Chapter 10
2363 Words
10Topper popped into Theo’s office with a minimum of purple sparkles. Her magic was weaker—probably the aftereffects of the hectic morning.
Sheriff Buchanan was peering out the window and turned at her appearance. He raised a ghostly hand and pointed outside to where Theo stood talking to a couple of men in black suits. A nosy man in a crumpled, white polo was with them. He had to be the scientist because they always looked like they’d just climbed out of bed.
Topper nodded and huffed, when the previous sheriff of Magic, pointed again. “Now I’m being chastised by a ghost for not doing my job. This whole town is spoiled. Topper, chase away the aliens. Topper, find my dogs. Topper, don’t let the men in black hurt us. What does everyone want from me? A miracle every three seconds?”
“Of course not, dear. More like every four or five seconds,” Aura said kindly from over her shoulder.
Topper called out at the same time Sheriff Buchanan blinked out of sight. “Aura! Don’t sneak up on me. You know I hate that.”
Aura patted Topper’s shoulder. “Sorry, dear. I just popped in to deliver a message before you went to talk to the men out there.”
Topper waited. Aura smiled. Topper held out both hands. “Okay. So tell me quickly. No telling what kind of bullshit Theo is feeding them. He’s not the most convincing liar.”
“Uh…” Aura winced. “Your normal powers aren’t going to work again until tomorrow morning. You can still pop around, but you can’t—you know—zap anything, or anyone.”
Topper frowned. “What’s wrong with my powers?”
Aura patted her shoulder again. “Nothing, dear. This was a unanimous decision. But I drew the short straw and had to bring you the news. Just know we want only the best for you. Oh… and the same thing is true for the other witches in town. Magic, New Mexico is temporarily a spell-free zone. It was for the best.”
“But…” Topper started to argue, but Aura disappeared as quickly as she’d arrived.
Since screaming was out of the question, Topper took in a few deep breaths before heading out the back door.
Topper walked around the side of the Sheriff’s office as if it was the first time she’d walked into the square that day. Looking confused wasn’t even a challenge after hearing Aura’s bad news. She trudged over to Theo, forcing a smile to her mouth.
“Oh, Sheriff—there you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Evanna had one of those days again. That temporary black-out we had a bit ago—well, I’ll try hard to make sure she doesn’t do that again. I swear you just can’t find scientists who understand the power limits of small towns like yours.”
Topper turned and looked at the first man. The men who came always looked like perfect clones of each other right down to their height, weight, and clothes. Even their sunglasses matched. She stuck out her hand to the one staring at her the hardest.
“Hello. I’m Professor Danielle Topper from the Brisbane Cosmological Institute of Sydney. I’m on loan there from the University of London. I’ve been in Magic for several years now looking for a black hole.”
He nodded, but didn’t shake her hand. No telling what he’d been told.
Instead of dropping her hand, Topper held it up and waved it as she laughed. “Now I know you’re probably going to tell me this is all quite a lot of silliness. You American gents tend to think of all British natives are a bit daft, but there’s nothing you can do to talk me out of it. I know they exist.”
As if just seeing him, Topper turned her attention to the man in the wrinkled, white polo.
“I say, can I help you with something? You seem very interested in the town square. They don’t hang people here if that’s what you’re wondering. Oh, I know you’ve probably heard the rumors about witches and all in Magic. Well, there are a few practicing ones in residence from what I’ve seen, but certainly not any Salem bonfire worthy models dressed all in black. The ones around here tend to sport purple hair and breezy clothing. They dance n***d for Gaia once in a while—which I admit is quite the show.”
The scientist stopped fidgeting and brought his attention to her. “I don’t give a flip about witches. They’re not real. I saw some kind of worm hole open up here. I know I did.”
“Where?” Topper demanded. She walked briskly over to him and grabbed his shoulders as she swung her head from side to side looking. “I knew it. I knew it. I told Evanna that something strange had happened outside of her plugging in too many electrical things. Where did your anomaly go?”
“Go? Why… I don’t know,” the scientist said sharply.
Topper dropped her hands and stepped back. “Oh. So you only think you found something. You didn’t actually find it. I see. Well, I’ll wish you better luck than I’ve had, sir.”
She saw the scientist look at the two men in black. They were now glaring at him.
“I tell you—it was here,” the scientist insisted, glaring back. “This is nearly the exact triangulation point.”
Topper sighed loudly. “You don’t have to prove it to me. Tell the sheriff. He’s the one who thinks I’m touched in the head.”
Theo stammered, but saw where he needed to jump into her story. “Now Topper… Professor Topper. I have never called you crazy. I would never do that because I was taught not to be rude.”
“Professor Topper…” the first man in black interjected. “I would like you to come to dinner with us. We’ll be staying in town tonight while we look into this situation. I have a feeling you could be very helpful if you chose to be.”
“Well, dinner sounds lovely, Mr…?”
“Agent,” the man in black said sternly.
Topper didn’t miss a beat. She could play that game too.
“Of course… Mr. Agent… sir. But you see, I’m married, and my old man… well, the bloke is a bit of a jealous prat about me dating other men. And you and your friend are very hunky and all. I wouldn’t want him to get the wrong idea about me being a floozy. Perhaps we could have a cup of tea down at the coffee shop instead?”
“You have a jealous husband?” the man in black said in disbelief, covering a smile with his hand.
“Yes. What in hell is so funny about me having a jealous husband?” Topper demanded, forgetting her fake British accent when the guy all but laughed in her face.
“There you are, Topper.”
She swung and watched Stark striding purposely toward her. He had sunglasses on, a fresh t-shirt, and a tighter pair of Theo’s brother’s jeans which were struggling to constrain the male’s considerable assets. With his silver hair glinting in the New Mexico sun, Stark looked like some movie hero come to life, sexy swagger and all. Her sigh was loud.
“b****y hell. I do not need this,” Topper exclaimed, and meant it.
Stark smiled as he walked up to stand near her. He turned to the men in black. “Professor Topper has other plans for her time this evening. Sorry. She is not available for dinner.”
“Look buddy…” the second man in black began.
Before they got any further, Stark growled, picked them both up, and smashed the two of them together, bouncing their heads off each other. They fell to the ground unconscious when he let go of them.
He pulled off his sunglasses and turned to Topper. “There are three more dressed in similar uniforms stashed by the entry to your house. Malcolm is watching them until we can retrieve them. I froze them a little, so they won’t wake for at least an hour. We need to put them somewhere out of my sight if you don’t want me to kill them. Their actions were extremely hostile and one pulled a weapon to use on me.”
“You can’t kill any of them, Stark. I made that mistake long ago. They’ll just send more after us if any go missing.” Topper turned around and swore as she stomped away.
Then she paced, looked up, and saw the scientist staring at them with wide eyes.
She looked at Theo and waved a hand in the scientist’s direction. “Take him too,” she demanded.
Theo sighed and headed toward the man who of course took off running the moment he took the first step.
Thankfully Frost caught him as he walked toward them. Frost ran a hand across the man’s forehead until the scientist went limp in his arms.
Smiling, Theo tossed the scientist over one shoulder. “Thanks, Frost. I was tired of chasing people down today. How’s Lacey doing?”
“Fine, Theo. She’s a lot better now that all the dakkari are caught. She’s at the van working on the wounded dog.”
“Good. The jaguar shifters have been calling the office every hour asking when the dogs can come home. I better get this guy tucked away before he causes Topper to implode.”
Theo took the scientist’s limp body from Frost and threw it over a shoulder, looking back at the other two men lying on the ground at Stark’s feet. Shaking his head, he carried the scientist to the jail. Locking them all up would have to do until they sorted this out.
Topper stared as Frost continued his walk towards them. About two feet in front of Stark, Frost knelt in the dirt, head bowed. She looked at Stark, who looked as stunned as she did about it. Suddenly, she wanted to laugh—mostly because it was nice to know Stark’s arrogance had a reasonable limit. Feeling wicked, she winked at Stark, who sighed as he looked down at the younger male.
“Rise Frost and never kneel again. Here on your mate’s world, we are equals. Kneeling makes the Earthlings uncomfortable.”
“Uncomfortable? Not really. Just makes me laugh my a*s off,” Topper exclaimed, gesturing with her middle finger before she realized Stark had no idea what the symbolism meant. “Do not start arguing with me again about how superior Glacierans are or I swear you will end up in one of Theo’s cells today too.”
“And who in Icela’s name will put me there, Witch?” Stark demanded, even though Frost was staring at both him and Topper strangely. “The Goddess who came to warn me about the men in black said your power isn’t working today. She said everything would be back to normal tomorrow.”
“Damn the Fates and their secrecy. And you can just bite me, you Alien Bastard,” Topper exclaimed, crossing her arms.
Stark growled at Topper’s rudeness, but then he remembered the younger male was still watching him. This was certainly no example of how to treat a female on any planet. He looked back at Frost.
Calm. He needed to remain calm.
“Polar asked me to give you his regards. It is very good to see you again, Frost,” Stark said, bowing his head.
“Likewise, General. Uh… sir?” Frost began, looking between his elder on Glacier and Lacey’s elder on Earth. “Is there a problem between you and Topper?”
Stark followed Frost’s gaze to the too caring witch who alone was more trouble than any twenty females together could be. Hourly irritation and resistance were the only constant around her. But his main problem was that this same female was the most loving, generous one he’d ever taken to his bed.
What in Icela’s name was he supposed to do about her?
He had to have her again. He had to try one more time to convince her to be his mate, even though he knew the chances of the witch returning to Glacier with him were non-existent. He would have to abduct her to make that happen and how cliché would it be to feed that ridiculous Earthling myth that all aliens were that desperate for a mate?
Yet even if he did convince Topper of his feelings, and convince her to be with him willingly on his terms, who would take care of this town in her absence if she went back with him? Topper mothered and cared for all of the town’s strange residents. No wonder she’d never had a family of her own. The entire population of Magic was her family.
When he sighed heavily over his dilemma with Topper, it made Frost’s eyebrow rise even higher. He blamed Topper, but that didn’t change anything.
Sighing out frustration was the contrary witch’s habit, not his. Normally, he just ran something down and captured it when he was feeling frustrated. Fighting to stay alive never failed to clear his mind from its lesser worries.
“Nothing is wrong between us, Frost. Nothing I can’t handle. Topper and I have a lot of strong feelings between us. That’s all.”
Frost nodded. “Strong feelings. Yes, that’s what happened when I met Lacey. She turned me into a rabbit—which is a small desert mammal with long ears and a fuzzy tail. I did not enjoy being a different creature. Now a short time later I’m about to become a father to our child. This is unlike any place I have ever been, General. The unexpected is a daily occurrence here in Magic, New Mexico.”
“Indeed,” Stark replied. “In my short time here, I have seen that for myself.”
Topper came over until she stood in front of them. “Can either of you freeze the men in black enough to keep them knocked out all night? The scientist doesn’t worry me, but the men in black might be able to get away.”
Frost nodded. “I found a way to cause temporary unconsciousness in animals. It seemed to work on your scientist. It lasted about five Earth hours on the horse shifter Lacey worked on which should translate into about ten on a normal human male.”
Topper nodded. “Fine. Show Stark how to do it and help Theo put the guys in jail. When I get my powers back tomorrow, I’ll fix their memories. Until then, I’d just as soon they not know they’ve been taken prisoners.” She looked at Stark. “When you’re finished, meet me at home. I owe you dinner. We may need to open the portal for your trip back before the men in black wake up.”
Stark quirked an eyebrow. “Capturing dakkari. Taking prisoners. Now you’re making me dinner. And all in one day. You amaze me, Topper.”
“If that’s sarcasm, I’m keeping the largest steak for myself.”
When Stark laughed, Topper grinned and started walking away without saying goodbye.
When Topper disappeared from view, Stark turned to look at Frost. “Is steak some form of animal protein?”
Frost grinned. “Yes. The best kind. So Topper’s cooking for you?”
Stark grinned back. “Yes. The witch seems to enjoy feeding me. First female like her I’ve known.”
“As far as I know, Topper only cooks for the Fates, General. You must be special to her. Now the tension between you is doubly confusing,” Frost said.
“Isn’t everything about females confusing?” Stark asked wryly, not wanting Frost to know about his true relationship with Topper. He didn’t normally brag about the females he bedded, even if in this case, he would like nothing better than to publicly claim the witch.
Frost laughed as he nodded. “I have always thought so, sir. Always.”
- Writer
