Chapter 7

  Meredith And The Toad

  “Lock up and come into the house,” Thomas spoke verbally instead of telepathically.

  Blip!

  The toad disappeared in a purple haze. Meredith waved her wand, set the shop’s security spells, righted the spilled display table, and deactivated the glow orbs as she and Cici stepped into the house proper. Meredith flicked her wand, and the multiple candles floating about the house lit. Thomas sat on the central kitchen counter. He waited for the pair, unblinking.

  “Thomas?” Meredith edged closer with Cici at her heels. “I didn’t know you could talk!”

  “There are a great many things you do not know yet, child,” Thomas replied. “We will examine them together in due time. For now, we must contact your grandmother and inform her of what has occurred.”

  Cici leaped onto the counter near Thomas. “What’s a toad going to teach a witch?”

  “All will be explained in due time,” Thomas said patiently. “But first, we must contact Ethel.”

  “Right,” Meredith said as the trio stepped, hopped, and padded into the sitting area before the table the crystal ball sat upon. Meredith sat in a cushioned chair before it while Thomas and Cici sat on the armrests. She placed her hands on each side and let her magic flow between them. It intermixed with the swirling, cloudy magic that wafted within the orb. Meredith conjured a mental picture of Grandma and focused on it. Soon after, an image of Grandma from the shoulders up permeated the hazy interior of the crystal ball. The background was yellow and blurry.

  “Oh! Hello dearie!” Grandma turned to face Meredith, her brow furrowed in concentration. “How are you? It must be late over there!”

  “Hey, Grandma!” Meredith smiled softly as she removed her hands and scooted back in the chair. “Everything is okay. Thomas said I should contact you. Are you busy?”

  “No, no,” Grandma replied as her body jerked sideways.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course, dearie! A centaur is trying to ruin my vacation, but my boys are taking care of it! So, Thomas spoke with you! And only after about a week! Very impressive! He usually doesn’t come out of his shell for years.”

  “Ethel,” Thomas interjected. “This is important.”

  “Well, out with it!” Grandma exclaimed. Meredith could see her wand arm moving frantically.

  “A vampire came into the shop today,” Meredith stated flatly. She was exhausted, her nerves were fried, and her tone exemplified it.

  “Oh, was it Robert? He’s a handsome one, isn’t he?”

  “Ethel!” Thomas interrupted.

  “Samuel then? I used to shrink down and surf on his wavy hair!” Grandma laughed.

  “He attacked your granddaughter a moment ago,” Thomas croaked.

  “Were you bitten?” Alarm flashed upon Grandma’s face.

  “No,” Meredith replied meekly, hugging herself. “Cici and Thomas helped.”

  “What happened?”

  Meredith gave her a brief retelling.

  “Well, then, I hardly see what all the fuss is about. You successfully defended yourself.” Grandma frowned. “Honey, that’s the nature of running a magical shop. You’ve got to be on your toes! I’m sure you’re rattled now, but just take a sleeping potion and go to bed. You’ll get used to this kind of stuff. I can sense the protective spells are up, so that’s good.”

  “Ethel,” Thomas said. “Your granddaughter was wholly unprepared for a vampire attack! What were you teaching her during your practices and duels?”

  “Clearly, you all did what you were supposed to do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be calling me right now.” Grandma tilted her head with a threatening, challenging smile.

  “Ethel!” A man’s voice emanated from beyond the crystal ball’s image of Grandma. “We’re going to roast it in a pit barbeque at the tiki bar by the beach!”

  Grandma nodded and waved.

  “Who’s that?” Meredith asked.

  “Oh, it’s Clarence,” Grandma said. “Just one of my boyfriends.”

  “One of your boyfriends?” Cici mumbled.

  “Anyway,” Grandma continued unperturbed. “Thomas, you’re the one on guard duty. If my preparations were incomplete, by all means, educate!” Grandma then turned playful. “I know you want to! You can’t help yourself, can you? Meredith must’ve been extra nice to you.”

  Meredith was utterly confused and hardly had the energy to assemble the puzzle that was her Grandma. She was so nonchalant, yet Meredith’s nerves were shot. She might've been angry if she wasn’t so tired and confused. And she had boyfriends? As in, multiple?

  “Wallace also paid a visit,” Thomas ignored Grandma’s banter.

  “Yet here you are,” Grandma replied coolly.

  Meredith didn’t know what the devil had to do with anything or why telling Grandma was essential.

  “What are we talking about?” Meredith interjected, unfocused.

  “Thomas can explain,” Grandma stated. “He loves explaining things. I really must be going! I love you all! Good work protecting yourself! Sleep well, and be safe! Muah!” She puckered and kissed at them; then the crystal ball grew dark as the swirly mist swept the image of Grandma away.

  “Consider me befuddled,” Cici quipped.

  Meredith rubbed her temples and sighed, “I don’t know what’s going on.”

  “Do you want to contact your parents?” Thomas asked.

  “No,” Meredith replied instinctively, “I’m exhausted.” She knew her parents would demand that she return.

  “It is normal to be in shock after an altercation with a vampire,” Thomas stated as he turned to face Meredith. “Your grandmother is quite the adventurous risk-taker; it’s clear she has forgotten that incremental adaptations must occur before such an event can be easily overcome.”

  “I don’t even know what that means,” Meredith mumbled as she lazily sank into the chair. “Why did the vampire attack me anyway? Wouldn’t a non-magical person be an easier target?”

  “I have my suspicions…” Thomas trailed off. “Anyway, vampires are simple predators that feed when hunger strikes them. They are bound to ancient, demonic magic and must abide by the laws that limit their spread, such as being unable to walk in the sun or enter an abode if they are not welcome, which saved you tonight. If you remember, he asked you for permission to enter. It wasn't until he no longer had that permission that he was forced out by the magic bound to him.”

  “I see.” Meredith nodded. “What about Wallace? Why did you bring him up?”

  “I hope their visits are unrelated, but I will explain later. I don’t want to fill your head with unnecessary worries. For now, I think you should take a sleep potion. Tomorrow is another busy day.”

  Meredith agreed. She got up from her chair and made her way to the kitchen. She looked everywhere but couldn’t find any sleep potions stashed away. Meredith would have to make her own. With a shaky wave of her wand, she summoned a cauldron and Grandma’s potion book and flipped it open. Once she found the recipe, she sought the ingredients on the kitchen shelves.

  “So, what’s your story, Thomas?” Meredith asked, trying to distract herself and settle her nerves. She pulled small jars off a shelf. “And how come you didn’t speak to us earlier?” She returned to the kitchen island to see Thomas and Cici seated atop it. Cici groomed himself while Meredith summoned a mortar and pestle and followed the potion book’s directions.

  “I did,” Thomas replied. “I told you to close the apothecary drawer.”

  “That’s not what I mean,” Meredith replied tartly, surprised by her sassiness, but it was late, and she was tired and shaken. She sighed in frustration. “Why didn’t you talk to us like you’re talking to us now?”

  “Oh,” Thomas said. “I am shy.”

  Meredith chuckled at the ridiculousness.

  “Focus on your potion,” Thomas said. “It will help calm your nerves.”

  Meredith realized her hands shook slightly as she handled her ingredients and utensils. She took a breath to steady herself.

  After a slight pause, Thomas asked, “Meredith, do you know any protective spells?”

  “Off the top of my head, I can remember the spells Velos Arien and Selkar Myrin.” Meredith ground herbs within the mortar.

  “Ah,” Thomas hummed. “The deflection ward and the raise rock wall spell. Very good, but not the most effective for defending against a physical assailant such as the vampire we met tonight. It is clear to me that Ethel’s instruction was inadequate. I will take you on as my student.”

  “Thank you?” Meredith replied quizzically.

  “I will teach you a spell that will protect you from most physical harm, meaning it can protect you from another creature touching you. Your grandmother picked it up from a cult that worshipped the moon; however, it is very advanced and physically taxing.”

  Meredith dumped her ingredients into the cauldron and, with a steadier flick of her wand, lit a small flame under it that licked along the sides. Then, she summoned a wooden spoon to stir it. It would be a while before the potion finished brewing. She wiped her hands on her robe and pulled her wand out of her pocket. If Thomas was willing to teach, she was willing to learn.

  “I’m ready.”

  “Oh dear,” Thomas telepathically sighed. “I swear, your grandmother….no matter. This spell doesn’t require your wand, but we need to get you a proper holster for it. Storing it in your pocket simply won’t do, lest you scrounge across a floor looking for it again. That is a task for later. Anyway, repeat after me: Fyra Lunai Velra.”

  “Are you going to talk to me out loud or telepathically? It’s a little confusing.”

  “Both.”

  Meredith sighed in frustration and fumbled her wand a bit as she stashed it back into her pocket.

  “Don’t be cross with me,” Thomas continued. “My vocal cords don’t work like yours or Cici’s.”

  “Oh,” Meredith stated dumbfoundedly. How hadn’t she thought of that? “Sorry.”

  “It’s no matter,” Thomas replied. “Go ahead and try the spell.”

  She didn’t know where to direct her power, but Meredith repeated the incantation and let the magic flow out of her body. White flames erupted across her, completely engulfing her. Meredith was taken aback in shock.

  “Whoa!” The flames died down a bit.

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  “Focus! Maintain the flames; they will not harm you or anything you do not intend to harm.”

  Meredith steeled herself and focused on the flames. It was odd to see the white fire licking off her body without the painful burning sensation. It actually felt quite nice. She waved her arms around. The flames whipped off them, and anything she touched was unburned.

  “End the spell.”

  Meredith ceased the flow of magic, and the flames immediately extinguished. Coldness seeped over her, and a dull pain in her stomach replaced the full-body coziness of the white flames. She doubled over as the pain increased.

  “What’s happening to me?” Meredith grimaced as she held her belly. “It feels like my insides are twisting!”

  “What did you do to her?” Cici howled, ready to pounce on the toad.

  “You will be fine. This spell requires both magic and calories as fuel,” Thomas replied calmly. “It is only to be used in extreme circumstances.”

  “What the hell are calories?”

  “They haven’t been discovered yet,” Thomas replied matter-of-factly. “Basically, you’re hungry.”

  “Gods, this is terrible,” Meredith whined as her stomach growled loudly. “I’ve never been this hungry in my life!”

  Meredith steadied herself with one hand on the island, the other caressing her starving belly. She became fervently aware that she hadn’t had dinner yet. Meredith whipped her wand and summoned a simple meal of buttered biscuits and cheese for her and dried chicken strips for Cici. Thomas politely refused anything to eat and sat silently. He was adamant that he would not say another word until after Meredith ate and settled herself. The pair quickly supped in the kitchen and then moved to the sitting room, Meredith in a cushioned chair by the fire with Cici seated atop the chair’s arm. The potion continued to brew on the counter.

  Thomas appeared in the chair opposite and began, “You asked about myself and the devil, Wallace. Our histories are intertwined. He has been after my power for quite some time.”

  “Why?” Meredith asked as she sank into her chair and lazily pet Cici’s back. “What power?”

  “I was not always a three-eyed toad,” he said. “I was once a man, an average wizard in a peaceful era. It will be more informative to show you my history rather than tell it.”

  “What do you—"

  The eye in the center of Thomas’ head emitted a sharp purple flash.

  Meredith and Cici blinked away the blinding light from their eyes. They found themselves standing in a darkened and unfamiliar cottage. It was small, cramped, and had all the signs of belonging to a magic user, as it was filled to the brim with cauldrons, books, scrolls, and a plethora of magical baubles. Meredith turned and saw a young, tan man with long, wavy black hair. He was clad in a blue robe and sat in a wooden chair, hunched over a desk pushed against the wall. A small circular window above cast a ray of sunshine over him and his work. Rolls of parchment were sprawled across the desk. The man shuffled some notes, oblivious to Meredith and Cici.

  “Where are we?” Meredith mumbled as she glanced at Cici. He simply flicked his tail.

  “Excuse me!” She called nervously to the man, but he did not turn nor make any indication that he heard Meredith.

  “Excuse me!” Meredith called again, more firmly, as she inched closer to the person.

  “You are within my memories,” Thomas’ voice echoed throughout the cottage. The toad appeared on the desk. “Everything you see is completely intangible.”

  Meredith walked up behind the man and leaned over his shoulder. He fervently wrote inscriptions that she couldn’t read.

  “This was me,” Thomas continued. “At the ripe age of twenty-four. I was an ambitious and rambunctious youth with energy to spare but no worthy endeavor to spend it on. The few friends I had were far away or deceased.

  “As I said before, I lived in a tranquil time. No town needed an extra wizard to pop blisters or administer potions. Powerful magicians and their host countries kept the peace. There were no wars to prove my worth, no quests to claim riches, no damsels in distress, no lost cities to explore. It was altogether boring. My name was not sung in any streets. I was an unknown entity with a massive ego, much to my dismay. Worst of all, I was afraid of death, especially of dying with nothing to show for what my life amounted to. Eventually, I began to explore different avenues to cheat death and eventually experience the thrill of an exciting life. I figured something exciting would eventually happen and wanted to live through it.”

  Thomas disappeared as a blur of memories flashed past Meredith and Cici. They were in a torchlit cave with the human version of Thomas investigating sordid runes scratched onto the cave walls.

  “It was a silly thing, after all,” Thomas’ voice echoed. “I merely needed something to pique my interest. The history of those who have cheated death—or attempted to—was fascinating to unearth. Unfortunately, I devoted myself to this endeavor and loved it.”

  A cloudy swirl of darkness enveloped Meredith and Cici. Then they were in a dimly lit operating theater with hooded figures watching a witch attempt to resurrect a decaying corpse lying atop a disgusting gurney.

  “I had unwittingly found a small community, all searching for the same result. It was nice to gather with like-minded fellows.”

  Black swirly mist, then the pair found themselves beside the human Thomas in a dank and dark library. He held a book with a face meshed into the skin-bound cover. Meredith passed through more disturbing flashes of images and memories.

  “At twenty-eight, I made a breakthrough. I discovered how to steal the life force of the living and add it to my own. I started small at first with bugs and rodents. The feeling was invigorating, intoxicating even. I quickly moved on to larger prey.”

  Meredith grew uneasy. She was unsure of the person she had just become acquainted with and wondered why Grandma kept such insidious company. Then, they were in a dank and moldy jail cell. A man in ragged clothes sat hunched in a corner. Light from a torch beyond the iron bars cast long shadows across the cell.

  “This wretched man was my first. He was found guilty of murdering his family and was to be put to death.”

  Thomas’ human specter appeared before the man. He held out his hand and recited an incantation. The murderer glanced up at the newcomer as a green light glowed from Thomas’ outstretched palm.

  “I set myself upon criminals. They were going to die anyway. Why waste a perfectly good life when it could supplement my own?”

  A bright green flash blinded Meredith. She winced, and when her eyes recovered, she found herself and Cici floating high above a small village—standing, rather, in mid-air. Before them sat a dark-cloaked Thomas astride a white broom. Unseen and unfelt wind jostled the hood that hid his long, pepper-gray hair, though thin tufts wisped out from under it.

  “At forty-three, I learned how to conduct my magic across wide areas. A terminal illness struck the town below. I relieved them of their misery for my own gain.”

  The human specter held his hand out as if reaching for the town. A large, green, convex light shimmered from his outstretched hand and widened. Another flash of green light blinded Meredith. The memory swirled into black clouds before a new scene appeared. Thomas was again on his broom, high in the air, hovering above a vast battlefield. A long white beard descended from his hood, along with several white locks. Below, scores of armored men stood across each other, ready to attack.

  “By the age of one hundred and twenty-seven, I was quite adept with my skills and had been addicted to the power I absorbed for over a hundred years. I would travel to war fields and cities; anywhere densely populated. I became death incarnate; the very mention of my name stirred unease. It wasn’t the fame I had imagined as a youth, but I didn’t care anymore. I had unwittingly created the excitement I craved as a young man, yet I quickly learned that I had crafted an unchallenged life, just as boring as it was when I had started my quest.”

  Darkness enveloped Meredith and Cici. The three-eyed toad version of Thomas appeared before them.

  “By the time I was two hundred, I grew bored with life, yet I feared death all the same despite being well acquainted with causing it. I changed as a person. Life had become my sole obsession to the point I grew so selfish as to steal the lives of innocents. I had a large stockpile of life force, but it wasn’t enough. I drew the ire of many in the magical community. Many sought to slay me.”

  Another memory flashed before Meredith of the human version of Thomas being ambushed in his cabin. The attacker plunged a knife into Thomas’ abdomen. Thomas stumbled backward, then stood straight as he pulled the knife out and flung it aside while the wound quickly healed.

  “None succeeded.”

  The memory disappeared in a haze of black mist.

  “At the age of three hundred and sixty-one, I had claimed millions of lives. Kings tried to buy me, and enchantresses tried to seduce me. Druids far and wide hailed me as nature’s great hero for eradicating the world population’s blight against nature, and just as many claimed I was unbalancing nature. I did not care either way. At four hundred and two, a coven of witches entreated me. I refused them.”

  Meredith was within another memory. Once again, Meredith and Cici found themselves floating high above a dark forest. They were within a storm of gray clouds, pelting rain, and whipping winds. A dozen black, billowy forms astride brooms swarmed around a sole figure. Flashes of light erupted from them as spells streaked through the sky. Some splashed across the combatants. Meredith heard the witches wail as one of their own fell from the sky in a fiery explosion.

  As the battle extended, more witches slowly began to fall until only six remained. They surrounded Thomas. Meredith drifted closer and saw that the coven had encased a weary Thomas in a large, gold, translucent polyhedric structure. Thomas sat atop his broom, bloody, battered, and breathless. The remaining witches were equally frazzled. They encircled their prisoner, wands held aloft.

  The witches emitted a faint, wispy golden energy ribbon extending towards Thomas’ enclosure. The coven recited a long and complex string of spells as their captive blasted away at the force field with fire, ice, electricity, and all sorts of explosive magic to no avail. It was impenetrable. A misty blue glow began to trail around the polyhedric force field as the witches continued their spells. Large, unintelligible, green, fiery symbols appeared above each of the witches. Purple miasma engulfed Thomas’ prison. Meredith could no longer see the raging wizard but could hear his tormented screams. A flash of yellow light erupted from the center and blinded Meredith. When she reopened her eyes, she saw the residual magic disperse, revealing a floating and unconscious toad, curiously, with the normal number of eyes a toad should have.

  The ritual was finished. One of the witches procured a small box from the pouch at her side, glided over, and placed the toad in it.

  Meredith and Cici were suddenly back in Grandma’s sitting room. They stared in shock at the toad seated before them.

  “Back when witches were feared the world over, transfiguring people was a common punishment. The witch who transfigured and captured me is your ancestor. I have been with your family for over eight hundred years.”

  Meredith sat in complete stupor.

  “This is a lot to take in,” she finally said.

  “Indeed,” Thomas replied. “I’ll have you know I’m no longer a threat. Many of my magical abilities are suppressed, and I’ve long ago repented for my actions. I’ve sworn an oath to aid your family. It is the least I can do to pay for my sins and atone for the curse I’ve placed upon myself and your family.”

  “Curse?” Cici meowed.

  “Would you call an immortal life as a toad a blessing?” Thomas replied.

  “I suppose not,” Meredith answered.

  “But what do you mean about my family? Is my family cursed?”

  “Indirectly. My presence is a curse, and I will illuminate the truth of the matter shortly. You have another question?” Thomas read the incessant, inquisitive expression on Meredith’s face.

  “What’s to stop you from transforming back into a human?”

  “The coven that sealed me within this form utilized an advanced form of magic: secret locking spells known only to the individual. I would need to know each of them, plus their matching key spells, which are also only known to the individual. They are all long dead. Without knowing all six key spells, it is impossible to circumvent the seal sans a blessing from a higher power. Alas, no gods have yet answered my prayers.

  “That brings this lecture almost to its conclusion. Our dear friend, Wallace, who by happenstance visited the very day your grandmother left, has been aware of my condition for quite some time. Through some sort of devilry, he discovered something about the magical system I had developed. Unbeknownst to me, I hadn’t created a spell just to take away one’s life force and compound it into my own, but also their souls. Within me resides the souls of millions. As you may know, the divine of the heavens and hells rely on mortal souls as their source of power. Wallace has been the single pursuer of the souls residing in me. He has made many plays for the well of untapped potential, including the promise of restoring me to my human form. I’ve refused, but that has not stopped him from attempting to spirit me away. Many enchantments have been placed on me to prevent him from directly stealing me.

  “In fact, your great-great-great-grandmother was the one who gave him reason to fear the witches in your family. The last bout against your family left Wallace with only a single eye. He has been lax about starting an altercation ever since, but that doesn’t mean he won’t! Devils are beguiling and clever by nature and prefer to use their slick tongues and smooth words to broker a deal in their favor to steal away their poor victim’s souls. They typically only use violence as a last resort.”

  “Let’s throw Thomas out and be done with this hassle!” Cici jested.

  “Cici!” Meredith flicked his ear.

  “Unfortunately for Cici, I am soul-bound to your family through my oath. Our partnership involves protecting one another.”

  Meredith sighed as she processed the information.

  “Why tell me all this now?” She asked. “Why didn’t Grandma tell me all of this? I should’ve known my own family’s history, the danger of my own existence, and should have been warned that a devil has been involved with my family for generations!”

  “Indeed,” Thomas replied coolly. “It is not my place to intrude in such personal matters, but I’m sure your mother and grandmother had their reasons.”

  “Wait, you know my mother?” Meredith felt dumb for not realizing it sooner. “Of course you do,” she answered herself.

  “Indeed.” Thomas blinked, “but that is a tale for another time. I have kept you up far too late, and your sleep potion has been finished for quite a while.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” Meredith whipped her wand and summoned the simmering cauldron full of potion and a small cup. Cici hated taking sleeping potions, so Meredith didn’t bother asking him if he wanted any.

  With her wand, she led a small trail of the dark red liquid out of the cauldron and into the cup, blew on it, and then drank it in one gulp. It felt warm sliding down her throat and settling into her stomach. Meredith swished her wand and sent the cauldron to the kitchen, where it was met with enchanted glass tubes that dipped into the potion and stopped themselves with corks before settling into an upright rack. She could sell them and keep a few stocked in the house.

  “Thank you for telling me everything tonight,” Meredith said. She felt better; her nerves had mostly settled from the vampire attack. It almost felt like it had happened a long time ago. Almost. Thomas had done an excellent job of distracting her.

  “It was a lot to take in, and I’ll need some time to think about it. And thank you for helping me with the vampire.”

  “I am duty-bound to assist your family. I am compelled to help, whether I want to or not. But I wanted to. You have proven to be an honorable young witch when you refused Wallace without knowing your family’s history. For that, you have my eternal gratitude.”

  Meredith smiled.

  “I’ve filled your head with so much tonight, but I have one final thing to impart, one lesson I hope you learn from your encounter with the vampire.

  “Which is?”

  “Always be prepared.”

  Meredith pondered it momentarily but was too tired to conclude how she could’ve prepared for a vampire attack.

  “Okay,” she said. “Goodnight, Thomas.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Meredith left the sitting area and got ready for bed. She extracted some of her magic and siphoned it into the power gem she kept on the desk. Afterward, Meredith fell onto her bed in her long, blue nightgown and sighed. She breathed all the tension away and slowly felt the effects of the sleep potion creep upon her as her wits dulled and her eyes grew heavy. Cici settled next to Meredith, and she pondered the risks of running the apothecary shop as she stroked his fur. Before she drifted off to sleep, her last thoughts were of the absurdity of the sudden appearance in her life of a devil, a vampire, and a transfigured, reformed mass murderer who was her new, self-prescribed teacher.