by R K Dreaming
Nan eyed up the small basket that Percy had put carefully on her lap with great suspicion. “You haven’t even told us what’s in that basket.”
“And ruin all the fun?” said Percy cheekily. “No way!”
“It won’t be any fun when my mum finds out what we’ve been up to,” said Nan sourly. “I think the only reason Councilor Strickt hasn’t mentioned any of this to my parents is because he’s holding it over me like a threat.”
“They haven’t contacted my parents either yet,” said Shara.
“The only reason he hasn’t mentioned it to either of your parents is because he shouldn’t have questioned underage teenagers without their parents’ being present,” said Percy. “Isn’t that right, Felix?”
Felix nodded. “Sort of. It took me by surprise really. He’s usually so strict about the rules. He must be desperate to find the stolen wildmagic. I bet the conclave has piled on the pressure.”
“Either that, or they’ve made a deal. I bet if the Eldritch Council finds that wildmagic, then Councilor Strickt plans on trading it to the conclave for something he wants.”
“Probably,” said Felix. “Councilor Strickt is really savvy that way.”
“I don’t care,” said Percy. “So long as you don’t get into trouble at work.”
“Has Octavia forgiven you yet?” asked Nan.
Felix shook his head. “She’s been off with me these past couple of days. I think she feels really betrayed that I knew Juliet Jolie was in London and didn’t tell her about it.”
“It’s none of her business,” said Percy. “She’s just jealous that you’ve got new friends now. You don’t think that she is really going to tell Councilor Strickt what you’ve done? She’s not holding it over you, is she?”
Felix shrugged. “Octavia is not exactly the forgiving type.”
“It’s the vampire in her,” said Shara. “But she’s not all bad for a vampire really, is she?”
“Half vampire,” said Felix.
“Meh,” said Percy. “Makes no difference. When we find that walnut, she is going to have to forgive you.”
“I don’t know how you think you’re going to find that walnut when entire search teams of conclave witches and wizards haven’t been able to find it in days,” said Nan irritably. “And you think you alone are going to find it in just one day?”
“Of course we will,” said Percy. “All we need is my brain and your wand.”
When they got to their destination, Epping Forest, it took them twenty minutes to walk to the address that Percy had asked Jeeves to help her look up.
The houses here were semi-detached redbrick boxy affairs, quite different from the older, larger ones in Granny Hyde’s street in Old Windsor.
Percy pointed at one of the houses. “That’s the one,” she said.
“What one?” said Nan irritably.
Percy started marching towards a side road that led behind the row of houses and into a wooded area.
“I got the idea the other night when we were in Old Windsor. Remember how dark it was? How disorientating?”
“I nearly fell about fifty times,” said Shara. “The countryside is awfully dark in the middle of the night.”
“Exactly,” said Percy. “When Nan and I were talking to Hank Hyde that first time, he said it had been night when he etherhopped into his Granny Hyde’s garden the night of the heist.”
Percy stopped walking. They were on a narrow road now. On one side was the woods, and on the other side was some fencing. This fencing blocked off the back gardens belonging to the houses on the street that Percy had pointed out earlier.
Percy came to a stop and peered through some gaps in the fencing. She was pretty sure that they had arrived at the back of the house that she wanted.
The fence was in disrepair, and a couple of entire panels had rotted away. Beyond it was a garden that was overgrown, the grass knee-high, and the weeds even higher.
Percy pointed to the house again. “Nanna Plumm used to live there,” she said.”
“Who?” said Felix and Shara together.
“Nanna Plumm?” said Nan. “You mean Hank Hyde’s other grandmother?”
“Yep,” said Percy. “Remember he said he used to go camping in Epping Forest near where she lived?”
“So?” said Nan in frustration. “Hank said Nanna Plumm was long gone by now. Dead. It’s not like she can tell us anything.”
“A new family lives in her house,” said Percy. “So they’re probably at home about now having lunch. Or else we could have tried getting into their garden.”
“But…” Nan’s voice trailed off if beginning to realize what Percy was getting at.
“Aha!” said Percy, pointing. Right at the back of Nanna Plumm’s garden was a large, flat area of scuzzy green stuff.
Shara peered through the gap. She wrinkled her nose and said, “Yuck.”
“A pond,” said Nan her eyes going wide.
“The pond,” Felix echoed, his mouth dropping open a little.
“Exactly,” said Percy, now grinning broadly.
The pond was choked with overgrown weeds and its surface was completely covered in floating green stuff.
“I got my idea when we were stumbling around in the dark,” she said. “Imagine how panicked Hank Hyde must have been when he was etherhopping away from the heist. When that conclave watch wizard had grabbed hold of him, he must have been in such a panic. What if, when he thought of his gran’s garden, he actually pictured his Nanna Plumm’s garden? What if he ended up here instead of there, and he never even knew it because it was too dark to see? All he saw was a glint of water in the darkness, and he threw the walnut into it.”
“Into this pond!” Shara breathed.
“Into this pond,” said Percy jubilantly. “He’s been searching near the wrong grandmother’s garden for a whole decade! It was here all along!”
Nan was shaking her head, her eyes goggling in disbelief. “It can’t be!”
“There’s only one way of finding out!” said Percy.
Nan groaned. “I’m going to have to sing that stupid song, aren’t I?”
“It’s either that, or Shara’s going to have to dive in,” said Percy.
“Eugh,” said Shara. “Not in your wildest dreams.”
“I suppose we could just not bother,” said Percy, “and suffer getting into a big fat heat heap of trouble with Councilor Strickt instead.”
“How does it go again?” said Nan with a pained expression.
“There was once a young man named Hank Hyde,” said Percy.
They all started singing together in chorus.
“There was once a young man named Hank Hyde,
Who found out he’d never been pied,
So much in his life,
As he had by his wife,
Who couldn’t care less if he died.
Poor Hank thought he loved her,
But it’s time that he shoved her,
Off a cliff to see if she’d fly.”
“Venio walnut!” cried Nan, pointing her wand at the pool.
And then she screamed and jumped aside as something small and very dirty shot out of the murky surface of the pool like a bullet.
Percy’s hand shot out to catch it. It hit her palm with a wet smack. It was disgusting and covered in slithery green stuff, and Percy grimaced as she looked at it. It looked like a weed choked slimy stone.
“Eugh!” Still grimacing, Nan handed Percy a wad of tissues from a packet in her bag.
Percy wiped the object off and then grinned broadly. She held it up to show them. It was a glinting golden walnut shell.
“No way,” Nan whispered.
“I bet you wish you never doubted me now,” said Percy with a laugh.
“Oh shut up and let me savor this moment,” said Nan.
Percy tossed the walnut at Felix, whose hand whipped out to catch it.
“That’s your Get Out Of Jail Free card,” she said. “Don’t lose it.”<
br />
Nan was looking at Percy. “So, erm… You don’t want an ampoule or two? You know, to find your dad?”
“Nah,” said Percy. “I’m pretty sure that magic is tainted or cursed. Look what it did to anyone who tried to steal it. I’ll find him some other way. Anyway, Felix would never let me, would you, Felix?”
“Darn right,” said Felix. He carefully wrapped the walnut in some more tissue, and stashed it into his inner jacket pocket and carefully zipped it up.
He was shaking his head in bemusement. “How long have you known it was there?”
“I didn’t,” said Percy. “Not until after you told me that the conclave witches and wizards still hadn’t found it by the time school was over on Friday. And then it just popped into my head that it might be here.”
“Might be!” said Nan. “You’ve risked everything on a might be?”
Percy winked. “It worked out, didn’t it? And now we’ve got the whole of the rest of a bright sunny Sunday to enjoy Epping Forest.” She flung her arms out wide, indicating the great big beautiful world.
On the opposite side of the road, the leaves were rustling in the trees and the grass beneath the canopy looked particularly welcoming.
“Come on!” said Percy, running across the road and into the trees.
The others followed, treading through the lush grass, breathing in the freshness of what they knew would be the last sunny days of the year.
“Did Jeeves take the news about Juliet Jolie badly?” asked Nan.
“Nope,” said Percy. “He said he knew she must be a bad sort if she couldn’t appreciate his cooking properly. And he’s had so much fun telling all his friends all about her.”
Nan chuckled. “Good old Jeeves. I bet he was bursting from having to keep her a secret!”
Shara said, “About that exchange scheme between schools. I heard kids from Magicwild Academy will be part of it. Do you think Levi Poseidon might come to our school?”
“No!” said Nan in excitement. “Students from Magicwild Academy? Who told you that?”
Nan’s eyes were wide. As a witch, Nan had been accepted into Magicwild Academy, the best school of magic in the world. Or technically, in the other world, because the academy was inside the Magicwild itself.
“Mum’s friend is a secretary for someone high up in the Eldritch Council,” said Shara. “She told mum.”
“How exciting!” said Nan. “I can’t wait to meet them.”
“Not me,” said Percy. “Not if they’re all going to be like Levi.”
“It’s not for a while yet,” said Felix. “You’ll have weeks to enjoy school without them.”
“And this whole Sunday to enjoy life without school,” said Percy determinedly.
They arrived in a small clearing of emerald green grass lined with wild rose bushes. Percy took out a picnic blanket from her backpack and spread it out. She plopped herself down onto it.
“And now for the best bit,” she said.
She unbuckled the lid of her little wicker basket and reached into it, and pulled out a great huge container with an entire roast chicken and vegetables inside. It was several times the size of the tiny basket.
Felix burst into laughter. “No way!” he said.
Percy nodded. “Sunday roast,” she said. “I wanted sandwiches, but Jeeves insisted.”
Felix peered inside the basket, trying to get a good look at the depth, but it was dark in there.
“It’s like your house,” he said. “Bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. How much stuff have you managed to fit in there?”
“Exactly as much as we need,” she said, pulling out a bunch of plates and cutlery and glasses and neatly folded cloth napkins.
Then she took out the yorkshire puddings, the brussel sprouts and carrots, an enormous gravy boat, buttered peas, a joint of roast lamb, a pitcher of fresh lemonade, a full tea set, some scones and cream and jam, and a freshly made chocolate and vanilla cheesecake.
Nan used magic to carve up the chicken and lamb, and filled everyone’s plates for them. Felix poured glasses of lemonade. Shara had decided to go for dessert first and helped herself to a slice of cheesecake.
Watching her friends, Percy gave a sigh of bliss. There was no need to say bon appétit. Everyone was already eating.
Nan made everyone raise their glasses in a toast. “To no more murderous adventures!” she said as they clinked their glasses together.
“Hear, hear!” said Felix and Shara.
“Until next time,” said Percy with a grin.
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About The Author
I’m a writer of paranormal cozy mysteries and fantasy adventures.
When I was a kid, I read everything I could get my hands on and dreamt of one day being a writer. It took me a long time, but I'm glad I'm finally here. I live in England, and these days I spend my time writing, reading, binge watching movies and crime TV shows, and herding tiny chickens.
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Best wishes and happy reading,
R. K. Dreaming
Contents
Magic & Mayhem
1. Home For Halloween
2. The Fugitive Superstar
3. The Perfectly Wonky Plan
4. The Exquisite Opal
5. Frights and Delights
6. The New Teacher
7. Of All The Stupid Things To Do
8. The Tale Of The Heist
9. The Bait
10. The Trap
11. Temper Tantrums
12. The Dastardly Duo
13. The Hooting Owl
14. The Password
15. An Ultimatum
16. The Missing Walnut
About The Author