RoadBlock (2 page)

Cal smiled at that, and lifted his eyes briefly to Dagger’s face. The warm smile he found there reassured him, and he felt the blush fading from his cheeks.

“Do you…are you seeing anyone? A boyfriend?” Cal winced as he said it, worried about how awkward he sounded as much as the possible response.

“No. No boyfriend at the moment. Which is great because this really sexy guy just moved in across the street.” Dagger smiled playfully at Cal, who was laughing softly, relieved at Dagger’s lighthearted response.

Calderon stretched out his legs and then got up, downing the last gulp of beer from his bottle. “Let’s go in and check on Bet.”

They walked into the small kitchen, to find Betony standing on the counter, holding the top edge of the cabinets with one hand and stretching her other hand along the inside edge of the cupboard. The top of her head was brushing the ceiling, and her skirt swayed over the countertop. “Betony! Be careful!” Calderon rushed up to steady her, but she waved him away.

“I’m
fine
, Cal. There’s something here…a box I think. But it’s stuck. Hold on…”

With a little pop, the box sprung free and Betony stumbled back, almost toppling off the counter. She caught herself, jumping down from the countertop gracefully, and Cal gave her a look of exasperation. It was a miracle she didn’t get hurt more often, with the risks she took. But as usual, Bet landed on her feet and once again Cal was left looking like an overprotective big brother. She placed the little box on top of the butcher-block island and they all looked at it.

“It’s a charm box! Should I open it?” Betony looked to Calderon questioningly, relying on his foresight for guidance as she usually did when she was unsure.

“Not yet. Let’s check it for marks first…see if we can determine what kind of charm it is, or was.”

Betony turned the box over in her hands, rubbing her fingers all over it, trying to feel for etchings or raised markings. It was old, and had been painted along with the interior of the cabinet at some point. The bottom was clean, and looked to be made of rough wood, but the sides were covered in thick beige paint. No markings were visible. Betony scraped the paint off of the tiny metal hinges, and along the seam which allowed the top to open, then she turned to her brother with a raised brow.

“I think it’s fine, Bet. I don’t get any feelings from it at all, so it’s probably just really old. Go ahead.”

Betony wasted no time. Her skill was charms and potions, and she was curious to see what this little box held. It was probable that any organic material would be dust by now, but there might be stones or bones, or other preserved items that might help her reconstruct the charm’s original purpose. The lid took some coaxing, but it finally popped open, and Betony examined the contents of the box with all the seriousness of an archaeologist. She rummaged through her large handbag which was slung over the pantry doorknob until she found a pair of tweezers, and used the tool to pluck items out of the mysterious little box, laying them out carefully on the island.  A light blue stone, a small block of wood etched with symbols and numbers, a shriveled
something
that might have once been a garlic clove. A small pile of powdered herbs remained in the box, and Betony sniffed at them carefully.

“It’s a long life charm! To combat illness, and prolong lifespan. Who lived here before? Was he sick?” She looked to Dagger for an answer.

“Well, I didn’t think he was sick… His name was Calvin. He was a really nice man… he could control water a little, but he
was
pretty old. He lived here my whole life. Died about five years ago. I came to check on him when I hadn’t seen him for a few days, and I found him in his bed. They said it was just old age, not a disease.”

“Do you have any idea how old he was?”

“No. My parents might…I could call them. Why? How long would a charm like this buy him? Years?”

“Yeah, it could. Depends on what he was battling. If it was something serious, like cancer, he’d get an extra few months, maybe a year. But if it was nothing too bad, something like a weak heart, or diabetes, and if he took care of himself…this might get him years. If he wasn’t sick at all, just wanted a longer life? Decades. This is a strong charm, probably keyed specifically to him. Who does charm-work for your coven?”

“Umm, nobody right now. I mean, we all do, to an extent, you know. But no one’s an expert. But you are, right? That’s your gift?”

Betony smiled at the hope and excitement in Dagger’s voice. A charm maker was an asset to a coven, and without one they probably felt vulnerable. “Yes, that’s my skill. Our old coven had three, including me. I’m glad that I’ll be needed here! So…that means this is pretty old. When did the charm maker leave?”

“She died, in an accident, she was fairly young. Her two daughters are still in the coven, but neither of them have her skill with charms. One can do potions. When she died I was maybe twelve? Thirteen? I don’t remember all the details. She must have been in her forties.”

“So this was made at least, what? Fifteen years ago? Maybe more?”

“Yeah, probably closer to twenty years ago, or longer.”

“Hmm. I wonder why he did it? And why she helped him…”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, this type of charm, it’s not unheard of, and there’s nothing wrong with making one. It’s just sort of a gray area. It messes with the natural order, a little. Usually, though, if it’s done to give a dying person time with their family, or time to finish something important…it’s totally fine. But if he had it made at least twenty years before he died, and you say he was already very old, then he probably used it just to extend his natural life. So I’m wondering,
why
? What did he have to stick around for? You said he lived alone, he was kind, you liked him…but he must have been doing
something
that was important enough that he needed to live, and your coven’s charm maker agreed. In fact, it’s most likely the reason she died young. A trade off, so to speak.”

“
No
. Why would she? I mean, that’s
extreme
, don’t you think?”

“There’s always a price. And with this type of charm, it’s a hefty bill.”

Dagger was quiet, thinking about the implications. Calvin had always been just a quiet old man, kind and harmless. He kept to himself, and had been grateful when Dagger helped him out with odd jobs. Dagger had mowed Calvin’s lawn every week in the summers since the year he turned fourteen. Calvin had always offered him an iced tea afterwards, and Dagger sometimes accepted, sitting on the porch beside the old man and looking out over the waves, talking about nothing particularly memorable. Calvin hadn’t even been very involved in the coven, attending only the major celebrations, never the monthly meetings. Dagger couldn’t think of any reason he’d have done this. A call to his parents was definitely on the agenda.

“What should we do with it, Bet?” Calderon’s eyes were concerned as he watched her struggling to puzzle out this little mystery. He wanted answers, too, but they needed more information. And the charm was making him nervous. If it had caused the death of the charm-weaver who created it, he didn’t want it anywhere near his sister. He had no other family left, and the thought of anything happening to Betony was unbearable to him. She looked into his eyes and saw the worry there, and laid her hand on her brother’s cheek. “We’ll throw it in the ocean, burn it, or bury it with the witch…Dagger, you know what was done with his body?”

“Sure. He was buried in our little cemetery. It’s near here, on the cliffs. We can walk there.”

“Would you mind showing us?”

“Not at all! Let’s go. Wait…I’ll run home for a shovel first. Meet you out front.”

As Dagger jogged across the street, he considered the mystery some more.
It just made no sense!
Then his mind turned to Calderon and Betony. How had he fallen so quickly into a friendship with them? This morning he was dreading a day of helping them with the porch, and now he couldn’t imagine not being by their side through this grave-digging errand. It didn’t hurt that he was developing a massive crush on Calderon, but even Betony felt important to him, like he’d known her for years already. It was weird, but he’d learned that sometimes things in the coven
were
weird, and that didn’t always mean they were
bad
. Still, he liked when he could explain things, find a logical, scientific reason for the weirdness. Calderon’s foresight about their relationship might be difficult to rationalize, though.

They walked up the narrow rocky path that led to the old graveyard, weaving around clumps of tall grass and short scrubby pines, until the ground leveled out and they stood on top of the low cliffs overlooking the ocean. A dozen stone grave markers of various sizes and shapes dotted the hilltop, some no more than boulders with crudely etched symbols. Dagger led them to the newest looking one, a traditional headstone with the name ‘Calvin Riley’ carved into its face.

“Does your coven usually bury their dead? Or was this Calvin’s request?” Betony asked, looking around. All the headstones were old, it looked as if Calvin had been the only person buried here for at least one hundred years.

“Every family decides. Some bury, most cremate, a few follow older traditions. Calvin had no family, and the coven decided this would be best, since he lived his whole life on these cliffs and loved the view so much.” Dagger shrugged, “Seemed like the right thing to do at the time.” He caught her looking at the old field and added, “There’s a larger graveyard in town, this one was only for our neighborhood and the old light keepers, when there was still a light out there,” he gestured out to the small stony island just offshore where a lighthouse once stood.

Betony smiled softly at him, realizing he must have had a part in the planning of Calvin’s services. Calderon said nothing, but picked up the shovel and started to dig a small hole. Betony held the impotent charm box and looked out across the water, thinking. She turned her gaze to the stretch of sand beneath them, watching children play in the waves and young couples lounge on the warm sand. The beach to the left of the cliffs was popular, and still crowded on this sunny summer afternoon. But the cliffs jutted out into the water below them, blocking shoreline access to their little neighborhood, making the only way in or out the long, winding cliff top road, and giving them their own tiny private beach. It was a beautiful place to live, and Betony could see why Calvin, a water witch, would love it here.

“Done.” Calderon had dug a deep, narrow hole, and stood back now to allow Betony to drop the charm box inside. He’d be happy when the thing was covered with two feet of earth. She put it in and he refilled the hole quickly, then stomped his boot over the loose soil, packing it down.

“I still can’t think what that charm was about…” Dagger said, shaking his head slowly.

“I’m hungry.” Calderon’s statement jostled Dagger out of his daze, and he turned to see Calderon standing at the end of the path, waiting.

“Well…do you guys want to come over for dinner? I know you’re not set up yet at your place.”

“That’s so nice, Dagger! We’d love to, right Cal?”

“Yeah, sounds good. You want me to go pick anything up?”

“I don’t know, let’s go figure it out.”

They walked back to Dagger’s house, each lost in their own thoughts. Once inside, they took turns washing up and then Dagger began to dig through his refrigerator, searching for something to make for dinner.

“Okay, I have half of a vegetable lasagna from Whole Foods, some bread, and plenty of things for a salad…do you guys eat meat? I have some shrimp in the freezer I think, but that’s it.”

Betony laughed at Dagger’s slightly nervous expression, and quickly reassured him. “That sounds awesome, Dagger. Its actually just the kind of thing we usually eat! Let me help with something.”

Betony and Calderon made the salad, while Dagger set the table, grilled the shrimp, and heated the lasagna. When they all sat down, Dagger opened a bottle of wine and served the lasagna. He was glad he’d made the shrimp, Calderon hadn’t been kidding about being hungry.

“So, Dagger, if you don’t mind me asking…do you have a special skill?”

“Well, I’m not the best at it, but I can do telekinesis. Small objects only, or shutting doors, windows, that kind of thing. My dad is better, but I guess he trained more, as well. He always said I didn’t work hard enough at it.”

“That’s a really useful skill, Dagger. So, tell me about the coven. I spoke on the phone to Adelaide, one of the leaders, and…Cal, who did you say you talked to?”

“Marcus.”

“Oh yes, Marcus, and they were both really nice, they said there’s a coven meeting next week we can go to, or they’d meet with us in private if we wanted. But I’m interested to know…how large is your coven?”

“We have about forty members, plus their children. So pretty small I guess. Of those, only about half have enough power to be considered true practitioners of their skill.”

“Do you have a seer?”

“Umm, yeah, actually. My mom. But she and my dad moved to Puerto Rico when they retired. Anyway, no one else really has the power like her. Adelaide has it a little, and my mom still calls her, and me, with weird advice sometimes.” He was quiet a minute, and Betony watched his eyebrows draw together in thought. “Hmm. You know, she called me last night. Talked to me about the house, and told me to keep an eye on Calvin’s place.” He looked up and met Calderon’s eyes. “She knew you were coming.”