Page 34 of Star Witch
He nodded. ‘I heard. But it was one family a long time ago. While their descendants are still in the area, they don’t have any discernible magic. They’ve already been interviewed. They don’t have any links to the animated anomaly that attacked us last night either. I’ve already checked. The truth is that none of this started untilEnchantmentcame to town.’
‘And with the traces of crap magic we’ve found around the set…’ I sighed. It did seem likely that the television show and at least one of its crew were connected.
‘The situation is different now. Even if the production company agreed to shut downEnchantment, we’d have to start from scratch again. At least this way we’re in the right place to catch the bastard who’s doing this.’ He squeezed my arm. ‘There are back-up teams already on their way from Oxford. They’ll stay out of the way unless we really need them but we know that they’ll be there.’
My bottom lip jutted out. I really didn’t like this. ‘Can I at least stop being a runner now?’
‘Your cover remains in place. We need to provide for every eventuality and you can sneak around less noticeably than me if you’re just another crew member.’
As if to add credence to that irritating sentence, someone shouted to me from the other side of the path. ‘You! You’re wanted in the tent!’
‘I have a name!’ I yelled back.
‘Ivy,’ Winter warned.
‘Yeah, yeah. I don’t see why you get to be the expert swanning around while I have to be the dogsbody.’
He lowered his head to my ear as the ghost of a smile crossed his face. ‘Join the Order and become my partner for real then maybe things will change.’
Not in the way I wanted them to. I lifted my head and breathed in Winter’s musky scent, filling my lungs with it. Good grief, he smelled divine.
‘Get a move on!’ bellowed the same plonker from before.
I cursed. ‘I’d better go.’ A few drops of rain began to fall from the sky. I supposed at least I’d be inside for a while. Small mercies.
Winter’s hand still lingered on my arm. ‘Be careful, Ivy. If you see or suspect anything, you come and find me first. Don’t put yourself inanyunnecessary danger.’
There was something about the look in his eyes that made me think he was very earnest. I nodded and tried to smile.
‘I mean it,’ he growled. ‘No matter what it is, if there’s any hint of danger then we investigate it together. Promise me.’
‘I promise,’ I whispered. Very, very reluctantly, I plodded off to the entrance of the producer’s tent. I was pretty certain that Winter watched me the entire way and I couldn’t help injecting a tiny bit of extra sashay into my stride. Unfortunately, it seemed to be about the only part of all this I had control over for now.
***
First of all, I had to sweep the floor. Then re-arrange the schedule board to show the updated version. Then make copies of the new schedule and deliver them toallthe crew. When I got back to the tent just about ready to collapse, I was ushered into the main space and told to make coffee for all the producers who were sitting around a large table and too deep in discussion to manage a please or thank you.
I plonked myself down in the far corner and sat cross-legged on the floor. It was all becoming too much. I tried to will my legs to work but it wasn’t happening; instead I pushed my head back so I could see the top of the refreshments table. Then I used a quick series of runes to set out the cups and saucers.
There must have been quite a rattle of china because several of the producers’ heads turned in my direction. One blonde woman nudged the man next to her and the pair of them watched as I lazily lifted my hand. At least there was a decent-sized urn with enough hot water in it to do the trick. I ignored their stares and continued. Some of us had real work to do. The group eventually gave up on the Ivy Wilde Show and continued their discussion. I was too tired even to listen, despite their tones of worry and displeasure.
I’d just finished magically dispensing teaspoons to each saucer from my vantage point on the ground when Belinda entered with a young man who I took to be her assistant. He was holding an umbrella over her head and, rather than fold it up, he left it open. I squeaked in dismay. This might only be a tent but we were still indoors. I’d already had all the bad luck I needed for this year.
Abandoning the coffee cups, I lunged for the still-dripping brolly. The man gave me an astonished look.
‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ I yelled at him. ‘Don’t you know anything?’ I snapped the umbrella shut and flung it back at him. His reactions weren’t fast enough to catch it and it fell uselessly to the floor.
Belinda raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow in my direction. ‘Is there a problem?’
‘I should think,’ I said through gritted teeth, no longer caring that I was talking to one of my idols, ‘that a magical show would know better than to tempt fate.’
A flicker of amusement crossed her face and she exchanged glances with the seated producers, as if to tell them that they’d employed a crazy person. Honestly. I was surrounded by idiots. Famous well-paid idiots, but idiots nonetheless.
She sat down. ‘I’m afraid it’s bad news,’ she began.
I snorted to myself. If she went around indoors with open umbrellas that was hardly surprising. I stopped paying her attention and collapsed in the corner again. My small spurt of energy meant I’d need to sit down for at least another half an hour.
Using some carefully designed runes, I transported each cup to the urn and filled it up before sending it through the air to each seated person. One by one, they all fell silent as my bippity-boppity-boo ensured they were appropriately watered.
