Last Witch Standing (Mountain Witch Saga) (7 page)

Once past the station, she turned left into a nearby field.
At the edge was the riverbank. If she circled back, she would be able to
surveil the station from behind.

The moon lit the ground. Still, she was careful where she stepped,
wary of potholes and rattlesnakes. Turning on her flashlight here would attract
too much attention from passersby.

The NOAA station was encircled by a heavy metal fence
topped with razor wire. Candice examined it for weaknesses. Windows from the office
buildings faced the river; any intruder would be easily spotted from there. Too
bad. She hadn’t thought she would find an easy way in, the Google Earth maps
had made that clear, but still she was disappointed. The only safe way in would
be the front gate. If her cover failed or her story not believed, and Dan
Edwards called security, she could be trapped inside.

She paused. A teenage couple was making out on the opposite
shore, fishing poles held upright on stands next to them. Candice continued on,
as if she belonged there and was headed to a meeting or something.

The long walk back to her car would be refreshing. Candice
missed jogging – particularly through the meadows and up the mountain paths in
the Kingdome of the Mountain Witches. She missed Sophie running by her, pacing
her stride to match Candice’s; the pure blue sky overhead, unmarred by
pollution; the clear flowing water of the streams.

Why did Queen Annalisse choose me for this task? Is it
because of my lack of earthly connections, the fact that I’m a childless
spinster married to my work? Does the queen know something about me I don’t? It
cannot simply be she wants to use, then discard, me – she doesn’t roll that
way. Annalisse’s care for others and personal integrity is the reason so many were
willing to follow her.

Candice reached her car and pulled back on the freeway. It
would be risky, but she would have to go through the front gate with false
credentials, and under pretext, to obtain a private meeting with Dan Edwards.
Annalisse needed to know when he had been contacted and was on standby. Certain
portions of the queen’s plan could not be set into motion until she knew Dan
was on their side.

“
People
do not die for us immediately, but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life
which bears no relation to true immortality but through which they continue to
occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive.  It is as though
they were traveling abroad.”

Marcel
Proust

The Present

Earth

This was as good as it was going to get. Candice sighed and
let the illusion slip. Electricity pulsed in the air and a slight smell of
burning, as of an overheated electrical device, permeated the room. Though she
could conjure the scene at will, portions were translucent and looked more like
a hologram than real life. Still, Queen Annalisse’s magic surpassed any
technology available on Earth and Dan Edwards would have a difficult time
dismissing it – and her. At least, Candice hoped he would, knowing she would
probably only have one shot at this.

Her dark blue pants suit was laid out on the motel room
bed. Earlier that day, she had her hair cut, no hair over the ears. She had to
pass as a law enforcement officer – which she had once been. Body language and
self-confidence were more important than props and she practiced her walk in
front of the mirror over the room’s dresser. Her fake ID was good, but it would
not pass muster if checked by an actual police officer. There was no
backstopping of the credentials: she would show up in no Agency databases as a
U.S. Marshal – the identity she was assuming. Unlike the F.B.I., most civilians
weren’t terribly familiar with that agency and she was counting upon this
ignorance.

Candice faced the mirror and rehearsed her speech, hoping
it would get her through the gate at the NOAA station where Dan Edwards worked.

The biggest weakness in her cover was not being able to
call ahead. An advance appointment with Mr. Edwards would give him time to
check on her legitimacy. No, that would be too risky. She would call from her
cell moments before arriving.

The streets were not crowded – most schools wouldn’t get
out for another forty-five minutes and the day’s worker commute wouldn’t begin
for hours so she made good time. When Candice reached the River City Café, she
pulled into the parking lot. This would be a good place to make the call.

She took the cellphone from its case at her waist and
dialed the number.

“National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Melfield
Fishery. Dan Edwards speaking.”

“Mr. Edwards? This is Delores McNabb of the U.S. Marshals
service.”

“How may I help you, Mrs. McNabb?”

“Mr. Edwards, we are working on a fugitive case and believe
you may be able to provide some useful background information on river flows in
the area.”

“Well, the Army Corps of Engineers would be the best place
to go for that. Would you like their number?”

“No, thanks. I have it. Actually, there is some
confidentiality involved here. I need to speak to you personally.”

“Okay.”

Candice noticed the puzzlement in his voice. She would have
to hurry this, keep him off balance, give him no time to analyze the situation
– or check on her story.

“I’m about five minutes out from your station. Could you
give me a few minutes in person?”

The line was silent for a second. “Sure. I’m in my office.
Security will require credentials for you to enter.”

“Understood. I would expect no different. I’ll see you in a
few.” She ended the conversation and pulled out onto the street, going as far
above the speed limit as she dared without drawing attention – or a traffic
cop.

Nobody was at the gate so she had to buzz for help. A voice
came on and she stated her business. Several agonizing minutes later, a
security guard exited one of the main buildings and headed for the shack. He
barely glanced at Candice’s credentials before pressing the button to open the
gate and motioning to a side lot to park.

She looked right and left, up and down, upon exiting the vehicle.
If her visit raised suspicions, she would definitely be trapped her – or at
least her van would. Despite the early summer heat, she carried her jacket.
Should fleeing be required, she could toss it over the barbed wire for
protection as she climbed the back fence to escape. Unlikely she would make it
– though designed to keep vandals and thieves out, the perimeter security would
also work to keep someone in, should the gate be locked.

Framed plaques and photos lined the hall towards Dan
Edward’s office. The floor tile looked freshly mopped, but worn, the walls
lined with faux wood covering in places, painted concrete in others. Not so
different than the many government installations Candice had encountered during
the course of her law enforcement career as well as during a brief stint in the
U.S. Army.

She paused at coming to the sign over an office door
indicating this was Dan Edward’s office. From the corner of her eye, she could
see into the office. Filing cabinets, charts and the front of a desk were
visible. Candice breathed in deeply, corrected her posture and entered.

“Thank you for seeing me.” She displayed her credentials
for him to examine.

“No problem. I don’t know what the U.S. Marshals service
would want with me, though.” Dan took his seat behind his desk and looked up at
her.

Candice closed the office behind her and allowed the disguise
to fall. “I’m not from the U.S. Marshals Service.”

“What? What just happened?” Dan rose from his seat.

“Let me show you.”

“Who are you? Wait, I remember you. You’re the detective who
disappeared last year.”

“Yes. I am Candice Strong.” She took her seat. “And I have
something very important to say to you.”

The Present Day

Earth

Candice stood in front of Dan Edwards. At least he hadn’t
thrown her out of his office or called the police – yet.

“Please sit down. I have a short demonstration for you.”

Dan Edwards remained standing.

“Please Mr. Edwards, lives are on the line.”

Dan didn’t respond but did sit on one of the chairs against
the wall.

Candice collected her thoughts, breathed deeply, and let
the images loose. The desk glimmered, then morphed into a staircase. Two small
children, both in their pajamas, one a little girl of four and a half, the
other a youth of eleven, knelt beside the railing.

“My God!” Dan Edwards stood up. “What is this?”

“It is magic from another world.”

“That’s my little sister.” Dan moved closer to the
illusion.

The illusion flickered then went out of focus. Candice
breathed deeply, focusing her mind. The image returned.

“What is this about? Why are you here, detective?” Dan
asked.

“I am here because of your sister; she is in danger.”

“My sister is dead.” James turned to her, his face white.

“Yes, I know. I am sorry. This is going to be hard to hear,
and even harder to believe, but she is only dead in your world. She lives on in
another.” Candice kept her voice steady, adopting the tone police officers and
paramedics used when speaking to the badly injured or family members of such.

“Mr. Edwards, you are a scientist. You are familiar with
the laws of conservation of energy and matter. Well there is another one: conservation
of the soul.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Sir, your sister is alive. Alive and in much trouble. She
needs your help. You are the only person in the Cosmos who can rescue her.”

“Rescue her from what?”

“Herself.” Candice looked directly into Dan’s eyes. “From
herself. When she died here on earth, forty years ago, something bad happened.
Her spirit was let loose, unattended, into a strange world. She grew up
unguided and has become a grave danger to herself and others.”

A full minute passed before Dan spoke. “Where is she?
According to you, where is she?”

“Right now, on her way back to Earth. A group called the
Citadel is herding her here. Towards you.”

“Me? Even assuming your story isn’t crazy, an assumption
I’m not prepared to make, how could I help her?”

“By restoring her humanity. By recalling her to her earthly
life and the emotions and attachments she once had. Right now, she is lost, yet
incredibly powerful and dangerous. You must remember her precocious
intelligence?”

“Yes. She was a genius. We called her our ‘little Madame
Curie’.”

“That is sweet. I have seen pictures of her during her earthly
life. I am so sorry for her early death and your family’s loss.”

Dan stared at the image of Katie on the steps with his
younger self. “That was our last Christmas together.” Dan’s voice quavered.

“You can see her again.”

From outside came the sound of a train. It whistled, but
neither paid attention. The room shook as the locomotive passed, car after car,
and both could smell the scent of livestock and feed from the cars. Though
across the water from them, it cast small shadows in the room.

“I don’t believe in ghosts.” Dan Edward’s gaze didn’t leave
the hologram of his lost sister.

“Neither do I, sir. She is not a ghost. This is something
different. It has to do with quantum fluctuations and the fabric of the
Cosmos.” Candice sat next to Dan. “I have to let the hologram go, it takes too
much energy for me to hold it for long.”

“Okay.” Dan turned in his seat to face her. “Now tell me
exactly what is going on, and just what is this Power you speak of —”

The Present

Pangea

Rachel awoke in the cave overlooking the cliffs on the
planet Katie called Pangea.  Katie, the little sorceress, was out, probably
down on the lower ridges feeding her llamas. Rachel took this opportunity to
practice channeling the Power. While Katie insisted she was not a prisoner,
Rachel knew, in effect, she was being held captive, far from home, with no way
of returning by her own means.

The air was clean from the night’s rain and in the valley
below, the greenery of shrubs and trees, punctuated by fields of orange, yellow
and purple flowers, could be seen clearly. In the sky, flocks of birds weaved
their patterns in flight: moving first one direction, then another,
synchronized swimmers in a pool of cerulean blue atmosphere. Far in the
distance, several condors circled, their immense wingspans casting long shadows
on the rocks below.  Rachel breathed in the scent of greenery, pollution-free
air, and water moistened sandstone from the escarpment.

Katie had not taken the emerald, nor even commented upon
it. Rachel fingered the precious gift from her Mountain Witch sisters. The cave
let in enough light for the half-dollar size gem to sparkle. Rachel breathed in
slowly through the nose, deep into the diaphragm for a count of ten, followed
by a slow exhalation as Queen Annalisse, the leader of the Upper Mountain
Witches, had taught her. It was the Mountain Witches, miniature women Gifted
with the Power, who had tried to prevent Rachel’s abduction from their village
a year earlier by the sorceress, Katie. After several, calming, repetitions
Rachel reached for the Power. Practice had brought her to the point where she
could touch the strands at will and pull in only what she needed.