Insight

by Jennis Slaughter

  The young woman nodded her head. “Just promise me that I will be there when you do. No one treats my mother the way that he did.”

  Raelin had her eyes closed while the two were talking, and now she opened them up. “She was noticed...someone’s coming this way. You need to get her to safety. I can shield your escape and cut through the other side of the woods, but you need to leave right now.”

  “Nothing doing Darlin’. Spaulding, you go with Jenny, I’ll stay with Raelin. There’s strength in numbers and I’m not leaving you here.”

  “You need to go with them...you will put me in danger if you stay because I wouldn’t be able to shield you both. They won’t find me Del...I promise, but you must go now or we are all in deep trouble,” Raelin pleaded. “Please...”

  Del nodded. She knew that Raelin knew her abilities; and what she was capable of. She sent Spaulding and Jenny ahead of her. “Take care of yourself and please come back to me. I love you.” With that, she turned and caught up with the others, the need to protect Raelin and not being able to nearly tearing her apart as she ran.

  Leaning against a nearby tree, the witch watched as the woman she loved followed her friend, and she knew that Del would do everything to keep the young woman safe. Reaching into the tree, she thanked it for its shelter and then apologized for having to draw on its energy. Closing her eyes, she centered herself, and followed the trees roots system deep in the earth where it tangled in the ley lines and drew up more power. Feeling it surge through her, she extended her ‘sight’ to the running figures of her friends, and muttering underneath her breath, she surrounded them with mirror like shields so that anyone looked at them, all they would see would be the trees and surroundings.

  The two men that had attacked Raelin and kidnapped Jenny were running clumsily through the woods. “I thought you said that the Boss saw the girl over here.”

  Mack answered, “She said that she did, but I don’t see her.”

  “Well, I ain’t going to back and tell her that until we search the entire woods,” Beau whined.

  Raelin was pulling so much energy through the tree, trying to keep her friends shielded, that it started dropping its leaves all around her. She was slowly killing it, but there was nothing that she could do.

  Finally, she saw the tiny group climb up the step of her home and she dropped the shields, almost dropping to the ground herself.

  “Hey! I think I see something over there?” Mack shouted.

  Pulling in the final bit of energy that the tree had, Raelin did collapse to the ground and threw a small shield over herself, hoping that it would last until the men went away.

  j

  Del leaned against a pillar on the porch, huffing. “Man, I’m getting too old for this running around shit.”

  Spaulding was guiding Jenny up the porch stairs with a gentle hand on her back. “Haven’t had any good chases recently detective?” she quipped, breathing heavily herself.

  “Stuff it Agent Spaulding,” Del fired back.

  “Where is Raelin?” Rori ran over and jumped on the porch railing. “Where is she?”

  “She insisted on staying behind to shield us. Is she okay?” asked Del, concern clouding her features.

  “She did what? I don’t know...I can’t sense her.” The cat walked in tiny circles.

  “You can’t sense her? Can’t you always feel her? What about your connection?” Del picked him up, holding him close, trying to comfort his obvious panic.

  “Something’s happened...either she’s blocking me, which I think is highly doubtful or she’s too weak to naturally let me know where she is. Or...” The cat struggled to get out of the blonde’s grasp. “No, it can’t be that.”

  Del let him go. Knowing she wasn’t close enough to him to provide any comfort. “I’m going to go find her. Rori, can you lead me on the path we used? I don’t know the woods well enough yet. She’s on the fastest path to the Kingsley estate. Let me just go grab my gun.” Del retrieved her gun and strapped it on. “Rori let’s go.”

  Before she left, she turned to Spaulding standing in the doorway. “You’re in charge here. Fuck Sumners. I don’t trust him to respect Raelin’s space like I know you will. You’ve got more sense in that head of yours than half the bureau.”

  Reaching out, Agent Spaulding stopped her. “He already took off with Amelia, and you’re right; he already tossed her office, but you can’t go.” The young woman had watched the one sided conversation with the cat and knew something was up. Del hadn’t quite gotten the think talking down yet. “Those men will still be searching the woods and if Ms. Montrose is as powerful as I think she is, she’s hiding right now, and if you go crashing through there, she’s gonna take what power she does have left and protect you. Give her a couple of hours...hell, send out the cat, but don’t put the both of you in danger. I have a feeling that she knows that she’s doing.”

  “Damn it!” Del pulled at her hair in frustration. “Rori, go find your witch. You think you’ll be able to communicate with me from that far away?”

  “No, but I’ll send someone for you when I find her.” The feline bolted off the porch. “Thank the other human for me,” he called out as he left.

  Del watched him disappear into the woods, and slowly slid down the wooden pillar, fighting the tears that threatened to spill over. “How in God’s name did I think it was a good idea to leave her?”

  The agent walked over to stand next to the agitated detective. “She didn’t leave you any room to argue. All we can do is hope that she’ll be alight. How about us going inside and straightening up the house. I don’t think that she’s gonna like it much if she sees it the way that Sumners left it.”

  Del offered a weak nod and headed into the house. Her first stop was the kitchen where she found the remains of a messy breakfast. Knowing how immaculate Raelin kept her kitchen, she let out a string of curses, taking her frustration out on the absent Agent Sumners. Turning as she cleaned the dishes, she looked at Kasey Spaulding. “He always such an asshole?”

  “In a word yes, but he’s a good agent honestly. He just tends to get a little fanatical about his beliefs. I don’t agree with his views, but he’s my Boss and I have orders I need to follow.”

  “I didn’t think they let fanatics in the Bureau,” Del quipped rinsing a sticky plate.

  “Let me do this. Why don’t you go talk to Jenny? I’m sure that she’s feeling guilty right now, but go easy on her. She’s scared to death of you,” Kasey suggested.

  “I want to go talk to her. I just don’t know what to say, she was irresponsible, and because of that my…” Del stopped herself, unsure if Raelin wanted anyone other than close friends knowing about them. “My friend might be hurt.”

  “She knows what she did was wrong, but she’s young and she found out some startling news that threw her for a loop. Ms. Montrose is her friend too, so I’m sure that she’s feeling as guilty as she can be right now.” Kasey took the dishes and nudged the detective towards the office where Jenny was cleaning up.

  j

  Del stood on the door to the office arms crossed over her chest in an obvious sign of her anger. She watched Jenny stare out the window a little longer before she walked in stopping a few feet short of the upset girl on the chair. “Mind telling me what the fuck you were thinking?”

  “I wanted to see him with his family. His family. Why didn’t I rate being his family? I’m his first-born. I’m older than Trey. Why couldn’t be have chosen me? Why am I not good enough?” Jenny turned on the blonde.

  “Oh no, you don’t get to play the poor little girl with me right now. I know how it feels, Jenny I do, but what you did today? Running off when we told you very clearly to stay in this house was not only irresponsible, but incredibly selfish. Do you realize that you could have been killed? Now not only that, but you put all of us in danger too. Raelin is out there, and so weak she probably can’t even walk and I had to leave her there. She could be dead, but I can’t even go find out w
ithout risking putting us all in more danger. She’s the love of my life Jenny, and she’s missing, probably in serious danger. There is a reason we tell you the things we do,” Del ranted, her face flushed red in anger.

  Jenny’s face went white and her eyes went wide when she realized the repercussions that her actions had, and she collapsed on the floor. “Oh Lord, what have I done?”

  “Jenny, you better hope Raelin sleeps in her own bed tonight, because if I don’t get her back, your father is going to be the least of your concerns. I’m not a person who holds grudges, but I can make exceptions every now and then. You better start praying. Now, I’m going to go and clean up the rest of the mess Sumners left. Last chance Jenny, you make one more wrong move, and I’ll ship your ass out,” with those last parting words Del left to try to clean the mess left in Agent Sumners wake, hoping to keep her mind of Raelin’s possible condition.

  j

  Raelin kept her eyes closed and listened carefully as the men stumbled around in the woods. Luckily, they were moving away from her location and she would soon be able to try to make her way home. Finally, after what seemed to be a lifetime, the woods were silent, so she opened her eyes to find herself covered in the leaves from the now dead tree. Whispering a prayer and a promise to replace the tree, she pushed herself up to a standing position, holding onto the tree for balance for a few moments before she headed out towards home, taking the longer route.

  The young woman had to stop several times to catch her breath and to pull some energy through the lines, but she had to be careful as she had put a real strain on her own internal line. She needed to rest for a day before she could do anything more than a reading. Stumbling once more, she reluctantly admitted that she needed to rest again so she lay down near a fallen log and immediately fell asleep.

  j

  After talking with Jenny, Del had actually felt a little better and they’d managed to finish cleaning the mess Sumners left. Del had made a quick breakfast of pancakes and after they’d finished, they had settled into the living room.

  As the day grew later, the more uneasy Del became. By late afternoon, she was mindlessly pacing the living room while the other two women sat next to each other on the couch watching. “What’s taking Rori so long? I should go look for her. Maybe she’s in trouble.” Trying to concentrate, she attempted to see if she could sense her witch. Not getting anything, she resumed her pacing and muttering.

  Jenny meekly suggested. “Umm...why don’t you pick up something that Rae loves and concentrate on that? Maybe you’ll be able to pick something up?”

  After pacing across the living room a few more times, she stopped so fast she nearly tripped over herself. “The desk! That’s it! Jenny you’re brilliant.” Grabbing the young girl’s cheeks, she planted a big kiss on her lips and headed for the office.

  Sitting in the small chair in front of the desk, she gently ran her fingers over the edge. “I’m not sure this will work. I’m not even sure how to do what I want. Right now though, it’s all I’ve got,” she whispered to the two women standing in the door. She ran her fingertips over the worn wood, closing her eyes and trying to relax her mind. She felt an older woman, and assumed it was Raelin’s mother. Concentrating harder, she started to catch flashes of what she knew was Raelin, but it wasn’t enough to give her a location. “Damn it. I’m not strong enough.”

  Jenny walked forward and whispered in Del’s ear. “Close your eyes and remember the first moment you saw Rae...where were you? Tell me?”

  Del smiled, remembering that first glimpse she’d ever gotten of her lover. “I was sitting in the diner. I’d been driving all night after the Kingsleys called me at four-thirty in the morning. Then I’d gotten here and met them and they just drained the life out of me. So, I was sitting in this diner, and I happened to look out the window and this flash of bronze caught my attention. I looked over and there she was. She was talking with Jasper, her back was to me. She must have jogged into town because her skin was almost glowing. She must have felt me looking because she turned her head. Then the world just stopped, like the chair had dropped right out from under me. She held my gaze for those first few seconds and I’m not sure I’ve been quite the same since. She was beautiful and her smile could light up the whole town. I asked the waitress her name, and then Jasper ended up asking me to help bring this very desk out here. That was the first time we were introduced and the rest is history,” Del finished softly, remembering how her whole world had been turned upside down since that night in the most wonderful way.

  “Now...” Jenny whispered again. “What was your first kiss like?”

  “It was like every jagged edge inside me had shattered, and then she’d single handedly put me back together stronger and better then I’d ever been.” She ran her fingers once more over the desk again. Smiling wide as she relived those amazing moments when Raelin’s lips had first touched her. “It was like I was feeling forever, in that one simple touch.” She concentrated once more, and had a sudden flash of life, it was fuzzy, but she got the distinct impression that there was a second route. Before she could zero in on it, it faded, so she opened her eyes and turned to Jenny. “Is there more than one route to the Kingsley place from here?”

  “Yeah, but it’s along the bayou and it’s easy to get lost unless you know the area. I could show you, but there’s no way I can tell you how to get there.” The younger woman shook her head.

  “Umm...excuse me, but there’s a cat sitting on your Jeep, waving its paw,” Kasey pointed out.

  Del looked out the window and saw the large tabby batting at the air frantically. “I forgot, not all cats can work locked doors the way Rori can. That means that Rori’s found her. He told me he’d send a runner to show me the way. Kasey, can you watch Jenny?” she asked, once again strapping the gun to her shoulder. She hoped the agent wouldn’t mind the use of her first name.

  “No problem, go get your girl.” Kasey smiled.

  Del didn’t waste another minute, bolting out the door and running to the cat. “Okay Bud, if you know where they are, please take me there.” The tabby rubbed her hand and jumped off the Jeep, bolting for the woods with Del right on his heels.

  j

  She was so tired, but Rori kept encouraging her to put one foot in front of the other, that she was almost home. Raelin had scratches on her arms, hands, and face; her jeans were filthy and torn as was her shirt. Tripping again, she fell to her knees with a groan. “Please Rori, just let me rest for five minutes.”

  Del heard what she thought was groan and she quickly turned towards the sound. A few extra steps and she saw Raelin, on her knees, begging her familiar for a rest. She quickly ran over to the woman, her heart breaking at the sight of her beloved looking so ragged. She wrapped her arms around the exhausted woman. “I’m here, it’s okay. Take a few minutes and then we’ll go a little further. Take what you need from me, if you have to take some energy from me, or whatever then do it. I just want to get you home where I can take care of you.”

  As Del touched her, Raelin felt their love surround them both, and it gave her the strength to fight the darkness that was threatening to consume her. “Del...” she croaked out.

  “Shhh Darlin’, I’m here…I’m sorry it took me so long,” she whispered, running her hands over Raelin’s hair and back.

  “Home,” the brunette whispered.

  “Rori, can you go ask Kasey to help me. I can carry her for a little ways, but not the entire way back to the house. And thank your friend for leading me here so quickly,” she addressed Rori, watching as he turned and ran to the house. “I want you to get on my back, I’m going to carry you as far as I can okay?”

  Nodding her head, Raelin clung to her lover.

  Turning she wrapped Raelin’s arms around her neck. “I need you to hold on, but not too tight or I won’t be able to breathe,” she stood with a grunt and hitched Rae up so she was sitting against the small of her back; she wrapped her arms around Raelin’s thighs.
“You okay like this?”

  Nodding weakly, the brunette was concentrating on not losing her grip. Her breathing was easier now that Del was with her, and her strength wasn’t ebbing away.

  “I’m going to carry you as far as I can okay? Just relax and concentrate on resting as much as you can.” Del stepped forward, getting used to the added weight.

  She’d managed to walk a good ten minutes this way before she started to stumble. Raelin wasn’t overly heavy but she was bigger than Del, and the path wasn’t exactly clear. She’d been stepping over branches and roots nearly the entire way and it was starting to take its toll. She’d never tell Raelin, but she wouldn’t be able to keep this up for more than another ten minutes. She hoped that Rori would be able to get Kasey out here as fast as possible.

  “Delaney!” Kasey’s voice called out, “Where are you?”

  “Here! Follow my voice. I’m at about your nine,” she called out, thanking the God’s that Kasey had arrived so quickly. She slowly crouched to the ground. “Have a sit Darlin’, we’ll take a rest for a few minutes, then finish the rest of the trek back okay. How does a hot bath sound when we get back to the house?” she asked, trying to keep Raelin from blacking out. “I need you to stay with me.”

  “Sorry that it took so long. This isn’t an easy trail.” The agent skidded to a halt and pulled off a backpack that she had thought to bring with her. Unzipping it, she pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to the blonde before she pulled out a small first aid kit.

  “Yeah, yeah, trying to show me up in front of my girl huh,” Del joked, taking the bottle. Turning to the witch leaning against her side, she uncapped it and held it against her lips, offering a sip.