Page 29 of The Witches Catalogue of Wanderlust Essentials (Natural Magic #2)
Chapter 16
This is Just a Test
B ack at the Mudpuddle Bookstore and Cafe, Will watched Cormac, the betta fish, swimming lazily in circles in his bowl. The villainous fish puffed up his body and glared at Will. The shimmering fins reminded him of unstable ley lines.
Seated across the table from him in the turret reading nook, Zani was laying out an array of items beside her satchel, considering them one by one.
“Do you really think all this stuff is necessary?” Will asked. He picked up a flat, disc-shaped lava rock the size of a small saucer and knocked it against the table. Nothing happened.
Zani snatched it away. “Don’t mess with my Mufflestone, Will!” She frowned. “I can’t fall asleep without it.”
“But I don’t even see the point of packing it. This is just an experimental port. We’re not planning on staying and spending the night!” He picked up a colorful, hand-knotted bracelet with a mosquito motif. “And what’s this one for? Does it repel bugs? Because we’re not even planning to go outside, Zani!”
“It’s also a lighthearted and whimsical accessory that brings a bit of charm to any ensemble,” Zani said defensively. “You never know when it might come in handy. The world is rife with no-see-ums.” Zani slipped the Bug Banishing Bracelet into the side pocket of her bag. “What’s it to you anyway, Will? My satchel can hold all our essentials without adding any additional weight, so there’s no need for you to worry about what goes into it.”
“Just so long as you don’t pack any crystals or gems.” Will set aside a compass. “It’s going to be tricky enough navigating the temporal dimension without additional interference.”
“Got it.” Zani looked over the items. “I don’t think I’ve got anything here that contains any crystals or gems of any sort.” She shuffled the remaining items, arranging them into neat rows, from largest to smallest.
Will loved watching her as she concentrated and reconsidered her gear. She was so serious .
“You’re sure you want to do this?” he asked. “You don’t think there’s another, less risky way we could learn more about the bloodstone? Perhaps a visit to one of the other archives maintained by the Society? Or maybe we set up a meeting with Amrita Berman? The Director might meet with us to help us research.” His stomach was an unfamiliar mixture of knots and butterflies. The prospect of adventuring into a new dimension with Zani was thrilling. But the potential for danger was not. Will wasn’t scared for himself. He was worried about her.
“The Director of the Society is a busy woman. Who knows if she’d have any answers for us? If she even had the time to look into it. Just getting a meeting with her might take ages.” Zani pursed her lips and glanced up at Will, reading his mind. “Even if we asked Maida to call in a favor with her godmother.” He’d been about to suggest that they tap Maida to ask for an audience with Amrita, counting on the close connection to expedite the request.
“Speaking of Maida, what should we tell her?” Will spoke in quiet tones, because even though it felt like they were alone at the moment, you never really knew who was listening. The silvery shell shaped Hearrings dangling from Zani’s perfect earlobes served as a reminder. Zani confessed she’d made the pair herself. They made it possible for her to eavesdrop on people from hundreds of yards away. It was enough to make Will consider getting his ears pierced.
“Maida is my best friend.” Zani bit her lip. “But I don’t want her and Arthur to worry. They have enough on their plate at the moment with moving in together, raising a teenager, and running this place.”
Will nodded curtly. Maida, who’d only just gotten used to the notion that magic was real, had seemed very unsettled by their time slip. It was too much, too soon. Besides, this was just an experiment. It might not work. Who knew how much of the stone’s residue had settled on Zani? Or how long that sort of thing lasted?
“I just want to be clear,” Will cautioned, “I can’t predict what will happen. I need you to be completely sure that you want to do this with me.”
Zani winced as Gemini, the shop cat, leapt onto their table, messing up her careful arrangement of items. The fluffy white cat fixed them with her mismatched eyes, one blue, one amber, as if judging their courage. Then she batted what appeared to be a large fluffy ball of weblike string off the table and leapt down to chase it.
“Of course I’m sure,” Zani said, lunging to rescue the string from Gemini’s paws. She rewound the ball and tucked it into the bag. The cat flounced off in a huff. “And I know there are risks associated with what we are doing. That’s why I’m packing everything we could need. Look.” She held up a pair of matched fobs. “These are Pairtags.” She clipped one tag to the belt loop on her jeans and leaned across the table to clip the other to the buttonhole of his vest pocket. Her hand lingered above his heart for a moment, and then she gave the fob a reassuring pat. “These will keep us from getting separated while we port.”
“Back in my day, we just held hands when we didn’t want to lose track of one another.” Granny Luna, who was tucked behind the coffee counter, couldn’t seem to stop herself from snorting. She was gazing down at the lurid green yarn that her crochet hook was working steadily, pretending to be only vaguely interested. But when she looked up, there was no mistaking the eager gleam in her eyes. “But then, we didn’t go gallivanting through time, either. I can’t wait to hear more about it! If it works out for the pair of you, there’s some legendary shops in Milan that I wouldn’t mind procuring some silk from.”
“Absolutely not, Granny!” How had Will nearly forgotten that Granny Luna was working in the cafe today? Usually, despite her diminutive size, her big, bold presence filled the room. But the wily old fairy had a way of using her innate powers to turn herself into a mayfly on the wall when it suited her. “And not a word of this to anyone. It’s just an experiment!” He shot Zani a look and waved a hand to fan his face, hoping she’d catch the gist. She nodded solemnly at Will.
“Of course not!” Granny gasped. “You know I am the very model of discretion. Your secrets are safe with me!” Her mischievous eyes lit up with curiosity as Zani withdrew the floral fan from her satchel. “Oh, what a lovely fan, Zani? Wherever did you find it? Is it for sale?”
“I’m afraid it isn’t,” Zani said. She stood and motioned for Will to follow. “This one is very special to me. Would you like to see how it works?” As they approached the coffee counter, she unfolded it.
“Oh, yes, please.” Granny nodded. She craned her neck away from the oversized espresso machine. “I swear this beast cranks out more heat than a furnace!”
“Well, this should fix you right up then.” Zani fluttered the fan at Granny.
“Ah, that’s so lovely.” Granny smiled a blissed-out smile and sighed as her cottony white hair blew back in the subtle breeze. When her eyes closed, Zani deftly snapped the fan shut and tucked it into her satchel.
“What were you just saying, dear?” Granny asked. “I lost my train of thought.” She blinked at them, waiting for them to continue the conversation she’d already forgotten.
“Will and I are going to go try to find a book he was just telling me about in the metaphysics section.” Zani squeezed Granny’s hand. “We’ll be back in a bit, but you don’t have to save our table.”
“Oh, I doubt anyone will fight over it in the next half hour.” Granny shrugged. “There’s always a lull before school gets out.”
“Ask Rosie to save me some cookies if you see her before I do,” Will said. He’d eaten more than his fair share at the Squeaky Wheel, but he was already beginning to wonder if he should have eaten more.
“Nobody ever comes all the way back here.” Will led Zani by the hand to the back of the bookshelf filled room. This is where they kept the least popular books. Thick, untouched volumes were piled in stacks.
“ Whispers of Dust Motes: Divination Through Household Particles.” Zani read the title of a thick tome. “Or how about this one: Puddle Gazing: Scrying Techniques for Urban Witches ?” She considered the book for a moment and then reached out for it. “Actually, that sounds kind of interesting.”
“You do NOT need to put that book in your bag!” Will objected.
“Fine…” Zani sighed and shoved the book back, disturbing the thick layer of dust on the shelf. Will promptly sneezed.
“It hasn’t been spelled for dust in ages here. It’s like the stacks that time forgot.”
“Well, then, it’s the perfect place for us to start our journey, no?” Zani pulled out the ball of string again, and looked around. “Help me find something to tie this to?”
“What’s it for?” Will asked. His hands had itched in anticipation of summoning the portal. Sometimes, all he had to do was simply think about porting and a physical reaction ensued. Or perhaps it was the press of Zani’s palm against his own. He released her hand.
“It’s just some Pathfinder’s Filament,” Zani explained. “Spun from spider silk. Lighter and stronger than the finest thread and practically invisible when stretched taut. It’s kept me from getting lost in many labyrinths.”
“You really think that’s going to work?” Will was dubious. He held out a finger to touch the string and was surprised at how soft and stretchy it was. He could hardly tell if he was even touching it because it felt like touching nothing at all. “How does it keep from getting tangled?”
“It adheres to the floor, or the walls. I’ll just tie it here.” Zani pointed to a metal rack of pamphlets that was bolted to the wall. She quickly tied the end of the filament into an alpine butterfly knot and shoved the ball back in her bag.
Will had no confidence that her spider silk would stand the tests of both space and time, but he remained silent about it. If it made Zani more comfortable, who was he to critique that?
“So what now?” She looked up, face fresh and eyes sparkling with unguarded, eager anticipation. Zani struck Will as someone about to leap without hesitation from a plane. She trusted him completely to be her parachute. Nimbly, she used a bookshelf to step up and launch herself at him. She hopped onto his back as easily as if she were boarding a bus.
Will felt the weight of her faith in him much more than the weight of her body. “We don’t have to–” He barely got a word in before she had her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms crossed tight across his chest.
He was nearly past the point of turning back. Already the light was spilling from the center of an old faded painting of the seaside in summer. The couples strolling on the boardwalk melted away as the portal opened.
Zani’s lips were close as she spoke directly into his ear. “You will not talk me out of this, Will. And you don’t need to tell me again how risky this is. I think you’re forgetting that risk assessment is what I’m best at. I’ve cast the wards, and you know what you are doing. I trust you. I know we can do this. I can feel it. Can’t you? Now let’s do this experiment. Take me back to the Mudpuddle of two years ago. ”
“Close your eyes,” Will warned, as he always did. He wasn’t sure he trusted her to listen.
And then he had no choice but to go. The pull of the nothing was too strong. He had to step into it.
Will tried to focus on his balance, sticking to the ley lines he could sense, but they were oddly unstable. Even more so than the last time he’d ported with Zani. The lines kept shifting and dodging his steps, only to glint teasingly in the distance like sunlight on water.
Zani’s close presence on top of him wasn’t helping him focus. She smelled like cinnamon and cloves. The sensation of her pressed so close against his back made his concentration scatter like startled pigeons. When he glanced down at her arms, he was surprised to see they were emitting their own low level glow. Her skin shimmered as if coated with a fine layer of dust. At first, he thought it came from the bookshelf. Then he realized it was something else entirely. He recognized the pale blue light of the stones and the stars. It was not only upon her, but all around her. And it was affecting the ley lines accordingly.
Will closed his eyes, picturing a particular Tuesday two years ago. Nothing special. He’d stopped by the Mudpuddle to buy a last-minute Ostara gift for Maida. The store had been bustling with customers. So busy they wouldn’t have noticed a porter arriving from the future. He aimed for the mudroom, picturing it clearly as he slid forward with greater and greater speed. The ley lines were gathering now, lifting him and plunging him into the past, far too quickly for his liking.
If he didn’t slow down, and fast, he was going to crash.
He felt Zani shift on his back, gripping tighter. “You got this!” she shouted, even as he crashed through the mudroom wall with her, and kept going. They slid straight into a second portal that opened only seconds before they made impact with the Mudpuddle’s brick outer wall.
Will didn’t even attempt to take a step forward this time. They were still being carried forward by momentum. It was slower now, but fast enough that he didn’t need to help their progress. The lines felt thicker now, almost cabled. And they bounced like a tightrope. Will felt his toes curl, as if he could cling to the ley lines with his feet.
He pictured the cafe more recently. A Thursday night, just a few months before the Mudpuddle disappeared. That seemed to work, although he missed the mudroom entirely.
This time they came tumbling through the massive fireplace in the foyer, which, thankfully, was not lit.
From here, they could see the main area of the bookshop and cafe where groups of teenagers were gathered round the tables. They were talking animatedly and rolling multi-colored handfuls of dice. Will recognized Rosie Hart’s laugh.
He glanced up at Papa Lathrop’s clock on the mantle, seeking confirmation of the date and time. Zani’s grip loosened, and she slid to her feet.
“Did we do it?” she asked.
“It’s only six months ago,” Will whispered. He ran a hand across her arm, relieved to see her skin had returned to its normal hue. “Don’t do anything suspicious.”
“Such as?” Zani twisted her hair into a metal clip and took a step away from Will.
“Will Porter!” Minerva Lathrop was striding into the foyer from the hall. “I haven’t seen you in an age. To what do we owe this surprise? And who’s this you have with you?
“Hi there! I’m Esmeralde Winkle,” Zani deadpanned. Her midwestern accent was spot on. She stuck out a hand. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am. Will was just telling me you have the finest collection of blank grimoires here.”
“Mmm… so we do.” Minerva glanced right through Zani, and stared distractedly at the cafe. “If you don’t mind excusing me, though, I’ve got to adjust the temperature of the cheese fridge. I’m afraid my brie isn’t aging optimally.”
And just like that, she was gone. Will let out the breath he’d been holding as he turned back to Zani. “You could have warned me you planned to use a glamor.”
“Not a glamor!” Zani corrected. “Glamors make you look like someone else. This is the work of a Nip Clip.” She patted the claw clip in her hair.
“Dare I ask the difference?” Will looked at her quizzically. He was glad that Zani still looked like Zani to him, at least.
“Nip stands for ‘No one In Particular.’ Much simpler and less memorable than a specific glamor. Plus, it requires less energy to cast, which makes the spell longer lasting.”
“Of course.” Will smiled. “Whatever will you think of next, Esmeralda ?” Will reached out a hand to guide Zani toward the cafe. He was surprised to see the filament still spooling out behind her. It was growing taut.
“I think I require sustenance now.” Will said. “I’ll order a few things to go. You can either come with me, or meet me back in the metaphysics stacks.”
“I’ll see you there,” Zani replied. “You know how they say you only get one chance to make a first impression? I don’t want to push my luck.”
—
It didn’t take long for Will to procure some cheese sandwiches and cookies.
“That’s progress!” Zani whispered, dragging Will behind the bookshelves before past-Minerva came their way again. “But we need to go farther back. I’m ready to go again!”
“Just give me a moment, would you?” Will mumbled through a mouthful of cookies.
“Do you ever stop eating?” Zani asked.
“No.” He shook his head and handed her a cookie. “And I’m sorry, but I think I only have the energy for one more port tonight.”
As Papa Lathrop’s clock chimed out the hour, they were slipping into the void again. The portal snapped shut behind them before it even got to five bongs.
Will wondered how far back he could safely go. He reached out tentatively to touch the new, less familiar timelines that crisscrossed and wove through the older, more familiar ley lines. Gently he teased the tangled mess apart, separating the lines that directed distance from the ones that dictated time. He could almost see the two types of ley lines as latitude and longitude now. But that didn’t make it easier to control them.
His hand curled around the Gearheart Locket that he was so grateful to have on. It gave him courage. If all else failed, it might provide them with safety and shelter. After all, wasn’t that the whole reason Papa Lathrop, the founder of the Mudpuddle, had made it?
The minute Will found himself thinking about Papa Lathrop, they were sliding again, spinning and careening, completely out of control.
Zani clung tight to him, hanging on for dear life. He clung to her as well, holding her tight. They were slipping sideways now, then spiraling down through a narrow prismatic tunnel. Will felt like he was being squeezed through a kaleidoscope. This differed from the other time slips. Will had never moved vertically through a portal before. The only explanation was that they were traveling farther, into a different dimension.
This time, when they exited the portal, they dropped through the ceiling. They landed on a velvety sofa in a room that Will recognized as the main lobby of the Mudpuddle bookshop. Except it was not yet a bookshop in this time. The room was barely recognizable. The walls were newly constructed. He could smell the fresh wood. All the shelves were empty, save for a few precious volumes.
In a mirror across the room—or was it a mirror?—Will caught a brief glimpse of a tall figure with familiar features. His own face, but not quite. The man was dressed in nightclothes from another century.
“Will.” Zani leaned forward, gripping his arm. “Is that?—”
But before she could finish, the Pathfinders Filament finally ran out. It was stretched too tight. In one swift motion, it jerked them back, boomeranging them back through the still open portal, back through the colorful tunnel, straight past the two stops in the past and back into the present.
Finally, rather unceremoniously, they crashed back through the painting and straight into the stacks. A volume fell off the shelf and landed on Will’s foot. Much to his chagrin, the title read The Git’s Guide to Time Management .
Rosie, who had apparently heard the crash and clatter of their return, came rushing in. “Are you two okay?” she asked. Her eyebrows flew up in surprise at finding them practically bound, wrapped as they were in the tangled web. “Wizards wedgie!” she exclaimed.
“Just a slight miscalculation.” Will offered Zani a hand. “I was practicing a new method of porting with Zani, and I must have miscalculated something.”
Zani’s cheeks were flushed pink and her eyes were shining. “We’ll get it right next time. We just have to work together.”
“I have to admit, you guys make porting seem super weird.” Rosie pulled a face. “I’m not sure I want to have anything to do with it now.”
“Nonsense!” Zani said. “It’s a wonderful way to travel. You just have to trust your partner.”
“Don’t you mean your porter?” Will grinned.
“Gross!” Rosie exclaimed, and sped out of the room.