by Martha Carr
Eireka smiled, her hair falling around her shoulders. She ran to join Jackson and fight by his side.
"He makes them believe they have a vote." Lacey held out her wand, yelling, "Spinas et tribulos germinabit!" Nettles flew out of the end of her wand in rapid fire, piercing the skin of a witch and wizard.
"Nicely done," said Leira, her eyes glowing.
Lacey nodded her head. "Did I ever tell you that Sirius tried to join the Silver Griffins when he was young? It's true and we considered it, but he was a con artist even then. He couldn't tell the truth and we kicked him out."
"So, this is personal for him."
"Everything is personal for Sirius."
Louie came rushing by them, swinging the sword, pushing back the dark magicals.
Lacey spotted Sirius waving his wand at the wards, muttering spells feverishly, determined to break into the sanctuary.
"Oh, hell no." Lacey marched through the throng, throwing magicals out of her way with a flick of her wand, determined to get to Sirius.
"Fool,” snarled Sirius. He waved his wand, pushing a wall of energy at her that bulged in the center. Patsy and Lois joined her and the three combined their magic, pushing the wave back at him.
"This is the end of days for you, Sirius. The ranks of your followers are growing thinner all the time."
Lacey moved fast, running in a zigzag in her gray Clark's sneakers, tossing fireballs in Sirius' direction. Flames struck him hard in the neck and he stumbled, falling over a witch who lay still in the grass, jostling his wand out of his hand. He tumbled into the grass, scrambling to his feet and searching for his wand.
"Not so fast," Lacey cautioned, wagging her finger at him.
"Stupid bitch," he grumbled, diving for his wand and lifting it up, releasing shadows that curled up around him, momentarily hiding him. Sparks flew out from the darkness that was floating out around the knees of Louie and the wizard he was fighting, condensing across the battlefield, dangerously hiding the enemy.
Lois waded forward, waving her wand to blow away the shadows, whipping her head around in surprise. Sirius was nowhere to be found.
"He still has a few good tricks," said Lacey. "That last one was a punch in the gut. Fortunately, he tends to run when things get tough." She looked at Leira, who was running toward her, her face twisted in horror.
Lacey followed Leira's eyes down to her stomach where a crimson stain was spreading in a spidery pattern across her velour top. "That's going to be a problem." She pressed her hand against the wound and dropped to her knees as Leira ran toward her, sliding across the grass to catch Lacey as she fell backward.
Lois pushed her glasses up her nose and ran for her old friend, Patsy helping to clear a path. Lois got to Lacey, pulling the head of the Silver Griffins into her lap and cradling her head. "Lacey, hang in there. Let me try a spell."
But it was too late. Life had already seeped out of her and her body had gone limp. "This has gone too far," snarled Lois, hugging her friend's body close to her chest.
The fighting still raged on around them, Sirius' followers sensing an opening and pressing their advantage. Leira stood up, her eyes narrowed, a smear of blood across her chest.
"Enough!"
"No!" Jackson reached out with his hand, running toward his daughter. But Leira was already letting the energy surge through her, rattling the bracelet on her arm. End this battle, now! She clenched her fists, the magic building till it pushed outward in an explosion of light that quickly rippled across the field.
Correk shielded his eyes with his arm, making his way to the last place he saw Leira. The dark magicals turned and ran away from the light, tripping and falling over bodies spread out on the field.
The light pulled at Leira as the bracelet burned against her wrist, easing her anger as it built, drawing her closer. She drifted out of her body as a hand grabbed onto her shoulder, yanking her backwards. Her eyes popped open, a swell of pain passing through her body, leaving a residue in her shoulders.
Hagan was standing in front of her, his meaty hand on her shoulder and a look of concern on his face. "You and I still make a damn good team, kid."
"Lacey," muttered Leira, her eyes gleaming. She blinked back tears as Hagan wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tight and the grief pushed out some of the light.
Leira suddenly pushed away from him and looked around frantically. "Sirius! Did someone get him?"
"He got clean away," said Lois, leaning against Patsy. "We'll find my brother, if I have to hunt him down myself and drag him to Trevilsom Prison. He'll never see outside those walls again."
Louie and Jackson surrounded the remaining witches and wizards with Yumfuck. Louie threatened them with the sword while the troll swiped a paw through the air, barely missing each time. Jackson sent out a stream of energy that circled around the opposition, forcing them back into an ever tighter clump. Silver Griffins were splitting into two groups, half of them gathering around Lacey Trader to shield her body and the other half rounding up the dark witches and wizards.
An older witch pulled out a long black cloak and laid it on the ground. Two wizards gently lifted her body and placed her on top of the cloak, wrapping her up in it. They lifted her body as a trio of witches opened a large portal and they began to move everyone out of there. Last to go was the group escorting Lacey's body, a wizard cradling her in his arms as the others walked on either side of him.
"I'm going to go with them," said Lois.
"Ditto," said Patsy, helping Lois limp toward the portal, following behind the cortege.
A small group stayed behind, and a tall, round witch came over to Leira and Correk. "You can all go home. We will take care of the dead. This is what we were trained for and we will move faster on our own."
"Leira..." Correk squeezed her hand. "We need to go. You stopped any more bloodshed. We need to take that and get going. There's something we need to do."
"This shouldn't have happened," said Leira.
"You didn't cause it and you couldn't have done any more than you did," said Eireka, trying to smile at her daughter.
"We all fought bravely, none more than Lacey," said Mara. "Go do what you have to do next. Lacey would want it that way. The threat of Wolfstan Humphrey hasn't passed. If anything, it's worse."
"I'll call you," said Eireka, hugging her daughter, surrounding her with her energy. Mara took her granddaughter's hand, doing the same, the three energies combining briefly into one.
"Where are we going?" asked Leira, tilting up her chin to look at Correk.
"To see the Jersey Willen. I'll explain on the way. We're going to take a portal to Enchanted Rock. There's no time."
The troll came plodding over, shaking the ground with his footsteps. He got to Correk and shrank back down to five inches as Correk held out his hand and scooped him up, putting Yumfuck on his shoulder.
Leira gave a weary smile. "I trust you. If you say we need to go, then we're out of here. Hagan, will you be alright?"
"I've got a lot of padding around the frame. I'll be fine. I'll let Harkin and the Gardener know what happened."
"My father won't take it well that he missed the entire fight," said Correk, his face drawn. "But he'll get over it." He held up his hands and created a ball of light, pulling it apart and singing into it. A portal opened and on the other side was the entrance to the kemana and Hillsdale.
Correk stepped through and put out his hand for Leira. She let go of her mother and stepped through looking back at all the people who had been willing to fight by her side as the portal closed. Family.
Leira stepped up onto the Jersey Willen's porch, her mind still going over every detail of the battle, looking for a way to make things turn out differently. Correk tapped lightly on the door, stepping back. He opened his pocket and looked down at Yumfuck. "You stay hidden the entire time. We need to get this over and done so we can go home and... and just sit."
Yumfuck nodded solemnly, making a cross over his heart w
ith his little paw.
A faded lacey curtain moved across the window and the Jersey Willen looked out and saw the pair standing on the porch. His whiskers twitched and he nervously opened the door. "You two look like you've had better days."
"There was a battle," said Leira in a gush of air. She shook her head and said nothing more.
"Sirius came looking for us," said Correk, rubbing his forehead. "Lacey Trader was killed."
The Jersey Willen sucked in air, patting his chest with his paw. A shudder passed through him and jiggled his body, metallic objects in the folds of his skin jangling together.
"Sirius got away," said Correk, "and we think he's looking for the ring on Wolfstan's behalf. We need you to keep it moving, for your sake as well as to keep the ring safe. Do you have any Willens you can trust to protect it and not pawn it?"
"I have a family of hundreds who would be honored. We've never forgotten what you did for us. Say no more and consider it done."
"There's one more favor," said Leira, her throat dry. "We need you to use that same network to look for Sirius. He may only be a pawn in this nightmare but he's a powerful one and he needs to be stopped before anyone else gets hurt. He needs to answer for what he has done."
"We'll pay you, of course. We were thinking mylar blankets. Shiny and practical,” said Correk.
The Jersey Willen rubbed his paws together, looking at Correk and Leira on the porch. "I'll let the others know. It will help put more of my brethren on your task."
Leira reached out and rubbed the Jersey Willen's shoulder through his brocade vest. "Thank you for all your help. I'm not sure I've said that enough to you."
The Willen was taken aback and opened and shut his mouth several times, letting out tiny squeaks. Finally, he found his voice. "In all my days, Leira Berens, no one has ever treated me with the respect you have on any given day. It's an honor to help you any time I can. Although a blanket would be nice, too."
Chapter Twenty-One
Lacey Trader's funeral was planned for two days after her death. It was tradition in the Silver Griffins to not wait any more than forty-eight hours, especially for someone who had led them so valiantly and for so long.
The funeral was held in Chicago behind St. James Episcopal Cathedral around the labyrinth. Beside the labyrinth stood a three foot statue of a famous Arpak with his arms outstretched in sorrow. It also worked well for the human parishioners who mistook him for a saint.
The rector, Reverend Peter Gleason was a boyish looking wizard who had graduated from the Virginia Seminary. He stood patiently in his vestments with his hands folded, waiting for everyone to assemble.
Turner Underwood personally took care of the glamours around the church, using a similar spell as the one he used around the School of Necessary Magic. People wandering down leafy Huron Street suddenly found themselves turning around and walking down North Rush wondering why they were outside at all.
Lacey had been preserved for the forty-eight hours it took to make the necessary arrangements for such a dignitary in the magical world. She was dressed in her favorite sensible skirt and sweater set with a pair of comfortable Clark's on her feet. Her body was floating above a large round basin set up just outside the entrance to the labyrinth. The basin was full of water from the rivers of Rodania brought over by Mara and Jackson.
Silver Griffins were chosen from every region to represent their part of the world along with most of the rank and file from Chicago. Mabel Garner stood in the center of the Chicago contingent, pressed shoulder to shoulder, biting her lower lip and determined not to cry.
The dean of the seminary was there with General Anderson, the only human permitted to be at the ceremony. He had left his uniform at home and was dressed in his best black suit that he hadn't worn since the funeral of Jessica Anderson, and after today he planned to never wear it again.
Lois was there in a black pantsuit with Earl in his one good suit, shiny at the elbows and a new blue silk tie Lois picked out for him just for the day. Lily Sharpton stood next to her aunt, her eyes shining. Inside her pocket was the necklace she had found, but she had yet to say anything, waiting for the right time. Maybe after the funeral. Maybe I'm wrong and it's nothing.
Patsy stood next to them quietly chewing on a peanut M&M doing her best to calm her nerves. A wad of tissues was tucked in her sleeve just in case.
Leira stood near the statue with her mother and grandmother, and Jackson and Harkin, while Correk was beside the rector as the new Fixer with Turner Underwood right behind him. Louie stood quietly at the back of the crowd taking it all in.
Correk looked over at Leira, not sure what to do and she gave him a crooked smile wanting to stand closer to him. The troll stirred in her pocket and poked out his head, his paws holding on to the edge of her pocket. The rector held up his hands, his white cassock draping down under his arms. Around his neck was a silk purple stole with an embroidered S and a G intertwined in gold thread.
"Today is an opportunity for reflection," began Reverend Gleason, "not only for the life well-lived of Lacey Trader, but for our own lives and where we see ourselves in them. Lacey Trader saw her place in a life of service from a very young age. She was a gifted witch who looked out for others and had an opinion about everything that she always felt okay about sharing." A sprinkling of laughter rolled across the crowd. "Her ability to change your mind about something you were certain about just minutes ago with just a steady look and an arch of her brow was legendary. I found myself questioning a few things after a chat with Lacey. " The wizard smiled, creases deepening around his eyes. "It was her love of service that lead her to that battlefield in a peaceful place, where most battles are held. It was her love of this world and the magicals that live here that lead her to charge into battle. And it was even her love of human beings, maybe even especially, that lead her to keep going even when the odds were not in her favor. It was never about self-preservation for Lacey Trader, my very good friend..." The rector paused, swallowing hard and wiping away a tear. "It was about love, which is all service really is in the end, one to another without expectation of return. Rest well my friend," said Reverend Gleason, his voice breaking. "You have more than earned it. I will see you again across the veil."
Others stepped forward to talk about their fondest memory of Lacey, evoking tears and laughter. After a while the Reverend stepped up again and raised his hands. "We would like to end with a few words from one of Lacey's greatest and oldest friends, and the new head of the Silver Griffins."
Lois stepped forward as a murmur rose but was silenced with one look from Turner Underwood. Lois stood up straighter and said, "I am honored to be called to serve this institution. And I am humbled to be following in the footsteps of Lacey Trader. We were in more than a few battles together back in the day and the subject of death occasionally came up between us. Lacey was fond of quoting Winston Churchill when it did. She would say, I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter. Churchill and Lacey were great friends and fought side by side in the war. I imagine they're back to swapping tall tales already."
Harkin smiled, surprised to find himself comforted to be surrounded by family. Several Silver Griffins made note of his presence, but no one would disrespect the solemnity of the occasion by bringing up the death of Fraekin. It could wait till another day. Harkin looked over the crowd and narrowed his gaze when he saw Agent Erickson standing near him. He took a step forward and put out his hand to make the first move. "I don't know if you remember me."
"Harkin, I know who you are," said Erickson, pressing his lips together.
"Of course. I knew your mother. She was a great Silver Griffin at Trevilsom Prison. I was sorry to hear of her passing."
Erickson looked down at his shoes covered in dew around the toes and back at Harkin. "Thank you," he said clearing his throat.
"I'm sure she would be so proud to see what you're doing with the Silver Griffins in her p
lace. You're in the leadership. Well done."
Erickson blanched, his eyes widening, and he shook his head vigorously. "Excuse me," he said, digging his way to the back of the crowd to stand next to Xander Powell, a representative from Virginia.
"It's time," said the rector, raising his arms.
Everyone took a step back and made a clearing for the Reverend, Lois, Correk and Turner Underwood to pass through with Lacey's body floating between them. The Reverend whispered something too faint to hear and the water from the basin rose up, surrounding Lacey's body in a watery bubble, accompanying her on the last part of her journey.
Correk nodded to Leira and reached out his hand to her and Eireka gave her a nudge to go join them. The troll dropped out of her pocket and Mara scooped him up, placing him on her shoulder. Leira went over to walk behind the body as they wove their way around to the center of the labyrinth and out again, repeating an ancient blessing. "Safe travels with friends to guide you, till we meet again. Rest easy, with joy and laughter, knowing all is well, at last."
The small group entered the cathedral from a side door going down the aisle, passing through the narthex, repeating the blessing till they went behind the sanctuary to the stone wall covered in marble tile. Here the rector pressed his hand against the stone, his hand glowing as a door appeared. He pressed a little harder and the door slid into the wall, stone scraping loudly against cement. Cobwebs covered part of the passageway as they all filed quietly inside and Correk threw a ball of light gently above them to light the way. In front of them were twisting stone steps that lead further and further underground, turning and turning, lit only by the ball of light above them.
Leira felt the hum of energy increase the deeper they went underground, passing by walls made of stone bricks until finally they came to a tall metal door. The Reverend stopped and turned to face Lacey's cortege.
"I feel like something should be said before we pass through this door. It's been years since we've had occasion to enter the Catacombs of Derry. Even though they've been here for thousands of years, very few are ever laid to rest here. Lacey Trader is more than worthy of this honor to lay among the revered from the magical world. Not because of the post she held, but what was in her heart." He nodded to Turner Underwood who came forward with an oversized key, placing it in the lock and turning it. Tink, tink, tink, click. The tumblers turned over, unlocking the door. Correk, Turner and the Reverend pushed together, putting their backs into it to get the great door to swing wide with a loud creak that sounded more like a moan.