Page 33 of No Charm Done

The stranger looked about thirty, clean-shaven, with a well-fed look that suggested an easy life. His shaggy, overly feminine haircut was topped with a knit beanie cap. But what really grabbed Elias’s attention was the hungry gleam in the man’s eyes. It was a look Elias could recognize in any century.

This wasn’t just any man. This was a mark.

Well, Elias thought, might as well cheer myself up by taking some pigeon for a few bucks.

“Quite a scene, huh?” the stranger remarked, gesturing at the chaos around them. “I’m Ashton, by the way. Ashton Vex.”

“Elias Shaw.” He shook the man’s offered hand, noting the soft palm of someone who’d never done an honest day’s work in his life. “And you’re right, it is quite a scene. What brings you to this magical wonderland?”

Ashton laughed. But the sound was rehearsed, as if pulled from a file cabinet marked Laughs for Various Occasions. “I’m here doing some research, trying to figure out if this whole witch thing is real. See, my whole deal is about disrupting legacy industries with innovative platforms that leverage untapped markets. I’m always looking for the next blue ocean opportunity. Something scalable that can revolutionize how people interface with traditional service providers. Know what I mean?”

Elias didn’t know, but he nodded sagely. “You’re looking for a sure thing. My kind of man.”

Standing beside him, Luna gave his shoulder a warning shove. He looked up at her face, which clearly said, I know what you’re doing—and don’t do it.

But he ignored her; he needed this. After a century of playing the Most Helpful Fella in the Void, he needed to remember what it felt like to be Elias Shaw, master of the con. Just a little harmless fun to settle both his stomach and his nerves.

“So tell me, Ashton,” he said, settling into an all-too-familiar rhythm, “what kind of returns do you typically see on those blue ocean opportunities? I ask because I’ve got a little proposition that might interest a forward-thinking businessman such as yourself . . .”

“Oh my gods,” Luna groaned.

But Ashton’s face was bright with interest. “I’m listening. What kind of proposition?”

Normally, Elias had an elaborate scheme, well prepared. This time, he’d have to wing it. He studied the square for inspiration, and his gaze landed on one of the tacky souvenir shops. “You see this nonsense they’re peddling? Crystal balls and plastic wands? Pure garbage. But what if I told you I could show you the real thing?”

“Yeah?” Ashton’s eyebrows shot up. “Like, actual supernatural phenomena?”

“Kid, I’ve seen things that would make your hair curl.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a quarter—or what he hoped was still a quarter in this godforsaken future hellscape. He held it up between two fingers. “Watch closely.” With a flick of his wrist, Elias made the coin disappear.

“Eh . . . that’s okay,” Ashton said, skepticism clear in his voice. “I mean, I’ve seen magicians before.”

“Oh, please.” Luna’s voice dripped with disdain. “That’s not magic, that’s just manual dexterity.” She shot Elias a look that somehow managed to be both superior and flirtatious, as if daring him to keep up. “This is magic.”

She held up her hand, palm facing the fountain in the center of the square. The water, which had been flowing in a perfectly normal downward direction, suddenly reversed course, shooting upward in spiraling ribbons that danced through the air before forming the shape of a perfect rose made entirely of crystalline droplets.

Ashton gaped, looking clueless as a goldfish. “Whoa.”

“That’s nothing,” Luna continued. With a small gesture, she made the water-rose bloom and multiply, creating an entire bouquet that hung suspended in the air, each flower spinning slowly and catching the light.

“Holy shit, how’d you do that?”

A stab of competitive irritation shot through him. Showing off, was she? Well, two can play at that game. “That’s cute, sweetheart, but watch this.” He gestured at one of the garish Christmas decorations hanging from a nearby lamppost: a plastic snowman that was slowly rotating while playing what sounded like “Jingle Bells” in a tinny, electronic voice. With a slight movement of his fingers, Elias changed the snowman’s tune. Instead of “Jingle Bells,” it began playing a perfect rendition of “Down Hearted Blues.” A group of young people nearby started swing dancing.

“Bah, any toddler can control singing snowmen,” Luna said, but Elias could tell she was fighting a smile.

“Oh really? Well let’s see you do this.” He gestured toward the fountain, and suddenly every droplet of Luna’s water-rose bouquet transformed into tiny, glittering butterflies that fluttered around the square before settling on the shoulders of delighted tourists.

Luna’s eyes narrowed. “Amateur hour.” She pointed at the same fountain, and the water began to rise in an impossible spiral, defying gravity as it climbed higher and higher until it formed a perfect replica of the Statue of Liberty, complete with torch and flowing robes. The clear water caught the Christmas lights, making Lady Liberty like liquid diamonds.

“Now you’re showing off,” Elias said, but his voice was warm with admiration.

“Says the man who made butterfly confetti.”

Troublingly, Ashton Vex was frantically typing notes into one of those brightly lit pocket rectangles that was apparently required in this misbegotten future. “This is incredible. Absolutely incredible. The applications are endless: entertainment, productivity, lifestyle . . . Magic as a service! Supernatural solutions delivered on demand!” He stood. “We’re gonna blitzscale the fuck out of this thing. Subscription-based apps with supernatural solutions. Uber, but for magic!”

“Wait, what are you—” Luna started, but Vex was hurrying away from the bench.

“Listen, it’s been great. Thanks for the demo. I need to jump on a Zoom with my team. This is going to change everything!” He gabbed into his rectangle as he walked away. “Hey Brad? Yeah, it’s Ashton. Clear my calendar, dude. I’ve seen the future . . .”