to tell her?"
He sighed and held the receiver against his forehead. Frustration poked at him. He tried to focus on the positive. Martha was letting him stay with her rent-free. Meghan truly was a nice woman, and it would be a pleasure to help her. Working at the store for a few hours would keep his mind off Leese. It was also simple compared to other favors asked of him. If only Victoria's requests were that simple.
He could also stock up on ingredients.
"Tell her I'll be there in five minutes."
"Thank you. You're really pulling me out of a jam."
"No problem. I'll put dinner in the fridge."
Kevin hung up and immediately got to work. He put fresh food down for the cats, cleaned up the kitchen. Moving slowly and cautiously, he carried the rack of various magical potions to the basement and gingerly set them on a shelf. His coat hung on the arm of the couch. He gave it a smile, realizing it'd been a while since he'd actually went out, except for a simple trip or two.
His coat was special. A gift from Victoria, he'd soaked it in various magic. It was fireproof, would mend from simple tears, had multiple pockets and compartments. It had served him well.
But it was bulky, heavy. Movement wasn't always easy, and despite his best efforts, organization of vials and ingredients were difficult.
He patted it gently, almost feeling like a farewell. He slung a simple backpack, a work-in-progress, over his shoulder.
One quick goodbye and ear-scratch for Oscar and Sebastian, and Kevin was walking down the street.
The trek to the store was fast. He nodded and greeted several people on the way. The town of Sanders was small, and he'd gotten to know quite a few people. Renee and Douglas always jogged together, and gave him a friendly w
ave as they moved across the road. Mrs. Simone was walking her poodle.
Meghan was already packing up as Kevin stepped into the store. She'd spotted him in the parking lot and decided to get a head start. There were no customers, which Kevin was thankful for. Meghan lit up the store with a smile as he awkwardly stood at the counter.
"Martha roped you in?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"I figured it was only a matter of time. What are you standing over there for? Come back over here."
He lifted the hinged counter and leaned against the wall. Setting his backpack on the floor, he watched Meghan continue to gather her belongings.
"Thank you so much, Kevin," she said. "If you didn't show up, I don't know what I'd do. I can't just leave the store, but I've missed enough of Tommy's stuff."
"No problem at all." He looked at the space around him. A cash register he wasn't familiar with. An old dot matrix printer, which he didn't know still existed. Mysterious black and white monitors. There would indeed be problems. "I can handle this."
"Thank you so much," she gave him a quick hug, catching him by surprise. Meghan began pointing at various objects and talking. It took a few seconds for Kevin to realize she was training him. "The security cameras are there, there, and there. The monitors are here. Pretty much everything is covered, but you should watch out for the back right corner. Not that many people try to steal, but it happens. Don't forget to take the trash out before you lock up. Did Martha give you a key?"
"Uh, no."
"Really? Hmm, I guess she'll stop by before the night's over."
He felt more and more like he was falling into a trap he couldn't climb out of. He didn't even know where Martha was.
"Yeah, one can hope."
"Don't forget to count out the drawer. The safe's in the back, near Martha's office."
He was at least familiar with the safe. He'd seen it before. But counting out a drawer was another mystery.
"Got it."
Meghan was still talking as she headed for the door. Kevin laughed and shook his head, giving her a wave. He heard nothing she said. He watched her slide into her car and drive away.
The store was eerily quiet. All he could do was hope for not too many customers and not to make himself look like an idiot.
After more than an hour, his hopes were coming true. It was a slow night. He had the store all to himself. The biggest challenge was battling boredom. He decided to do a little light shopping himself, and browsed the aisles to pick out things he needed. There was still a lot of magic to brew, much work to be done. He spent some nights in Martha's basement making potions, the ones that didn't need heat. Mix, touch, and pour into a vial. Sometimes, he thought the routine would overwhelm him.
He hoped all the work was worth it.
It wasn't until almost nine o'clock when the first customer walked in. The bell jingled, and Kevin tried to peer over the shelves to get a glimpse. He caught a head of light red hair, more like strawberry blonde, just above the cans of dog food. Kevin put back the bag of sugar and walked quickly to the front.
"I'm here," he announced. "Don't want you to think the store is empty. How are—?"
He froze when he saw her. The woman was picking through the shelves for a bottle of water. An overwhelming sense of familiarity struck again. It was the same woman he saw when he first arrived at Martha's house. She was dressed very casual, in a pair of gray sweatpants and a white tee shirt. Her shape was fit and trim, a runner's body. As beautiful as she was, it wasn't her looks that tied his tongue and locked his gaze.
Kevin knew he'd met her somewhere before.
"I'm fine, thanks," she said, guessing the rest of his question. "Do you have any ice? I don't see it up here."
"Yeah," he said, nodding. "In the back."
He watched her as she retrieved a bag and approached the counter. Her inventory was simple. A bottle of water, a bag of ice, and a candy bar.
"Do I know you?"
She paused a moment before setting down the rest of her items. A sly smile crossed her face.
"Not the best line. And I might be a little old for you. But I'm flattered."
"Line?" He shook his head. "No. No, no. I'm not hitting on you."
"That's what they say when the line fails."
"I'm not, I swear. I just thought…." He decided there was no point. "Let's just get you going, here."
He grabbed the scanner and waved it over the bar-code. Nothing happened. Staring at the register, nothing jumped out that seemed useful. He scanned once again. No price came up on the register, there was no noise. He wasn't even sure what was supposed to happen. Despite the circumstances, he tried not to smile. All the powerful magic in the world couldn't help him figure out a cash register.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
He repeated the question with a sarcastic laugh.
"What's wrong. What's wrong is I got talked into helping someone, and I couldn't be more lost."
She laughed.
"I can relate to that." She moved around the counter. "Let's see what we can do."
Kevin's jaw dropped as she joined him behind the register. He glanced at the monitors, to see if one was pointed at him. He didn't read the company handbook, but was sure it was against the rules for customers to make themselves at home behind the counter.
"Oh, wow," she said, eyeing the cash register. "This is an old system. Haven't seen one of these in a long time. Hit that button there to get the scanner working."
He followed her instructions. She reached for the scanner and rung up her own items.
"Okay. This button here marks the end of sale."
The register popped open. Kevin had a terrible thought of her grabbing the money and running, but she didn't. She pulled a ten-dollar bill from her sock, counted out her change, and shut the register.
"See? Not that hard."
"Wow. Thanks."
"Sure."
She circled the counter and retrieved her items. Flashing a smile, she moved to the door.
"Oh, hey." She turned. "Do I know you?"
Kevin laughed at the joke, and the stranger left without another word. She didn't get in a car, but walked down the street. She drew second glances from all sides as she disappeared into the distance.
If only all the customers were that pleasant.
Not long after, two men stopped in, and Kevin was almost sure he'd have to call the police. They were loud and obnoxious, playing catch with a roll of toilet paper across the aisles. Twenty minutes passed without them buying anything, and Kevin wondered what their goal was, besides killing time. He watched the monitors closely, but they made no move to steal anything.
It was only when they harassed an elderly customer did he lose his patience.
A woman with a cane was buying medicine when the two men approached her from behind. One placed his head on her shoulder, nearly making her fall.
"Hey there, Grandma. You looking for a date?"
"Are you kidding me? She needs a pacemaker, not a date."
One of them bumped into her as she reached into her purse. It was only a quick grab from Kevin across the counter that kept her from tumbling.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
The woman managed a nod, but held onto the counter with both hands. Kevin's anger boiled over as he looked up. He was still sometimes hesitant in dealing with the supernatural world, but he never shied away from confronting humans when needed.
"Why don't you two get the fuck out of here?"
The smiles turned into snarls.
"Or what? We kind of like it here."
Kevin reached behind him and plucked a vial from one of the pockets of his backpack. By the time he turned around, the men were already nearly to the door. They thought he had a gun. While the potion he picked was non-lethal, two hours of intense hallucinations caused by their deepest fears could certainly rival a flesh wound. They were halfway across the parking lot when he opened the door and cocked his arm. Rational thoug
ht took over, and he thought it best not to chuck magic at two morons for all to see.
He turned to check on the elderly woman.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded with a deep breath and shook her head sadly.
"The world's just not a safe place anymore."
"Was it ever safe?"
She gestured to the door.
"Danny and Matt. You'll never find one without the other."
"You know those two dickheads?"
"My granddaughter used to date one of the dickheads."
Kevin laughed and looked her over. She didn't seem hurt, only frustrated.
"You want me to walk you to your car?"
"No, thank you. Forget what Danny said. I really don't need a date."
He walked her to her car anyway.
CHAPTER 15
Kevin groaned in frustration as he called Martha for the fourth time, only to listen to her voicemail. It was ten minutes after eleven. He'd flipped the sign on the door to announce they were closed. He also locked the door from the inside.
That was all.
He had no idea what to do. He didn't have a key to truly lock up. Unlocking anything was easy for a witch, but he still needed a key if he wanted to lock the door from the outside. There was an alarm panel near Martha's desk in the back, which he didn't know how to activate. All he could do was call Martha, and she wasn't answering the phone.
He did find a sheet of emergency contact numbers under the counter. He didn't know how long it'd been since it was updated. Martha's name and number were on top. Meghan was listed, but her number had been changed. Another number was from an employee Kevin recognized as being fired over a year ago. Apparently, he was stealing from the register.
Pacing back and forth, he tried to think of options. He could lock the store from the inside, then simply create a portal leading to the back alley. But the alarm wouldn't be set. There was also the matter of the drawer. Was he supposed to leave all the money inside?
He called for a fifth time, and nearly slammed the store phone down when she didn't answer. Her voicemail greeted him once again.
"Martha, it's Kevin." It was a challenge to watch his tone. "I'm still here at the store. I'd like to get out of here sometime tonight, so please, call me back. Tell me what to do, what the alarm code is, whatever you want me to do. Thanks."
Damned and Cursed (Book 8): Witch Trial Page 17