“Aren’t you supposed to be doing something with that globe of yours?”
“I’m throwing it at the first familiar with teeth that I see.” She turned to Pansy. “Well, what do you know. I see a familiar right now.”
“For the record, I’m not a familiar, remember? I’m just your unfortunate victim.”
“And here I thought we had gotten past the changing you into a cat thing.”
“As if one ever could.”
“I don’t suppose you plan to tell me how you managed to let the monkey out of his cage?”
“You should know I’m good at opening doors.”
“Yes, but not ones with latches.”
Pansy was silent for a moment and then said, “It must be magic.”
“That would make you a magical cat or magical familiar. After all, you did manage to stop the crystal ball from being stolen and wounded the perpetrator. Those are the actions of a familiar.”
“Bubbles is quite a familiar himself even if he’s on speed. He tried to ride me down the stairs!” Pansy cried.
“Teach you to release him.”
“But I had to, he was sad in that cage. You should have seen his sad, beady little eyes.”
“If I ever complain about you, Pansy, please remind me I could have a monkey for company.”
“Merlin wouldn’t last one minute with Bubbles.” Pansy snickered.
“Set your crystal ball over here and see if it can pick up anything,” Evie said.
Petunia took the crystal ball from the bag and set it down on an overturned metal barrel. She swiped a finger across the top of the globe and blue light shot out, illuminating the opening of the alley. She quickly covered the globe with the bag. Certainly, it would draw too much attention. Evie then clucked her tongue at Petunia and Petunia took the bag off again and concentrated on the smoky images. She stepped back when she saw the large teeth of a small familiar. “There’s one behind the dumpster, but be careful … it has teeth,” Petunia said.
Chloe jumped around the corner of the bin and her body flew backward onto a bag of garbage. “The little beast is attacking her!” Petunia exclaimed.
“He’s licking me, actually,” Chloe said, as she climbed to her feet. Why, the familiar was nothing but a fuzzy ball of fur with a long tongue. Petunia imagined it also had large teeth.
Chloe deposited it into a familiar carrier that was padded on the bottom and on three sides.
Petunia looked into the globe again and this time a dog was found under bags of garbage. He was shaking so badly when Noah pulled him out that he proceeded to pet the animal to calm it.
“There’s something large here somewhere,” Petunia called out. “Razor sharp claws and teeth this time for sure.”
Noah put the dog into the carrier and walked to the very end of the alley with Evie, Chloe, and Emerald. Petunia stayed closer to the entrance so she’d be able to make a hasty exit if her life depended on it. That might be the case.
“Run, Red!” Pansy suddenly shouted.
Petunia glanced up too late as the large brown beast came at her. Petunia jumped out of the way, but apparently had misjudged as she was knocked to the ground! She barely was able to squeak at Pansy, who by now was long gone. Where were Noah and the witch sisters when she needed them?
She struggled to breathe as the large beast held her down, but in the next moment Petunia felt electricity enter her body. She was then able to push it off her and Noah raced over and helped her up. Why, the beast wasn’t nearly as frightening now with long brown fur that covered its entire body and large sad eyes.
“Get up, Gabe,” Evie commanded the animal with her wand drawn. “We better get these three to the hospital before a tourist happens by. I’d hate to explain why we have beasts with us that resemble something you might see in a cartoon.”
Chloe motioned behind them where a van pulled up and the familiars were loaded.
The doctor closed the doors to the vehicle and nodded at them. She wore dark slacks and a white lab coat. Incidentally, she was also about six feet tall.
“Thanks, Evie. It’s about time you found these familiars. They’ve been scaring half of Coven Creek.”
“They do have vicious growls,” Petunia said. The wheels in her mind were turning, but it wouldn’t make sense that a doctor who nursed familiars back to health would have broken into Petunia’s hotel room, so she let the thought drop from her mind.
Petunia walked back to the barrel to retrieve the crystal ball and it was gone!
“Oh, my,” Petunia exclaimed. “Someone snatched the crystal ball.”
The witch sisters ran over and gasped. “When did you see it last?” Evie asked.
“Right before that beast knocked me to the ground.”
“It’s a familiar, not a beast,” Emerald said.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything, I swear.”
“Where’s Pansy?” Noah asked.
“Oh, he’s long gone. He left me when he saw the b— I mean, familiar, run toward us.”
“Gabe was just trying to escape,” Chloe said. “Once he gets a good haircut he won’t look nearly as scary.”
“What is he, exactly?”
“We don’t really know.”
“None of them are in their true forms,” Emerald said. “They can transform themselves into whatever they want if they are scared.”
“I imagine they were very scared,” Chloe agreed.
“I wonder if Claude has been feeding them?” Petunia asked. “He lives in this building. I was in his apartment the last time I was in the alley. He saved me, or so I thought at the time.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Noah said.
“It’s not like it sounds,” Petunia said. “Although I’m flattered it bothers you.” She grinned.
“We better start looking for the crystal ball,” Evie said. “As you can see, it’s quite valuable.”
“Apparently if used right,” Petunia agreed.
They searched the alley where the globe had been, but it was nowhere to be found. “The barrel tipped over when the familiar fell on me,” Petunia said.
Chloe shook her head. “My guess is that Gabe has it. It’s probably in his fur and he doesn’t even know it’s there.”
Petunia shook her head. “That doesn’t sound very likely.”
“We’ll go to the familiar hospital,” Evie said.
“I’ll stay here, if you don’t mind. It might have rolled out of the alley.”
Evie, Chloe, and Emerald left and Noah and Petunia wandered along the cobblestone streets. “Pansy!” Petunia yelled.
“You’ll wake the dead if you keep on like that.” Noah winked. “Or something like that.”
“Strange talk for a man who doesn’t like to hear about magic or witches.”
“I imagine if I’m dating you that I’m okay with witches. It’s the magic part that baffles me, but apparently I can’t stay in denial.”
Petunia rather liked to hear him say that, but that didn’t mean she’d ever tell Noah about Pansy and how she could communicate with him and why. That’s one secret she’d have to take to her grave. But what about poor Pansy, would he ever be able to cross over if he ran out of nine lives, or would he stay a cat forever like the undead. On second thought, Pansy wasn’t anything like the undead. He didn’t sustain himself on blood. And his body parts didn’t fall off.
Noah pointed out a dark shape ahead of them and Petunia jogged over there. She figured it was safe enough if she had survived being squished by a huge teddy bear familiar. After all, being a witch in Coven Creek had to have some perks.
The closer Petunia got the dark shape, the more she realized it wasn’t in the least bit scary … it was Pansy, who was trying to roll the crystal ball down the street! He really was familiar material. First, he had hidden the crystal ball from an intruder and now, he had found it and was trying to bring it back to her.
Petunia picked up the globe about the same time that Noah scoope
d up Pansy.
“Glad to see you, lughead,” Pansy panted. “I thought I’d die trying to get that crystal ball back to you, Petunia.”
“Where on earth did you find it?”
“Now that’s quite a story. When I left you to your own defenses … save the yelling until I’m finished with my story. Anyway, I saw a woman spiriting it away and I followed her. She set it on the porch while she unlocked her door and I simply rolled it off the porch. I was halfway down the street before she noticed it was gone, I believe, since she didn’t come after me.”
“Show me where that woman lives.”
“Ah, how you planning to explain that to the lughead?”
“Leave it to me.”
“Noah, I’d like to head back to Evie’s house. I want to let her know that we found the crystal ball and my familiar.”
“Oh, so he’s your familiar now?”
“Why are you questioning me, mister? Don’t forget I’m a witch and everyone basically assumes Pansy is my familiar already. I don’t see any reason to stop them from thinking it.”
Noah held Petunia’s eyes for a moment longer than she was comfortable with, but eventually let it go thankfully.
They strolled down the street and Pansy squawked and gouged Noah’s arm with his claws. Noah dropped him with a few well-chosen words that Petunia would never say out loud and they followed Pansy to a house with the porch light on. The house in question was a townhouse and a door was opened, illuminating the porch in light as night was falling. A woman was in the bushes searching for something … namely the crystal ball that she was certain she had at one point, no doubt.
“Looking for something?” Petunia asked, as she balanced the crystal ball.
The woman turned and swallowed hard. “Why do you have my globe?”
“It doesn’t belong to you and I’d like to know why you took it.”
“I didn’t take it, I tell you … I found it.”
“So, let me get this straight. First, it’s yours, and now you’re saying you found it? This story is getting interesting.”
Footsteps approached the door and a man who looked about 70 years old stepped on the porch. “What’s going on out here?”
“Oh, nothing,” Petunia said. “This young lady found my snow globe and was kind enough to return it to me.”
“Go back inside, Papa. I’ll let you know if I need you.”
“If you’re certain, Raven, but don’t stay out there too long, you have to work in the morning.”
Petunia waited until the door closed and then asked, “So, Raven, what’s the story?”
“No story. I just happened to find the crystal ball laying in the middle of the street.”
“It rolled out of the alley,” Petunia said. “I-I thought I heard a noise and turned around and it was gone. I must admit I might have dropped it when I heard a snarling noise. It was very frightening.”
“Oh, that makes sense, I suppose.”
“How do you know it’s a crystal ball?”
“Oh, I happen to know a few people who have been looking for a real crystal ball and they’re offering a reward.”
“I’d love to know their names,” Petunia said. “I might sell it for the right price.”
“Oh, well … Allegra and Naomi have been looking for a crystal ball in town that supposedly is quite magical.”
“And how might I find this Allegra and Naomi?”
“They hang out at the Coven Lantern.”
“Thanks, Raven. You have no idea how much you’ve helped me.”
Petunia marched toward Evie’s house and caught the sisters on their way inside. “Stop,” Petunia called after them. “I found my crystal ball.”
“Where was it?” Evie asked.
“Apparently it rolled out of the alley and a Raven something or other found it. She was hoping to sell it to an Allegra and Naomi. Sorry I don’t have their last names.”
“You don’t have to, I know those witches well,” Evie said with a grimace.
“I was told they could be found at the Coven Lantern. We were planning to head out there to see if I could find them. I’d love to know why they want this crystal ball.”
“I’ll have Chloe go with you. They’re not the sort you want to talk to by yourself, even in a crowded bar.”
“I’ll take Pansy back to the hotel with me,” Noah suggested. “I don’t want to get in your way. I don’t suppose you’ll tell me how you knew where to ask about the crystal ball.” When Petunia didn’t have an answer, Noah gave Petunia a quick kiss. “On second thought, I’d rather not know. I’ll keep Pansy with me tonight. I don’t want to deal with explaining to you how your familiar went missing.”
14
Chloe met Petunia in the street and Noah walked away with Pansy.
Petunia and Chloe didn’t talk that much on the way until finally Petunia asked, “Should I be worried about questioning Allegra and Naomi?”
“Since you don’t have a wand, the answer is absolutely.”
The Coven Lantern was a quaint little bar that required Chloe to show her witch’s card to gain entrance for them.
“Witches bar?” Petunia asked.
“Yup, we have to have somewhere to go where tourists aren’t allowed. It was nice of the doorman to let you accompany me.”
“It’s not normally done?”
“Oh, no. The last thing we need in this town is for some whack job to gain access and record the goings on inside. It’s the one place in town where we don’t have to conceal our magic, not that I’d go around blabbing about what my actual abilities are. It’s too dangerous to do that. You can’t let another witch know your vulnerabilities.”
“Good point since my vulnerabilities outweigh my magic.”
“That can’t be the case if you got the globe to work for you. I hope you don’t have it with you?”
“It’s in a safe place.” Yes, like in her purse.
Petunia swallowed hard when they approached the mahogany bar that had carvings of snakes along the edges. Chloe ordered two green drinks that had smoke coming off the top and Petunia took one. “What is this?”
“It’s called the witch’s dream. Give it a try.”
Petunia took a sip and her tongue danced like back at Evie’s house. It was certainly magic related.
Chloe ushered them into a corner booth and motioned to two women sitting across the room … rather, two large and gloomy witches!
“Is that them?”
“Yes, actually when you described the intruder, these are the witches Evie was going to tell you about. She didn’t really want to scare you. She thought it would be a little too dangerous for you, but with me along we’ll be perfectly safe.”
“I meant to ask you what happened in the alley when that hairy familiar was on top of me. I swear I felt electricity and was able to push him off me.”
“I had to zap you with my wand. I was worried you were being crushed.”
“Actually, I was. Will I have any after effects?”
“I really don’t know. I can’t imagine you would.”
“Have you ever done that before?”
“No, but don’t worry. You seem fine.”
Petunia wanted to be more than fine and she didn’t care all that much about being enchanted. She wouldn’t tell Chloe that, of course.
Petunia took a few more sips that turned into rather large drinks for courage.
“So, what is our approach?”
“We don’t need one. I’ll text Allegra.”
“Is that a good idea? Wouldn’t we have more of the advantage if we went over there?”
“They’ll be on the defensive if we do that and we can’t have that, so please don’t accuse them of anything malevolent. They simply might only be interested in getting their hands on the crystal ball to sell it.”
Petunia frowned. “Is that what you really think?”
“Not really, but what other reason could there be. They’re hardly super witches.”
>
“Is a super witch even a thing?”
“It might be.” Chloe busted into giggles. “It sounds quite special, don’t you think?”
“Yes, I do. But the thought frightens me. How can we possibly face down two super witches and come out alive?”
“Now, that is a little melodramatic. I assure you neither Allegra or Naomi mean us harm.” Chloe then typed out a text and waited with a smile as the two extra-tall witches joined them at their table. They had to grab a couple of chairs since they were too large for the booth.
“I haven’t seen you two in a blue moon,” Chloe gushed. “How ever have you been?”
Petunia swallowed hard as the sisters stared her down. Their black hair was dreadfully thick and devoid of any real hairstyle. Their black eyes never left Petunia’s.
“I’m Petunia,” she introduced suddenly. “Chloe tells me you’re Allegra and Naomi. You have such great names. Petunia is rather an old, dull name.”
The witches forced smiles as they nudged one another.
“Did you hear Evie’s shop was broken into,” Chloe said abruptly. “We finally got it cleaned up. We were sure Medea was the one who broke in, but now we don’t even know for certain if she was the one who died today.”
“Heard there was a witness,” Allegra said. “Saw the whole accident.”
“I can’t help but wonder,” Petunia said. “I have a feeling she might still be alive.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Chloe said. “She was too much of a witch to die.”
The trio of witches laughed, but Petunia didn’t. What was she expected to do when she had only met Medea the one time and Petunia was the outsider.
“Heard your crystal ball at the shop isn’t there no more,” Naomi said. “Did someone break it?”
“It must have been stolen when the shop was broken into,” Petunia suggested.
“Heard it was gone before that,” Allegra chimed in.
“What’s up with the crystal ball? Was it expensive?” Petunia asked.
“It would be now that Medea is gone. Her family owned it.”
“The crystal ball was never in the possession of Medea,” Chloe said. “Nor was it owned by a member of her family. They’re not even from Coven Creek.”
Meows, Magic & Marshmallows Page 12