Now You See Me

by Debbie Viguié

  She did try to kill me, she reminded herself.

  “What just happened?” her aunt asked from the backseat.

  “It wasn’t real. It was just a projection,” Opal said, hoping her aunt didn’t question it further.

  She turned and glanced behind her. Aunt Tanya was white as a sheet and she had her hands braced on the backs of Opal and Mal’s seats. She forced herself to smile. She needed answers from Tanya and she didn’t have time to deal with her aunt asking her questions instead.

  “It’s fine, I’ll explain later,” Opal said while wondering what on earth she could say that would actually make sense.

  “Look at the lovely trees on the left side of the car,” Mal said. His voice was deeper than normal and Opal found herself turning to stare at the trees.

  They didn’t seem to be all that special. She looked at him in confusion. He shot her a quick glance and she could tell that his eyes were glowing. She sucked in her breath. He must be doing some kind of magic. She just wasn’t sure what it was.

  “You’re right, very lovely,” Tanya said in a dreamy voice.

  Mal smiled faintly and Opal felt a chill dance up her spine. Somehow he had mesmerized her aunt.

  Just a little misdirection, the tool of all magicians and illusionists.

  She jumped slightly as she heard the words in her head in his voice as clear as if he’d spoken out loud. Which he hadn’t.

  She nodded slightly.

  They finally made it home and into the house. Tanya went ahead and sat down at the kitchen table with a weary sigh.

  “Will she remember the old woman?” Opal managed to whisper to Mal.

  “If she does her mind should slip off the topic every time she thinks about it,” he said.

  “Thanks.”

  He shrugged. “It seemed the best solution at the moment.”

  She started to walk into the kitchen and then hesitated.

  “You have to ask her,” Mal said.

  She nodded and took a deep breath and then strode forward. She pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. Mal stayed back by the doorway, leaning casually against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

  Her aunt looked up. She looked tired, but that was to be expected given what she’d just gone through. She frowned.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Opal licked her lips. “I need to talk to you about the... vitamins... you’ve been giving me.”

  “What about them?”

  “I know.”

  “Know what?” Tanya asked, looking genuinely confused.

  “I know they’re not vitamins.”

  “What? What on earth are you talking about?” Tanya asked. She stared hard at Opal and then her eyes drifted over toward Mal.

  “They are prescription depression medications. I recognized them, they have a fairly distinctive look,” Mal said.

  “What? That’s not possible,” Tanya said, sounding genuinely shocked.

  “Why are you drugging me with anti-depressants? Why didn’t you tell me what they were?” Opal asked.

  “I have no idea what you’re trying to-” Tanya broke off suddenly and a slow look of horror crossed her face. “I didn’t know,” she whispered at last.

  “Where did you get them?” Mal asked.

  “Opal’s family doctor, back in California. She came to the funeral. She told me that with all the stress Opal needed to build up her immune system and then she gave me the bottles. Said they’d help with fatigue and stress and that they were specially formulated vitamin blends. She told me she’d send more before we ran out. I had no idea it was anything other than what she said.”

  “Why on earth would Dr. Turner not have told you at least?” Opal asked.

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out,” Tanya said, her jaw clenching.

  “Do me a favor, don’t say anything yet to Dr. Turner, I want to make sure I’m right about what both pills are,” Mal said.

  Opal didn’t know why he was delaying telling the doctor, but she was furious. Dr. Turner had been their family doctor since the old one retired when she was little.

  “I am so sorry, I had no idea,” Tanya said, turning to Opal.

  “It’s okay,” Opal said, standing and giving her aunt a quick hug.

  “You should probably get some rest,” Mal suggested.

  Tanya nodded and stood up after Opal let go of her. “I think that’s a good idea.” She looked at Opal. “If you need anything, come wake me.”

  “I will,” Opal promised.

  Tanya nodded and left the kitchen. Opal could hear her footsteps on the stairs and then her door closing upstairs.

  She walked over to Mal.

  “I’m glad she didn’t know,” he said. “But, I’m worried about what the doctor was doing.”

  “I don’t even know what to think.”

  “Don’t worry about it right now. I’ll look into some things,” he said, giving her a smile.

  “Okay.” She didn’t know what else to say. Everything just seemed like it was happening at once and she had no idea why people were doing the things they were doing. That led her thoughts back to the witch who had now made two appearances even if the second one wasn’t in the flesh.

  “So, what happened, the witch...”

  “It was a mirage. Whoever set the trap was banking on the fact that I’d hit the brakes or swerve to avoid hitting someone in the middle of the road.”

  “But you didn’t,” she said.

  “No. I could see that the sides of the road had been iced over so that if I swerved or tried to brake too hard and fishtailed-”

  “You would have hit it and lost control,” Opal finished.

  “That’s right.”

  “Was someone trying to kill you? Us?”

  He hunched his shoulders. “Maybe. It’s not right that you and your aunt are being put in danger, though. I have to put a stop to that.”

  She put a hand on his chest. She could feel his heart beating strong and steady while hers was pounding away in fear. She remembered how he had slowed her heart the first time the witch had attacked. He’d spoken words in Latin, what had they been?

  “Cor tuum, ut cor meum,” he whispered, as though reading her mind.

  She expected to feel her heart slowing but instead this time she felt his accelerating to match hers. She looked up into his eyes and could see the flash of lightning in them. When he bent down to kiss her electricity skittered across her lips making them tingle sharply.

  He finally pulled away. He cleared his throat and took her hand off his chest and held it between both of his. The lightning faded from his eyes and he suddenly looked very unsure to her.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “So,” Mal said, looking sheepish. “There’s this thing I have to ask you.”

  She wondered what on earth could make him look squirmy. He was always strong, confident seeming. Even when he’d given her the ring he hadn’t looked this uncomfortable.

  “Okay, what is it?” she asked.

  “I’d like to invite you for dinner.”

  “Okay,” she said, raising an eyebrow.

  “At my house.”

  “And?” she asked, wondering what the catch was.

  “And my dad wants to meet you.”

  “Oh. Um. Sure.”

  She didn’t know why, but the thought startled her. Deep down she guessed she really wasn’t ready to meet Mal’s family. It seemed very formal and a bit scary.

  “Should I be bringing my aunt?” she asked.

  “Only if you want to. We can do that separate if you like. I could come over to your house for dinner one night.”

  Okay, now it was really feeling way too formal. “What’s going on?” she asked.

  Mal scuffed his toe on the ground like he was a little boy. It was such a different side of him it was just weird. “My dad knows I gave you the ring.”

  “Ah, I see. And he what, wants to see if I’m worthy of it or something?” she
asked, feeling a bit defensive.

  “No, it’s just...he knows what the ring is, and what it means, and what you mean to me. So, he wants to meet you.”

  “Okay, pretending for five seconds that that’s not all as scary as it sounds, when would he be wanting me to come over for dinner?”

  “Tomorrow night.”

  She nodded. “And is there any particular dress code?”

  “Not really.”

  “And can I bring anything?”

  “Like what?” he asked with a frown.

  She stared at him. “Oh, I don’t know, eye of newt, toe of a frog.”

  “We’re not witches.”

  It took her a moment to figure out that he hadn’t realized she was making a joke.

  “A side dish? Can I bring a side dish is what I meant.”

  “What? Oh, um, no, I don’t think so.”

  “Okay, why are you so freaked out? Because you’re starting to freak me out.”

  “I’m not freaked out.”

  She crossed her arms and stared at him. “All evidence to the contrary. You didn’t even catch that I was making a joke about the newt.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, flushing slightly. “My dad and I...things between us have been odd since I...since I became a Magician.”

  That wasn’t what he’d started to say. He had started to say things hadn’t been the same since Mal had killed the teacher. She could tell. “I’m sorry,” she said, touching his arm lightly.

  “They’re not bad, they’re just not...the same, you know? There are days I’d give just about anything to have him treat me like a kid instead of an adult. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s weird to feel like you’re more of a peer with your father than anything else.”

  “Look at the bright side. If he doesn’t like me you’ll probably get the lecture of your lifetime.”

  The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. “Promises. Promises.”

  She smirked.

  “But, seriously, I’m sure he’ll love you. I mean, who wouldn’t?”

  It was her turn to blush and she looked down. “Thanks.”

  “Okay, great. It’s all set. I’ll pick you up tomorrow night at a quarter to six.”

  “It’s just a few houses away. You don’t have to pick me up,” she said with a laugh.

  “Oh, but I do. That way I’ll be sure you’re coming, even if I have to pry you out of your house.”

  “Okay, you better kiss me before I change my mind about the whole thing.”

  He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss that was over far too soon. It left her lips tingly, though, which made her grin from ear to ear.

  Saturday she felt like she ran a thousand and one errands. That was okay, though, because it kept her from thinking too much about dinner that night with Mal’s father. Every time she did stop for more than a minute her thoughts went straight there and she could feel butterflies in her stomach.

  “It’s going to be okay,” she told herself as she double-checked her hair and make-up for the tenth time.

  The doorbell rang and she hurried downstairs. Mal was on the porch, a sheepish grin on his face.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Good, because neither am I,” he said.

  “Thanks, you always know just what to say to make a girl feel better,” she said sarcastically.

  “It’s a gift.”

  The walk to his house seemed like it was over in ten seconds. Before Mal could reach for the door knob the door opened and a tall man with dark hair dusted with silver stood there looking down at her.

  “Opal, this is my father, Matthew Hart. Father, this is Opal,” Mal said.

  She noticed the lack of an identifier in front of her name like girlfriend or fiancée. She held out her hand.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said.

  “The pleasure is all mine, my dear,” Matthew said. He took her hand and lifting it slightly, he bent over to give it a kiss. He straightened up and let go. “It’s an honor to meet the woman who has captured my son’s heart,” he said.

  Opal blushed. “Thank you.”

  “Please come in,” he said, stepping aside.

  She walked into the entryway and Mal closed the door.

  Matthew glanced down, his eyes falling on the ring she was wearing. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I didn’t know Mal had made it official,” he said, turning to look at his son. “I guess we had better get started planning the wedding.”

  Opal started. “Oh, no, um...no wedding planning right now.”

  He frowned. “But he gave you the ring.”

  “I did give it to her, but with the understanding that there was no rush, no pressure at this time,” Mal said quickly.

  “That is not the way this works,” Matthew said.

  Opal felt like her heart was going to pound its way free of her chest.

  “Opal’s not prepared to marry so young. We must wait at least until she is finished with high school,” Mal said hastily.

  “Is it marriage that you are unsure of or my son?” Matthew asked, turning to her.

  Opal felt herself blush harder. “A bit of both, I guess,” she said. She instantly regretted it. She shouldn’t have implied that she was unsure of Mal, especially to his father. “I mean, I’m not ready to get married,” she added hastily.

  “Well, we can discuss it later,” Matthew said, giving her the tiniest of smiles. “Now it’s time to eat.”

  He turned and led the way and she fell into step behind him, Mal just a few inches away. They ended up in a dining room that reminded her of every other dining room she’d ever seen. The table had space enough for six chairs but only four were present. There was a chandelier above the table that didn’t appear to be extraordinary in any way.

  “Not what you expected?” Mal asked.

  “Yeah, after seeing your room I expected it to be much more...magical, I guess.”

  “You’ve been in his room?” Matthew questioned, turning sharply.

  “Oh, just for a couple of minutes the other day,” she said, wishing she hadn’t mentioned that.

  “A lot can happen in a couple of minutes,” Matthew said.

  “It can, but it didn’t,” Mal said sharply.

  Opal was starting to think the whole dinner thing was a very bad idea.

  “I meant no offense to my future daughter-in-law,” Matthew said.

  A very, very bad idea.

  “So, what’s for dinner?” Opal asked nervously, desperate to change the subject.

  “Lasagna with salad and garlic bread,” Matthew said. He indicated the table and she took a step forward and saw the items in question already on the table. “Please, have a seat,” he invited.

  She did and then the other two sat as well. Once the food had been passed around and the first bites taken Matthew again addressed Opal. “So, you’re from California. How are you adjusting to the differences here?”

  “Frankly, everything is still a bit of a blur. I have made some friends, though, which is nice.”

  “Oh, who?”

  “Well, Ginger, Annie, and Hannah,” she said.

  “Hannah Black?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Mal piped up.

  “It’s nice one of your friends knows about our world. Sometimes you just need someone you can talk things over with, confide in.”

  Opal nodded, not sure what to say.

  “And Ginger, her name sounds familiar,” Matthew mused.

  Mal flinched. “She was in my homeroom class Freshmen year,” he said quietly.

  “Oh, yes, that poor girl,” Matthew said, pity flashing across his face. “Well, I’m glad she and you are okay being friends.”

  “Thanks.”

  Fortunately, the rest of dinner he asked much more mundane questions, mostly about how school was going for each of them. It took a while, but she finally started to relax.

  “That was really good lasagna, thank you,” she said
after eating her last bite.

  “Now comes the best part, dessert,” Mal said with a twinkle in his eye. He gathered up the empty plates. “I’ll be right back with it,” he said.

  He disappeared into the other room, leaving Opal alone with his father.

  Matthew smiled at her. “I must say you certainly outclass Malachi.”

  She blushed. Before she could respond, he continued.

  “You’re a sweet girl, so I hope you won’t mind my giving you some advice.” He leaned forward in his chair and locked his eyes on her. “Get away from my son.”

  17

  “Excuse me?” Opal said, her stomach suddenly twisting into a knot.

  Matthew’s smile was gone as he leaned forward. “I love my son very much, but he’s got a tough road ahead of him. One that it pains me to realize is probably going to be a very short one as well. I’m not a stupid man. I know there’s no way he’ll follow in my footsteps. He’s too much like his mother. I just don’t want to see you get hurt when the inevitable happens.”

  “I don’t understand,” she said. Her hands had begun to shake and she clenched them in her lap.

  “You know what he is.”

  She nodded.

  “Has he told you that there’ve been two attempts on his life in the last three months?”

  “No,” she said, barely able to get the word out.

  “Both times he’s gotten lucky. There’s nothing I can do to protect him and I’ve made my peace with that as best as I could. There’s no reason that a lovely young lady such as yourself, though, should have to suffer for kissing the wrong boy, one with a death mark on him. You deserve better than that. You deserve better than him.”

  Opal was shocked and struggled with how to respond. She’d been worried that he wouldn’t think she was good enough for Mal. She’d never dreamed for even a moment that the opposite might be true.

  “Mal is a good man.”

  “I know he is. And I also know that he genuinely loves you. But there is no happy ending there, no matter how much you want there to be.”

  So many things flashed through her mind in that moment, not the least of which was the urge to get up and run out of the house and never have to say another word to Mal’s father. She remembered how agitated Mal had been when asking her to dinner to meet his father. Had he suspected his dad would say something like this to her?