Trans Witch: College of Secrets Read online

  "Meanwhile, you're looking at their newest assistant Librarian."

  Ellen's brow furrowed. "Librarian? You?"

  "Hey, you know I'm all about books! And who better than a bookish English professor to help them organize their library? My first day's tomorrow. I hope to find more than just books in my research there, that's for sure."

  "Pretty sneaky. And awfully convenient. They just happened to have a position open?"

  Lily had no explanation for that, so she blurted out, "It was that or sign up to be a student or have my memories erased."

  The geas changed her words to come out as, "It was one of my students' fault, I'd rather not talk about it."

  Ellen nodded, watching her with narrowed eyes. "Gotcha. I hope you find something out. But since we don't know what happened to Penny, I want you to tread lightly. If there was any foul play involved, it won't help things for you to disappear too. I need my Lily."

  Lily squeezed Ellen's hand, smiling. "I'll be careful. But hey, even if I do disappear, you still have Zach. And the parental units."

  Ellen's expression clouded. "As if. Ever since they disowned you for being—yourself, I've hardly spoken to them. Only when they've called me."

  Lily sighed. "Look, I don't expect you to—"

  Ellen shook her head. "I know you don't. It's just horrible of them. They watch too much Fox News. When we were growing up, they were all, 'you can be anything you want to be!' and 'be yourself!'. But to say, 'no, not like that' when you're a grown-ass adult? That's so hypocritical. And I don't want my Zach to see me capitulate to them. He's your biggest fan, you know."

  Lily smiled. "Yes, I know. He's very sweet. You raised him right, sis."

  Ellen's phone chimed, and she looked at it and sighed. "Speak of the devil, it looks like he's locked himself out of his car again. I gotta go."

  Lily frowned. "But... but... girls' night!"

  "Hey, you can come along with to rescue him if you want?"

  "No, that's okay." she shut the pizza box and pushed it towards her sister. "Give him my love, and better yet, my remaining share of Pepperoni's."

  "Still campaigning for favorite aunt, despite your unchallenged status? I'm sure he'll appreciate it." Ellen rose from the table. "Good luck with your new job, I hope you turn something up about Penny."

  Lily stood to hug her sister goodbye. "Thanks. I could use some good luck right about now."

  Ellen gave her an extra squeeze and said, "I know you miss her. I miss her, too. She's been so good to you, standing by you through everything."

  After they settled the bill, the sisters went their separate ways. Lily felt the effects of the beer more than she expected, so rather than walk to her car, she called a Ryde Kyng rideshare from her phone.

  She stood outside in the cool October night air, watching her phone as a little blue car on the Ryde Kyng map meandered towards her position.

  A gang of little goblins walked past her, followed closely by a green-faced witch, complete with a pointy hat and broom. One of the little ones yelled, "Hey, Ms. Frizzle! Awesome costume, haha!"

  Oh, right, it's still Halloween!

  "Wahoo!" she cried in reply, wishing she'd thought of a better quote from the Magic School Bus.

  The goblins cheered and swung their plastic pumpkins in approval. Their witchy escort said to Lily, "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!"

  As the troupe rounded the corner, Lily's phone chimed, and the screen declared, "Thy Ryde is here!" The proclamation came with a picture of an SUV and the driver's photo, a grinning bearded guy wearing a flat cap; it said his name was T.K. Bask.

  An electric blue SUV tore up and hopped the curb next to her before pulling to an abrupt stop. Sure enough, the driver, a gnome-like little guy, matched the scruffy picture on the app.

  Lily hopped into the back of the SUV, which pulled away from the curb the instant her seatbelt locked. "Hey, thanks for the ride, T.K. I probably shouldn't drive for a while."

  "Tis nothin', lass. Jes' part of the job!"

  Lily peered at the guy through the rearview mirror. "That's an interesting accent. Are you from Scotland? Ireland?"

  The little man chuckled. "Me? I'm from all over. Tis nae as important where we're from, as where we're goin', I'd say. An' I bet yer headed for trouble by the looks of ye."

  "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "Eh, nothin' much. I jes have a way with readin' people, an' ye have a great dark raincloud hangin' o'er yer head, lass. One that's going ta get worse afore it gets better, no doubt."

  Lily took a breath and said, "What do you know about my troubles?"

  "Let me take a guess. ye lost someone, an' yer still lookin', am I right?"

  "Yes, but—"

  "An' ye had a wee bit o' hope today, hmm?"

  "How could you—"

  "Lemme tell ye, lass, beware those who seem fair but feel foul. They mean ye no good. If ye are nae careful, ye'll disappear too."

  Lily fumed. "Look, Mr. Bask, I don't know who you think I am, but I don't see how it's your business."

  T.K. laughed. "I'm a busybody with a car, and ye need a ride, hmm? An' I jes can't let ye walk in all innocent and meet the same fate as yer sweetie. Don't let 'em know it, but ye need ta know they're watching you close at the Wizard School. Careful who ye trust! Ole Bask may be dotty an' not what he once was, but he can help out here an' there! Call on me when yer in danger, an' I'll show up, okay lass?"

  As he spoke those words, the SUV pulled up in front of Lily's cottage house.

  Lily opened the door, and said, "How can you speak openly of the... of that place?"

  Bask turned around in his seat and grinned at her. "Nae all are bound by the wizards' geas. Remember tha'! An' before ye tip me, lemme give ye one more tip meself: be lookin' fer the auld triangle!"

  "The what?" said Lily, staring at him in disbelief.

  With that, the driver touched the brim of his flat cap and honked his horn twice, and cried, "Close th' door! I must be off!"

  Lily shut the car door with a little more force than necessary, and said, "You certainly must be!"

  She watched as the electric blue SUV careened off down the street and screeched around a corner.

  Chapter Six

  A little shaken, Lily walked up the steps to her door. Her cat, Monty, stood in silhouette in the front window but hopped down as soon as he saw her.

  She pulled her keys out of her purse and heard the "ting ting!" of a coin falling onto the concrete step. She bent down to retrieve it and remembered that Hannah had passed it to her on her way out of SOAM.

  She held it in the palm of her hand. A penny, dated 1980. The year my Penny was born! She held onto the coin as she unlocked the front door of her house.

  "Oh, my goodness, what a lovey-dovey chonky boy you are!" said Lily as she rubbed her large orange tabby's head. Monty favored her with a forceful headbutt to her leg.

  Lily put out some food for Monty, who attacked it with much enthusiasm. She settled onto her couch with the penny. She stared at it a while, wondering what it meant. She set it on the table before her and stretched out and turned on the TV.

  She scrolled through the streaming network options but couldn't think of what she wanted to watch. The penny sitting on the table kept drawing her eye, so she opted for comfort watching: Star Trek. "Let's see, what would Penny watch? Hmm, let's go for Next Gen."

  The next episode in line for that series involved the android character playing Sherlock Holmes. Lily wished she had either Data or Holmes at her disposal to help her find her missing wife.

  As the episode went on, she stretched out on the couch and let out a contented sigh. Monty took this as an invitation and joined her, settling down on her legs with a comforting weight. His happy purring lulled her and soon she drifted off to sleep with the TV still running.

  Lily dreamed of the penny on the table growing to become her Penny, with copper hair, freckles, and t
hat impish grin she always had when she was up to something. Penny sat on the edge of the table and leaned to kiss Lily and scritch Monty. "Penny for your thoughts?" she winked, a running joke between them.

  "I miss you," said Lily sleepily.

  "And I miss you, too. I know you'll find me, love. You're on the right track."

  "But where are you?"

  "I literally can't tell you that."

  Lily frowned. "You mean like the geas?"

  "Exactly like that. I gave the penny to Hannah for a reason. Don't lose it, okay? It contains a tiny bit of my essence. Use it to find me. If it falls into the wrong hands, it could be used against you, and me as well."

  Lily reached for the coin, but the apparition of Penny stopped her with a hand. "Not yet, sweetie. I have more to say before you wake up."

  Lily settled back into the couch. "I just wish you were really here, my love."

  Penny lowered her eyes and favored Lily with a sad smile. "I know. With luck, we'll be reunited soon. But when we are, there will be even more trouble. To find me, you'll have to learn the same things I did, which is why I was captured. And once I'm freed, they'll be after both of us."

  Lily considered this. "We'll run away. Far away. We'll move to Canada."

  Penny giggled. "Oh, this is so sudden!" She laid a hand on Lily's shoulder. "Sweetie, I wish it were that simple, but the wizards have too much at stake, they'll hunt us down. Truth is, it might be better to leave me lost, and save yourself."

  "No! I'd rather be lost with you, because I'm surely lost without you, Penny!"

  Penny sighed. "I know. You're going to need help, then. Find what allies you can but be careful who you trust. Hannah's a good start, I trusted her for a reason. She's my best student, and she and her friends are very resourceful."

  As Penny spoke, Lily found that she could see the TV through her. "I think you're fading. Or I'm waking up."

  Penny took Lily's hand and squeezed. "Possibly a bit of both. This was a hasty enchantment, so it's going to need to recharge before we can talk again. Let's save what's left so you may call upon me if needed?"

  Lily wiped at tears forming in her eyes. "But I don't want you to go!"

  "I'll be here. I'll just be asleep. But know this: when you're near me, the coin will warm up! And when you're in danger, it will become cold to the touch. Keep it near you, but keep it hidden!"

  "Keep it secret, keep it safe," said Lily, with a hint of a smile.

  "Exactly. Now, wake up, Lily, and go to bed."

  "I hope I dream of you!" cried Lily, waking herself up. She sat up. Monty let out an unhappy "mrrt" and leaped off of her legs.

  The penny sat on the table's edge, and Lily stared at it a long moment before picking it up. She stood, and carried the coin into her bedroom, where she rooted around in her jewelry box.

  "This should do nicely!" Lily said as she pulled out a charm pendant, dangling upon a black silk cord. She unscrewed the silver and glass faceplate, then placed the penny inside and screwed it back together again. She looped the cord over her head and slipped the pendant down the collar of her dress and patted it through the material.

  Having accomplished this, Lily undressed and dressed for bed.

  She read for a little while to take her mind off of the days' events. Soon Monty joined her, hogging up much of the foot of the bed. Lily fell asleep with her book on her chest, the table light still on, and Monty snoring at her feet.

  * * *

  In the morning, Lily dressed, ate a quick breakfast, fed Monty, and walked out the door with her purse slung over one shoulder.

  Belatedly, she remembered she'd left her car on campus overnight.

  "Damn it!"

  A horn honked as an ancient station wagon pulled up to the curb. A tall young man sat at the wheel, bleached swoop bangs partially obscuring his face as he smiled at her. "Hey there, Aunt Lily! Need a ride?"

  Lily blinked at her nephew. "Why yes, I do! How did you know?"

  "Mom saw your car on our way home and thought you might not have wanted to drive, so she had me swing by here. Thanks for the pizza, by the way!"

  Lily got in the car and tried to ignore the distressing vibrations of metal on metal that emanated from various parts of the elderly vehicle. "You sure this thing's safe?"

  Zach scowled. "It'll get us there."

  "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. I know you're a starving college student."

  Zach gave her a wry smile. "I'll get something better after I graduate in May. Just hope she holds together until then." To the car, he said, "You hear me, baby? Hold together."

  Lily couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah, I've had my share of cars like this."

  Zach drove slower than anyone Lily had ever ridden with. His excessive caution at intersections alarmed her. She wanted to tell him that if he waited too long, people would just go and he'd cause an accident through his abundance of caution. She decided not to since she'd already insulted his vehicle, she didn't want to also criticize his driving.

  "I really appreciate the ride. I had a weird encounter with a rideshare driver last night, and I wasn't sure I wanted to repeat the experience this morning. Can I buy you a coffee or something?"

  Zach shook his head. "Sounds nice, but no can do. I have class in a half-hour, on the other side of campus from the English building."

  "That's a shame. Another time, then?"

  "Count on it!"

  Lily hopped out of the car with a wave to her nephew and walked toward the English building. Her first class wasn't until 10, so she had to decide between grading assignments in her classroom or starting work at the SOAM Library.

  "Well, I told Wheeler I'd report there in the morning, so may as well dive in." She found she had a case of butterflies in her stomach, not knowing what to expect in the wizardly library. Summoning courage, she touched her chest where the penny pendant lay, and walked past her classroom to find the portal back into the wizard college.

  Once inside, she found the room of doorways full of students and the occasional staff member, flashing into existence in one archway, crossing the room, and disappearing into another.

  Lily frowned, not knowing which way to go.

  "Can I help you?" asked a man's voice from the vicinity of her left elbow.

  Lily spun and then looked downward. "Oh!" she exclaimed at the sight of an elf. Not a tall, charismatic Tolkien elf. Not a tiny silly Santa's elf. No, this being looked like a tween, but of aethereal beauty. His face had a foxlike point to it, and his eyes were almond-shaped and set somewhat further apart than a human's. His sleek pageboy hair shone like spun silver. And his ears came to a rounded point, subtler than a Star Trek Vulcan's ears, but unmistakable all the same. Rather than Christmas attire or something fantastical, this elf wore blue jeans, tennis shoes, and a dark green Moraine University hoodie.

  "I, uh, well, yes, it is my first day."

  "Clearly," said the elf. "Where are you going?"

  "It's just that I've never seen, um—"

  "Clearly," repeated the elf. "Where. Are. You. Going?"

  Lily's face turned two shades of red, and she had to think to remember her destination. "Well, I'm new, and I, uh, I'm supposed to report to the, uh, Library."

  The elf nodded. "Take the green arch, then follow the hallway without taking any turns, and you'll run right into it."

  "Th-thank you. Lily. I'm Lily Shelley."

  The elf failed to offer a hand to her. "Hmm. I'm Naille, a perpetual graduate student from another realm. Charmed, I'm sure." Then he turned and disappeared into the blue archway.

  Ohmigod, elves are real!

  She waited for some traffic to pass, then walked up to the green doorway and paused, marveling at the enchanted portal which would teleport her who knew where somewhere on campus. This time yesterday, she wouldn't have believed it possible!

  "Um, excuse me," said a young man, burdened with a heavy backpack. "I need to get past
."

  She let him pass and watched as the darkness of the portal swallowed him up.

  Lily took a breath, to ready herself to follow him.

  Then found herself on the floor, tangled up with a young woman with a pink buzz cut.

  "Oh, Professor S! I'm so sorry! You shouldn't stand in front of portals like that! It's like standing at the top of an escalator! But I was going too fast, and I should be more careful, too!"

  Hannah helped Lily up off the floor, and the both of them stepped off to one side to allow traffic through.

  "Sorry, Hannah. I'm new at this," said Lily. "Just on my way to the Library. I've got a new job there, working part-time."

  "Oh! Watch out for Bucher! She's a firecracker! Anyway, I have to run!"

  Lily touched Hannah's arm as the girl turned to go. "Wait, I wanted to thank you—"

  Hannah held a finger to her lips and shook her head. "I'll see you later! Maybe I'll drop by the Library!"

  Lily waved goodbye to her student, gathered up her courage, and stepped through the green doorway.

  The hallway looked familiar to her. Rather than the wooden or stone halls she'd seen so far in SOAM, this one was made of concrete blocks, like her own English building, painted a cheery yellow, with a wide green stripe at waist height. The lighting, rather than torches or magical globes, was provided by the more ordinary electric fluorescent tubes, buzzing and flickering ever so slightly.

  Others hurried up and down the wide hallway and its side tributaries. There were no windows, and Lily had the distinct impression that this was an underground tunnel.

  She followed the hallway on forward, as Naille the elf had directed, and found it ended in thick metal doors, thrown wide open.

  A worn brass plaque above the door said, in etchings Lily had trouble making out, "Arcane Atheneum" but a printed sign below it said, "SOAM Library - Enter at Own Risk."

  Chapter Seven

  "What could be risky about a library?" wondered Lily aloud.

  Short, barking laughter greeted Lily, emanating from a tall, dark-haired woman. Lily guessed she must be in her eighties or later. "Dangerous? Why, there's all the books for starters! More dangerous are what the books contain: ideas, young man!"