by Martha Carr
They saw the low yellow glow from the lantern in the distance marking the entrance to Hilldale. As they got closer the outline of Correk became more visible as the Willens swarmed around him.
"Back up. We don't go in. Your husband has to come out first. We have a deal." He stood in front of the symbols, refusing to move. The Willens backed up but the ground underneath shuddered and a gold mist came up from the ground, gathering around their ankles and they rushed forward again.
Correk quickly conjured a fireball in his hands, sending it into an arc of flame between himself and the Willens. "Back up!" The flame lingered, lighting up the faces for a moment before slowly fading. "That's your last warning."
Leira caught up to the group and stood beside the older female Willen. "We've kept our side of the bargain and from what I know, you have your own kind of integrity. A deal's a deal. We get the information we came for and then you get to go down those stairs. The deal will be done."
She looked up at Leira, her eyes narrowed. "You know the difference between a thief and a thug. Impressive. You're right. A deal's a deal and you rescued us from the humans and their guns. I only took a weapon, just in case. We don't normally trade in things that go bang. The risk is not worth the reward. But humans..."
"I get it. Natural enemies of sort." Not going to point out I'm part human. "Then we wait."
Before she could answer the ground trembled again and opened up, the stairs jutting out, one at a time, down into the Earth. It wasn't long before the Willen they had met poked his head above the surface, sniffing the air, his whiskers twitching as he hurriedly looked around. His eyes darted back and forth between his mother, and his wife and son. He waved a paw at his mother.
"He always was a momma's boy," said the grandmother Willen. Leira saw Eireka smile for just a moment. That's going to be a crowded house, thought Leira.
"You have the information we wanted?" Correk went and stood in front of the steps between the Willen and his family.
"I do, of sorts. It's not great news but I kept my part of the bargain." He pulled an old leather ledger out of the folds of his skin. It had an 'O' burned into the cover. "All there is. Almost cost me my tail." He whipped his tail around and gingerly held it in his hands. There was a splint halfway down where the long tail was bent at an angle. Red and purple bruising stretched out under the bandage.
"How did you get in the vault?" Correk asked, astonished. He took the ledger from the Willen.
"Not part of our deal. Nothing is impenetrable. Have to know the right person, grease the wheels. Cost me my winter's stash but it was worth it." He smiled at his family, rubbing his paws together. "We good?"
Correk carefully opened the ancient ledger and saw the words appear as he turned the pages. "This says the way can be opened but only from within and only with enough power."
Leira went and read over his shoulder. "That's like atom splitting kind of power. And only from within." She stepped back and looked at Correk. "That's how much energy that black mist must have. It's got to be thousands of years’ worth of dark magic sucked into that thing."
Correk was still turning pages, reading as fast as he could, searching for something they could use before he got out of the way of the Jersey Willens. "It says once the way is finally ripped asunder, those that fell in can get out. Just as I suspected."
"Even the dead?"
He didn't answer, turning the page. "The world in between acts as some kind of balance between Oriceran and Earth. It's apparently got a function. It takes in dark magic and holds it, along with those who get sucked in accidentally. Ripping open a hole lets all of that dark magic out."
"At once," whispered Leira.
Correk looked up at Leira. "That's why it's hunting you. You're the tipping point. You have an unusual amount of energy. It's unable to open a hole long enough to crawl out. But with you..."
"Great. I'm it's fucking holy grail. Is there any good news?"
"Hang on, something about the power of the inner light...A test of character..."
The air suddenly shimmered around them and there was the smell of ozone in the air reminding Leira of approaching rain. The Willens all let out a collective gasp and a look of fear came across the Willen's face. He looked to his mother.
"Run away!" she yelled, waving her paws at him, but he hesitated at the top of the stairs.
"What is it?" Leira looked back at the grandmother Willen who was holding her grandson close to her.
There was a snap and a crackle and a shower of silver sparks. A portal opened up near Correk and a Gnome snarled, "I'll take that!" snatching the ledger out of Correk’s hand before he could react. The poppy on the Gnome's derby bared its teeth and blew a raspberry at Correk. "You!" The Gnome leaned out of the portal, half of him in Oriceran and half of him on Earth.
Leira could see into the portal. There were row upon row of books that stretched up behind him. The Gnome was reaching out for the Willen. "Trevilsom Prison for the likes of you." Leira rushed to block the Gnome, slipping by Correk's outstretched hand as he tried to stop her.
The grandmother Willen barked and ran at the Gnome who turned, his hand just grazing the Willen on the stairs, just as Leira pulled him out of the way. They fell back, tumbling down the first few steps together. Leira held him down, crouching there as the Gnome shook his fist.
"If I ever see you on Oriceran again...," he yelled at the Willen, holding the ledger close. "House of Oriceran!" He looked at Correk and spit. "You know better!" Before Correk could answer the portal shrunk to the size of the head of a pin with another shower of sparks, ending with a loud pop.
The stars overhead became visible again as Leira helped up the Willen. "You in one piece?"
The Willen nodded and scurried up the stairs on all four, running to his family. They embraced until it was hard to tell where one Willen ended and another one started. Leira came up the stairs more slowly, trying to shake off the feeling their plan had failed. She made herself ask the question of Correk. "Did you see anything we can use?"
"No, not really," he said, his voice catching. "I'm sorry. I know you wanted..."
Leira balled her hands into fists, spinning around, her voice low and angry. One damn obstacle after another. "I'm not giving up. That's not my thing. You should know that about me by now. Same plan."
"The risk, Leira. If you got pulled in." Correk took a step toward her but she backed up, widening her stance.
"Even if it's the last good thing I do." Her voice was defiant.
"We do." Her mother went and stood by her side. "You'll need a lot of us."
Correk looked at the two women. "The greatest risk is to you Leira but I am honored to fight by your side." He put out his fist in front of him. "Even if it's the last good thing we do."
"What is this a fist bump kind of thing?" Leira swallowed hard, trying not to show how much it meant to her.
"No, woman! It's something we do before battle. You put your fist on top."
Leira put her fist on top of his.
"Well, now it's too late. The moment is gone."
"Go on, do the rest! There was more, wasn't there. Is there a slogan? Come on, shout it loud, nice and proud." Leira put her head back and howled like a wolf.
"Ridiculous." Correk rolled his eyes but he didn't remove his fist.
The Willen who had gotten his family back came over and put his paw on top of their fists. "If it's the last good thing we do. You saved my life. If you ever need a favor, on the house. You come look for me. Never seen anyone risk their life for a Willen before, least of all a Light Elf." He looked at Leira with tears in his eyes.
"Oh hell!" Correk leaned back and looked up toward the stars, opening his mouth wide to let out a guttural roar that started in his chest. The Willen's paw trembled but he held fast. Correk took in a deep breath and let it out again as Leira leaned back and howled and the Willen barked. Soon, all the Willens barked as the sound echoed down the stairs.
"If it's the last go
od thing we do," whispered Eireka smiling, tears in her eyes. "But please, don't let it be."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The sound of bird calls could be heard throughout the nondescript building in Alexandria, Virginia, home to the PDF.
"They're coming to get ya, Patsy." Lois cackled, leaning back in her swivel chair.
Lois took out her wand and waved it in front of the virtual screen, changing it back to the official government channel.
"Just when Hoda and Kathie Lee were gonna pick a winner. I sent in my entry this week, you know." She pushed her glasses back up her nose.
"You send one in every week," said Patsy.
"The prize was a gas grill with all the attachments. Earl would have loved that!"
"You know darn well you can charcoal something in under a minute with a wave of your wand right in your own kitchen."
"Last time I did that I smoked my best kitchen towel. The one that said, give peas a chance. Poof!" She waved her hand in the air. "Went up like that. I cussed a blue streak. Earl tried to find another one but came home with some godawful thing with cows and chickens on it. I don't collect cows and chickens, Patsy!"
"Uh oh, look Lois. They've come with reinforcements. That can't be good."
Lois rolled herself closer to the screen, scrunching up her nose to keep her glasses in place. General Anderson was with them. He glanced up at the security camera by the door. "That's not a battalion. That's not even enough for a good game of Bunko." She looked at Patsy tidying up the place.
"What in tarnation are you doing? They aren't coming to fire us. They need us. They like us. They see the two of us as relatively harmless." She arched an eyebrow doing her best imitation of sinister. "Foolish humans." She cackled again.
"Ever since all that trouble started with the necklace, and the skirmish with the Silver Griffins and then we had to help move those Willens! What next? These are not ordinary times!" She stopped long enough to eat a handful of green peanut M&Ms. The sound of birds grew louder.
"Oooh, you're eating your secret stash of green ones. You really are worried. Calm down, girl. Earl always says humans come in little groups like that when they have any kind of news, good or bad. Maybe it's good news!"
"When's the last time they marched in here to tell us good news? They'd make that young witch from down the hall come tell us. The one that's afraid of her own shadow. You know the one, Eloise. I think she's a distant cousin of somebody."
"And she's a witch! You think you're related to every witch and wizard out there," retorted Lois.
There was a knock at the door and Patsy and Lois looked at each other. The general had never bothered to knock before.
"A knock is good news," whispered Lois. "They want something. If they're firing you, they come in like you're suddenly trespassing on their property."
"Come in." Patsy sang out in her most congenial voice, quickly slipping her wand into her pocket. She bit her lower lip and kept her hand resting in her pocket, just in case.
The door swung wide and the general strode in, walking just under the screen, his hat under his arm. He was followed by more than his usual number of aides. Lois stayed seated, pursing her lips, sizing them up. "What can we do for you?" It was just like her to ask the obvious. Lois was only big on her own small talk.
The general gave a smile, making Lois roll her eyes. Patsy inched her wand out of her pocket just far enough to mumble a spell and send a hard poke in Lois' direction. Finally, her chance to get back at Lois.
"Sons of bitches!" Lois yelped, jumping out of her chair. Patsy's eyes grew wider as the aides jumped around the general, their hands on their guns.
"I told you so, Lois!"
The general was still standing there calmly, a smile planted firmly on his face. He was there on a mission and nothing was going to get in his way. "Well, that's not the first time I've been greeted that way. Ladies." He nodded as Lois rubbed her side and sat down, scowling at Patsy.
Patsy whispered, "Sorry, not sorry," and crossed her arms over her chest.
"We've come to offer you a new assignment. A promotion of sorts." The general paused, waiting for some kind of enthusiastic response.
"Well, is it a promotion or not?" Lois frowned as her glasses slid down her nose. It didn't help that she was also smarting from missing her show and her mid-morning snack. Whatever restraint she could usually muster was wearing thin. "Usually, when you government types use the words, of sorts, it means more work, no more money. Lay it out for us. We don't need the spin. What's gone wrong that you want us to fix?"
"Lois, hear the man out."
"Put your hand on your wand again and I'll fill your drawers with a peck of dirt till they hang between your knees."
The aides backed up behind the general but he still waited patiently. An aide whispered in his ear, "These are the two witches you wanted?" The general raised a hand, a momentary look of frustration passing across his face, as he batted the man away like a pesky gnat. He was determined to have things go right. He had heard stories about Lois and her abilities in her younger days. She had been a legend in the Silver Griffins. But he was going to keep that to himself a little longer. He cleared his throat and started again. "Ladies, your country needs you."
"Uh oh," said Lois. "They're drafting us. I have to say I did not see that coming. Makes sense though. We could clean things up, lickety split. I'm pretty sure I'm over the age limit. Hell, the weight limit for that matter." Her nerves had set in and she was talking faster and faster.
The general raised his hand again, briefly shutting his eyes. Lois abruptly shut her mouth, pressing her lips together, taking deep breaths. It didn't work. "Oh hell, say it already. Now you've even got me nervous and that is a tall task."
"We want to promote you to a new part of the PDF and make you PDAs to back up Agent Leira Berens." He said the words as fast as he could before he could be interrupted. But neither lady said a thing and instead just stared at him. He took in a deep breath and relaxed, warming to his topic. "You will have multiple responsibilities, of course. You've proven your abilities here at the PDF and kept this country safe from random acts of magic but the times have changed."
"I was just telling Patsy that!"
"Other countries have established their own PDFs and have been gathering artifacts."
Patsy scooped up another handful of green M&Ms, stuffing them into her mouth two at a time till she resembled a chipmunk.
"Suspicions are growing and we need two ladies just like you to monitor more than just the United States. We need you to fan out and look for signs of other governments getting into the magic game."
"We get to spy on humans?" Patsy could barely get out the words between all the candy in her mouth.
"Most definitely. And," he pointed a finger in the air, "assist Agent Berens when necessary." He gave a small cough, struggling to find the right words. "Human assistance for Agent Berens has not worked out."
"She scared the holy hell out of somebody, didn't she?" Lois tilted her head to one side.
The general let out a small shudder. "In a manner of speaking."
Lois eyed him suspiciously. "You asked the Silver Griffins to help you first but they turned you down, didn't they?"
He looked at her evenly. "I know you have connections with the Order so I won't be coy with you. We've tried a lot of other magical beings and there aren't a lot of people interested in helping us on such a big scale."
"Magical community has a long memory."
The general's smile slipped for a moment but he put it right back on his face. "Times have changed. We've learned a few things."
"So we were last on your list. That's what you're telling me." Lois made a face, scrunching up her nose to keep her glasses on straight.
"Not last and I know you can do it." He looked pointedly at Lois. "We're counting on you."
"Uh huh."
"I've given Agent Berens your direct line. Whatever she asks, if you can help, give it to her.
"
"Are we moving?" asked Patsy, a little chocolate dribbling down her chin.
"No, we can do everything from here. There may be some travel but having you close to Washington will be an asset to us as well. Your new assignment starts tomorrow," he said, turning to leave.
Lois leaned over in her chair and whispered loudly to Patsy, "Told you, no extra money."
"Oh, by the way, you'll now be part of the Senior Executive Service with the commensurate pay raise."
"Above a GS-15?" Patsy bit down hard on the M&Ms in her mouth as Lois almost fell out of her chair, gripping the arms. Her wand fell out of her pocket, rolling across the floor to the general's feet. He looked down at the worn branch.
"We'll be issuing you better wands as well. Those are willow wands, aren't they?"
"Oh, please say it..." Lois was still gripping the arms of her chair.
"The newer 3-D printed models will arrive later this week." He nodded to an aide who picked up the wand and held it out to Lois with two fingers. Lois took the wand and smiled mischievously at him and whispered a jumble of words that meant nothing. The aide's eyes widened and he stepped back, looking around, waiting for something to happen.
The general turned to go but looked back over his shoulder. "Of course, that's if you accept."
"We accept!" Lois shouted out the words as Patsy sputtered trying not to breathe in a peanut. The general smiled to himself, straightening his jacket and strode out of the room. The sound of bird calls could be heard following them down the hall as they left.
"Wipe your face, Patsy. We're executives now. We need to look the part."
"Why didn't you tell him you used to be with the Order till you retired? You have more skills than most of the witches out there!"
"I didn't hear a question, Patsy. You know I never talk about that, anyway. It's in the rules. Besides, it's easier if people underestimate you. They tend to say more than they should."
"He'll find out soon enough when you wave that wand around. There's stories about you."