Ancient Forces Collection

by Bill Myers

  Not to mention that Z wanted Becka to reach out to Sarina.

  But how?

  6

  Caesar’s wasn’t Becka’s kind of restaurant. Not that she was opposed to going there once in a while. It’s just that she and Ryan typically didn’t hang out at places where tablecloths, fresh flowers, and real fireplaces were part of the ambience. It was, after all, the kind of place to go if you had lots of money and wanted to impress your date.

  “Reservation for eight?” the head waiter asked in their direction.

  The woman with red hair by Sarina’s side nodded.

  “Right this way,” he said, holding a stack of menus.

  Becka, avoiding eye contact with Sarina, trailed behind the others to a rectangular table positioned by the front window. As the last one in the group to arrive, Becka took the only seat available at the end of the table. That was fine with her. The farther from Sarina the better. Frankly, if she sat in the next room, that would be okay too.

  The waiter took their drink orders. He bowed slightly, turned, and left.

  The redhead, who sat on Sarina’s right, was the first to get everyone’s attention. “It’s a pleasure to be with you tonight,” she announced. “My name is Demi. I’m Sarina’s personal assistant. It’s been a long day, what with traveling, interviews, and the signing. I know Sarina is anxious to visit with you. Just so you’ll know, we need to duck out a little sooner than originally planned. She has an early morning photo shoot. I’m sure you understand.”

  Somehow the speech felt a little rehearsed. Becka stole a look at Sarina. When Sarina glanced in her direction, Becka forced a grin. Sarina didn’t smile in return. Instead, it felt as if Sarina was looking right through her. The dark, hollow feeling in Becka’s stomach returned. The darkness she experienced had little to do with the dim lighting. It was as if she knew something dreadful was just around the corner.

  Demi continued. “Feel free to ask anything you’d like about Sarina’s book or the TV show.”

  Laura, who sat on the other side of Sarina, said, “I want you to know it was your show that really opened me up to become a practicing Wiccan.”

  Sarina seemed to relax a little at that. She smiled. “Is that so?”

  Laura nodded. “I’ve always been interested in the occult. A group of us have really been into the supernatural. But I don’t know . . . when I started to watch The Hex, I saw there was a more positive way to connect with the spirit. That’s when I sort of got into Wicca on my own.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Sarina said. “We Wiccans have discovered that self-confidence, respect for the environment, and a deeper interconnection with the divine occurs when we align ourselves with the realms of the mighty Earth Spirit.”

  An awkward silence followed.

  Rachael raised a hand just above the table.

  Demi said, “Hey, feel free to jump in. This isn’t a press conference.”

  That brought a laugh.

  “Hi, Sarina,” Rachael said with a hint of awe in her voice. “I can’t wait to read your book. But I was wondering if you ever thought of doing a movie?”

  Sarina turned to Demi. Demi nodded. Sarina folded her hands together on the table. “I’ll let you guys in on a little secret. We just landed a film deal, and we start production next month.”

  “No way!” Krissi said. “I can’t wait to tell everyone at school.”

  “Uh, Krissi,” Julie said, leaning toward her ear, “she just said it was a secret.”

  “Yeah, and if you let it out I’ll have to put a spell on you,” Sarina said. Her eyes narrowed.

  Krissi froze. Becka watched as Krissi’s face went as pale as a china doll’s.

  Sarina smiled. “I’m only playing with you.”

  Everyone but Becka laughed. Just sitting in the same space as Sarina was oppressive to her.

  “Remember, Wiccans are into positive energy,” Sarina said. “We only fight back if somebody or something strikes us first.” She fixed her eyes on Becka as she spoke.

  Becka almost jumped out of her skin when her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She snatched up the phone, pushed Talk, and then pressed the phone to her ear. She turned away from the others toward the wall. “Hello?”

  “Becka! It’s me.”

  “Hey, Scott.” Although she had hoped it was her mother, Becka’s heart brightened at the sound of his voice.

  “How’s the witch?”

  “Um . . .” Becka looked around, but the others were busy talking to the guest of honor. “I really can’t talk. We’re about ready to order dessert.”

  “Where?”

  “Caesar’s.”

  “Ooh. Fancy schmancy.”

  “Anyway, let’s just say things are super intense. I feel so outnumbered.” She looked around again. Laura and Krissi were getting up to leave. She watched as they headed toward the restroom.

  “I figured that,” Scott said. “Darryl and I saw you on TV.”

  Becka swallowed. Great. Now the whole world probably thinks I’m a jerk, she thought.

  “Hey, I talked to Z online,” Scott said. “He filled me in on all that Wicca stuff. Pretty heavy-duty. He suggested that we pray together.”

  Becka sighed. “Boy, could I use your prayers, little bro.”

  “Put your hand on the phone and pray along with me,” Scott said, imitating a radio preacher he once heard.

  “Very funny, Scott,” Becka said. She cupped her hand over the mouthpiece. “I can’t quite tell you how I know this, but I think something pretty serious is about to happen.”

  “Really?” Scott said. “Like what?”

  “I can’t say for sure.”

  “Just remember that verse in Matthew: ‘For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.’ So, let’s pray already.”

  “Um, Scott, maybe you should do the honors,” Becka said, changing the phone to her other ear. “I don’t think it’s such a good idea for Sarina to hear me, you know, praying.”

  “Okay. Well, Lord,” Scott began, “be with Becka tonight as she’s with Sarina. We don’t know exactly why things happen the way they do, but . . . we know you have Becka there for a reason. Give her the strength and . . . the wisdom to take a stand for you against the tricks of the devil. Help her to feel your presence by her side. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

  Becka hung up and put the phone in her pocket in time to take a glass of iced tea from the waiter. As she set it down, she noticed her hand was trembling.

  Krissi leaned against the bathroom countertop to reapply her lipstick. Beside her, Laura washed and dried her hands. With a twist, Krissi closed her lipstick case, tucked it into her purse, and turned to face Laura. “So, did you see that woman with your dad? You know, I’m pretty sure she was at the bookstore.”

  Laura crumpled the paper towel. “What are you talking about?”

  “Didn’t you see them?”

  “Here? Tonight?”

  “Yeah, sitting in the corner. By the fireplace. I saw them when we walked down the hall.”

  Laura’s forehead creased.

  Krissi took her by the arm and steered her to the door. “Come on, I’ll show you.” Krissi opened the door and walked down the hallway with Laura on her heels. They paused where the hall joined the main dining area.

  “Over there,” Krissi said with a nod toward the rear of the restaurant. “The blonde with the hot red dress making serious eyes at that man. Didn’t she ask a question tonight?”

  An audible gasp escaped Laura’s mouth.

  “And isn’t that your dad with her?”

  Slowly, Laura began to nod.

  Krissi faced her. “Sorry . . . not good, is it?”

  Laura pushed past Krissi and headed straight for the table. Krissi followed in her wake. As Laura approached, the woman stopped talking and sat upright in her chair. She appeared flustered.

  “Dad?”

  Les turned and, at the sight of Laura, started to stand. “Hey, sweetie,” he
said, looking as guilty as a kid stealing a cookie from a cookie jar.

  “What are you doing here?” Laura said, maintaining a slight distance from her father. She fought back the flood of emotion welling up inside.

  Les dropped his napkin on the table and stood to his full height. He brought a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. “Laura, this is a . . . client. Stacey Young. We’re . . . uh . . . working late. What brings you here?”

  “Dessert, with friends.” Laura spoke the words with about as much warmth as an Alaskan winter.

  “Stacey, meet my daughter, Laura,” Les said with a wave of his hand. “She’ll be a junior at Crescent Bay High.”

  “Senior . . . I’ll be a senior this year, Dad.”

  He offered a nervous laugh. “My mistake. How time flies.”

  “I’m very pleased to meet you,” Stacey said without standing. “You know, she looks positively like you, Les.”

  Laura’s ears burned. This was no client, of that she was sure. This was the woman who had left the message on her dad’s answering machine. She had the same breathy voice. Not to mention the way she pronounced the word positively.

  “Who’s your little friend?” Stacey said with a plastic smile.

  “That’s Krissi. She’s a senior too.” Laura spoke the words without a hint of graciousness.

  “Care to join us?” Les said, swallowing hard. He took his seat again.

  “No thanks,” Laura said, in no mood for small talk. “We’ve got to get back to our table.” What she thought of saying but didn’t was Fat chance. Sit here while Jezebel flirts with my dad? In your dreams.

  Instead, Laura turned away. Her heart hurt. Her head pounded. She had been betrayed by her dad and this home wrecker.

  Something else bugged her. Why hadn’t her spell worked on Stacey? Laura had done everything by the book, hadn’t she? As she and Krissi marched away from the table, Laura knew exactly who to ask.

  Sarina.

  7

  Claire Williams sat on a well-worn wooden bench under a tall pine tree. The coolness of the night was as refreshing as the opening session of the Free to Be conference. She pulled her knees up to her chest and studied the full moon. As her eyes adjusted to the meager light, she inhaled deeply of the pine aroma carried by the gentle evening breeze.

  Claire couldn’t recall the last time she’d treated herself to the luxury of an entire weekend away. After listening to tonight’s keynote speaker, Claire realized how much her life had been put on hold since her husband died. True, life this past year had been filled with activity.

  The relocation to Crescent Bay from Brazil.

  Becka and Scott starting a new school.

  Their endless adventures, thanks to Z.

  Searching for work.

  Volunteering at church.

  It all added up to the simple fact that Claire had been on maximum spin since she could remember. No wonder she struggled to find time to feed her spirit and to discover what new direction God might have for her. She closed her eyes as she lingered in the stillness of the moment, basking in the tranquillity it offered.

  Without warning, with the suddenness of a flash of lightning, the intense need to pray for Becka struck her. She didn’t know why, but the prompting of the Holy Spirit was unmistakable. Her eyes flew open as she bolted upright and lowered her feet to the ground.

  Somewhere in the depths of her spirit she had an overwhelming sensation that Becka was about to be confronted with a test of faith. And oddly, in the next instant, a picture of one of the items Z had provided came to mind: the earplugs. Her forehead creased. Why had he mailed them to Becka? Z always seemed to provide the perfect item for the adventures the kids were involved in. This one didn’t make sense.

  A moment later, at least one possible reason dawned on her. Maybe the earplugs symbolized something. Maybe Z was suggesting that Becka block her ears against the lies of the enemy. Was that it?

  Claire began to pray silently. Dear Lord Jesus, right now, in this moment, I commit my daughter Becka to you for protection. Be a shield against the schemes of the evil one. Be her strength. Be her confidence. And I pray that you keep her from listening to the lies and distortions of the great deceiver. May she stand strong for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

  As she finished, Claire reached into her purse for her cell phone. She had to reach Becka.

  Becka watched as Laura and Krissi hurried back to their seats at the table. She couldn’t help but notice that something was definitely bugging Laura. But what? Laura’s eyes seemed to shift rapidly between Sarina, who was answering a question about out-of-body experiences, and someone in the other room. Becka strained to see what Laura was looking at but couldn’t tell, at least not from her current position.

  For her part, Becka had taken about all she could handle from Sarina. “The goddess this” and “the goddess that” added up to a mountain of spiritual mumbo jumbo as far as Becka was concerned. Sarina really lost her when she rambled on about reincarnation as part of a Wiccan’s quest.

  The waiter appeared, carrying a tray. He began to serve the desserts when Demi spoke up. “This certainly has been a lot of fun, hasn’t it?”

  Rachael nodded. “It’s really awesome that you made the time to meet with us, Sarina.”

  “Unfortunately,” Demi said, consulting her watch, “we need to take off in another minute or so. Does anyone have a final question?”

  It had taken Becka every ounce of restraint to keep quiet the whole night. No way would she risk ticking everyone off with another one of her “rude” questions.

  Laura blurted out, “I’ve got a situation I really need your help with.”

  Sarina tilted her head. “What is it, Laura?”

  “Okay, for starters my dad is in the other room,” she said with a quick point of her forefinger. “He’s over there in the back corner with . . . a woman. The blonde in a red dress.”

  Sarina’s face maintained a blank look as if she didn’t understand.

  Laura said, “The problem is, she’s not my mom. She’s some young flirt. Actually, she was at the book signing this evening. I don’t know if you remember, but she’s the one who talked about how great Wicca has been for her, and how it helped her with her job and with some guy she’s been seeing. I can’t believe she was talking about my father.”

  “Well, I’m sorry to say that not everyone uses the power of Wicca the right way. Some people allow selfishness to destroy the good that Wicca can bring. I understand. Go on,” Sarina said.

  “Well, see, this afternoon I overheard that woman over there leaving a message on my dad’s answering machine,” Laura said. Her words ran together in her haste.

  “Take your time, Laura. I can tell this is important to you,” Sarina said.

  Demi checked her watch.

  “Uh, thanks,” Laura said, taking a quick breath. “I had this feeling that if she’s not stopped, she’ll break up my parents’ marriage. So I cast a spell on her to bind her tongue and to return on her the evil she’s doing against our family.”

  Becka couldn’t help but notice the others were riveted to Laura’s story. Aside from the soft music playing in the background, she could hear a pin drop. Again, her feelings of apprehension returned. Somehow Becka knew something very dark and very evil was about to happen.

  And she sensed it involved Sarina.

  “Was I right in doing that?” Laura asked.

  Sarina considered this. “Like I’ve said, for the most part Wiccans don’t use spells against other people. However, in this case, I’d say you are perfectly right to defend what’s important to you.”

  “So, why . . . well, why didn’t it work?” Laura said.

  “I’d have to say that you allowed the anger in your heart to zap your kinetic connection with the goddess,” Sarina answered.

  Becka shook her head in disgust and said under her breath, “A case of bad karma, huh?”

  “Quit it,” Julie said with a kick under the table. />
  Sarina glared at Becka. For a second, Becka thought Sarina might leap across the table and strangle her. Instead, Sarina shifted her gaze back to Laura and said, “Why don’t we try again — together.”

  “Really? Right now?”

  A smile eased across Sarina’s face. “Yes, but first I want you to release the negative energy that you’re feeling. Can you do that for me?”

  Laura inhaled deeply and released a long, continuous breath. She nodded.

  “Good. Now, would you mind handing me the saltshaker,” Sarina said, pointing to Rachael.

  Rachael passed it to her.

  “Salt represents the earth,” Sarina said as she removed the top. She poured the contents out between her fingers onto the table. “Now, if someone would pass me the candle, which obviously represents fire.”

  Krissi passed the candle to Sarina.

  Sarina took the candle and then reached for a glass of water. “This glass represents the waters of old,” she said, stirring the liquid with a finger. She took her napkin and lit it in the fire. She blew out the flame on the napkin so that it smoldered, emitting a wisp of black smoke. “The smoke represents the air. Together we will call upon these elements to create a sacred space in our midst. Shall we?”

  “Yes, yes,” Laura said, her eyes wide with wonder.

  Becka felt her heart starting to race out of control. Was Sarina actually going to cast a spell at their table?

  Sarina raised the candle above her head, closing her eyes as she did. She tilted her chin up and said, “Holy goddess, we consecrate these elements to the use of thy ser vice. We bind any negative forces that would obstruct their efficacy. In the name of the lord and the lady, empower us now. So mote it be.”

  Sarina lowered the candle and, with the slap of her hand against the table, said, “I seal this sacred space.”

  Becka almost jumped out of her seat.

  “Now, Laura,” Sarina said, her tone low and just above a whisper, “I want you to recast the spell you uttered this afternoon. Do you remember the exact wording?”