by Cindy Stark
Hazel nodded in agreement. Anything and everything. The second they left Mrs. Rutherford’s house, Hazel intended to bring up hexes again.
Nothing was off limits.
Beatrice stood back and gazed at her handiwork. “Perfect.”
Hazel shifted her gaze to her dress again, and emotion welled inside her. “So perfect. I can’t imagine anything more perfect.”
Beatrice grinned. “Wait until you’re wearing it and you have a handsome groom at your side. You might change your mind.”
“You’re right. That might be a tad more perfect.”
The seamstress winked and sent Hazel back to the dressing room to change out of her beloved dress.
Chapter Two
Hazel and Cora hugged Mrs. Rutherford goodbye and stepped outside her house, shutting the door behind them. Dark, ominous clouds filled the skies that had been sunny when they’d entered, leaving Hazel with an unwanted chill. “I didn’t think we were supposed to get a storm today.”
Cora’s expression echoed Hazel’s emotions, and she shook her head. “We weren’t.”
Hazel opened her senses as she followed the cobblestone path back toward her car. She stopped at the wrought iron gate and turned to Cora. An odd, unwelcome feeling churned in her stomach. “I don’t feel right.”
Cora placed two fingers on her temple as though she had a headache and narrowed her gaze. “I don’t, either. Something is—”
Cora’s phone blasted her favorite song at full volume. Her eyes flew wide, and she gasped. “Blessed Mother,” she whispered under her breath.
Before Cora could answer her phone, a strong sensation, one Hazel had never experienced stole her breath. “Something’s happened to Fauna.”
Cora narrowed her eyes as she spoke into the phone, keeping her gaze locked on Hazel’s. She listened intently to the caller and then asked, “How do you know this?”
Electricity vibrated the air and the hairs on Hazel’s arm stiffened. A booming thunder broke the heavens, and Hazel gripped Cora’s arm.
“I’m with Hazel,” Cora continued. “We’ll help search.”
Hazel expected fat drops of rain to fall from the sky. Nothing came. The urge to run was strong, but she had no idea what she was running from or to.
Cora pocketed her phone. “Fauna’s missing. Polly believes she’s in danger. A premonition.”
Hazel worked to fill her lungs. “Yes. I sense that, too. We must find her quickly. My heart tells me she doesn’t have long.”
Cora’s face blanched. “Long? Crap, Hazel. You’re scaring me. You should see your eyes. They’re dark like the skies and have a faraway look.”
Hazel gave her a tremulous smile. “I’m scaring me, too. I’ve never experienced anything like this. It’s as if I can hear Fauna calling me to her.”
She gripped Hazel’s wrist and tugged her toward the car. “We need to get out of the open. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but my gut tells me we should be somewhere safer.”
Hazel made it to the trunk of her car before a searing pain stole her breath.
Cora wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. “What’s going on, Hazel? Tell me exactly what’s happening.”
Terrifying images flashed in her head. “I don’t know. I see…fists. I feel pain. And terror. A tall man with a black ski mask.”
Hazel gasped as another wave of agony overwhelmed her.
Cora stared with disbelief. “Are you in Fauna’s head? Are you somehow with her?”
Tears fell from her eyes. “I don’t know. I could be. It’s very vivid.”
Cora led her to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. “Get in. We’ll use what you’re seeing and try to find her.”
Hazel folded herself onto the passenger seat, grateful to have something to steady her. She bent forward and dropped her face into her hands.
Cora entered the driver’s side and started the car. She drove half a block before she stopped again. “There’s a thing, Hazel. It’s rare, but some are able to reach into the minds of others.”
“I didn’t though. Fauna reached out to me.”
“Maybe. Or maybe when you heard she was in trouble—”
Hazel sucked in a measured breath and tried to calm the palpitating fear. “No. I knew it was her before you mentioned her name.”
Cora nodded. “Okay. Doesn’t really matter right now. We just need to use what you see and find her.”
Hazel closed her eyes and tried to focus. “Trees. Lots of trees.”
Begging and whimpers filled Hazel’s ears and broke her heart. “He’s hurting her.”
Cora took her hand and rubbed her arm. Heated comfort reached out to her. It didn’t calm the excruciating fear, but it helped. “Just breathe. Focus. What else can you see?”
Hazel caught glimpses of the environment, but it was hard to see clearly when Fauna’s fear and pain overshadowed everything. She exhaled. “A big rock. Rope digging into Fauna’s hands. They’re tied in front, and she’s trying to block blows. He’s too strong.”
“Try to push out her emotions. Look around. What’s near her?”
Hazel tried, but all she could see was dirt, trees, and…sky. “The sky above her. It’s not dark. It’s blue. Blue sky.”
Hazel sent a wide-eyed, terrified look to Cora. “Do you think this isn’t real? Could my imagination do this? Or could someone cause me to believe it’s real?”
Cora argued that suggestion with a strong shake of her head. “We know she’s missing, and I believe you’re connected to her.”
Cora opened the car door and stepped out. Through the front windshield, Hazel watched as she turned her gaze toward the heavens and searched the skies. She stopped and pointed a sharp finger toward the east. “There.”
Her friend’s breaths came fast as she reclaimed the driver’s seat and slammed the door. “You’re not going to believe this, but there’s a tiny patch of clear blue sky up there. Looks like it’s hovering over Redemption Pond.”
Hazel released a powerful exhale. Something about that seemed right. “Yes. Go.”
Cora sped along the quiet, tree-lined roads, and her quick, sharp turns jostled Hazel in her seat. “I hope none of the cops catch me going this fast,” Cora said.
Peter. Her rock. “We should call Peter.”
Cora cast her a worried glance. “No. Polly specifically said we should not involve the police.”
Hazel cringed as a vicious pain radiated from her cheek. “Why not? He would help us.”
“He would. Or at least you believe he would. But what about John Bartles or possibly others that would show up, too? We can’t chance it.”
She worked to breathe through the pain. “Peter would help us.”
“Hazel,” Cora said with a pointed look. “We don’t need him to protect us. We’re powerful women who can use what we have if we need to.”
“Then why isn’t Fauna?”
A small sob escaped Cora. “I don’t know.”
“I’m getting a glimpse of the pond, Cora. I think Fauna’s in the trees along the south edge where they’re thicker.”
Cora pressed harder on the accelerator.
Ten minutes passed before they reached the recreational area, and Cora drove toward the dirt parking lot where an old blue pickup waited alone.
“There’s a road,” Hazel said between labored breaths.
Cora’s eyes widened. “The service road. But it’s blocked.”
“Go,” Hazel whispered. “I’ll take care of it.”
Cora drove Hazel’s car over the bumpy dirt road until they reached the gate, and then she turned to Hazel.
She nodded and held out her hand. “I used candles to help me break Timothy’s lock, so I’m not completely certain it will work without them.”
Cora gripped Hazel’s hand and squeezed. “Candles enhance power. You have me this time.”
Hazel inhaled a deep breath, closed her eyes, and focused on an image of the locked gate. “Release you
r hold. Relax your guard. Let the strength within you free. Allow me entrance. Allow me to see. This I ask, so mote it be.”
The lock on the gate broke free, and Cora leapt from the driver’s seat to push it open. When she returned, she continued their rattling pace until they reached the end of the trail.
Hazel lowered her window and peered at the angry sky. The blue patch hovered directly above, but that still left plenty of area for a man to hide a kidnapped victim. “It’s going to take longer, but we’ll have to search on foot.”
Cora nodded and shut off the engine. They exited the car, and Hazel fought to draw energy from deep inside to help combat the painful effects of her connection to Fauna.
Quiet, cool silence greeted them. Even the birds had taken shelter from the threatening storm.
Hazel grasped Cora’s hand, and they raced toward the trees. “How do you plan to confront this person? What if he has a gun?”
She shook her head. “I’m praying he doesn’t. Our magic won’t stop a bullet. But from what you say, he has his hands full with Fauna, so I’m hoping.”
Hazel snorted and pulled the phone from her pocket. “I’m calling Peter. We can’t chance this.”
Cora held her gaze for a moment and then nodded.
The sound of Peter’s voice soothed her troubled soul, and she quickly repeated their predicament. “I know it sounds crazy, but you have to trust me on this.”
“Hazel. You and Cora need to turn around right now and go wait in your car. This isn’t a request.”
“Peter, he’s hurting her. We have to try to stop him. Just please get here as soon as you can. Don’t bring anyone else. We can’t chance others learning our identities.”
She clicked off her phone before he could argue and set the ring to vibrate. He’d be steamed, but she could deal with that.
A piercing scream echoed through Hazel’s head, and she clamped her hands over her ears.
Cora gripped her hard. “I heard it, too, and I see them. He’s in brown, and she’s wearing green, so they blend, but look. I see movement over there.”
Hazel followed the direction Cora pointed. Heated anger flared bright inside her.
A tall man wearing a ski mask struggled to pull Fauna from the trees and toward the murky water, but she wasn’t going willingly.
A scream built somewhere deep inside Hazel, and it was out before she realized what she’d done. “Stop!”
The man paused and scanned the horizon. He froze when he spotted them. Eerie prickling raced through her, and though she was too far away, Hazel swore she could see his eyes.
“Oh, no,” Cora said in a low, fearful voice.
Hazel took off in a sprint toward them.
“Wait,” Cora yelled, but Hazel couldn’t. Her actions might have been foolish, but she had to help her friend.
She hadn’t run far before he released Fauna, letting her drop to the ground. A rush of panic flooded Hazel, and she feared he might come for her.
Instead, he stumbled off toward the trees in an awkward run and soon disappeared from sight.
Chapter Three
The man’s departure lessened the fear inside Hazel and made it easier to run faster. She reached Fauna, and found her in a crumpled, bloody pile, her face pressed to the dried grass.
Hazel gasped and dropped to her knees, praying she wasn’t too late. “Fauna.”
Fauna answered in the form of a groan, and Hazel could breathe again. She gently lifted her head and turned her face, so she could also breathe better and then carefully turned the rest of her abused body.
Dirt and streaks of blood marred Fauna’s green shirt. Purple bruises surrounded eyes that were nearly swollen shut, and blood ran from cuts on her forehead and mouth.
Hazel bit her lip to stop a cry of despair. This poor, sweet girl would never have hurt a soul, and yet, Hazel feared she’d been punished because of the so-called taint in her blood. She wanted to scream at the injustice. Wanted to race after her attacker and curse him until he begged for mercy.
Even then, she didn’t think she could show any.
But she had to think of Fauna now. The perpetrator would have to wait. Her friend needed her calm reassurance. “Shh… It’s okay, Fauna. It’s Hazel. I’m here.”
Cora skidded to a stop next to them. “Oh, Blessed Mother. Help us.”
Fauna’s breaths came in shallow rasps, and Hazel knew this was more than she and Cora could handle on their own.
“Call the police department, too. I don’t care who comes. We need help now. Tell them to send an ambulance.”
Cora didn’t argue.
While she made the call, Hazel removed her jacket and covered Fauna’s torso. Fauna tried to speak, but Hazel couldn’t understand her words.
“It’s okay,” Hazel repeated. “Hang on for a few minutes, and you’re going to be okay.”
When Fauna didn’t respond, Hazel grasped her hand and Cora’s, and whispered. “Blessed Mother, hear our plea. Bring your love and energy. Give Fauna strength. Help her mend. Let us see her laugh again. We fervently pray for these things, so mote it be.”
“So mote it be,” Cora whispered.
Heat flared between Cora’s hand and hers, and Hazel could only hope that strength would transfer to Fauna. Her wounds on the outside looked bad, and Hazel feared the ones inside might be worse.
Tears leaked down Hazel’s face, and she glanced at Cora. “Do we have something to cut her bindings?”
Cora wiped her own tears with the back of her hand. “Try the spell you used to break the lock on the gate.”
Hazel nodded. She should have thought of that. She whispered the words, and the bindings fell away. Angry red welts on Fauna’s wrists remained.
It seemed as though hours passed before the sound of sirens split the air. Hazel and Cora both watched until they spotted the red and blue emergency lights. Cora stood and headed toward the road. “I’ll catch their attention.”
Before the first SUV reached them, another squad car approached with its sirens joining the wails of the other. Peter. Thank heavens he’d made it.
Dust settled as the SUV stopped, and Officer Bartles jumped from the vehicle. Uncertainty with a touch of fear surfaced. Sure, John could be a nice man, but she knew what lurked beneath, too.
He rushed forward and dropped to his knees. “Dear God. What do we have here?”
Hazel wished she could create a spell that would change him into a different officer, but he was here, and the fact was, Fauna needed help. Hazel prayed he would give it to her.
John lifted Fauna’s wrist to check her pulse.
Cora met her gaze, and Hazel swallowed. “Cora and I heard screams coming from this direction.”
She paused to give her lie time to form. “The gate to the service road was open, so we drove back here to see if we could help.”
Her breaths came shallow and fast as though she’d been running.
“We saw a man,” Cora added. “It looked like he was hurting her, so we raced toward her and scared him off into the trees.”
John did a quick scan of the tree line before he clasped the radio on his shoulder. “Unit Fourteen, calling for assistance. I have a victim down, and a perp on the loose. Last seen heading into the trees near Redemption Pond. Requesting an ambulance and backup officers.”
Hazel studied him and wondered if Cora noticed he wore the same brown color that the perpetrator had. John’s sleeves were short, where the man’s arms had been covered. But, he could have removed a jacket.
Still, she wasn’t sure John was tall enough. Granted, they’d been far enough away that she might not be able to judge properly, either.
The dispatcher responded, letting him know an ambulance was already in route.
John gently patted Fauna’s hand. “Fauna, can you hear me? It’s Officer Bartles. We’re here to help you.”
Fauna didn’t respond.
John tried again and then glanced at Hazel and Cora. “She’s breathing. Her pulse
is slow but steady. Not the best circumstances, but she’s hanging in there. Good that you covered her with your jacket.”
Hazel swallowed past the lump of fear in her throat and nodded, grateful he was providing care. Either John didn’t know Fauna was a witch, or he no longer cared.
Hazel glanced up when Peter brought his cruiser to a halt next to John’s SUV. Fear and anger darkened his features as he raced from his car. “Report,” he said to John with a commanding voice, and John filled him in on the facts.
Peter clenched his jaw and turned to Hazel. Fear and anger radiated from him like a spewing volcano. “Good Lord, Hazel. What happened?”
She tried to speak, but the sight of him, caused her throat to close with emotion.
“A man was hurting her,” Cora supplied again.
Peter glanced to her. “Did you get a good look at him?”
Cora hesitated and then shook her head. “He seemed tall with a black ski mask, but we were too far away to identify him.”
Peter focused on Hazel, and she felt John’s eyes on her, too. “What about you?”
She cleared her throat to test her voice. “Just what Cora said.”
She could give Peter the specifics later when they were alone, when she and her friends were safe. “He ran off toward the trees.”
A cacophony of sirens stirred the air, and Fauna groaned again.
Peter glanced toward the road. “It’s the ambulance and backup. As soon as they get here, John, I want you to form teams and begin searching the area.”
Hazel wanted to impart that she’d seen a blue truck in the lot, but she wondered if even that small detail might put them all more at risk. She’d tell Peter later.
The other units and ambulance arrived, and the scene morphed into organized chaos. She stood back as paramedics took over Fauna’s care. They slid her battered body onto a board and gently lifted her to the gurney. With slow and careful steps, they carried her over the uneven ground to the back of the emergency vehicle. Hazel watched as they slid a needle into her veins to start an I.V.
One paramedic exited the vehicle and closed the doors. Hazel caught his elbow before he could leave. “Is she going to be okay?”