Surrounded by Darkness

by Rachel Dylan

  This woman was interesting. She wondered what caused Olivia to be a believer, but now wasn’t the time to ask that either. Eliza wished more women would embrace the Wiccan way and not seek out a religion with such arcane beliefs.

  Olivia arched an eyebrow. “I feel like you really want to say something.”

  “Our belief systems are very different, but what I can totally get on board with is the work you’re doing for victims of domestic violence. Count me in, and I will definitely help you spread the word.

  “Thank you so much.”

  “I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of each other.”

  Olivia gave her a sweet smile before turning and walking away.

  Layton watched as people gathered all around the park for the Optimism event. In some ways, he felt the summer festival was cheesy, but it served its purpose. It was one of their biggest recruitment events of the year because the people who tended to show up almost always had some interest in spiritual matters.

  Their goal today was to show people the fun, lighter side of Optimism. They couldn’t lead with the more serious stuff. Most people took time before they could handle that. Not everyone was as gifted as Stacey. He looked over at his young protégé and smiled. She was thriving like he never could have imagined. He could only hope that he’d be able to keep control of her as she grew in strength.

  “Thanks to everyone for coming,” Layton said. “We’re going to have some music, great food, and plenty of time to chat and get to know each other. Please join us in whatever way you like. The members from Optimism here are all wearing purple so you can identify us. Please talk to any of us to learn more about joining our group. We would love to have you.”

  Music started up and the mood was jovial, just as he had hoped. The warm sun beat down as he walked around saying hello. The audience was largely women. It helped that he was good looking because he often got the attention of the ladies. After he’d been burned by Nina Marie, he learned he needed to keep business and pleasure separate. That was another reason why he had taken a hands-off approach to Stacey. Not only was she too young for him, the risks were way too high. He wasn’t a fool.

  Layton made his way through the crowd but stopped short when he heard a voice he knew all too well. He turned around and there she was, his nemesis—Olivia Murray. What in the world was she doing here? She had no business being at a summer festival like this that targeted New Age-ers.

  He couldn’t help himself as he strode over to where she was talking to a girl he didn’t recognize. After a couple of moments, they ended their conversation, and Olivia looked up at him.

  “Hello, Layton,” Olivia said.

  He was always amazed at the strength and poise she possessed. They had done battle before, and she didn’t bat an eye. One day he was going to take her down. He had to figure out how. “Olivia, I would not have expected to see you here. What are you evangelizing these days? Trying to save those who have gone astray?” He knew the sarcasm dripped from his voice, and he didn’t care. They weren’t on good terms and she knew that.

  Olivia smiled. “Layton, sometimes I really do pity you, but my purpose here today is about my legal work. I’m opening a clinic for domestic violence victims right here in Windy Ridge.”

  “Did you leave the law firm?” he asked.

  Olivia shook her head. “No. I’m doing this as part of the pro bono initiative at BCR.”

  He lifted up his hand. “Well, aren’t you just the do-good lawyer these days. First our favorite pastor and now this.”

  She scowled at him. “Layton, I can’t imagine you have something against this type of work, do you? Not with all of your many charitable and community endeavors.”

  “It’s not the type of work I have something against. It’s who is doing it.”

  “I hate to tell you this, Layton, but I’m not going anywhere. You’re not gonna get rid of me that easily. You might as well learn to accept my presence here in Windy Ridge.”

  He laughed loudly. “You do realize I’m winning here, right? The church still hasn’t recovered from the scandal. My numbers are looking better than ever. Yours are dwindling. You might want to get down from that high horse or yours.”

  “My high horse? You’re the one filled with pride, and it will be your downfall. I’m sure you’re familiar with how that all works, right?”

  “How dare you say that?”

  She looked at him with determination and drive. “I’m not afraid of you. I’m not afraid of the evil spirits that are here today or those here who practice the dark arts. I am here trying to help people—women who have been abused. Women who have been abused by men like you.”

  He placed his hand over his heart. “Oh, now you’re trying to provoke me. You have no evidence that I’ve ever abused any woman.”

  “Are we really gonna go there?” Olivia took a breath and looked up toward the sky before responding. “Just stay out of my way. This clinic is going to do good work.”

  “I think we can both agree we would like to stay out of each other’s way. We are both in a battle for this town. Whether you want to be or not, you’re the leader. That puts us at odds. We’re on a war footing.”

  “It doesn’t have to be like this. There’s another way, Layton. Even for you,” Olivia pled with him.

  He laughed. “You leave me speechless, Olivia. You truly can’t think you would ever convince me to become a believer. That is never going to happen. I am not soft and weak like Nina Marie. I was surprised she turned, given how strong she used to be at one point. And I also will admit you are very convincing, but let’s set the record straight. Your words and deeds have no impact on me. Zero. Make no mistake. I am much stronger than Nina Marie ever was or will be. I am the strongest person you will ever meet.” He couldn’t believe she would actually have the gall to think she could open the door to preaching to him. And it was that kind of boldness on her part that made him particularly nervous about having her in his town.

  Olivia took a step toward him. “I have more people to speak to here today, but you should also know something, Layton. Your hold on power isn’t as strong as you think. Your group isn’t as organized or unified. Look around you. How many of these women standing in this park are actually members of Optimism? I think you know the answer to that.”

  “But they’re all potential candidates, and that’s a lot more than you have.” He’d had enough of her tactics for one day, so he turned around and joined the festivities. He refused to let her ruin his good mood.

  A couple of minutes later, Stacey came up to him. “What were you talking to Olivia about?”

  “It turns out that Olivia is here telling people about the legal clinic she’s opening for domestic violence victims.”

  “Oh. Hard to argue with that, right?” Stacey asked.

  “My dear Stacey, the fact that she is involved means I have to argue with it. Do you think she’s going to be helping women from a legal perspective out of the goodness of her heart? No. She’s going to try to influence them and feed them all of her lies. Olivia’s not stupid. She’ll use this as an opportunity for recruitment in the same way we use our activities. We have to keep a really close eye on this. We’ll talk about it at our next meeting. I don’t want to bring down the jovial mood today.”

  “I guess I wasn’t even thinking of it like that,” she responded.

  Stacey heard “clinic for domestic violence victims” and thought it was a good thing, but Layton knew better. “How are your discussions going?”

  She smiled. “Really well. I met some people who definitely seem interested, at least in some elements of what we practice. We also have a Wiccan element here today.”

  Layton did not like the Wiccans at all. He tolerated them because he didn’t see them as a threat, but they didn’t help him get to his greatest goal. “Their numbers have been growing steadily in Windy Ridge, and we need to understand why people would choose to join their way of life over ours. Their power is limited, and
their view of the world is skewed. Our eyes have been opened. We know what the true landscape is and whose side we have to be on.”

  Stacey cocked her head to the side. “You sound a lot like Morena. I met a Wiccan in the bookstore last week, and I thought she was perfectly nice, but then Morena told me I didn’t understand how they function.”

  He was a little disturbed Stacey had that contact. The last thing he needed was for her to decide their way was better. Stacey was the most spiritually gifted person he had ever dealt with. Even more than Nina Marie had been. For her to be at this place in her life was nothing short of amazing. Which was all the more reason he had to keep her on a tight leash. She didn’t even realize how powerful she was. “Morena was right. We should all have a sit down and get in depth on what they believe and how it’s different than us so there is no confusion amongst our members. I refuse to let those witches recruit our people. That would be unacceptable.”

  “I get the feeling they are actively expanding their numbers. It’s something we should look at.”

  “It’s not just the Bible thumpers who threaten us. We’ve got it coming from all angles.” Layton had given over his life many years ago to the Prince of Darkness. That came at a price, but he also gained great rewards. His direct alignment with the evil one made him supremely confident that he’d have more power than a so-called white witch could. He was much more concerned with the likes of Olivia Murray, because there was one thing he knew: Olivia had God on her side.

  Chapter Five

  Olivia sat with Grant at their favorite pizza place sharing a half deluxe, half cheese and pineapple. They’d agreed to meet for lunch, and Olivia was so happy to see him. She looked into his bright, aqua eyes.

  “How did it go at the summer festival?” Grant asked.

  “It was a little weird to be in that element, but it was well worth it. I handed out a couple hundred flyers for the clinic, and that’s the most important thing.”

  Grant smiled at her. “This clinic is going to be big, Olivia. I can feel it.”

  She took a sip of iced tea. “I hope so. Being able to use my legal skills to make a real positive impact on women’s lives is amazing. I just hope I’m up for the task.”

  Grant grabbed her hand. “You’re always up for the task. I’m the one who’s the problem.”

  And there it was. The elephant in the room. Grant’s malpractice case and his general malaise as of late. She kept pushing through trying to be upbeat, but at some point, she didn’t know if that was going to cut it. “Do you want to talk about it?” She didn’t want to push, but she also wanted to provide him a safe place to discuss his thoughts.

  “I keep going through the facts in my mind. Replaying them like a broken record.” He stared off into the distance.

  “You can’t beat yourself up about how you handled things. All you can do now is put up the best defense you can.”

  Grant nodded. “I’ve got a relatively young attorney and some bad facts. That doesn’t bode well.”

  She wanted to remind him of something. “Just because you’re young doesn’t mean anything. Think about how much you and I were underestimated early on in our careers. If he’s committed to the case, that’s the thing that matters the most. Do you think he is?”

  Grant dumped some parmesan cheese on top of his deluxe slice before responding. “I actually think he is. He seems like a straight shooter, and from what he tells me, malpractice cases are difficult to prove, so that weighs in our favor.”

  “You’ll get through this, Grant. Remember you’re not alone. I’ll always be here for you, and God will listen to your prayers. Don’t think otherwise.”

  “What made you say that?” he raised an eyebrow.

  “I get that you’re a super independent guy, and I love that about you. But sometimes you have to ask for help. God will always provide, and I’m here when you need me. Recognizing that is not a weakness.”

  “I tell myself that, but old habits are hard to break.” He took a big bite of pizza.

  Olivia stabbed a piece of lettuce. She made herself eat a side salad along with the pizza to try to offset. “Since we met each other, our lives have been one thing after the next. It’s been a wild roller coaster, but we’ve done it together. We’ve fought the battles, and we’ll keep doing it.”

  He looked up at her. “I love you, Olivia.”

  “I love you too.” She couldn’t help but sense a bit of sadness in him even as he said the words. “Whatever you need from me, just say it. Even if it’s just to vent about your lawyer.”

  He laughed, and she was happy to lighten up the moment.

  “Did you see any of our Optimism friends at the festival?” he asked.

  Olivia groaned. “All of them. Layton tried to flex his muscles, but I wasn’t biting.” She picked up her pizza. “If he tries to mess with my clinic clients, we’re going to have a big problem.”

  Grant ran his hand through his thick dark hair. “Maybe he’ll mind his business and focus on his own issues. He’s got his hands full trying to get Optimism back on track.”

  “According to him, he’s on the top of the world.”

  Grant scoffed. “He’s taken a few hits. He hasn’t come out of this unscathed.”

  Olivia tended to agree with him. “But he’s tenacious. I have to give him that.”

  “Do you think Nina Marie will be safe?”

  “Abe’s making sure she is. Plus, I get the sick feeling that Layton thinks he has gotten the best of her. He’s already thinking of the next big thing. That’s my concern. Where he plans to take Optimism. We know he will keep targeting the church.”

  “Dan’s ready. He’s more fired up than I’ve ever seen him.”

  She twirled the straw in her tea. “Dan went through a lot. He’s stronger for it now.” As the words came out of her mouth, she realized he could think she was trying to make a point. That hadn’t actually been her intention.

  Regardless, he let it go and continued to eat. They finished up in a comfortable silence. As she watched the man she loved, she prayed he would be able to face down these malpractice allegations. Lord, please give Grant strength.

  Stacey had run into Eliza again at Indigo, and they’d had a great conversation. That had led Stacey to where she was now—sitting in Eliza’s house with one of her friends.

  Yes, Morena had told her not to get involved with Eliza, but Stacey was at the point where she wanted to make her own decisions and spread her wings, especially when it came to her own spiritual development. There were some things Eliza and her Wiccan friends could teach her if only she would open up to the possibilities, and that’s why she was there tonight. To hear what Eliza had to say. Stacey didn’t bring the baggage and preconceived notions with her that Morena held onto tightly. The further Stacey developed, the weaker she saw Morena—and the others, for that matter.

  “Dinner was amazing. I haven’t had something that tasty in a long time. My cooking skills are nonexistent.” Stacey’s idea of cooking was opening up a frozen meal and popping it in the microwave.

  Eliza smiled warmly her. “So happy that you enjoyed it. Cooking is one of my passions. I’m glad you decided to join us tonight.”

  The other woman, named Randi, also smiled.

  Eliza offered Stacey a homemade oatmeal cookie, and she took it. If she hung out too much with Eliza she’d need to be on diet within days.

  Eliza took a bite of her cookie before speaking. “We talked at Indigo a little bit about what we’re all about, but I know you had some questions, and I wanted to let you have the opportunity to talk to us, and then we can go from there.”

  Stacey looked at Eliza’s big chocolate eyes and tried hard to read her. It was strange because it seemed like she was getting mixed messages. In one way, she felt like she could trust her, but on the other hand, there was something a little bit off that made Stacey hesitant. At the end of the day, Stacey wanted to learn more about what types of witchcraft they practiced because she t
hought it could help her. “Thanks for being so welcoming. My main focus is learning about what you do and how you do it.”

  Randi twirled her blonde hair around her finger and turned her attention to Stacey. “I’m actually pretty new at this. I’ve only been doing it for six months, so I think I can help with some perspective. Eliza has been at it for quite a few years and has a lot more power and knowledge. You can learn a lot from her, and she’s a great and patient teacher.”

  Eliza blushed at Randi’s compliments.

  Stacey had a lot of questions. “You’re the leader of the group, Eliza?”

  Eliza shook her head. “Not exactly. It’s not like Optimism or other groups. But from a know-how perspective, I would say I am one of the more knowledgeable ones, and from an organizational perspective, I guess I have become in charge by default. I would hate for you to think of it that way because that’s not how I see it. It’s a group of sisters who want to live this way of life.”

  “And what exactly is that way of life?” That’s what Stacey had to get to the bottom to.

  Eliza leaned forward. “First off, let me put this on the table. We do not practice black magic nor do we consort with a supposed devil nor do we worship him. We don’t even really believe he exists in the same way that you do. In our eyes, there is no such thing as angels and demons. But we definitely do believe there are spiritual elements in this world and that we can connect with them, and we also believe we can connect with the other side—people who have passed on but are now spirits. We believe in good and evil spirits but not in the same way you do.”

  So that’s why Morena was wary of them. They rejected some of the key tenets Optimism held onto. Stacey wasn’t deterred. There was still some merit to cultivating this relationship. “But you do practice witchcraft, right?”

  Randi jumped in. “Absolutely. We rely on many different outlets for that including each person’s individual Book of Shadows, which is where each member keeps her spells. But our spells are usually for things like healing or understanding or asking for some type of wisdom. We purposely do not use our spells to hurt others or cause any type of harm. That’s one of the very first things I learned when I met these women.”