I saw the tears brimming in Autumn’s eyes and knew she was trying her best to overcome them. She took a quick swipe at them and looked up at me.
“
What? What is it?” Autumn asked.
“
A picture, I saw the smallest bit of a picture in the corner. It was an eye, like a psychic eye,” I said in response.
Now Madison jumped into the conversation. “That settles it then. They are wherever that Nan Day is and we need a real plan to get them out.”
“
Does anyone have any ideas?” Graham asked, brushing the hair from his face.
It was my turn to speak up. I prayed this idea worked and Madison had not read it in my thoughts already.
“
We take three separate cars and meet down on the Loop in front of Groovy Days. You and Graham get weapons and lots of them. Clark and Boone can check in with Mr. Greene and get back-up. Autumn and I need to bind Wren’s powers. It takes about forty-five minutes to get there so let’s meet in an hour and a half.”
Boone started to protest but a stern look from me told him this was not negotiable. He sensed my resolve and nodded. Autumn was nodding as well. Madison was exchanging glances with Graham and finally nodded in agreement as well.
“
Fine, but we will not go in until all of us are there. We can’t do this without all six of us at the very least. If there are four of them at least and we bind Wren’s powers we still have three others at minimum to disable. We know there is one fire starter so we need to get super soakers I guess for that one. Let’s make it two hours, that way we can go in at dusk and are a little less noticeable,” she conceded.
“
The real trouble is going to be getting three cars now. We may have to go to coat check and see if there are any valet tickets. Then we will have to go out the good old fashioned way. It could work,” Boone suggested.
“
Genius,” I gushed at Boone, thankful for the suggestion.
“
Madison and I will go get the valet tickets. Too many of us could attract attention. Once we have them and return, then Autumn and Noel can leave first. Afterwards, Boone and Clark can follow. We will bring up the rear,” Graham said.
After a general consensus, we all agreed and Madison left with Graham. Clark resumed his post as lookout and I was stuck with Boone and Autumn. Boone just frowned in confusion at the tension he was feeling in the room. I decided not to tackle that one and leave it be for now. Instead, I asked Autumn some questions about her magic.
“
I am embarrassed that I have never asked you about being into the craft. What kind of witch are you? I am not sure what types there are but I know there are different kinds,” I asked her.
She smiled at my interest, obviously eager to share. “I am an earth witch. I can also do water magic. I am very talented according to the higher ups. I can do things by dropping into water or burying in the soil. Yellow and green are my kindred colors for candles and such. I can’t wait to show you so many cool things!” she gushed.
“
So the vision of you and Sam, you used a pentacle and buried a doll in the earth. Were you doing earth magic then, when I saw you?”
“
Yeah I was. Earth magic is stronger because I am doing acts from decomposition. I am strongest at a grave sight.”
“
I guessed that was the case. To bind Wren, will you have to go to a graveyard?” I inquired.
Then, as was with my luck, the door opened. Madison and Graham are back already. “That was fast,” I said.
Graham was smiling and held up three valet slips. “And easy,” he responded as he passed them out.
Unable to control myself, I gave Boone a hug before departing. I whispered “Thank you,” in his ear and pulled away quicker than I wanted to. He smiled that rebel smile of his and winked. Ah, he made me melt and that was so bad. I couldn’t have them both. They were partners even worse. I nodded goodbye to the rest. Autumn and I were off, closing the door behind us.
I linked my arm in Autumns’ and we headed to the elevators.
As soon as we were in the elevator she peered at me inquisitively. “Ok Nells, what’s the deal?”
“
Let’s pretend you are really drunk and I am driving you home,” I said dodging the real question.
“
Ok, have it your way. I play drunk and we talk in the car,” she said.
I just gave her a great big smile and then stepped off the elevator.
Then just like that, the show was on. She grabbed me by the shoulder and stumbled forward. I pretended to be holding her up as we made our way to the front of the hotel casino. I made a show of tossing the ticket at the valet while trying to keep Autumn in an upright position.
It worked like a charm. The attendant was back in a matter of minutes and I was placing Autumn in the passenger seat of a luxury S.U.V. I tipped the valet a twenty and thanked him before getting in and driving off.
Neither of us said a word until we exited the parking lot and the car was turning on the river road. Then we both burst into giggles as we would have in the old days before all of this drama. That thought brought me back to reality and I grew serious.
“
I need the box Autumn.”
“
No,” she stated quickly.
“
Why? Sam wants me to have it,” I asked more persistently.
“
Because it is too dangerous Noel, you just got your memories back. If we survive this, the box is yours. Until then, I can’t chance it or your safety. It is too important. Just trust me on this,” she pleaded.
I could see the seriousness written on her face and conceded. “Fine, but can I have a hint at least? Sam said it has to stay between you and I and that it is important.”
“
It is an heirloom from your parents. That is all I can tell you now. It is safe and it is yours if we survive this. I promise.”
“
Ok. I guess I should let you in on what we are really doing. I hope you really can strip Wren’s powers, but I need to go by the apartment.”
“
What? That is too dangerous Nells. I can strip Wren’s powers but I can’t let you go back to the apartment. It’s too risky,” she said indignantly.
I was already loaded with a response though. “I remembered something when I got my memories back. I have something in my apartment that is very important. It is the one trinket I have from my past and I can’t part with it. We need bags too just in case we never get to return. Contingency plans are important. We need one.”
She got stuck on the trinket part of my statement. “Trinket, what type of trinket exactly?”
“
It is a charm bracelet from my mother,” I replied.
This just made her curiosity grow. “What type of charm bracelet Noel? This is very important.”
“
I don’t know, just a bracelet with some jeweled charms on it. Mom told me to never lose it. I always kept it in my jewelry box.”
“
Ok, but don’t tell anyone else you have it. I don’t know who we can trust right now. One bag and that is it ok?” she said with resignation in her voice.
“
Thanks Autumn! I promise we will be very careful,” I replied as we crawled to a stop just down from the apartment.
“
We need a disguise spell. I think they will be watching the place for sure. We know Wren is in on this so I will be Wren and you can look like the cat lady in our building. That is the best I can think of. It is going to take a minute though. I have to mix the spells up.”
Ten minutes later, we left the comfort of the luxury SUV and strolled separately up to the apartment. As expected, there was a man at the door and Autumn quickly dismissed him. I couldn’t believe how easily she modeled as Wren.
It was scary really. She even shut the door in my face. I made a shriek and reopened the door. After making sure there was no one else around, we opened my door and she stepped in first. Once she made the rounds and discovers no one, I entered.
I ran to my room thinking of what necessities I needed. I pulled down my red duffle bag and began to toss in a set of clothes and my small hope chest. It had everything I ever found of value in it. Then I toss in the few articles of jewelry I couldn’t part with.
Since we were here and I was so fast at packing I stripped down and put on some fresh clothes. I threw on some black yoga pants and a long sleeve three button teal Henley. I put my Nikes on and tied my stringy hair into a ponytail. Good thing cat lady could stretch into my clothes.
I must not have been that fast, because when I reentered the living room, Autumn was already back with a bag of her own.
“
All done princess?” she joked.
“
Sure am. Let’s get out of here before we get caught,” I replied.
I went first then Autumn followed. We managed to make it to the car without detection by some miracle. Autumn tossed our bags in the backseat and I turned the car on and put it in gear without even a pause. Once we had safely made it away from the apartment building, I turned to Autumn.
“
So Wren, where are we going to now, my arch nemesis?”
“
Ha Ha, I thought we would drop our bags in the back of The Green Vixen first. Keep the bracelet in your bra. We need to keep it in your possession. Then I want to go to the cemetery. I need to go to the one a few exits up on the service road,” she answered ominously.
I just nodded and hopped onto Main Street towards The Green Vixen. Autumn figured it would be safer if she went in alone and I agreed. If there were any guards, she could dismiss them safely.
I pulled into the handicap spot in the rear of the store and Autumn jumped out of the car with both of our bags. After a few minutes, she returned completely breathless. “Drive. I almost got caught. We need to get the hell out of here.”
We merged onto I-70 and were headed toward the cemetery. I was a little less than thrilled about hanging out at a cemetery, but I would do just about anything to strip Wren’s powers. She was just too scary with them.
We got off the highway as the blanketed congestion of the rush hour began to swell. Just a few short minutes later we were entering the massive wrought iron gate of the cemetery.
A shiver spilled through me as we entered. It was as if I could feel the unrest in the place. It was truly creepy. Trying to shake it off, I pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine.
“
Nells, can I see the bracelet?” she asked.
“
Yeah sure, I guess,” I replied already pulling the bracelet from my bra.
I turned it to face Autumn and she gasped, hand over her mouth. “Where did you get that?”
“
My mom, I told you. She told me to never lose it. Why?”
“
That is no ordinary bracelet. That is very old and very powerful. The stones on that bracelet…” she started.
“
What? Spit it out already Autumn,” I said impatiently.
“
Moonstone, Amethyst, Chalcedony, Citrine, Opal and Chrystal Quartz, those are incredibly powerful psychic stones. I have never seen anything like it. The power that radiates off of this is unreal. It looks very old.”
My eyes widened at her response. “So it will make me more powerful? Will it help me find Sam?”
“
Yes. It will help you immensely. Put it in your bra and show no one, not even Boone. That is very powerful and can be very dangerous in the wrong hands,” she replied.
“
Ok, can we get this done? This place gives me the creeps,” I said changing the subject.
“
Yeah, lets. I don’t want to be here anymore than you do. I too can feel the unrest at this cemetery. That’s why we are at this one. There is good earth magic here. I can feel the power.”
We found a fresh grave and the scene pretty much went like the binding in my vision. Autumn pulled out her pack and began unpacking it. I sat quietly as I watched her chant in Latin and anoint the newly packed grave. When she was finished, I heard Autumn speak.
“
Earth, I call forth your healing powers through death of one’s flesh and blood as passage,” she said before lighting the black candle and facing due west.
She pulled out a cloth doll and wrapped it in yellow yarn and tucked it with pieces of ivy while burning a stick of incense.
“
I bind thee Wren Lucas to only earthly demands until such as to unbind thee.”
Then she buried the doll she had been holding in front of the grave and used a handful of the dirt to snuff out the flame.
“
I thank the powers that blessed this ritual tonight. Merry part and merry meet again.”
When she was finished, she stood and wavered. It was clear the power she had drawn. I rushed to steady her.
“
Thanks, Nells. I think it worked. Gosh, what time is it? How much time do we have left,” she asked.
“
It’s quarter after five. We have forty-five minutes left and it takes about forty minutes from here,” I replied.
“
Ah, just enough time I guess. Let’s get going then.”
We walked silently from the graveyard to our stolen SUV. It seemed so ironic to witness the very ritual that stripped my powers all those years ago. I was worried about going into battle with Autumn clearly so weak from the spell.