Spells A La Carte (Mystic Cafe Series Book 3) (15 page)

I felt as if we were being watched as we walked down the sidewalk. It was almost as if they were in there waiting for us. Did they know that we were coming? They couldn’t have, but it sure felt that way. As we neared the shop, Tom motioned for me to pause.

We stopped just at the edge of the window to the coffee shop. Tom peeked over the side and then immediately leaned back against the building.

“Are they in there?” I whispered.

He nodded. “Yes, they’re ripping the place up. I guess they’re looking for the book.”

“The owner must not be there. I wonder how they got inside?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but I have to go in there.”

“What do you mean, you have to? Don’t you mean we have to?” I said.

“They are dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt,” Tom said with worry in his eyes.

“That’s sweet of you to worry about me like that, but I can’t let you go in there by yourself,” I said.

“I do this kind of thing all the time,” Tom said.

“Yeah, but not when I’m around to see it. If I don’t know about it, then there’s nothing I can do, but right now I know what kind of situation you’re getting yourself into,” I said.

“How about you help me by being my lookout on the outside of the building?” Tom said.

“The lookout for what? The criminals are on the inside with you.” I gestured toward the building.

“Okay, I’m going in,” Tom said.

He marched toward the front door. I held my breath. I didn’t know what else to do. Would the door be open? Soon enough I found out because Tom opened the door and strolled into the coffee shop like he owned the place.

I knew Tom was mad and he wasn’t going to take anything else off these two. I really wanted to see their faces when they saw Tom walk through the door. I just couldn’t stand there and do nothing. No matter what he said, I had to go in. 

I inched my way toward the front door. I was probably asking for trouble by going in there. Tom was right—if I stayed out here, I wouldn’t be subject to their magic. If they tried anything I could help Tom by calling for backup. If we were both hit with the magic it would be no help to either of us.

I’d almost made it to the door when I heard lots of loud noise and bangs. It sounded as if they were fighting in there. Like with actual punches and throwing things. I had no idea how I would stop that.

I made it to the door and swung it open. My adrenaline was flowing so quickly that I almost broke the door when I opened it. I rushed in to see that Tom was in fact fighting with Ron. Meredith was at the side cheering Ron on. When she spotted me her eyes narrowed. She was like a tiger ready to pounce. Tom looked back and spotted me. At first I thought he looked angry that I was there, but then it looked as if relief fell over him. I spotted the book in his hand. I looked at Meredith and she looked at Tom. I got the impression that she knew what was about to happen.

“Elly, catch.” Tom raised his arm up and tossed the book at me.

I had never felt as much pressure in my whole life. I knew that I had to catch the book before Meredith caught her greedy hands on it. The book flew through the air. I’d never been good with hand-eye coordination, so I figured that this wouldn’t end well. I watched the book and raised my arms. Somehow a miracle happened and the book fell into my hands. I almost dropped it, but managed to keep it in my grip.

“No!” Meredith yelled. “Get back here.”

I turned and ran. I didn’t know if Tom would be able to stop them from catching up to me. I didn’t know what would happen if they did. Right now my mission was to get the book away from them and keep it away. The book was big and heavy, so that didn’t make running any easier. My sides and feet hurt. I didn’t know where I was going. I was too afraid to look over my shoulder. I knew what I needed to do. I needed to hide.

I didn’t have Tom’s car keys, so I couldn’t drive away with the book. I would have to find a place to hide. With most of the businesses closed today, there was no place for me to slip inside. Up ahead was a small alleyway that led to the parking lot behind some of the shops. It wasn’t wide enough for traffic. Only people could walk down there. I decided to go down the alley and hide around the back of the building. I couldn’t keep running at this pace. I would pass out on the sidewalk soon if I didn’t stop.

Once I made it to the back of the alleyway, I turned to my left and slipped next to the building. There was a little spot where I would be out of sight of anyone who walked by. I didn’t want to put the book down, but I needed to call Mary Jane. While trying to hold the book with one arm, I reached in my pocket with the other and pulled out my phone. I dialed Mary Jane’s number while still balancing the book with one arm. I wasn’t sure how long my arm would be able to withstand the weight.

I wasn’t sure why I was calling her. It wasn’t like she had a car and could come rescue me. I just didn’t know who else to call. After several rings she finally picked up.

After I explained the story, she said, “Don’t you worry, I’ll find a way to get there.”

I hung up the phone and released a deep breath. What would I do in the meantime? I wanted so badly to go back and check on Tom. I was worried that they might have done something to him. Actually, I was convinced that they’d done something to him, just like they had to Rory. Poor Rory.

I’d told Mary Jane to meet me behind the buildings. Thank goodness no one had found me behind there yet. That was my biggest fear at the moment. As I stood there worried that I’d be caught at any moment, a roar came from the parking lot. Was an airplane landing nearby? What was it? My phone rang, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to hear with all the noise.

“Hello,” I yelled.

“I’m here. Where are you?”

“Where are you?” I asked.

“The parking lot.”

I peeked my head out. I spotted an old green car that looked as if it would break down at any second. Mary Jane waved from the passenger seat. I slipped out from my hiding spot and ran as fast as I could toward the car. Who was behind the wheel? When I got closer, I spotted Grandma Imelda’s big white hair. Mary Jane motioned for me to hurry. When I neared the car, she opened the door and got out.

“Where did you get this car?” I asked.

“Imelda borrowed it,” Mary Jane said.

“Wow. It’s going to be a fun ride.”

“Hey, you!” I heard from somewhere behind me. When I looked over my shoulder, I spotted Meredith and Ron running toward me.

Tom wasn’t with them. Of course I didn’t expect him to be since they were running. But what had happened to Tom? A chill ran down my spine at the thought. Now we had three people missing. I was angry and wanted to confront Meredith and Ron right then, but I couldn’t put Grandma Imelda and Mary Jane at risk by doing that. It would be a bad idea to take on the two of them by myself anyway. Now that I didn’t have Tom’s help I felt lost. Meredith yelled at me again.

“Get in quick,” Grandma Imelda screamed.

I jumped in the backseat of the car and slammed the door shut. Meredith and Ron had reached the back of the car. They slammed their hands on the truck and Grandma Imelda screeched away. When I looked back, Meredith and Ron had fallen onto the ground. Grandma Imelda sped out of the parking lot.

“That was close,” Mary Jane said.

I righted myself in the backseat and pushed the hair out of my eyes. “I can’t believe that they found me.”

“They are a mean couple, aren’t they?” Grandma Imelda said as she sped down the street.

“That’s probably an understatement.” I looked back to make sure they weren’t behind us.

“Now what do we do?” Mary Jane asked.

“I don’t know.” My mind raced with thoughts but none of them offered a good idea. Mary Jane looked to Grandma Imelda.

“Don’t look at me. I may be old, but that doesn’t mean I have the answer to everything.”

I had gotten them in this mess and now I needed to be the one to get them safely out.

“Okay, I need to calm down. If I clear my head I should be able to think of something,” I said. “As much as I hate to say this, I think we need to drive back to find Tom.”

Grandma Imelda looked at me in the rear-view mirror. “You’re right. We can’t leave him back there.”

“I don’t even know if he is still back there.”

“Where do you think he would be?” Mary Jane asked.

I sighed. “I think he might be in the same place as Rory and Reagan.”

Mary Jane’s face darkened. She and I both knew that was a bad thing.

“Well, at least they don’t have the last book,” Mary Jane said.

“And we need to keep it that way,” Grandma Imelda said as she turned the car at the green light.

We made it back to the street where the coffee shop was located. I hoped that Meredith and Ron didn’t think to come back here. They would probably figure out soon enough that I would come back to look for Tom though. When we neared the shop, I could see that his car wasn’t there.

“He’s not there.” I leaned back in the seat.

“Just because his car isn’t there doesn’t mean that he’s not there,” Mary Jane said. 

True. She did have a point, but it was highly unlikely. Where would they have taken his car?

“Why would they have left him?” I asked.

“Maybe he got away,” Grandma Imelda said.

Mary Jane nodded. That did seem possible. If anyone could get away it would be Tom.

I looked down at the book in my hands. “Someone has to go in there and check to see if he’s there.”

“I’ll go,” Mary Jane offered.

“No, I can’t let you do that. But you have to hold the book while I go look.” I couldn’t believe that I was letting go of the book. I’d had a firm grip on it since Tom had tossed it to me. “You can’t let anyone get it.”

Mary Jane’s eyes widened. I knew she wasn’t so sure she wanted the book in her possession. I didn’t blame her.

“I promise I won’t let anyone get it.”

I released a deep breath and then handed her the book. She clutched it tight against her chest. I stepped out of the car. I looked around quickly to see if Meredith and Ron had caught up with us. So far I didn’t see them. I had to hurry. I ran over to the coffee shop and in the door. The place was a mess. Shelves were turned over and chairs and tables were smashed.

The sight of all the damage made my stomach turn. I hoped that Tom hadn’t been seriously injured… or worse. I didn’t even want to think about it.

I slipped to the back and called out, “Tom, are you here?”

There was no answer. The back door that led to the alleyway was open. I made my way around all the debris on the floor and over to the door. When I peeked out, I immediately spotted Meredith and Ron running toward me. How had they gotten here so quickly if they were on foot? And what had happened to Mary Jane’s car?

Panic took over and I turned to run out of the sop. As soon as I made it to the front door, Meredith and Ron entered in the back. I burst out the front door and onto the sidewalk. When Grandma Imelda spotted me running, she pulled the car further up the street to meet me. Mary Jane opened the door and then jumped over the backseat. I leapt into the car and slammed the door shut. Grandma Imelda peeled away from the curb just as Meredith and Ron raced to the car. Once again they were just short of getting me. I turned around and saw them standing in the middle of the road.

“I can’t believe you got away from them.” Mary Jane shoved the book toward me. “Here, take this thing back.”

I took the book and placed it on my lap. “We have to get out of town. I don’t think they have a car.”

“What did they do to my car?” Mary Jane asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t know. And what happened to Tom’s car?” My phone rang and I looked at the screen. “It’s Tom.”

“Oh, thank heavens,” Grandma Imelda said.

“I thought for sure that they got you,” I said when I picked up the phone.

“You were right. We did get him,” Meredith said.

Her words knocked the air right out of my lungs.

“What have you done with him?” I asked.

“Oh, no. What happened?” Grandma Imelda fidgeted.

“That isn’t important. What is important is that I get that book right now,” Meredith said.

“You seriously think I am going to just hand over the book to you?” I said. “You’re crazier than I thought.”

“I have something you want, am I correct?” She asked in a mocking tone.

“What have you done with Rory and Tom?” I demanded.

“So I do have something you want.” She cackled.

“If you knew the answer to that question then why did you even ask?”

“I’ll give you what you want if you give me what I want,” she said.

Now I was in a big pickle.

“I just saw my car back there,” Mary Jane said.

I whipped around. “What?”

“I think they’re back there but they stopped at a light. They’re looking for us,” Mary Jane said.

“Are you there?” Meredith asked.

“I’m still here,” I said.

What was I going to do? The whole town was now counting on me to save the magic. But I had to find Rory and Tom. “Do you have Reagan as well?”

“Who?” Meredith asked innocently.

“Don’t play games with me. I know by your tone that you know where she is. Have you hurt them?” I asked.

“Define hurt,” Meredith said.

That made my stomach turn.

“So are you going to give the book back?” she asked.

“You’ll let them go?” I asked.

She laughed. “Oh, no. There must be some misunderstanding.”

“What do you mean? I asked.

“I didn’t say you could have all of them. You have to pick just one.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How could anyone be so evil? How would I pick between Rory and Tom? I couldn’t and I wouldn’t. “I won’t agree to that,” I said.

“Okay. Why don’t you think about it for a few minutes and then let me know,” Meredith said.

“There is nothing to let you know. I just said I wouldn’t agree to that.”

“Fine then. I will just have to take the book from you and you won’t see either one of them ever again,” she said.

The line went dead. I looked at the phone. She had actually hung up on me.

“What happened?” Mary Jane asked.

“She wants the book.”

“Well, people in hell want ice water too,” Grandma Imelda said. “But they sure ain’t getting it.”

“What else did she say?” Mary Jane asked.

“She said that I had to pick between Rory and Tom. She would release one of them for the book. Or if I didn’t give her the book she would just come and take it. So I can’t win in this scenario.”

“Oh, no.” Mary Jane’s expression got even worse.

“Where do we go from here?” Grandma Imelda asked.

I had hoped she would have the answer to that. “Since I can’t give the book back and I have to help get Rory, Tom, and Reagan back, then we will have to try magic.”

“What kind of magic?” Grandma Imelda asked.

I tapped the book. “Maybe we’ll find something in this book. We could use a potion. Maybe put something in coffee. It would be easier in this situation. We need something that’s fast.”

“How will you get them to drink the coffee?” Mary Jane asked.

“Well, drinking the spell might be the easiest, but if they won’t do it, then we’ll have to try something else,” I said.

“Like dumping the liquid on their heads,” Grandma Imelda placed her hands on her full hips.

“Exactly.” I looked back. “Do you see their car?”

Mary Jane glanced back. “I haven’t seen them again.”

“Okay, how about we go back to the café and look at the book?”

“Don’t you think they will come looking for us there?” Mary Jane asked.

“Probably, but if we get a spell together quickly then we can use it on them. They’ll be walking right into our trap.”

Grandma Imelda punched the gas. “Then I guess we need to hurry.”

“Don’t wreck the car, Imelda,” Mary Jane said.

“I’ve been driving since you were in diapers, young lady,” Grandma Imelda said as she ran a red light. “Are you sure that they have Reagan?” Grandma Imelda pulled up in front of the café.

“Meredith didn’t say she did, but I assume that she does. I don’t know what to believe though.”

We jumped out of the car and raced for the door. I looked around but to my relief didn’t see Meredith or Ron. We just needed enough time to figure out a spell. What kind of spell, I had no idea. I was hoping that we could get an idea once we looked inside the spellbook. I clutched the book tightly in my arms as Grandma Imelda opened the door.

We raced back to the kitchen and I placed the book on the counter.

“Now what?” I asked as I peered down at the tome.

Grandma Imelda scooted the book closer to her and flipped open the cover. Sparks zinged across the room and we all jumped back.

“Wow. That’s a powerful one,” Grandma Imelda said. “They probably don’t use it enough and that’s why it has so much energy.” As Grandma Imelda flipped the pages more sparks zinged through the air.

“What kind of spell should we look for?” I asked.

“Well, we need something that will make them not be able to do magic,” Grandma Imelda said.

That seemed like a tall order, but I guessed we had to give it a shot. Mary Jane and I watched as Grandma Imelda looked from page to page. She read a few sentences on each page, shook her head, and then flipped to the next page.

As she read on, she paused and looked at me. “I think this one will do it.”

I waved my hand. “Whatever it is, we need to try it. What do we need for the spell?”

Grandma Imelda looked at the shelf full of spices. “I hope we have everything we need.”