Entangled- The Homecoming

by Barbara Bretton

  “I’m not sure,” I said, glancing over at her. “What do you see?”

  “Water,” she said, “and some rocks.”

  “You don’t see a drawing of a pretty town with lots of trees?”

  She shook her head. “Nope, just water.”

  The vision was part map, part folk art, much like the centuries-old piece of birch bark Lilith kept in the library. The bark dated back to the time when our Salem ancestors joined with the Abenaki Indians and Sugar Maple was born. The earliest layout of our town was there, small houses and wigwams, but so were stars and moons and waterfalls, all the iconic images that came to represent the place I called home.

  I looked up at the natural ceiling of the chamber but there were no clues there, only the smooth and glowing beauty of the rock formations.

  I pulled out Laria’s map and spread it out on one of the rocks next to me and gasped in surprise.

  The earnest scribbles of a child had been replaced with a perfect representation of the image reflected back to me from the surface of the pool of water.

  This wasn’t a coincidence. I was being shown this rendering of early Sugar Maple for a reason. But figuring out what the reason was would have to wait.

  I soaked the sleeve of my sweatshirt in the cool water of the reflecting pool then dabbed Mallory’s mouth with it. She stirred slightly. I filled my cupped hands with more water and brought the water to her lips. Ava understood what I was doing and she urged her mom to open her mouth and sip. I wasn’t sure how much Mallory understood, but we did manage to get some liquid into her which had to be a good thing.

  “How did you and your mom find this cave?” I asked Ava as I continued to urge more water on Mallory.

  “The lady took us here.”

  “What lady?” I asked.

  “I don’t know her name,” Ava said, “but she was really pretty.”

  “What did she look like?”

  Ava thought for a moment. “Like an old Disney princess,” she said, “except she was wearing a fancy blanket in all sorts of colors.”

  Rohesia? Nobody else in Sugar Maple fit that description. To say I was gobsmacked is putting it mildly. How did Rohesia even know of Mallory’s and Ava’s existence? Maybe this was nothing more than childhood imagination gone crazy.

  Mallory wouldn’t take more water, no matter how much Ava begged. She drifted back into a semi-conscious state, which upset the little girl even more.

  It was hard to remember a time when I felt more helpless. There was nothing we could do but wait and hope Gavan and Wendy showed up soon. I had depleted some of my own magick when I granted Wendy temporary powers and wasn’t sure I could transport both Mallory and Ava safely to the hospital. And I wasn’t about to leave Ava alone in the cave or give Laria free rein to sail through a blizzard.

  All along I had believed that once we found Mallory and Ava, we’d have our happy ending but now, for the first time, I was starting to think that maybe I was wrong.

  Chapter 16

  WENDY

  We were staying close behind Liam Meany when Gavan abandoned the chase, veered left and then plunged deeper into the woods.

  “Stop!” I hollered after Gavan. “We’re supposed to be following him!”

  Had he somehow zeroed in on Mallory and Ava? That was the only possible reason I could come up with for the sudden change of direction.

  I veered left too and caught up with Gavan, skidding to a stop a few feet shy of a few dozen purple-eyed creatures the likes of which I’d never seen before.

  “Imps,” Gavan said, hovering next to me. “Laria sent them.”

  “They’re imps? They look like two-legged dogs.” They sounded like them as well, all shrill yips and breathy chortles. And was I crazy or did they smell like cinnamon? I had imagined imps to be cute little characters with big smiles and mischievous personalities. These were chubby Chihuahuas in need of manscaping.

  They led us across a tiny stream and stopped at the opening to a cave.

  “Do you trust them?” I asked, remembering Chloe’s negative reaction at the mere mention of the creatures.

  “Yes,” he said. “They are Laria’s guardians.”

  In for a penny, in for a pound.

  We followed the imps through the cave entrance and deep into the cavern beyond, guided by the light shining from their hairy little bodies.

  My grandparents used to take us on car trips every summer. We visited all manner of natural wonders, from Niagara Falls to the Grand Canyon and everything in between. But they loved caverns most of all. We must have visited Howe Cavern at least five times while I was growing up.

  I thought I knew what to expect. So it came as a jaw-dropping surprise when we stepped into a massive cathedral of shimmering stalagmites and stalactites that seemed to soar to the heavens. The caves I’d visited had been commercialized with fairy lights and laser shows and enough showmanship to impress P. T. Barnum. This was nature at her most raw and beautiful and it took my breath away.

  Gavan, however, was unimpressed by the cavern. His attention was focused on more important things. “Look,” he said, pointing across a pool of clear water.

  My heart soared! Mallory and Ava were safe and sound. Gavan’s decision to abandon the chase for Liam Meany had definitely been the right one.

  We sailed across the pool the same way we had sailed over the snow. The imps splashed and grumbled their way through the water like disgruntled children. My elation quickly downshifted to fear when I saw the condition Mallory was in.

  My eyes met Chloe’s. She made an “I don’t know” face, taking care that Ava wasn’t watching. A tight knot formed in my stomach. It was terrifyingly clear that Mallory was in bad shape, but how were we going to transport an injured pregnant human through miles of heavy snow to reach a hospital. I hoped somebody had the answer, because Mallory needed help now.

  I turned away so Ava couldn’t see the worry on my face, letting my gaze travel around the cathedral-like space. The walls shimmered as if an unseen hand had applied Swarovski crystals to every available space. People talked about crystal-clear water, but it wasn’t often that you actually saw it. Intrigued, I leaned forward and gasped when I saw something that reminded me of Laria’s map reflected with mirror-like clarity. I wasn’t sure why this detailed rendering of what appeared to be an Indian village from hundreds of years ago reminded me of a baby’s scribbles, so I pulled my copy of the map from my pocket, unfolded it, and almost tumbled head-first into the pool of water.

  It was an exact match, down to every last blade of grass.

  I’m not sure what happened or when but somehow Laria’s attempt at map-making had morphed into a folk art display. Chalk up another win for magick.

  But there wasn’t time to consider the implications. The rescue operation was in full swing and Gavan was leading the way.

  Three humans, one of whom was pregnant and injured. A baby with powers. Two adults with varying degrees and styles of magick. A foot of snow outside. No working phones or transportation.

  I could see the fear in Chloe’s eyes each time she looked at Mallory. Head injuries could be unpredictable and I knew the dangers that grew with every minute that passed.

  “I will take Mallory to the hospital,” Gavan said. “Laria asked two of the imps to show me the way.”

  Once again, Baby to the rescue. I couldn’t believe I was jealous of someone who was still in diapers, but there you had it.

  “I’ll go with you,” I said. “You’ll need help navigating the admissions process.”

  He shook his head. “I can transport only the woman. My magick is not powerful enough to safely transport another.”

  “You forget that I have magick too.”

  “Not any more,” Chloe piped up. “The spell I cast will wear off in about ten minutes.”

  “Then weave me another one.”

  “I wish I could,” Chloe said. “Temporary spells come with restrictions. One per human, per day.”

 
“So how is this going to play out?”

  “I’m going with Gavan and Mallory,” Chloe said. “You’re right about him needing help navigating the hospital’s red tape.”

  “That’s good for you and for Gavan and Mallory,” I said, “but where does that leave me?”

  “You’re going to drive Laria and Ava to join us at the hospital.”

  “In what?” I asked. “A giant snow plow?”

  One thing about my cousin: she can seem a bit scatterbrained but don’t let that fool you. The woman can work a problem with the best of them. While Gavan and I were making our way to the cave, she had rallied a band of house sprites and set them on a search for Mallory’s wrecked minivan. According to Chloe, they had not only brought it back to showroom condition, they had driven it to the mouth of the cave where it was waiting for me to drive the kids to the hospital.

  “Did you have them plow the roads too?” I asked.

  “I might have called in a favor or two.”

  I lowered my voice so Ava couldn’t hear me. “How bad off is Mallory?”

  Chloe frowned. “I’m not sure she’ll make it to the hospital.”

  To my horror, my eyes welled with tears I struggled to control.

  “I’ll worry about getting Mallory to the hospital. You take care of the girls.” Chloe gave me a swift hug. “They’re everything.”

  Chapter 17

  CHLOE

  We had been waiting for hours at the hospital for news on Mallory when the E.R. doctor approached our group.

  She wasn’t smiling.

  “Mrs. Hobbs?” I didn’t correct her. “I’m afraid we have a problem.”

  The room went still. I’m not sure any of us drew a breath. Ava had been given a thorough exam and pronounced cold, tired, but very healthy. She and Laria were sleeping soundly on one of the big vinyl couches, tucked in with blankets and pillows and even a portable car seat for the baby, courtesy of the nurses’ station. Gavan and Wendy sat on either side of the two little girls, watching over them.

  “How serious?” I asked.

  “We aren’t sure. We haven’t been able to fully examine Mrs. Grant,” the doctor said.

  “It’s been over an hour,” I said, a tad more sharply than I had intended. “We’re the only ones in emergency. What’s the hold-up?”

  She actually looked embarrassed. “We seem to be having a hospital-wide power glitch.”

  “The lights are still on,” I observed. “Are you talking internet problems?”

  “I wish that were the only problem,” she said. “Radiology is down, as well as the labs, and because the internet is down, we can’t access the patient’s records to provide guidance.”

  “I guess the storm hit us all hard,” I said.

  “That’s the weird part. The storm has been going on for hours, but our troubles just began a few minutes ago. We considered Medevac for Mrs. Grant, but our problem currently makes it impossible for the helicopter to land safely.”

  Old magick strikes again, I thought.

  “You must have made a preliminary diagnosis,” I prodded. “I mean, you have to know something.”

  She bristled. I didn’t blame her, but her reaction still annoyed me. After all, I wasn’t the one with M.D. after my name.

  “Her injuries may or may not be life-threatening. We don’t think they are, but at this point it’s only an educated guess. What I do know is that the pregnancy is in jeopardy,” she said, “but that’s all I can tell you at this juncture.”

  “Then do something,” I demanded. “Doctors saved lives before CT scans and MRIs, didn’t they? There must be something you can do.”

  “We’re doing all we can,” the doctor said, as her throat and cheeks burned bright red. “We’ll keep you informed of any changes.”

  The woman fled the room like her shoes were on fire. I didn’t blame her. My anger was volcanic. I could have laid waste to the waiting room with one wave of my hand.

  Shaking with rage, I turned on Gavan. “You have to get out of here,” I ordered. “We’re losing her and it’s all your fault.”

  No explanations were necessary. He and Wendy had heard the exchange, loud and clear. Once again the old magick was clashing with the modern world with disastrous results.

  Gavan looked stricken and I softened. He was a good man. I had learned that on my wedding day when he stepped aside and gave me back my future with Luke.

  “I know you didn’t mean for any of this to happen, but it has. Your magick is screwing everything up. As long as you’re in this hospital, they can’t run tests on Mallory and that puts Mallory and her baby in terrible jeopardy.”

  He nodded and stood up.

  “All will be as it should be,” he said and walked out the door.

  “I’m going with him,” Wendy said and I nodded. If the tables had been turned and it was Luke walking out the door, I would have done the same thing.

  WENDY

  Gavan was waiting for me in the hallway.

  “Come on,” I said, reaching for his hand. “We need to get far enough away so their electronics can get back on line.”

  “No,” he said. “You must take me to Mallory.”

  “You don’t understand,” I said. “Your magick is causing trouble. You need to get out of here so they can take care of her.”

  “My absence will not help her but my magick will.”

  “I’m not following you.”

  “It was Rohesia who brought them to the cave and kept them safe.” He had noticed a small red circle on the inside of Ava’s and Mallory’s right wrists, the ancient mark of protection within his clan.

  “Rohesia cast a spell on them?”

  “A charm,” he corrected me. “To protect her against danger from other magicks.”

  “The Sugar Maples.”

  He nodded. “That is so.”

  I quickly did the math. The old magick charm had also thrown a monkey wrench into the hospital’s electronic systems. “So why don’t you undo it?”

  “Only Rohesia can undo it.” He would ask her to reverse it once Mallory was out of the woods.

  “But you think you can get around the charm and heal Mallory.”

  “There is no other choice. Her baby’s time grows short.”

  “Why didn’t Rohesia heal them?”

  “She hasn’t the knowledge. Humans remain a mystery to her.”

  “And we’re not a mystery to you?”

  “Elspeth has been sharing her knowledge with me. If we are to make a success here in your world, we must learn.” He gave his version of a shrug. “Elspeth is a fine teacher.”

  “Okay, then,” I said. “Let’s try radiology.”

  The hospital was quiet. The blizzard had reduced staffing to a skeleton crew. I would have expected the emergency room to be overrun with people but the storm had slowed the world down to a crawl. I led the way down a darkened corridor, nodding hello as we passed a young doctor in blue scrubs.

  “Can I help you with anything?” she asked, her eyes focused on Gavan.

  “The cafeteria,” I said. “We need coffee bad.”

  She laughed, still staring up at Gavan. “Well, bad coffee is what you’ll get.”

  She gave us directions to the cafeteria then hurried on her way.

  “You really need to work on blending in,” I said to him as we followed the signs to radiology. “You’re just too—“ I started to say beautiful but managed to stop myself. “It might be time to retire that cloak.”

  He removed it and draped it across my shoulders. It smelled of him, of fresh air and pine and the sea, and for a second I felt dizzy with pleasure.

  “Is this better?” he asked. He was wearing close-fitting trousers and a black t-shirt. Just your average, everyday Adonis.

  “It’s worse,” I said, aware that every woman in the hospital and a fair number of the men would have him in their sights, “but we’ll go with it.”

  The hospital was eerily empty. I had to assume that most of
the staff was busy on the patient floors, which was a lucky break for us. The young doctor in scrubs was the last person we bumped into before we found the door to radiology.

  I pushed it open. The administrative area was dark and silent. Gavan stood in the middle of the room, his head tilted slightly to the left, and listened.

  “Come on,” I said. “She’s not here.”

  He didn’t respond, just stood there with his head tilted like a dog on the hunt.

  “Time’s running out,” I said. “Let’s go.”

  He grabbed my hand in his and the next thing I knew, we were standing at the foot of Mallory’s bed on the surgical floor. A lone nurse was holding fort at the far end of the hallway, doing whatever it was she had to do on the computer.

  “She cannot see or hear us,” Gavan said in answer to my unspoken question. “We are shielded from observation.”

  Mallory was surrounded by a variety of machines, none of which were working. Her clothes were neatly folded on a chair near the window. The stark whiteness of the hospital gown she wore matched the whiteness of her skin. She looked far worse than she had a few hours ago when we found her in the cave.

  “Mallory.” Gavan’s voice was low. “We are here to help you.”

  She moaned softly. Her eyes fluttered open and her gaze moved from Gavan to me then back again “Who--?”

  I stepped forward. “I’m Wendy. This is Gavan. He brought you here from the cave.”

  She struggled to sit up but lacked the strength and fell back against the small pillow. “Ava,” she managed. “Where is she?”

  “She’s in the waiting room with Chloe,” I said. “She’s asleep.”

  A quick smile illuminated her face.

  “The baby?” she whispered. “I heard them talking …”

  Gavan took her hands in his and I could feel the power of magick light the room.

  “Your son will make you proud,” he said, his words visible in the air between us. “He will be strong like his father. He will be kind like his mother. He will question the world like his sister. He will live to know the children of his children’s children.”