Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

We made quick work of that chore and soon stepped back to admire our job. Everything was as it had been before our arrival.

A thought struck me and I looked up at Tegan. "Could Clara have put them out there?"

A smile touched the corners of his lips. "Do you think she could lift those stones?"

I shrugged. "Maybe she used magic to put them there."

"Perhaps, but she hasn't exhibited that kind of magic," he pointed out as he led me toward the road.

"What kind of magic has she exhibited?" I asked him.

"Potions like Cordelia can create," he reminded me as he stared ahead. "Though we should look through the trial archives to see what else she's created for our host."

We returned to the house and discovered chaos on the front lawn. Dozens of servants were scouring the area looking under bushes and in trees. Lusio stood a few yards from the front door with the meek Miles in front of him.

Our host's face was as red as a tomato and he stabbed a finger at the expansive property. "Find her! Find her immediately!"

"What seems to be the problem?" Tegan spoke up as we reached the man.

Lusio shut his eyes and gritted his teeth before he turned his fitful face on us. "Do you have something to do with this new trouble?"

"You'll have to tell us what that is before we can answer," Tegan countered.

"Then I'll tell you," Lusio snapped as he spun around to fully face us. "The witch is missing and I can't finish these trials without her help."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Clara's gone?"

"That's what I just said!" he roared as he stomped a foot against the ground. There was no earthquake, but there may as well have been with the way all the servants winced. "Now I must waste valuable time and money searching for her sorry wrinkled hide!"

The servants double-timed their search efforts and scattered to the four corners of the villa grounds for any signs of the witch. Tegan caught Lusio's wild eyes. "When did she disappear?"

Lusio threw up his hands. "How should I know? Sometime between last night's trial and a few minutes ago when Miles went to fetch her!"

"Where does she live?" Tegan questioned him.

Lusio shot him a look of death. "You and your damned questions!" He took a step toward us and wagged a finger in our direction. "No trouble like this has ever happened before you two came here!"

"The trouble would have arrived whether we were here or not," Tegan countered as he folded his arms over his chest. "And if you want our help then we'll need to see the location where she was probably kidnapped."

"See it all you want!" Lusio ranted before he whipped his head to Miles who stood off to one side. "Show them her hut and then come back here to help search!"

Miles bowed his head. "Yes, sir. If you will come this way."

The order was directed at us and Miles didn't waste any time hurrying in the direction of the beach. We followed and soon found ourselves scrambling across the sand in the direction of our first stroll. Miles scurried as fast as his legs could take him and was soon winded by the effort, allowing us to pump him for information.

"Why were you fetching her?" Tegan questioned him.

"The. . .the master wished for her to make the final preparations for the. . .for the trial," Miles wheezed.

"When did your boss hire Clara?" I wondered.

"Since the very first trial," Miles informed us as he clutched his hand over his heart.

"And no one else has ever crafted the magic for the trials?" Tegan asked our winded guide.

Miles shook his head. "No one, sir."

We reached the point where I had seen the trail between the dunes and Miles turned us onto the path. The trail wound its way between the piles of sand and into the tall grasses. We soon found ourselves stepping into a small hollow nestled between the dunes. A ramshackle hut sat in the middle of the open and slightly depressed area and the wild grasses provided an extra barrier that hid the peaked and mossy roof from view. You had to practically be standing atop the wall of sand to be able to see the home.

A small garden was planted out front and featured a variety of plants, none of which I recognized. There were bright pinks and blacks of vegetables that resembled tomatoes and carrots, but they featured warts and other abnormal growths that made me gag at the sight of them. Herbs of various shapes, colors, and questionable origins hung from the tilted porch in front of the hut.

The building itself was a mixture of late decay and early mold. The boards that made up the walls had been stained by the sea and harvested none too early from those salty waters. A window stared at us and featured a myriad of colored and normal tinted panes, all of which were so filthy they might as well have been painted black. The roof wasn't thatched so much as it was covered in a thick carpet of mildew.

The whole structure tilted to one side, defying gravity. The only thing keeping it upright was the stone chimney. The rocks had been harvested from the beach and featured shells and imprints of seaweed. All in all, it looked like an inviting death trap.

I caught Miles' attention and pointed at the hut. " Somebody lives here?"

He nodded. "Miss Vesper prefers a simple lifestyle."

"What does she do with the money Lusio gives to her?"

He shook his head. "I know not, sir, but allow me to show you around."

Miles scurried down the short embankment and we followed. The door was slightly ajar and a gentle wind knocked it against the frame. He opened it and stepped aside to allow us entrance.

Tegan hesitated and looked between the darkened interior and the servant. "Aren't you coming in?"

"I will-" He paused and seemed to swallow hard. "I will follow after you, sir."

Tegan lifted an eyebrow but stepped inside. I followed and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the weak light. The floor was made of the same rustic boards as the wall and the place was a mess of cobwebs and dust.

That's all I had time to observe before Tegan grabbed my hand and spun us around to escape through the door. The entrance slammed in our faces and I heard a key turn in the latch. Tegan tried the doorknob but it didn't budge.

He pounded against the wood. "Open the door, Miles!"

"I-I can't do that, sir," came the mechanical reply. I barely recognized the voice as the servant, so devoid was it of any human emotion.

"Why'd you shut it?" Tegan snapped at him.

"You must remain here, sir." A strangled gurgle emanated from his throat and I heard a scuffle of feet as if he was grappling with someone. The noises lasted only a moment before all was quiet again and his mechanical voice came through the door. "All of you must remain here. Do not attempt to escape. You will merely force you back inside."

I heard his footsteps cross the short porch and step onto the sand. Even that muffled noise soon faded to nothing.

"What the hell just happened?" I asked Tegan as he pressed his shoulder against the door. "Why did you try to

"Look at the corner near the chimney," he directed me.

I turned to face that direction and my weak eyes saw what his glowing ones had caught almost immediately. Clara Vesper was stuffed into the corner with her hands bound behind her back and her ankles tied together. A handkerchief covered her mouth and her head was slumped to one side in unconsciousness.

I turned back to Tegan. "I take back my theory about her putting those stones there."

A ghost of a smile touched his lips before he stepped away from the door and glared at the entrance. "This is sturdier than it looks."

"Mhmghm."

The sound came from the corner. We whipped our heads around and found Clara's sharp eyes staring at us over the gag. Tegan and I hurried over and he knelt beside her.

"Did Miles do this to you?" Tegan questioned her as he removed the handkerchief.

She shook her head. "I don't know. The rascal snuck up behind me early this morning before first light and hit me on the head."

"Is the door always that tough to open?" I asked her as Tegan cut away her bindings.

She rubbed her sore wrists and shook her head. "The door is charmed. I can't break it without help."

Tegan finished his work and smiled up at me. "It just so happens that we have that help right here."