Saturday was spent in a variety of boutiques and shops on the main street in Victoria. Alice thrilled herself with her own daring, purchasing numerous outrageously “Witchy” outfits.  By four o’clock Alice had a number of bags in each hand and very sore feet.  She jetted through the shop with a wave to Azura, eager to get up to her apartment and try her new clothes on. 

The mirror in the bathroom provided the fashion show, and Alice surveyed the first outfit. She was currently wearing a pair of high leather boots over form-fitting blue jeans and long, button down dark velvet jacket.

“Wow, I actually look good!” She turned around quickly, almost expecting someone to hear her little bout of vanity.

            The next outfit delighted her even more. She attempted to execute a runway turn, watching the black skirt she was wearing flow around her legs. She straightened the purple sweater over her hips, and found she was especially taken with the stylish black hat she’d purchased. It was complete with small feathers and delicate black netting that swooped down over one eye; it made her look dramatic and outgoing and Alice loved it. She tried on several more combinations, relishing the feel of colourful silk blouses on her skin, prancing around in the gold high heeled shoes she’d picked out. She looked like someone completely different, someone daring and confident. It was thrilling. 

The last outfit was the most outrageous yet. It was a black dress, the bodice slightly lower cut then she was used to and corset-like with red beading over the bust. It fit her beautifully; the end of it trailed off into strips and floated around her legs when she moved.  Alice stared at herself. It was so daring. Where would she even wear it? She took it off and put her sweater back on, hanging the black dress in the closet.  She’d probably just wasted her money because it wasn’t likely she’d ever be confident enough to pull it off. She sighed, running a finger down the gauzy materiel. It was so beautiful, but she just wasn’t brave enough.

At last she put all the new clothes reverently away. Next she tore eagerly into the bag that held her new laptop. She’d figured she’d needed one. What kind of business owner didn’t have their own computer? 

            Monday morning the Elf came in.  Alice didn’t know what he was at first, except that he was ridiculously good looking. His features were very fair, with delicate, high cheeks bones and a strong chin. But his eyes were the first thing she noticed.  They were huge and brown, and had a tendency to suck you in if you stared too long. She caught herself staring slack-jawed as he entered and shut her mouth with a snap.

Azura greeted him, “Demitri, how are you?”

            “My dear, it’s been far too long.”

            To Alice’s astonishment he took one of Azura’s hands and bent low over it in the fashion of a courtly gentleman.

“And who is this?”  He turned his intense gaze on her, and she felt her breath catch.

            “This is Alice,” Azura said.

            “Hello.” Alice stifled a gasp as he took her hand in a cool, firm grip and bent low over it. “Nice to meet you.” It truly was. She felt her head spin and her heart beating too fast.  He is so gorgeous.  She wished she could stare into his eyes all night. His light caress on her hand sent chills up and down her back.

             Something was repeatedly nudging her foot under the counter. It was annoying. It was distracting her from Demetri’s beautiful eyes.  It nudged again, harder this time and when Alice looked down she discovered it was Azura’s foot. She stared at the foot crossly, wondering what Azura was doing. When she looked back up she drew her hand away from Demetri’s grasp, noticing something very strange. The Elf had several strands of magic wrapped around his body, the ends of them drifted towards her, and one had even began to wind its way up her arm. She shoved them away angrily, the same way she had shoved back Azura’s threads earlier. The silver strands snapped back towards Demetri and sunk into his pale skin, making him jump.

            “Hey,” she cried indignantly.

            “Demetri,” Azura said, sternly, “I know you have a tendency to work your magic on every girl you meet, but not on Alice please.”

            Demetri looked a lot less attractive as he pouted at them. “So sorry, force of habit.”

             Azura helped him pick out a few trinkets and talked to him about ordering something but she watched him warily while they did so.  I didn’t even notice that. He would have just completely wrapped me up in his spell if Azura hadn’t been here.  She fidgeted with the buttons on her shirt as she rang him through the till, fearful to even look at him.  When he left, she let out a sigh of relief so loud that Azura looked over in concern.

 “Are you okay?”

            “I’m fine, it was just startling. Thanks for nudging me. I feel really stupid for not noticing he was doing that.”

            Azura grimaced. “Don’t worry, it’s a mistake we all make at first. You learn to keep your guard up around Elves.”

            “Is that what he was?” Alice made a noise of distaste. “I don’t think I like them.”

            “They’re not all bad, but you learn the hard way that most of them are just out for followers, people to worship them. I myself thought I was in love for a full week the first time I met one.”

            “Did you date him?”

            Azura laughed. “Heavens no!  They rarely even realise they’re enchanting you while they’re doing it. Like Demetri said, it’s such a force of habit for them that they don’t even think about it. A week later I finally realized I had a spell on me and I ‘disenchanted’ myself in a hurry.”

            “You must have been mad.”

            “At myself, yes. I felt like a fool.”

            Alice felt a little better. “Well I’m glad you were there to help me. I’ll be more careful next time.”

            There were no more run-ins with Elves in the next week, although Alice met a few more Witches, and one cranky old Wizard that scowled at her when she said hello. Thursday morning the two women were enchanting objects in the back room when Azura tilted her head thoughtfully.

 “Hm…I think it’s time to move the shop.”

            Alice stared at her. “Were you just…listening to something?”

            “Sort of.” Azura went back to winding two glimmering threads together. “The shop has subtle ways of letting you know it’s time to go.”

            “It…lets you know?” Alice faltered. The woman was talking about the place like it was alive. “Does it think?”

            “It certainly has its moods.” Azura chuckled, as if it were some private joke, and Alice decided not to pursue that particular subject any longer. There was only so much weirdness she could take at one time.

            “How do you know it wants to leave? I didn’t ‘sense’ anything.”

            “It’s a very subtle shift in the magic. You won’t know it until you’ve worked with the threads for a few years.”

            “And what if you don’t want to go?”

            “Then I tell it to be quiet, but that’s hardly ever happened. Usually when the shop indicates it’s time for a change, I listen to it.”

            “Why?”

            Azura shrugged. “Generally there’s a good reason. Once, when your Aunt Ruby and I were very young and just starting out, the shop indicated it wanted to leave after only two days. Ruby argued and argued with it, but finally she gave in. Later we read in the paper that there had been a major fire in the area that night, most of the town went up in flames.”

            “It knew?”

            “Somehow it did.”

            “So, how do we move it?”

            “I’ll show you, but first we have to deal with your parents.”

            “I thought Great Aunt Ruby placed a spell on them so they’d think they’d just been here.”

            “She did. However, the spell is dormant - she made it so you could activate it when you needed to.”

            “Then what do I have to do?”

            “All you have to do is touch the threads and the spell will activate.”

            “How come I never saw the spell on my parents? Because of the one that was on me?”
            “Correct.”

            “Okay, so…where are they?  The threads I mean.”

            “I believe Ruby usually favoured the left ankle for that type of spell.”

            Alice stared at her in disbelief. “You mean I have to grab my parents’ ankles?”

            “You needn’t yank your mother’s feet out from under her.” Azura smiled. “All you have to do is brush past her, graze her ever so slightly. It will only take a touch from any part of you, your own feet included.”

            Alice giggled. “I’ll kick her in the ankle.”

            Azura was clearly trying to mask a grin. “You could always say you’ve developed a twitch.”

            “That would be one heck of a twitch…”

            Later that afternoon, Alice was having dinner with her parents, but she still couldn’t think of a way to touch their ankles without looking like she’d lost her marbles. She could see the spell on both of them now - even from under the table the thin strands of white magic gleamed brightly on her mother’s ankle, just below where her skirt ended. Her father nearly always wore shorts in any weather, which normally drove her crazy and embarrassed her in front of her friends. Tonight she was very grateful, since it would have been a great deal more awkward to have to lift his pant leg up to get at the spell. It was odd to think that they’d had the spells on them for years, and she’d never seen it up until now. It looked so obvious.

            Once in a while she glanced towards the ceiling. The total absence of magic was strangely unnerving.

            “You seem distracted tonight, honey.” Her mother peered at her in concern. “Everything alright at the shop?”

            Alice sat up straight in her chair. “Oh, sorry. I’m fine, everything is fine. The shop is wonderful.” She added eagerly, “Literally the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

            “That’s good. We should come visit you again, shouldn’t we, Dave?”

            “We should.” Her father seemed more intent on shovelling forkfuls of peas into his mouth than anything else. Shoot, I really have to get those spells working.

She grinned weakly. “Yeah that would be nice.”

            When dinner was finished her mother left the table to get the dessert and Alice had a flash of inspiration.  She slouched down in her chair and stretched her bare foot out, eyeing her father’s ankle. He was very intent on his newspaper now, and didn’t seem to notice her bad posture. She stretched out her legs till her toes were almost touching his feet, ever so gently she brushed her big toe against the white threads around his ankle. 

            Several things happened at once. The threads lit up like a casino in Vegas, startling her with bright oranges, reds and blues. Her father sat up and reached down to scratch absently at his leg, and her mother, who had returned from the fridge holding a chocolate cake said, “Goodness, sit up, Alice. Your posture is atrocious.”

            Alice obeyed, feeling triumphant. One down.

He hadn’t even noticed. Now if only her mother would be that simple.  Alice’s opportunity came later, when the three of them sat down on the couch with tea, and her mother propped her feet up on the coffee table as she always did.  Alice sat down beside her, thankful she had decided to wear the black skirt she’d just bought and not pants. She put her bare feet up on the table beside her mother’s and pretended to accidentally bump her ankle, feeling a surge of satisfaction when the pattern lit up.

“Oops, sorry.”

            Her mother poked her in the stomach good naturedly. “Fancy that, my own daughter starts kicking me. And after I made you such a nice meal.”

            “It was delicious.” Alice was relieved it had been that easy. She hadn’t been sure what to expect.  She looked over at her mother, suddenly aware she was being stared at. She had a moment of panic. Did her mother suspect something?

            Her mother sighed. “You’re so grown up now. Look at you. You’re dressed so professionally.”

            Alice looked down at herself. She had dressed nicely for dinner, in a dark red silk blouse and the black skirt she’d bough, complimented by a long silver chain and pearl earrings.

            “You’ve been shopping?” Her mother asked. “You look very nice.”

            “Thanks Mom.  I did go shopping actually. I figured if I’m going to own a business I had better look like I do.”

            “Anything exciting happen at the shop lately?” her father asked suddenly. “You looked sort of bored when we visited you this morning.”

            She tried to keep the startled look off her face, having forgotten exactly what the spell did.

“Um…yeah, I guess I was a bit. Nothing interesting happened today.” What a lie that was.

            “Well you’re suite is certainly wonderful, and I can’t believe it’s fully furnished!” her mother added. “Amazing!”

            “I know - I even have a new desk, so old what’s-his-name can keep the other one.”

            “Cheeky! I do believe you’re over that silly boy.”

            Am I over Jason?   Thinking his name didn’t send a stab of pain through her stomach now. It still left her vaguely irritated, but she no longer felt the intense betrayal and anger.  It almost wasn’t important now. She was involved in something much bigger than him. Who had time for boyfriends anyways? She was a business woman now, and not only that, she was a Witch.