Im just a small town shi.., p.10
Combustible Magic, page 10
Rosemary twisted the nozzle, turning the hose up and holding on for dear life. The water sprayed out, touching not only the fire, but also the people standing around it. As if dousing the invisible flames of lust they'd been entrapped in, one by one they seemed to come out of the daze.
Rosemary continued directing the hose across the fire until nothing remained but smoking embers.
“What on earth is going on? Explain yourself, Rosemary Thorn,” said Constable Perkins.
He was standing arm in arm with the mayor. Upon realising this, he blushed and stepped away.
Everyone else seemed to have a similar reaction, clearly coming to their senses.
“Don't blame me,” said Rosemary. “I was the one who saved you.”
“Trespassing again!” cried Mr June.
“Excuse me,” said Rosemary. “Unless you wanted to have a magically-induced orgy, you should be thanking me right now! I was perfectly happy to stay in the car. But alarm bells started ringing, and I thought I’d better come over here and stop you from making terrible mistakes.”
She gave Neve a meaningful look. The detective appeared to be shell shocked.
“Thank you, Rosemary,” she said, her voice wavering a little, her posture stiff and awkward. “I think we’d better be going.”
As the two women walked back to the car, Neve asked, “Do you have any idea what happened there?”
Rosemary couldn't help but feel she was being accused of something. “Like I said, I was in the car. Tamsyn pointed out there was something strange going on with you and your ex and I came over to see what in Hades was going on. As far as I can tell it was something to do with those flames. Did you notice the fire had sparked up again from the embers and turned pink?”
“I don’t recall,” Neve admitted.
“Whatever it was, it made everyone lose their panties for a minute.”
Neve glared at her.
“Metaphorically, I hope,” said Rosemary. “Although, you weren't far off.”
“Please don't tell Nesta,” said Neve. “She's already jealous of Sid.”
Rosemary shook her head. “Look, I'm not going to get involved in your relationship politics. But as far as I can see, you are the one who should tell Nesta about this, and you should do it soon, because if she finds out some other way, it's going to cause a lot more damage.”
Neve sighed. “You're right. I just need a few minutes and a good stiff drink to do some processing.”
Rosemary nodded. “That, I can arrange. Let's get home and I'll bring out the good scotch.”
Seventeen
By the time Rosemary finally got home with Neve and Tamsyn, she was heavy with exhaustion. She opened the front door to find the house empty.
“This is a nice big place,” said Tamsyn. “We used to live in a big old house, not quite this big, back when we were in Myrtlewood. We had to downsize when we moved and I always missed living in a place like this—”
“Tamsyn?” Rosemary asked.
“Yes?”
Rosemary smiled kindly. “It’s alright. I recognise nervous rambling when I see it. I’ve had plenty of experience. Take a deep breath and calm down. The kids are probably out back.”
“Okay,” Tamsyn said, inhaling deeply.
Neve nodded. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“She might hate me,” said Tamsyn quietly, as if admitting a secret. “I wasn’t the nicest older sister in the world. I’d get jealous when she got attention, and I hated it when she stole my toys.”
“Tamsyn...” Rosemary tried to sound reassuring.
“Or worse, what if she doesn’t remember me at all? It has been such a long time and I look so different.”
Rosemary stopped with her hand clasped on the back door. “Do you need a hug?” she asked.
Tamsyn nodded.
Rosemary held out her arms and gave the woman a big reassuring cuddle. “It’s all going to be fine.”
“I’m sorry,” said Tamsyn. “You hardly know me, and here I am acting like a big baby.”
“Totally understandable,” said Rosemary.
“Ready now?” Neve asked from behind them as Rosemary pulled away from Tamsyn.
“As I’ll ever be.”
“Think of it this way, it’s not every day you get to meet your abducted baby sister, finding her still alive four decades later. This is a fairly unique experience.”
“Not helping,” said Tamsyn.
Rosemary zipped her mouth and opened the door.
The children were running and skipping across the backyard, circling a red-and-white-checked picnic blanket where Nesta was sitting cross-legged. Tamsyn looked overwhelmed as she tried to make out their faces.
“Tamsyn!” cried a little blonde girl, skipping over to where they stood. “It is you, isn’t it? But how did you get so big?”
“How does she recognise me so easily?” Tamsyn asked Rosemary.
“I have no idea, they seem to pick things up again fairly well after so much time in the fae realm. I’m surprised their memory isn’t addled too. Maybe they absorb some of the excess memory that’s syphoned away from the people in the earth realm.”
“That’s not such a bad hypothesis,” said Neve. She shot Rosemary a smile as Tamsyn knelt down to wrap her baby sister in a hug.
“Really? It’s more of a throwaway comment than a hypothesis,” Rosemary said.
“No, really,” said Neve. “Magic doesn’t work in a vacuum, it’s often about altering the polarity of something to shift the result.”
“Huh. I really should be going to magic school like Athena.”
“Hearing you all talk about this stuff like it’s normal is so refreshing,” said Tamsyn.
“That’s not what you said when you kicked us out of your house,” Rosemary joked, and Neve shot her a glance as if warning her to be more professional.
“No, I’m sorry about that. It’s just, after Elowen disappeared everything changed. We weren’t supposed to talk about magic anymore. It’s a shame really. My parents were really talented Rúnsealls.”
“Come again?” said Rosemary.
“Rúnseall is a magical specialisation,” Neve explained. “They are experts at finding hidden things. Any old witch can perform a seeking spell, but a true master Rúnseall can often find something even if magic has been used to mask it. They can also detect traces of magical intent and figure out which witch cast a particular spell, but that’s quite a complex technical process, as I understand it.”
“I could have used some of that when my necklace was stolen,” said Rosemary. “Or in countless other situations.”
“It’s a shame, then,” said Tamsyn. “Supposedly it’s in my blood, and I showed great promise, but true masters work in pairs like my parents. It almost killed them when Elowen disappeared...knowing where she’d gone, but they still couldn’t get her back. They walked away from everything. It’s so sad. I miss all this.” She waved her arm around vaguely. “I miss casual conversations where magic is real.”
“You can always move back to Myrtlewood,” said Rosemary. “We can help you get set up. It will probably be good for Elowen to be in a familiar place close to the other kids she knows. They are all quite close.”
“Are you saying I can just...keep her?” Tamsyn asked, confused, as Elowen ran off to play with the other children.
“She’s your family,” said Neve.
“Aren’t you even going to do a background check?” said Tamsyn.
“Already done,” said Neve. “We completed that before we knocked on your door. We just need to make sure you’ll be able to provide her with a safe home where she’ll be loved and looked after. That’s what children need.”
Tamsyn nodded. “I couldn’t just up and move, could I?” Her eyes were wide.
“It’s up to you,” said Rosemary. “Do what feels right.”
“I just...” Tamsyn looked around in awe. “I suppose it’s something people do. Make snap decisions. Uproot their lives. I just never thought that was me.”
Neve smiled patiently. “Take some time and think it over.”
Tamsyn shook her head. “No. I don’t need time. I know that this is right.” She beamed at them.
Rosemary could almost see her transform before their eyes. The downtrodden and worried woman they had met a few days ago in Burkenswood had vanished. Tamsyn stood there, strong and vibrant.
“I might have to take you up on your offer to help me move back here. There’s nothing much for me back home, not after my two kids moved to France and Portugal. Just a depressing office job and an underutilised gym membership.”
“We’ll be happy to,” said Rosemary. “Just tell us what you need, and I know someone who will be thrilled to help you find a cottage here. Don’t worry, she’s not an estate agent, just a wonderful friend.”
Tamsyn gave her a confused look, and then returned to smiling.
Eighteen
Athena sat next to Elise in History of Folklore and Mythology class, studiously avoiding Beryl’s glare. It had been an awkward morning. Just as Athena had predicted, her snobby classmate was livid after the dynamo incident. Beryl hated to be bested in anything.
It had come as a shock to Athena to hear that the girl she sometimes thought of as her arch nemesis had been instrumental in aiding her return from the fae realm. Beryl had given Rosemary the spell she’d needed in order to get through to help. Although, as Athena kept insisting, she was the one who figured out how to get back on her own, without needing her mother or anyone else.
Still, Beryl had gone out of her way to give Rosemary the spell and Athena felt some mixed gratitude about it. She hadn't even had the chance to properly thank Beryl because every interaction she'd had with her had continued to be so unpleasant.
Athena gazed out the window, longing for the delightful lightness of the fae realm.
“You’re zoning out again,” Elise whispered. “Listen.”
Athena tried to refocus on Ms Twigg, just as she said, “Has anyone heard this passage before? ‘When the wheel begins to turn, let the Beltane fires burn.’”
Beryl raised her hand quickly and enthusiastically. Nobody else did.
“Yes, Beryl?”
“It's a quote from the prominent witch, Doreen Valiante.”
“Very good,” said Ms Twigg. “Beltane is the next seasonal festival approaching in our calendar year. It was customary in the days of the ancients to celebrate fertility in the early summer, so as to bring about a good harvest.”
“Eww, gross!” said Felix.
“Yes. Thank you, Mr Lancaster,” said Ms Twigg. “As gross as fertility might sound to a group of teenagers, it's also an important part of life.”
“And here I was thinking I could escape sex-ed class by going to a magical school,” Athena whispered to Elise, who couldn't help but giggle.
“No such luck,” she replied.
“Part of the ritual involves lighting magical fires, enchanted with fertility blessings,” Ms Twigg continued, ignoring the rowdy class, or at least so it seemed until she slammed a book down on Felix’s desk. He tensed.
“Mr Lancaster, would you care to read aloud to the class from the following passage?” She pointed to an open page.
Felix gulped anxiously and then started reading. “It is believed that fire sprites were traditionally involved in Beltane festivities in the rituals of old, bringing with them the potent fertility magic present in the element of fire. Their presence has not been detected for some time since most fire sprites were believed to be chased out of the earth realm by the witching authorities due to their habit of causing havoc.”
“Very good, Mr Lancaster. Now, in Myrtlewood, this time of year has always had an interesting significance,” she said. “The Beltane fires have granted many fertility blessings. Much more so than in other places.”
“Are you saying all this to warn us off getting pregnant?” Elise asked.
“No, Miss Fern,” said Ms Twigg. “It occurred to me, recently that something odd is at play. We've had a number of unexplained fires around, including one on my family farm – a rather otherworldly fire, it was.”
Athena sparked up and paid attention. Her mother and Neve had talked about the fires.
Ms Twigg continued. “I suspect there might be something magical afoot, and I thought it would pay to prepare you for what might come.”
“By getting us to study musty old books?” said Felix, then he stiffened as Ms Twigg’s slender forked tongue darted out of her mouth like a frog’s and she fixed him with her reptilian eyes.
“Indeed,” she said. “We must pay close attention to the lessons of the past so that we do not repeat them. In A History of Myrtlewood, written by none other than my aunt Agatha, there is a strong mention of Beltane fires, including the Cavalia.”
“What are you talking about?” Sam asked, clearly confused by this unusual diversion from a normally dry class.
Beryl raised her hand. “If I could explain? The Cavalia is believed to be linked to astrological alignments that only occur every two or three hundred years. Last time it happened, in 1763, over one hundred people were killed.”
“Doesn’t sound very cheerful,” said Felix.
“Beryl is correct. It was an enormous fire in Glastonbury and mythical beasts were seen to be involved,” said Ms Twigg. “It was rumoured to be brought on by the fire sprites. But as I said before, they were chased off a long time ago, and they can’t easily sneak through from the fae realm anymore.” She gave Athena a meaningful look before continuing. “And those of us with slightly longer memories or an interest in history have been concerned about the recent fires.”
“Why are you telling teenagers about this as if we can do anything to help?” Athena asked, feeling slightly nervous about the way the teacher looked at her. Surely she couldn’t know what Athena had been pre-occupied with recently. “Shouldn't you be talking to the police?”
“Rest assured, we've informed the authorities,” said Ms Twigg. “Not that that matters a wink.”
“Why aren’t they taking it seriously?” Elise asked.
“This may surprise you,” said Ms Twigg dryly, “but no one takes history seriously enough. That’s why it appears we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. People never learn. It’s a treacherous flaw. But I fear that our students might be in danger. Young people are especially prone to the magic of fire sprites.” Ms Twigg glared around at them all. “It behoves me to warn you and to make this an assignment.”
“Aww really?” said Felix.
“Yes, really,” said Ms Twigg. “I think it would be in all of your best interests to pay attention. I expect you to write and submit a five page essay on Beltane by next Thursday.”
Athena grimaced. Essays were not her favourite thing. She’d had very little assigned work since starting at Myrtlewood Academy and didn’t have much experience in the conventions of writing essays about magical things. But something in Ms Twigg’s warning was even more disconcerting.
She needed to talk to her mother and Neve about all this, and she needed to do it fast. The class wrapped up, and as the students filed out, Athena recalled another thing she meant to ask her teacher about.
“Erm, Ms Twigg?”
“Yes, Miss Thorn?”
“Do you know anything about fae magic? It’s just that—”
“What have you heard? It’s all malicious rumours!” Ms Twigg’s whole body stiffened, and tiny as she was, Athena took a step back in fear.
“S—sorry,” she stuttered.
Athena wasn’t sure why Ms Twigg was acting so very strangely, and maybe she never would completely untangle the mystery of the small reptilian-like teacher-librarian, but for the first time she could understand why Felix had such a fear of her.
“I think it’s time for you to leave, Miss Thorn,” she said sternly.
Athena nodded and scrambled out of the room as quickly as possible.
Nineteen
The morning was thick with fog as Rosemary made her way to Liam's cottage. Though the damp air eased some of her concerns about the likelihood of fires, it did nothing to quell her anxiety about potential Bloodstone Society attackers.
She kept her wits about her as she made her way to Liam's front door. She was relieved not to be interrupted by any scary hooded figures.
“You made it!” Liam said, stalking out from behind the house. “Come this way. I’ve set us up for some practice.”
He lead her around to the back garden.
“Are you sure this is the best idea?” Rosemary looked around at the surrounding farmland. “We’re so out in the open. People might see us.”
“I warded off the area,” said Liam. “We should be safe.”
“Why do we need to be outside?”
“I want to avoid any collateral damage,” said Liam. “Remember how we talked about the fact that I can feel the wolf inside me at all times?”
Rosemary nodded and gulped. “You're not suggesting that we have a practice session where you try to bring it out?”
She wasn't prepared to be faced by an enormous hairy werewolf any more than she was excited about the prospect of a Bloodstone Society attack.
“Not exactly,” said Liam. “I just thought you could try shooting me with your magic again and I could see if it has any effect. Only, I don't want to be blown into my bookshelf or break anything else around the house while you're firing off blasts at me.”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” said Rosemary “Last time, I was just protecting myself automatically. I didn't have any particular spell I was doing. I don't think I could replicate it.”
“I think it's worth a try,” said Liam.
Rosemary agreed, with some trepidation.
“You stand over there,” he said. “And I'll stand a few paces away. Just try and blast me with your magic.”
