by Martha Carr
"This has been a near-perfect night," said Maggie, letting out a contented sigh. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this peaceful, and in the middle of so much chaos.
The waiter came to the table and nodded to Jake. "How is everything this evening? Can I get you anything?" he asked, smiling at Maggie.
"I'll take another..." Maggie stopped mid-sentence at the sound of dishes hitting the polished cement floor and looked in the direction of the commotion. Several people were bent over trying to retrieve the broken pieces and scoop up the sushi that had scattered in every direction.
There was one balding head in particular that caught Maggie's eye and she lifted a little out of her seat and leaned over, hoping she was wrong. "Bernie," she muttered angrily under her breath. She would know that round body in a multi-colored checkerboard sweater anywhere.
"What'd you say?" Jake looked in the same direction but could only see the backside of two waiters leaning over and cleaning up the floor. Bernie's head suddenly popped up in the middle and he looked around till he spotted Maggie, waving enthusiastically. He smiled and yelled, "Hey, there you are! Give me a sec."
Jake look at Maggie, puzzled. "You know him?"
"Only by reputation," said Maggie, a pained smile on her face. She half rose out of her seat as Bernie extricated himself from the tangle of waiters and people trying to leave and stepped over the last smear of food spread across the floor. He marched over to the table, still smiling broadly passing a waiter with two Topo Chicos on his tray. "Oooh, just what I need, thanks." Bernie artfully grabbed one of the bottles, nearly toppling yet another tray and kept walking, still smiling, barreling toward Maggie and Jake's table.
"Not tonight," hissed Maggie quietly as Bernie closed in on them.
"Don't worry, I can't stay long," said Bernie, loudly as he nodded hard at Maggie, a wild look in his eyes.
Maggie furrowed her brow, watching him as her instincts kicked in and she saw that there was actually a plan in play. Bernie put out his hand to Jake, the bottle in his other hand. "Hi, I'm Bernie, a friend of the family."
"You're a friend of Maggie's mother?" asked Jake, as if that was helping him piece it together. He shook Bernie's hand, nervously eyeing the bubbly water just as Bernie pounded on his chest with his fist, splashing the fizzy water in the air. A high arc of Topo Chico crossed between the two, landing on Jake's chin and dribbling down onto his chest.
"Oh, come on, Bernie," said Maggie, agitated but her eyes grew wider as she went to help Jake, holding up her napkin. The water was turning a pale iridescent green everywhere it had touched his skin. "What is happening?" Maggie looked up at Jake, studying his face. What did I miss? It's not possible. I finally let someone in and this happens.
Jake quickly grabbed the small pile of paper napkins, wiping away the tell-tale green liquid. "I can explain," said Jake, panic in his eyes. "I was going to earlier, but we..."
Bernie looked from Maggie to Jake, noticing the lipstick mark on his collar, his face growing solemn. "Sorry, kid, but I had to do it. You wouldn't believe me."
"You told her about me? Who are you?"
"Her friend, which is more than I can say for you. You lied to her." Small bubbles popped out of Bernie's mouth, releasing fireflies. Several people eating nearby applauded, oohing and aahing like it was part of a show.
"You're a Huldu!" whispered Jake, anger filling his throat.
Maggie rose out of her chair, her eyes glistening. "And you're a Kashgar," she said evenly. She picked up her purse, slipping the strap over her head.
"Half Kashgar, judging by the pale green color. The other half I'm guessing is pure Peabrain," said Bernie. "Hey, where are you going? What, now you're mad at me? I was protecting you."
Maggie turned around, her fists clenched. "No one asked you to. I've been doing that for years without your intervention. I managed to get the damn compass back without you by my side."
"Now, that one hurts." Bernie patted his chest.
"You have the compass back?" Jake asked, surprised.
Maggie shook her head at him. "You lied to me."
"Wait! I'm glad you have it back. Keep it close, there are a lot of others who want to use it for their own ends."
"Like you, for instance," said Bernie, taking a seat at the table. He slid a piece of the salmon roll off the plate and popped it into his mouth, still talking. "You singled her out, didn't you? Following orders, I'll bet." He picked up another piece and was about to slide it into his mouth when he saw the look of betrayal on Maggie's face.
He stood up, dropping the sushi and took a step toward her. "I waited too long, didn't I kid?"
"You didn't wait long enough," said Maggie. "I'm not your project, not anymore."
Jake threw money on the table and went to follow her but Maggie put up her hand. "No, no you don't. You lied to me and not about something simple. Was any of it real for you?"
"All of it."
"Now, you see? That's such a nice thing to say and I have no way of knowing if any of it is true." She shook her head, looking at Jake and then Bernie. "Don't follow me," she yelled over her shoulder, as she marched out of the restaurant, already pulling out her phone to get an Uber and go home. I can take care of myself. It's a lot simpler that way. Loneliness pinged through her chest.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Maggie didn't sleep well that night. She tossed and turned, kicking off her comforter and disturbing Dexter who had been curled up at her waist. She had dreams all night long that bordered on nightmares, images of her father coming back to her, only to fade into nothing. Simon Wesley staring at her with those blank, dark eyes, opening his mouth to let out a snake that rushed out to attack her. She startled awake and sat up, her shirt clinging to her with sweat.
She eased herself out of bed and went to look out the window at the quiet, empty street, picturing Jake standing below on her front lawn and felt an ache and an emptiness in her heart that wasn't there last week. A light was on inside of Mrs. Fletcher's house across the street and the sky was slowly getting lighter. She glanced at the clock by her bed and saw that the sun would be rising soon. There was no point in going back to bed to stare at the ceiling. She went and got the compass and held it up by the window, watching the dials turn over. One of the arms pointed right at her, and another was fixed in a nearby position, just like before. The other three arms continued to make small incremental shifts like they were still searching. "What do you know?" She slipped it into the pocket of her pajamas, patting it as it quietly hummed, working away.
She pulled on her furry slippers and crept out to the hall, looking into the guest room and saw that the bed was empty. No Bernie. "Good," she whispered. She moved quietly downstairs, passing Wilmark stretched out on her couch, sound asleep. His feet hung off the end.
She stopped to look at him, his bow resting just underneath the couch within easy reach. Her mind was full of questions.
Where do you live when you're not here? Don't you have any family? How does a tall elf in leggings hide from the regular world?
She scratched her belly under her shirt and headed for the kitchen, going through the motions of making coffee and turned around to find Wilmark standing in the doorway.
"How does such a big guy move so quietly? I can still sense your presence." She pulled out a mug and poured the first bit of coffee, slurping it up.
"You're growing more comfortable with your powers, good." He paused, sensing her pain. "I heard about what happened, I'm sorry."
Maggie looked up from her mug, swallowing. "I didn't agree to have so many of you meddle in my life."
"No, you didn't. You also didn't get to choose to be the Elemental, but here we are. Bernie may have been clumsy about the way he did it, but what he did was necessary."
Maggie walked over and poured more coffee into her mug, sitting down at the kitchen table. "I deserved a heads up. It was my choice to make."
Wilmark let out a deep sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. "Under normal
circumstances, I'd agree with you. But not with so much at stake, not this time." Wilmark went and looked out the back door at the darkness that still covered the yard. "He's been out there all night, keeping watch just in case."
Maggie stood up and went to look, squinting till she could make out the figure of a short, stocky man sitting by the large oak tree. "He doesn't give up easily."
"No, he really doesn't. One of his best and worst qualities." He looked over at Maggie in her favorite Antone's t-shirt. "You refused to believe us and he was worried you could be harmed."
"He was worried the Kashgars might get the compass."
"A noteworthy problem. He was right to be concerned. If you lost the compass, the outcome affects more than just you."
Maggie pressed her hand against the small window pane in the door. "I'm not going to let my life be absorbed by this quest."
"No one is asking you to do that. But understand what's happening here. We are asking you to be part of a team. That means you will have to trust us when we tell you things."
"You aren't really asking." Maggie watched as Gertie poked her head out of the chicken coop and came slowly down the wooden ramp. "I do trust you, but not without checking out things for myself. Carte blanche is not the way I'm built."
"Then expect more incidents like last night, Maggie Parker. You can't have it both ways."
Maggie went back and got her coffee cup, topping it off and immediately slurping before she had even put the pot back. She returned to the door and looked out at Bernie sitting under the tree.
Wilmark watched her, his face softening. "You're going to have to forgive him, you know. It will make our journey a lot easier and it will ease his burden. He carries enough as it is."
"You mean, getting the ship stuck here in the first place."
"That is too simple an answer, but yes, he played a part in it and he's never forgiven himself, even if he never talks about it."
Maggie rubbed her forehead. "I will forgive him because it's the right thing to do. Just may take me a little time."
"Don't take too long. We need to work together. The more we can do that, the better chance we have at success."
"I wish I knew what success would look like, exactly."
"It starts with keeping you alive and finding the other Elementals. We can figure out the rest after we get that far."
Maggie raised her mug just as the compass began to pull at her pocket, trying to escape. "Hey, what is that?" She pulled out the compass and held it in her open palm as it spun in a circle, warming her hand. The tree over Bernie began to shake, showering him with twigs and the few leaves still left on the branches in the middle of winter. Bernie turned around and saw Maggie in the middle of the light in the kitchen and stood up, his mouth hanging open. A blue light was filling her entire body, glowing from under her skin.
Maggie watched, mesmerized and turned over her other arm as constellations began to appear across her forearm, adjusting and changing.
Wilmark looked out to Bernie and back at Maggie, not sure what to do. "The prophecy is coming true. You and the compass are becoming one. Something has changed."
Images of distant places flashed in her mind and she felt the presence of others she couldn't see, connected to her energy. "Something is happening, I can feel it." She held out her arm to show him as Bernie came up the back steps and cautiously opened the door, pushing open the screen.
There was a soft tap at the front door just as the compass settled down in Maggie's palm and the clicking slowed to the tempo of a heart beat. Maggie looked at Wilmark who was already pulling out a knife hidden in his boot. "My house, my rules. I'll see who it is. You two play backup."
"For her, that's a compromise," said Bernie. "You really think you should answer the door glowing like that? You look like a light bulb. Even your eyes are glowing."
Maggie held out her arm to show them the glowing bits of blue light. "That's the stars that are overhead right now and that's a magical at the door. I can feel it," she said, tapping her chest. "They're here to see me."
Maggie went to the door and opened it, smiling when she saw Kathleen standing there, her hands crossed neatly in front of her. "You're one of them, aren't you?"
Kathleen didn't say anything and instead held up her hand as a small blue flame flickered into life and danced across her palm.
"Come in, we've been waiting for you."
Bernie and Wilmark stood back, a look of awe on their face as the older woman stepped inside and walked to the center of the living room, still holding up her hand. She blew gently on the flame in her hand, igniting her clothes. Bernie rushed forward to help her but was stopped by Wilmark, grabbing him firmly by the arm.
"But she'll go up in flames!" said Bernie, horrified.
"Wait and see what happens." Wilmark kept looking at Kathleen's face, even as the flames grew, engulfing her, her hair catching the same blue fire. Maggie stood motionless in front of her, watching calmly. The compass still in her hand was ticking away, letting her know everything was alright.
At last, Kathleen's entire being was encased in the flame, her face disappearing behind the light. She smiled and opened her mouth as a great whoosh of wind blew past Maggie and the flame was sucked into Kathleen's mouth, extinguishing it. She shut her mouth, smacking her lips and brushed her hands together like she was done. There were no details of Kathleen left and instead a blue fae stood in front of Maggie, her skin a pale milky blue, and her hair a similar color that glowed and caught any kind of light, twinkling as she moved.
"You're the Fire Elemental," said Maggie. "You're the reason the arm stopped so close to mine. You've been here for some time."
"I had to wait till your mastery over your powers grew just enough to withstand having another Elemental so close in proximity. You've progressed even faster than I thought you could. You're ready for what comes next."
"And what's that?" asked Bernie, his eyes wide.
"The return of the other Elementals. They would have seen the signal from the compass. It won't be long now. They'll find their way here. Get ready, the hardest part of this journey approaches. It will take all of us, working as a team, if we're going to survive."
Maggie is learning how to create magic without mayhem, but Bernie has a misfire and can't quite get back to his old self. Meanwhile, the strange robberies continue and only Maggie is seeing a connection. Will she learn who's really behind them and come face to face with her past? Follow the adventures and preorder The Elemental’s Magic - available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited.
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Author Notes - Martha Carr
December 6, 2019
I think I may be getting the hang of being a full-time author after a year of just the dream job. I’m learning that having choices comes with its own learning curve. I thought this would be a snap! I had worked from home for a corporation for a while now, and I was a consultant before. I’ll easily transition into this new phase. Right?
Not so fast. I’m in new territory, frankly. I come from humble beginnings (read poor), was a single mother and a journalist and making everything stretch and fun and fulfilling is my sweet spot. I have done it a thousand and one times.
For the first time in my life – and I’m about to turn 60 (more on that in a second) – I have choices about what to do with my life in ways I’ve never had before. My first instinct was to cram all the time with as many projects as possible to ensure there would always be enough money now that I didn’t have a regular paycheck. First of all, that’s setting aside the idea that corporations don’t lay people off. And second, wasn’t a lack of time and stress why I was quitting that other jo
b?
Okay, take two. Peel off some of what I said I would do and scale back to what’s reasonable. I still froze. The what-if questions got to me. Those are the ones we send out into the future expecting an answer. In other words, magical questions that don’t actually have an answer.
What I am starting to get is that basically, I’m 10 years old again and running out into a brand-new world. Remember what that was like? We expected not to know everything, and we were looking for that new adventure. We took in new data and put it right on top of what we already knew, letting go of old ideas like water through our fingers.
Over time, things got serious and I had to have the answers. It was easier to assume a few things and build on that instead. I became a little more rigid in my thinking without even realizing it, life got busy, and I forgot to go out there with my arms wide open.
But then I met that guy, Michael Anderle and I just kept saying yes, and here we are. Life changed, and choices are all back in play. Now what?
Here’s the other thing about being 10 years old again. It takes trying some things to figure out what I even want, which requires letting go of the idea that hitting the ground running with lots to do is necessary. It’s not and it will stop me from seeing the new scenery and trying out the benefits that have come from working so hard.
So, I spent some of the last two months staring at the screen – thinking, thinking, thinking. Fortunately, I went out and talked to a few good friends and finally caught on. This will all take time. Give yourself a break. And most importantly, keep asking – What do you want to do? That answer may change daily. Go with it.
I ended up having to delay book 2 by a week, and let that go, and I’ve been pondering what I want this part of the journey to look like and trust that it will all work out in the end. Maybe travel more – see friends who live far away, maybe explore Austin more or create some Fan events. Not sure, and yes, I’m open to suggestions (and by the way, my late sister, Diana would have approved of all of this). I do know I’m going to do more running out there to see what the world has to offer and jump on board. Mostly I’m looking forward to a peaceful 2020. More adventures to follow.