She shot him a glare that could have curdled milk. “You lot have my grandchildren mixed up in this.
You’ll not shut me out.”
“You’ve already been very helpful,” Owen said gently. “You gave me perfect directions to find the local magical folk, and they’re going to help us tonight.”
“This all has to do with those strange young men loitering downtown, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” I said. “And we’ll be getting rid of them soon enough.”
“Good. They have terrible manners.” She stood and said, “Then I suppose I’ll see you all this evening. You’re outnumbered, so you need me. I’ll have Teddy pick me up. I don’t like to drive after dark. Be sure to eat a good dinner.” And then she was gone before any of us could object.
“Now we see where Katie gets it,” Rod observed dryly.
I whirled on him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, would you let yourself be left out of this?”
“Not on your life.”
“I rest my case. How much help might she be?”
“I have no idea. I didn’t know she was magical until a couple of days ago. I just thought she was crazy.”
“She’s got a pretty vast knowledge of folklore and folk magic,” Owen said. “She’s also got a few good protective charms and healing abilities.” I remembered all the nasty herb teas she’d made me drink when I was sick as a child, and now I knew why her miracle cures never worked on me. She must have figured my immunity out, for she gave up on the teas after a few tries.
“It would seem that our magical assets include myself, Mr. Palmer, Mr. Gwaltney, and now Mrs.
Callahan, as well as Sam,” Merlin said.
“We also have Dean on the inside,” Owen added.
“And then Miss Chandler as an immune.”
“Plus my brother Teddy, who’s also immune.”
Merlin raised an eyebrow and said to Owen, “Now I see what you mean about an interesting family tree. And then we have whatever local creatures deign to show up. That’s against how many of them?”
“About two dozen to start with, but a few of them left this morning,” Dean reported.
“Mr. Idris is the only fully qualified wizard of the lot?” Merlin asked.
“As far as I can tell,” Dean replied. “Not that I’m an expert, but the whole group seems to be students.”
“Ah, then it looks as though the odds are in our favor. Shall we convene at the park half an hour before sunset?”
I finally managed to herd the magical cabal out of my office so I could get some work done and so the work of the store could continue. I couldn’t imagine explaining to my dad why I was holed up in my office with a group of strangers during peak operating hours. Owen let out a huge whoosh of breath when they were all gone. “I guess I’m not fired,” he said.
“Yeah, but the question is, will you have to stay after school when this is over?”
“Oh, this is definitely not the last I’ll hear of this. How much trouble I’m in will depend on how things go tonight.”
When I’d finished my work early that afternoon, I said to Owen, “Ready to go bait the hook?”
He sighed heavily. “We might as well.”
“Having second thoughts?”
“Of course, but I can’t think of anything else that would be as effective. I’m sure I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, but we don’t want you wearing yourself out before tonight. I’m worried about you.”
“You are?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Of course I am. Why do you think I’m here in the first place?”
“Saving me from myself, I know.” He sounded almost dejected.
I patted him on the arm. “I mean that in a good way. Do you think I’d have willingly left New York and come back here for just anyone?” That earned me the slightest hint of a smile and an incredibly cute blush.
I’d parked my truck behind the store in the loading area so it wouldn’t be as visible to anyone driving by. As we pulled out onto the road, Owen said, “Let’s go by the square. See if any of them are there.”
There weren’t nearly as many of the visitors wandering the square this afternoon, just a couple of groups. “Drive slowly by them,” he said. Then he turned his face to the truck’s window so he was fully visible.
One of the men in the group did a double take as I drove past, then he got the attention of the others and pointed. “Speed up now,” Owen directed. I gunned the truck to drive away as the group of wannabe wizards took off running after us. I was almost out of their reach when I reached a stoplight that had just turned red. The tires squealed as I slammed on the brakes. It was an intersection with a major highway, so I wasn’t about to try running that light.