Spell Struck (19 page)

My cell phone rang. "Hey, Evie," I said. "What's up?"

"Hey, you. Parvani's piano teacher is down with the flu, so Parvani is coming straight from Hindi class. Can you meet in a half-hour?"

"Sure. No problem. The sooner, the better."

"Awesome. See you then.
Adios."

"Adios." I ended the call and checked the hall. Amy
's door stood half open. A movie soundtrack and popcorn smells wafted from the family room. I pictured Mom and Dad snuggled on the sofa with Amy. Old hurts and jealousy twanged to the surface. Couldn't they have waited until I'd gone to Evie's to exclude me? My frayed nerves snapped. I stalked to the family room, Einstein at my heels, ready to confront my parents and the Golden One.

"Mom?" She sat alone on the sofa, cocooned like a sick child in a fuzzy blanket. Silver hair glinted at her temples, and her eyes had a faraway look. "What are you watching?"

"While You Were Sleeping
. It came out the year your sister was born." She straightened up and handed me the popcorn bowl.

"Good times, huh?"

"It was your father and my last date night before we became parents, so yes."

"Oh." My anger soured into hurt and guilt. I plucked a few kernels from the bowl and sat down. "I'm sorry we've caused you so much grief."

"Don't be. It comes with the territory. We swore an oath for better and for worse."

"Guess you got more 'worse' than you bargained for."

"It was worth it." I narrowed my eyes and stared at her until she laughed. "Okay," she confessed. "Most of the time it was worth it. Not all of the time. Some days were just a lot harder than others." Mom shrugged. "Speaking of difficulties, I owe you an apology."

"Why?"

"For dropping the ball on English. I shouldn't have believed the teachers. You weren't lazy. You were struggling. Dad and I are looking into tutors."

"But money is tight. Amy's medical bills—"

"Let your dad and I worry about the bills, including having you tested for a learning disability, if needed. We've already contacted Jewish Family and Children's Services. They have a tutoring program."

I threw my arms around her in a tight hug. "You're the best."

When I released her, Mom heaved a big sigh and pressed the pause button on the remote control. Worry floated back into her eyes and etched tiny frown lines around her mouth. "I better go check on Amy."

"Watch your movie. I'll check on her."

Mom extricated herself from the sofa. "Thanks, but I want to make sure she took her meds." She tweaked my nose. "Finish your homework so you can go to Evie's."

"I'm done, which reminds me. Evie just called. Can you drive me to her house in a half-hour instead of at six? I'd walk, but it's pouring."
And I don't want to risk the grimoire getting wet.

"Sure. Earlier works. I'd rather not go out after dark anyway, in this storm."

"Great. Thanks!" We walked down the hall together. I lingered at my bedroom door and watched Mom. The fuzzy blanket flowed behind her like a superhero's cape. As she approached Amy's door, she straightened her spine and rolled back her shoulders.

Was this our future? Would every day be a fresh battle, twenty-four/seven, to ensure Amy's survival? Mom put on a good front, but I knew the silver hair was new. And I'd never seen her wish for her pre-parenting days. Never. Ever.

I closed my bedroom door behind me. Einstein threw me a moist-eyed, please-don't-be-mad-because-I'm-on-your-bed doggie look.

"Are you supposed to be there?" My tone acknowledged his transgression while signaling he wasn't in too much trouble. Einstein rolled over on his back, sinking into my turquoise comforter.

"Apology accepted." I slid open my closet door and lowered my voice to a whisper. "
Now they realize I have a reading and spelling problem.
"

The cockapoo jumped off the bed and pawed the back of my calf as I hauled out my sleeping bag. "Mom and Dad have enough problems. I don't want to be another rock in their burden basket." Sick with guilt, I closed the closet door and reached for Amy's dog.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I had no idea how to stop Magdalena, but I dashed out into the storm anyway. My boots splashed up rainwater as I charged down the stairs past the dripping sculpture of towering books. A quick scan of the lower conference room and the cars parked along First Street revealed no sign of Magdalena's astral body or Mr. Castellano.

"Dude, he's gone." Yemaya pushed a button on her umbrella handle. With a click, the yellow nylon unfolded. She held it over both of us. "Looks like your demon is gone, too."

"How do you stop someone from astral projecting?"

Yemaya tucked her hippie handbag under her arm so the umbrella could protect the woven fabric. "You could cut the silver cord connecting them to their body."

"Wouldn't that kill them?"

"Theoretically, yes."

I pushed my wet hair out of my eyes. "Do you have a less lethal solution?"

"You could find the person and shake them. It might jar them into returning to their body."

"Perfect! Thanks. You've been a huge help." I left her at a run.

"You're welcome!" She shouted something else, but a passing ambulance drowned out her words.

The bus was nowhere in sight, so I slogged up the hill and made a left on Mount Diablo Boulevard. The fast food smells emanating from the taco place on the corner gurgled my stomach. It had been almost twenty-four hours since my last meal. The cookie didn't count.

The lack of food and water winded me. Less than two blocks out, dizziness hit. My wet messenger bag became dead weight and the strap cut into my shoulder. I slowed to a walk and pressed my hand against my side to deaden a sudden stitch. Brain fog clouded my memory. I couldn't remember how many blocks I had left, but I knew it was a lot. A big chain grocery store and an upscale specialty market swam at me from far across the busy, multilane street. There wasn't time to wait for the light. I needed to find something on this side of Mount Diablo before I passed out. A protein bar. A banana. Anything.

I checked my jeans pocket to make sure I hadn't lost the fifteen dollars. The bills were there, minus bus fare — wet, but present. I shivered past an ice cream store. Ahead, on the corner, stood a coffee house. I wasn't sure if they sold bottled water or anything quick and nutritious, but my other option was a popular sandwich place up the street, and it would be packed.

I ducked in. A few soccer moms with young kids and some Saint Mary's College students occupied the few tables. A couple of business types awaited their orders at the back of the store. No line.
Score.

I wanted something hot, something to thaw my insides and bring feeling back into my fingers. But I couldn't gulp a scalding drink or run with one in my hand. I needed to move. "A slice of banana nut loaf and a blueberry muffin to go," I told the girl behind the counter. "And can I get a glass of water?"

The clerk appraised my drowned rat appearance and threw me an are-you-sure look before saying, "No problem." She organized my sodden bills so they faced the same way, then counted back my change. Eons passed before she handed me my order.

"Thanks." I tore out the door, chugging the water. The banana bread disappeared before the walk signal chimed. I inhaled the muffin as I passed the town's seedy bar. By the end of the next block, the water, carbs, and sugars revived me, and I started to jog.

Cars became scarce once I left the main street and headed up Dewing toward the foreclosed house. Soon, all I heard were my footfalls splashing the pavement, my bag thudding against my hip, and the rain pelting trees and parked cars. The stitch returned like an arrow in my side. I pressed my hand against it and slowed my pace.
Two more blocks…

A small pond had formed on the empty driveway. With any luck, Papo had taken the van and left Magdalena alone in the house. If she were out of her physical body and stalking Mr. Castellano, I had a chance of sneaking up on her. But first I leaned against the lamppost and heaved oxygen into my lungs. It took a moment for me to realize the wood smoke choking the air came from the chimney of the foreclosed house. Maybe Kali had returned early from work. Or maybe Papo had lit the fire for Magdalena, which meant she'd be in the living room.

Got you.

A shiny silver sedan drove past at a crawl. The driver stared at the spot where the For Sale sign had stood and stopped to consult papers fastened to a clipboard. I stiffened, as still as a deer. The magnetic sign adhered to the driver's door bore the name and tree-shaped logo of a local realty company. Take no notice, I thought.
Drive on.

For several heart-stopping minutes the driver glanced from the clipboard to the house. At one point, he angled his head and peered up at the smoke trickling out of the chimney. Mentally, I tried to reinforce the Don't-See-Us spell. The real estate agent reached for his cell phone.
No!

An SUV came up behind the sedan, forcing the real estate agent to put down his phone and drive off. Several of Papo's oaths sprang to mind. Our Crystal Faire timeframe imploded.

Before the silver car could return, I opened the side gate and snuck around back. Rain pinged against the metal gutters, covering the crunch of my boots across the gravel. I tried the first slider. It opened with a shove.

The room at the far end of the hall was hidden from the living room. I removed my squelching boots and proceeded in my wet socks. The chill inside the house seeped through my soaked clothes and into my bones.
Some day I will live in a warm place.

I padded down the hall on tiptoe. My skin vibrated. I read the energy in the house and came up empty. Nothing dense. Nothing foul. But it didn't mean Magdalena wasn't here. It just meant her evil spirit was absent. I pulled my messenger bag off my shoulder and clutched it by my side. A few more steps and I reached the end of the hall and peered around the corner. A figure huddled near the fireplace.

"Kali!" I called out in a stage whisper. "Is Magdalena here?"

Kali stood at the sound of my voice and hurried toward me. "No. It was slow at work, so I left to check on you. Everyone was gone. I was so worried."

"No idea where they went?"

Kali pulled a threadbare towel out of the garbage bag I used as my suitcase and threw it to me. "None. What's going on?"

"Papo released me a couple of hours ago. I didn't see Magdalena when I left, but she astral projected and followed me to the library." I toweled off my face and hair, then removed my wet socks and dried my feet.

Kali tossed me my last pair of clean socks. "Why?"

"She's desperate. She thinks I know where the
Grey Grimoire is. Now she
's searching for one of my classmates because she thinks the girl has the spell book."

"But there is no
Grey Grimoire. Magdalena is crazy.
"

"Which makes her dangerous." I glanced around. Papo and Magdalena had left their stuff behind, which meant they'd be back. "Gather up your stuff. We need to leave. A real estate agent was snooping around a few minutes ago. By now he's called his boss, and before you know it, the police will be here."

Kali started stuffing her bedroll and clothes into a black garbage bag. "Where can we go? They took the van."

"I think I know a place."

We hoisted our bags over our shoulders like warped versions of Santa and headed for the back room. My boots were cold, wet, and stiff. I cringed shoving my feet into them. My numb fingers fumbled with the broken shoelaces. I finally secured them. We closed the slider behind us and hustled toward the side gate. The rain had eased to light sprinkles, but heavy-looking storm clouds dominated the sky. Dark would come early tonight, but not early enough.

"We look like burglars," Kali whispered.

I clasped her arm. "If a car passes us, stand tall. We belong to the Jefferson High Eco Club and we've been out clearing creeks and storm drains. We're carrying trash. We're heroes."

Kali latched the gate. "Do you think anyone will buy our story?"

"If we believe it, they will." I herded her up the street, my good ear listening for the van. I didn't want Papo and Magdalena to sneak up behind us. We had almost reached June's house when I spotted the silver sedan headed our way. This time, the real estate agent had a passenger.

"Don't make eye contact," I warned. We kept walking. I focused on the broken step, one house away.

The sedan reached us and rolled to a stop. My pulse spiked. I clasped Kali's hand and kept up a steady walk.

The driver rolled down his window and called out to us. "Isn't there a house for sale on this block?"

"There was an estate sale up the street," Kali said in her most helpful tone. "I'm not sure if the house is on the market yet."

The real estate agent consulted his clipboard. "What about the one with the gate?" He pointed to the foreclosed house.

"Don't know anything about it," I lied.

Raindrops splattered the papers on the clipboard. "Thanks." The window glided shut and the sedan cruised forward.

Kali released a long breath. "Where are we going?"

"The next house. Watch out for the broken step."

The Yorkies' barking warned of our arrival. June's porch light flashed on and she appeared in the doorway. "Aidan! I was hoping it was you. And who is this beauty?"

Mitzi and Artemis pressed their little wet paws against my leg. "June, this is my cousin, Kali."

"Nice to meet you, young lady. Come in. Take off your wet shoes and tell me about those sacks you're carrying."

"Thanks, June."

"Nice to meet you," Kali said.

Embarrassment flamed my cheeks as we deposited our garbage bags in June's immaculate entryway. She ushered us into her cozy, warm kitchen and gestured for us to sit at the table.

Kali collapsed into the nearest chair and inhaled the onion and garlic scents wafting from a cook pot on the stove.

"I better stand. My jeans are soaked," I said.