Chapter 9

Back at the Wendell residence, all was well. After the meal, the children had naptime, which gave Phileas a rest, too. The tired tom headed for the study and collapsed on the hearth, chin resting on the warm flagstones.

"Rough day, old man?"

Mr. Wendell was at his desk, going through a large stack of papers. He looked just like Phileas remembered his father when he was a boy. The black cat opened his eyes, but neither said anything more. The man went back to what he was doing, and Phileas dosed, wondering whether Hazel had a family gift.

Was he just talking at me, or talking to me? Dare I test it?

"Your daughter is a delightful little girl who is going to squeeze the life out of me if she keeps carrying me under one arm," Phileas said. "Your son is an imaginative dictator, and your wife is going to have a fit when she finds out what they did to her jewelry."

Mr. Wendell kept writing. He didn't hesitate, look up, or crack a smile.

Sometime later, the sleepy tom woke from his nap to Mrs. Wendell coming into the study complaining. "Those children are in so much trouble," she said. "You should see the mess they made of the attic."

"You are the one who set up the play area for them up, Rachel," Mr. Wendell said, without looking up.

Rachel gave him a sour look reminiscent of the one Hazel treated Phileas to earlier. "I would never complain about their play area, Ben. Today, they got into the storage area, which they know not to. They got into my collection of enchanted stones!"

That got both the man's and cat's full attention.

"I found where they moved most of it, but I am missing a very important piece. My de-spell stone is gone. The chain I found, but the pendant is lost."

"I am sure it is still up there somewhere," Ben said to calm her. "It isn't dangerous, is it?"

Rachel gave a huff of frustration. "You never pay attention when I tell you about my stones, do you? I know it isn't the sort of active magic you like, but it is still powerful and useful."

"I am sorry, dear," Ben said, giving her his complete attention. "I didn't mean to make light of your collection. Please, tell me about it again. Is it dangerous?"

"No, it isn't dangerous," Rachel said. "A de-spell stone negates the power of other enchanted stones and active magic. It is purely defensive, but quite powerful. That inch-sized bit of rock, when placed near another magic stone, will stop its effect. Placed on top of another stone, it kills the other's magic completely. If it were larger, say four inches round, it could counter the power of any active magical attack or curse. I have been after one of those for years. The more powerful wizards don't let them out on the market often."

"Yes, I can see that would be a prize acquisition," Ben said.

"I kept it with my other stones wrapped in tissue to render them inactive. When I went up to the attic, I found all my stones in their active states, making an awful mess." Rachel's face contorted in horror at the memory. "I have had to put them in a black hole bag for now."

"Why would the stone have to be larger to be useful in defense of a person?" Ben said.

"The mass of the area it has to protect," Rachel said. "It creates a mask or shield of enchantment. The bigger the stone, the greater the shield. My Grandmother said an average sized person would need a stone at least four inches round for protection, but it would also negate any magic they tried to conjure. If you were larger than six feet tall, it would have to be bigger. The little one the children lost might protect a baby, but not anyone bigger than that."

"We will find it in time," Ben said. "If we don't, I will get you another. What does it look like?"

"Like an onyx in color with iridescent specks," Rachel said. "It was set in silver. Even the little ones like mind are scarce and sought after. De-spell stones come from the ocean. My grandmother found mine on the beach."

The listening black cat kept his chin pressed down on the flagstones. The pendant on his collar was what she was looking for. Her inspection of Hazel's gift had only shown Rachel what bracelet was used to hold it. A shield of enchantment. Just the thing Rebecca and I might need to protect ourselves.