or youâll find yourself without family or money in the future, do you understand?â
âI get it.â Brian raised his chin and stared down his father. âIâve been without family for a long time. As far as money is concerned, Iâll just sell the gifts youâve given me to make up for actually spending time with me. Thanks for the heads-up.â
Without another word, Schadt and Yuriza abruptly vanished.
âCan you do that, Brian?â Elsie asked him. âIf so, can you teach me?â
Brian shook himself. âItâs not something teachable. Some of the families pay a premium to the council for the extra magic it takes. Itâs convenientâcharms and spells, that kind of thing. I know you donât do it, but lots of other witches do. Are you guys ready to go now? Letâs finish this.â
Elsie and I, with Olivia and her staff, led the way to Elsieâs house on Grace Street in my car. Of course we discussed the unfairness of being able to purchase more magic on the way there. None of us had even known it was possible to purchase more magic.
âSo thatâs why some witches are able to keep their magic for hundreds of years.â Elsie nodded, the purple velvet hat covering her faded red curls. âIt makes sense to me now. Why should the witching world be any fairer than the normal world?â
âI guess thatâs what made Dorothyâs father so powerful and vital when I met him, even though he was a thousand years old.â Olivia sighed. âI had no idea you could pay for extra magic. I wonder what it costs.â
âProbably more than any of us have,â Elsie said. âAnd letâsnot forget that Dorothyâs father was so evil that you had to hide her from him all these years.â
âI donât see where one has anything to do with the other,â Olivia argued. âBesides, I am quite well-to-do.â
âAnd youâre also quite dead. Having enough money to buy more magic doesnât seem to be in your future.â Elsie smugly smiled.
âI could buy extra magic for Dorothy.â Olivia shrugged. âWell,
she
could buy extra magic with my money.â
âIâm not sure if Brian can really stand up to his parents.â I changed the subject. âIf they want him back badly enough, theyâll probably just take him.â
âMaybe it would be just as well for Dorothy,â Olivia said.
âFor Dorothy?â Elsie asked. âPlease.â
We were finally at Elsieâs house. It was a lovely place that was surrounded by tall, old trees and green shrubs. It wasnât historic, like Dorothy and Oliviaâs house, but it was very nice. Bill had provided a good income while heâd been alive. Elsie had taught school until sheâd retired.
Dorothy and Brian were standing in the cobblestone driveway with their heads togetherâliterallyâhis head against hers. Their fingers were entwined.
âArenât they cute?â Elsie giggled. âI donât know how you can
not
want to see them together, Olivia. You might even have grandchildren.â
âGrandchildren?â Olivia slid from the car like hot smoke. âIâm not old enough to be a grandmother. I suppose I never will be now.â
âYouâve got a hundred years before you move on,â I reminded her. âYou should fill them as carefully as you did your house when you were alive.â
She bit her lip and floated away. It was an emotional subject for her.
Elsie opened the front door to her house, and we filed inafter her. It wasnât as grand or filled with antiques, but it had a nice homey feel to it that Iâd always enjoyed.
âI guess the foyer is as good a place as any for the spell.â She took out several red candles that had been in a bureau to the left side of the door. âWe can set them right here.â
To my surprise, as Elsie touched each candle,
Learning to Kill: Stories