Page 46 of The Witches Catalogue of Wanderlust Essentials (Natural Magic #2)
Chapter 26
A Meeting at the Museum
W ill stepped through the ornate gilded mirror at the top of the twin staircases in the Museum of Natural Magic, the familiar vibratory sensation of a port still shaking his bones. They’d already come so far in such a short time that the distance between Boston and Los Angeles felt trivial. It was almost anti-climactic. But any port with Zani still felt special to Will. There was no one else he’d rather navigate oblivion with. He felt braver and stronger in her presence.
Zani clung to his back, her arms wrapped securely around his shoulders, her breath warm against his neck. He steadied himself on the polished hardwood floor, allowing her to slide down and find her footing.
“That never gets old,” Zani said, adjusting her jacket. “Though I’m still not entirely sold on the piggyback position. We should experiment.”
Will couldn’t help but crack a grin. “Would you prefer I carry you bridal style next time?”
“Sure, why not?” Zani shrugged nonchalantly, but Will could see the bloom of a blush coloring her cheeks. So he wasn’t the only one imagining carrying her across a different kind of threshold. Their kiss from last night had already replayed a thousand times in his dreams. Despite their exhaustion, he hadn’t wanted to step away.
The Georgian mansion that housed the Society for the Protection of Natural Magic was hidden in plain sight, disguised to Ordinary eyes as just another boutique-y museum on a palm-lined Beverly Hills boulevard. The two-story central gallery where they’d emerged featured white walls adorned with framed paintings that extended from the chair rail to the crown molding. Above them, a domed ceiling soared, wearing its golden celestial mosaic like a jeweled tiara.
Will noticed that many of the magical paintings had shifted around since his last visit. What was once a bleak stormy seascape now enjoyed fairer weather. And in the space where a larger than life-sized oil portrait of a stern-faced wizard once was, there hung a colorful gesso of a young witch tending her greenhouse full of carnivorous plants.
“How do you know what to focus on?” Zani said, spinning slowly to take in the ever-changing artwork. “It’s like they’re all competing for attention. It’s enough to make you dizzy.”
Before Will could respond, a door at the end of the hallway opened, and Amrita Berman herself emerged, her petite frame carrying an air of quiet authority. Her dark hair was swept into an elegant updo today that complemented a well-tailored charcoal gray suit. Despite being in her late fifties now, she moved with the energy of someone much younger, though her eyes held the depth of someone who had seen far more than her years suggested.
“Right on time,” she said, offering them a warm smile. “I’ve been expecting you both. I suppose we have a lot to catch up on, don’t we?”
Will wasn’t surprised that she already knew why they were there. As Director of the Society, very little escaped Amrita’s notice, especially concerning matters of magical significance.
“Please, come in,” she said, gesturing toward her office. “The tea is already steeping.”
They followed her down the corridor, passing several rooms filled with magical displays. Will glimpsed a miniature storm system contained within a glass case in one. In another, there were climate- controlled cases full of mushrooms growing into fairy rings. He recalled the room set up like a kitchen from his last visit to the museum. There was a hearth with a small fire in there. Visitors were encouraged to write their intentions on a scrap of paper and watch for the colors they produced when they burned. If he remembered correctly, it was best if they burned blue.
Finally, at the end of the hall, they reached Amrita’s office. It felt much more like a cozy living room than the administrative center for one of the most powerful magical organizations in the world. Deep chenille armchairs sat before an antique mahogany desk, and warm light filtered through stained glass windows. It cast jewel-toned patterns across the Oriental rug.
“Darjeeling for Will, and I think we’ll do some chamomile with honey for Zani,” Amrita said, pouring from a copper kettle that sat on a small table by the window. She handed them each a delicate porcelain cup and took her seat behind the desk.
“You know why we’re here.” Will said. It wasn’t a question.
“I assume it has something to do with that bloodstone you’ve been chasing down for some time now?” Amrita raised a brow, but her expression was serious. “I, too, have been following the bloodstone’s path for longer than you might imagine.”
“How much do you know?” Zani asked, leaning forward.
A smile played at the corners of Amrita’s lips. “For me, it’s been decades since I met the two of you at Burnside’s lecture. But it’s barely been a moment for the two of you, hasn’t it? When were you there?”
“Yesterday,” Zani answered.
Will felt the oddest sensation of time collapsing inward and undulating, like the accordion folds of a bellows. It took his breath away for a moment. “You remember meeting us there?”
“Of course!” Amrita nodded. “I was only eighteen. A first-year student with big dreams and bigger questions. But the biggest question I’d been pondering that night was how I was going to get over my broken heart. I didn’t think it was going to be possible. Until I met the two of you. I knew immediately you weren’t from my time. But more importantly, I could tell you knew me . You were both surprised to see me,” she added, giving them both a meaningful look. “In fact, you both seemed a little nervous. Like you’d just met someone really important.”
“Was it that obvious?” Will asked.
“Yes.” Amrita suppressed a small smile. “It was.” She turned to Will. “You were blushing beet red all the way to your earlobes when I asked to take the seat next to you, and don’t think I didn’t notice the way you were elbowing Zani.” Will felt the same blush fanning out across his cheeks now.
Amrita turned to Zani next. “And I didn’t really have to compel you to get you to admit to your mission. I mean, the gossip scarf served a purpose, but it wasn’t spelled with such strong stuff as to make anyone give up state secrets. For you to have told me what you were up to, you had to have wanted me to know. “
It was Zani’s turn to squirm in her seat now. “I…” She shrugged. “I thought maybe you’d have some insight?”
“I might have a bit more now than I did then. But the point that I was making is that I have to thank you. If the two of you hadn’t shown up when you did, I might have spent the rest of my college career feeling sorry for myself because my best friend stole the love of my life. Instead, you gave me a project, and over time, that project and several more gave me purpose. You see?” She gestured to the office. “I don’t know that I’d be sitting here without the two of you.”
“I’m sure you would have been just fine…” Will waved a hand.
“Would I?” Amrita mused. “We’ll never know, will we?” She tapped her fingers on her desk, still pondering the might-have-beens for a moment before continuing. “At any rate, I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. From the moment you showed up in Primrose Court to visit Maida,” Amrita said, “I suspected we were close.”
“You knew Will and I would be traveling together?” Zani asked.
“I didn’t know… but I suspected. And I’ve been waiting quite impatiently, for so very long, for this moment to arrive.” Amrita set down her cup with deliberate care. “In fact, I should probably confess that my ordering you to stay and catalog the contents of the archives wasn’t entirely about your organizational skills, Zani.” Amrita looked up mischievously from her cup of tea, eyes sparkling.
Zani’s eyebrows shot up. “That was a setup? To get me and Will together?”
“Let’s call it a gentle nudge toward an inevitability. The universe has its own way of bringing together those who are meant to find each other. I merely... expedited the process.”
Will felt the heat rise to his cheeks. The idea that the formidable Director of the Society had been playing matchmaker was both embarrassing and oddly touching.
“My scholarship to the Ordinary school, and the room in the dorm with Maida?” Zani asked.
Amrita merely shrugged. “I’ve pulled some strings here and there. But I didn’t facilitate anything you hadn’t legitimately earned, or that wasn’t meant to be. I know better than to mess with timelines, too. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more for you sooner, Will.” Amrita continued, turning to Will. “But you’ve done just fine despite your early hardships. You were so kind to me at that lecture. Most people would have dismissed the enthusiastic questions of an eighteen-year-old, regardless of who she’d turn out to be someday. You took the time to talk with me, to treat me with respect, and you even tried to make me see the humorous side of getting dumped. I’ve had a soft spot for you ever since.”
“I can’t even recall what I said,” Will confessed. Even though it had only been yesterday for him, he’d been too gobsmacked to reliably record the encounter in his memory.
“Nor can I,” laughed Amrita. “But it doesn’t matter now. What I do recall is how you made me feel. You’ve always underestimated yourself, Will,” she said softly. “And your effect on people. Do you remember you once told me you didn’t think you could handle the truth?”
“During the Absolute Truth ritual,” Will recalled. He’d been assisting Arthur and Maida to solve the mystery of what made the Mudpuddle disappear. Amrita had conjured the truth for all to see; however, Will had shied away from being the one to interpret what they saw.
“Your moral compass has always been true, Will Porter. Even when the way forward isn’t clear. I can’t imagine anyone better prepared to handle the truth.”
Will shifted uncomfortably under her praise. He was used to being complimented for his abilities as a porter. But he wasn’t used to being singled out for his character.
Amrita’s expression grew grave as she leaned forward. “And now, we have to discuss the matter at hand. The situation with the bloodstone is even more dire than you realize. It isn’t just a single dangerous magical artifact at stake. That stone is part of a greater whole. It is one of a set of twelve sacred stones that maintains the balance of magic in our world.”
“You’re speaking of the ‘Weight of the World,’ the Celestial Sapphires protected by the Mer tribes?” Will asked.
“Ah, good! So you’ve already puzzled out the bloodstone’s origin.” Amrita nodded approvingly. “Though one of the original stones has been corrupted, it remains a crucial part of the magical ecosystem. The Celestial Sapphire is important for keeping us grounded, especially during an eclipse when the ley lines are not fully stable.”
“So if anything were to happen to the bloodstone during the next eclipse, say … someone tried to destroy it… what might happen?” Will prompted when she paused.
Amrita met his gaze directly. “Total destabilization of the ley line network. Obviously a porter like yourself, Will, can grasp the implications. Almost immediately, many of the lines in the network would break down and fade. Your abilities would become unpredictable at best, impossible at worst. But that’s not even the worst of it.” Amrita pushed her empty teacup away and frowned, worried. “The other eleven stones would absorb the bloodstone’s corrupt energy, tainting all beneficial magic. We’d be looking at the dawn of an age of profound disconnection and scarcity—not just for magical folk, but eventually for Ordinaries, too.”
Will felt cold dread settle in his stomach. The thought of losing his porting abilities was terrifying, but the wider implications were far worse. Catastrophic.
“Are you sure Cosimo was planning to destroy the stone?” Will turned to ask Zani. “He didn’t mention that he was interested in getting it back for some other vampire-y reason?”
“I’m pretty sure that destroying it was his primary objective.” Zani swallowed.
“Cosimo has long sought atonement,” Amrita agreed. “His guilt has blinded him to the consequences of his actions. He believes that destroying the bloodstone, and likely himself with it, will cleanse the world of its curse.”
“But it would actually make things much worse,” Zani moaned, placing her head in her hands.
“Exponentially,” Amrita agreed, sighing.
Will noticed Zani shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She was hiding something; he could tell from the way she avoided his eyes.
“There’s something else you should know,” Zani said finally, her voice strained. “Back when I stole the stone from the vampires, I... made a deal with Cosimo.”
Will’s head snapped toward her. “What?”
“It was before I understood what he planned to do,” she rushed to explain. “He offered to help me, and in exchange, I agreed to let him borrow it for one day. I promised to bring the stone to him during the eclipse. On Catalina Island.”
“Catalina Island!” Amrita repeated, her voice taking on an extra edge of concern. “Now that’s not a coincidence. Catalina will be the nexus point of the eclipse—the precise place where the moon’s shadow creates the perfect alignment with the earth’s ley lines. The ideal location for a ritual of this magnitude.”
Will barely heard what she was saying over the rushing sound in his ears. He was staring at Zani, shock and betrayal washing over him in waves. “You made a deal with Cosimo ? And you didn’t tell me about it?”
“I thought he was just seeking freedom from being a vampire.” Zani winced, her eyes pleading with him to understand. “I didn’t know he planned to destroy himself and the stone.”
“Not to mention humanity!” Will jumped to his feet, unable to sit any longer. He paced around the spacious office. His mind was reeling. After everything they’d been through together, after all they’d shared, she’d kept this from him. The hurt cut bone deep, mingling with his ever-present fear that eventually, everyone always left him behind.
“You know it’s a moot point anyway,” Zani defended. She turned to Amrita to explain. “The stone is still missing. It vanished from inside a locked case, despite my wards.”
“I gathered as much,” Amrita said, leaning forward with renewed interest. “Tell me more about the disappearance.”
Will tried to force himself to remain focused on the matter at hand as he paced around the room, though the ache of Zani’s deception throbbed like a fresh wound.
“It happened on the train from Romania to France,” Zani explained. “I had the bloodstone amulet securely locked and warded in a lead-lined case, but when I checked on it mid journey, it was just ... gone. And the weirdest part was that the wards were still intact, which simply shouldn’t be possible.”
“Could Cosimo have taken it?” Will asked, unable to keep the slight growl out of his voice when he said the vampire’s name.
Amrita shook her head. “Unlikely. Vampire magic works differently. Cosimo is also an extremely accomplished mage. But breaking through Zani’s expert warding without disturbing it would be well beyond even the most skilled sorcerer’s capabilities.”
“Then who do you think could have done it?” Zani pressed.
Amrita tapped her fingers thoughtfully on her desk. “Actually, there is someone who might give us more insight into the stone’s disappearance. Your great-aunt Minodaura, Zani.”
Zani stiffened. “My great-aunt? What would she even know about this?”
“Minodaura has furnished the wards and protection spells for the arcane archives for the last hundred years,” Amrita said. “I don’t think I have to tell you that when it comes to warding, you couldn’t find a more skilled witch on this side of the Atlantic.” She pondered for a moment. “And perhaps the other side, too. But more importantly, let’s just say she has her own... history with the bloodstone.”
“What kind of history?” Will stopped in his tracks.
“It’s not my place to share the full story,” Amrita said, her gaze shifting to Zani. “But what I can tell you is that the bloodstone has connections to your family that you’re unaware of, Zani. I was truly hoping that coming back to the States might have also given you the opportunity to work with your aunt again, and possibly reconcile.”
“Reconcile?” Zani scoffed. “My aunt wanted to keep me locked up in her lighthouse forever. She barely was willing to let me attend college at a magical school, let alone approve of me attending a Ordinary university like you did. We’ve hardly spoken to each other since I left home. Minodaura doesn’t approve of me.”
Zani’s voice hiccuped as she said her great-aunt’s name, and despite his confused feelings, Will felt the urge to put a protective arm around her. Instead, he shoved his fisted hands into his pocket and paced over to the window. The placid palm trees swaying in the breeze outside appeared so out of place to him at the moment, when his heart was being battered by gale force emotions.
“There’s more to your aunt’s story than you know,” Amrita said gently. “And I believe you should try speaking with her again. Specifically, you should ask her about the bloodstone.”
Will turned to watch Zani process this information, her expression a mixture of surprise and reluctance.
“Larkspur is the one who stole it from the archives, wasn’t she?” Zani asked, confirming their suspicions since Will saw her wearing the amulet back in Baltimore. “As a Lathrop, she would have been excluded from the wards.”
“Larkspur was never one to stand on ceremony when she wanted something. Even when the potential for damage was high. She wanted what she wanted, and what she wanted that week was the perfect accessory for her Halloween costume.” Amrita turned to look out the window, her lips pressed together tightly. “It wasn’t enough that she’d stolen Buffalo from me. We had words before the lecture. I threatened to turn her in for pilfering from the archives. She just laughed and reminded me that she was a Lathrop, and it was unlikely she’d get in trouble for anything she did.” Amrita shuddered, no doubt feeling the footsteps of ghosts across graves. She looked sad now. “How wrong she was.”
Across from her, Zani sat silently with her hands folded, reflecting.
“What happened to the amulet after that?” Will asked after a moment or two. “How did it get to Romania?”
“Ah!” Amrita pursed her lips and shook her head. “I believe Larkspur traded it at a party that night. For a pack of clove cigarettes, if you can believe it. She handed it off to a group of actual vampires who were mingling with the students at the Club Charles. I’m still amazed that everyone got home safe from that party.”
“That explains how it got to Romania.” Zani sighed. “Cosimo did mention that he’d spent several decades tracking down the whereabouts of the amulet. I suppose, given what we know now, it wasn’t an accident that he chose to share that information with me. He was planning to use me to bring it to Catalina all along.”
“That reminds me … regarding Catalina Island.” Amrita slid open her desk drawer and withdrew an envelope. “Since you’ll need to be there for the eclipse anyway—whether to confront Cosimo or simply to investigate—you might appreciate these.”
She set the envelope on the desk and slid out a glossy program booklet. “Can you believe the island is hosting a film festival that same weekend as the eclipse? It’s usually centered on a single artist or director. This year they’re screening a retrospective of an actress from the 1920s. Have you heard of Ondalune? She was quite the mystery, actually. Disappeared not long after making her last film. Nobody knows what happened to her.” Amrita flipped through the brochure absentmindedly till she got to two certificates printed on the cardstock in the middle. “Here it is!” She held the certificates up. “Buffalo’s company always sponsors the event. He sent me some tickets, but I can’t attend that weekend, and it turns out, neither can he. I think they were probably destined for you two.” Amrita set the tickets and the booklet back down and slid them across the desk to Will.
He stepped closer and eyed the stack warily. “You want us to attend a film festival? In the middle of all this?”
“Sometimes, Will, the universe presents us with exactly what we need at exactly the moment we need it.” Amrita sighed, leaning back in her seat.
Will wasn’t sure he felt like going anywhere with Zani at the moment, but he picked up the program, if only to be polite. As he flipped through it, a particular photo caught his eye—a striking actress he presumed was Ondalune, with Burnside Porter on one arm and, unmistakably, Cosimo on the other. He sucked in a deep breath and slapped the booklet on the desk. Then he leaned forward, pressing hard on the crease so the booklet stayed open.
“Take a look at this,” he said, showing Zani and Amrita. “Why is Burnside in this photo with that actress and Cosimo?” He couldn’t keep his nostrils from flaring and twitching when he said the vampire’s name.
“Fascinating,” Amrita murmured, shaking her head dreamily. “It seems there are more connections here than even I realized. All the more reason you must attend!”
“I don’t understand!” Will swept the brochure away, stuffing it back into the envelope with the tickets. “How can you be so calm about all this? The ley lines could collapse. The whole magical world could fall into chaos!” He gesticulated wildly with his hands, then slapped the envelope back down on the desk.
“Because I deal with sixteen global magical crises before breakfast most days, Will.” Amrita sighed and opened her drawer, searching for something. When she found it, she pulled out a tin. “Mint? I’m afraid I’m fresh out of my usual vice. Last Word Lozenges, have you ever heard of them?”
She winked at Zani and offered the tin labeled Brevity Mints to both of them. They both declined.
“I have learned that some things are simply meant to be, Will,” Amrita said. That you’re both here now, and that we’re all having this conversation, is evidence that the structure of abundance is still holding up just fine. And I have faith it will continue to. I believe in magic’s abundance, and I believe in the two of you.” She popped a mint, snapped the tin shut again and placed it back in her drawer.
“But what about Cosimo? The ritual?” Will pressed on.
“I do not know. You’ll face those challenges when the time comes,” Amrita said. “For now, I suggest you take some time to process what we’ve discussed. And perhaps,” she added with a meaningful glance between Will and Zani, “to talk through some things through.”
And just like that, with Amrita’s glance at her watch, followed by a meaningful look at the door, Will and Zani understood that their meeting was over. As Amrita walked them back to the mirror, they made promises to stay in touch as the eclipse approached, and she assured them she would try to make herself available as needed.
“But I think the two of you and the universe have got this. My part here is done.” Amrita smiled. “Please send my love to Maida and Arthur. Buffalo and I plan to visit just as soon as I can take a little time off.”
As Amrita strode away to face her next magical snafu, the tension between Will and Zani was palpable.
“We need to talk about this,” Will said once they heard the door to Amrita’s office close. “About your deal with Cosimo.”
“I know,” Zani said. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I just... didn’t know how.”
“After everything we’ve been through?” Will couldn’t keep the hurt from his voice. “I thought we were past keeping secrets from each other.”
“Do you still want to go to the festival?” Zani asked. “Amrita seemed certain we should be there.”
“I don’t know about that. It feels like the bloodstone has dominated our entire relationship, and now it’s driving a wedge between us,” Will said, the weight of it all pressing down on him. “Maybe it truly is cursed.”
Zani didn’t flinch at his words this time. She stood stock still, arms folded. “So that’s it? You’re just going to walk away from all this? I thought you didn’t believe in curses.”
“No.” Will shook his head. He wished he could shake his whole self, and shake off the terrible feelings he was feeling. He wanted to run away. But it wasn’t an option. “I can’t ignore what’s at stake.”
“Good. And I still want to go back to the train,” Zani said curtly. “To the moment the stone was stolen. We might find answers there, we could find the stone.”
Will’s frustration boiled over. “And if you found it? What then? Are you still planning to give it to Cosimo?”
“I don’t know. I made a deal, Will.” Zani’s voice was small but steady. “My word means something. Maybe that’s what I’m supposed to do.”
“Even knowing what he plans to do with it? What it could do to the ley lines?” Will was incredulous.
“Well, I wouldn’t just hand it to him and walk away! Of course I’d try to talk to him,” Zani insisted. “Reason with him. Appeal to his better nature.”
Will laughed wretchedly. “And what makes you so sure that creature has one? I’m not sure he has any humanity left.”
The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken words and hurt feelings.
“I think I need some space,” Will finally said. “I’ll take you back to the Mudpuddle now, but maybe you should make other plans to travel to the festival.”
“What about contacting Burnside about the photo?” Zani asked, her voice resigned.
“I’ll think about it,” Will said, not meeting her eyes. “But I’m not making any promises.”
With that, he knelt, giving her time to climb onto his back. In the brief nothingness, it was just the two of them again, but he had never felt more alone. The familiar sensation of movement through empty space failed to distract him from the hollow feeling in his chest. For the first time since he and Zani had begun their adventure together, Will wondered if some connections, no matter how strong they seemed meant to be, could be severed after all.