“It is true.”
Winnie opened her mouth to explain to her in detail exactly how it could absolutely not be true, but she didn’t have a chance: the woman was gone. Angus had walked through the door and through the woman. Yeah, right through the woman, who vanished as if she’d never been there at all.
“You talkin’ to yourself?” Angus dumped a load of wood at her feet.
Chapter Fourteen
Aquene loved the whispers in the air. They comforted her. All that she had seen and all that she knew was to come waited just beyond the voices of the night. The future did not frighten her. No, she felt a lightness that told her all was right and as it should be, despite the danger that lurked in the shadows.
It was much more difficult for Molly, for she had traveled a great distance only to be surprised by the journey that awaited her. Aquene was prepared. Molly was not.
That did not mean Molly was weak.
That she was moving forward with grace made Aquene’s heart swell. She had awaited the coming of this woman with much anticipation, and when she appeared at last, she was much more than she had hoped. Her destiny was to be great.
“She speaks to us. Let us listen to her words.”
“You want me to read more?”
Aquene nodded. She could read, write, and speak the language of the settlers very well. Though it had been hard, she had found herself in the company of the strangers that came from beyond from the time she was quite young. She had easily learned their language and their ways. Her knowledge became important as the years marched on and more and more invaded her homeland. It had also been difficult, for they had little respect for the ways of her people. While she had tried to learn their strange language and customs, they had tried to make her forget her own. She had not.
“Yes.” The woman who wrote this book was not like the others. She respected Aquene, her family, and friends. Aquene had trusted her in life and still did. The book Molly cradled like a small child held only truth and wisdom.
Molly moved her hand so that the small magic light shone back on the words written on the pages. Aquene was quite taken by the tiny light and wished she had that kind of magic in her bag. Perhaps when it was time for Molly to go, she would gift Aquene with the treasure. It was a selfish wish that her mother would scold her for, but she still wanted to slip that light into her pouch. For the moment, she was grateful for the way it illuminated the words without the need to build a fire and thus give away the location of their small camp. She settled with her back against the rock and her shoulder touching Molly’s. Listening to her was quite pleasing.
“Okay. Let’s see what else Hannah has for us.” She began to speak, her voice soft and melodious on the night air. It was more enjoyable than listening to Alumpum sing.
August 29, 1836
I have traveled a long and winding path to find this place. Upon my arrival at Fort Vancouver, the kind people there offered me safe haven within their walls, and Dr. John McLoughlin personally extended that invitation. I knew I could not stay, for he would find me far too easily. The good doctor with his strong faith would be swayed without difficulty if my truth was to come to light. Though he has a kind heart, he is no match for the hunter.
The peril of staying was too high, even if outside the walls of the fort many other dangers awaited me. I feared not the people of the land, for they would understand my heart if they had occasion to look past my skin. I felt certain we would find a way to join in the worship of our cultures and the praise of the spirits that make the world so wonderful.
And thus I left the safety of the walls of Fort Vancouver and the warm sustenance Dr. McLoughlin and his wife, Marguerite, shared with me. I ate their meal and drank their tea and then disappeared into the night. Not before I cast protection over them. I know they believe their God will protect them, but I know better. The hunter comes, and he brings hell with him. It will take all of their prayers and all the protection I can leave for them to repel his evil.
I traveled for many days, through forests, across vast grass fields, and along the river. In my heart I believed that I would find the place where I was destined to be, and my faith was rewarded. The cabin sat amongst the trees and far enough away from the water so as to provide it shelter from the casual look. Those who traveled this path moved as quickly as possible from trading post to trading post. They did not stop, as I must. It took work to finish what someone else had begun, but soon enough I had a home. For a little time I enjoyed peace.
My destiny will come to pass within these walls. I do not know the day, only that it is to be soon. My hours are dwindling, and thus I hurry and write down all that you must know, for it will be your destiny, my dearest granddaughter, to stop this madman.
My candle grows weak and my hand tires. I have many more words to share with you that will have to wait for the sun to rise once more. Only then will this story continue. The wind sings gently now, and the stars sparkle like thousands of candles. For what remains of this night I may rest in peace, for he has not yet found his way here. You too must sleep, sweet girl. Sleep, and gather the energy that you will soon need to draw upon.
Before I go, I leave you this. May it help to keep you safe as the universe unfolds for you.
The spell that followed the entry was interesting and detailed enough that Molly would be able to cast it, or so she told Aquene. She closed the book and put both of her hands on top of it. Her gaze was fixed somewhere in the darkness, and Aquene believed she was thinking over the words Hannah had written. She finally turned and looked at her. “Well, she was certainly expecting some kind of trouble.”
Aquene felt the desperation as much as she heard it in the words Molly had read. As much as she heard it in Molly’s own voice. She understood, for just as Aquene was blessed by the visions that guided her life, so too was Hannah. They were, or had been, in many ways the same. It was often hard to know or sense what awaited beyond the clouds, yet that was the truth of Aquene’s life. It had been, she understood, the same for Hannah. The words she had left in the book told her she was correct.
“She knew what she was to battle, and she readied herself.”
Molly nodded. “I agree, and she wanted her granddaughter to be ready too. The spell she left for her was detailed enough that even a less-than-stellar student like me could follow it. She wasn’t taking any chances.”
They sounded like simple words to Aquene, yet in her heart she knew they were not. Yes, Hannah had written her words for the granddaughter she awaited; she was very clear about that. Still, the manner of the words as they passed Molly’s lips made her wonder. Aquene turned and studied Molly. Who was the granddaughter, and did she come from very far away…very far indeed?
* * *
Matthew kneeled on his blanket and put his hands together. “Father in heaven, hear my prayers. As you have guided me throughout the ages, guide me now. Show me the way. Show me the path that will take me to this book of blasphemy. Show me the way and thy will be done.”
The familiar whoosh of emotion that followed every successful prayer assailed him now. God had heard him, as he always did, and sent him precisely the answer he knew Matthew would understand. It had been that way for him right from the beginning. His earthly father had seen the special nature of his relationship with God and had nurtured it. As a child, neither of them knew the full measure of what his destiny was to be, but as the years passed and the threat against the good and pious people of his village became clearer and clearer, his life’s work became just as clear. His pride in his work was obvious to all, and his father had approved.
He used his arms to cushion his head as he lay prone on the ground. The rocks gave him a small measure of cover. The best he could hope for was to not get soaked all the way to his skin. It would not be the first time, and it would not kill him. Nothing did. He would find what little comfort he could and wait for the night to pass.
Tiny pebbles rained down upon him, and he brushed them away. It w
ould be an animal of some kind looking, as he had, for shelter from the storm. He heard the light step of its feet as it scurried away. Danger lurked here in the wilds, and for those not blessed, it could be fatal. It was not so for him. Not now, not ever. He had been freed from the troubles of the common man. God spared him the indignities rained upon others. Nothing, and no one, harmed him.
Staring up at the sky, he let his mind turn back once more to his home and the beginning of his life as the Witch-Finder. He still remembered his first mission. Oh, she had been a devious one, hiding her true nature behind a mask that made her look as though she were a simpleton. Her tangled, long hair had been streaked with gray, while twigs and hay poked from beneath her filthy cap. Her face was always smudged with grime and her clothing torn and dirty. If one spared her but a glance, they would only have thought she was a most unfortunate peasant.
In fact, that was his first thought, as it was Father’s. They were walking past her on the village road when a sweep of emotion took him in its grasp. It was more than her appalling appearance and horrid stench. He remembered turning and studying the creature with new eyes. It was then the sight came to him, and it had been with him ever since.
Beyond the dirt and the smell, beyond the gray hair and the dull eyes, he glimpsed the monster and had discovered his calling, for deep down in his soul he was being commanded to destroy it. He had known without question that had he laid hands on her that day he would have seen her black heart.
The satisfaction he had felt upon her destruction was the beginning of something magnificent. It was still that way today. Every dark soul he sentenced to hell filled him with joy. Soon he would watch as another burned. He smiled as he closed his eyes.
Chapter Fifteen
Molly leaned back against the rock in their cozy shelter and closed her eyes. In her mind she could see the words Hannah had written. More than the diary portion of the grimoire, what she had written after that had stayed with her. She thought about the spell Hannah had included, with its attention to detail as if she sensed the person who would need to use it was not a skilled student of the Old Ways. Kind of like her. Just like her.
The craft her family practiced had always been nurturing and healing. It was their way and was a big deal to her mom and the rest of the women who came before her. It’s also what had struck Molly about what she had read tonight. It had the same feel to it as the lessons she’d learned from her family.
In fact, it rang way too familiar. Not surprising, because much of what she’d learned had been passed down for many generations. She might not be the enthusiastic witch her mother hoped for, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t paid attention along the way. How could she not? It didn’t really matter whether she bought in, because the power was there and had been since her birth. She was a hereditary witch, and that was pretty much self-explanatory. Despite her efforts to be just a baker, she couldn’t escape her family, and in the back of her mind she wondered if she really ever wanted to.
As she’d read Hannah’s grimoire, she’d felt a tingle of familiarity when she found the protection spell for those who faced forces they were unprepared to repel, such as the indigenous peoples of the land fighting against the waves of settlers. Hannah was perhaps trying to help those who had helped her. Her own mother would absolutely do something just like that.
It might have been left for someone else to use, but Molly saw it differently. An opportunity. She saw with sudden clarity how the spell could also protect her friends. Despite the comfort she felt snug here in their makeshift shelter beside a woman whom she felt at ease with, she was worried about Winnie and Angus. She’d hoped that, as they waited out both the storm and the night, she would hear them coming. Angus walked with a light step. Winnie not so much. They’d have been able to hear her trudging along a quarter mile away. Thus far that hadn’t happened. Yes, Angus knew his way around the wilderness. Though Winnie had told her about his skills, she’d also seen them in the way he handled himself from the time they left their vehicle. He was an artist and also a survivalist. He would keep Winnie safe. Still, he wasn’t accustomed to this particular brand of wilderness. He didn’t have his pack with all his high-tech, cool gear, and while the topography might be pretty much the same, it was still different from the land they traversed two hundred years in the future. Things change, simple as that. He would have to rely on basic skills, and she really hoped they weren’t perishable.
It was time to put the serenity prayer into practice because she had no power to change anything right now. Letting go of her worry about Angus and Winnie, she returned her attention to the book. There was at least one thing she could do. She tapped her fingers against the cover. “I need to try the spell.”
“The spell?”
“Hannah’s protection. She obviously felt it was important, and I think we need to follow her guidance.” As comfortable as she was sitting next to Aquene, she also wondered what was out there that they couldn’t see. If there was ever a time to call on the family heritage, this was it.
“Protection,” Aquene said softly as she nodded. “Yes, he is coming, and I believe that would be good. You can send out this protection from her words?”
There was that he again, and she didn’t get what about this man had frightened both Hannah and now Aquene enough to want to flee. While it was true she caught the uneasy vibes triggered by him, truth was, he was just a guy and they outnumbered him, especially if they could hook up with Angus and Winnie again. Then they would really have the advantage. Four against one? No problem. And it would be even better if Loba was with them right now. Regardless of where they were or what they were doing, she always felt safer with her dog at her side.
“All right. Let’s do this.” She didn’t need to open the book because the spell, though slightly different, was well-known to her. She’d learned it from her mother, who’d learned it from her mother, and so on and so on. Mom would be proud that she remembered it well enough to recite from memory. Instead of opening the grimoire, she took Aquene’s hand. She expected her to pull away, but she didn’t. She liked that.
After taking a deep breath, she slowly blew it out. She was ready. “We come to you on this night and acknowledge the grace of the Earth Mother and the Sky Father, of the Great God and Goddess. We give thanks for all that is good in this world and in our lives. We call out to you and pray that you receive our pleas as they rise up to you on the night air. May you grant our request and bring to all who deserve it your protection from the forces of darkness that seek to destroy goodness and kindness. Blessed be the mysteries of your divine protections. In your names, so be it done.”
In the midst of the rain storm that pounded down upon their makeshift shelter, a warm wind blew across their faces.
* * *
“Oh my god, did you feel that?” Winnie stiffened and stared around the shadow-filled room. The hair on her arms raised, and she could swear little ghost fingers passed across the back of her neck. Talk about scaring the bejesus out of her. It was almost worse than the ghost in the doorway.
Angus had just dumped the pile of wood he’d brought back from the fire and straightened up. “Feel what?”
“A hot wind. You had to feel it.” He couldn’t possibly have missed it. He didn’t see the woman. He didn’t feel the wind. Maybe she was losing it.
Angus raised an eyebrow and looked into her eyes. “Did you find some hooch in this place or something? First you tell me you’re seeing phantom people that I actually walk right through, and now a tropical breeze is flowing around the place. You do realize you’re sitting right in front of a fire? You know, as in warm breeze?”
He wasn’t totally off base, even though she found his words a little insulting. To begin with, she wasn’t seeing things. Damn straight she’d seen and talked to someone, or something, while he was gone. And now, not just a little heat was wafting off the fire. It was a gale-force wind warm enough to heat the whole room that brought with it tendrils of something in
definable. Surely he had to notice the difference.
“Angus, I’m not going off the deep end despite the bizarre situation we’re in. Some serious weirdness is going on here, and I think it’s all tied together.” She pointed to the doorway. “A woman was standing there when you came in, and whether you believe me or not, I felt a wind, not a warm draft from the fire, blow through this room.”
He ran a hand over her hair, the sort of comforting gesture one gave a child. “Okay, my beauty. I believe you.”
She did not care for his patronizing tone of voice and had the urge to shake off his hand. “I know what I saw and felt.” She sounded snippy, and she didn’t care.
This time his hand cupped her cheek, and he stared into her eyes. “I believe you,” he repeated.
She tilted her head and studied him. Was he simply pacifying her because they were in such a peculiar situation? Keep the skittish woman calm? As she gazed back at him, she decided he wasn’t. Bless his Irish heart. All the fight went out of her. “You do believe me.”
He sank down next to her in front of the fire, pulled her into his arms, and kissed the top of her head. “Darlin’, we are up shit creek here, as my granny was prone to say. If we can jump a few hundred years backward, anything can happen, and that includes ghosts and tropical winds. If you say you saw a ghost in the doorway, I believe you. If you say you felt a strange hot wind, I believe you.”
Seriously, was it possible to love someone more than she did this man, right this minute? She didn’t think so. Tears pooled in her eyes and she hugged him tight. “God, I love you.”
“Ah, I know, and I love you right back.”
She pulled back and stared at him. “You know?”
He actually looked a little confused. “Of course I do. Don’t tell me you didn’t know.”
Walking Through Shadows Page 12
