Mad Magic

by Nicole Conway

  When we got to our apartment building, Zeph went up the stairs ahead of me. He walked straight to his own front door and gestured for me to stay put. “I’ll just be a sec, so hang tight.”

  I did, for a few seconds. Then I decided I wanted to take off my graduation gown before I went anywhere. I took out my own keys and ducked into my apartment. I got about two feet inside before I noticed …

  My apartment was completely empty.

  There was not a stick of furniture anywhere. My couch, my TV, my kitchen table, everything was gone. The pictures were gone off the walls. The rugs on the floor were missing. Even the cabinets were empty.

  My first thought was that I’d been robbed. Robbed in the most extreme sense of the word. They’d taken everything that wasn’t nailed down.

  “Zeph!” I screamed as I ran back out into the hall. I threw open Zeph’s front door in a panic. “My stuff is gone! Someone broke into—”

  His apartment was empty, too.

  I froze, staring around the room at all the spots where furniture used to be. His place was just as bare as mine.

  “What’re you yelping about?” Zeph was standing there with a box under his arm.

  “What happened to our stuff?”

  He shrugged and herded me back out the door. “I moved it. Here, gimme your keys. We’ve got to turn them back in to the landlord.”

  My mind swirled with confusion as I shakily took my door and mailbox keys out of my pocket and handed them over. “Moved it where? What’s going on?”

  Zeph just grinned. “Chill out, will you? Just trust me.”

  I didn’t know what else to say, and I didn’t have much of a choice. All my stuff had gone somewhere and he was the only one who knew where. I followed him as he walked back downstairs. We stopped off at our landlord’s room. Zeph thanked Mr. Bregger for everything, and gave him a thick envelope and all our keys. They shook hands, and that was it. I didn’t even have to say a word.

  We left the building just as Hank’s Caddy pulled up to the curb. Zeph loaded his box in the passenger’s seat and climbed in next to me in the back. As we pulled away, I knew better than to ask where we were going. I was twirling my graduation tassel around my finger anxiously as our apartment building disappear behind us.

  “I almost forgot.” Zeph pulled a bandana out of his pocket and started tying it over my eyes. “No peeking. I’m serious.”

  It seemed like we drove for a long time. Even though I couldn’t see, I kept fidgeting with the tassel on my graduation cap until I felt Zeph’s big, rough hand close around mine. As nervous as I was, I had almost forgotten this was supposed to be a good surprise.

  My stomach did a backflip when I felt the car stop at last. My palms got sweaty, and I squeezed Zeph’s hand as hard as I could. Leaving all my graduation stuff in the backseat, I wobbled forward blindly and tried to feel my way out of the car. Immediately my senses ran wild. I couldn’t see, but I could smell the fresh, crisp spring air. I could smell the trees, the grass, and something like lumber and fresh paint. I could hear the wind rustling in the leaves, and the sound of our footsteps.

  Zeph led me a few feet away from the car, and then he stood behind me with his hands on my shoulders. “All right.” He sounded nervous.

  I pulled the bandana off my eyes and squinted into the evening sun.

  At first, I didn’t recognize where I was. Everything looked so new and clean. The winter snows had finally melted away, and everything had fresh green buds on it. Then it hit me.

  I knew this place.

  My family home stood proudly at the crest of the hill. There was no evidence of fire damage, no smashed-out windows, and no holes in the roof. Everything had been fixed, and the house looked brand new. Brand new—but just how I remembered. There were rocking chairs and a swing on the broad front porch. Big pots filled with fresh flowers sat on the front steps.

  My knees were shaking as I walked toward it. I barely touched the railing of the front steps and big tears welled up in my eyes. When I got to the front door, I stopped and stared. It was painted a deep, rich red. Through the windows, I could see lights on, but I couldn’t bring myself to go inside.

  My chin trembled. I’d walked into my apartment hundreds of times over the past few years. But going through that door had never been like this, even after Zeph and Eldrick came into my life.

  It had never felt like coming home.

  “What’s wrong?” Zeph asked as though he were afraid I might be upset. “Don’t you want to see it?”

  I couldn’t speak. I opened my mouth, but no sound would come out. I looked up at him with tears running down my cheeks, and tried to at least smile. Of course, I wanted to see it.

  Zeph frowned uneasily. “I, uh, I guess I should have asked you first.”

  I grabbed his arm. “N-no. It’s perfect. It’s wonderful. You … you really did all this for me?”

  I felt his body relax, and he dragged me into a hug and put a hand on the back of my head. “I can’t take all the credit. I mean, it was my idea, but I did have some help. Come on. The inside’s the best part.”

  As I pulled away, he held something up in front of my face—a single purple feather that twinkled in the light. “But we might want to deal with this, first.”

  I swallowed hard. That feather contained a spell, one that he’d used to suppress all my childhood memories. It had made me forget him, Freddy, and Camilla completely. Zeph had asked me not to destroy it after our battle with Fir Darrig. He’d said he wanted me to wait, that there was something else he needed to do first.

  “Ready?” He smiled.

  “O-okay.” I took a deep breath. “Is it going to hurt?”

  He held the feather up, using a touch of power to make it float above his palm. “Not a bit, princess.”

  With a quick, shrill chime the feather burst into flame. It burned with tongues of bright green fire and was gone in an instant.

  At first, I didn’t feel any different. There was no headache or pain this time. I blinked at him, confused.

  Then I remembered.

  I couldn’t stop the swell of childhood memories from carrying me away to games of tag in the front yard, evenings spent building forts out of sticks and branches, and mornings when Zeph would make stacks of blob-shaped pancakes he insisted were supposed to look like animals.

  I walked slowly beside him as he opened the door and led us into the house. I was greeted by the scents of fresh paint and wood, and food. There were furniture pieces from both of our apartments scattered about, paired in a stylish but traditional way with new things. It was simple, but cozy.

  And it was teeming with more memories.

  I remembered sitting in front of the fireplace in the living room, curled up with Dad while he read stories to me. I remembered doing homework at the kitchen counter and running down the stairs from my bedroom when I was late for the bus. So much of my life was connected to this house, and I thought it had all been lost in the fire, but Zeph had brought it back. It was new, and a little different, but it was still perfectly the same.

  When we peeked into the dining room, a loud cheer almost gave me a heart attack. Everyone sat around a long table decorated with lots of flowers and streamers and plenty of food to share. Everyone—even Hank—was wearing a party hat. His was the only one shaped like a giant foam strawberry.

  Camilla hugged me tightly. “We are so proud of you! Do you like the house? I picked out all the new décor!”

  “Yes, it’s incredible,” I cried as I hugged her back.

  “Just wait till you see upstairs,” she whispered as she pulled away. I wasn’t sure how to take that, but the mischievous grin on her lips made me wonder what she was up to.

  Everything seemed so surreal as I sat at the head of the table, surrounded by my friends. We talked, laughed, and ate together like nothing at all was strange about this—about me eating with faeries and a shaman. I looked around at everyone, watchin
g how they smiled as they told stories and teased one another. I wondered how I’d gotten here and how things had changed so dramatically. Just a few months ago, I had been completely alone in that apartment. My life had been caving in all around me. I’d been afraid and full of despair, ready to give up on any semblance of happiness. Now my heart was filled with love for these people.

  One in particular.

  Zeph was sitting right beside me, joking with his brother. He was the one who had changed everything. He’d taken my world, shaken it up, and turned it upside down.

  Under the table, I felt the familiar touch of his fingers lacing through mine. I couldn’t imagine where I would have ended up without him. And I couldn’t imagine ever loving anyone more than I loved him. He turned those bizarre violet eyes in my direction and gave me that perfect, roguish, lopsided grin.

  “You should show her the upstairs,” Camilla suggested. “You haven’t yet, have you?” Her tone was totally suspicious. So was the way she was glancing coyly over the rim of her wine glass.

  Zeph cleared his throat and nodded. “Well, she was crying so—”

  “So show her now!” Jack chimed in. He had a big smear of icing on his cheek. “Come on, that was the hardest part, wasn’t it? You should be proud!”

  After an uneasy glance around the table, Zeph stood up. He turned to me without a word and offered his hand again. “Shall we?”

  There were four big bedrooms, but the one at the end of the hall was the largest. It had been my dad’s before, but Zeph explained that now it was mine. It certainly looked more luxurious than what I’d had before.

  A huge four poster bed stood against one wall with beautiful blankets and plush pillows arranged on a deep blue comforter. On the opposite wall, a pair of wingback chairs faced a fireplace and a big sheepskin rug stretched across the floor. It was like something from a magazine.

  “It’s beautiful. So where will you be sleeping? On the floor? Or maybe the couch downstairs?” I teased.

  “Oh, I’ll be in there with you,” Zeph didn’t miss a beat. “But I doubt there’ll be much sleeping.”

  My cheeks burned. He laughed and kissed my cheek before continuing his tour.

  The other bedrooms had normal sized beds and modest decorations. I even recognized some more of the stuff from my apartment.

  The last room wasn’t a bedroom at all. There was no bed. Instead, a big wooden desk sat under the long bay window. Against the back wall, a series of tall bookshelves were packed with all kinds of old books, scrolls, and artifacts. There was a familiar series of pictures framed on the wall next to the desk. The first few were the Polaroid pictures my dad had put in his letter. But the last three … those were the ones I’d taken with my phone. One was of Eldrick wearing my pink apron, another was of Zeph in that ridiculous strawberry hat, and the last was of the pair of them sitting at the kitchen table.

  I ran my fingers over the glass of the frame, smiling at those memories.

  Apart from those personal touches, it looked like any normal study. The only thing that seemed out of place was the closet door. The knob looked like it was made of solid gold and it was covered in beautiful swirling spellwork. All around the frame of the door, more symbols were engraved into the wood.

  Zeph nudged me toward the door. “Go on.”

  As soon as I touched the warm gold, the soft sound of chimes whispered through the air. The more I turned it, the more it made all the tiny hairs on my body prickle. The last time I had opened a magical door, things hadn’t exactly gone as planned.

  This time was different.

  A radiant green light came from inside—a garden like something straight out of one of my romance movies. Beautiful hedges blossomed all around, trimmed to perfection. The warm wind flowed over a manicured field of grass that was spotted with colorful flowers. Fruit trees dropped soft pink and white petals into pools of crystal clear water. In the distance, a stunning castle rose up out of the garden. It didn’t seem real. Castles like that didn’t exist, right? I mean, maybe they did in some places, but not anywhere near here. It looked like it had been cut straight from a storybook about princesses and knights. Banners of gold, purple, and red fluttered from all the towers, rippling against a perfect sapphire sky.

  There was something off about this place, though. I felt it right away. Everything was a little too perfect. There were no clouds in the sky. No birds in the trees. When I began looking around, there was radiant warm light pouring down from overhead … but I couldn’t see the sun anywhere.

  “What is this place?” I whispered. I didn’t realize Zeph had stopped just inside the door and left me to wander on alone.

  “Nowhere,” a deep voice answered.

  I spun around and gasped sharply.

  Eldrick was standing right behind me. He looked different, although still as elegant as ever. His black hair was a bit longer, so it blew around his face and eyes as he gazed down at me with warm, golden eyes. He wore a tailored black suit with a golden and red sash across the breast. There were golden aiguillettes on one of his broad shoulders, and the high collar of his jacket was set with a golden pin in the shape of a coat of arms.

  “I would like to apologize for missing your ceremony,” Eldrick said quietly.

  For some reason, seeing him like this made me proud. It was weird, but it was almost a motherly feeling. “It’s okay. You look great. And this place … I didn’t realize you’d have a real castle.”

  He gave me a faint, bemused smile. “Calling it real is a bit of a stretch. It is an illusion. It was made from spellwork, and can only exist here, outside the realm of the normal world. It is a place without a destination—a dream made solid.”

  I was struggling to wrap my mind around that. “Are you alone here?” Looking around, I didn’t see anyone else here.

  “Hardly. Though I’d much prefer it that way sometimes.” He offered his arm, like he always did, and began walking with me through the gardens. “I have a staff of servants to look after me and delegates of the courts are always coming and going. My father is by far the worst. He’s keeping himself thoroughly entertained by exploiting every last drop of my patience and visiting on the weekends.”

  “Did you make this place? It’s unbelievable. I’ve never seen such beautiful flowers.” Just when I thought we had reached the edge of the gardens, more paths, hedges, and blossoms popped up to greet us. It was as though this sanctuary was enchanted to be endless. It would last as long as we cared to walk.

  Eldrick snorted. “Although I do wish I could claim authorship, there is only one faerie alive capable of illusionary spellwork of this caliber.”

  He tipped his head toward Zeph, who was following us from a distance. I could see him watching us with a strange, uncomfortable frown on his lips. He almost looked a little jealous.

  “Why is there a door to it in my house?” I dared to ask.

  Eldrick flicked a quick glance down at me again. He stopped walking, and I could tell he was having a hard time deciding how to answer. “I wish my motives were entirely pure. But apart from simply enjoying your company, and offering you an invitation to come here whenever you like, I need to ask something of you.”

  “Of course. Anything.”

  He gave an uncomfortable sigh, and then began to explain, “There is a lot of unrest between the Seelie and Unseelie. Years and generations of quarrelling have built up many grudges. Even worse, there are some Unseelie fae who have begun unsavory but highly lucrative practices forbidden by our laws that are trying to go underground to hide from me. These fellows don’t want to answer to anyone, not even their king. Finding them is a challenge, and things are already in chaos as we try to unite as many powerful fae to our cause as possible. My father has agreed to rejoin the court, and many are following his lead. But many more are still doing heinous things with magic that, as king, I cannot allow.”

  I tensed. He hadn’t said it yet, but I had a feeling I knew where he w
as going with this.

  “I’d like to ask for your help, yours and Zeph’s, in bringing some of these fae to justice. You have experience now, and you are a talented spellworker. It will be dangerous, especially when your position as vessel is taken into consideration. However, I wouldn’t ask this of you if I wasn’t sure you could handle it,” he finished.

  I wasn’t sure I understood completely what he was asking me to do, but it sounded like he wanted me to become a faerie-hunting secret agent for him. As cool as that sounded, I knew it wasn’t a small favor. I’d glimpsed some of the horrors of the Unseelie world, and I could imagine there might be far worse things out there.

  “What did Zeph say about it?” I asked as I stole a glance at my changeling. No wonder he looked so sulky.

  “He said it would be your choice. Naturally, I’m sure he doesn’t approve of the danger, but being what you are puts you in a degree of danger already. This would almost certainly exacerbate things.” Eldrick hesitated, and then put a hand on my shoulder. “I wish I didn’t have to ask this of you. After what you’ve lived through, you deserve peace. However, I can’t imagine a better candidate for this task. I need someone who knows our laws, respects them, but isn’t bound by them. I also need someone I can trust.”

  I took a deep breath. “Yes. I’ll do it.”

  Eldrick looked relieved. “I’ll compensate you for your time, of course. You will be outfitted for each case with the best resources we can assemble. I’ve appointed Freddy into his former position as master engineer. He’ll be developing specialized weaponry for you.”

  Visions of that magical revolver danced in my mind. Was I actually going to get to use something like that?

  Stepping in close enough to put my arms around his middle, I gave him a big hug. “I’m not worried. I know you’ll take good care of us. I have faith in you, Eldrick. You’re a good man.”