The Whimsy Witch Who Wasn't (Tales of Xest Book 1) Read online

  “I was going through a couple last-minute slips.” He got on the other side of the bookshelf and righted it with me, then began replacing books. “Not going so well?” he asked, already knowing the answer from the look of the room.

  “Nope. Not going well at all. The only thing my magic seems to be good for is doing the opposite of what I need. Worst part is I don’t even know what that spell is, because he’s not telling me.” By the time I’d finished talking, I was already sweating, streaks of ash on my arms, and it wasn’t just from the bookcase.

  Zab looked around, like he’d considered sitting but continued standing. “I understand why you’d be upset, but you can’t tell someone something you don’t know. I don’t think he’s trying to make you miserable. He just doesn’t know himself, and he’s never been long on patience.”

  How much did Zab know, exactly? Why had I assumed he wouldn’t know what Hawk was up to when he was here all the time and Hawk clearly trusted him to some degree?

  I let out a long sigh, as if all my aggravation was draining when it was ratcheting up. I grabbed some more books and shoved them back on the shelf. “It’s hard to understand how he has no answers for what he needs and yet knows so surely that I’m the one who needs to do it, you know? I guess coming from Rest, as I do, it’s hard to wrap my head around the whole thing. Maybe if you could explain it all better, I’d understand.”

  Zab moved his weight from foot to foot and looked at the clock again. “You know, I totally forgot I had to be somewhere. I’ll see you tomorrow, all right?” The entire time he was talking, he’d been easing back toward the door.

  I barely had a chance to say bye before he was gone. I’d pushed too hard, and now not only did I not have any more information, I’d have to finish cleaning on my own.

  11

  I went through the entire bag of clothes I’d gotten. Belinda had handpicked the worst possible outfits imaginable. Anything that would make me look ugly and frumpy was in the heap.

  The lime-green pants that were two sizes too big were at least unstained. I also did have a belt, like she knew how bad she’d screwed me but didn’t want my pants to fall down. The tops were no picnic either. Did I pair my glow-in-the-dark green with brown polka dots or a sweater with moth holes? At least the eaten-up one was a tolerable grey and would possibly tone down the green. I threw it on. Nah, there was no toning down this green.

  It didn’t matter. “Get through the day” was my motto of the moment. If it didn’t kill me, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t so optimistic to say it would make me stronger. “Didn’t matter” was as full as my glass was getting today.

  I forced on a smile, walked downstairs, and stepped out into the buzz of the office in the morning.

  Zab and Musso both stared a little too long at my attire. Belinda kept talking to the only client in the office at the moment. I wasn’t fooled into thinking her smile was for the client, though. She was enjoying my distressed wardrobe.

  “So, tonight?” the short, stout woman said to Belinda.

  I typically let my eyes pass over Belinda’s general vicinity, but my head jerked back in that direction at the familiar voice.

  “Yes,” Belinda answered.

  The woman stood and turned. “You!” she said, pointing a stubby finger at me.

  I had the exact same reaction.

  “You got me stuck here,” I said.

  “Of course I did. Try to order a séance and not pay.” She sneered and turned for the door, muttering something about the kids these days.

  “I didn’t know,” I yelled after her.

  She didn’t reply as she made her way out the door. I was still watching her leave when Belinda stepped in front of me.

  “Here. This is a list of things we need. Tell the shops to charge everything to the broker, and don’t take all day about it.”

  She thrust the list toward me when I didn’t take it right away. It was at least fifty items long. As soon as I got over the shock of what she was sending me to do, the pluses quickly kicked in. It would get me out of here and away from her for the day, so maybe not so bad. Plus, with a list like this, I’d surely end up somewhere near the factory, and I could stop in and check on Rabbit.

  I plastered a gloomy expression on as I made a show of looking at all the different items. I shook my head as I grabbed my jacket, as if every step was torture. If Belinda caught the scent of happiness, I’d never get out of this place.

  I took my list and headed off.

  Zab walked out of the shop after me. “Hey, I wanted to go grab a chocolate at the Sweet Shop. Come with me before you start. It’ll give you some sustenance.” He nodded in the direction of the store.

  I looked beyond him to the shop he was talking about. I’d caught glimpses of its pink and white striped awning. Even from here, you could see sugar sculptures of all different colors in the window.

  “Sure. That’d be nice.” I glanced back at the shop, wondering who he wanted to avoid hearing this conversation. I’d find out soon enough, as the chocolate place was only a half a block away.

  We started off in the direction with Zab pulling his jacket tight around him. “The fifth wind is a killer today.”

  “Fifth wind?”

  “Yeah, it’s why it’s so cold here.”

  Figured Xest would have to have even extra wind.

  “Look, I wanted to put in a word for Belinda. I know she’s been rough to be around, but she’s got this complex, and you seem to be making it worse.” Zab shrugged, his hands tucked in his pockets.

  “But why? What did I do?”

  “Nothing you actually did. The thing is, I’m pretty sure that she thinks if she was more than Middling, Hawk would want something more with her.”

  “I still don’t see what this has to do with me.”

  He stopped on the side, halting before we got to the shop, but out of sight of the office.

  “Well, none of us know your magic grade for sure, but from the look of things, the way Hawk is acting, you’re stronger than Middling. He wouldn’t be so protective otherwise.”

  “Protective?” I doubted my ears, but I could think of another word that sounded closer to what was actually going on with him. Dickish, yeah, that I could get my head around.

  “Oh yeah. Definitely. He gave firm orders that you weren’t to be given anything dangerous to do unless he approves. He’s never cared what assignments Belinda does. It’s driving her crazy.”

  “She realizes he’s keeping me here as a type of jail, a forced labor situation, right? He might be protective, but it’s the way someone protects their property. It’s not like he likes me.” I’d had sweaters I treated better than he treated me.

  “That doesn’t count. He doesn’t really like anyone,” Zab said, walking the last few steps and pulling open the door to the Sweet Shop.

  That was the last of the talk about Hawk. I’d always had a sweet tooth, and it was as if the motherland was welcoming me home. There were sugar sculptures everywhere. The walls were lined with candy wells, and in the center, there was a fountain of chocolate. This place almost made the abduction, the factory, Belinda, pretty much all of it okay.

  “Amazing, right?”

  “Beyond,” I said reverently.

  I’d just finished my hot cocoa and it was time to get on with things. The list wasn’t getting any shorter, and I needed at least a few things before I went to the factory. Now it was time to figure out where I had to go for these things. I walked to the busier part of town, where the roads opened up into a square of sorts, and glanced at the shop names.

  Stationery and Sundries was ahead on my left-hand side. I glanced at the list again. There was some sort of paper listed. Stationery, paper. Seemed like a good bet.

  I walked into the store that was reminiscent of some of the larger chain stores I was familiar with, or would be with a dark and haunted makeover. Still, there were different stacks of pens, feathers, and papers all about the place.

  An old m
an, with a hunch in his back and eyes nearly black, walked around the shelving. “May I help you?”

  “Yes, thank you. Do you carry newsflash papers?”

  “Of course.” Instead of pointing to them, as I’d hoped. He walked across the store, each step seeming long and drawn out. I slowly followed behind him.

  “I haven’t seen you around before. Would you happen to be that new pop-up over at Hawk’s? The new Whimsy witch?” It had only been a few days. News really spread fast here.

  When I was handed this chore, I hadn’t been prepared for questions, especially ones that would put me on the spot to make stuff up. And if he was going to ask me questions the entire time it took him to get the newsflash papers, he might know my life story before I got out of here.

  Hawk had said he didn’t want attention drawn to me. Now what?

  “Yes, I’m her. Just another Whimsy witch, doing odds and ends for him. You know, cleaning, errands. I can’t seem to do much more.”

  He stopped, looked over his shoulder, and lowered his bushy brows.

  “Never met a Whimsy witch so okay with her position in life before,” he said, then nodded and continued his trek across the store.

  I’d said too much. He was already suspicious.

  Wings flapped, and a large bird with a cat body landed on my shoulder. It settled in, wrapping its body around my neck and licking my jaw with its rough tongue.

  “That’d be Sebastian. Seems to have taken to you,” the old man said, as he finally picked up a pack of papers.

  “Nice…cat,” I said, not liking the way the old man was eyeing us up. Something wasn’t right. I’d already messed up again and didn’t know how.

  “He’s a Losso. Comes from the Valcan forests in the Unsettled Lands. Sebastian doesn’t like that many people. Does your magic lean toward creatures, then?”

  I smiled and shook my head. “No. My magic is too weak to do that.” I didn’t know what magical aptitudes I had, but I was certain that I wouldn’t be considered a specialist of any of them.

  He hummed and then cleared his throat as he walked back with the papers and placed them in a bag for me. He kept looking up at Sebastian licking me as he did. This wasn’t a good thing. Don’t draw attention to yourself. That was the only rule I had, and I was afraid I was breaking it.

  “I’m supposed to charge this to the broker?” I said.

  As soon as the shopkeeper turned his back to open up a large leather tome, I picked Sebastian off my shoulders, in spite of him trying to hold on with claws in my coat, and put him on a nearby shelf. He immediately flew back to me and perched on my shoulder again, licking any piece of me he could get his sharp tongue on. I tugged at him again, but he dug his claws in, refusing to leave.

  I dropped my hands as soon as the shopkeeper turned around. The last thing I needed was for anything to add to his suspicions.

  He looked at his cat-bird again. “So, Hawk took you to work for him out of the blue? Did you know him at all?”

  “He needed a low-level Whimsy witch to run errands for him, so he went to the factory. Luck of the draw, I guess. Well, thanks!” I grabbed the bag he’d placed on the counter and tipped sideways, hoping to encourage Sebastian off me.

  “Bassy, come here, now.” The shopkeeper held out his hands.

  Bassy wasn’t having any of it as he continued to lick my hair.

  “Bassy, boy, come on.” The lines on the shopkeeper’s forehead were deepening.

  When Bassy still didn’t listen, the shopkeeper made his way around the counter, trying to lift Bassy off me. Sebastian tried to resist again, but the shopkeeper eventually got him off my shoulders after some hissing and growling and disgruntlement.

  The second I was free, I made for the door. “Thanks for the help.” I got out of there before he could ask any more questions.

  I stepped out of the building, dodged some people, witches, warlocks, and the like, as I walked down the street until I was a safe distance from the stationery store. Definitely not going back in there while I was here. That guy was way too nosy.

  I tucked myself close to a building and tried to become invisible as I scanned the list for my next stop.

  Oil of Newt

  Essence of Evil Vapor

  Shavings from a three-headed turtle

  Once again, it was hard not to wonder what I’d done so wrong to end up here. Some people were meant to have blue eyes. I seemed to be destined to live with crazy people.

  With a glance to my right, I saw Al’s Chemist Shop. Worth a try, and it was a long list. They’d have something I needed.

  Unlike the stationery shop, this place was bustling. I moved toward the counter, waiting until one of the few people gathering supplies off the shelves could help me. Other than a few glances in my direction, these people seemed too busy to care much about me, what I was doing here, who I was working for.

  Maybe after I got out of here, I could swing past the factory. Rabbit hadn’t believed I’d come back for her, and it had been days since then with no word. If she continued to not hear anything from me, she’d surely assume she was forgotten. I had to get over there, and soon.

  “Who’s lighting the potions? Whoever it is, cut it out. You should know better than to do such a thing in here,” one of the clerks behind the counter yelled. He seemed to be the one in charge, or at least the loudest.

  The bottles lining the back shelf were all glowing. It might’ve been the prettiest thing ever, with the various shades of reds and blues, purples and yellows, all lighting up almost to some sort of rhythm, some even twisting about like a lava lamp.

  They continued to light as the man became angrier, his eyes searching the crowd until they settled on me. It was probably because I was the only unknown person there. I looked around and realized the entire place was staring at me. The longer they stared, the warmer my face got and the stronger the potions glowed.

  “Who are you?” the shop owner called out.

  I looked around again, hoping he was talking about someone else, but everyone was still staring at me.

  I put my hand to my neck and searched for a chain that wasn’t there. I’d forgotten to put the necklace back on. I’d left it on for so many years that I hadn’t thought about it. It hadn’t occurred to me to make sure it was back on, because I so rarely took it off. So much for not drawing attention to myself. It was game over.

  “I’m nobody. Just a Whimsy witch.” I took a few steps backward, making my way to the door and brushing shoulders in the tight squeeze.

  “Is that the new pop-up?” someone in the crowd asked in a hushed tone.

  “I’m not sure, but I think so,” another nearby witch replied.

  I hurried my steps.

  “Tell us who you are,” a dark-haired warlock said.

  “I’m no one.” I turned, pushing through the crowd as they stared. “I’ve got to go now.” I took off in a sprint at the last moment, scared someone would block the door before I got out.

  12

  I didn’t stop running until I was a building down from the broker house. Resting a hand on the stone of the neighboring building, I caught my breath and then straightened. No need to broadcast the issues to a roomful of people. With the bag of newsflash papers in my hand, I walked back in with the only item I’d managed to get off the list.

  Belinda’s eagle eyes narrowed on my measly bag as I made my way through the office.

  “Why are you back here? Where are the things from my list?”

  She was not going to make this easy, not that I thought she would. That wasn’t who Belinda was. Even in the crazy world of Xest, I’d know her type anywhere. Still, it was better to play nice, or she’d have me mopping the floors for hours.

  “I had a small problem. I’m going back to get the rest of the things tomorrow.” Or most of the stuff. I couldn’t go back to Al’s. I definitely wasn’t going into the stationery store again. There were so many other things on her stupid list she wouldn’t even notice. Most impor
tant part was it would all be done tomorrow, when hopefully people wouldn’t be looking for me. And I’d go to the factory first this time.

  Belinda’s face started winding up, like she was about to get into it with me. She could rant all she wanted. Wasn’t happening. She could have a fit, but I couldn’t be out there, at least until I found less conspicuous clothes and a little time had passed.

  “That’s not…”

  The door swung open and Hawk walked into the office with enough purpose in his step that it was obvious something was afoot. He stopped in the middle of the room. “Everyone out but employees. Come back in a half an hour to conclude your business.”

  No one made a peep as they gathered their belongings and skedaddled out the door. He waited until the last person was gone before he nailed me with a look that made me afraid to move.

  “Were you at Al’s Chemist Shop a few minutes ago?”

  Oh no. This wasn’t going to go well from the look on his face.

  “Yes. Belinda sent me out with a list of supplies.” I wasn’t taking heat for what I’d been directed to do. I had enough issues of my own making.

  Belinda sat, and then slid a bit farther into her chair. Didn’t matter, as Hawk’s attention was still fully on me.

  “How many people did you talk to?”

  I’d lost count. “I don’t know. A couple?”

  “Did you go anywhere else?”

  “The Stationery and Sundries.”

  He glanced at my neck before moving his eyes back to my face. My hand automatically went to the barren spot. He couldn’t see, but he knew.

  “It was an accident.”

  He looked skyward for a moment before taking a deep breath. A moment later, his veins about to burst, he said, “Don’t forget it again.”

  Hawk walked over to Belinda. “I need a word with you.”

  “Sure,” she said, standing and walking over to the stair door with him. Was he bringing her up the other stairs? What was up there? Today wasn’t the day I’d find out, though.