Chapter 26 #2
As the sun dipped closer to the horizon, attendees began to arrive.
Thankfully, only a few protesters showed up, and headed straight for the donuts.
After gobbling a glazed or two, they read the sign that Dahlia had set out informing the protesters of their “contribution” to the cause.
Then they turned around and left. Dahlia templed her fingers and cackled like a cinematic villain.
Soon, the town square overflowed with citizens of Pine Hollow. Talula watched the crowd from her post across the street. Just like last night, Simon was draped over her shoulder so he could share the view.
“Now, this is a turnout,” Simon muttered into her ear.
“Hopefully they’ll turn out for the town hall meeting, too.” Talula watched Dahlia hand out flyers that detailed the plight of Samhain. Worry tugged at her. Out of habit, she checked her phone.
“Your mother’s on her way, I’m sure of it,” Simon assured her.
“I hope so.”
“The magic-worker coming to enhance the ward line may have news about Sara.” Simon nudged Talula with his cold wet nose. “Don’t lose hope, fair pupil.”
A few minutes later, the lights on the Magic Box blazed on for the third time. Applause erupted, and Talula’s face relaxed enough to smile.
The curtains drew back on a lone figure, standing in profile.
From what Talula could see of the performer’s face, they had the round-cheeked look of a kid but somehow seemed adult at the same time.
They wore a bright red tuxedo and a top hat tipped stylishly over their face, hiding their eyes.
Without facing the audience, their deep, playful voice rang out, “Good evening, mortals. Would you like to see some magic?”
The crowd cheered. The figure turned, showing off a tux that was color-blocked, split down the middle, red on one side, black on the other. The stage lights shined on the magician’s grinning brown-black cheeks as they took in the audience’s applause.
“Talula,” Simon whispered.
“Whatever you do, don’t trust your eyes.” The magician snapped their fingers and disappeared. The crowd, Talula included, gasped.
“Talula,” Simon said more firmly this time. But Talula was too rapt to hear him.
“Seeing isn’t believing—it’s just the beginning!” The magician was suddenly sitting on top of the Magic Box, their legs dangling between the stage lights.
The crowd screamed, jumping to their feet to applaud. With another snap, the magician appeared back onstage, bowing ostentatiously.
“Talula!” Simon screeched in her ear.
“What?” Talula whispered, ducking to the edge of the crowd. She set Simon down on the ground, kneeling so they were face-to-face.
“That’s not a magician.” Simon was breathless with worry. “That’s Elegba.”
Talula frowned, confused. “Wait, the Elegba?”
Elegba was an orisha, a spirit as mighty as a god.
From her mother’s stories, Talula remembered that Elegba could present as both adult and child, alternating between genders and ages as it suited them.
Whatever their form, one thing was certain—they were one of the most powerful and unpredictable beings in the divine pantheon.
And they were onstage, right now, holding a chainsaw.
“Who wants to see me cut somebody in half?”
“How did they wind up onstage? Why are they here?” Talula muttered, trying not to panic.
“Probably because they delight in sowing the seeds of mayhem,” Simon growled.
“Simon,” Talula pleaded. “Time to pull out your big magic; you’ve got to.”
But Simon shook his head. “Elegba is a member of the Council. They’re protected from any kind of harmful magic or open attack from fellow Council members.”
Elegba made a big show of scanning the crowd as hands shot up. “I’ll just need a volunteer…”
The beginnings of a horrible idea took shape in Talula’s mind. “Do those protections extend to me?”
“Absolutely. You’re the daughter of one of the Council’s founding members. But why?”
Without giving herself time to overthink, Talula reached for her reverse-conjuring skills and created a door. Only this time, it opened beneath her feet. She swallowed a shriek as she fell through her trapdoor and dropped onto the Magic Box stage in a graceless flop.
The crowd roared with excitement. Elegba set down the chainsaw, their smile as wide and shiny as a steel trap. “What luck! My volunteer has appeared, and so cleverly. Just. Like. Magic.”
A heady mix of stage fright and first-ever self-conjuring vertigo had Talula’s head spinning. “Ta-dah?”
The crowd cheered.
“Now, let’s get to know my talented assistant.” The orisha pulled her up from the floor and into an elegant dancer’s spin. “Name and pronouns, please?”
Talula croaked. “Talula, she/her.”
“I am Elegba. I go by he/him these days.” Elegba turned to the crowd. “Now, who’s ready to be mystified?”
As the audience whooped, the orisha spoke into Talula’s ear. “I’m so excited you’ve come to play, little sorceress.”
Talula put on her most dazzling customer-service smile. “Bring it on.”
“But first, a costume change!” Elegba proclaimed for the audience.
“Remember, no magical harm. Council rules,” Talula muttered, her heart pounding.
“Pish posh. The Council rules don’t say anything about magical fun.”
With a snap of Elegba’s fingers, a cloud of magical fog enveloped Talula before dissipating a moment later.
“That’s more like it.” Elegba snapped his fingers again. This time, a mirror appeared. He turned it toward Talula and beamed victoriously. “What do you think, good people? Doesn’t my assistant look spectacular?”
The audience applauded, and Talula heard a few wolf whistles.
Once she had blinked the light spots out of her eyes, she looked at her reflection and gasped.
Elegba had dressed her in a classic magician’s assistant outfit—including fishnet stockings, high heels, flouncy skirt, and a glittery bustier that made her breasts look fantastic.
His magic had even done her makeup: her lips a bright red, eyes smoky and shimmery.
Frankly, Talula had never seen herself look this hot.
She was kind of mad that she wasn’t mad about it.
“See, little sorceress?” the orisha murmured gleefully. “Fun!”
And truly, it was.
Elegba ushered Talula through a series of magical feats so unhinged, so over-the-top and cartoonish, they belonged on an episode of Looney Tunes.
Elegba levitated Talula so high, she bonked her head on the rafters.
Elegba pulled an entire ham hock out of her ear.
Elegba produced a live chicken from his sleeve, and for a moment, Talula swapped heads with it.
Throughout the performance, Talula didn’t worry about whether or not Elegba was blowing their magical cover. This was a magic show, after all. People saw what they wanted to see. Even from the stage, she could hear some guy saying smugly, “They’re doing this with mirrors, it’s so obvious.”
So she went with it, and to her surprise, kind of enjoyed herself.
For his final act, Elegba kept his promise and cut Talula in half.
Thankfully, she didn’t feel anything but bemusement as her bottom half hopped off the table and did a cancan.
The crowd went ballistic. Elegba took his final bow, then transformed into a cloud of doves.
As the applause turned into a standing ovation, a dove dropped a note in Talula’s hands.
Meet me at the Blue Moon.
Still in costume, Talula hopped off stage and slowly made her way through the crowd. She was swamped as attendees praised her performance or shared their compliments about the Magic Box events. Dahlia appeared with Simon in tow.
Dahlia laughed. “That was incredible. You’re incredible.”
“It was all the magician.” Talula blushed. “Did you hire that guy specifically?”
“Nope. The talent agency just said they’d send someone. But man, we got lucky.” Dahlia’s eyes skimmed down Talula’s body, lingering on the swell of Talula’s breasts in the bustier. She jerked her gaze back up to Talula’s face, her cheeks coloring. “Please tell me you’re keeping the costume.”
There was a note of desperation in her voice that warmed Talula in very private places. Simon coughed. Unsubtly.
“I, uh, have to go give Simon his…flea medicine,” Talula lied badly.
“Oh!” Dahlia blinked. “See you tomorrow?”
“Definitely.” It occurred to Talula then, how ridiculous it was that twenty-four hours ago, she had her tongue in Dahlia’s mouth, and now, what? They were just supposed to wave goodbye?
It seemed dishonest. Untrue. Criminal, really.
Fuck it, Talula thought, and gave Dahlia a soft, lingering kiss on the cheek. She whispered a promise against Dahlia’s warm skin. “I’ll keep the costume.”
Then, as Dahlia laughed, Talula and Simon speed-walked away from the town square.
“Volunteering yourself was risky,” Simon panted as they hurried. “But clever. Where’s that maddening orisha now?”
“The café.”
“Then we have no time to waste.”
When they entered the Blue Moon, Elegba was waiting, lounging on the café counter with a rascally smile. “Hello, lovely assistant. And assistant to the assistant. Four legs look good on you, M.”
“M?” Talula raised an eyebrow at Simon.
Simon ignored her in favor of yelling at the orisha. “You don’t get to call me pet names after pulling that stunt in front of humans!” Simon’s fur was poofed out to the maximum, his ears flat against his head in irritation.
“I couldn’t help it.” Elegba took off his top hat and clasped it to his chest. “The stage, she calls to me.”
Simon rolled his eyes. “Why are you really here?”
“Sara sent me.” Elegba flicked his wrist, sending his hat cartwheeling up his arm and onto his head. He turned to Talula. “But my, it’s wonderful to see this little sorceress again. You’ve grown since I was last here.”
Memory clicked. “I remember you. You visited Pine Hollow when I was eight. We looked for secret passages in the house.”
“We found a few, if I recall,” Elegba remembered fondly.
Talula put the pieces together. “You’re the master of roads and doors.”