Diaz Plan Chapter 8

Looking back, Marco would feel like he should have seen all this coming. After he had left Star's room after the kiss, he was terrified that things would have become weird between them. But to his great relief, they hadn't. In fact, it was becoming harder and harder for him to imagine what it would be like for there to be any discomfort between himself and Star. He felt like he fit in so naturally with her. Which is why he should have known she was going to be taken away.

It all began when Star finally got her spellbook back from Marco's father. She had wanted to see if there was a spell to help her sunburn heal, since it was still bothering her a few days after Marco had given her the lotion. Mr. Diaz had seemed oddly reluctant at first, but finally relented. "The little man who lives in that book, you know, he has such an odd sense of humor."

"You mean Glossaryck?" Star tilted her head to the side. "He's been a friend of my parent's for a while. He is a little weird."

"Oh. Your parents know him?" Mr. Diaz seemed a little nervous. "Well, here's your book."

The minute Star and Marco had her spellbook back in her room, it practically tore itself open. Glossaryck came rocketing out. He seemed paler than the last time Marco had seen him. "PRINCESS," he said, upon seeing Star. "Oh, thank god, you're safe."

"Of course I'm safe. Why wouldn't I be safe? What's wrong?"

"You're not safe because..." but Glossaryck doubled over in pain, unable to continue.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Marco asked, reaching out for the small wizard.

"GET AWAY FROM ME," screeched Glossaryck. "Princess, you are NOT safe here, th-" and here, Glossaryck began puking up snakes.

"Oh my GOD," said Marco, as Star recoiled in horror.

"Ugh...Princess..." Glossaryck coughed, one last snake dangling from his mouth. "Okay, listen. Check the...STUDYHRRRRRK," A fresh wave of snakes poured from his mouth.

"The study? My dad's study? Why, what's in there?" Marco narrowed his eyes at the small creature. He wasn't exactly known for being trustworthy. "Only his art stuff should be in there."

"JUST LOOK," Glossaryck was doubled over in the fetal position, clutching his stomach. "And Princess! Keep your wand by you at ALL TIMES!"

"Well, I always do. I mean half the time it's in my mouth."

"JUST BE EXTRA CAREFUL! OH GOD, IT BURNS!"

Star gave Marco a look of concern as the little wizard closed the spellbook around himself again. "I've never really seen him like this."

"What do you think could be in my dad's study? Do you think Ludo teleported in there to try to get the spellbook again?"

Star raised her wand grimly. "Well, there's only one way to find out."

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Marco stalked his way down the hallway to his father's study, Star close behind him. He had thought about getting his father, who was out mowing the lawn, but then decided against it, not wanting to involve him in whatever danger was behind the closed doors. The hallway seemed darker, longer than it usually was. The doors to the study were these huge dark wooden doors, with all sorts of weird things carved into them - skeletons and gargoyles and such. Marco remembered that his dad had been delighted when he got these doors, calling them a masterpiece. Right now, they seemed more sinister than ever. They opened with a long, loud creak.

There was nothing in the study. Just his father's desk, which was similar to the doors - dark wood and odd carvings, the legs four clawed feet. On one corner lay an intricately detailed painted skull. Strangely enough, there was no sign of a painting or a sculpture in progress. Marco's father had been locked away in the study for a while, and that usually meant he had a new art project underway. But there was no sign of anything like this.

Star pushed past him. "What is it...whoa, this is your dad's study?" Star gaped at the painted skull, and at the odd collection of paintings on the wall. They demonstrated his father's eclectic taste in art, from realistic paintings of nude women drape over couches, to abstract tangles of bright geometry, to grotesque portrayals of one of the Greek Titans eating his young, a painting that had always given Marco the creeps.

"Yeah. I usually don't come in here. This is where he comes to get 'inspiration,' whatever that means." Star was still busy gaping at the paintings. "Star! There could still be danger in here." He crossed the room and threw open the closet door, ready for anything to jump out at him. But there was nothing. Just some blank easels, a lump of clay, some paint...and hanging up was a weird looking cape or cloak. It was a bright array of faded colors, yellow, green, blue, purple, red, orange, almost looking as if it had been covered in waterpaints that bled into each other. But on the inside, it was a solid, pitch black. "I've never seen THIS before. Did my dad make this...?"

"Marco, check this out!" Marco turned around, and Star was going through his father's desk drawers.

"Star! Don't just go through my dad's stuff."

"Marco..." Star held up a sheaf of papers. "Your dad...it looks like he's been copying down my spellbook."

"Whaaaaaaaaat?" Marco peered over her shoulder. It definitely did look like his father had been painstakingly recreating every page in Star's spellbook. "But...why would he do that? For some sort of art project, maybe?"

"Maybe?" Star said doubtfully, clearly confused. "But what was in here that Glossaryck was so upset about? What had him puking snakes?"

"Maybe it left already?"

Star put the copied spellbook papers aside and reached into the drawer again. "There was something else in here..." what she bought out was a strange carving, but one that Marco had seen his father toying around with before. it was a pair of snakes curling around each other, painted in bright patterns. Both of their mouths joined around a green glass sphere.

"Oh yeah, I've seen that before. I'm not sure where my dad got that. He loves getting this sort of crap from all over the world."

"Marco," Star whispered. "This is a WAND."

"What? No, it can't be. My dad's had that for years-" Marco stopped when the green glass sphere began letting out an eerie light. Star was giving him a deeply troubled look. "He...must not have known it was a wand." Marco shrugged. "He likes collecting knicknacks and stuff from all over. I don't know where he got his hands on it."

Star gave him a hard look, and Marco realized with shock that she wasn't sure whether or not to believe him. But finally she gave a nod. "Marco...I think your dad might be messing around with magic."

"That's crazy. My dad wouldn't-"

"Because there's also a black candle in here." Star slapped it down on the desk.

"Okay, but-"

"And like, a tiny cauldron."

"Alright-"

"And this rack of vials clearly labeled 'magic potions.'"

Marco stared down at this latest item on the desk. It was a rack of five or so vials. One was labeled "Fire salts," another, "Vanishing powder", another "Love potion-doesn't work?"

"And also, this sacrificial dagger-"

"Okay, okay," Marco said. "Maybe my dad is screwing around with magic." He sat down in the desk's chair. This was a side of his father that he couldn't imagine. Maybe seeing Star's magic had piqued his interest? Was it just a coincidence that the sculpture he had had for years was a wand? "Do....do you think that this is what Glossaryck is worried about? Do...you think he did the snake puking thing to Glossaryck?"

Suddenly, Star's hand was wrapped around his, giving him a tiny squeeze. He looked up to see Star smiling down at him. "I don't know what's going on," she said, "But I don't think your dad did that. Glossaryck's a pretty experienced wizard. You'd have to be pretty good to put any sort of curse on him."

"What do you think we should do?"

Star was about to answer, but then the door to the study began creaking open. Marco realized suddenly that he couldn't hear the lawnmower running anymore. He felt the blood freeze in his veins. But why?

After all, it was just his father in the shadows behind the door.