Wizard in a Witchy World (21 page)

"I was thinking we could spend the night here," I said, setting the bag of gyros on the desk. I took one for myself and slid the bag in Amak's direction.

"How are your wounds?" I asked. "Aren't you worried about lycan infection?"

"Nah, they have no effect on me, aside from hurting that is," she said.

"Dukats seems to think capturing Shaggy was just the beginning. She’s certain there's more to come." I leaned back in the leather chair that I was sure belonged to my mother. I dug into the gyro.

"Dukats?"

"Lieutenant with Leotown's finest," I said.

"I don't know. It seems to me that Shaggy was the bad news."

"Holy Shit!" I said, looking at the silver spell circle in front of the fireplace. The skeletal remains I'd taken the jar from were gone, the sword was replaced on the wall and the silver kettle I'd knocked from the lab table was once again sitting upright and in its original location. In fact, everything I’d upended during my fight with the shades was back in its original place.

"What?" Amak sat straighter and looked around, readying herself for action.

"I'm not sure. Someone's been here and cleaned up. There was a corpse on the ground when I left."

"You had to kill someone?"

"No. It was a skeleton, but it's gone now."

"Doesn't seem like the sort of thing I'd complain about," Amak said, grabbing a lab stool and rolling it over to the desk. "What do you want to do tomorrow? I'm off."

"I was thinking about getting someone out to look at electricity and heat. If I'm real ambitious, I might move my own lab equipment over," I said.

"Do you remember being here? According to Liise Straightrod, you lived here when you were really young," she said.

"Why would she tell you that?"

"She might not have known I was listening."

"You're a scamp." I tossed a french fry at her.

"You can't imagine how boring it gets out there in the country. Different groups of witches have meetings and my job is to make sure nobody breaks in or roughs anyone up. Which, of course, no one ever does because witches just don't get all that rowdy."

It felt good to just hang out and chat with someone. Later on, we found old blankets in a closet and stretched out in front of the fireplace. It wasn't as comfortable as a bed, but it was manageable. We finally drifted off to sleep sometime after midnight.

The next morning, I awoke refreshed but sore. Something about sleeping on the hard floor hadn't done me any good. Unfortunately, we didn't have running water, so I had to run outside to take care of business. I added yet another item to the ever-growing list of house maintenance tasks.

It was after eight in the morning, so I dialed Andy. "Good morning, Felix. Everything okay with those doors?"

"They're perfect, Andy," I said. "Any chance you have some time this morning to take a look at a few things?"

"You have more problems at your apartment?"

"No. I just came into a house and don't know how to get the power, water and all that turned on," I said. I was still outside, looking around at the property in the morning light. My eyes fell on a ramshackle greenhouse where most of the glass had fallen in. It was twenty feet from the back side of the house. Item number fifty-two on the repair list, I thought sarcastically.

"Sure, I can help. I'll have to bring my kid along. I've got babysitting duty while Kelli's at work," he said.

"No problem. I'll text you the address," I said.

I went inside and found Amak looking around the kitchen.

"No food in here, not even a can of beans," she complained. "And those darn werewolves made a heck of a mess in the front of the house."

"Let's go get some breakfast and a chainsaw," I said.

"In that order?"

We walked out and jumped into my truck. I noticed Maggie’s silhouette and found her sitting atop one of the many gargoyles on the front of the house. I whistled at her and she nodded in acknowledgement, but didn't join us.

An hour later we returned with a new chainsaw, gas and oil. We set right to work clearing the entryway at the street. We cut back vegetation and freed the once proud stone pillars that bracketed the brick-paved driveway. At some point in time, a reckless driver must have veered off Happy Hollow and knocked one of them over. I pulled out a notepad and added the pillar to the list of items to be fixed.

About the time we'd finished clearing the entry, Andy pulled up in his work truck. A red haired, ten-year-old boy sat next to him, fidgeting.

"House is just down the road," I said. "You'll have to go around the back and in through the broken solarium attached to the dining room. The doors are all locked for some reason."

"I'll see what it’s going to take to get your water on, but you'll want heat before we open the valves. Hard freeze is around the corner," he said.

"Could you make a list and see what needs to be done to, at least, get us limping along?"

"Sure can," he said and drove off down the lane.

Amak and I settled into a comfortable rhythm of work. We'd decided to concentrate on clearing the brick lane of the fallen trees. As we worked, we uncovered a bridge that spanned a dry creek bed and discovered that several of the six-inch thick planks were rotted. I began to wonder if we’d ever discover any good news related to the house. Two hours into it, Andy finally returned, rolling to a stop next to us.

"Looks like you're making good progress. What are you going to do with all that firewood?" He was looking at the back of my pickup that was now filled.

"No shortage of fireplaces," Amak said.

"True," Andy agreed. "I'd get someone out to inspect 'em before you burn, though. Critters like to build nests in abandoned fireplaces."

I pulled out my notepad and added it to the list.

"What's it going to take to get the water and electricity on?" I asked.

"Good news or bad?"

"Good," I said.

"You're on a well and the electrical looks relatively modern. Once you call the city for electricity, you'll probably get water too," he said. "Although, it'd be worth getting someone…"

"To inspect the well," I finished his sentence as I wrote down yet one more thing to do. "If that's the good news, then what's the bad?"

"Boiler looks shot. You could be looking at ten or twelve thousand to get it running," he said. "I also looked at your roof. There's another twenty thousand in that, although I could probably patch a few places enough to get you through the winter," he said.

"You’re full of good news. What would it cost to have you patch it?"

"Six or seven hundred," he said.

"Let's do that," I said. "Any recommendation on a furnace company?"

"You want me to call 'em out?"

"Sure. Why not?"

My phone rang as we stacked the third load of firewood onto racks in a wood shed next to the long garage. It was late in the afternoon and I was physically exhausted. I felt good about having cleared the lane all the way to the house, especially since Leotown Public Power had then been able to make it down the drive and work on our power issues. We now had lights and water. Even better, Andy's furnace company was coming out in the morning.

The caller id showed Gabriella.

"Heya," I answered. "What's shaking?"

"I was talking with Mari and she said you might be working for Willow. That true?"

"I'm going to talk to her on Monday, but it looks hopeful."

"Do you really need work now? I thought you came into an inheritance."

"According to Phibbly, I can draw some money to repair the property, but after looking around, that's not going to cover much," I said.

"How much?"

"Thirty thousand a year," I said.

"That sounds like a lot to me."

"This place is a wreck. It needs a new boiler, new roof and before we start heating, we have to close in the solarium. The house is totally open to the outside in the back," I said.

"Doesn’t sound like the bank did a very good job of maintaining the property. Do you want me to look at the trust? There might be emergency provisions," she said.

"That'd be really nice," I said. "I don't have a copy of it, though."

"I'm close to the bank. If you call Phibbly and tell him that I'm your legal representative, he'll give me a copy," she said.

"I wouldn't count on it. Did you know he's a witch?"

"Of course I do. He's Illuminaire."

"Well, he tried to trick me when he figured out I was going to pass the stupid blood line tests," I said.

"That doesn't sound like him. He's a little odd, but we've always gotten along."

"Mind if I call Kim Munstel instead?"

"You should be able to talk to anyone in the department. This isn't a big ask," she said. "So Clarita and I were thinking about bringing you dinner tonight. Any interest?"

"Great, when?"

"Six thirty. She wants mac-n-cheese."

"Tell her I want extra cheese on mine." I placed the phone on my chest and looked at Amak who was pulling weeds out from around the shed. "Clarita and Gabriella are coming over for dinner. Are you in?"

"Do you think she wants me here?" Amak asked, eyebrows raised.

"I do. You're my friend. We’re all friends and we can hang out together."

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Sure. Extra meaty, if there's a choice."

I put the phone back to my ear. "I suppose you heard all that."

"You're not sleeping with Amak anymore?"

"No. Long story. I'm hoping you guys can play nice," I said.

"After what she did for Clarita, she's got a lifetime pass with me. I just don't know what you see in a troll," she said.

"A good hearted, beautiful, powerful woman not unlike yourself," I said. "Is Clarita going to be okay coming to Happy Hollow?"

"We'll play it by the ear, but she really wants to see you. I have a theory I want to pass by you, but I need to look at that trust first," she said.

"I'll call right away," I said.

"See you in a couple of hours."

"What now?" Amak asked.

"Feels like time for a beer run and maybe we could drop by my apartment for a shower and fresh clothes."

***

"You guys must be exhausted. I didn't even recognize the entrance," Gabriella commented as she set her bags on the rough-hewn table I'd found in the shop attached to the garage. Upon seeing me, Clarita had climbed into my arms, snuggling her head on my shoulder.

"Heya, kiddo," I whispered in her ear. "Glad you came over. I missed you." She hugged me tighter, but didn't otherwise respond.

Amak had set a fire in the kitchen fireplace. I’d retrieved a cooler from the garage and stocked it with long-necked beer, which I found preferable to Amak's inexpensive twelve-pack. The water was still running a rusty brown, but it was enough to get the toilets working. After exhaustively exploring the house, we couldn't find any leaks, which surprised me.

"I'm starved," Amak said as Gabriella placed large styrene bowls of steaming sides on the table. "Beer, Gabby?" Amak held out a bottle to her.

Gabriella winced at the nickname, but didn't correct her as she accepted the beer. "That'd be great." It was a simple act, but I smiled at the interaction. They were playing nice, if only for the moment.

"Have you found a place for you and Clarita, yet?" I asked, scooping a portion of mac-and-cheese onto a plate for Clarita.

"Not yet, but Brian's being a trooper about it," she said.

I could feel the shaded truth of her statement and raised an eyebrow as she spoke.

Before I could say anything, a tapping at one of the kitchen windows caught our attention. "Why don't you get after your dinner and I'll check that out," I said, placing Clarita on the bench next to me. Initially she resisted, but finally gave in.

I unlatched the vertically hinged window and swung it inward. I'd recognized the tapping and wasn't surprised when Maggie jumped onto the window sill. I was surprised, however, when she fluttered over to the end of the table, sinking her claws into the edge.

"Felix?" Amak asked, trying to assess the threat.

"She's okay, Amak. Maggie is a friend," I said.

Clarita, who had a habit of keeping her long hair in front of her face gave the crow a shy smile as Maggie nodded her head. I wasn’t sure what to make of the exchange. Maggie's ways were still largely a mystery to me.

"What do you think of my new friends, Maggie?" I asked. I was pleased when she replied with a long cawwk and bobbed her head several times. "Clarita, Maggie really likes meat. If you pull some chicken from the bone and put on the table, it'll make her happy." I didn't have to prompt Clarita further and she offered hunks of chicken from my plate to a grateful Maggie.

"What have you heard from Joe?" Gabriella asked, once I'd sat back down.

"Not much today. Apparently, he's now alpha of his own little pack. At least that gray is following him. Her name is Susan Bluestein. There was another, Jerry something or other, but I haven't heard much about him," I said. "Joe and Susan stayed the night at my apartment, but when we went over for showers, they were gone and my keys were on the table. I hope he can pull it together."

"Odds aren't good," Gabriella said. "Especially if he keeps shifting. I was doing some reading at the Witches' Council Library today. There's a belief that every time they shift, they take on more characteristics of the lobo. Not evil, specifically, but not necessarily what we see as good."

"So, what did Phibbly say when you showed up?" I asked, changing the subject.

"No problems. He gave me a copy of the trust. It's a big document. I asked him about emergency provisions and he said repairs to plumbing, structure and roof were all covered outside of the maintenance allowance. He just needs two bids for any major item like that," she said. "Maybe you just got off to the wrong foot with him. He is a little odd. How about this? You give me bids for the furnace and roof and I'll get Phibbly to approve them."

"I can take 'em over to the bank, but maybe you could make a call once I do."

Gabriella pulled a thick sheaf of papers from her bag and laid it on the table.

"Is that the trust agreement?" I asked.

"Sure is. Something you said about those identity tests sounded odd. They were looking for people in the right blood line," she said, flipping through papers. "It got me to thinking. Why Clarita? Why did they have her working on that door to the basement?"

"How does looking through the trust help with that?" I asked.

Gabriella pointed to something on one of the pages. "Here it is. How much do you know about your lineage?"

"Nothing more than my mom and dad's names."

"Egils was your dad? Your brothers were Filip and Geoff and your sister was Sevena?"

The world became nothing more than a tunnel between us as my heart sped up and my hands started sweating. I found it difficult to breathe, much less talk. It was as if something was crushing my throat as she spoke.

"Felix? Are you okay?" Gabriella asked and I heard Maggie squawking. Breathing was becoming more difficult.

Clarita’s small hand slid into my own, her tiny fingers interlacing with mine. Warmth spread from her hand and I felt the same connection I'd only experienced once before. I closed my eyes and concentrated on drawing comfort from her presence. The darkness around me lightened and the tightness on my throat loosened. The remnants of a spell cracked and broke away from me and the world returned.

"Felix, what was that?" Gabriella asked, still worried. Even Amak had a concerned look on her face.

"We're buddies," Clarita said, surprising everyone at the table. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her in close. I could have cried at the joy I felt at our connection.

"A spell," I managed to squeak out. "Something was holding back my memories. Clarita helped me break it."

"As Clarita's guardian, I have access to her birth certificate. Her father is listed as Geoff Baltazoss. That's your brother's first name and mother's maiden name, which she never changed. The trust charter has a list of people who are possible claimants. Your name is listed just beneath Filip, Geoff and Sevena's. But they all have the Baltazoss last name."

"You're saying Clarita is my niece?"

"I think you already know the truth. I saw your face when she leaned into you. The two of you joined, didn't you?"

"We did something. I could feel her. I don't know how to describe it, but it felt like… it sounds stupid, but it felt like home."

Gabriella smiled. "That's a witch’s circle. With people you trust, there's nothing more fulfilling. I can only imagine how it would be with family."

Maggie squawked loudly and fluttered out the window.

"Another beer?" Amak asked, pulling two from the cooler. It seemed like she'd become uncomfortable with all of the witch and wizard talk.

"Oh, hell yes!" I said, gratefully accepting one.

"Do you think all this bad stuff was about control of Happy Hollow?" Gabriella asked. "Not that I don't like your new digs here, but I don't see it."

"I can think of twenty-eight million reasons," I said.

Shock filled her face. "That's the value of this place?"

"No. That's just the liquid assets," I said.

"I suppose," she agreed. "But murder? Kidnapping? I don’t know, it just felt like there was more going on than that."

"Lieutenant Dukats agrees with you," I said. "She's not buying Shaggy as the brains."

"What else could it be?" Gabriella asked.

"Witches aren't all love and flowers," Amak said.

"What's that?" Gabriella asked, turning on Amak, who flinched at the attention. It reminded me just how much I hated the hold witches had over trolls.

"It's not mine to tell, but there's more here than property," Amak said, looking down at the table.

"What are you talking about?" Gabriella asked.

"She's right. There's something I want you and Clarita to see," I said, standing up from the table.

"Where are we going?"

"To the basement," I said.

Clarita's hand grabbed my own and she pulled me down so my face was next to her own. "Bad things," she whispered.

"I sent them away," I whispered back, pulling her up so she could wrap her legs around my waist. I knew she could feel the truth in my words, but I felt her trepidation, nonetheless.

We made our way through the dining room slash solarium, which was now just one big room since the panes were all missing from the huge French doors and floor to ceiling windows. We passed through the family room and finally entered the back hallway, which joined the basement, the stairs leading up and the front and back of the house.

"This is the door Clarita was trying to open," I said. "Want to give it a try, Gabriella?"

"I don't see why not," she said and pulled on the handle.

"No. There's a wizard's lock on there. You need to manipulate the tumblers before it'll open. And, you might want to let go…"

"Ouch!" She shook her hand.

"Let me see." I inspected her hand with my free one. Her palm was red, but not burned. "I probably should have warned you. It has a deterrent against other attempts at entry, as you just figured out."

She glared at me and pulled her hand back.

"You want to give it a try, little monkey?" I asked. Clarita buried her face into my shoulder and shook her head no. "I'll show you, if you'd like. I think you can do it." She shook her head again and I chose not to push it.

I ran my hand across the surface, manipulated the lock and pushed on the handle. As expected, it opened and the wall sconces lit the circular stone staircase going down into the basement.