Page 25 of Guarded by the Gargoyle (Hidden Hollow #3)

23

WILLOW

T he transference spell was fascinating. Goody Albright set up five white pillar candles in the shape of a large four-pointed square right in the middle of the empty store. Four candles stood on the floor to form the points of the square and the fifth was in the middle on a tall silver candleholder which put it about the level of my chest.

“I thought a pentagram had six points,” I said, as I watched her setting up the candles to form the square.

“Oh, it does but we don’t need a pentagram for this. We are not calling on any demonic or angelic elements,” she told me. “We just want to transfer all of your inventory from your shop in New Orleans to here.”

“Is this spell like the one in the cottage, where you can wish for anything you want and the cottage brings it?” I asked curiously.

“In a way.” Goody Albright made a see-saw gesture with one hand. “But this will be on a much larger spell. We’re not just asking for a single item at a time—we need multiple items which is why we’re doing a much larger spell.”

“Is it okay for me to fill this place with my stuff, though?” I asked uncertainly. “I mean, who owns this building anyway?”

“All the shops and stores along Main Street are managed by the Town Council with the exception of Goldie’s Diner and Goodman Kreeture’s Grocery and Emporium,” she told me. “They decide what businesses they want in the stores and then they put out a magical call for just the right proprietor.”

“But I didn’t come because of any magical want ad,” I protested. “I came to Hidden Hollow running for my life!”

“That doesn’t matter, my dear. Many people with magical talents are drawn here in times of great danger or need,” she said briskly. “And don’t worry about the Town Council, either—they have already approved you and the use of this building for a new Magical Supplies shop.” She winked at me. “I talked to them earlier.”

“Wow—were you really so sure I was coming back?” I asked.

She looked serious.

“Well, after you told me about all the dangerous people and entities that were after you, I rather thought you might change your mind and return to Hidden Hollow. We really are a friendly, lovely little town, you know,” she added. “I think you’ll love it here if you give it a chance.”

I wasn’t sure about that but then, I wasn’t sure about anything. The fact was, I had to get out of New Orleans and nobody else was offering me a home and a new place to set up business.

“Thank you,” I said to Goody Albright. “I’m very grateful for your help.”

“It’s the least I can do for a granddaughter of Giovanni,” she said, smiling. “Now if you’re ready, we can begin.”

She had me stand in the center of the square across from her with the middle candle between us. Then she raised her hands, closed her eyes, and began to speak.

“Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West,” she called. “We call on thee for guidance and assistance in this, our time of need.”

As she spoke, I saw one of the candles, which had all been unlit up until now, flicker to life.

“Now you,” Goody Albright whispered to me. “Call upon the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East.”

Feeling strange, I did as she said, repeating the words she’d used exactly. I felt a rush of some kind of power move through me like a wave and then another candle—the one in the Eastern corner of the square—flickered to life.

“Wow—I can’t believe I did that!” I exclaimed.

Goody Albright gave me a mysterious smile.

“Didn’t I tell you that you have power? I knew you were a witch the moment I first met you. And the fact that you already have a familiar just sealed my certainty.”

“But—” I began to protest.

Goody Albright shook her head and put her finger to her lips.

“We must concentrate and finish calling the corners.”

She called upon the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North next and then I did the South. For a finish, we held hands and Goody Albright said,

“Good and helpful spirits, enter this circle now and lend your ear to what we need.”

As she spoke, the fifth and final candle flickered to life between us and I felt another rush of power filling the space all around us.

I looked around with wide eyes but though I felt a definite presence and heard something like the excited squeaking of mice, there was nothing to see.

“They’re here—can you feel them?” Goody Albright murmured.

“I feel…something,” I confessed. “And I hear them—their little voices sound like mice. They sound excited,” I added.

“Yes, the helpful spirits love to be of use to witches who know their ways,” she said mysteriously. “Now—how well do you know your inventory, my dear?”

“Do you mean in general?” I asked. “Or in particular? Because if I have to name every single herb and crystal and book we have on our shelves?—”

“No, no,” she interrupted. “It will be enough for you to just picture the row of books on the shelf—you don’t have to go into detail and name each title. Visualization is key. And once you hold the image in your mind, simply send a request to the helpful spirits and ask them to bring what you’re picturing to you.”

“Okay, I’ll try it,” I said. Closing my eyes, I pictured the rows of books on the shelf behind the counter. Luckily not many had been damaged by the bullets—most of the mayhem from Big Nicky and his thugs had been confined to the very front of the shop.

Taking a deep breath and holding the picture of the shop’s books firmly in my mind, I sent a silent request to the helpful spirits.

“Please bring these things to me,” I asked them. “All the books—please bring them from my shop in New Orleans to the shop here in Hidden Hollow.”

I didn’t know how important it was to be specific but I thought it couldn’t hurt.

I heard a twittering and cheeping in my ears and then a rushing sound as though all the spirits had left at once.

A moment later there was an audible pop! behind me. When I opened my eyes and looked around, I saw a huge stack of books towering up to the ceiling behind me.

“Oh my Goddess—that’s going to fall!” I exclaimed as the leaning tower of books swayed from side to side.

“Yes, if we’re not careful. Spirits, please divide those into four stacks,” Goody Albright said aloud. “They’ve very helpful but they can also be mischievous,” she added to me, in an undertone.

As I watched, the tall tower of books was suddenly dismantled. It was like many tiny hands were at work at once because individual books began flying off the top of the pile and then assembling themselves neatly in four different columns. These were shorter and more manageable piles, none taller than my head.

“There, that’s better. Thank you!” Goody Albright called to the invisible spirits. “Now if you could just attend, we have a few more things that need to be moved.” She looked at me. “Go on and visualize something else in your inventory that you want brought here.”

I closed my eyes again and thought of the massive collection of dried herbs and powders that Pop-pop had amassed over the years for use in magical spells. I also pictured their location—the many drawers and cupboards behind the counter of the shop.

“Please bring them all to me,” I told the spirits, speaking out loud this time. “Everything in the drawers and cupboards needs to come. And please put them on the shelves of the shop here,” I added. I figured I could always sort through them later and place them where I wanted if I decided to change things around.

There was the rushing sound and then the pop again and suddenly the empty shelves around us were brimming with magical ingredients.

“Oh my! What a lovely collection!” Goody Albright exclaimed, looking around us. “Giovanni must have spent a lifetime gathering so many magical ingredients!”

“He did,” I said. “For as long as I can remember, he was always looking for new ingredients and herbs and flowers for the practitioners who came to us.”

“Bless him—what a lovely man!” Goody Albright smiled fondly. “Now what else do you need to bring over?”

We spent at least an hour sending the friendly spirits back and forth. I could only imagine what the New Orleans PD must be thinking if they were in the Emporium right now. Evidence must be disappearing before their eyes!

It almost made me laugh…and then I remembered Carlo and the urge to laugh left me abruptly. It was going to take me some time to get over his latest attack, I thought. Even though I knew he was dead, my throat still hurt where he had choked me and the inside of my thigh was probably developing a nasty bruise from his pinch.

Still, it could have been worse— much worse—if Kael hadn’t gotten to me on time.

The thought of the big fallen angel waiting for me back at the cottage made my heart pound faster. I was kind of getting used to the way he called me “Mistress.” And I still remembered being held in his arms when he was protecting me from the bullets. Not to mention the way he had kissed me when he was healing me last night…

With my mind so full of my gargoyle protector, it was a wonder I could concentrate on the spell Goody Albright and I were doing. But I managed somehow and eventually we got it all done.

The shelves around us were stuffed and there were also piles of things on the floors. All the shop’s crystals and mystical stones were lying along the tops of the shelves and the books were still in four neat stacks.

I made the decision not to bring over any of the novelty tourist items—many of which had been ruined in the shoot-out. When we were finished with the spell, I was glad I hadn’t asked for anything from the front of the shop—there was no room for any of it.

“Goddess,” I murmured, looking around. “I guess I didn’t realize how much stuff we’d accumulated over the years. I don’t know what half of this stuff is!”

“A simple identification spell will take care of that,” Goody Albright said, smiling. “But maybe another day? You’ve had so much excitement already and it’s barely even noon. Would you like to relax in your cottage and try to take it easy?”

“That sounds wonderful,” I said gratefully. I was thinking of a hot shower again…and the fallen angel who was waiting for me. I also wanted to make sure Miss Sassy was settling in all right. She had never lived anywhere but the Emporium back in New Orleans. Being someplace new was probably going to be a big adjustment.

“Let’s go out and leave the rest for later, then,” Goody Albright suggested. “We can come back tomorrow and identify and label everything. Then you can open for business.”

“Wow—so quick!” I remarked.

“Quick and painless, I hope,” Goody Albright said, smiling. She took me in her arms and gave me a warm hug. “Welcome to Hidden Hollow, Willow,” she murmured. “I hope you’re home to stay.”

I hoped so too. Though I still had twinges of sorrow for the shop I’d left behind in New Orleans, it seemed I was getting settled in my new place and everything was finally going my way.

I had no idea how wrong I was.