by Martha Carr
"Keep your wand up, girl! You're in a war zone!" May sent a shower of sparks just off Hannah's left shoulder, singeing her jacket. "Don't worry, I know who you are. Lacey is an old friend." She gave a wicked wink, smiling broadly while others around her were still trying to take her down. She turned and yelled "Excaliburation!" and blue fire sought out the nearest combatant. "That's how you do it," she said to Hannah, still smiling. "Confidence is everything in magic. You need to get out of here. You're too important to be captured."
"But the necklace got away."
"Just what I was hoping. The necklace is powerful and in the wrong hands is a dangerous weapon, and it's definitely in the wrong hands, but finding out who is behind all of this is even more important. We need them to feel like they have the upper hand. For now."
"An old Gnome. I saw an old Gnome."
"You saw him! He's getting bolder. Alright, I'll pass along the intel. Now, go. Till dawn do us part," she said, holding out her arm toward the rising sun. "Go! I'll hide your exit. Katie has no idea. Fewer that know the better, right?"
"Help me get out," said Hannah.
May spun around without answering her and sent out another blue flame just strong enough to burn the top of one of the wizard's pants, sending them down around his ankles. He tripped, trying to run away, and fell face first into the sandstone.
"Mmmmm, gotta love a little pratfall in the middle of some good May-hem. Yes, that's right! I said it!" She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Hannah was completely gone. "Alright, witches and wizards, I'd say you are all completely Scrooge McFucked! Who wants to surrender?"
The remaining members all dropped their wands and held up their hands, many of their fingers burned from the flames. Katie and May were untouched.
"Where's the necklace?" Katie asked, angrily.
"You asked me along to this party. This is your paying gig. I was just here as your backup, my friend. It got away." May drew her mouth into a thin line, her wand at the ready. "You done? We good?" Damn Atlanteans.
Katie scowled but answered, "Done. Fuck. Done and done. Sorry? Lost myself in that last fight. Dammit, necklace got away," she said, putting her palm to her forehead.
"That look is not a good one for you. We're not worriers, my friend. Come on, let's be off. I saw one of the little pricks call someone. Probably a parent. There will be a shit storm of wand wielders here any minute."
"We could take them, of course."
"Of course," said May, grinning. "But I'm getting hungry. Haven't had nearly enough coffee this morning. Let's get out of here. What do you say? Your mission is finished here."
"Kind of flamed out."
"Nice one and without caffeine. See? This is why we're friends."
"You're pretty much my only friend?"
"That's because I'm faster on the wand than you are so I don't buy those lovely little threats you like to hand out like candy and I can tolerate that tic you have of constantly asking non-questions."
"No idea what you mean?"
"Ooooh, I hear cars in the distance. Time to go. Listen kiddoes," said May, addressing the group. They were all huddling together, their wands still at their feet. The ground around them was singed with burn marks and a few were bleeding from small puncture wounds. "I see Katie got a little rough with you. Barbed wire spell is very effective, I must say. You absolutely deserved it." She scowled at them. "Any one of you picks up their wand and aims it at me while we're exiting, and I'll stop pulling my punches. That's right, those were softball fire bombs. Got it? Nod your heads. Very good. Next time, don't play with magic you don't understand."
"Enough with the public service announcement." Katie tilted her head to the side. "Let's go. I'll buy breakfast."
May followed her down the summit, running easily in her boots. "Damn right you'll buy. You're getting paid for this mayhem. They got halfway down the rocky path when they heard people coming in their direction.
"Hang on," said May, pulling Katie off the path with her as she waved her wand around both of them, turning in a tight circle, disguising them as a small stand of old spruce trees. "Hold very still and keep your pie hole closed," she whispered.
A group of angry parents bustled past them on the path, stumbling in the morning light. Many of them were dressed for work.
"Wait till I get my hands on Ronnie! This is the last straw! He will do his own laundry after this."
"What about the thing that showed up? Tentacles! You see the picture?" The man gave a shudder.
“Shhhh, don’t let anyone hear you say that. You know Rhazdon was an Atlantean!”
“Still…”
May gripped Katie's arm tightly. "Let them go," she whispered.
They waited until the parents were out of sight before quickly trekking down the mountain side. In the rush, May forgot to remove the spell as two trees made a break for a Ford Escort. It wasn't until the parking lot when May got in the car and saw her reflection in the rear-view mirror that she laughed and waved her wand, reversing the spell.
"Just your average morning," she said, starting up the car. "Where are we going for breakfast? How about a breakfast burrito?"
"I know you're a witch, but May you have the appetite of a Light Elf."
"And you're still buying," she said, as they sped out onto the road.
"The necklace," Katie said between clenched teeth as she performed a glamour spell of her own, transforming her hair into long blonde locks.
"Another day, my friend. We survive by focusing on the next thing in front of us and doing what we can, letting the rest go. Otherwise, you're fucked."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Leira got the call early in the morning. The necklace was in play again.
"I gotta go," she said, poking Correk in the shoulder. He was sound asleep on the couch, the troll snoring on his chest. "You'd think he was bonded with you these days," said Leira, putting the wash cloth back over the troll. He had taken to using it as a blanket. The troll let out a trill and curled up into a ball, it's eyes shut tight.
"You're not going to kiss it goodnight, are you?" Correk's eyes were open and he was watching her, amused.
Leira narrowed her eyes and weighed her options.
"You're thinking of trying an itching spell on me, aren't you? I'll tell your mother. In a heartbeat. No remorse." Correk sat up, gently scooping up the troll and laying him down in the shoe box on the floor. "You don't know those spells well enough, yet, anyway. You'd be just as likely to head off on your new job, scratching your armpits, or worse. Your nether regions."
"Leave my nether regions out of this. Now, all I want to do is just shoot you and be done with it. Go totally old school."
"Where do they have you going this time?" he whispered. "Best not to wake your mother."
Eireka was asleep in Leira's room. They were sharing a double bed for now. It still startled Leira every time she woke up and found her mother next to her, gently breathing, sleeping peacefully.
Leira hesitated. "Okay, I'm going to tell you but you can't come. It's official business and somehow you always end up in the middle of it."
Correk stood up, ready to go.
"That's the opposite of my telling you, you're not coming."
He headed into the kitchen grabbing a few of the Cheetos snack pack-sized bags.
"And that's not even remotely breakfast. What are you doing? Have I lost all authority in my own house?" She was whispering loudly, waving her arms until she noticed she had managed to waken the troll and he was standing in his nest, gleefully imitating her, waving his arms over his head.
"Is that what I look like?"
"Right down to the hair standing on end," said Correk, passing by her, heading out the door. "You coming? Say the spell over the troll, unless you think we may need him for back up, and let's go."
"Back up? You're really getting in deep, Bert."
"Call me Bert in front of anyone out there and you'll be walking in a cloud of gnats for the rest of the day
. They'll float just around your head. Maybe even a few up your nose."
Leira tucked in the troll, saying, "Nesturnium," over him. She gently eased open her bedroom door, looking in on her mother and saw she was still asleep, the covers pulled up around her shoulders. Leira caught up with Correk at the door and pulled the door shut, locking it. Keep Mom safe. It was a constant thought.
"Your mother is also part Light Elf. She can take care of herself," said Correk, gently.
"Don't use the soft voice on me. Not this early in the morning," said Leira. "It just creeps me out."
"Try to be understanding."
"Try to get tazed."
"What did Hagan say at times like these?"
"Get the fuck over yourself, and where's my damn doughnuts?"
"Leira!" The regulars were lined up at the bar, all wearing their Pin Pushers bowling shirts.
"What are you all doing here this early?" she asked, waving to Estelle behind the bar.
Estelle grunted and blew smoke out the side of her mouth, never bothering to take the cigarette out of her mouth.
"We're celebrating! We won the local championship!" said Margaret.
"It's bloody Mary time," growled Estelle, pouring tomato juice into a glass. A small bit of ash, still smoldering, dropped into one of the glasses. Estelle swirled the glass and shrugged, pouring in a healthy amount of vodka, finishing it off with a dash of tabasco. "That'll put it out." She stuck a stalk of celery in the glasses and slid them all down, moving them around as she pushed them. "Looks like you'll just have to take a chance," she cackled.
Mitzi hesitated, Lemon clutched under her arm but Mike and Scott looked at each other and said in unison, "Whatever," grabbing a glass.
Lucy tried to hand Leira a glass but Leira held up a hand. "No, none for me. On my way to work."
"Aw, come on. You too Correk? You guys helped lead us to victory!" said Mike.
"New job calls."
"Hey, practice starts soon for the softball team. You're gonna be on the team, right?" asked Margaret.
"We're the Ice Cold Pitchers," said Scott.
"Mike wanted Sons of Pitches and Craig voted for the Good Wood but Estelle refused to sponsor the team unless we picked her choice," said Mitzi. "I said Bat Attitude."
"You started with Brokebat Mountain."
"Yeah, it's true, I did. That got voted down first."
"I buy the shirts," yelled Estelle from the other end of the bar. "She who has the gold makes the rules."
"I've got to run," said Leira.
"You'll play, though, right?" asked Margaret. Everyone looked back and forth at Correk and Leira.
"I do every year, don't I?"
"You want us to check on your mom?" Lucy called out. Leira was already almost to the gate.
Leira pictured them looking in the shoe box on the floor and wondering why she had tucked in a rat with green hair.
"No need. She'll emerge when she's ready."
It was a short walk to the Mustang, parked almost in front of the bar.
“When did they start calling you Correk?”
"When I made a point of telling them while you were out. No more Mr. Muppet. You're slipping. Even your luck only got you a spot to the side of the bar."
Leira rolled her eyes. "I'm feeling like you're not taking this whole, I work for the Feds and there's a case thing seriously. Okay, fine, yes. We may as well hoof it down there. It's a block, Correk. Get out of the car. I'm not driving a block."
He got out of the car and straightened his tunic, doing his best to look dignified. "It's not like you wouldn't find a place right in front of the trucks."
Leira glared at him but looked at his outfit and said, "Okay, get in." She started up the car and rolled the car down a block to a spot just to the side of the food court.
"Something is definitely off," said Correk, already opening the door before she turned off the car.
"What is up with your insistence on wearing the tunic and the cowboy boots? Is it picture day?"
"I have no idea what you're babbling about but this is the most comfortable outfit I have besides the yoga pants and you made rather rude remarks when I wore those the last time. Something about a lumpy butt."
"Oh yeah," said Leira, laughing. "You had tube socks caught in the pants. Static cling'll get you every time. If I buy you some comfortable good old fashioned blue jeans, will you wear them? You can still wear the boots!" She got out of the car and headed for the taco truck.
"I will try them. They must be comfortable. It's practically all people on Earth wear. Why are you heading straight for the taco truck?"
"That should tell you something. Jeans go with anything and are very comfortable. And you always walk around all of the trucks and then end up at the taco truck and we don't have time for your ritual this morning. You either walk straight over here or get nothing. This car pulls out in five minutes, either way."
Correk relented and followed her to the truck.
"The usual?" The man in the truck was already making three egg and bacon breakfast tacos without even waiting for Correk's reply. Leira gave him a dead fish look. "I'll take two," she said, handing over the money.
"You'll thank me later. I shaved at least ten minutes off all of that. Same results."
***
Leira and Correk stood in a non-descript building in downtown Austin surrounded by men and women in dark suits, all wearing serious, stony expressions. Fischer and Cohen were among them.
"Parasuckmydick is here," said Fischer. Cohen thumped the back of his head. Hard. "Hey!" He scowled, looking over at Leira. "Where's your official PDA jacket?" He sneered still wincing. Cohen thumped him again. He looked ready for a fight.
"Next time it's with something harder than my hand." Cohen glared at him, resting his hand on his holster.
"Public display of asshole," muttered Fischer under his breath. Cohen glanced over at him, scowling.
"It's in the trunk," said Leira. "This isn't official business. I'm here as a courtesy. It didn't come through the right channels." No General, no case. That's what he told me.
"We appreciate the courtesy, you know that, right?" asked Cohen, trying a small, friendly smile. It was too late. "Who's your friend?"
"You don't have the clearance for me to tell you."
Fischer looked around Leira at Correk who let his eyes glow momentarily, keeping his chin down so only Fischer could see him. He patted his chest with his fist and made a series of small hand gestures, nodding at Fischer.
"What the fuck was that about?" whispered Leira.
"He's annoying. That was our old Scouts salute."
"You have Scouts?"
"We taught you. Be prepared is a longstanding motto of Light Elves."
"If we could get started?" A man stood in front of them, holding an open file in his hands. "There was a firefight on one of the summits at the Camelback Mountain range. Not the first time that place has had magical activity. But the first time it went beyond the equivalent of fireworks. The fight was between a group of young magical aliens we've had our eye on for quite some time. Bunch of hooligans. And two adult female aliens. Excuse me, one alien, one magical kind of Earthling. They were all fighting over a certain necklace." He looked at Leira but she waited for him to finish. Correk was twitching at her side, every time the man said the word, alien.
"Okay, so all parties got away and this necklace is still in the wrong hands. It's some kind of magical weapon, as I understand it."
Correk started to interrupt him but Leira gave him a hard look.
"It's associated with two incidents in Chicago and is being passed around like a deadly football. We need to get it back."
He stopped talking, shutting the file and tried to hand it to Leira.
"Is it in Austin?"
"Not that we know of."
"Then not my jurisdiction."
"You don't get to decide..."
"I'm the only one who decides," she said, cutting him off. "You h
ave no idea where that necklace is, do you? Who were the two other magical creatures who were on that summit?"
"One was an Agent May Sage, a witch who sometimes works with us and the other was someone named Katie Toler. We don't know her affiliation."
"Then you have it covered." Katie Toler, again. Has to be the Silver Griffins. "If they start to blow up Austin, call me. Better yet, you call the General the next time and clear this with him. You didn't, did you. I thought as much. I don't play outside of my jurisdiction." Not if I can help it, at least.
Leira left without waiting for a retort. They were just fishing and using her to get them leads they could take as their own. She'd seen it before. Not gonna happen.
She marched back to the car, clenching her fists, her face tense. She yanked open the door to the Mustang and slid in, pounding the steering wheel.
Correk slid into the passenger side. "You handled that brilliantly. The Silver Griffins must be involved. They're better equipped to deal with it."
"If they are, how did they lose the damn thing from their own secure vault?"
"A very good question. Worth finding out the answer. There has to be one out there.”
Leira shook her head in anger. "They saw us as a couple of freaks."
"Not everyone. Cohen certainly didn't."
Leira looked up. "You have a point. He risked his life to try and save me even when he didn't know what the hell was going on. That's pretty damn brave. There's another player on the board it looks like. May Sage. Have to hope she's not some magical bitch with a chip on her shoulder."
"Always the chance she could be an ally."
"Who has turned out to be a real ally for us, so far? Beyond my bowling team and a tiny bar owner?"
"That's not a bad start. The Silver Griffins are on our side, believe it or not. I know all about them. There's a similar order on Oriceran. The prophets put them together to help with the transition when the gates start to open again."
"We need to find that necklace."
"When we have a lead, we'll follow it. Wherever it takes us."
"Do you know anyone in the Silver Griffins on this side?"
"No, I don't, but Toni does. Remember? She mentioned a cousin that night at the Jackalope. We'll ask her. For now, we can go back to the house before your mother gets up and finds herself on a softball team."