Chapter Twelve

 

Things felt very different now that I knew I was going to be in front of the cameras rather than behind them. As we clustered together, ready to make our debut, I spotted Brutus slinking up and let out a sigh of relief. He might be a contrary cat who seemed to care about little more than food but he’d obviously picked up on the fact that I was feeling a bit nervous and come to provide me with some much-needed moral support. Then he ignored me and made a beeline for Trevor Bellows, snaking round his legs.

Bellows leaned down and absentmindedly scratched Brutus behind the ears. In response, my cat let out a tiny meow. ‘You’re a clever little thing, aren’t you?’ Bellows murmured. ‘I wonder what you’d say if you could really talk.’

He really didn’t want to know. I threw my errant familiar a narrow-eyed glare and turned away, noticing Winter at the far side, scrutinizing all the last-minute preparations. Barry was deep in conversation with another of the producers so I took advantage of the moment to edge over.

‘Hey.’

Winter glanced at me and frowned. ‘You need to stop talking to me so publicly, Ivy. It’s common knowledge that we were once partners but we still need everyone to believe that I came here to keep an eye on you.’

‘That was rather clever of me to come up with that, wasn’t it?’

He sighed. ‘Ivy…’

I reached up on my tiptoes and slapped him in the face.

‘What the hell?’ He spun towards me.

‘Is that enough?’ I enquired.

‘Now everyone is looking at us!’

‘They were looking at us before. They’re just not hiding the fact any more.’ My eyes danced but I kept a stern frown on my face just for show. Then I raised my voice. ‘The Order should have sent someone else. You shouldn’t be here, Adeptus Exemptus. It’s a conflict of interest.’

‘Don’t be too enthusiastic with your protests,’ he growled, ‘or Enchantment will demand someone else takes my place.’

‘And the Ipsissimus will ignore them. They can’t dictate who is here.’ For good measure, I raised my hand to slap him again. This time he was prepared and caught my hand before it connected with his cheek. ‘Stop that!’

I leant forward, hoping it looked like I was demanding he release me at once. ‘The vial I told you about that’s around Belinda Battenapple’s neck,’ I said, keeping my voice low. ‘There’s definitely something fishy about it. I quizzed Moonbeam and he couldn’t wait to change the subject. It’s definitely worth investigating.’

Winter let go of my hand. ‘Investigate it then.’

I crossed my arms. ‘You’re the Order rep around here. I’m just the hired help.’

‘They won’t let me get close to her,’ he muttered. ‘I think they’re afraid my presence might sully her reputation. If an Order investigator is seen talking to her, word will get out and—’

‘And it’ll be all over the press.’ I wrinkled my nose. ‘That’s annoying. I guess that yet again I’ll just have to do your job for you.’

‘I’ve told you before not to be overly reckless, Ivy.’

Pah. ‘I’m not reckless,’ I informed him. ‘I just don’t see why you always have to take the long way round when there are shortcuts.’

‘If you get hurt…’ His voice trailed off.

I met his eyes. ‘What? Would you be upset?’

Winter took a deep breath. ‘Of course I would be.’

‘Is there a problem here?’ Barry shouldered his way between us and glared at Winter as if he’d compromised my honour.

‘Everything’s fine,’ I snapped. ‘I just hate having this man around.’

Barry pulled back his shoulders. ‘Leave Ivy alone,’ he said to Winter. ‘She’s not with the Order and she’s no concern of yours.’

I raised an eyebrow. It was rather sweet of Barry to come to my defence like that. Winter nudged me with his elbow as if in warning, so I did my best to play my part. ‘Yeah, Adeptus,’ I said. ‘I’ve got nothing to do with you any longer.’

‘As long as you’re on this television show, Ms Wilde,’ Winter said with what I thought was a tad too much sneer even for Barry’s benefit, ‘then you’re my concern. Everyone here is my concern. Magic is not something to be played with like a toy.’

‘Oh, I’m well aware of that, Adeptus Exemptus Winter. I have just as much respect for magic as any of you Order geeks do.’

‘Geeks?’ A line marred Winter’s forehead as he bristled. ‘If a geek is someone who works hard and has respect for others then, sure, call us that.’

Barry coughed. ‘Maybe we should go.’

Both Winter and I ignored him. ‘It’s always work with you, isn’t it?’

‘Hard graft is not something to disparage, Ms Wilde.’

‘Ooooh.’ I flounced. ‘Look at you and your big words. And here was me thinking that army intelligence was an oxymoron.’

A muscle throbbed in Winter’s jaw. ‘I’m a damn sight more intelligent than Tarquin bloody Villeneuve.’

‘I know that!’ I shot back. ‘But given he has the smarts to equal a plank of wood, that’s hardly surprising, is it?’

He took a step towards me. ‘Is that how you like your men? Weak and stupid so you can run rings around them and wrap them round your little finger? Does it make you feel good to flaunt yourself in their faces and have them pant after you?’

I jabbed my finger in his chest. ‘You don’t get it, do you? The only person I want panting after me is you and you don’t care! All you’re interested in is the bloody Order and your latest assignment. When you look at me with those ridiculous blue eyes of yours all I want you to do is—’

Barry grabbed hold of my arm. ‘Uh, Ivy,’ he interrupted. ‘I don’t think this is a good idea right now.’

I shook Barry off. Winter stared at me. ‘What?’ he asked softly. ‘What do you want me to do?’

My mouth was suddenly dry. ‘I, er, I…’

‘This is our sixty-second countdown!’ Clipboard Lady yelled. ‘Everyone get to your places and shut the hell up!’

Barry took my arm again, all but dragging me back to the group of contestants. Each and every one of them was gazing at me open-mouthed. I wasn’t interested in them, though; I was only interested in Winter. He was watching me like a hawk, with his expression completely shuttered. Arse.

I couldn’t even pinpoint when our play-acting had become real. Or was he still making it all up? It hadn’t seemed that way. I thought he was coming around but maybe I was mistaken. Or maybe he was starting to feel a little of what I felt for him. I shook myself. That was silly. We were complete polar opposites. And yet … he continued to watch me, ignoring the flurries of activity around him.

‘Well,’ Lou fanned herself. ‘That was something. That was something indeed. I don’t blame you. He certainly is gorgeous.’

And intelligent. And quick-witted. And sensitive. And … arse. Arse. Arse. I wondered how badly it would reflect on us if I just ran back over and dragged him away from here so we could talk properly. Screw Enchantment.

‘Ten seconds!’

Something batted my leg. I looked down to see Brutus sauntering away. I took a deep breath. We were here to stop any more murders and to find out who was disturbing the dead. I shook myself mentally. I had to sort myself out. But Winter was still bloody well staring at me.

Belinda’s dulcet tones filled the air. Regardless of why she’d been interrupted yesterday, her script hadn’t changed. She stuck word for word to what she’d said last time. ‘It’s Friday and we are here in the stunning Highlands of Scotland for the most epic, most unique and most special series of Enchantment every created. Twelve new contestants are waiting in the wings and all of them have special skills and abilities. All of them want to win the coveted Trophy of Spells. And all of them know that,’ she paused for dramatic flourish before she launched into her catchphrase: ‘Magic. Is. In. The. Air. Welcome back to Enchantment!’

The gaggle of producers herded us closer to the stage. I caught one last flash of Winter’s sapphire eyes before I was swallowed up in the crowd of contestants. It was too late to do anything now. Story of my life.

 

***

 

Given that the show was pre-recorded I hadn’t expected it to be seamless but I wasn’t prepared for the stopping and starting that went on. Bellows fluffed his lines on three separate occasions and had to restart. A dark cloud momentarily passed across Belinda’s sculpted cheekbones and she had to be re-shot. At one point, Brutus darted across the stage. Considering how heartily Bellows and the rest of the crew laughed, however, I had a feeling that part wouldn’t be edited out.

With all the delays, I was convinced that I had plenty of time to sneak away and find Winter again. That was until one of the make-up artists who came up on stage to re-touch Belinda’s foundation gave her a small mirror to hold, and she dropped it accidentally. It smashed into umpteen pieces. Surely even Winter wouldn’t be able to ignore that kind of omen.

Once all the opening scenes had been covered, the contestants were brought up on stage one by one. Barry’s explanation about why they had been given the chance to get to know each other first now made sense. Each of my supposed competitors was on their very best behaviour, offering happy smiles into the cameras and hamming it up for all they were worth. I was fascinated by how well they each fitted into their assigned roles. Maybe the producers were cannier than I’d given them credit for and they really did have amazing insights into each person’s character.

I glanced down at my own costume and grimaced. I hoped not.

Mike bounded up onto the stage and flexed his muscles, flashing a toothpaste grin to an almost simpering Belinda. Harriet, who was still taking every opportunity to throw me the evil eye, all but shuffled over when it was her turn. Her shoulders drooped and she spoke in a hushed voice: The Mouse indeed. The trouble was that, in my experience, it was the quiet ones who you had to watch out for.

Rachelle, a beautiful young woman of Haitian descent, swayed her hips and murmured fake voodoo incantations to elicit a gasp. Shoto, the token Asian, spoke of Zen’s role in creating powerful magic spells. Lou blushed and told everyone she was just a housewife who’d discovered a talent for magic when she’d burnt some cupcakes in the oven and managed to reverse their dodgy appearance. Although when Belinda prodded her, Lou admitted that they’d still tasted of charred sponge.

I hopped from foot to foot. ‘I need to pee,’ I told Barry.

‘You’ll be fine,’ he said. ‘It’s just a nervous reaction. Once you’re up there, it’ll go away.’

I thought of all the coffee I’d downed before Amy and I left the room that morning. ‘Nope. I really do need to pee.’

‘There’s no time.’

‘But…’

Barry rounded on me. ‘Listen,’ he said. ‘I need you to stop being so difficult and get with the programme. Literally. I’ve never had a contestant of mine in the final and I think you could be the one to do it – if you play your cards right. But all this running off and causing problems isn’t going to endear you to anyone. If you want to do well, you need me on your side.’

I blinked at him, astonished. Barry had a lot of hidden depths. ‘Good for you,’ I told him. I was aware it probably sounded patronising but I meant it. ‘I still need to pee though.’

‘Tough.’ He gave me a little shove. ‘You’re up.’

My stomach flip-flopped then I sternly told myself to get a hold of things and tripped up the small flight of steps.

‘Our twelfth contestant is quite unlike anyone we’ve had on Enchantment before. She’s told us that the allure of competing in our special Highlander survival edition was simply too great to pass up,’ Belinda beamed.

What? I’d said nothing of the sort. Even so, I did exactly the same as everyone else and put on my best smile. Except smiling so broadly hurt, so I decided that maintaining it would be too much effort and relaxed. I’d go for more of a mysterious Mona Lisa expression instead. It required less energy.

‘She used to be a member of the Hallowed Order of Magical Enlightenment, so we are expecting great things from her magic skills! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Ivy Wilde!’

Reminding myself not to twitch, I nodded at Barry and took my cue, walking onto the stage and greeting Belinda. Even though it was still daytime, the artificial stage lights were bright so it was difficult to see much of anything beyond the stage. Was Winter watching me, along with everyone else?

The others sat bolt upright on the contestants’ special chairs, which faced Belinda’s, as if having good posture suggested an upright and moral personality. I slouched, leaning back gratefully because the chair was quite comfortable.

‘Make yourself at home, Ivy,’ Belinda told me.

I hooked both legs over one of the armrests and grinned. ‘Okay.’

Belinda laughed, playing the part of congenial host to perfection. ‘Is this why you were expelled from the Order, Ivy?’

‘Because I got too comfortable?’ I shook my head. ‘Oh no, Belinda. I was expelled for cheating and assault.’

Her mouth dropped open and she sent a quick sidelong glance towards Armstrong who was watching from the wings on the other side. ‘Seriously?’

‘Oh yes.’ I briefly considered telling her that it was on trumped-up charges but I didn’t think that would endear me to the Ipsissimus. Or Winter. Sometimes the truth hurts. I shrugged. ‘I was a different person back then. I’m much more mellow now.’ I smiled. ‘I promise not to deck you.’

She tittered. She was obviously taken aback by my honesty. Either that or Armstrong’s digging hadn’t uncovered the real reason why I’d been booted out from the Order and I’d genuinely shocked her. It didn’t matter; I was fishing for something different to meaningless plaudits from strangers.

I eyed Belinda’s neckline and thought I could see a faint bulge where the vial was hidden. I had to take this advantage and get a closer look at it but I wasn’t sure how to do it while being filmed from every angle.

‘So you must have magical skills which you think you can put to good use in our challenges,’ she said. ‘Do you think you have an edge on the competition? We have some talented contestants this year, you know.’

I was fully aware of the protocol. I was supposed to say something along the lines of how much I respected my fellow Enchantment competitors and how they were going to be difficult to beat. I couldn’t be bothered with all that palaver. It was already proving hard to keep track of the web of lies I’d found myself embroiled in; I didn’t need to create more by affecting false modesty.

‘I can assure you,’ I told her, ‘that they’re no match for me. You see, Belinda, I’m a real witch and I can do real magic. Not the silly tricks that you usually see from Enchantment contestants but serious show-winning stuff. If anyone messes with me, they’ll be sorry.’

‘Those are fighting words.’

My inner fan danced at the glee in her voice. ‘It’s just the truth.’ I leaned in slightly. ‘I can give you a demonstration if you like.’

Belinda turned to the camera, giving it a full wattage smile. ‘We’d like to see that,’ she said with a purr.

Bingo. I pulled myself upright and dropped my hand. I didn’t want the cameras to catch my rune – I couldn’t give away all my secrets. ‘I need you to stand up,’ I said. ‘If you don’t mind.’

‘No problem.’ She rose gracefully to her feet.

I cast a critical eye up and down her outfit. ‘The one thing that has always impressed me about you, Belinda, is how well dressed you are. Didn’t you win an award for that last year?’

‘I did indeed.’

I tightened my muscles and concentrated. It was vital to get this right because I’d probably only have one chance. I should really be thanking Wardrobe Lady for giving me the idea. ‘That tartan really suits you,’ I murmured, beginning to move my fingers. ‘I bet it would look simply fantastic as a ballgown.’

Belinda cocked her head. ‘Do you mean…?’ Then she gasped. The tartan skirt she was wearing began to change, dropping down to her feet and billowing out in a meringue-style concoction. I flicked my attention to her top half, transforming her blouse into a low-cut bodice of the same material and removing her scarf. Her décolletage was perhaps a little too risqué but at least now we matched. Even better, the vial around her neck was now visible.

I considered removing it completely but if it did have any magic surrounding it – and that magic was linked to Belinda herself – then its removal could cause chaos. This way was safer. And I’d get a good look at the thing.

‘This is amazing!’ Belinda gave a twirl. ‘I feel like a Scottish princess! You really are a talented witch, Ivy!’

I was indeed. I’d be more talented if I could tell what liquid was inside that little glass bottle. I moved closer to her. ‘I just need to make a few adjustments,’ I said, with a furrowed brow as if I were trying to work out what was missing.

The vial was hanging on a delicate silver chain and was stoppered with a tiny amount of purple wax. The etching on the outside of the glass appeared to be Chinese characters, so I had no way of knowing what it said. There couldn’t be more than three ounces of liquid inside it and, now I was close, I could see that it didn’t resemble mercury at all. It was silver and relatively viscous but there were strands of other colours within it.

Distracting my audience, I flicked out another rune and altered Belinda’s hairstyle from loose chic to an elaborate chignon. For good measure, I added a tiara on top. ‘Now you’re Queen Belinda!’

She reached up and touched her hair. ‘Wonderful! I need a mirror!’

I winced. She’d already done enough damage with the make-up artist’s mirror. The last thing any of us needed was more bad luck to contend with. Even though I knew I’d regret it later because of the energy it required to conjure one up, I created a full-length mirror out of the chair I’d been sitting upon.

While Belinda gasped some more, I angled my head closer to the vial. I could see swirls of black and orange in the silver liquid. They seemed to moving all the time, expanding and contracting within the confines of the glass.

‘Beautiful,’ Belinda said. She curtsied to her reflection.

I smiled. ‘A workman is only as good as her tools.’ I glanced at her reflection and focused on the vial, memorising every millimetre of it. This was probably the best chance I would get.

I released the spell and reversed the runes, returning Belinda to her original form before doing the same to the mirror so I could sit down again. They might have been simple spells but they were enough to sap me of what little of my energy remained. All I wanted to do now was curl up and sleep. Okay, that was about all I ever wanted to do. This time, however, I was genuinely liable to doze off while on television. Between bringing down the zombie and all of this malarkey, my body was about ready to throw in the towel and resign for good.

Fortunately, Armstrong was clearly concerned about the changing light as the day wore on and motioned to Belinda to wrap things up. She smiled, pointing down at her clothes with an expression of marvel, and thanked me.

I tripped off the stage like the good little contestant I was supposed to be. However, the tight knot of worry I felt at what was in that damn vial was quickly becoming a full-blown panic attack.