Rosen is part of the Mundane Magecraft team, a magical firm that fixes and protects properties across South-West England. Wild magic is disrupting the landscape, the politics and the people who live there. Her brother is a leading magical researcher who was imprisoned for the Gia Riots. His latest project is to kidnap a fairy with the witch who put him in jail: Glenda Hale.
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I did not slap my brother’s face after that insane announcement. Or laugh, for that matter. Mike would’ve been astonished at my self-control.
“Fairies,” I said thoughtfully. “Assuming they exist, why would you even contemplate finding one? In every single tale, they screw us over, Mark.”
“They’re the experts on wild magic. And when I saw ‘capture,’ I’m not talking about bars and chains, Roz. They have their own rules. We think we can lure them out…”
I held up a hand to stop him. “We? As in you and Glenda?”
“More’n that,” he said, dropping his voice. “Most of the local covens are on board, too.”
“Right. And you need me because…?”
“You can keep it in place whilst we bargain with it.”
I began to see why I was so valuable to Glenda.
I thought back to my beaten car and Em’s words about Mark. ‘Be careful what you share with him,’ she had cautioned me. For the first time since his sentence had begun, I was glad Mark was behind bars.
I smiled, stood up and scrunched my chocolate wrapper in my hand.
Mark looked up at me with puppy-dog eyes.
“You’re acting weird,” he said quietly. “I thought you’d flip out, but you’re being, uh, pretty good about it.”
“You’ve given me a lot to think about,” I said evenly. Underneath the facade, I could feel the anger bubbling up. “So that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Oh,” he said. He was completely off-balance, and I wondered what other crap Glenda had fed him.
“Here’s your books,” I went on and dropped the carrier bag on the table. “Mum’s calling you next week, so if you need anything more, tell her.
Mark stood up for our usual hug, and I gently patted him on the back. “See you soon, big brother. We’re counting down the weeks to your freedom.”
“See you soon, Roz. Be careful and stay sticky.”
I made a face at the old joke, then smiled so brightly at him that my cheeks hurt.
I waited until I was out of the room, down the corridor, through the reception with its double doors and into the car.
Then, I permitted myself a long, cathartic scream into the steering wheel at the sheer fucking unfairness of it all.
*
I had borrowed my mother’s car for the prison visit; a red mini hatchback with furry black dice dangling from the mirror and a mini-mouse phone holder on the dashboard. The side pockets were stuffed with make-up, hairbrushes and a random teacup that rattled over every speedbump. It set my teeth on edge, and I couldn’t wait to get my car back from the garage.
First things first.
I set my phone in Mini’s resting hands and switched it to drive mode. “Call the wicked witch of the west,” I commanded. I started up the car and manoeuvred it out of the parking space.
The phone beeped. “Calling Emma Croft.”
It dialled as I navigated the outer gate and onto the road. Em picked up after the ninth ring.
“How’d it go?”
She must be worried if we are skipping preliminary insults.
“He’s in regular touch with Glenda, and she’s using him for something big.”
“How big?”
“He’s talking about epochal magic cycles, myths and fairies, Em. They want to capture a magic being and use my magic to keep it in place. I reckon that’s why Glenda approached me the other day too. She wants to be Head Witch, and that means happy little flunkies to do her bidding and stay in line. She wants me as a deterrent. I’ve half a mind to send her a postcard with “fuck off” in capital letters.”
Em swore under her breath. “Be careful, Roz.”
“You know I won’t do it.”
“Never say never. You saw what they did to your car. What would happen if it were your family?”
I pressed my lips together and sped down the road.
“Then she’ll find out how painful life can be when I mash her intestines together.”
Em sighed. “Roz…”
“Don’t tell me I can’t do it. Human flesh is a lot easier to stick than bricks and mortar. I don’t do it because I’m not a psychopath, but if she goes after my family, all bets are off. You’d do the same.”
“No. I’d be smarter about it. You’re already under suspicion, Roz.”
I drummed my fingers on the wheel. Up ahead, a tractor pulled out from a side road, dragging a trailer. I slowed down.
“What do you suggest?” I asked.
“Mike and John set up wards around your immediate family. Alert sigils in the cars, sanctuary stones cemented at the doorways. We’ll do the same for everyone in the firm as well. I know your landlord will object, and he can go swivel. It’s for your safety.”
“I could stick them down,” I offered.
“Best not. We know Glenda is capable of blackmail and I don’t want you to have the option of removing them.”
“We won’t be able to do any magic inside our homes, though. What about your workshop?”
Even over the phone, I could hear Em pulling a face. “Mike will have to stump up for that garden office, then.”
I grinned at the thought. Em would go full-on fairytale with the wooden fretwork and every customisation known to man. “Will it include a log burner and the obligatory orphan children?”
“I’ll let you know,” Em said primly. “You and Latika are enough of a handful at the moment. What are you doing tomorrow morning?”
“Sunday papers and an English breakfast. Why?”
“Come over afterwards. I’ve been looking into the earthquake problems, and I’ve found something interesting.”
“Will do. By the way, do you have any more of those healing sweets? My knees still need them.”
Em snickered. “You can have some from the second batch. They’ve got caffeine instead of coke leaves.”
“Lucky me,” I deadpanned. “Thanks, Em. See you later.”
“You’re welcome. Blessed be.” She signed off before I could retort. I raised a finger at the phone and told it to call John instead. The line rang out and went to voicemail.
“John, call me back. The covens are banding together with some crazy idea about fairy-hunting. It could be Mark indulging in fantasy bullshit, but I wanted to know if you’ve heard anything like that from your coven friends.”
Trying to organise multiple covens was similar to herding cats in a disco with strobe lights going off. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't happen, but if they were scared enough…
I clamped down on that thought quickly. Even Glenda had her limits.
Instead, I put on Queen’s Greatest Hits album and sang my way into Chippenham. Mum wanted the car back after she'd finished shopping, as we’d pre-arranged earlier. And I had a train to catch. I needed to find out more about fairy lore without alerting Glenda, and that meant a short trip to Bath University.
Eee! Bath! One of my favourite places.