Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus Betrayal

by Lydia Sherrer

  A year ago, she would have given anything to know the truth about her past and reconnect with the wizard heritage that her mother had hidden from her as a child. Now she wished she had left well-enough alone. It was bad enough that her father believed any action was acceptable if it advanced the greater good of wizardkind. Worse, however, was that when they’d finally met again for the first time since her infancy, he’d tried to make her join him in his crusade to “save” wizards from their slow decline and extinction. From genetic experiments to seeking primeval powers, her father was convinced that it was his duty—his destiny, even—to restore wizards to their former glory of ancient times. She had refused to be involved, of course, thus pitting herself against a particularly powerful and egomaniacal wizard.

  Their struggle had come to a head last September when Lily and her friends had raced to locate Morgan le Fay’s tomb in southern England before her father found it and tried to use the ancient wizard’s power to his own ends. With the help of Sebastian’s fae allies, they had been able to awaken Morgan le Fay from her magical slumber and strip her of some of her magic. But John Faust had caught up with them and, after a fierce skirmish, had escaped with Morgan. Now Lily and her friends had two dangerous wizards for enemies.

  For weeks after she had returned to Atlanta, Lily had spent each day on edge, half expecting Morgan or her father to burst into her office at McCain Library where she worked as the archives manager. But neither wizard had materialized, and no one, not even Madam Barrington’s considerable network of magical acquaintances, had been able to find any trace. It was as if the two wizards had disappeared off the face of the earth. Lily hadn’t even been able to detect any sign of Oculus, her father’s magical raven construct, hanging about. She was sure John Faust would have sent his creation to spy on them from afar. But despite weeks of vigilance, there was no sign of the construct’s magical presence.

  Lily, being the adventure-hating introvert that she was, had buried herself in work, doing her best to forget what had happened in the hopes that it would all finally go away and leave her alone. The tactic seemed to work, at least on the surface, and around November Sebastian had finally gotten her to go for that “cup of coffee” she had promised him at the end of their adventure in England.

  The cup of coffee—or tea, on her part—had gone vastly better than any of her previous first dates. It was still awkward, but at least Sebastian didn’t talk about playing a gaming campaign in his mother’s basement, nor did he try to skip out early with the excuse that his father had just died—a refreshing change from disastrous blind dates she had endured in the past. He did, however, almost get in a fight with a group of homeless men who claimed he had stolen their pizza on multiple occasions. Over Sebastian’s protests that dumpsters were free game, Lily had ordered the men several large pizzas from a nearby parlor and managed to drag Sebastian away before the situation got out of hand.

  Things were much less nerve-wracking during their second date, despite Sebastian arriving late to pick her up and making reservations at the wrong restaurant. The holiday spirit had made up for it, helped along by Sebastian’s breathtaking Christmas gift of a leather-bound copy of the complete Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. It was a childhood favorite and she couldn’t fathom how he’d known about it. Perhaps he had bribed Sir Kipling for present ideas. Such sneaky tactics were Sebastian’s trademark, and while he went out of his way to be charming, complimentary, and even occasionally polite, he seemed to take great delight in continually surprising her.

  And that was the problem.

  What was a girl to do when the mere thought of a boy produced equal amounts of excitement and trepidation? Surely it wasn’t normal to long for, and be driven crazy by, the very same person? Opposites might attract, but what in the world were you supposed to do next?

  As January, and a few more dates, had come and gone, it became increasingly clear that she and Sebastian had little in common besides disastrous magical adventures. Sebastian was about as content with normal life as a cat was content with eating lettuce, while she craved the mundanity of a quiet routine. Her idea of an enjoyable date—candle-lit dinners, classical symphonies, museums of fine art—bored him, and he was forever trying to spice things up. His ability to sniff out trouble, or cause it if none was to be found, was almost preternatural, and it drove her up the wall. He didn’t seem to understand that she liked the quiet, the normal, and the unexciting. He thrived on spontaneous adventure, but unexpected situations made her distinctly uncomfortable. He preferred winging it, while she was a meticulous planner.

  They were polar opposites in every way, and she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what to do about it.

  So, here she was, waiting for Sebastian to pick her up for their next date—a date that he had insisted on being a surprise, pointing out that if he did all the planning, she couldn’t very well be upset if things went awry. While his logic was technically sound, the very thought of surprises made her nervous, and she couldn’t help but wonder what misadventure would ensue from his gallant effort to impress her.

  “Didn’t some wise old human with a beard once say, ‘you might not always get what you want, but you always get what you expect’?”

  Lily started, barely keeping hold of her mug as she twisted to shoot a look of annoyance at her cat, who was perched on the back of the couch. “Whoever said that obviously never expected much in life. I can ‘expect’ to win the lottery, or find a first edition copy of Pride and Prejudice, but that doesn’t mean it will happen.”

  Sir Kipling flicked his tail in dismissal. “That’s not expecting, that’s wishing, and it’s about as useless as trying to tell me what to do. Expectation is a mindset, and mindset drives attitude and action. Maybe if you expected the unexpected, you’d find yourself enjoying your little tête-à-têtes a bit more. Need I remind you that you worry too much?”

  “No, you needn’t, and I’m not worrying. I’m mentally preparing. I managed my life just fine before you got your powers, you know, so you can stop acting like I’m green as a leaf.” Lily sniffed, then busied herself with sipping tea, hoping that would end the conversation.

  No such luck.

  “Perhaps. But you didn’t have nearly as much stress or danger in your life then.”

  “You can say that again,” Lily muttered. Realizing she had just agreed with him, she opened her mouth to clarify, but he beat her to it.

  “Far be it from me to give advice to a mighty and all-knowing wizard. I have better things to do than be unappreciated. Like take a nap. Enjoy your evening.” With that, he hopped down from the couch and sauntered off toward the bedroom, grey body swaying, paws silent on the hardwood floor. Lily watched him go, knowing he was headed for his favorite spot on the bed where he could catch a few rays of sunshine on his belly whenever the weather cooperated.

  For a passing moment, Lily wished she could join her cat. Curling up beneath warm covers with another mug of tea and a book was much more inviting than going traipsing about Atlanta in the cold on an unknown adventure. Maybe she could convince Sebastian to abandon his plans for the night and join her. The thought of them snuggling together sent a blush across her cheeks, and she hurriedly tipped back her mug, finishing the last few swallows of tea. Her friend would no doubt think such a mundane evening exceedingly dull; it would be silly to even mention it. If she looked on the bright side, at least this was a rare occasion to wear her velvet party dress with matching stole. The garment was the color of deep amethyst and much too hot to wear during most of the year. She’d only donned it once in the several years since she’d bought it in a moment of weakness at a renowned vintage boutique. Smoothing out the skirt with one hand and enjoying its luxurious softness, Lily thought maybe the evening wouldn’t be so bad after all. She’d never been one to put much faith in the power of positive thinking, but perhaps if she did…

  Lily pursed her lips, brows drawing down as she noticed what she was doing. The only thing she hated wo
rse than her cat’s unasked-for opinions was realizing that he was right.

  Letting out a huff of breath, she got up to go rinse out her mug. A sharp knock on her front door made her jump, and she almost dropped the mug for the second time. There had been no tell-tale rumble and clank of Sebastian’s wreck of a car pulling up to her apartment, and besides, it was almost exactly six-thirty, and that man had never once been on time in all the years she’d known him.

  A memory of Richard standing on her doorstep holding a bouquet of red roses flashed across her mind, and she shook her head, scolding herself. She could never trust the FBI agent’s intentions again, even if he had always been refreshingly punctual.

  Hurriedly setting the mug in the sink and grabbing her little black clutch, Lily ran a nervous hand down her dress, then went and unlocked the front door before opening it hesitantly. The sight that greeted her made her jaw drop. There was Sebastian, lanky but heartbreakingly dashing in a pristine tux suit and jacket, holding a box in his hand. Behind him, parked askew at the foot of her front steps, sat a sleek black car with tinted windows. She couldn’t tell the make at a glance, but it looked expensive. Lily’s thoughts stuttered, mental gears flying in every direction.

  “Um…hey, Lily.” Sebastian’s smile was unsure, seemingly thrown off by her astonishment.

  “G-good evening,” was all she could manage. Stepping out onto the porch and closing the door behind her, she gestured in wordless amazement at Sebastian’s fancy ride.

  “Oh, uh, yeah.” He laughed and scratched the back of his neck. “I rented a car for the evening because, well, I know you don’t appreciate my taste in, um, interior decorating, and it didn’t really feel right using your car, because, well, I’m the guy and, um, I’m supposed to, uh…”

  Realization dawned, and Lily felt a grin spread across her face as Sebastian fumbled through his muttered explanation. She rarely saw him in such a state. He was usually the height of suave charm and excelled at all things social. Yet here he was at a loss for words.

  Because of her.

  Her smile spread wider and a flush of happiness warmed her from head to toe. “I think it’s an excellent idea, though you really needn’t have. I don’t mind taking my car.”

  The tension in Sebastian’s face eased, and the usual sparkle reappeared in his eyes. “But then you couldn’t side-seat drive and fuss at me for not using my blinker. I would never dream of depriving you of such a pleasure.”

  Lily narrowed her eyes, a reflexive protest on her lips, but Sebastian distracted her by holding out the box in his hand.

  “Here. Since roses are about the lamest thing on the planet, I got you this instead. I, um, hope you like it.” The nervous smile was back, but a merry light remained in his eyes, and he gestured eagerly. “Go on, open it.”

  Taking the box with tentative hands, Lily looked down at it. Its smooth, wine-red surface was dotted with little gold stars, and a tiny bow was stuck to the top. She removed the lid slowly, then unfolded the slip of tissue paper within to reveal a sparkling silver charm bracelet. Unsure but curious, Lily picked it up and examined the five charms dangling from its slender chain.

  “The, uh, charms are to represent the things you care about, so you can always have them with you,” Sebastian said hurriedly, pointing to each as he explained. “The book is for the library and your love of learning. The cat is, well, pretty obvious—don’t let it go to Kip’s head. The bat is for Aunt B., who is a cantankerous old biddy, but I know you’re fond of her.”

  Lily pressed her lips together, trying to hide her smile as Sebastian continued to the fourth charm.

  “The peanut is for your family back home. You’re not much of a country girl, I know, but you still love them. And the coin is, um, well…me I guess.” He coughed, then rushed on, “I know I annoy you to death half the time, so you can take it off if you want, no problem. I couldn’t really customize the charms, but I took a pin and scratched a mustache on Kip and wrote ‘Odyssey’ on the book because I know you said that was one of your favorite classics, and I made the coin look a little more like mine, so…”

  He trailed off, shuffling his feet in the silence.

  “I—I don’t know what to say—” Lily began, voice halting.

  “I can take it back if you don’t like it. I know you’re not much of a jewelry person, I just thought, well, maybe you’d like having us all, um…with you?”

  A pure note of happiness swelled like a balloon in Lily’s chest and a bubbly laugh escaped her lips, surprising her before she could stop it. No one, much less a man, had ever given her such a precious gift before. The bracelet glinted in the glow of her porch light, and she could see the painstakingly precise scratches across the cat charm’s nose and the tiny title squeezed onto the book charm’s cover. True, she didn’t normally wear much in the way of jewelry, and a charm bracelet wasn’t exactly her style. But the obvious care behind it made her heart swoon in a warm, tingly sort of way, and she knew she would wear the gift gladly.

  Sebastian, clearly misinterpreting her mirth, hunched his shoulders and looked down. “Yeah, I know it’s pretty lame, I guess I’ll just—”

  “Don’t be silly! It’s the most thoughtful present anyone has ever given me. Thank you!” Feeling giddy, she threw her arms around his wide shoulders, trapping his arms at his sides and giving him a breathless squeeze. A second later her brain caught up with her body and she hastily stepped back, eyes on the ground as a flush heated her cheeks.

  Strong hands entered her vision and gently pried the chain from her stiff fingers, undid its catch, and fastened it around the wrist not occupied by her ward bracelet. “I asked one of my fae friends to give it a touch of glamour. It’ll never show any tarnish or smudges. There.” He stepped back, fingers brushing her arm as he dropped his hands. His touch left trails of goosebumps on her skin that tingled in the chilly air. “I’m glad it fits, since I sorta had to guess. But it looks great. Almost as pretty as you.”

  Lily glanced up in surprise, then hurriedly looked back down again, heat washing over her entire body at the sight of Sebastian’s tender smile. Despite her embarrassment, she couldn’t deny the glow of pleasure his comment had lit in her chest. A cold wind gusted over them and Lily shivered, realizing her stole must have slipped from her arms when she’d hugged him. She hastily gathered it up, hoping her hair hadn’t gotten disheveled as well.

  Sebastian seemed to notice her discomfort because he took her arm and tugged her toward the steps. “Come on, it’s freezing out here. Let’s get going, shall we?”

  “Oh, um, of course. Where are we going?”

  “That’s a surprise, remember? Have a little faith.” Lily could hear the grin in his voice, though she didn’t dare look at him with her face burning like the sun.

  He led her down the steps and to the car, deftly opening the passenger door and offering a hand for her to grasp as she slid into the low seat. In a flash, he had shut her door and was slipping into the driver’s seat, his tall form barely fitting inside the available space. With the twist of a key, he brought the engine purring to life, and they were soon headed down Ponce De Leon Avenue toward downtown Atlanta.

  Still feeling overwhelmed, Lily used the excuse of examining her new bracelet to avoid conversation. Small talk was the bane of her existence.

  “So, did you have to use a sleeping spell on Kip to get him to stay at home?”

  “I considered it,” she replied, lips lifting in a wry grin. A sudden suspicion made her twist around to eye the back seat. Finding it empty of a certain smug feline, she relaxed. “I guess he decided to let us muddle along by ourselves.”

  Sebastian laughed. “Well that’s a first. Though we should probably check under our seats when we get there, just in case. You know I caught him trying to sneak into the back of your car twice on our first date, the little stinker.”

  “You have no idea. You don’t have to live with him.”

  That just made Sebastian laugh harder. “Aw, com
e on. He means well, you know that. You’re his human, after all. He has to take care of you.”

  “Meaning well doesn’t make him any less of an insufferable know-it-all. And I can take care of myself perfectly fine, thank you very much,” Lily said with a sniff.

  “Of course you can. But if there were powerful wizards and who knows what else trying to kill me, I’d be pleased as a peach to have that cat keeping an eye on my back. He’s darn useful.”

  “I suppose,” Lily admitted, brows drawing down as she stared at her hands folded in her lap. The memory of their past adventures weighed heavily on her mind, and her body tensed at the mere thought of her father and Morgan le Fay.

  “So…um, how’s work?” Sebastian asked in the suddenly heavy silence. “Any, er, old documents or anything come through the library lately?”

  Surprised by the question, but eager to be distracted, Lily told him about a recently acquired, first-edition copy of some of Robert Frost’s writings, donated by a long-standing patron of the college. It was a welcome addition to McCain Library’s extensive collection of Frost’s publications. Agnes Scott had been a favorite destination of the poet’s for more than twenty years during the latter part of his life, and he had left much of his work in the care of their archives. Sebastian had never shown much interest in her job as an archivist before, and she wondered if he was actually curious, or simply asking for the sake of conversation.

  Whatever he was up to, he continued to ply her with light chatter and questions, and she relaxed more and more the farther they drove. She barely even noticed where they were going until he turned onto Peachtree Street, which headed into the heart of downtown Atlanta. Skyscrapers rose around them, sparkling in the evening lights, and their conversation quieted as Lily stared out the window. She had little reason, and scant budget, to visit the expensive business center of Atlanta, and could only remember seeing it a handful of times since she had been admitted to Agnes Scott as a freshman.