The first face Cory saw was Janiss’s. When another face formed beside it, Cory gasped. The other person in her vision was Perky.
“No, nothing’s wrong,” Cory said as the vision faded. This time she knew both of the people. She even knew where to find them. As far as Cory was concerned, the only problem with matching Janiss to Perky was that she wasn’t sure she liked the match.
They were on their way home when Laudine placed another privacy bubble around them. Turning to Cory, she said, “I didn’t know your songs were so powerful.”
Cory sighed. “I didn’t either until I saw how people reacted to my song ‘Lily Rose.’ I’m the only person who didn’t cry when Zephyr played it. I wrote the love song later only because my mother asked me to. I never intended to make people fall in love because of it, though. You can’t imagine how surprised I was when Janiss said that she’d used a recording of the song to make people fall in love. The people who heard Zephyr play in person may stay in love a little longer, but I doubt very much that it will be permanent. It’s not like I shot them with my arrows. Tell me something. What’s going to happen to that girl, Janiss?”
“That depends on what the board decides,” Laudine told her. “She could be suspended from using magic for as little as a week to as much as a year. She’ll be better off facing the board than if I had judged her. I’m probably stricter than most. I’ve always felt that any misuse of magic is a crime that should be severely punished.”
Macks was parking in front of the house when three women got out of a car that was parked on the street. As the women started walking up the drive, all three were watching Laudine. Cory was dismayed to see that one of the women was Hagatha Smerch.
“We need to talk to you, Laudine,” called Hagatha. “Let’s go in your house so we can have some privacy.”
“We can talk out here,” said Laudine.
“Then send your friend and the ogre away.”
“No,” Laudine told her. “I won’t. They are both welcome to stay. What do you want, Hagatha?”
“I’ve talked to the members of the board, and they’re ready to decree that all matchmakers are phony and guilty of public deception. This includes your little friend Cory.”
Hagatha gave Cory a disdainful look. The other two women just looked disgusted.
“That may be true of the one who has called herself the ‘Little Match Girl,’ but I don’t agree that what you say is true of them all.”
“We know you went to see Janiss Hartsthorne and are sending her to the board, but why didn’t you do the same with your friend Cory? She made matches and was paid very well for them, from what we hear.”
“Because she is a true matchmaker and did not deceive anyone,” Laudine said, staring the other women down. “Anyone who claims otherwise is deluding herself.”
“Think what you will,” said Hagatha. “But we believe that you may have been bought off. If that is not the case, then you are simply getting old and making bad decisions. Either way, you are no longer worthy of being the president of Witches United.”
“Don’t forget the trade show,” said one of the other women.
“Ah, yes,” Hagatha continued. “We found it most disturbing that you brought an outsider to one of our trade shows, exposing her to our secrets that are for witches’ eyes only. The board will most definitely hear about this as well.”
“Go right ahead, tell them,” Laudine replied. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
CHAPTER
16
The next day, Cory was in her office, thumbing through yearbooks, when Macks barged in. “I was in the front yard with Shimmer, and a bunch of witches showed up. One of them knocked on Laudine’s door. When she came out, they put some sort of spell on her so she couldn’t move and stuck her in a car. I heard them talking. They’re taking her to WU headquarters for an inquisition.”
“I don’t know what a witches’ inquisition is, but it sounds really bad,” Cory said as she pushed her chair back.
Lionel stepped into the room behind the ogre. “Is something wrong?” he asked Macks. “I heard you running down the hall.”
“Some witches just took Laudine to the WU headquarters for an inquisition,” Cory told him. “A witch named Hagatha was accusing her of all sorts of things yesterday, and she kept bringing up my name. I think that helping me is what got Laudine in trouble. I need to go see if I can help her.”
“I’ve heard about those inquisitions, and they can be quite nasty,” Lionel told them. “I’ll go with you. Blue took the day off to study, but I think he’ll want to go as well. Witches holding an inquisition can be capable of anything. It wouldn’t hurt to have a FLEA officer along.”
“If we’re going to face a bunch of riled-up witches, I think Cran and Andrue should go, too. I’ll tell them what’s going on and get the car started,” Macks said, and hurried from the room.
“I hope Laudine is all right,” said Cory. “I’ll feel awful if anything happens to her. I made her vow that she wouldn’t tell anyone about me. I don’t think she’ll even be able to say my name when they question her.”
“If they do anything to Laudine because she helped a Cupid, they’ll have to deal with me,” said Lionel.
“And me!” Cory said, her fingers curling into fists.
Blue and the three ogres were already waiting outside when Cory and her grandfather left the house. They all piled into the car, leaving Shimmer whimpering as she peered out a downstairs window. Macks drove while Lionel and Blue gave him directions. They sped through town, avoiding the busier streets, and arrived in front of the headquarters with screeching brakes.
It was a lovely stone building with large windows set well back from the street. Trees and flowers edged the walk that led to the front door, making it look very inviting. As Cory and her grandfather started up the walk, Blue and the ogres hurried to flank them as if they were expecting trouble. They didn’t see anyone, however, until they entered the front lobby. It was a large, bright room with a stone floor and a high, vaulted ceiling decorated with shining stars. The only furniture in it were a big desk and a few uncomfortable-looking chairs. A young woman seated at the desk looked up and said, “May I help you?”
“We’re here for the inquisition,” Lionel told her.
“May I see your identification?” the witch asked.
Blue reached into his pocket and pulled out his FLEA badge. “Where is the inquisition being held?”
“I meant your witch ID,” said the young woman.
“We’re not witches,” Cory told her.
The witch picked up a wand that was lying on her desk. “Then I’m afraid I can’t let you in. You all have to leave or I’ll be forced to call security.”
Lionel held up his hand. “Do not push me, little girl,” he said as his hand started to glow.
The witch pressed a button on the desk and a panel slid back in the ceiling. With a loud squawk, two gargoyles dropped through the opening. The girl pointed the wand at the group and said, “Get them out of here.”
The gargoyles were swooping down with their claws out and their wings tucked back when Lionel’s hand became so bright that everyone had to look away. “Leave us alone and go back where you came from,” he said in a voice that had its own echo.
The gargoyles screeched and pulled up short. When they started to circle above him, Lionel raised his hand and the glow pulsed like a steady heartbeat. The pulse slammed into the gargoyles as if it were a tangible thing, hurling them back. They hit the ceiling, cracking it. Most of the stars went out. The air knocked out of them, the gargoyles fell, spreading their wings again just before they hit the floor. Shrieking, they flew back to the open panel in the ceiling and clawed their way inside.
Macks roared and slammed his fist on the desk, breaking it in two. “I’ll wreck this place if I have to,” he growled. “Stop wasting our time. Where is the inquisition?”
The young woman sat frozen, staring at Lionel.
??
?Don’t bother,” said Blue. “She looked in this direction when I asked where it was being held. It’s through this door.”
“That thing you did with your hand was amazing,” Cory told her grandfather as they followed Blue. “Can I do that?”
He smiled and nodded. “You can. You’ve only just begun to learn everything that you can do.”
“Then I want to learn that hand thing next,” Cory said. “Can you teach it to me tomorrow?”
Lionel laughed. “I’ll teach you whatever you want to know, but a lot of it will just come to you when you need it.”
Blue opened the door and peered inside. “Would you look at this!” he said.
The room beyond was much bigger than the foyer. It had a low ceiling and was poorly lit and gloomy. The stone floor felt damp underfoot, and the air was cold and musty as if they were entering a long-abandoned basement. Chains hung from the walls and there were grooves in the floor. Cory didn’t want to think about what they might be for.
“Is this a dungeon or what?” Cran muttered. “It looks like a room my grandfather had in his house. We used to play there when we were kids. My mother hated that room. She didn’t like anything that was so old-fashioned.”
“Shh!” Andrue whispered. “Listen!”
Cory could hear it then, a soft sound as if hundreds of voices were chanting. She turned her head, trying to locate the origin of the sound, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere.
Her grandfather touched her arm and pointed. “Over there,” he said.
One end of the room seemed to be filled with shadows. Cory and Lionel started walking in that direction, moving as quietly as they could. Once again Blue and the ogres split up to walk on either side. As they drew closer, Cory could see that the shadows were actually people wearing long robes with cowls covering their heads, standing in a circle. Cory thought they were chanting in some arcane language, but when she listened carefully she realized that they were just holding whispered conversations.
“Did you see Morticia’s hair lately? It looks as if she’s going bald.”
“I need to go grocery shopping. I hope the store is still open when we get out of here.”
“I think I’m catching a cold. I’ve had the sniffles all day.”
“How long do we have to wait for her? I have a date tonight.”
When Cory was close enough, she could see that the only person wearing ordinary clothes was a woman standing in the middle with her head hanging. It looked as if something invisible was holding her up. Suddenly, she stirred and raised her head. It was Laudine.
“She woke up,” one of the robed people said.
“It’s about time,” someone else declared. “This robe itches. When was the last time these things were washed?”
“Hagatha, you called for this inquisition,” said a high-pitched, nasal voice. “Step forward and state your case for all to hear.”
“Excuse me. Pardon me. Coming through,” Hagatha said as she made her way to the front. Laudine glared when the other witch came to stand in the circle. Ignoring her, Hagatha pushed her cowl off her head and looked around at the others. “As you all know, I was appointed to investigate Laudine Kundry’s fitness to continue on as our president. After a thorough examination of the facts, I deem her unfit and unworthy.”
“That’s no surprise!” someone standing near Cory whispered to the person beside her. “She got all her friends to ‘appoint’ her. Most of them didn’t even know what they were appointing her for.”
“What evidence do you have?” asked the nasal voice. Cory’s eyes were adjusting to the dim light, and she could finally make out the little woman who was talking.
“One of the president’s duties is to look into the unauthorized or unlicensed use of magic. I maintain that Laudine Kundry has been remiss in her duties, specifically with regard to one Corialis Feathering. This young woman is known to have made money by offering her services as a matchmaker. I studied the records and found that she is not a witch and that she never, at any time, applied for or received permission to use love potions or any other magic related to love. Although none of her old clients were available to testify against her, I have found a new client who was able to record such a transaction.”
“That isn’t possible,” Cory whispered to her grandfather. “I haven’t taken on any new clients lately.”
“Poppy Thistlethwaite, please step forward,” said Hagatha.
A figure slipped through the crowd and went to stand beside Hagatha. “Cory Feathering is a phony. I paid her good money and she promised she would make a match for me. But she didn’t. I still haven’t met my true love.”
Cory leaned toward her grandfather and whispered in his ear. “It’s all a lie. I can’t let her get away with this.”
“Let her finish first,” he whispered back.
“Do you have proof that you hired her?” asked Hagatha.
“I do,” said Poppy. She tried to stick her hand in her pocket, but the robe she was wearing got in the way. After fumbling around for a minute, she finally pulled the robe off over her head and dropped it on the floor.
“I’m taking mine off, too,” said the witch standing near Cory. “This robe is making me sweat! I don’t know why we have to wear these things.”
Cory moved out of the way as the witch pulled off her robe and bunched it into a ball, dropping it on the floor beside her purse. Now Cory could see that the witch was an older woman who was probably close to Laudine’s age. Taking their cue from her, a number of other witches removed their robes as well.
With her robe off, Poppy was able to reach into her pocket and take out a shiny black cube. Setting it on the floor, she pushed the top and stepped back. An image appeared, only slightly brighter than the room, and it wasn’t very good. Cory squinted and was able to make out the image of someone who resembled her, talking to someone who looked like Poppy.
“I’ve heard rumors that you’re a matchmaker,” said the image of Poppy. “Is it true?”
“Yes, it is,” said the image that looked something like Cory.
“If I paid you, would you make a match for me?” asked Poppy’s image.
The image that looked like Cory nodded. “Yes, as long as you pay me enough money.”
“Here,” said Poppy’s image. “Here is the money you require.”
“Then I will find you your one true love,” the Cory-like image said as it took the money.
“That so never happened!” Cory whispered to Lionel. “And you know I don’t talk like that!”
“Then you need to tell them that it’s a lie,” said her grandfather.
“Excuse me,” Cory said, slipping between the witches in front of her. “I have something to say!”
“You see!” Hagatha declared as Poppy turned off the black device. “Cory Feathering did engage in an unlawful and unsanctioned transaction.”
“I did not!” Cory announced, reaching the middle of the circle. “I’m Cory Feathering. Everything Poppy just told you and everything on that recording is a lie!”
“I am not a liar!” Poppy declared. “All of that actually happened!”
“Maybe people actually said those things, but I was not the person who looked like me! I bet you got one of your friends to do it. Or maybe you hired someone, but I never said any of that. When exactly was this supposed to have happened?”
“I don’t remember,” said Poppy.
One of the witches raised her hand in the air. “I have one of those recorders. The date you make the recording shows up on the top when you play it.”
“I’ll look,” said the witch with the high-pitched voice. “I see the date. It was seven days ago.”
“Seven days ago I was in a goblin warren getting ready for my mother’s wedding,” Cory told them. “You can ask any of the goblins who were there with me.”
The witches stirred as they looked from Cory to Poppy to Hagatha.
“I can settle this,” said the older witch who had been stan
ding near Cory. She bent down to pick up something, then marched to the middle of the circle. Muttering to herself, she reached into her purse and took out a crystal ball. She was holding it with one hand when she took out a small white object and plugged it into the side of the ball. “Let’s see if this amplifier actually works. It had better. I paid enough for it.”
The witches near her stepped back as the older witch murmured something. A moment later a fuzzy image appeared in the ball, while a larger, projected image appeared on the ceiling.
As the image came into focus, Cory could see herself holding Shimmer. Poppy was there, eyeing the little dragon. “Tell me something,” said Poppy. “I’ve heard rumors that you’re a matchmaker. Is it true?”
“I have helped some of my friends make matches in the past,” Cory told her.
“If I paid you, would you make a match for me?” asked Poppy.
Cory shook her head. “I’m not doing that anymore.”
The image faded, then came back a moment later. This time, they were wearing different clothes and Cory wasn’t holding Shimmer.
“Word is going around that someone calling herself the ‘Little Match Girl’ is making matches between couples and the matches really work,” said Poppy. “She does it with one date and they fall in love every time. If I were looking for a match, should I go to her or you?”
“I don’t know this person, so I have no idea what her abilities might be, but I’m not taking on clients for money anymore,” said Cory. “I really can’t help you.”
“I can pay you whatever you’re asking,” Poppy told her.
“Sorry, but it isn’t a matter of payment,” Cory said.
“Uh-huh,” said Poppy. “I get it. You only help your friends!”
The image was fading when Hagatha started talking again. “The only thing those images prove is that Poppy Thistlethwaite was not a client of Cory Feathering. However, Cory herself admits that she made matches in the past for money.”