25. Primrose Passage
TWENTY-FIVE
PRIMROSE PASSAGE
Have you ever wondered who first whispered the enchantment to transform humble acorns into sprawling shade trees?
The answer lies with our friends, the squirrels.
These capricious creatures are known for scattering their precious seeds in hidden alcoves across the land.
From these nascent acorns, towering trees emerge.
Was it forgetfulness or a grand design that led the squirrels to abandon their treasures to the earth’s embrace?
The line between hapless hoarders and prudent planners remains blurred, a riddle yet to be unraveled. One thing is certain in every realm: a friendly rapport with your local scurry is a magical alliance worth cultivating.
–EXCERPT FROM THE MUDPUDDLE MANUAL OF NATURAL MAGIC
In the van, Buffalo Westabrook was engrossed in taking notes on a technical drawing of a windmill.
He squinted as he peered through a pair of reading glasses that were almost comically small on him.
Those were new. Maida hadn’t seen her father wearing them before.
There was something endearing about the way he kept pushing them up every time they slid down his nose. He made a note in the margins.
Maida was seeing her father in a whole new light. She felt her memories shifting, pieces rearranging themselves to form new pictures, like one of those sliding puzzles. Some pieces still didn’t fit.
Buffalo looked up, caught her staring, and easily read her mind.
“There are a lot of new options open to you, and the world might seem to be a very different place, Maida. But there are certain things that haven’t changed one bit.
Family is family. Our bonds create their own kind of magic and ?you know what?
All the sappy Ordinary clichés are true.
Love is the strongest magic there is. There’s no point in driving yourself crazy with might-have-beens. ”
“I’m assuming you’ve already been down that road?” she guessed.
“Clever girl.” Buffalo pushed his glasses up again.
“Just down the hill and then to the left.” Dr. Dvita, who was seated towards the front of the van, pressed a button to instruct their driver via intercom.
They had entered a rougher, older neighborhood. The very type of place Granny Luna had cautioned Maida against, when she was young.
Dr. Dvita pressed the button again. “Perfect. Now turn in there. Just over by that dumpster.”
A heavy bank of fog was rolling in from the coast, although the sky had been clear before they got to this part of town. By the time the van pulled over beside the gated driveway, the mist seemed to engulf them. It was pouring out from the alley beyond the gate.
Dr. Dvita produced a key card, which he passed forward to the driver.
With a wave of the card, the gates parted, allowing them entry into the narrow lane that seemed to lead to nowhere.
The cobblestone street was bumpy and the tall brick buildings on either side loomed close on either side.
If the van got stuck here, there would be no way to get out.
Day turned to night as the fog blocked out the sun.
The cabin of the van was dark as midnight.
Maida felt the hairs on the end of her arms stand up as a bat shaped shadow passed by the window.
“Are you sure this is safe?” Maida asked.
None of the other passengers seemed perturbed.
Granny was still crocheting. Her father was still reading his work papers with a flashlight, and the doctor was sitting watchfully by the front window, one claw-like finger poised above the intercom.
Arthur was seated up front with the driver, so she couldn’t see him.
She wished she could, though. He had the most reassuring face.
She couldn’t stop imagining his antlers.
Will pressed a button, lighting up the interior. “We’re perfectly safe. It’s just the wards. Think of it like the soundtrack in the lobby of a haunted house in a theme park.”
“Why can’t we skip the lobby and port in?” Maida looked quizzically at Will.
“I can’t port in with an entire entourage, can I? And we’re already here. It makes no sense to wear myself out going back and forth to move you all a mere half mile.” Will’s expression went from cheerful to beleaguered in an instant.
“But you could port into anywhere else that you wanted?” Maida asked, suddenly thinking of a dozen places she would love to go in an instant. “You went to Romania to see my friend Zani?”
“She pinged me on my T-watch after you didn’t answer your phone last night.
I think she was ready to send out a search party.
” Will held up his right wrist to display his watch.
When Maida looked blank, he added, “Right. How would you know? It’s a magical watch that helps members of our community stay connected. ”
“It’s a terrible idea if you ask me.” Granny Luna tutted. “Seems like these devices cause more problems than they solve. Nothing wrong with sending an owl or a raven. You young folks don’t worry one whit about privacy. That’ll come back to bite you!”
“We’re still working out some kinks.” Will rolled his eyes.
“So you just popped in to see her?” Maida reiterated. She raised a brow.
“Why not? I’ve always wanted to meet her. I love reading her articles about her conservation work.” Will looked pleased with himself. “I offered my services to her, should she ever find herself in a spot of danger.”
“I think as an occult antiquities conservationist, those kind of spots are her specialty,” Maida said, thinking that Will might come to regret that offer. “How did you find her? Do you need an address? Or is it like tracing a phone call?”
“Not exactly. I have to feel my way. It helps if there’s a connection to the person or place. I have to get the ley lines right to port in precisely. It takes a fair amount of practice. There are established portals that make it easier. Like your donut shop.”
“The Bunny Hole is a portal?” Maida’s eyes widened.
“It’s kind of obvious from the name, don’t you think?” Will lowered his chin and widened his eyes back at her.
“Just a bit further,” Dr. Dvita announced. “And from there, we’ll go on foot.” He turned to Maida to explain. “Primrose Court is a self-contained pedestrian friendly zone. There are no automobiles allowed in the neighborhood. Just a few enchanted carriages.”
A moment later, the narrow brick passage widened.
Will slid the side door open as the van slowed down and came to a stop.
Maida could see the front of a rusted old billboard that was turned on its side, propped against the wall in front of the van.
It carried the flaking remnants of several old ads under layers of spray paint and tags. They appeared to be at a dead end.
“Come now, we’re here.” Dr. Dvita unbuckled his seat belt and hopped out. “It’s been ages since I last visited. I can’t wait to see what’s changed.”
Maida took the doctor’s hand and stepped out.
Granny stepped out behind her, and then Will.
There wasn’t much room to maneuver. They all turned sideways to thread their way to the front of the van.
Maida could see Arthur waiting for them to pass in the front seat.
Peering back in the van, she noticed her father still seated, his focus still intent as he continued to scratch out notes on his papers.
“Aren’t you coming?” Maida asked.
“I’ll wait here,” Buffalo said. “I have a bit of work I need to finish. Arthur and Will know how to reach me if you need anything.” Buffalo tapped his wrist. Maida noticed he was wearing a watch similar to Will’s.
Then he turned his full focus back to the document he was reading.
As they inched past the front bumper, Maida looked dubiously at the narrow passage behind them. “How is the van going to turn around?” she asked the doctor.
“Don’t worry about that.” Dr. Dvita turned to wink at her. “Your father’s driver is skilled. He’s a cat shifter.”
After they all passed, Arthur jumped out to join their party. Maida noticed he was wearing a similar watch to the one Will and her father wore, but he had it turned backwards and was speaking into it as he walked. His voice was a curious mixture of sternness and affection.
“I thought I told you to stay put until I got home,” he said.
He shut the van door behind him. “No, I don’t think running out of Gemini’s preferred brand of kibble qualifies as an emergency.
” He held up a finger, asking them to wait as he finished his conversation.
“I’d have been happy to pick it up for you, if you had mentioned it.
I’m headed into Primrose Court myself right now. ”
Arthur paused and ran a hand through his dark hair, disheveling it for a moment before most of it settled back into place neatly, almost as if it didn’t know how to misbehave. Almost. That one wavy lock in the front refused to lie straight.
“Yes, Rosie, I’m aware it’s a teacher development day and that you don’t have classes.
” He sighed and turned away from them as he continued to chat more quietly.
“No, now is not a good time for you to meet Maida. Get your cat food and head straight home. Just lock up and let me know once you get there.” His voice softened. “Love you, Ro.”
Arthur rotated the watch and turned back to their party of five. “I’m sorry, my daughter is actually on her way to Primrose as well. Her cat has a penchant for the magical kibble that they only sell at the shop here.”
“I saw that beast at your place.” Will shook his head at Arthur. “It looked ferocious. If it wants magical kibble, you’d best feed it magical kibble.”
Arthur smirked at Will.
“That cat is fine with table scraps. I just think Rosie wants to check on the Mudpuddle. She and her friends spend a lot of time there, and they’re very anxious about it.”