“Even so, to me,” Elizabeth hesitated, realizing she didn’t know the name of the person she was going to help. “What’s this guy’s name?”
“Gregory.”
“Well anyway, Gregory is an older man to me.”
“I didn’t realize,” Raul grinned. “You think maybe I should have mentioned that part to your father?”
“Good thing you didn’t. Treating me like a young girl that needs Daddy’s permission to do what she wants to do could be dangerous. Especially when that girl has such a nasty reputation.”
***
Gregory was to meet them in Paris. Raul got the Packard as close to the city as he dared. Finding a deserted road to land on pushed them another five miles further out than he wanted to be. By the time they were able to get the vehicle down on the road, switch license plates, and start the ground leg of their journey, they were quite a distance from the meeting place.
“Thought we’d never find a deserted road,” Raul grumbled, getting back into the car.
“Where’d you get the French license plate?” Elizabeth asked.
“All the plates in Europe have a basic style. All I had to do was come up with a spell for color and design. That one plate should get us wherever we need to go.”
“I’ll have to remember that.”
“You also want to use a car that fits in. Right now, Packards have a look similar to most other vehicles on the road. In other words, the key to selecting the appropriate transportation is the ability it affords you to blend in.”
Elizabeth nodded her thanks for the Lantian’s tip and then confessed her disorientation. “Searching for a road got me a little turned around.”
“I’m just as lost,” Raul smiled. “But,” he started as he slammed the car into a hard right turn. “I have my Finder.”
“Whoa! How about a little warning!” Elizabeth said as she scooted back to the passenger side of the car.
“Sorry about that,” Raul apologized, then went on. “The Finder tells me where Gregory is. Getting us there is up to me.”
Elizabeth took a firmer grip on the door handle. “What time are we supposed to meet him?”
“Within the hour.”
“Will we make it?”
“I doubt it. I’m afraid it will be dark before we get to our rendezvous point.”
“Do you think he’ll wait?” Elizabeth questioned doubtfully.
“Either that or we’ll have to try again in the morning.”
“How about—Watch out!”
The Packard swerved, barely missing a crater-size pothole.
“Thanks, the car is protected, but that was huge. It would have messed up the anti-grav for sure.”
“Maybe we need to go a little slower,” Elizabeth said, hoping Raul would take her suggestion as an order.
“I’d rather not have to wait another day.”
Raul’s statement came just as the Packard was passing a row of trees with low hanging branches.
“Stop!” Elizabeth yelled, deciding she’d rather risk a little exposure than to trust Raul’s driving skills if they should come upon a French truck or cow. ‘Besides,’ she told herself. ‘The French are preparing for an invasion. There could be a tank on the road!’ The thought solidified her decision.
Raul slammed on the brakes. She jumped out, ran to the nearest tree, and, with a little pruning magic, lopped off a rather large-sized branch.
“Girl, what are you doing?” the magician asked.
“Give me Gregory’s coordinates. I’m going back into the air.”
***
Her time with the Lantian gave her a clear idea of the urgency of the situation. She knew of Steiner. Though she had never met him, she was certain he would have been a hard man to kill. But a spell even Isabel could not clear—that took serious magic. The kind no human should have access to.
‘Since he has the manuscripts,’ this thought came as Elizabeth hopped from cloud to cloud on her way into the city, ‘it is very likely those pages could contain the spells the Lantians used to help wipe out everything on the planet’s surface during the Lantian/Piretian War.
‘That explains the rumors,’ Elizabeth reasoned. ‘This Haushofer must have all the top Nazis salivating over the possibilities these manuscripts present. If he masters the incantations, those opposing the Third Reich won’t stand a chance.’
“Looks like my role in all this has just gotten bigger. On top of that,” she fumed, “the blasted war hasn’t even started.”
Angrily, the witch sent the tree branch plummeting toward the planet. She rocketed down, then slipped between two buildings separated by the darkest alley she could find.
A foot from the cobblestones, witch and stick came to a dead stop; their momentum magically erased by the young witch’s talent. A minute later, Elizabeth was running through the streets to reach the meeting place.
Her decision to go on ahead of the Packard shaved at least an hour off her arrival time. Still, the meeting time had passed. So, she ran, hoping Gregory proved to be a patient man.
***
The square where Raul and Gregory were to meet also served as an open-air market. Though it was late in the day, there were still vendors hoping for one more sale and shoppers getting supplies for a late dinner. Their presence made looking for a man she had never met far more daunting than she expected. Then again, was he even there?
The question lingered as she raced from stall to stall looking for that one person who would appear to be looking for someone else.
‘This is stupid. Why didn’t I think to get his description from the Lantian?’
By now the maze of booths was mostly shut down for the evening. People were scattering, and her hope of making contact evaporating. Still, she maintained her awareness; open to the slightest indication that the man she focused on next would be Gregory waiting for Raul.
‘Yeah, what man? They’re all leaving!’ she fumed, frustrated by her failure.
Certain she had covered the entire square, Elizabeth was about to give up when she noticed a slight movement between a couple of buildings. Desperately, she zeroed in on the spot even though her mind swore it was no more than the trick of a wayward ray of light. Still, there was something that called to her.
Fatigued by the forced flight and all her unsuccessful running around, Elizabeth sighed her exasperation with a prolonged exhalation and then walked toward the shadows.
As she neared the alley, the light flickered again. ‘There is someone there,’ she told herself. ‘Whoever it is, doesn’t want to be seen.’
A dozen steps later, Elizabeth impatiently forced the contact figuring she had nothing to lose by calling for the man she sought. “Gregory, is that you?”
The shadow shifted but remained silent.
“I’m a friend of Raul’s. I’ve come to tell you he’s going to be late.”
The shadows jelled into the form of a man.
CHAPTER 10
He was tall, maybe six foot four with broad shoulders and a slim waistline; precisely the human version of one of the old Lantians. His golden hair curled over his ears accentuating his striking, deep blue eyes.
There was probably more to the man than that. This, however, was what Elizabeth saw as he stepped from the shadows. That and his muscular build overshadowed everything else as the light of the waning day illuminated the man she had come to meet. If he was true to his heritage, those muscles were not merely for show and somewhere within that gorgeous skull was an extremely high-functioning brain.
“You’re Gregory?” the witch asked, just to make sure.
The half-Lantian nodded as he asked, “You know Raul?”
“My name … is Elizabeth,” the witch affirmed with a nod of her own, but the catch in her voice caught her by surprise. Having committed to helping Raul, she was determined to find a comfortable way of working with her male counterpart, but she also wanted to keep her guard up. Even so, she wasn’t quite prepared for the person who stood befor
e her. Gregory’s striking good looks along with his obvious nervousness had disarmed her. He looked so uneasy in this situation that Elizabeth felt a little sorry for him.
Gregory looked at her uncertainly for a moment. “I’m sorry. Um … Raul said he was bringing someone, but I expected her to be much older.”
“Witches don’t age unless it suits them,” Elizabeth reassured him.
“Then you are one of the older ones?”
“No … I … I didn’t say that,” Elizabeth recanted, uncertain as to why her age mattered to him. Or, for that matter, why it mattered to her that he didn’t think of her as old.
“You must forgive me. I didn’t mean to insinuate anything.” Gregory shifted uncomfortably. “It’s just that Raul can be a little dictatorial at times. His demand that I have assistance didn’t leave me any room to say no. So, I thought he might try to soften the blow by disguising you in a way I couldn’t resist.”
“So you find me irresistible?” Elizabeth said with a teasing lilt to her voice.
“I … probably shouldn’t answer that.”
“I would think that would depend on the answer ... Especially if you want my help.”
“That sounds like blackmail to me,” he smiled, relaxing a little.
“Just a little,” the witch said, breezily returning his smile.
“That’s not fair.”
“What?” Elizabeth asked with an innocent look.
“All right, I give up,” Gregory laughed, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. “Yes, I find you attractive.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth smiled, and then realizing that the conversation had gotten totally away from where it was supposed to be going, added, “I hope that’s not going to be a problem since we will have to work together.”
“Ahh … well …” Gregory started. Elizabeth’s abrupt change in demeanor left him a bit unsure of the best way to answer.
“I think we should find a place a little less conspicuous,” Elizabeth cut in before he could answer. She was trying to get back to the business at hand and struggling with the slightly breathless feeling she got when she looked at him.
“That would be nice,” he managed. Then realizing the full implications of his reply, “I mean—”
“We have a lot to discuss,” she interrupted.
The sternness in her voice surprised her. But then she was having difficulty getting back on track.
‘Get it together, Elizabeth,’ she scolded herself. ‘This poor guy is probably really worried about his father, and you’re behaving like a shameless flirt.’ She took a deep breath. “But we also have some time. Raul and his Packard are still on the road. I came ahead to let you know he was running late.”
“Yes, there’s a lot to go over,” he hurriedly agreed. Gregory regained his composure and asked, “When do you expect Raul?”
“If he doesn’t ram that car of his into something, I should think he’ll be here in under an hour.”
“Then may I suggest the restaurant across the way. It has a veranda overlooking the square. From there, we can eat, talk, and watch for my uncle.”
“Raul’s your uncle?”
“Only because of how close he and my father have been all my life.”
“Ah, I know what you mean. I’m not sure any of my uncles and aunts are blood relatives.” Elizabeth smiled as she acknowledged that, even though their situation was a bit awkward, there was a sense of ease rapidly evolving between her and the Lascion.
As if he too were on the same wavelength, Gregory stepped toward her and offered his arm. Placing her arm in his felt good to Elizabeth.
‘I think if he had anything to do with Uncle Urial’s prophecy, this would all feel very different … more intense,’ she thought, feeling more relaxed that Gregory was not the male of her uncle’s prophetic union. Somehow she just knew this man was going to be a good friend. ‘Maybe even something more,’ she allowed, then reminded herself to keep her mind on business.
***
By the time Raul pulled into the square, Elizabeth had the details of what Gregory knew about his father’s abduction (which wasn’t much) and what he had been doing to find him.
They had moved on to lighter subjects, and she was enjoying Gregory’s story about finding a rare plant for the conservatory at the University where he taught botany classes when Raul joined them. After greeting each other, Gregory filled Raul in on the beginning of his story, then told them about his climb up the cliff and past the irate snake that resided on the ledge with the rare plant. Raul smiled as he noticed that their vibrational frequencies were already lining up; they weren’t the same, they were just becoming compatible which would make their work so much easier.
“You were wise to take the shorter route,” he smiled, finishing off the chicken the waiter had served at his arrival. “It’s good you are getting in sync with each other. You’ll work well together. And by the way, thank you for the meal,” Raul continued. “I was thinking I’d be retiring on an empty stomach tonight.”
“We thought you’d be hungry,” Gregory replied. “Remember, I’ve seen you at my father’s table.”
“I have a responsibility to every inch of me,” Raul laughed. Then in a more solemn tone, added, “And even more so to your father.”
“Then perhaps we should get started,” Gregory agreed, pulling out and unfolding a table-sized map of Europe.
“Uh, do you think we should do that here?” Elizabeth cautioned.
“Loosen up, girl. We’re in Paris.”
Not at all certain as to what the Lantian meant by that, Elizabeth suppressed her concern, deciding instead to go with the flow.
***
With the dishes cleared and the wine glasses on top of the map, Gregory pulled out a crystal tied to a foot-long strand of woven hair.
“You’ve got a witch’s pendulum!” Elizabeth said with surprise.
“I’ve found it to be the best. Only it hasn’t led me to my father yet.”
“Perhaps tonight will be different,” Raul suggested, hoping to inject a little optimism into his nephew’s endeavor.
“What should I do?” Elizabeth asked the magician.
“Take his hand, girl,” Raul quickly answered. “And let your link to Gregory get stronger.”
Raul then addressed his nephew.
“Gregory, hold the pendulum in your right hand. When Elizabeth places her hand in yours, let her presence into your awareness. Know her for who she is.”
“I think he means that you should focus on me rather than the pendulum or map. We need to focus our awareness on each other,” Elizabeth clarified.
“That’s what I said,” Raul said huffily.
“How does that help find my father?” Gregory looked confused.
“You might be able to work with that pendulum of yours, but believe me, son, it’s called a witch’s pendulum for a reason. Elizabeth will help you see the path more clearly if it gets clouded or confusing. That’s part of the reason she is here.”
“Part?” Gregory wondered. He had been led to believe that Elizabeth had joined them for the energy she could add to the search.
“If you think something is lost, you’re not going to find it.”
“Pardon?”
“When you want to find someone that you think would be fun to see, it’s not all that important to you. Your mood is light. There’s nothing blocking your path. Finding that someone is almost automatic. But when the circumstances say that this is going to be hard, there’ll be trouble if you don’t succeed, and what you’re looking for is hidden really well … that’s a real uphill battle.”
Raul paused for a moment, but as Gregory didn’t respond, the magician continued. “Elizabeth is here to help you clear your path. Your connection to your father will help you find him. Your connection to Elizabeth will allow you to see the way to him. Her feminine yin to your yang will soften and soothe all those blocks you’ve put in along the path to your father.”
Gregory
sat for a moment, his head nodding almost imperceptibly.
Elizabeth gave him a moment to digest what he had heard. Then she asked, “You ready?” reaching across the table to take Gregory’s free hand.
“I believe I am,” Gregory smiled.
The holding of their hands was meant to combine their forces for a successful dousing. At the touch of his hand and the warmth of his skin, however, Elizabeth knew that this conjoining was different than her usual experience with the witch’s pendulum.
‘Okay, this is weird,’ she thought. ‘Hmm … but nice.’
Elizabeth tried to settle her thoughts on the business at hand. Instead, her breathing deepened sensuously as warmth spread throughout every cell of her body. She felt like moaning with pleasure but forced herself instead to opened her eyes and look into Gregory’s. There she saw such a conflicting mix of emotions that she knew something was wrong. Desire, betrayal, and desperation with an overriding confusion shadowed his visage.
Elizabeth inhaled sharply as she realized their purpose was shifting without their consent. No longer were they searching for the one who was missing—they were now being pulled toward the aching deliciousness of their desire for one another.
The pendulum spun slowly at first and then faster and faster in an ever-increasing circle as Gregory struggled to hold onto the spinning stone.
‘Hang on,’ she told herself as she willed the pendulum to complete its job. Defiantly, the crystal arched wildly about the map.
“Dammit, there’s something blocking you two,” Raul cursed. “Try thinking of each other like old friends.”
The pull of hearts pushed against the magic as son searched for father, and masculine desire intertwined with feminine yearning. The crystal continued to spin.
“That’s not enough!” Raul slapped the table in frustration.
“It’s not going to work,” Gregory shot back.
Thinking to contradict his nephew, the magician suddenly sensed a pattern that didn’t fit. “Wait, there’s something more here.”
Reacting to his own words, Raul propelled his awareness into the space where Gregory and Elizabeth were joined energetically. After a moment of projecting his senses throughout the field, he found it.
Spirit of the Dragon: A Story of Magic, a Witch, and the Third Reich Page 7
