Southern Magic Wedding

by Amy Boyles

  Her white eyes stared at the ceiling, and I wondered if she was truly seeing it or not.

  My gaze darted to Rufus, who stood arms crossed, one hand on his mouth. Our gazes met and Rufus nodded.

  Which told me that Sue was seeing the break-in in her mind.

  “They didn’t want anything in there,” Rue said.

  “Then why did they do it?” I asked.

  “Only one question,” Blue said with a self-satisfied smirk, “and the man asked it.”

  I gritted my teeth, silently fuming.

  Axel squeezed my hand, offering comfort, which I quickly drank up.

  “They looked for what they wanted, but didn’t find it,” Rue said in reply. “They looked long and hard, but the prize they sought wasn’t to be found.”

  “So it wasn’t a ruse,” Axel murmured. “They did search.”

  “They only wanted one thing,” Rufus added.

  “That’s the question I asked,” Axel directed to the women. “Come on, now. Tell me what I seek. You promised you would.”

  “We said we’d answer one question,” Sue said snidely. “We never promised.”

  “We like looking at you too much,” Blue added. “Maybe we’ll never answer.”

  “Then I’ll throw your cauldron into the bottom of a lake where your only company will be catfish,” Axel replied.

  “No, don’t do that,” Rue said. “We have an answer. It’s come to us.”

  “I thought you’d see things my way,” Axel said. “What is it? What do you have to say?”

  The sisters’ heads rolled in circles. “The answer,” Blue said, “is a simple one. The person seeks the most powerful instrument in Magnolia Cove.”

  Axel squeezed my hand again.

  “That’s not me,” I whispered.

  “Just wait,” he said.

  “What they seek is nearby,” Rue said. “Very close.”

  “So close to you that you don’t even recognize it for what it is. The true power that’s sought.”

  “What is that?” Axel said thinly, his patience becoming brittle.

  Rue’s empty sockets fixed on Axel. “Why, that person seeks the heart. That’s what they want.”

  I shot Axel a look of confusion.

  Axel’s jaw clenched. “You mean the heart fire?”

  Rue nodded. “The very one and the same. The most powerful object in all of Magnolia Cove.”

  Chapter 21

  “We should have asked who it was,” I said as Axel and I walked back to Betty’s house.

  The dark sky was brightening, the sun’s first rays graying the darkness.

  “Now we can protect your house,” Axel argued.

  “I don’t care about the house. Betty can protect it. The heart fire can protect it. They will be fine.”

  Axel’s nostrils flared with anger. “Do you realize what this means? Someone knows how Magnolia Cove receives its power. They want it.”

  “They’re cowards,” I snapped. “If they weren’t cowards, they would have shown their face by now, approached the house and took it. We’re better off knocking on people’s doors and asking if they have the Memory Mirror than putting all our manpower guarding the cottage.”

  “You’re welcome,” Axel spat.

  “I’m not thanking you.”

  “I didn’t squander that opportunity.”

  “Yes, you did!”

  Our footsteps halted at the same time. Axel exhaled and slowly turned to face me. “You want your Axel back. The one who loves you. I’ve explained that’s all I want, too.”

  “How can you want something that you don’t even feel?” I spat.

  Hurt crossed his face. Axel rubbed his forehead and cursed. “This argument goes around and around. It doesn’t accomplish anything. You and I disagree on what should have happened back there. You think I should have asked who did this. We will get to the bottom of it.”

  Frustration exploded from my chest like a geyser. “When? When, Axel? I’ve been patient. I’ve been the ever-patient, doting fiancée, who’s tried to find out who did this to you.”

  “You haven’t trusted me,” he fired back.

  I cringed. His words stung my skin like a yellow jacket jabbing its stinger into my arm. “What are you talking about?”

  He glared off toward the sunrise, his jaw flexing in anger. “You let me try the first spell on you, thank you for that. But then you snuck around me, behind my back, dropping a potion in my drink to see if that would break the spell. What am I supposed to think of you?”

  My lower lip trembled. The words came out weakly, barely more than a mumble. “That I’m your quirky fiancée?”

  Axel shook his head. “That you’re quirky. But what I really think is that you’re someone who doesn’t believe in me or my own abilities to solve a problem. If you did, you would have told me your plan and then we could have figured it out together, like people who plan to wed do. But instead you barreled ahead without taking me into consideration. We’re supposed to be getting married. That means working together, but all you’ve been doing is working separately.”

  His words flayed my heart, shredding it to strips. But as much as I wanted to argue with him, Axel was right. I had steamrolled ahead, not bothering to ask his opinion.

  “You told me you didn’t feel anything for me. Why would I want to enlist the help of someone who doesn’t care?”

  It was Axel’s turn to grimace. “I might have said those words, that I didn’t have the feelings for you that I should, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care. How do you think it feels to live with the burden of knowing I’ve ruined your wedding? A woman I can’t remember but know in my heart I should. It’s painful. I’m not made of stone. I’m made of flesh and blood. Same as you.”

  Sorrow filled his eyes, and my heart shattered. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you,” I said quietly. “I should have. I still should; it’s just that it’s so hard, going from wedding to nothing in only a night. I felt like I had to regain control of things.”

  Axel took my hands and rubbed them. He stared down and murmured, “We both had a lot of control to regain. My memory will return. I want it as much as you. But sometimes knowing the greater threat is more important. You have to trust me.”

  I’d always trusted Axel before. Of course I had. But the fact that he’d forgotten me made me question just about everything, I’ll admit it. But I knew if we were to move forward at all that I had to trust him.

  “I do.” I quickly added. “Trust you, that is.”

  He grunted. “Good. Now. Let’s tell Betty about the heart fire so that we can move forward.”

  We reached the cottage a few minutes later. Betty was awake, stirring breakfast at the cauldron when Axel and I entered.

  “I’m not going to ask you, Pepper, how you got around my spell, but I’m guessing that cat you’ve got up there had something to do with it.”

  I inwardly groaned. I’d nearly forgotten that I would absolutely be on Betty’s bad side once she saw me coming through the front door.

  “We have a bigger problem than Pepper sneaking out,” Axel said.

  The sour expression on Betty’s face turned to worry. “What is it?”

  Axel drummed his fingers on the back of the recliner. “The person who broke into the Vault wasn’t searching for anything that could be found inside there.”

  Betty clanged the wooden spoon against the cauldron’s lip. “What were they looking for?”

  Axel nodded to the fire. “The heart. That’s what they want.”

  Betty’s eyes widened. “To what purpose?”

  Axel shrugged. “To create their own magical town? I don’t know. All I do know is that’s what we’ve discovered.”

  Betty’s mouth tightened to a grim line. “Then we need to pull them out somehow. Get whoever it is to reveal themselves. We can’t lose the heart.”

  She pointed to the fire. “If that leaves this town, Magnolia Cove will crumble. To bits.”

  I
stepped forward. “Then we need a plan.”

  Betty opened her mouth to speak when the house rumbled. Axel grabbed me at the same time as I reached for him. The ground shook. Betty grabbed the mantel as the house continued to shudder.

  Amelia and Cordelia flew down the stairs.

  “What’s happening?” Cordelia said.

  Betty’s entire body quaked. “I have a bad feeling I know what it is.”

  “What is it?” Amelia shouted.

  The ground stopped rumbling long enough for me to relax. I blew out a breath and glanced up at Axel. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Axel released his grip on me. “It’s the giants.”

  “The giants?” Amelia said. “It can’t be.”

  Axel nodded. “It is. The Memory Mirror has been stolen from them. They’ve come to get it back.”

  Betty rushed to the door and grabbed her jacket. She threw it over her green housecoat. “We’d better get down to the border, then, and fast. Before they rip our town to bits.”

  We all started to follow her. Betty nodded to my cousins. “Y’all two stay here and protect the house.”

  Amelia shot Betty a confused look. “Why?”

  Betty’s brow furrowed. She pulled out her pipe and shoved it in her mouth. “In case someone comes to steal the heart fire, I want y’all here protecting it.”

  She glanced at me. “Pepper, Axel. Y’all ready?”

  I nodded. “As ready as I can be.”

  Chapter 22

  King Billy Bob was down at the border when we arrived. Aside from the fact that he was a giant and the weight that had on his appearance, he did in fact look like a king.

  Billy Bob’s hair was shaggier than when I’d seen him last, but he wore a long black cape and the sort of scowl that I could only imagine a king would have.

  Garrick and his men ringed the giant. Garrick scrubbed a hand down his cheek. “What can we do for you, King?”

  Billy Bob knelt. The wind created by his movement fluttered my hair.

  “Something has been stolen from me,” Billy Bob said casually. His lips puckered to a bow and he frowned. “I expect it back.”

  Axel approached Garrick. “The Memory Mirror,” he said to the sheriff.

  Garrick’s eyes shut tightly. His mouth thinned to a taut line. He shook his head and glanced at Axel. “Are you kidding me?”

  Axel shook his head. “We searched for it last night, and it was gone.”

  Billy Bob nodded. “I expect my mirror here within the hour.” He glanced down as he flicked dirt out from under his fingernails. “It would be best if you searched for the mirror and not me. If me and my men do it, there won’t be anything left of this town.”

  Garrick turned to his men. “Search! Go! Now! Everywhere! Find the mirror!”

  Betty waddled up. “I’ll help. I may be able to work some magic that will assist.”

  Garrick pointed to one of his men. “Take Betty.”

  Betty and the men vanished. Axel squeezed my hand. “I’ll go, too. You stay here. With Garrick.”

  “No. I want to help.”

  “Stay,” he commanded.

  The worry in his eyes made me nod. “Of course. Go.”

  He vanished in a flash of smoke, leaving me with Garrick and Billy Bob.

  Garrick turned to me. “You went into the giant’s territory, with Axel?”

  “I did.”

  Billy Bob extended his hand to me. “Pepper. It is good to see you.”

  “I didn’t know if you’d remember. The last time we met was under odd circumstances.”

  I had met Billy Bob when Magnolia Cove had been cursed, forced to relive Halloween over and over until, with the help of Rufus, we were able to break the spell.

  “I remember,” Billy Bob said. “Not all things are lost to me.”

  I shook his finger, as that was all my hand could easily grasp on him. “I hope you’re well.”

  “I am. My family and I are doing as fine as a giant can be. You searched for the mirror last night.”

  A flash of heat flared on my neck. “I did.”

  Concern filled his face. “What have you lost?”

  I shook my head. “It isn’t me. It’s Axel. You would remember him as the werewolf.”

  Billy Bob grunted, which I took to be a yes. “The one we held captive out of fear of what it would do.”

  “That’s him. He’s a man right now. He’s forgotten me.”

  Billy Bob frowned. “A spell that the mirror could fix easily.”

  “Which was why we searched for it.”

  “As well you should have.”

  We stared at each other for a moment. I didn’t know what to say. Then a magical doorway opened, a circle that shimmered like hot air vaporizing from asphalt.

  Two of Garrick’s men dragged Axel’s cousin, Laney, by the arms. “I didn’t do anything. I don’t know how that ended up with my things.”

  One of the men thrust out a handheld mirror with gilded edges. “We found it. In her bags.”

  Axel strode through the portal. “It was in your things, Laney.”

  His cousin whirled on him. “I wouldn’t do that! I wouldn’t. I didn’t, Axel. You have to believe me.”

  Axel scowled. “The only thing I believe is that the mirror was found with you.”

  Garrick waved to his men. “Take her to the station. We have much to discuss.”

  “No!” Laney tugged and yanked. The men’s grips slipped but tightened on her quickly. “You have to believe me! I’m innocent. Someone planted the mirror. I swear I didn’t do it!”

  With a flourish of magic, Laney and the men disappeared. Garrick held the mirror out to Billy Bob. “I believe this belongs to you.”

  Billy Bob plucked the ridiculously small mirror from Garrick’s hand.

  “It’s funny that we giants have such a small treasure,” Billy Bob said, his voice rumbling. “But it was gifted to us by a wizard and kept in seclusion so no one can steal it. Looks like we’ll need to find a new hiding place.”

  I smiled. “It looks like. Your Highness?”

  “Hmm?” Billy Bob said.

  “Before you leave, would you allow Axel to use it?”

  The king nodded stoically. “Of course. You have found it for us. You deserve a reward.” He handed the mirror to Axel, who took it with a grateful smile.

  “Thank you,” Axel said. A flash of worry crossed his face. I squeezed his shoulder. Axel gave me an uneasy smile. “Let’s hope this works.”

  “It will.”

  Axel grunted before turning the mirror to face him. I stepped back and watched as a golden glow flared from the edges of the mirror.

  It flashed bright and hot and as quickly as it started, stopped.

  I held my breath, afraid to ask Axel if it had worked. But it turned out, I didn’t have to.

  Axel handed the mirror back to Billy Bob, and in a blur of movement, his arm was around my waist, his mouth nuzzling my ear and his fingers raking through my hair.

  “How?” he whispered. “How could I have ever forgotten you? I’m so sorry.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about,” I murmured. “You were spelled. If only we’d grabbed the mirror days ago.”

  “We have been at odds,” Billy Bob said. “If the wrong giants had found you, you would have been brought before me and your request denied.”

  Billy Bob glanced at Garrick. “I assume that guilty party is the culprit who’s been damaging our lands?”

  Garrick knuckled his jaw. “I’ll find out and send a messenger to let you know. We want peace with our neighbors.”

  “As do we,” the giant said.

  Billy Bob tucked the mirror in his shirt pocket and rose. “We’ll be off, then. Happy life, Pepper and Axel. I wish you the best.”

  He walked away, the ground rumbling under each of his steps. I inhaled deeply and turned to Axel, smiling widely.

  Axel returned my smile.

  “I thought I’d lost you,” I sa
id.

  He nodded. “Me too.”

  Garrick clapped him on the back. “Glad to have you with us, old friend.”

  “Good to be back,” Axel said, “completely.”

  I started to think that Garrick was partly to thank for all this. After all, if he hadn’t placed Blake on guard last night, Axel and I wouldn’t have ended up searching for the mirror together, and then we wouldn’t have been caught by the giants.

  It was because of the giants that Axel had his memory, no doubt about it.

  “Garrick, it was a good thing you had Blake watching the border last night. Otherwise none of this would have happened.”

  Garrick shot me a confused look. “Blake? Who’s Blake?”

  An uneasy feeling crept across my skin. “The vampire. You know? He said he had volunteered his help to you.”

  Garrick shook his head. “We haven’t enlisted the assistance of any other men, let alone a vampire.”

  My gaze cut to Axel. “Axel?”

  He grabbed my hand. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  I dashed off behind him, leaving Garrick staring after me, alarm etched on his face. “Where are we going?”

  “To your house.” Axel’s teeth clenched. His jaw flexed in anger. “To stop Blake from getting the heart fire and destroying our town.”

  Chapter 23

  We reached the house a few minutes later. The door was open, the inside eerily silent.

  “Should we?” I pointed around the house, like we should be quiet.

  Axel shook his head. “If it’s a war this vampire wants, then it’s a war he’ll get.”

  We ran inside to find Amelia and Cordelia both slumped to the ground. Blake stood in front of the heart fire, reaching into the flames.

  Axel shot him in the back with a bolt of magic. The vampire hissed and whirled on us.

  “What did you do to my cousins?” I demanded.

  A slow smile seeped over Blake’s face. “Nothing short of a vampire’s kiss.”

  I lunged for him, but Axel held me back. “They’re asleep,” he said. “I can hear their heartbeats. He’s spelled them.”

  “How?”

  Blake chuckled and slipped a pouch from his pocket. “I bought a couple of potions before I arrived. One to forget”—he dipped his head to Axel—“and one to sleep. I didn’t want to attract too much attention while I was here.”