Spencer's Cove

by Missouri Vaun

  Darkness was coming too.

  The dense cloud cover and intermittent fog hid any glimpse of sunset, but the waning light told Abby it was near. The low hum of voices inside her head competed with the rhythmic crashing of the waves against the rock. The tide was rising, and with each successive wave, Abby was closer to the ocean’s surface, its slippery grasp trying to claim her. But she couldn’t think of that now. The headache was pulling her down into another place. She was losing the world, or rather her connection to it, and she was afraid if she lost the world she’d lose herself. Without Foster to call her back, to anchor her, she was scared.

  This space, this void, seemed different from before. She heard the murmur of a multitude of voices, but she saw no moving shapes. She was alone. There was no up, there was no down, there was no horizon.

  Was this death? Was there no white light to guide her home to the heavens? This was not how she expected the end. She closed her eyes against the nothingness. The loneliness of this place was painful. Her breathing slowed, as did her heart. If she simply stopped breathing that would be the ending of everything distressing, so easy, so painless just to let go. No more days of watching the world decline, no more hours spent avoiding how hurtful humanity could be to its own kind, no more abuse of the creatures that roamed the earth, no more.

  “Abby.”

  She heard someone speak her name softly. A woman she didn’t recognize.

  “Abby, hold on, they are coming.”

  “Who?” she asked without opening her eyes for fear the presence would leave her.

  “Foster and Evan.”

  “Who are you?”

  “I am Jacqueline Hughes.” Her voice was so soothing, so comforting. “You can open your eyes, Abby. I will not leave you.”

  Abby opened her eyes. Jacqueline stood before her. She was beautiful, luminous. Jacqueline was taller than Abby, slender, with willowy limbs, and long wavy silver hair. It was hard to guess her age, but the lines around her eyes suggested an advanced number of years. Her blue eyes studied Abby in a way that made Abby feel truly seen, known.

  “Why are you here?” No longer alone, Abby began to feel the smallest glimmer of hope.

  “That’s it. Hope is returning. Hope is the first step toward strength.”

  Had Abby lost hope? That something indiscernible could vanish and cause the collapse of everything was an idea she hadn’t considered until now.

  “Why are you here?” Abby asked the question again.

  “I am here for you.” Jacqueline reached out and took Abby’s hand. “My earthly body had departed. I refused to bequeath my power to Leath. I had chosen you as my vessel.”

  “What? But how…?”

  “Yours is an ancient line. Mercy was not the first, but to assure that the right person would receive her legacy, her gift, the line has remained dormant…until now.” Jacqueline smiled, a genuine, sweet smile that warmed Abby’s heart. “You are the one who can merge the ancient lines into one powerful force for good. You know this, but I think it’s been hard for you to see this in yourself.”

  “But Leath…the ritual that Evan said killed you…she thinks it was all her fault.”

  “Dear Evan could not know of my plan to block Leath’s ascension. Evan would have been honor bound to intercede.”

  “She loves you. She would have chosen you over anything else.”

  “I know.” Jacqueline’s eyes softened with gathered tears. “I could not let her act against her oath. She’d have been exiled, or worse. This was my choice and my decision to defy the Council for their own good.”

  “And for the greater good of the world.” Abby was starting to understand.

  “Yes. Leath’s vicious tendencies would only have expanded if she’d inherited my power. She would have spread her own chaotic, violent world view.”

  “But I’m not part of the Council.” Abby wasn’t sure how an outsider could change things.

  “Even better. The Council’s ways no longer serve humanity. The Council has become elitist, insular, detached, and it was never supposed to be that way.” Jacqueline released her hand and clasped her hands in front of her as she continued to talk. “When our sisters first arrived on this continent we had such high ideals. A new world, a new beginning. But some wanted more, and sects began to form and sisters turned against sisters. Those first nights of flight through the virgin forest became a hideous spectacle of accusations and death as jealousy outed some of the more gifted among our ranks.”

  “The witch trials.”

  “Yes. And Mercy Howe, part of your direct line, was one of the most gifted of all. Losing her was a blow we struggled to recover from for centuries.” Jacqueline paced slowly back and forth, her demeanor dulled, as if she were remembering difficult things. “Mercy’s powers were lost to us because of the way she died. There was no chance to perform the necessary ritual before she was taken. Only much later did her powers return from the ether to her direct descendant, the much younger Mercy.” She turned to look at Abby and smiled. “The girl from your vision.”

  Another figure began to materialize at the edge of nothing. Shadowy, undulating at first, then clearer as the woman drew closer. Abby recognized her right away.

  “Mercy?” Abby could see the likeness of the young girl, despite her age.

  “Hello, Abby. It’s so good to finally meet you.” She smiled and when she did, her eyes sparkled. She could have been an elder aunt, or her father’s sister, their familial resemblance was obvious. Mercy looked like a more mature version of Abby, as if she was getting a glimpse of herself in her seventies.

  “I can’t believe you are here.” And then Abby remembered the stone altar, and Leath, and the darkness approaching. “But it’s too late.”

  “No, my dear, everything is happening as it should now.” Mercy reached for her hand.

  “The power of three, the triple braided cord is not so easily broken.” Jacqueline reached for her other hand. Then she also took Mercy’s hand.

  Abby was not alone. Abby was no longer afraid.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Evan dismounted and tied Brother to a small sapling nearby. They were above the spot Dena had marked on the map, but even if she didn’t have the map she’d have known this was the spot. Churning purplish gray-green clouds swirled overhead like some otherworldly tornado was about to drop down from the sky. The wind gusted and the ocean itself seemed angry. She approached the edge of the drop-off looking for a way down.

  “How did they get down there?” Foster was beside her peering over the ledge.

  “They flew. Witches fly.”

  “Okay, how are we getting down there? Did you forget to mention that you can fly too?”

  “We’ll repel.” Evan reached for a length of rope attached to the saddle.

  “Repel?”

  “I think that’s our only option.” Evan started to tie a series of slipknots at the end of the rope.

  “Did I mention I’ve never rock climbed?” Foster frowned.

  “Hey, Foster, I know I’ve been hard on you.”

  Foster regarded her with surprise.

  “I think you’re okay. And I think Abby is lucky to have you on her side.”

  “Um…thanks.” For the first time since they’d met, Foster seemed at a loss for words. “Just promise me we’re going to get her home safely, okay?”

  “I promise.” She put her hand on Foster’s shoulder.

  Evan had decided to ease up on Foster. It wasn’t like she asked to be part of any of this. She’d showed up in California expecting to write a memoir and now here she was about to go over a cliff, literally.

  “You go first so I can monitor your descent.”

  She helped Foster adjust the rope around the top of her thighs, just under her butt, like a makeshift seat. Foster tentatively dropped over the edge. The other end of the rope was anchored to a tree. Evan let the rope slide slowly between her hands, keeping a bit of tension in the lead. She was thankful she�
�d remembered her leather work gloves.

  Once Foster was on the ground Evan tugged the rope back up and fastened it around her thighs as she’d helped Foster do. As she stepped over the edge, Evan couldn’t help thinking of Jacqueline. She hoped she could keep her promise to Foster. She’d do everything within her power to save Abby, even if that meant sacrificing herself.

  They’d dropped to a slim strip of coarse wet sand. The incoming tide lapped at their feet. High tide was going to hit right around nine o’clock. Everything was converging, which meant they were almost out of time.

  “Foster, you wait until I make contact with Leath. Once she’s fully engaged and distracted, you get Abby to safety. Don’t wait for me.”

  “That sounds ominous.” Foster cleaned her glasses on a bit of shirttail exposed at the bottom of her sweater.

  “Things are going to get ugly. Don’t expect to understand everything that’s about to happen and don’t take time to try to figure it out.” Evan needed Foster to understand. “You have one task—get Abby and leave.”

  Foster nodded.

  “Listen, before we do this, I need to know your real name.”

  “What?” Evan looked at Foster. Was she serious?

  “We’re about to go to war here. I want to know your real name.”

  “What makes you think it isn’t Evan?”

  “Just a hunch.”

  Evan exhaled and frowned.

  “My real name is Evangeline Bell.”

  Foster’s eyes widened.

  “And if we live through this, you’re taking that to your grave. You hear me?” Evan jabbed a finger in Foster’s direction. “Okay, spill. What’s your real name?”

  “Foster.”

  “Figures.” Evan shook her head. “Okay, Foster for real, are you ready?”

  Foster nodded, her expression suddenly serious and focused.

  Evan took the lead as they worked their way down the beach toward the enormous dark shape of the Devil’s Basin. It was aptly named. Evan crouched behind a large rock, its rough surface wet from the surf. She could see Leath’s pale face, contrasted against the dark yaw of the basin, which looked like the gaping opening of some sinister cave. Evan was sure Leath was expecting them. Leath had to know that unless Evan was dead and in the ground, she’d show up.

  “Foster, ease your way down to those rocks. Stay low. And remember, stay out of sight, wait for me to engage.”

  Foster nodded and then scuttled ahead, staying close to the cliff.

  Evan waited until Foster was in position and then she was up and striding in Leath’s direction with clenched fists, laser focused on her target. Abby was lying nearby. She seemed out of it. She didn’t move or acknowledge that she saw them. She seemed deathly still. They were definitely running out of time.

  “I thought you’d never arrive.” A slow smile spread across Leath’s face. “Hello, lover.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “I offered, but you declined. Are you regretting that now?”

  Evan ignored the question.

  “Leath, I’m not letting you take Abby’s power.” Evan squared her shoulders and braced for Leath’s response.

  “This fight will only make my victory sweeter.”

  Leath hurled a supercharged orb at Evan. She darted just at the last instant. When the second throw came, she braced her forearms together, matching the two sides of the tattoo into one image of the trinity. The action created a force field. The energy pulse discharged with a lightshow. Sparks bounced off the damp stone cliff above her head.

  A wave crashed at Evan’s feet causing her to lose her footing on the slick rock. The field created by the joined tattoo faltered, giving Leath’s third strike an opening. At the last second, Evan braced her arms together and blocked the pulse. Sparks cascaded across the surface of the water as the surf ebbed.

  She was in it now, blocking Leath’s attack while slowly advancing on her position. Evan’s mission was not defeating Leath, because she knew she couldn’t. Her sole focus was giving Foster time to save Abby. Evan simply needed to abort the ritual to keep Abby alive. What came after? Evan had no idea.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Foster was in water up to her waist. There’d been no route by which to reach Abby undetected without getting in the tumultuous surf. She wasn’t anxious to be in the ocean again, but there was no other way.

  She’d been intently watching Abby as she edged closer, but Abby hadn’t stirred. Foster’s stomach was churning. She was terrified that they were too late. As she got closer she could see that Abby’s hands were tied, and a rope stretched across the bottom and top of the naturally formed stone altar kept her arms and legs stretched out.

  Explosions distracted her for a moment. Evan was engaged with Leath. Foster paused for a second to watch. She’d never seen anything like this surreal light show, except in the movies. She pushed off a submerged rock and swam toward Abby. The base of the altar was bedrock but was underwater. It took her a few missteps to find her footing. Foster tentatively stretched upward and touched Abby’s hand. Her skin was cool, too cool. How long had she been tied like this, exposed to the elements?

  She waited until Leath’s back was turned, and she was fully distracted with Evan to hoist herself up onto the edge of the stone platform. She was able to get one knee over the edge, then she was all the way up. Foster carefully climbed over Abby and crouched low beside her so that she could work to free her from the ropes. Why hadn’t she thought to bring a knife? Her chilled fingers struggled to loosen the knots.

  Abby was unconscious. Foster touched her face, but Abby still didn’t move. She put her cheek close. Good, she was still breathing, barely. Everything about Abby seemed in hibernation, her breathing, her pulse, even the color of her skin. Abby’s clothing was soaked from the splashing surf. Foster dropped back into the water and gently eased Abby over the edge and into her arms.

  Now what? She couldn’t swim back the way they’d come. Foster hesitated for a moment. The only way to escape notice was to swim out into deeper water and then around the cliff’s edge out of sight. On the back side of this huge rock formation they’d have cover. She could get Abby to shore and work on reviving her.

  Foster swam with one arm, kicking as hard as she could against the incoming waves. Water splashed against her glasses making it hard to see. The sun was gone and the sky was becoming as murky as the sea. She tried to keep Abby’s face above water, but it was almost impossible as they fought the surf. Out of nowhere, a huge wave rolled in. It crashed down with thunderous force. The undertow caught Foster, dragging her downward. She couldn’t swim out of it with only one arm. Fatigued, she cradled Abby tightly against her body as they were sucked out to sea.

  ***

  “The time has come, Abby.” Jacqueline still held Abby’s hand.

  “Yes, it is time,” Mercy said.

  “Time for what?” Abby was still unsure.

  “We are bequeathing our collective power to you, my dear.” Jacqueline smiled warmly.

  “Why me?”

  “Because you have a pure soul. Only a pure soul can wield such power.” Jacqueline paused. “The soul is the real vessel of a person’s life; the soul surrounds and suffuses the body. The purest soul is never afraid.”

  Were they underwater now? It seemed as if they were. Abby’s hair swirled about her face as if she were submerged.

  “What will it feel like?”

  “Sacrifice.” Mercy squeezed her hand. “You are sacrificing what you are for what you can become.”

  “Where does the power come from?” Abby worried that this would be her only chance to ask.

  “From the creator and ruler of the universe, the source of all moral authority, the supreme being. HaShem, the giver of life.” Jacqueline looked at Abby, and Abby was warmed by the love in Jacqueline’s expression. “Are you ready?”

  Abby nodded.

  Jacqueline and Mercy began to chant, eyes closed, as they held her hands.

/>   “I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not. A nation that was not given a name.”

  The space around them began to glow with an ever-brightening white light, and Abby had the sensation of rising.

  “I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not. A nation that was not given a name.

  “I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not. A nation that was not given a name.”

  Now she was no longer sure if they were speaking or if she was only hearing the words inside her head. Something real was taking place in the realm of the invisible.

  The light was too bright now, and Abby had to close her eyes to block it out.

  With the light came the knowing.

  Time was a circle, completed by this one embrace.

  The power of three.

  The act of abandon was becoming a ritual of presence.

  Abby knew herself.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Evan saw the glowing orb first. She stumbled backward, bracing herself against the rock. Leath still hadn’t noticed what was happening behind her, and Evan wanted to keep it that way. She needed to buy Abby just a little more time.

  Exhaustion threatened to capsize her, but she rallied, bracing herself, planting her feet farther apart in a defensive pose. Abby must be alive. The water was amplifying the energy field of the transmutation. That had to be the only explanation.

  “It’s not too late to change your mind, Evan.” Leath was breathing hard.

  Surely expending this much energy was draining her reserve. But still, she was stronger than Evan remembered.

  “Change my mind about what?” Evan was willing to keep her talking for a minute to give Abby more time. Plus, she was feeling winded herself.

  “Come back with me. We would be good together.” Leath’s eyes flashed green momentarily.

  “Are you seriously trying to use seduction flairs on me after you just tried to blast me into oblivion?” Evan would have laughed if the situation wasn’t so dire.