Body Bags & Blarney (10 page)

Vivienne
returned her gaze to the map resting in her lap. The town looked so small, so
insignificant. “But we’re so isolated out here in the country. You’d think we’d
be safer from discovery.”

“When you have
that much magical energy spewing out of the portals, it’s like broadcasting a
homing beacon.” Octavia finished her cup of tea and gingerly set it down on the
table between them. “A cunning sorcerer need only let their talisman lead them
to a magical source.”

“Sorcerers are
like the energy companies searching for natural resources to harvest.” Vivienne
began to comprehend. “They will stop at nothing to stake a new claim.”

“Yes.” Octavia
nodded. “One of them has found Cayuga Cove and it must look like the Fort Knox
of magic. He or she is doing their best to charge up their talisman and harness
the power for whatever twisted purpose they desire.”

“Aren’t
they’re any good sorcerers?” Vivienne asked hopefully. “Maybe someone who is
trying to do something positive with the magic?”

“There are no good
or evil intentions when it comes to sorcery.” Miss Octavia tried her best to
explain. “They may start out on the path of good intentions, but along the way
they are corrupted by the raw power of magic. They think they are the master of
the magic, but it always the other way around.”

“Then why even
attempt it?” Vivienne wondered.

“Why do people
play Powerball or enter contests?” Octavia asked. “Because someone always
defies the odds against them and manages to win.”

Vivienne
suddenly felt the gravity of the situation settling on her shoulders. “Just
like Nathaniel and Tristan did.”

“The talismans
have a purpose. They are pure magical energy that has become trapped in the
physical world over eons. It is like an ancient insect trapped inside a piece
of amber. The talismans must feed on magical energy to break free of their
prison and return to the collective pool. They will follow the path of least
resistance and a cunning sorcerer knows this very well.”

“Nana Mary
once told me that unlike mortals, witches have been practicing the art of
recycling for centuries. Magic is harnessed, used, and returned to the Earth
when the spell work is completed.”

Octavia’s
almond-shaped brown eyes narrowed. “You see, when a portal is drained
improperly, it can have all sorts of nasty side effects. A magical void is
something that can’t be opened or closed. It just sort of sits there and
hiccups magical chaos, interfering with the natural order of things. Wild
surges make casting even the most basic of spells difficult, and at the worst,
nearly impossible.”

“It sounds
like these things have the potential to turn Cayuga Cove into a magical
wasteland.”

“They can be
moved, with a communal spell from the most skilled witches.” Octavia replied.
“After I’ve mapped all of the portals, the Elder Council will begin relocating
them to a place far from human contact.”

“Like
Antarctica?” Vivienne asked.

“Magnetic
fields and magic don’t play well together.” Miss Octavia explained. “They’ll
find someplace safe and only the top members will know where that is for
security reasons.”
 

Vivienne
studied the map in more detail. She noticed a red diamond very close to her
home on Sunset Terrace. “Wait a minute, one of these voids is very close to my
home.”

“Yes.” Miss
Octavia pointed to the location in question. “The enchantment the Council added
to my map allows them to appear within an hour of their occurrence.”

“That sorcerer
was awful close to me.” Vivienne worried. “Why?”

“I don’t think
we can just excuse it as a coincidence.” Miss Octavia added. “Have you seen
anyone new in town lately?”

Vivienne took
a deep breath and exhaled. “Actually, I saw someone new last night and he
definitely stood out from the crowd.”

“Stood out in
a good or bad way?”

Vivienne
shrugged. “It’s hard to explain. I felt as if he were familiar, even though I’m
certain that we have never met before.”

“You could
have picked up on the magic if this person had their talisman on them.” Octavia
pointed out. “The more comfortable you get with magic, the more sensitive you
will become when it is around you.”

“So what do I
do to prove that he’s the one we’re looking for?” Vivienne asked.

“I wish I
could help you, but I’m under orders from the Council to lay low and finish my
mapping project. If this sorcerer gets wind of what I am doing, it could be
very dangerous for everyone.” Octavia reached out and took Vivienne’s hands in
hers. “I think that it would be wise for you to visit with your Nana Mary as
soon as possible and ask her.”

“I
understand.” Vivienne gave Octavia’s hands a gentle squeeze. She had often
wished that Nana Mary could know that Miss Octavia was working in town. She had
a feeling the two would become instant best friends, sharing stories of magical
doings both past and present. Yet, Vivienne understood, she couldn’t allow her
sentimental feelings for her grandmother to override the need for the Council
to let Octavia do her work undercover in Cayuga Cove. It was a necessary evil
to keep that information to herself for everyone’s safety. Yet, she yearned for
the day that everything would be back to some kind of normal and she could at
last introduce them to each other.

“We’re going
to need all the good luck we can to get through this. You take care.”

“And you as
well.” Vivienne responded as she reached into her purse and searched for her
cell phone. She was going to have to call Stephanie and ask her to run the
bakery solo for a little while longer.

CHAPTER
EIGHT

In her
apartment at the Whispering Oaks Assisted Living Facility, Nana Mary rocked gently
back and forth in her Amish-made rocking chair listening intently to every word
of Vivienne’s dilemma. She gave her mug of steaming tea a swirl with her spoon
and allowed it to cool to a more drinkable temperature.
 
“My goodness, you certainly know how to pep
up a dull winter morning.” She stared out the living room window at the bleak
winter landscape below. With the leaves long gone from the trees, she had an
excellent view of all the stately homes that lined both sides of the high-end
neighborhood that was enforced by an all-powerful homeowner’s association.

“I’m sorry to
burden you with this, Nana.” Vivienne apologized.

“Don’t
apologize.” Nana Mary waved her wrinkled hands at her as she adjusted the afghan
that was around her legs. “I always want to know what is going on in your life,
the good and the bad.” She pointed toward a dark blue colonial two-story on
Cayuga Circle below. “I see that Mrs. Carlson has put illuminated plastic
shamrocks in the front windows facing the street.”

Vivienne
squinted down at the house Nana Mary was pointing at. “You have the eyes of an
eagle.”

“Always have.
That’s not magically enhanced either.” She smiled.

“So what’s the
big deal about the shamrocks?” Vivienne asked.

Nana Mary
clucked her tongue. “Well, she’s skirting the rules of the association by
putting non-approved décor on display.”

“Are they
going to get fined?”

Nana Mary
laughed. “Oh, if they were anyone else I’d be pointing out that Cynthia
Beaumont, also known as the ‘merry widow’ of Cayuga Circle, would have sparks
on her heels personally delivering a violation notice to the offender right
this moment.”

“They’re
afraid of a corporate lawyer?” Vivienne shrugged.

“I don’t think
it’s because Mr. Carlson is particularly good at practicing law.” Nana Mary
continued. “It’s because without his help, Cayuga Circle would have had a
lower-income apartment building right on the edge of their territory.”

“The developer
still thinks that deal is going to go through.” Vivienne recalled reading about
the news story for the past few months in the local paper. A developer had
secured government grants to build a small apartment complex at the
intersection of Cayuga Circle and Imperial Avenue, which the residents wouldn’t
have had much of a problem with. However, when the association caught wind that
the building was for subsidized housing, the fight began in earnest. “I find
the narrow minds of the people who live there to be more disturbing than
anything else.” Vivienne said with a hint of disgust in her tone. “I think
they’d be surprised how many middle class families bring gangs, drugs, and
domestic violence into their neighborhoods.”

“I agree with
you, dear.” Nana Mary nodded. “The people living down there have the false
sense of security that nothing bad can ever happen just because their property
values are in the six figures.” She turned away from the window to face
Vivienne. “It’s going to be a long, nasty fight before those apartments are
ready.”

“That’s for
sure.” Vivienne gave a little smile, but her thoughts returned to what Miss
Octavia had told her and she felt a sense of panic building inside of her.

Nana Mary
glanced at Vivienne for a moment. “Out with it.”

“I’m sorry?”
Vivienne stirred from her thoughts.

“Whatever it
is that you came to ask me.” Nana Mary replied. “Don’t ever join a poker game,
my dear. Your face is an open book.”
    

Vivienne took
a deep breath. “So, I was hoping you had an idea of how I can lure a sorcerer
out of hiding.”

Nana Mary
squinted, her green eyes still unnaturally bright with youthful exuberance.
“Well, at least now I understand the expression on your face a few moments
ago.” She paused for a moment. “Give me a minute.”

“Of course.”
Vivienne was about to speak again when there was a knock on the door. “Where
you expecting company?” She felt her body tense up at the thought of the
mysterious sorcerer standing on the other side of the door waiting to blast her
with some wicked spell.

“It’s just my
lunch.” Nana Mary replied. “Would you be a dear and get that for me?”

Vivienne
relaxed. “Oh, no problem. I’ve lost all track of time since this morning.” She
hurried over to the door and opened it.

“Lunch
delivery for Mrs. Darden.” A young Latino woman smiled, holding a tray that was
covered to keep the food warm. Her name badge identified her name as Carmen,
and her position as personal care aide.

“Please come
in.” Vivienne smiled back. “She’s in the living room.”

“Thank you.”
Carmen hurried past, the smell of toasted bread wafting in the air behind her.

“Carmen.” Nana
Mary’s voice rang out from the living room. “I thought you were working
nights?”

“I’m covering
for Lorena this morning.” Carmen replied.

Vivienne
closed the door and returned to the living room where Carmen was setting up a
vintage metal tray table over Nana Mary’s lap.

“Oh, that poor
girl.” Nana Mary empathized. “I’d have thought her morning sickness would be
over by now.”

Carmen placed
the food on the folding tray and lifted the top off to reveal a tuna melt
sandwich along with a pile of cottage cheese and a dill pickle spear. “She had
it until her fifth month with the last pregnancy.”

“Well,
although I feel terrible for her, I’m glad I had a chance to see you again for
a change.” Nana Mary smiled warmly. “How’s your family doing?”

“Roberto is
working in West Virginia for the next three weeks.” Carmen unwrapped the
flatware from the white cloth napkin and set it next to the sandwich. “The gas
company has been sending more of their men down South lately.”

“He’s such a
hard worker.” Nana Mary added. “I’m sure that you and Miguel miss him
terribly.”

“We do, but
hopefully this trip might be his last one if he is able to get a position in
the main office he applied for.” Carmen looked at Vivienne. “Would you like to
order lunch to have with your grandmother today?”

“Oh, no thank
you Carmen” Vivienne replied. “That was sweet of you to offer.”

Carmen nodded.
“I wish everyone here at Whispering Oaks had more relatives like you to keep
them company. You’re all such a nice family. It makes me wish we could afford
to live in Cayuga Cove instead of commuting from Auburn.”

Vivienne knew
the commute from Auburn was about forty-five minutes in good weather. When it
came to winter, with the snow and ice, the commute was easily over an hour
long. With the ever-rising gasoline prices, she had a feeling that carved a
rather large portion of Carmen’s paycheck away. “I hope you have a
fuel-efficient car.”

Carmen smiled
and politely shook her head. “It’s a minivan from the late nineties, guzzles
gas like it’s going out of style.”

Vivienne
admired Carmen’s work ethic and her commitment to make a better life for her
and her family. “That’s not good.”

“Thank God
Roberto rides down with his work friends to the job sites.” Carmen
rationalized. “If he had to take the car, I wouldn’t be able to work here and
jobs around this area are pretty hard to find.”

“Isn’t that
the truth?” Nana Mary took a bite of her sandwich.
  

“Have you
heard about the apartment complex they are supposed to start building down the
road?” Vivienne asked.

“Yes.” Carmen
answered. “We’ve wanted to move here for quite some time, but the home prices
are just too much for us to make that happen. That new apartment building might
be the answer we’ve been looking for, but I’m not holding my breath.”

“But if it
did,” Vivienne continued, “you’d be able to walk to work and save all kinds of
money.”

“From your
lips to God’s ears.” Carmen winked back.

“I think those
idiots down there need to see and hear people like Carmen and her family talk
at one of their meetings.” Nana Mary reasoned as she shook some pepper on her
cottage cheese. “Instead of the stereotypes parading around in their vapid
little heads.”

“I better get
back to the kitchen before Mister Albertson sends a search party for me.”
Carmen replied. “I’d swear that he has a time clock in his chest instead of a
heart.”

Vivienne and
Nana Mary laughed as Carmen excused herself from the apartment. “Don’t be long
between visits now.” Nana Mary waved goodbye.

 
Vivienne sat down in the chair opposite her grandmother.
“She’s sweet.”

“Yes, she is
and she works so hard here.” Nana Mary picked up the pickle spear and took a
bite. “That Mister Albertson is lucky my magic powers are almost gone.”

“What does he
do here?” Vivienne asked.

“He’s the
facility administrator.” Nana Mary took a bite of her sandwich and chewed
thoroughly.

“Is he hard on
the staff?”

Nana Mary took
a sip of her ginger tea which had finally cooled to the ideal temperature. “Oh,
he allows his pretty girls to get away with murder.”

“One of those.”
Vivienne grumbled. “Better not say anymore or I may just be tempted to spell
him for you.”

“I wish you
would.” Nana Mary laughed. “Would serve the horny toad right.”

Vivienne
glanced at her watch and knew her free time was slipping away all too fast. “So,
about catching a sorcerer?”

“Oh, I almost
forgot about that.” Nana Mary set her mug of tea down on the tray table. “Okay,
first of all, you need to know that they are some of the sneakiest people you
will ever have the misfortune of dealing with.”

“I’ve heard
that.”

“Well, make
sure you keep that in the front of your mind at all times.” Nana Mary warned.
“Because the minute you let your guard down they can strike.”

“Are you
speaking from personal experience?” Vivienne asked.

“As a matter of
fact, I did have an encounter with one back during World War II, but that’s a
long story and it isn’t going to help you with your problem.”

“I didn’t say
I had a problem with one.” Vivienne heard her voice raise an octave.

Nana Mary
clucked her tongue. “You didn’t have to say a word.”

“I wish I was
half as good at reading people as you are.”

“Getting back
to the business at hand,” Nana Mary continued, “the best way to lure one of
those creeps out of hiding is to use a magically charged item like an amulet or
a charm bag as bait.”

“How do I set
a trap without saying anything about it?” Vivienne asked.

“You don’t
need to.” Nana Mary interrupted. “When you have an item of sufficient power out
in the open, they can smell it on the wind.”

“Any
suggestions on what I have that would work?”

Nana Mary
shrugged. “I don’t know, dear. What have you been crafting in your spare time
between lessons?”

Vivienne felt
her face flush with embarrassment. “Well, I sort of haven’t started anything at
the moment.”

“I see.” Nana Mary
stared at her with slight disappointment. “Well, you do have a bit of a problem
then.”

Vivienne
snapped her fingers. “What about my grimoire?”

“That would be
sufficient bait to lure a sorcerer.” Nana Mary agreed. “But you are risking the
very thing that makes you a witch.”

“Risk is part
of being a witch.” Vivienne conceded. “I’ve learned that lesson more times than
I’d care to admit to.”

“I have no
doubt that you are more cunning than some reckless sorcerer, my dear.” Nana
Mary smiled. “Their impulsiveness is usually their downfall.”

Vivienne began
to fidget with her hands. “So after I lure this person out of hiding, how do I
hold them for questioning?”

“You need to
cast a power circle and activate it when your target steps inside.” Nana Mary
sipped some more of her tea. “It will hold them in place just like any other
being, magical or mortal.”

“I can do
that.” Vivienne nodded back eagerly. “I’m sure the Council would be able to
send backup if I needed assistance.”

“There is a
bounty for their kind, you know.” Nana Mary revealed. “Has been for centuries.”

“What is the
Council offering for their capture?”

“The granting
of a minor wish spell.”

Vivienne
searched her memory of magical knowledge and recalled that a minor wish was
quite a misnomer. The magic was actually one of the most powerful spells, able
to bring to the caster a desire that normally would be unreachable by regular
spell work. Fame and fortune, stunning physical beauty, even the ability to
live a near-immortal amount of time was within the realm of possibility. The
only things it could not do were bring the dead back from the grave or allow
the caster the ability to ask for unlimited wishes. “That’s quite a reward.”