Love Croakies by Sam Cheever

Author:Sam Cheever [Cheever, Sam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Electric Prose Publications

15

Ding Dong, the Witch is Decidedly Less Dead Than We’d Hoped

Osvald’s ruddy face was angry, the thick veins on his neck bulging with pique. “Have you lost your mind, man?”

Archie looked completely at ease in the old wooden chair at Shakespeare’s desk. His smile was slightly condescending, which I didn’t think was going to go over well with the irate…er…head. “Don’t throw a wobbly, Morty…”

I snorted. Morty.

“We need your expertise,” Archie told him with a frown. “You’re the only person who’s survived navigating one of these things. Your practical knowledge is invaluable.”

A dark, bushy brow lowered over a menacing black eye. “Yes, and it worked out so well for me, didn’t it?”

Archie shrugged as if the loss of a body was a trivial issue. “You had a spot of bad luck.”

Osvald’s dark, scraggly head tipped backward on a bark of laughter. “Yes. You could call it that.”

Archie’s manner softened. He leaned forward. “Look, Morty, this is important. I wouldn’t ask you if it weren’t.”

Archie’s change in manner seemed to reach Osvald where his previous arrogance hadn’t. “How far would we need to travel?”

Archie grinned, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. “A mere mile or two. Hardly long enough to matter.”

When Osvald didn’t immediately refuse, Archie’s face lit with excitement. “Brilliant! This will be one for the books.” Judging by his wide grin, I was starting to worry he was more interested in piloting an anomaly through The Enchanted Forest for the scientific chops it would give him, rather than to help me.

But, if it got us out of dealing with those wraiths, I was all for it. I’d just try not to focus on the whole, losing my body thing.

Ogre boogers!

The bell on the front door jangled, and I jumped. Sebille had already locked up and set the ward. I touched Archie on the shoulder and mouthed, “I’m going to see who’s here.”

He nodded and turned back to Osvald. The two of them were lost in plotting our adventure through The Enchanted Forest.

I opened the dividing door and stepped through, looking at the door. If I squinted, I could still see the glow of the special ward we used to keep magical trouble out. The regular deadbolt was still in place too.

Despite the jangle, the door didn’t appear to have been opened.

Hm.

The store was empty and quiet.

I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and swung around.

There was nothing there.

Ice formed on my spine as I pulled Keeper magic into my hands. It flared silver and bright, spitting into the silence of the store. My magic might be defensively limited beyond Croakies’ walls, but it was a force to be reckoned with inside them. “Whoever’s here, show yourself.”

The atmosphere thickened and swirled in creams and browns near the door and something twirled away, leaving a high-pitched giggle in its wake.

I frowned. “I said, show yourself!” Putting magic into my voice to lock the intruder into place with my command, I sent a cloud of silver energy rolling through the area where I’d seen the movement.

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