Tricks & Treats Read online

  TRICKS AND TREATS:

  A HALLOWEEN ADVENTURE

  Tales of the Magi Saga 8

  By

  Andrew Dobell

  The book is Copyright © to Andrew Dobell, Creative Edge Studios Ltd, 2019.

  No part of this book may be reproduced without prior permission of the copyright holder.

  All locations, events, and characters within this book are either fictitious or have been fictionalised for the purposes of this book.

  Booklist

  Star Magi Saga – Space Fantasy

  Star Magi – Book 1

  Magi Nexus – Book 2

  War Magi – Book 3

  Star Magi Saga Tales – Space Fantasy

  Maiden Voyage – Prequel

  Epiphany – Book 2

  Quantum Legends

  Anomaly on Cerka

  The Magi Saga – Urban Fantasy

  Magi Dawn: The Magi Saga Book 1

  Magi Rising: The Magi Saga Book 2

  Magi Omen: The Magi Saga Book 3

  Magi Edge: The Magi Saga Book 4

  Magi Odyssey: The Magi Saga Book 5

  Magi Descent: The Magi Saga Book 6

  Magi Rebirth: The Magi Saga Book 7

  Tales of the Magi Saga – Urban Fantasy

  Angel of Tarut

  His Love

  Hack Imperfect

  Casino Red

  Uprising

  A Thoroughly Modern Witch

  Pilgrimage

  Arcanum Black Ops

  Nights Rise

  Wasteland Road Knights – Post Apocalyptic

  Liberation

  Exploration

  Revelation

  Determination

  The New Prometheus - Cyberpunk

  The New Prometheus

  The Prometheus Gambit

  The Prometheus Trap

  Prometheus Vengeance

  Anthologies I am part of:

  The Expanding Universe – Sci-Fi

  The Expanding Universe 3 – Sci-Fi

  Pew Pew – A fist full of Pews

  Bobs Bar 1

  Bobs Bar 2

  Sign up to my Mailing List.

  www.andrewdobellauthor.co.uk

  Table of Contents

  Booklist

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgements

  The Orange Leaves of Autumn

  Fall with Friends

  Planning Mischief

  Leather and Lace

  Halloween Spirit

  Treats and Tricks

  Author Note

  Booklist

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to my wife and family for joining me on this crazy adventure!

  Thank you to my editor, Hanna Elizabeth, for her hard work.

  Thank you to my cover model, Vicki Blatchley, for being the face of Amanda.

  Thank you to Tania Claire for your help on my cover shoots.

  The Orange Leaves of Autumn

  Amanda stood on the grass, just inside one of the meadows of Central Park, her hands stuffed in her jacket pockets as she looked out over the landscape.

  Pretending to be scary monsters, children ran through the fall leaves chasing their parents, kicking the orange and ochre foliage about as they went, laughing and giggling.

  Halloween was approaching, and signs of the holiday were everywhere. From the leaves on the trees changing colour as if they were on fire, to the chill air that prompted Amanda to pull on a woolly hat over her scarlet hair.

  She didn’t need to, her innate Magic kept her warm, but there really was nothing quite like feeling snuggly on a cold day.

  Beyond the trees that surrounded the meadow, the city hummed with life. Shops were selling seasonal decorations, pumpkins were already appearing outside of homes, and the coffee shops were selling pumpkin and cinnamon-spiced beverages once again.

  It was good to be back in the city that had been her home for so long and to see her friends. She’d missed being here, but now she need never leave them alone again.

  She’d come a long way since she’d first come here as a teenager, hoping to find her way in the big city.

  That first visit had not entirely gone to plan, but once she’d grown into her Magic, and returned following her formative training with Gentle Water, things began to fall into place.

  She remembered her first few weeks here, and the way that the Nomad Lucian—the self-styled King of New York—had hounded her and attempted to chase her from the city.

  That had not ended well for him and marked a significant moment for Amanda and her growth into the woman she was now. But that was many years ago. Her complicated life was not something she could explain easily to anyone, so she often didn’t even try. Recent events and her sojourn into the depths of deep space, only added to the incredulous nature of the tale.

  She wondered what her younger self would have thought of her history, had she known what was coming. She’d likely never have believed it, and part of her could sympathise. Even now, knowing that everything that had happened to her was real and having lived through it, a small piece of her still didn’t quite believe it.

  A loose collection of leaves slapped her on the side of the face and fell all around her in an explosion of oranges and yellows.

  Off to her right, Maria laughed. “Gotcha.”

  “Ugh, yuk,” Amanda spluttered, spitting bits of dirt from her lips as she wiped her face with a gloved hand. She turned and gave Maria a wicked grin. “Right then, you're in for it now.”

  Amanda ducked back to the treeline to one of the piles of leaves that had gathered there and grabbed a load before she ran towards Maria.

  The dark-haired woman yelped and backed off. “Hey, no no, I surrender, I surrender,” she called out with a smile, holding her hands up in defeat. “You win.”

  Amanda paused in her tracks and raised one eyebrow. “Really?”

  Maria peeked out from behind her hands. “You wouldn’t want to get me all muddy, now, surely?”

  “Yeah, I would,” Amanda answered, and threw the leaves. With a focused working of her Magical will, the number of leaves in the pile she threw suddenly tripled as they hit Maria before scattering to the winds.

  “Alright, I deserved that. Now I surrender,” Maria conceded, as she spat bits of leaf from her mouth.

  Amanda stepped up to her and wrapped her arms around her friend and lover before planting a kiss on her lips.

  “There, better?”

  “Mmm, lovely. Leaves and dirt, such an irresistible taste.”

  Amanda laughed. “It’s good to be back.”

  “It’s good to have you back. Well, part of you. This is all a little crazy, but, I guess I should be used to that with you.”

  “Yeah, you really should,” Amanda answered and turned to walk with Maria through the meadow.

  “So, you’re here, but there’s another copy of you, out there somewhere, flying the Arkady through the stars, right?” Maria asked, threading her arm through Amanda’s.

  “Something like that, yes. There’s several of me, actually. It’s just an advanced form of splitting my mind, except I’ve given each mind a body of its own, and it’s more permanent as well. We remain in communication with each other most of the time too.”

  “Over such vast distances? Have you come that far?”

  “Void had a lot to do with it. Being able to Port out of the universe means distances are not what they used to be anymore. I see things much differently now. My perspective has changed.” She wished there was a better way for her to explain it, but it was often confusing for her and most words just didn’t do justice to what she was seeing and feeling.

  “Are there any limits to what you can do?”

  Amanda laughe
d. She knew how it looked to others, how crazy it appeared, but she was still fundamentally human. “Of course. Splitting myself like this does take its toll, so my Magic isn’t split evenly. I’m not as strong as my main body is up there,” she said, pointing up into space.

  Maria nodded. “Well, it’s good to have you back. I miss you when you’re away.”

  Amanda smiled at the warm feeling she felt in her heart at Maria’s words. “Thank you. I’ve missed you and the rest of The Sigil too.”

  “I think we need to celebrate your return,” Maria suggested.

  “Oh? Well, I guess we could have a Halloween party.”

  Maria smiled and nodded vigorously. “That’s perfect, yes, I was thinking the same thing. In fact, I’ve been looking at a place we can rent in Salem, actually.”

  “Salem?”

  “Why not? If we’re going to have a party, then I want to have it somewhere suitable.”

  “Alright, I’m game for that. Salem sounds good.”

  “It’s going to be a costume party, of course.”

  “But of course,” Amanda said, not the least bit surprised that Maria would want to get everyone dressed up. She followed that thought down the rabbit hole even further. “Did you have a theme in mind?”

  Amanda picked up on the slightly smug, knowing smile on Maria’s face, and knew that she had something in mind. Memories of Maria surprising her with the sheer red dress before the big celebratory ball all those years ago bubbled up in her mind like ingredients in a witch's cauldron.

  “Oh yes, I have a theme in mind, and a costume for you all ready to go.”

  “You want to dress me again?”

  Maria smiled.

  “Oh jeez, what am I letting myself in for this time?” Amanda groaned.

  “Do you agree?”

  “Sure, why not, let’s have some fun.” She knew better than to argue with Maria when she got an idea in her head. Besides, she was up for a little fun.

  “Wonderful, you won’t regret it.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  Fall with Friends

  Amanda worked the knife around in a circle, cutting the hole in the top of the pumpkin with a sawing motion.

  “So, you’re here, but you're also somewhere else?” Liz asked.

  Amanda nodded. “Several somewhere elses, actually, but yeah, that’s right.”

  “Wow, that messes with my head.”

  “I know what you mean, and you’re not the one doing it,” she answered with a smile as she pulled the lid off the top of the pumpkin, and began scraping the stringy innards from the inside of it.

  “This is a defensive thing, right?” Maya asked. Amanda’s daughter sat opposite her on a stool, on the other side of the island in the kitchen. She peered over at Amanda, looking at her in a curious manner. “I mean, if you get killed, then you’re not dead, because there are other versions of you.”

  Amanda smiled. “You’ve got it in one. That’s exactly why I’m doing it. There will always be at least one other clone of me, and that makes me very difficult to really kill.”

  “That’s awesome,” Liz said approvingly. “So, this means we’ll have you around more, and you won’t be disappearing off into space as much, right?”

  Amanda nodded. “Right. This version of me isn’t going anywhere, I’m staying here on Earth.”

  With a grin from ear to ear, Liz rushed in to hug her.

  “Whoa, careful. Sharp knives,” Amanda said and held the kitchen knife well away from her apprentice.

  “Ooops, sorry,” Liz apologised, and with one more squeeze, stepped away.

  Amanda smiled at her and enjoyed the feeling of belonging and friendship she got from being here in her home with the people she loved most. She’d been away for months, until now. Travelling through space and dealing with the Nexus and the Dynasties. She’d been home for a few short visits, but not for any length of time.

  So this was a nice change, and she was glad she was able to be here for her friends on a more permanent basis. She still basically knew what was going on out there, in space with her other selves. She could concentrate and tap into those memories at any time, but it wasn’t needed on a day-to-day basis.

  Howie wandered into the kitchen as Amanda continued to scrape out the pumpkin's guts with a spoon. Beside her, Liz took up the knife and began to carve her own pumpkin.

  “So I heard about this Halloween party y’all are planning,” Howie stated. “Apparently there’s a theme to it?”

  “Yeah,” Amanda confirmed. “That was Maria’s idea.”

  “Oh, no,” Liz muttered. “Here we go.”

  Amanda smiled at her comment, knowing the somewhat racy reputation Maria had.

  “So, what’s the theme?” Howie asked.

  Amanda smiled. “You’re going to love it.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Liz asked.

  “Go on, tell us,” Howie pressed.

  “The theme is leather and lace.”

  “I knew it,” Liz groaned. “She never misses an opportunity to make something sexy, does she?”

  “That was her back up theme,” Amanda added.

  “What, Sexy?”

  Amanda smiled. “I told her I thought that was a little much.”

  “Thank you,” Liz replied in agreement with a roll of her eyes.

  “Leather and Lace?” Howie asked no one in particular. “That still brings certain connotations with it.”

  Amanda shrugged. “I guess. But, there’s more to play with there, I think. It doesn’t mean skimpy–although in Maria's case, it probably does–it just means using one or both materials in your costume, whatever that might be.”

  Howie nodded, clearly deep in thought. “Yeah, alright. I can get behind that.”

  “That gives me some ideas,” Maya agreed.

  “Do you know what you’re wearing?” Liz asked.

  Amanda spooned the last of the pulp from inside the pumpkin into the bowl beside her, leaving a totally hollow pumpkin on the counter, ready for carving.

  “Maria’s choosing mine.”

  Liz looked up at her with a sceptical expression on her face. “Well, that will be an interesting costume.”

  Amanda shrugged. “I am wondering what I’m letting myself in for.”

  “I bet,” Liz agreed.

  “You’ll be fine. Maria has a good sense of what suits you,” Maya added.

  “I know, I’m kidding. I’m sure Maria will do me proud,” Amanda said.

  “So, where’s this party at?” Howie asked. “Here?”

  “No. We’ve booked a mansion house in Salem for Halloween night. Should be fun,” Amanda explained as she cut the first eye into the pumpkin.

  “Salem? Oooh, I’ve always wanted to go there,” Liz cooed excitedly.

  “Well, you’ve not got long to wait now. It’s going to be fun.”

  “Who’s coming?” Maya asked.

  “We’ve invited a whole bunch of people,” Amanda answered. “Gentle Water, Balor, the boys–Xain and Orion. Also Trevelyan, Alicia, Raven, Royston, Victoria. All of the Legacy and the Sigil covens basically, and a few others.”

  “I think I know what I’m going to wear,” Maya stated.

  Amanda smiled. “Excellent. Liz? Howie? Any thoughts?”

  “A few,” Howie confirmed.

  “I’ll come up with something,” Liz answered.

  “Well, don’t take too long about it, it’s only a couple of days away,” Amanda warned them.

  Planning Mischief

  “It’s never worked before, what makes you think it will work this time?”

  Reagan glanced over at Elfreda and gave her a thin smile. “The Restoration. Things have changed a lot these last few years. The Null Realm is porous now, so the ritual should work.”

  Elfreda nodded. “And that’s a good thing?”

  “Why wouldn’t it be?” Reagan asked.

  “Well, things have changed a lot since we were last asked to do this,
Reagan.”

  “I know,” Reagan answered, sounding a little more affronted than she had planned. But she couldn’t help it. It might have been a few years since her mentor’s death, but Nell had left a vast hole in Reagan’s life, and she’d never really managed to fill it.

  “Are you sure Nell would want you to do this?”

  “Of course!” Reagan yelled, and then clamped her mouth shut as she reigned herself in. “I mean, that’s why we’re doing it, to fulfil our obligation.”

  “To who? To Lucian?”

  “It’s what he would have wanted.”

  “We don’t have to do this. Lucian’s dead.”

  “I know,” Reagan answered, remembering when the news of his death reached her. She wasn’t sad about him dying, not really. It was Nell’s death that had really stung. The Legacy had sent out its forces to hunt down and destroy Lucian’s closest allies, and Nell was one of them.

  So, it wasn’t out of some kind of personal loyalty to Lucian himself that she wanted to see this through. Instead, it was because of Nell’s loyalty to Lucian's cause that she wanted to try and complete it. Something that Nell herself had never managed to finish.

  “So, why do it?”

  “Because Nell would want to see it completed.”

  Elfreda sighed. “Alright, fair point.”

  “Why this sudden change of heart? You were all for it just a few days ago.”

  “Reality setting in, I guess. It is tomorrow.”

  “It certainly is. Are the others ready?”

  “They’re picking out their outfits. They’re keen to blend in with the crowds on their way there.”

  Reagan raised an eyebrow. “Outfits?”

  “It is Halloween, and if we’re summoning the Spirit of Halloween, we thought it best to get into the spirit of things. You never know, it might help. Besides, it’s tradition.”

  Reagan closed her eyes and nodded, remembering the last time they did this and the long flowing capes that Nell had insisted on. It was part of the ritual that the summoners wore the correct garb for the ceremony.