Chapter Five
Nov 29, 2019
Desiree Yerger had asked Tracy and John to allow her to formally introduce them, similar to when they’d been introduced to the New York coven. This had been at a meeting she had attended with five other members from the Salem coven six weeks earlier.
Mike had already met most of the Salem coven members, so he needed no introduction. He had come along to the meeting when Robert Ulrey had explained all about his new FBI Psychic Division, with an invitation for finder witches to join. That had been when the coven had first learned about Missy and when Mike had promised she’d come and meet them all at her next opportunity.
But … Missy wasn’t there yet. Mike had explained she would be coming a bit later on and he would introduce her once she arrived.
In addition to the thirteen witches who were members in this coven, several non-member witches had also been invited. There had been a lot of talk throughout their community about the two witches who were attending West Point, ever since they’d heard about them from Robert Ulrey. With Angelina Dangelmeyer’s recent message proclaiming these girls as saviors and supernatural representatives, there was a great deal of interest and, with all the non-witch family members who had also come to the meeting, there were now well over forty people crowded inside the hall where this meeting was being held.
Hiram Carpenter was the coven leader and had watched with some misgivings as everyone had entered. Finally, when it seemed as though everyone he knew about was there and had taken seats, he approached Desiree and asked, “Are all our guests here? Can I have Margaret close the circle and put all her wards in place?” He would always have Margaret Adamson set a circle around wherever they might be conducting any meetings and then put up several strong protection wards. Once these were in place, there would be no surprises, since no one could get in or out unless she allowed it.
“Well, actually … Missy McCrea will be coming later. But, we may as well get started.” Desiree knew Hiram would not be pleased at hearing this and, indeed, he wasn’t.
He gave her an exasperated look and growled, “What the hell! We have this special meeting, all so everyone can get to meet her, and she can’t even be here on time? What sort of training does the academy provide these days, anyway?” He didn’t voice his added thought about how lax things probably were, now that the Army allowed women to attend the academy.
Desiree said, “Now, now, don’t get upset. I want to introduce John and Tracy to everyone first and that will take several minutes. Several of us watched as she demonstrated what she could do this afternoon and, believe me, it was very impressive. After that, Mike Ryan says Missy will be here and he’ll introduce her to everyone.”
“Okay, but you know I don’t like it when Margaret needs to take down any of her wards for late arrivals.” Hiram was seventy-two and a strong believer in secrecy and order; witches had needed to stay hidden in order to survive and he was not ready to do away with any of the traditions which had helped his coven over the years, regardless of what Angelina Dangelmeyer might now be saying. He had accepted the fact that Desiree had now joined this group Robert Ulrey with the FBI was leading, since finder witches had been calling themselves psychics for years and supposedly Robert could be trusted. However, he had been surprised at Angelina’s turn-about since she had long been very outspoken about her anti-establishment views. Of course, her son Troy was now in Robert’s group as well, which probably explained things.
The meeting was soon called to order and Desiree was given the opportunity to talk about not only what she had witnessed that afternoon, when Tracy had brought down her lightning bolts on the little island off shore over in Marblehead, but also about the meeting in New York when she had met not only Missy and Tracy, but Candace Axtell as well. There had been so much publicity about poor Candace’s plight, back when she was being held by the WIJO terrorists, that everyone there knew about her. Candace had spoken at that meeting in New York, praising her rescuers Missy, Tracy and Oliver, and Desiree now was able to share some of Candace’s story.
Then, she introduced Tracy who joined her up front, accompanied by John. Tracy was dressed in a nice bright red outfit which she had purchased right before the meeting. She’d explained to John how, being a fire witch, she thought red was her color and appropriate for her going before the coven. She did really look fantastic, with her dark brown hair, naturally lovely complexion and brown eyes shining brightly. Her smile was very pretty and everyone liked her warm, Texas accent.
There were a lot of questions which Tracy was able to answer, all with poise and charm. And, of course, with her own unique sense of humor. She was very relaxed in front of everyone and talked about her coven in Texas, her life as an Army brat, her father and grandfather, both West Point graduates, and her own desire to serve her country. While John wasn’t doing much talking, it was very obvious the two of them were very close. Everyone knew they were soulmates, of course, and seeing them together up there was special.
A voice from the back asked, “What was it like when you found another witch was at the academy?”
Tracy smiled and said, “We were paired up in the same squad during our initial training. Missy was one of my roommates during those first few weeks and, at first, I was very worried. All I could be certain about was she was some sort of powerful supernatural. I had never met a Shifter before. Missy, of course, had no idea back then about her being a witch in addition to being a Shifter. I was very cautious until she finally told me she was a werecat. She had guessed I was a witch. We’ve been very close ever since then.”
Another voice asked, “Does the academy know about the two of you being witches? I’m sure you’re aware that many of us are very concerned about government officials finding out about us.”
“Well … no one at the academy knew anything for the first year we were there.” Tracy looked at each of the anxious faces now studying her. “Missy actually resigned from the academy last summer, so she could go fight in Afghanistan … I’m sure you’ve seen all the magazine articles about her doing that. Those articles say it was for a special study, women in combat, etc., etc. but … what actually happened? There were some government folks who had asked her to go over there. As a werecat. I’ll let Mike talk about that since he was with her and part of everything. All I want to clarify is how, when she returned to the academy, and General Blake needed help in rescuing his niece Candace? That’s when the Superintendent at the academy was finally told about us. He needed to approve our being away and cover for us.”
“Did you use your lightning bolts when you helped rescue Candace?”
Tracy said, “Actually, no. We can’t talk about that very much since it’s still highly classified. I can say, however, that my fire balls were very effective! Our government folks and those in the Army like General Blake who know about us? They’re very careful about keeping everything top, top secret. None of you need to worry … they’re very good at keeping their secrets!”
Mike stepped forward then and said, “Since Tracy has suggested that I explain about Missy serving with the Army, as a werecat, I’d like to do that. Please know that when she did this, it was all merely reconnaissance and only a very few in the Army were even aware of what she was doing. The guys in her Special Forces team didn’t even know, other than the captain in charge.”
“How exactly did that work, then?” asked one voice.
“Missy roamed throughout the mountains over there and, through her messages to me, she was able to provide some very helpful intelligence information. For those who may not have heard this about us, I can get Missy’s words in my mind. She can feel my signals, on an emotional level, so we actually can communicate back and forth. She’s talking to me right now, actually, waiting for me to say when she should make an appearance.”
Hiram Carpenter said, “Hold on! Are you saying this girl is outside, waiting to enter? We’ll need to have Margaret …”
Mike interrupted by saying, �
�Actually, sir, that’s partly why Missy didn’t arrive here with us earlier. She knows about the protective circle and wards which are typically placed around coven meetings and wanted to see whether she could get through them. And … she just did. She’s here now.”
“What? But …?” Hiram stared at Mike with an incredulous expression.
Mike answered, “I’m not a witch but I understand any of you witches out there should be able to experience her being right in here with us now. Am I right?” He looked around and … yeah … they were all suddenly noticing the presence of another supernatural entity. Like Hiram, most were incredulous and several actually looked a little bit worried with a few who even seemed alarmed and upset.
Margaret Adamson’s voice could be heard from the back of the room and she was definitely upset. “This is impossible! My wards are all still intact but I can feel they’ve somehow been breached and someone has just passed right through them. This can’t be happening!”
Back at the front of the room, Mike gestured towards a space to his left and announced, “May I present Missy McCrea, my soulmate, in her cat form.” With that, a pulse of energy could be felt by everyone and Missy appeared, materializing as a large mountain lion right at the spot Mike was pointing at.
John couldn’t help himself and blurted out, “I hope no one has any cat allergies!” He was rewarded by an immediate glance of disapproval from Tracy, obviously warning him he’d better watch himself and keep quiet.
Missy walked over to Mike and rubbed against his leg, letting him pat her head while she then sat back on her haunches, showing those in the room she was not really a wild animal, in spite of her ferocious appearance. She was definitely enjoying herself.
Hiram stood up and said, “This is outrageous! How dare you make a mockery of these proceedings with this circus performance!” Clearly, he was caught off guard and not happy.
Mike raised both his hands, which he held up palms outward. “Please, folks! We are not showing any disrespect! You all know Missy is a werecat. But, she can also Shift to her spirit form, when she then exists solely as energy. That’s why she believed she could enter, in spite of the protection circle and wards. After all … it’s not as though she were an evil spirit … she’s one of you. She’s a witch!”
Desiree came up to stand next to the two of them and turned to face the room. “The rumors are obviously true, about her being able to teleport and be invisible. And, we all knew she was a werecat, so this shouldn’t be any big surprise.” Turning to look at Missy, she asked, “It’s okay if we touch her, right?” When Missy stood and rubbed her head against Desiree’s hip, it was obvious she approved.
Others then came forward and soon they were all touching Missy, who they could definitely sense was a powerful supernatural and not just the animal she appeared to be. Missy was careful but eventually, as everyone seemed more relaxed around her, she alternated between purring and growling, and would often show her large fangs. Yes, she indeed was every bit the physical entity, the cougar she looked like and not merely some illusion. And yet, her human intelligence was very apparent in her magnificent eyes.
Hiram was still uncomfortable, but that was mainly due to not being in control of the meeting, which definitely was not going as he had planned. But, at the same time, he realized he was seeing something rather unique and very special. He looked at Mike and asked, “You say she can exist as pure energy and that’s how she managed to teleport into this meeting. I will admit, I have never heard of anyone having this ability. I didn’t believe those things were possible when I heard the rumors but, as Desiree said, they’re obviously true.” He glanced at Missy, whom he had not yet touched. “Can she disappear whenever she wants or …? Well … I don’t know. As I said, I don’t know anything about this ability.”
Mike looked at Missy and then at Hiram. “She says she’s been learning about this as she goes along. Today was a big day as she’s actually been testing herself and finding out what her limitations might be. So far? She hasn’t found very many, other than having no sense of taste or touch when she’s a spirit. But, she actually can experience sights, sounds and smells to an even greater extent than when she’s human or a cat. And, she still has all her telekinesis powers and can communicate with me.”
Several had gathered around and were listening to all of this. One voice asked, “Can she show us anything? You know, disappear and reappear? And, other stuff?”
Mike laughed and said, “She thought you’d never ask! Stand back …” Suddenly, there was a shimmer of light where Missy had been standing and she was gone. Then, various objects began rising into the air and floating around the room, to include several chairs.
Those who were witches could actually experience power and energy being pulled right through them, only more so than at any other time. Tracy looked over at Desiree and caught her eye. She had predicted during a private conversation they’d had that afternoon that Desiree would be finding Missy’s power far greater than anything she herself might have caused her to experience, all the lightning bolts notwithstanding. Desiree’s nod showed she was now acknowledging the truth of that claim.
After a few minutes, there was an energy pulse and Missy again appeared in a corner at the rear. But, only moments later, she disappeared, once again in a shimmer of light. Seconds later, she blinked back again but over in a different corner. Then, she began appearing and disappearing, each time with either an energy pulse or a shimmer of light, popping up at different locations each time. The objects floating around the room never stopped but continued their travels, somehow avoiding contact with anyone and seemingly going in random directions. The people in the room were truly mesmerized and this exhibition of witchy power was something they would never forget.
Missy finally reappeared up front and came over to Mike. Slowly, all the various objects went back to wherever they’d started from and gradually, each was set down until at last nothing remained in motion.
Meanwhile, Mike had pulled out the large blanket with the hole in the center which he’d brought. He said, “Missy would like to be introduced now, in her human form.” He placed the blanket over Missy and … this time … after the shimmer of light and pulse of energy, Missy rose to a standing position, with her head protruding through the hole and the blanket wrapped around her human form.
Missy said, “Hi, everyone! Thanks for allowing me to demonstrate a few of the things my gifts have enabled me to do! I will admit, though, when my gift as a Shifter first manifested six years ago, I was not that happy about it.”
John said, “My sister was a slow learner, back then. Took her two years before she learned how to Change back.” This got several laughs and even Tracy seemed okay with his comment. Most in the room had heard all about Missy’s early history during their meeting with Robert Ulrey.
Once again, everyone came forward and this time, rather than patting her on the head or rubbing her fur, they shook her hand. They couldn’t help but stare at her deep green eyes which still contained lots of yellow specks in them. Noticing how much the looks which Missy’s eyes now gave them were reminiscent of her earlier looks when she had been a cat, they each came away very impressed.
After about twenty minutes, when most had managed to shake her hand and experience her as a human, Mike held up a small suitcase and announced, “Missy would like to get dressed now, so if everyone could please return to their seats, she’ll be right back.” Missy laughed and took the suitcase from him and made her way to the rear, where the restrooms were located.
Tracy said, “We’re all very pleased to have finally met with you folks, here in Salem. Missy has been down to my coven in Texas and she has also met with the coven in New York, but since she grew up right here in Salem, this has been a very special event for her. I’m excited that I was included, as this indeed is special for me as well. Thank you!”
Mike then said, “Missy is no longer the slow learner like her brother mentioned she once was. And, since she now
knows how you can set protection circles and wards, she is very anxious to learn more about those.”
Margaret’s voice from the rear asked, “Why? She got though mine, no problem.”
Just then, Missy returned, dressed in a simple outfit consisting of blue jeans with a green sweater which matched the color of her eyes and contrasted nicely with her dark red hair. She hadn’t bothered with any makeup, since everyone had already seen her without any. Of course, her radiant good looks really didn’t need any. When she smiled, the vertical crease lines in her cheeks appeared like dimples. And, of course, her facial features and bone structure were classic, albeit somewhat feline, giving her a look which everyone found interesting and very attractive. She could look anywhere from just pretty to absolutely stunning.
Missy said, “I want to protect my family and friends. While I needed to know if I could pass through the defenses and protections here, in my spirit form … that’s in case I someday need to do that elsewhere, when I’m facing some enemy. But, more importantly, I’m worried about enemies who might be coming after me and mine. Tracy and I are fully committed to defending our country and serving in the Army. We don’t want our actions to bring undue risks back to those we love here at home.” She reached one arm around Mike’s waist and hugged him close.
Thus, much of the meeting after that was spent giving Missy an education about all the many ways which, over the years, witches had learned to protect themselves. Yes, in addition to harnessing and using energy for creating light or fire, controlling fluids and lightning, moving objects and blasting out huge energy pulses, they also could establish countless ways to hide, to block, to protect. And, it was these things which Missy had come to recognize she needed to learn as well.
Terrorism wasn’t only happening in faraway places, as recent events had shown. The fact that terrorists had invaded the U.S. and wanted to bring death and destruction to innocent victims who might merely be in the wrong place at the wrong time? This was now very real for Missy. She had fought in Afghanistan, where she’d been badly wounded and might have died. But, the bombings which had almost happened at the Thanksgiving Day Parades and which, thanks to the Fabulous Fates who seemed willing to help Missy and her witch friends, so they had saved the day at the last minute? Those had really given Missy a very different awareness concerning the fight to keep America safe. She now wanted to know everything she could possibly learn about the many ways and methods witches might use to protect those around them.
Missy's Operation Lily Pad (Missy the Werecat Book 6) Page 4
