Legacy (8 page)

She found a
dust
cloth and swiped it across the mirror. A soft tinkling wafted through the air, like crystal wind chimes, but there was no breeze within the house.
She swiped the cloth again and the chimes
sounded. Passing the cloth over the ornate mahogany brought a lustrous glow to the frame.

“That’s so much better.”
The voice came from the mirror.

Tears rushed to Mercy’s eyes when she saw a beloved face materialize behind the glass. “Gran!” she gasped.

“Don’t cry, my darling. I’m here for you.”

“No, you’re not,” Mercy cried. “You’re there, wherever there is.” She sniffled. “W
h
ere ar
e you
exactly and why are you
in
side
the mirror?”

“Why, I’m here in Minah.”
Gran spread her hands in a wide gesture. “I
have
..." She hesitated. "A
task to do here before I return, my darling.
And I’m caring for an injured
brownie
so I must make sure he heals
properly.”

“A brownie? You mean
like a tiny Girl Scout or
the chocolate kind?” Mercy envisioned her grandmother
chas
ing a big chunk of chocola
te with a bite taken out of it.

Gran’s laugh was reassuring. “No, dear. I mean one of the little people, something bet
ween a leprechaun and a fairy.”

“You say that like they really exist.” M
ercy pressed her lips together.

“Of course they exist, dear. You just have to look for them.”

“But how can I see something I don’t believe in. I mean, it’s like you’re asking me to believe in
things like
unicorns and…” She cast about for something equally ridiculous.

“Like witches?” Gran
cocked her head to one side.

“Oh!” Mercy
stared,
her mouth agape.

“It’s al
l
right, dear. People may or may not believe in us, but we do exist.” Gran
placed her
palm
against the
surface separating them
.
“I have been looking, but I can’t figure out how to get back home.
The path was quite easy to follow when I entered, but it seems to have magically overgrown. I have to stay until I've completed my...my task. Then I'll find my way out and return to you, my darling.
”

Mercy reached a trembling hand
,
but drew back when she touched the cold glass. Then she placed her palm against the image of Gran’s hand.
The cool, hard
plane
seemed to evaporate and it was as if she was touching her grandmother’s warm hand. Her throat tightened. “Oh, Gran! What’s going to happen now?”

“I wish I knew
. I’m trying to locate the path back across, but my friends here are making it difficult for me.” She sighed. “I guess the
creatures here in Minah
need me.”

“I need you!” Mercy wailed.

“I know, dear and I need you too.
I had planned on guiding you through your training myself, but I had to make alternate arrangements.”

“Darynda!” Mercy laughed.

“Yes, the Witch’s Training Channel has been charged with your education.”

“But how did you. . .?” She paused. “I mean, from there?”

Gran smiled. “Only my physical presence is being detained here in Minah. I’m still a witch and my powers are free to protect you and to act in your best interests.
When you step beyond the gate, my powers will no longer be able to guard you, but as long as you're within the boundaries of the fence, my protection will be your shield. This house is
protected by a strong enchantment. Y
ou will find that all your needs
will
be provided for.
" She smiled and it seemed that the entire room grew lighter. "
And of course, you have Alistair.
”

“Thanks for leaving your cat.
”
Mercy
snorted. “
He’s got way too much attitude.”

“Alistair is a fine companion and will protect you with his life.” Gran withdrew her hand to shake her finger. “You must respect him, for he has a valiant soul.”

“Yes, I will
,
”
she
said, feeling properly scolded.

“I must go, but I am watching over you. Take care, my precious.” And she was gone, fading into nothingness until Mercy was staring at her own image in the glass.

~*~

CHAPTER FOUR

Mercy awoke Saturday morning feeling comforted. At least she knew where Gran was and that she was somehow
still nearby.
She had no idea what it meant to have 'an enchantment' protecting the house and grounds. Perhaps anot
her thing to ask Darynda about.

Alistair
slept
curled at the foot of her bed. His paws were tucked under him and his eyes were closed. He looked like any other cat.
Having a cat appointed as her guardian was less than confidence inspiring.
I mean, in an emergency, how much help could a cat be?
Would he hiss and growl? Maybe his fur would fluff up and he would scratch?
She shook her head. Alastair was a well-fed and content feline. She couldn't imagine him perturbed about anything, much less being defensive.

She remembered that she had failed to
remind
Gran about her impending date with Greg the following weekend. She
was having anxiety about the dance. On the one hand, she was excited about going on her first date with Greg. On the other hand, she didn’t know what to wear and she was
pretty certain she didn’t know
how to dance.

She went to her closet and surveyed the meager contents. She had plenty of school clothes and jeans. She had Sunday dresses. What she didn’t have was a dress fit to wear to a school d
ance with the hottest boy ever.

She had talked to
Felicity
about her pitiful wardrobe and what she might wear to dance with Greg.
Felicity
had immediately
reminded Mercy that she was the shopping goddess. She
suggested that they go to the mall to select proper dresses for the dance and arrange
d for her mother to drive them.

M
ercy went to her secret cache, which was a
n empty tin that had once held sugar cookies. She kept it hidden
in the back of her closet. She pulled it out and carried it to the table. When she opened it,
a feeling of hopelessness settled over her.
S
he stared at the thin stack of dollars
h
eld together with a paper clip. She didn’t bother counting it, because there was no way she could purchase a suitabl
e dress with this small amount.

She closed the top of the cigar box
and folded her hands on top of it.
I wish I had enough to buy a dress. I wish I could look g
reat
Friday night. Maybe I should just tell Greg I can’t go.

She sighed and started to stand up
,
but decided that she might want to count the money anyway. When she opened the box, she thought the stack of cash didn’t
appear to be
as small as it had the first time she looked at it. Maybe she had been mistaken. Maybe there was more than she had originally thought. She took the bills out and carefully counted them. She hadn’t remembered having so many twenties. In fact, she didn’t remember having any twenties. She marveled at the stack
of cash in the pile before her.

Wow! I have so much
more
money here
than I thought
. I can
buy
a dress. I can
even buy shoes
.

She pressed her lips together, trying to recall the last time she had put money in the box. It had been a few weeks ago when she had helped old Mr. Knox clean out his shed. He always asked her to give him a hand with chores
,
like when she pulled weeds in his garden or when she painted the balusters on his porch. She distinctly remembered he had given her two crispy ten dollar bills, but she hadn’t counted the total.
S
he folded the money and stuffed
it in the pocket of her jeans.

Mercy fed Alistair and
tossed some grain for the chickens. She thought that the bucket of grain looked to be at the same level as it was the day before. Perhaps she hadn't fed them as much as she thought.
Maybe, like everything else in my life lately, it's a magic bucket? Yeah, right.
She snorted and closed the chicken yard gate and ran inside the house.

S
he
took a quick shower and
got ready for the shopping expedition. She wanted to be ready so she could run out the door and not have anyone come inside the house to discover her grandmother was missing.

She
steppe
d outside
the gate
and
immediately felt a little tingle of energy she hadn't noticed before. Not exactly electricity, she decided, but definitely a force of some kind.
Good to know
.

She didn't have to wait long. W
hen
Felicity
’s
family sedan
slowed in front, she ran to climb into the back seat. “Thanks for the ride Mrs.
Porter
.”

Felicity
’s mom greeted her and in a short time
,
deposited the girls at
the main entrance to the mall.

A troop of gymnastic butterflies were doing back flips in Mercy’s stomach. She patted the wad of cash in her pocket and followed
Felicity
through the revolving door into the cool air-conditioned interior
.
It was early, so the shin
y surfaces were still gleaming.

Felicity
was brimming with excitement, her eyes wide and a grin fixed to her face. Mercy couldn’t help but
catch some of her enthusiasm.
S
he
paused in front of one of the
brightly lit store windows
and gazed at the
dizzying
array of
dresse
s.
However
, Felicity
had a
single
destination in mind.

“
Don’t even look!
We are not going to shop until we get to the Trends Today store. That’s where all the popular girls shop.”
She led Mercy to a particular store
where she was sure they would find the perfect dresses
.

Once inside, Mercy
stared at
the displays aimed at you
ng
shoppers. Bright colors
a
nd trendy clothes were on exhibit everywhere she looked. A bouncy rhythm blared through the sound system.

Felicity
grabbed her hand and dragged her to the rear of the store where dressy dresses and formal
w
ear
hung on racks.
There was a fragrance in the air and every mirror was polished.
Felicity
started pawing through the racks and pulled one out to hold up against her. “What do you think?

Mercy considered a moment. “I think the color brings out your eyes.”