Do You Believe in Magic

chapter TWENTY-ONE



Clay arrived at Daria’s the next morning at ten.

“Don’t tell me,” he said when she opened her mouth as soon as she saw him. “I look like shit. Neither you nor Bent told me the imperative was so vicious.”

“It was pretty hard on Bent, but he gave in pretty fast,” she said as she led the way to the kitchen. She waved Clay to a seat at the table and, after pouring them both some coffee, sat down beside him. “All right, what’s going on?”

As he tried to decide where to start, Clay took a swallow of his coffee and looked around the large kitchen, so reminiscent of his mother’s at the farm. White cabinets, maple butcher-block counters, and herbs growing in pots in the windowsills combined to create a feeling of warmth and home. Then Lolita walked in, jumped into his lap, curled up, and started purring. He sighed. Even the cat thought he needed commiseration. Might as well lay it all out for Daria.

“I blew it, big time,” he said. He told her everything, how he’d been certain once he had Francie at a computer, she’d have no choice but to believe him about magic and soul mates. Then how he’d tried to force Francie to talk to him by means of the game, and exactly how Francie had won. “And the worst part was she used the damned imperative to beat me. I thought the lousy thing was supposed to be on my side!”

Daria chuckled, then put her hand on his. “Oh, Clay, I’m sorry for laughing, but I wish I could have seen that game. What’s your plan now?”

“I gave her my word I wouldn’t call or come by or e-mail. I’d leave her totally alone. I said if she wanted to see me, she had to make the first move.” He rubbed a hand across his chest, right over the pain. “But that woman is so stubborn, I don’t know if she’ll give in to the imperative and come to me. She was so adamant about magic not existing, she might not be able to take her words back, to admit she was wrong. I don’t know if her pride or her embarrassment is stronger.”

“It sounds to me like your light ball wasn’t nearly enough. She needs some real demonstrations, something more ‘tangible,’ as it were, something more mundane, less esoteric than computer programs. Some proof she can’t refute or deny.” Daria tapped her fingers on the table while she thought for a moment. “This may be splitting hairs, but while you can’t see her, you didn’t promise anything about any of your family staying away. What if Glori and I pay her a visit? Glori could do her bit with plants and maybe some healing—Francie’s bound to have a raging headache by this time. Both of us can also cast illusion spells. Glori does a nice black panther, and my dragon is quite spectacular, or so I’m told.”

“That’s what I hoped you’d suggest,” Clay said, slumping in his chair in relief. He knew he’d pay for this where Gloriana was concerned. She positively reveled in teasing him for every perceived fault he possessed. But he knew he’d get revenge. Just wait until Glori found her soul mate.

Then he had another thought. “I hope she’ll see you.”

“Oh, she’ll see us all right, one way or the other.” Daria smiled the way she did when she was plotting something against him. “As I think of it, I’m getting a little angry. Who is this woman to refuse my brother? Don’t worry, Glori and I will make her listen. By the time we’re finished with her, she’ll be a believer.”

Clay winced. “Uh, just don’t get carried away. I do want her talking to me, you know.”

“I have a spell, sort of an I-am-someone-you-must-absolutely-talk-to bewitchment that should do the ‘trick’—so to speak. That will get us in the door, and if it doesn’t, I’m sure we’ll think of another ploy.”

Clay stared at her for a moment, playing scenarios in his mind. “I don’t know. She hates deception of any kind, I do know that. I’ve told her you can’t cast a spell on anybody except yourself, but I don’t know if she even heard me or if she believes it.”

He shook his head in frustration. “Here we are at that paradox again. If she doesn’t believe in magic, then she doesn’t believe you can throw a spell of any kind, but if she agrees magic does or might exist, then she could be afraid you have spelled her. Either way, she could think you were trying to deceive her, and she could refuse to see you.”

“All right, we’ll play it by ear. You know . . .” she paused, then continued with a grin, “we can’t forget our biggest ally here, the soul-mate imperative itself.”

Clay returned her grin, feeling better for the first time in days. “You’re right, and that’s the conclusion I came to. The old SMI must be giving her grief. It’s certainly taking a toll on me. She has to want the pain to end, and it’s a good reason to talk to you.”

“I’ll call Glori tonight and ask her to come for the weekend. We’ll try to see Francie on Saturday.” Daria rose and went to the counter. She picked up the pad and pen by the phone and brought them to Clay. “Write down Francie’s address and phone number for me. I’ll do a little reconnaissance today or tomorrow.”

He wrote down the requested information and described Francie’s apartment. “Her parking spot is to the right. She drives a silver Honda,” he said. “Her boss told me she stayed home yesterday, but I don’t know if she’s still there.”

“Probably not. If she’s anything like you, and we know she is, she’ll be at work today, just as you would. I’m sure she’s as much a workaholic as you are.”

“Hey, when I have a job to do, I do it,” he protested.

“Exactly.” She studied him for a moment, then asked, “How are you in all this, Clay? You’re my brother, and I worry about you. How do you feel about the imperative? About Francie?”

“I’m okay,” he shrugged, then knew from Daria’s skeptical expression he’d better elaborate. “I had some doubts at first, fought against it, but nothing like what you did. Like Bent said, men and women are different. The more I was around her, the more I wanted her. The more it felt ‘right’ when we were together. Before I knew it, I was thinking in terms of forever. Having seen you and Bent go through the experience gave me some warning about what to expect, but the reality was a hell of a lot stronger than I thought it would be.”

He rubbed his aching middle and grimaced. “If Francie doesn’t give in soon, the SMI is going to be the death of me.”

“Don’t worry,” Daria consoled him. “According to Mother, the imperative’s never killed anyone.”

“Yet.”