Shadow Witch (53 page)

“It’s okay. I was more scared than anything. Mr. Gundy only stuck his knife ina little bit.”

Mrs. Callahan closed her eyes and moaned, “Oh, I
hate
that man.”

“Do you think he’ll ever get out of jail and try to get me again?”

“No. Carl said that Mr. Gundy confessed to everything, even some crimes that nobody knew about. He’ll spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Sammi yawned again and Mrs. Callahan said, “Okay, you definitely need to go to sleep. But before I leave, we need to talk about tomorrow. You don’t have to go to the school in Rivershire if you don’t want to, now that Mr. Gundy’s behind bars. Mrs. Wallace said she’d stay here with you. She can’t stay with you Friday because she’s going to court with Mrs. Tully.”

“I wanna go to school and see my friends.”

“That’s fine. I just thought you might be tired of going there.”

“I can’t go there much longer ’cause school’s gonna start here, and I won’t get to see all my friends anymore.”

“I talked to Jamie about that. He said he won’t mind making a doorway for you once in a while to go visit them if you want. Not every weekend, because he’ll be busy with college stuff and cross country or whatever.”

“Can he make one this weekend? Can Leora spend the night?”

“Uh...we’ll see. We’ll have to talk to her mom.” She nodded thoughtfully. “Jamie also said he can make a permanent mini-portal for us, like a mail slot, from some secret spot in our house to the Rivershire School. Then you and those kids can write letters to each other.”

“Unh hunh. Some of them can write a lot better now.”

“Rachel likes the mail slot idea because it’ll be a good way for the Rivershire kids to practice their writing, and you can stay in touch.”

“Can I call them? They have a phone in the office.”

“You’ll be in school here during the day. You won’t be able to.”

“I could get a cell phone.” She grinned optimistically.

“Uh...no. Not yet. You can write to them and visitoccasionally. That will be nice, won’t it?” She stood to leave, but paused at the door. “Do you need Fred to sleep with you tonight?”

“Only if she wants to. I’m not scared anymore.”

“I’ll talk to her. I bet she will.”

Mrs. Callahan turned off the light and left, and Sammi thought,
I bet she will, too
.

Chapter 29

Evelyn stood in a beautifully paneled room in the Rivershire courthouse. Standing with her were Mrs. Tully, Fred, and Nova. Far to their right was a well-dressed middle-aged couple, Mr. and Mrs. Beasley.

They all faced the judge, who sat behind a polished wooden desk, reading a document. Behind him was a guard in a blue uniform.

The judge put down the paper in his hand and looked up at the other couple. “These are quite tenuous claims of kinship you’re making, Mr. and Mrs. Beasley. You assert that this boy, Aiven, is a third or fourth cousin, but that is not clear to me from reading this.”

“But it is so, Your Honor,” the short man in the tailored black clothes said. “And it is a closer relationship than Mrs. Tully can claim, for she has none.”

The judge looked at Mrs. Tully and her face grew tight, but she didn’t respond. Then the judge turned back to Mr. Beasley and said, “If we had a way to prove the veracity of your claim, this would be simple.”

“It is all true, Your Honor, every word.” Mr. Beasley pointed at the paper on the desk. “I swear on my mother’s grave.”

Nova shook her head to indicate that the man was lying. Evelyn took one step forward and said, “Your Honor, if I may? I know of a way to settle this matter once and for all, quickly.” The judge raised his bushy gray eyebrows and gestured for her to continue. “We can use a truth potion. A temporary one”

“A truth potion?” Mr. Beasley sputtered, his expression turning indignant. “That is preposterous.”

The judge held up one hand to silence him and looked at Evelyn. “You have such a potion?”

“Fred brought one with her.”

“Which one is Fred? The red-haired young lady?” He eyed Fred closely. “You must be the new witch I have been hearing so much about lately.”

“I am a witch,” Fred said, “and I learned how to make this potion from Mrs. Malley.”

“Mrs. Malley.” The judge leaned one elbow on the armrest of his chair and put the tip of his finger on his chin. “She is a fine witch. My wife has purchased a few potions from her.” Then he nodded. “I think this is a reasonable request.”

“Why should I be the one to take the potion?” Mr. Beasley said. “That is not fair.”

“I will be willing to take it, also,” Mrs. Tully said. “If fairness is an issue.”

“Fine,” the judge said, and Mr. and Mrs. Beasley frowned deeply. The judge looked at Fred and narrowed one eye. “How would they take this potion?”

“The easiest way is to put it in some water and drink it.”

The judge turned to the guard behind him. “See if you can fetch us a couple of glasses of water, if you please.”

The guard left, and the Beasleys fumed and muttered to each other. Mrs. Tully whispered to Evelyn, “What if this doesn’t work?”

“It will,” Evelyn said. “I have faith in Fred.” Mrs. Tully took a deep breath and pressed her lips together.

“They sure have different attitudes about witches here,” Nova said in a low voice.

“Witches are well-respected on this world,” Fred said.

“Maybe I should move here.”

“They don’t have indoor plumbing or air conditioning and stuff.”

“Then maybe I’ll just visit once in a while.”

The guard returned with the water and set the two glasses on the judge’s desk. The judge said, “Miss Fred, if you will be so kind as to make the preparations for us.”

Fred pulled a small green bottle from her purse and stepped forward. She took out the cork stopper and carefully poured five drops into the first glass, then repeated the process with the second. “That’s it,” she said. “That’s all there is to it.”

The judge gestured at the potions and said, “Our two claimants will drink this, please.”

“Wait,” Mr. Beasley said. “How do we know which one is stronger? She may not have poured the drops equally.”

“You choose,” Evelyn said with a shrug. “It doesn’t matter, anyway.”

Mr. Beasley picked up a glass, eyed it critically, then set it down and picked up the other. Mrs. Tully took the one he’d left and immediately put it to her lips and drank it all. Mr. Beasley took one sip of his and scowled. “It tastes fowl, Your Honor. I cannot drink this.”

“Mrs. Tully managed to without difficulty.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Then I shall decide in her favor right now.”

Mr. Beasley narrowed his eyes, and then raised his glass and drank. When he finished, he set it back on the desk and patted his mouth with a handkerchief. “There. Are you satisfied?”

“Yes,” the judge said and looked at Fred. “How long before the spell takes effect?”

“Should be immediate. I think you can ask them anything you want to right now.”

The judge sat back in his wooden chair and gripped both armrests. “Mr. Beasley, you claim that the boy Aiven is related to you. Is this true?”

“No.”

“Mrs. Tully, the boy is not related to you, either?”

“No, sir.”

“You are on equal footing, then. Mr. Beasley, why do you want to adopt this boy?”

“So that he can work on my farm.”

“Will he be paid?”

“No. I mean, no sir.”

“I understand that you have adopted at least half a dozen other boys. Your house must be crowded, now. Where will Aiven sleep?”

“In the barn with the others.”

“I see.” He turned to Mrs. Tully. “And you? Why do you want to adopt this boy?”

“Because I love him.” She said it directly and without hesitation. It sounded surprising, coming from the usually stern and reserved woman, but Evelyn knew it was true. She knew it before Mrs. Tully even said it.

The judge smiled and nodded. “And you have a place for him, Mrs. Tully?”

“He has his own room in my home, with clean sheets for his bed very week, and three meals a day, which I prepare myself.”

“She’s a great cook, your honor,” Fred said.

“Yes, I have heard that. Mrs. Tully, do you plan to put Aiven to work, also?”

“He shall do his household chores, the same as any other boy, but no more than that. He must go to school.”

“Excellent.” The judge looked at Mrs. Tully for a long moment and seemed to study her carefully, and then nodded again. “I decide in your favor, Mrs. Tully.”

The Beasleys groaned and turned away with angry looks on their faces, and then stormed from the room.

The judge laid another piece of paper on the desk. “Now, Mrs. Tully, if you’ll sign this document, the boy shall be yours.” He smiled warmly at her and she stepped to the desk, her hand trembling as she took the pen he offered to her.

Evelyn felt tears stinging her eyes and heard Fred and Nova sniff. Nova said, “I don’t even know this boy and I’m all choked up.”

“Well, I know him,” Fred said, “and I’m definitely choked up.”

“Me, too, Fred,” Evelyn said. “Now let’s take Mrs. Tully back to the school so she can give Aiven the good news.”

* * *

Jamie was sitting on the couch in his family room, watching television, when Fred came in, sat down next to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Nova just called me,” she said. “She heard from her dad.”

“Cool. It’s about time.”

“They talked for over an hour last night, and get this: apparently he’s been sending her mom money for child support ever since he moved out, but Nova never knew. Now she’s furious with her mother for not telling her.”

“She’s always mad at her mom.”

“Yeah, but now she has a real reason.” She put her arm across his shoulders and said, “He wants to see her. Can you make a doorway for her tomorrow afternoon?”

“Um, that’s Sunday.” He scratched behind his ear and shrugged. “I guess so. I’m supposed to run with Bryce sometime.”

“She wants us to come with her.”

“What do you mean,
us?
”

“All of us. You, me, Melanie, Bryce, Rollie and Sammi.”

“What for? Won’t that be awkward?”

“She said she wants her friends there for support. Besides, she may want her dad to do the oath so she can explain about our magic, and she needs us for that.”

“But I gotta run.”

“Please? You can do it afterward.” She gave him her best puppy dog face and Jamie knew he didn’t have a choice.

Chapter 30

The world was bright in theafternoon sunlight asRachelsat with Lisa on Lisa’s front steps, drinking coffee and watching Sammi try out her new, sparkly pink bike. She had ridden it up and down the sidewalk a few times, but now she sat astride it with one foot on the ground, talking to a couple of other young girls at the end of the driveway, who stood beside their own glittery two-wheeled rides. Together, the three of them were bikers of a different sort — Heaven’s Angels, not Hell’s.

“Sammi’s been dying to meet those two kids,” Lisa said. “She’s been watching them ride by almost every day when she gets home, but we couldn’t let her out to talk to them because of Mr. Gundy.”

“She looks like she’s making friends at the moment.”

“She needs some in this neighborhood. Right now, the only ones she has are in Rivershire, and they can’t exactly pop over to play whenever they feel like it.”

“I think she should stay in touch with those kids, though. They have a special friendship.”

“Interplanetary. Can’t get more special than that.” Lisa chuckled and picked up her coffee cup from the step beside her. She held it with both hands and took a slow breath before saying, “I think we’re going to adopt her.”

Rachel raised her eyebrows. “Really? You’ve talked to Larry about this?”

“It was his idea. He said he doesn’t want anybody to take her away from us, and when you’re just a foster parent, that’s always a possibility.”

“But it’s so expensive. Carl and I looked into it before Jamie was born, and we couldn’t afford it after we bought the house.”

“That’s because you were trying to do it through a private agency and you wanted a baby. If you do it through the state’s social services, it’s pretty cheap. Just a few hundred dollars for lawyer’s fees, and that’s it.”

“Gosh, I never knew.” Rachel picked up her own cup and took a sip of coffee. “Have you talked to Sammi about it?”

“Not yet, but I’m sure that’s what she wants. She’s dying to call me Mommy, I can tell. She’s almost said it a couple of times already.” Lisa shrugged. “And I
want
her to say it. When I registered her for school the other day, I had to sign her up as Samantha Price. I
hated
doing that. It should be Samantha Callahan.”

“It’s fitting, anyway. You already have a daughter named Fred. You might as well have one named Sam.”

Lisa laughed. “True enough.” Then she stood and offered a helping hand to Rachel. “Come on. Let’s go ask those girls if they want to come inside for a snack or something.”

* * *

Jamie stood on a sidewalk in Atlanta, facing a restaurant, Belanger’s, on the corner across the street. With him were Fred, Rollie, Bryce, Melanie, Sammi, and Nova.

“Well, go on, Nova,” Fred said. “What are you waiting for?”

Nova’s eyebrows were drawn low, and she was biting the tip of her tongue. “Just give me another minute to think about it.”

“What’s there to think about?” Rollie said. “Your dad’s expecting you. He’s probably looking out the window at us right now, wondering what we’re doing.”

“Will you wait for me?”

“Why? It’s hot out here.”

“Just...just a couple minutes. Okay?” Nova took a deep breath, and when the traffic light changed, she crossed the street to the restaurant.

They watched her open the door and disappear inside. Sammi took Fred’s hand and said, “I wish they had the lights off in there. Then I could probably hear what they’re saying.”

Fred frowned at her. “You’re not supposed to do that.”

“I can’t help it.”

“I’m not buying that excuse anymore.”

“This has to be a really emotional moment for Nova,” Melanie said. “I can understand why she wanted us to come.”

“But we’re not doing anything,” Bryce said. “We’re just standing here, looking like dumb tourists or something.”