The Wizard Returns: Book Three of the Wizard Born Series (39 page)

Mrs. Malley’s face grew thoughtful for a moment, and then she smiled again. “You’re a powerful one. Oh yes!” She sighed deeply.

“Can you see at all, Mrs. Malley?”

“I see your shape but no more than that. My eyes are so bad now, I can’t make potions anymore, and I can hardly cook. My daughter stops by once a day and brings me some supper, and that keeps me from starving.” She tried to laugh, but nearly collapsed with a wracking cough.

“Do you want me to mix something up for you? I’m not a healer, but I could try.” Fred eyed the countless jars that lined the shelves of one wall. “I bet you have the ingredients for a rejuvenation potion.”

“I’ve taken more rejuvenation potions than I can count.” She hacked a short cough again and paused, hand flat on her chest as if feeling for a heartbeat. “You don’t get to be my age without drinking a few of those.”

“How old are you?” Melanie asked, then shook her head. “I’m sorry. That was impolite.”

The old woman flipped her hand croaked out a laugh. “Don’t worry, dear. I’m way past feeling vain. I turned one hundred last October.”

“One hundred! That’s amazing.”

“I feel like I’m two hundred, since my eyes started going bad. If I could see to make my potions, I’d fix myself something that would put the spring back in my step, I would.” She looked in Fred’s general direction again. “I’d take you up on your offer, Miss Fred, but I can’t even tell which herb is which anymore.” She waved vaguely at the jars on the wall. “I don’t label my ingredients, so you can’t tell, either. You wouldn’t be able to make a potion.”

“Mrs. Malley?” Bryce said. “What exactly is wrong with your eyes?”

“Everything is blurry and fuzzy, and the sun glares too much. Can’t bear it.”

“That could be cataracts. Jamie, you might be able to fix them.”

“By doing what?”

“Cataracts are a clouding of the lenses. The stuff that makes up the lenses changes for some people when they get older, but you might be able to change it back.”

“Maybe. Never tried before. Do you want me to, Mrs. Malley?”

“Could you? That would be so wonderful.”

“I don’t know if I can or not. I need to see what a normal lens looks like, first. Come here, Fred.” Jamie held Fred by the shoulders and stared intently into her eyes.

“Looks like a scene from an old movie,” Rollie said, “right before Cary Grant kisses the girl.”

“What’s a movie?” Aiven asked.

“I’ll show you later on the laptop.”

Jamie released Fred and started to turn away, but she grabbed his arm and said, “What? No kiss?” He leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the lips. She frowned. “That’s not much of a kiss.”

Jamie ignored her and took Mrs. Malley by the shoulders. “Okay. Don’t blink.” He focused intently on her for a moment, then said, “Her lenses look different. There are little...clumps, I guess you’d say, on the microscopic level, scattered across them.”

“Can you unclump them?” Bryce asked.

“I read something in one of the spell books that might work. Hold still, Mrs. Malley.” Jamie’s face became taut with concentration, and after a moment, the old woman’s left eye began to glow.

When the glow faded, she blinked hard several times and her lips parted as she tentatively touched her cheek. “Amazing.” She covered her bad eye with her other hand and smiled. “It’s so clear!” She grabbed Jamie’s arm fiercely. “The other one! Do the other one.”

Jamie repeated the spell, and when the glow faded from the other eye, she turned slowly around the room, blinking, a faint smile brightening her face. “I...I can see.” Her smile broadened and she laughed as she threw her frail arms around Jamie. “I can see again. Oh, thank you, young man. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“It was nothing,” Jamie said.

The old woman released him, and Fred caught his arm and whispered in his ear, “Don’t you dare let her pay you.”

“Don’t worry,” he whispered back.

“It is a miracle,” Mrs. Malley said, beaming. “I don’t know if a true healer could’ve done what you just did. Just amazing. You are a fine wizard.” She took a deep breath and seemed to gather herself. “How can I pay you?”

“Well, first time is free,” Jamie said with a cocky grin. “It’s an introductory offer.” He glanced at the wall full of jars. “Are those all your ingredients for your potions?”

“Yes. Would you like some?”

“I don’t have much use for them, but Fred might. Good potion-making stuff can be hard to come by. Maybe you can help her find some of those hard-to-get herbs and things.”

“Yes.” She nodded firmly. “I will help you.” She nodded again. “Any time. I can get you most anything you need. You just ask.”

* * *

Later that evening, after Mrs. Tully, Aiven, and Brinna went home, Jamie took his turn on the laptop to tell his parents about the events of the day.

“I wish I could’ve been there when you fixed the old woman’s eyes,” Rachel said, her face next to Carl’s on the screen. “I’m sure it made you feel good.”

“It really did,” Jamie said. “She and Fred talked shop a little bit before we left. Fred likes her a lot. Fred’s going to tell Momma Sue about her, on the magic mirror.”

“Do you think that will work,” Carl asked, “since you’re on different planets?”

“She’s doing it as an experiment, just to see.”

“So, what do you think of the mayor?” Carl asked.

Jamie paused before answering. “Um...I can see why Mrs. Tully doesn’t like him, and Gramma, too, because he comes across as being really pompous and puffed up. But, on the other hand, he does seem to be doing good things for this town. It’s grown a lot, and it’s clean.” He shrugged. “And pretty, I guess. You’d like it. It’s kinda quaint.”

“He paid you ten silvers? What’s that worth?”

“About a thousand dollars. I put it in the coin vase.” He bit his lip hard for a moment and stared at his parents’ images. “There’s more money in it now than when we got here on Friday, thanks to me and Fred. That wasn’t the plan.”

Rachel pursed her lips. “I thought you couldn’t make money off your magic.”

“The original oath says we can’t
enrich
ourselves. It’s not like we’re making a fortune, and we’ve hardly spent any, except for the horse, maybe.”

“That was a good thing, Jamie. Sounds like Mrs. Tully really needed one.”

“She did, but I haven’t spent any money on myself. Fred and Gramma and Melanie bought some stuff in town, but not much. Maybe I’ll spend some fixing up the house...I dunno.”

“So you’re definitely going to keep it?” Carl asked.

“Think so.” Jamie put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. “I kinda like it now. We’ve all gotten attached to it, even Gramma.”

“Good,” Carl said, “because John Paul and I want to try fishing in that river.”

Rachel smiled at Carl, then turned back to the screen. “I heard you guys found some more references to demons in the books.”

“I think we might be getting somewhere, finally,” Jamie said. “We’d probably have the answer already if I didn’t have so many distractions.” He frowned. “Probably shouldn’t have made the swing, or gone to buy the horse.”

“Jamie....” Rachel shook her head and sighed. “Those were
good
things that you did. You shouldn’t kick yourself about that.”

“Still, that’s not why we’re here. We’re here to find out what to do about demons, period.”

Carl’s face grew solemn. “I have some more bad news. Another hiker has been reported missing, same part of the trail where the other hikers were killed.”

“I thought they closed that part.”

“They did, but the guy went anyway. College kid, down here hiking on spring break with some friends, decided to go into the closed section on a dare. Probably a little alcohol involved with that decision.”

“Have they found his body?”

“No, but he’s been missing for a few days. And a ranger spotted a bear yesterday, a
big
one. They’re going to try putting out a trap again.”

“Uh oh.”

“Uh oh is right. If they trap it, they’ll think it’s safe to open the trail again.”

Jamie sucked in his breath between his teeth. “And we could have more dead hikers.”

Chapter 30

Jamie was still eating breakfast with Bryce and Rollie when Fred came bounding from the bedroom with Melanie, holding the magic mirror. “She replied!” Fred squealed. “Momma Sue must’ve gotten my message.”

“How can you tell?” Bryce asked.

“It’s pulsing.”

“Lemme see,” Jamie said. She offered it to him, and he put his hand on it. “I don’t feel anything.”

“Huh. Melanie didn’t either. Maybe you have to be a witch to feel it.”

“Let’s see it anyway,” Rollie said.

Fred laid it on the table, and everyone gathered around her as she flipped it open. The round glass shimmered, and a new image coalesced on it — Momma Sue, a wide smile on her dark, leathery face. “Fred the Firecracker!” She nodded firmly. “I was wonderin’ when I’d hear from you. Sounds like you’re having yourself a grand ol’ time there in that world a’ magic, unh huh. Done met yourself another good witch already. I’d like to meet her, too, soon as that wizard boyfriend of yours makes me a doorway there. Maybe me and her can share recipes.”

She threw her head back and cackled heartily. “I’m glad Jamie the Sorcerer fixed up her eyes. Witch can’t earn a livin’ if she can’t see to make potions. Might blow herself up by accident.” She laughed again, and then her face became serious. “You and your friends keep lookin’ for that book that’s gonna tell you ’bout demons. You’ll find it soon, I know. I tossed the bones yesterday, and they fell into a promisin’ pattern. Good omens, I’m sure.”

Mama Sue nodded a final time and wrinkled her wide nose as if she were about to sneeze. “I gots to go, ’cause time’s up on the mirror. Send me a good dream, Miss Dream Fairy.” She cackled again, and her image vanished.

“That was really cool,” Rollie said.

“Reassuring, too,” Jamie added. “Fred, does she have any psychic abilities?”

“Doubt it. She would’ve told me already. I think she’s just trying to keep us fired up.”

“Great.” Melanie said drily. “A voodoo queen for a motivational coach.”

“But she’s on our side,” Jamie said. “Which is far better than having her against us. We need all the help we can get.”

It didn’t take long for Mayor Duncan to show up that morning, barely five minutes after Mrs. Tully and Aiven arrived. Mrs. Tully answered the door, and she stepped back inside to tell Jamie what the mayor wanted while he waited on the stoop.

“Unclog the sewer?” Jamie frowned and set down the magic book he was reading. “Why can’t a workman do that?”

“He says it’s in a difficult spot, and it’s a very bad blockage.”

“I didn’t know this town even had sewers.”

“Master Renn helped build them so that we wouldn’t have a return of the plague.”

Jamie’s face fell, and Fred said, “Mrs. Tully! You weren’t supposed to say anything.”

“I am so sorry. I will tell the mayor to leave, if you wish.”

“No.” Jamie stood. “If Renn can build a sewer, I can fix it.”

Jamie and the mayor stood near a busy corner in town, looking at a storm drain. “It’s somewhere down there.” The mayor pointed with his silver-handled cane. “After the last hard rain, it backed up onto the street and we had some flooding.”

“Let me see what’s blocking it.” Jamie sent his mind under the street and into the sewer tunnel. He followed it for a short distance until he found a huge mass — sticks, leaves, and a wet furry lump that might have been a dead dog — piled nearly to the top of the brick-lined passage. “I found the problem.”

“Can you take care of it?” Mayor Duncan held his hands at his round stomach and tapped his fingertips together, nodding earnestly.

“Does four silvers sound fair?”

“Yes.” He waved one hand dismissively. “Just do it, please.”

Jamie focused on the underground mass and began translocating chunks of it onto the street. The sticks appeared first, startling a horse and its rider that were approaching. The horse whinnied its complaint and stepped wide of them. Next Jamie moved the leaves and mud, and lastly, the dead dog, and the whole dripping heap lay stinking a few yards away.

Mayor Duncan frowned distastefully, and then put a white handkerchief over his nose. “Can you get rid of that...whatever it is?”

“Sure. No extra charge.” Jamie aimed his hand at the soggy bulk, gathered his will, and sent a white-hot stream of energy into it, holding the beam steady until the refuse was incinerated completely, leaving only a gray pile of ash in its place. “You’ll have to get somebody to sweep that up,” Jamie said.

“A minor task.” The mayor pulled a leather purse from his coat pocket and counted out four silvers. “Your magic is quite powerful, for such a young man. I believe you are more than capable of doing any chore we might ask of you.” He handed Jamie the coins and shook his hand. “I shall be calling on you again, I’m sure.”

Jamie thanked him and turned to leave, but paused when something caught his eye: a round outline cut into the street, a hatch, located above the sewer. Jamie pointed at it and said, “What is that?”

“That is a maintenance passageway to the tunnels.”

“You mean...you could’ve sent some worker down there to clean it out by hand?”

“Of course, but your way is so much faster. And neater.” He gestured with his black cane at the pile of ash.

Jamie felt his anger rising and ground his teeth. “You’ve got to be kidding me! You called me out of my house for this?” He sucked in a deep, exasperated breath. “Mayor Duncan, I’m
busy
, and you’re wasting my time with...with sewer maintenance?” He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and growled to himself.

Then he turned away, launched himself into the air and flew back to the stone house.

* * *

Fred could tell Jamie was still angry by the vicious way he was turning the pages of the magic book he was reading.

Bryce obviously noticed, too. “Dude, you’re gonna rip one if you keep doing that.”

Fred rose from the padded chair she’d been sitting in. “Bryce, switch places with me.” He got up, and Fred sat beside Jamie on the bench seat. Jamie didn’t look at her at first, so she put one arm around his shoulders and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Jamie, you need to lighten up. It’s almost lunchtime already. You can’t stay mad all day.”