Trick or Troll Read online

  CONTENTS

  Dedication

  Legal

  Oriceran Map - USA

  Oriceran Map

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Author Notes - Martha Carr

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  Social Links

  MC Series List

  Series List

  DEDICATION

  From Martha

  To everyone who still believes in magic

  and all the possibilities that holds.

  To all the readers who make this

  entire ride so much fun.

  And to my son, Louie and the wonderful Katie

  who remind me all the time of what

  really matters and how wonderful

  life can be in any given moment.

  And finally, a special thank you to

  John Nelson of the Austin, Texas

  Police Department

  who patiently answers all of my questions.

  I hope I made you proud.

  Thank you for your service.

  From Michael

  To Family, Friends and

  Those Who Love

  To Read.

  May We All Enjoy Grace

  To Live The Life We Are

  Called.

  TRICK OR TROLL Team

  JIT Beta Readers

  Kelly ODonnell

  Paul Westman

  Micky Cocker

  James Caplan

  Erika Daly

  Erick Cushman

  Joshua Ahles

  Tim Bischoff

  COVER DESIGN Contest Winner

  Katy Moreau

  If we’ve missed anyone, please let us know!

  TRICK OR TROLL (this book) is a work of fiction.

  All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.

  This book Copyright © 2017 Martha Carr and Michael T. Anderle

  Cover Design by Katy Moreau

  Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing

  LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  LMBPN Publishing

  PMB 196, 2540 South Maryland Pkwy

  Las Vegas, NV 89109

  First US edition, October 2017

  The Oriceran (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are Copyright (c) 2017 by Martha Carr and LMPBN Publishing.

  Click to View Full Size Map

  Click to View Full Size Map

  CHAPTER ONE

  Yumfuck pressed his face against the window of the car looking at all the houses decorated for Halloween as Leira Berens drove the green Mustang down Windsor Road on the west side of Austin, just as the sun was setting.

  Leira and Correk were coming from a crime scene that turned out to be just a clever prank by local high school students. "One of my favorite things about Austin," said Leira. "Everyone goes nuts for Halloween. It becomes more of a month-long celebration."

  Correk gave a shrug. "No surprise given the size of the magical community around these parts."

  Leira turned down Vista Lane toward a row of houses giving off an orange glow. "One small detour, for the troll."

  "Right, for the troll." Correk smirked but went right back to looking out the window.

  "Toni said every square inch of the Jackalope Bar is festooned with something. Wow, look at those jack-o-lanterns. That one's got the Austin skyline carved in it!"

  Strings of round orange lights decorated most of the houses they were passing, along with an array of Styrofoam tombstones painted grey in the small front yards and thick, white cobwebs stretched across bushes. One house was even blaring the sound of a cackling witch and had a sign that read, 'Enter here if you dare'. A large Colonial had a blowup of a large black cat two stories high blocking the entire front of the house.

  Tiny ghosts hung from the trees in front of a small rancher, twirling in the Texas wind. They were throwing shadows, lit up by white lights strung through the branches of an old pecan tree closer to the house.

  Leira glanced over at a tall palm tree with the silhouette of a witch riding a broom. "None of them actually look like that," she muttered. "Lacey Trader wears Birkenstocks and rides the train."

  "I can see why the general thought that prank might be magic," said Correk. "Impressive how they assembled that car in the lobby of the high school, and in one night. The engine even turned over." Correk shook his head in amazement. "When they find the clever thieves, they can make them take it back apart and then shake their hands for ingenuity."

  "I thought you were completely against tomfoolery."

  "I can be fun, even spontaneous." Correk arched an eyebrow, frowning.

  "Ha!" squeaked the troll without bothering to turn around. Correk reached over to pluck the troll off the door. The troll turned and opened wide, baring his sharp little teeth. He bit down on Correk's finger just hard enough to make Correk let go.

  "Tiny talking rodent!" Correk shook his hand.

  "Big motherfucker!" trilled the troll.

  "Now that we've established everyone's nicknames..." Leira gave a crooked smile and let out a short laugh.

  Correk winced. "If that's his idea of a nickname then it's his version of John Doe." Correk shook his finger. "Ever since he started letting on he can talk he's gotten a lot more ornery. I think he drew blood."

  "I was thinking the same thing, you know. Spontaneous isn't the word I'd use to describe you unless fast food is involved. Don't get twisted about it." She looked at his finger. "That was just a warning nip." Leira looked back at the traffic.

  "Just glad he didn't decide to take off a finger. Trolls can be fierce warriors even when they're tiny."

  "I know, I've seen him wrestle Hagan for a doughnut."

  "Your partner looked pretty impressed with the whole car stunt."

  "I noticed. He kept walking around the car saying the trades are making a comeback. Not sure the school administration appreciated it. We probably wouldn't have gotten a call if it wasn't the principal's car. He was pretty cheesed about it."

  Leira kept glancing over at Yumfuck, and back at Correk. The small troll let out a long sigh and slapped his hand against the glass.

  Correk rolled his eyes. "Pay no attention to him. That last part was only for dramatic effect."

  "How does he even know what a haunted house is? You'd think that giant blow-up black cat would make his fur bristle."

  "Mara told him all about it during one of their card games."

  "That's making a kind of sense. My grandmother loves to celebrate just about anything. What exactly did she tell Yumfuck?"

  "It's a big celebration where we all disguise ourselves in a costume so when the dead come back for one night they don't recognize us and leave us alone."

  "Ironic story when you think about where she just spent the last four years."

  "He was ignoring her till she said the children go door to door and get as much candy as they can carry."

  "Caaaaandy..." Yumfuck cried out as he licked the window.

  Leira furrowed her brows. "You'd think we never give him junk food. He should be the color of the r
ainbow from the Skittles he inhaled this morning. His tongue still looks like it belongs in a gay pride parade."

  "Those were..."

  "Your Skittles, I know. You told me several times while shaking the empty bag. There's more at the store. Both of you should cut back. Still, I wonder if we should let him just this once..."

  Yumfuck turned his head to the side and leaned his face against the window, flattening his body against the glass.

  Leira pulled up to the red light and sat back. "I remember what it was like to get dressed up and pretend to be a super hero or a ghost."

  "Never thought about dressing like an elf or a witch?"

  "My mother was already talking about Elves like they were real. Kids were making fun of her and me. I wasn't going to encourage it and dress up like Peter Pan. Besides, I wanted to be Wonder Woman."

  "Wonder who?"

  "She was an Amazon who flew an invisible plane, had a cute boyfriend and could make people tell the truth with her magic lasso." Leira counted off each item on her fingers. "Some years I was a Ninja warrior."

  Correk narrowed his eyes and looked over at Leira. "That's all very telling. You wanted to kick ass even on a children's holiday."

  Leira laughed and flicked Correk's ear.

  "Hey, never touch an Elf's ears without permission," he said, laughing as the troll looked back at Correk and blew a raspberry.

  The light turned green and Leira headed for the expressway as the troll let out a deep sigh, dropping his hands and jumping into Correk's lap.

  "A little overdone, don't you think?" Correk scooped up the troll and set him on his shoulder where he could see the cars going past. The troll leaned his head against Correk's neck.

  "Maybe there's something we can do..." Leira held up a finger as the troll jumped to his feet and leaped across the divide, neatly landing on Leira's shoulder. "I said maybe, Halloween is tomorrow. But if we can, you should go as Rocky, the flying squirrel. Used to love that cartoon. Hey, you could go with him as Bullwinkle the moose!"

  "Can you imagine dressing up a rodent as a different kind of rodent?" Correk held up his hand at the troll. "Don't bother with a motherfucker or an aloha."

  "Let me think about it. Maybe..." Leira sped down the freeway. Is it a good idea to let a troll dress up and knock on doors? She looked down at the troll's anxious face. "If I don't help, I have a feeling you're going to do something anyway."

  The troll shrugged. "Perhaps."

  "I should talk to Nana. She seems to get you the best. I know you two have your secrets..."

  The troll looked at Leira, his eyes wide and his lips firmly pressed together.

  "Uh huh, don't bother. Impossible to get information out of either one of you if you don't want to tell. Admirable and frustrating in equal measures but I'm very patient little troll..." Yumfuck let out a soft trill quickly followed by a loud cackle. "Too true!"

  "Still startles me when he says something and it actually fits into a conversation." Correk shook his head.

  "One day he's going to spill it. Hey, is there a spell for that? Make him speak up?" Leira moved into the left lane, easily cruising past the long line of semis in the middle lane.

  The troll bounded back over to the passenger side door and looked up at the large trucks passing by. The driver behind the wheel of an HEB food truck looked down and did a double-take as the troll held up his arm giving the signal to blow the truck's horn. The troll waved frantically as the driver stared and the troll gave the signal again. The driver's mouth hung open as he reached up and blew the air whistle. He finally waved back at the troll who was clapping his hands, smiling with delight.

  "Sadly, not yet."

  The troll blew another raspberry at Correk and hopped up to Leira's shoulder to watch them speed down the highway.

  "Feel the rainbow." Leira looked at the troll's colorful tongue as he opened his mouth wide and let out another cackle.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Leira found a parking space on the street right in front of Estelle's Bar and made her way toward the side gate. Yumfuck was carefully tucked in her coat pocket, curled into a ball, nestled in a pair of underwear.

  "Halloween is tomorrow night. If you're going to help the troll we'll have to get him a costume. All the good ones will already be gone."

  "You're thinking of going out with him, aren't you? They don't give candy to the adults. Tell you what, I'll buy you a bag of candy for your very own."

  "Hilarious. What if he grew to the size of a five-year-old and we dressed him up like a little human?"

  "Okay, that was funny." Leira unlatched the gate and walked through. The patio behind the bar was full of people spread out among the tables. A few had their dogs with them. Estelle was behind the bar, a cigarette clamped between her teeth, pouring a shot of bourbon and sliding it across the bar.

  "I told you I could be fun." Correk headed for the gatehouse, almost running into Leira who stopped dead in her tracks.

  No one had called out her name as she walked onto the patio. That is too weird. Over four years of hearing that and today... nothing. Not that I care. It's okay, of course... She looked over and saw Mike and Scott standing behind two people sitting at the bar, hidden from view. Janice and Kimberly were all leaning toward them, laughing and listening intently. Leira heard a familiar laugh and a hand wearing a familiar large opal ring jut in the air.

  "Mom? Nana?" Tucked in the middle of the regulars at the bar were Eireka and Mara entertaining the regulars. Mara was sipping from the glass of bourbon. Leira stepped closer, a puzzled look on her face.

  A cry went up from the bar. "Leira!"

  "Didn't see you come in!" Craig gave her a salute with his beer. Estelle waved her in, blowing out a cloud of smoke that momentarily encircled her red bouffant. "Come closer, we don't bite hard."

  "Did you know your grandmother can sing so beautifully? Here, you can have my seat." Kimberly got up and offered her seat next to Mara.

  "She did a nice rendition of A-Town Blues," said Mike. "Hey Correk! You want a beer?"

  Correk shook his head. "I'm going to head to the cottage." He caught up with Leira and pulled her to his side, whispering, "You thought they forgot you. Don't bat your hand at me, it's okay. You're still a badass detective. Let me help you out with this one... On Oriceran we call those feelings." He smiled, leaning back as Leira tried to punch his arm.

  "It did startle me a little." Leira shook her head.

  "Using magic has that affect. You get used to paying attention to how you feel."

  "That was very Turner Underwood of you."

  Correk arched an eyebrow and held out his hand. "I'll take that as a compliment. You want to hand over the tiny ambassador in your pocket before you join them? I'm not sure they're ready to understand a talking hamster." Correk held out his hand near his pocket as Leira scooped out the troll and handed him off.

  The troll blew Leira a kiss and whispered, "Motherfucker," waving goodbye.

  "Tuck in your underwear."

  Leira looked up startled as Correk pointed at her pocket and the purple underwear hanging out. He gave her a half smile and turned to head for the cottage. She quickly stuffed them back into her pocket and walked over to the bar decorated in license plates from Estelle's travels.

  "Two more members to the Leira Society!" crowed Paul.

  Mara leaned over to her granddaughter. "I’ve been back a little while, I know but now that we’ve got our own place it makes me happy to know you have your own society." She smiled gently. "You have this big extended family."

  "They kind of formed themselves around me. Hey, I wanted to run an idea by you."

  Janice patted Leira on the back, interrupting. "You guys coming with us to the Paramount Theater? The Robert Cray Band is playing. We have an extra ticket..."

  "I'm headed in for the night. Long day but thank you."

  "I'll walk you home." Mara took her granddaughter's hand and stood up, turning to her daughter. "Eireka, I'm going to walk L
eira home. Be right back."

  Eireka leaned forward to get a better look at her daughter and gave her a long look. "Sounds good." She was about to say something more just as Donald came out the patio door. She quickly reached across and squeezed Leira and Mara's hands as a comforting ripple of energy soared through Leira, settling in her belly.

  "Night Leira!" A shout went up from the crowd around the bar as Eireka went to give Donald a hug. For once, Estelle didn't say anything about yelling at Leira and even gave her a small salute, taking a long drag off her cigarette.

  "Still getting used to having so much family around you all the time?" Mara put her arm around Leira's shoulders as they walked to the cottage.

  "More like I'm getting used to realizing I care. Enough about me." She shook her hands out, shaking off the feeling.

  Mara laughed. "Enough feeling talk for one day. You're definitely my grandchild. What's up?"

  "You and Hagan would get on like gangbusters. I want to help Yumfuck have a Halloween." Leira hesitated for a moment.

  "Spit out the rest... There's got to be more."

  "Let him dress up and go trick or treating... door to door..."

  Mara's eyes grew wide and she sucked in air, letting it all out in a loud guffaw, quickly followed by laughter. Everyone at the bar looked over and raised their beers. Estelle swatted the ones closest to her with a bar towel and told them to mind their own business.

  "It's that ridiculous?"

  "No! Well, yes... but no. It's an amazing, crazy, wonderful idea! Let the troll go trick or treating! Frankly, I'm only disappointed I didn't think of it first. What will he go as?"

  "Correk suggested he go dressed as a human." Leira gave a crooked smile as Mara let out another loud laugh.