A Little Night Magic (18 page)

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just need a minute.”

“I’ll get you some water and some aspirin.” I went into the kitchen and filled a glass with ice water and grabbed a bottle of Advil. When I got back to the living room, Davina was lying on the couch with her eyes closed. I was going to step out, let her rest while I fumed quietly to myself, but she opened her eyes and reached for the water.

“Thank you,” she said.

“No problem.” I gave her the water and put the bottle of pills in her hand, then collapsed into the easy chair. Davina sat up to drink the water and take the Advil, then fell back again and let out a long breath.

“Oh, that’s much better,” she said.

“Okay, you ready to explain to me why we’re not having his ass thrown in jail?”

Davina looked at me, and a small smile graced her lips. “Because he didn’t break any laws.”

“He
attacked
us. We don’t have to tell them about the gray smoke. We’ll say he hit you in the head with a branch. That’s the truth.”

“It doesn’t matter.” She smiled up at me. “You handled him just fine.”

“No, I didn’t, and I’m not fine,” I said. “I just don’t understand why we can’t call the police.”

“No,”
she said, her voice firm. “I’m serious. Police don’t work for people like us. If we call the police, and they see—or sometimes, just
think
they see—something weird, the next thing you know, we’re gone.”

I felt a chill run down me at the word. “
Gone?
What do you mean?”

She stared at me, her eyes hard, and then she said, “
‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.’
Exodus 22:18. You think people don’t believe that?”

“Well, sure. Crazy people.”

Her eyes got beady with anger. “They use religion, they use science, they use national security, whatever they need to use to justify it, but if you think there aren’t a million little Salems happening every minute of every day, then baby, you’re just being naive.”

I took that in for a moment, then shook my head. “No. This is Nodaway, it’s not like that here. Betty’s been here for, god, thirty years—”

“And she’s open with her magic?” Davina asked. “Everyone knows about it?”

“Well … no. I mean…” I sighed, regrouped my argument. “Look, I know the sheriff. His name is Mickey Taylor, and he’s really nice and he’s known me since I was a kid. I went to school with his son. He would never hurt me, or let anyone else hurt me.”

Davina closed her eyes and shook her head as though lamenting my stupidity, but when she looked at me again, her expression was kind. “That’s how it
used
to be. That’s not how it is
now.
You can’t trust anyone, and things are only going to get worse.”

“Worse? Worse than being attacked by a homicidal maniac?”

She met my eyes and said simply, “Yes.”

“I don’t understand how—”

“You think he’s bad now? Imagine how he’ll be when he gets your magic. He could have this kind of power at his disposal, day and night. Someone like that … well, you just can’t stop someone like that. Not the police, not anyone.”

Except … maybe … Tobias. I thought about it for a moment, but then decided not to tell her about Tobias right now. She was already very agitated, and I didn’t want to make things worse. I could tell her tomorrow. “Okay. Fine. No cops. So, what’s your big idea, then?”

“We need to get you strong, and you need to fight Cain.”

I shot up from the easy chair. “Are you insane? I can’t fight him. I do the magical equivalent of balloon animals, Davina.”

Her voice was raspy as she spoke. “Right now, yes. But soon, you’re going to have all manner of power.”

“How do you know that? Just because my father’s power evolved, or Holly’s did, doesn’t mean mine will. What if this is it, this is all I do? I can make a chicken out of a Tupperware dish; how is that going to defeat a guy like Cain?”

“Well, you’re right,” she said thoughtfully. “If all you can do in the next few days is make balloon animals, then … well … we’ll figure something else out.”

“Like what?” But I’d barely gotten the words out before it hit me, so clearly, like the solution had been there all along, only I hadn’t seen it. I pulled back from her and said, “What if I gave
you
my magic?”

She stared at me blankly. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You. But you wouldn’t have to force me to give you my magic, I’d do it willingly. Godspeed and god bless, take it.”

“Oh, really? And have me end up like him? Going crazy every twelve hours, living on potions to keep me hanging on?” She shook her head. “No, thank you.”

“Well … what if…? What if you just took it and spit it out? Like with snake venom? You’re a conjurer, like him. You’re smart. Can you do that?”

Something flashed over her face and I grabbed her hands.

“You can! You know something.”

She sighed. “I don’t. Not really. There’s a possibility that I could do something like that but…”

“That’s great, let’s—”

She held up her hand. “This stuff is very dangerous, baby. Your magic … if someone takes it from you, you’ll be weakened. You could die. Holly died, and I will not see that happen to you, I will
not
!” She sighed, reached for my hand, and smiled. “Don’t worry. You can do this. I will help you, I’ll—”

I hopped up off the couch. “You don’t understand. I
can’t.
”

Davina smiled. “You did well tonight. You were very brave.”

“We’re only alive because he didn’t want to kill us yet.” I took a deep breath. “I know myself, Davina. I know what I’m capable of, and I’m telling you, I’m not the kind of girl who fights magical battles. I wanted excitement in my life, sure, but the kind that involves flirting with some guy wearing a kilt, not … not this.”

“Life isn’t a drive-through,” Davina said. “Sometimes you get things you didn’t order.”

“Okay, I don’t need a motivational poster right now.” I breathed deep, trying to allay the panic, not getting very far. “Look, maybe it only kills if it’s taken unwillingly. I mean, I leaked magic to Peach, right? And that didn’t hurt me at all. Hell, I didn’t even know I was doing it. If I can do that, I bet I can find a way to give it to you. Maybe not all of it, but enough that I won’t be useful to him anymore.”

“Calm down, Olivia.” She patted the space next to her on the couch. “We don’t have to figure it all out tonight. There’s time. We’ve still got some time.”

I sat down next to her and stared into space, suddenly exhausted. I let my head loll back on the couch, and didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep until I felt a pat on my knee, and my head shot up.

“What? Huh?”

“Time for me to go, baby,” Davina said, smiling softly. “And time for you to go to bed.”

“Why don’t you stay here tonight?” I said, rubbing my eyes and yawning. “I have an extra bedroom. Actually, I have four.”

“No, no, I feel much better now, really.”

She started to get up, and I hopped up to help her stand, but she managed it on her own, pretty easily, considering how wobbly she’d been on the way home.

“Wow,” I said. “You heal fast.”

“Yes.” She smiled brightly. “I’m feeling much better now.”

“Are you sure you won’t stay?” I said, walking her toward the door. “It’ll take me two seconds to put fresh linens in one of the guest rooms.”

“No, no, I’m okay. I’m going to walk. The fresh air will do me good.”

“But…” I glanced out the panel windows by the door. “What if he’s still out there?”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure he spent what he had tonight,” she said. “I’m not worried.”

That makes one of us,
I thought. I followed her to the door. “Hey, where are you staying? I can call you tomorrow, maybe we can go out to lunch.”

“That’s a fine idea,” she said. “Just send the crane for me. I liked that.”

And with that, she headed out the door. As soon as she was out of sight, I glanced up and down my street, and then heard Davina’s voice echoing eerily in my head.

Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

I shuddered, then shut the door and hit the dead bolt.

*   *   *

I woke up early the next morning, tossed and turned for a while as the animated orange paper crane flew around my room, possibly still looking for Davina. When the sun finally rose, I caught him in my fingers and whispered for him to stick close to Gibson, sort of a Seeing Eye crane. I let him go, and he floated down to Gibson’s box, covered Gibson protectively with one wing, and … I think … fell asleep.

I headed out to CCB’s at seven, and found Betty behind the counter. I sat down near the cash register, and she quickly finished pouring coffee for Ray Skipp, then zipped over to me.

“Hey,” she said, her voice low. “How are you? I was worried when you didn’t come by last night.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” I met her eye briefly, but couldn’t hold it for long. I’d been jumpy all morning, and I couldn’t shake it. “We got … detained.”

Her expression got serious. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“You’re not going to like the reality of it, either,” I said. “So let me just say, we’re fine, Davina saved us.”

“Saved you? From what?”

“Well … he kind of … attacked us.”

“Excuse me? What the hell happened?”

I told her the story, abbreviated but hitting all the major points, and when I finished she was watching me, her expression grim and determined.

“I don’t want you spending time with Davina anymore.”

“It’s not her fault.”

“It’s been nothing but trouble since she got here.”

“Betty—”

“I don’t trust her.”

“Stop it.” I leaned forward, keeping my voice down. “She ran right out in the thick of it, all his dark magic, gray smoke everywhere. She almost got herself killed trying to protect me.”

“I don’t care if she swallowed dynamite and shot rabbits out of her ass, you are not to spend any more time with her. I don’t trust her.”

“Well,
I
do. I even wanted to give her my magic, and she—”

“You
what
?” Betty’s whisper was harsh. “Are you crazy? What if your magic is exactly what she wants?”

“She wasn’t going to
take
it, take it. Just spit it out, like a snakebite.”

Betty made a face. “Ew.”

“It doesn’t matter, anyway, she refused. Too dangerous.” I put my hands to my pounding head. “Look, Betty, please. It’s been a hell of a few days, and I need you to just trust me, okay?”

She watched me for a long moment, then slowly nodded, although her shoulders didn’t seem to relax at all. “Fine. If you say she’s all right, I believe you.”

“Okay.” I craned my neck from side to side, trying to get the kinks out. “So, have you found out where Cain is staying yet?”

Betty shook her head. “I went to all the B and B’s, even though he doesn’t seem the B-and-B type—”

“He’s not,” I said.

“—and no one’s seen him. I canvassed all the motels within fifty miles, and even asked Happy Larry if he’d seen him around. No joy.”

“How is that possible? Fresh meat doesn’t stay hidden in this town, even cranky, scruffy meat. There are too many girls in this town who’d go crazy over something like that.” I pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose, then sighed and looked at her, pulling on the best smile I could muster. “Thanks for trying, Betty. Keep your ear to the ground.”

“It’s never anywhere else.” She watched me and sighed. “Speaking of which, how is everything shaking out with Millie and Peach?”

I sighed. “It’s not. Hey … is it possible…? I mean, could she have overridden his will?” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Is there such a thing as magical rape?”

Betty thought for a moment, then slowly shook her head. “Like I said, most people get innocuous powers. Change the color of a dress, make a pencil fly, that sort of thing. Messing with free will, that’s dark stuff. If there are people who can do that kind of thing, I’ve never had contact with them.”

“What about a conjurer? Might someone like that be able to make a potion, slip it in Nick’s drink?”

“I don’t know,” Betty said, although she looked doubtful. “Maybe. I guess. But…”

She trailed off, and I prodded her. “What?”

She leaned forward, her elbows on the counter, her eyes compassionate and sad. “Have you ever heard of Occam’s razor?”

“Yeah. The simplest explanation is usually the correct one, right?”

“Well, the simplest explanation here is human nature. Men—especially men who are about to get married—are known for this sort of thing. You don’t need to slip anything into their drinks. You just have to be … tempting. Millie tempted him, he was human, he messed up.” She leaned back and wiped down the counter absently with her towel. “I’m seventy-three years old, Liv, and I’ve seen this happen a lot. Never once has there been any magic involved.”

“Right.” Still, I couldn’t help but feel like there was something more here. But then, maybe that was just because I didn’t want Peach to be suffering like this. I sighed and put my head in my hands. “I’m gonna go stand on the magic square and wish it all away.”

She patted my hand. “You go do that, honey.”

I pushed myself up from the counter and walked over to the square near Booth 9. I sighed and looked down at it, my feet just outside its edges.
I wish
—I thought, and then I heard my name. I looked up, and Andrew Garvey, the elementary school principal, was holding up an empty coffee mug, looking at me expectantly. I glanced down at my sweatpants and my Mason’s Plumbing T-shirt that read,
WE FIX ANY CRACK,
and looked back at Andrew.

“You bet.” I walked around the magic square, grabbed a carafe from the industrial coffeemaker, and caught Tobias’s eye through the pass as he delivered a waffle order up for Betty.

He looked pissed.

“Great,” I muttered to myself.

“What are you doing here?” he said.

“Serving coffee.” I delivered Andrew’s coffee and then headed back into the kitchen, where Tobias was manning the grill while Kenny headbanged on his iPod, supervising the waffle irons. Tobias shot a look at me and whistled loudly to Kenny, who raised his head.