Shadow Realms

by M K Mancos

  It was worth a shot. Between the three of us, we had very few ideas. At least, ones that had any chance of working. This one seemed the most likely to produce results.

  The fact the artwork had been made before Kells’ birth made me think that, at some point, her and her great-grandma’s paths had crossed. This wasn’t simply a vision of her future descendant. The detail was exquisite. Only someone who had known Kells would be able to put such love and respect into a work made of glass and stone.

  We arrived at Rallie’s with the sun at full. Old George sat on the porch, staring in our direction with his sightless eyes. I had the feeling that dog saw more than he let on. The door opened before I could knock or ring the bell.

  Rallie stood there with a wide wicker basket filled to the rim with various herbs and candles. “I figured we’d try this in the back garden. It’s one of Kells’ favorite places.”

  “Do you need help bringing anything out?” I reached out to take the basket from her.

  She handed it to me, then turned to go back inside. “Only a few things. Let me get the mosaic.”

  Colvin had his hands folded. He looked around the yard, unsure. “Is it safe to do such a ritual outside? What if the shadow realms feel the pull of magic?”

  “Then they’ll no doubt come running.” The shadow realms were pretty cagey when it came to spying on those who worked spells. They fed on them like a vampire feeds on the blood of humans.

  We went around the house to the backyard and let ourselves in the gate. Luckily, Rallie had left that unlocked for us.

  The back garden was a wonderland of plants, flowers, and amazing sculptures of the deities. Energy radiated and filled the space to overflow. In the center were tiles fashioned into a pentagram that could be walked like a labyrinth. I let out a sigh and shook my head in awe. No wonder Kells loved this spot. It was amazing.

  I set the basket down on a stone bench and rifled through the contents. In addition to the obvious items, Rallie had included an antique piece of hair jewelry. I picked it up and rubbed my thumb over the painted dragonfly. The same energy that covered the mosaic clung to the hair comb as subtle as spiderwebs.

  I put it to my lips and closed my eyes, breathing in the essence to help me on my quest. When I opened them again, Colvin stared at me with an odd expression. I set the comb down on the bench. “It helps to focus if I know the energy of the person I’m looking for.”

  Colvin made an O with his mouth as if he’d never seen this part of magic in his tenure as my assistant, or Astrid’s spy. I felt fairly certain he’d seen a lot more harrowing situations than a warrior mage sniffing a hair comb.

  I pulled more of the contents from the basket. “We should probably put the herbs out and set the circle.”

  “Where do they go?”

  I found small cauldrons and placed them at the five points of the pentagram. “Put a palm full of the herbs in each cauldron.” While he did that, I set the candles on the stone holders made for them. Years of rituals had wax permanently embedded in the coarse stone.

  “We can use the bench for an altar.” Rallie entered the garden from the back door. She held the mosaic in one hand and a basket in another. A bottle of wine stuck out of the top. “Food for the feast after we do the work.”

  I reached into my backpack and got out my personal tools, keyed especially for my frequency and talent. The circle of protection had to be set to keep the shadow realms from reaching me while at my most vulnerable.

  Finding someone lost in time wasn’t an easy task to accomplish. I’d have to go deep inside the well of magic and search for a link to find her—thus the focus.

  We finished setting up and walking the perimeter of the circle to cleanse stray or negative energy. Censors smoked with burning sage, filling the air with its savory scent. I inhaled deeply to cleanse my body and soul.

  I took the mosaic and hair comb off the makeshift altar and brought them into the center of the circle where their energy was closer to me and easier to access. Next, I pulled the necklace I’d fashioned from pieces in my backpack and infused with my talent, and placed it next to the other items.

  I slowed my breathing, concentrating on the face I’d seen in my dreams and visions. A brilliant blue light illuminated in my mind’s eyes, connecting me to Kells. I grabbed the line and held it, tracing it back through time.

  I began to chant.

  “Oceans of light, rivers of time, bring home to me that which is mine. Blood of my heart, breath of my life, bring back to me that which is mine.”

  The words, though alphahole sounding, were ones that were used to call on a loved one—usually one of common blood. However, the spell worked with not only words but intent. I’d felt a part of Kells’ world her entire life. I used that connection to call her.

  Wind began to kick up. My hair blew into my eyes and I had to push it back with my hand. The shutters on the house flapped as a magical storm brewed overhead, bringing fierce winds with it. Flowers and trees whipped around. Smoke blew sideways. Still I spoke, raising my voice to compete with the howling tempest around me.

  I repeated the words over and over. A mantra. A promise. A bond.

  Sparks of concentrated lightning danced in front of me. I spoke louder, pouring as much talent and conviction as I could into the portal that wavered before me. Dark energy lingered on the air from a former spell. I coughed as its rancid taste filled my mouth. I pushed through the stink and continued.

  Images began to appear in front of me. Not those of the garden, but from the point on the other side of the portal. I saw walls, antique furniture, a bookcase. Then I saw her, standing on the other side. A mere shadow or suggestion of what had been.

  I changed the chant, using words precious and arcane.

  The entire exercise had been to locate her. I had no notion I’d actually be able to open a time well. The question was: had this particular spell shown me her location, or was there some way I could reach through and grab her?

  She took a few steps, moving closer. Her gaze stayed on mine, which was a good sign she was really on the other side of the well and not some stagnant moment I’d connected to because of the anchor.

  The vision grew clearer, more solid. Real. No telling how long I had, or when the well would snap closed.

  I reached through and grabbed her wrist. Smooth, warm skin filled my hand. “Come with me.”

  Shock widened her beautiful eyes and sunk into my soul, hooking me like a big mouth bass in a fishing tournament.

  She turned to the woman standing in the room with her. Side by side, the resemblance was noticeable, if only a ghost of one. “Take the notebook. Don’t let anyone see it. Keep it safe,” Kells told her.

  The other woman nodded and squeezed Kells’ other hand.

  “Tell Bea and Mathilda I had to go. I appreciate everything they’ve done, but the future found me.” Tears filled her eyes and she gripped my hand tighter. To the woman she said, “We’ll meet again.”

  Then she stepped through the portal and into my arms. Without thinking of how weird it might be for her, I tightened them around her as if I never wanted to let her go. And honestly, I didn’t.

  The first thing I noticed was how warm and good she felt in my embrace. We fit together as two pieces carved from a greater whole. Even my heart filled with the feel of her where she was meant to be.

  The second thing I noticed wasn’t as pleasant. She smelled as if she’d taken on a legion of the shadow dwellers and bathed in their blood afterward. What in the hell had she been doing in the past?

  The well snapped closed, leaving me shaking. I let go of her. My knees turned to jelly with the amount of energy I’d spent. I had to sit down.

  Without even moving from the circle, I took a place on the stone pavers and brought my knees up and bowed my head into them. My breath came hard and fast, as if I’d run up the mountain.

  Kells had her hand on my shoulder, rubbing me in comfort. “How did you do that? That was amazing.�
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  I put up my hand in a request for a moment to collect myself. It probably wouldn’t have been unheard of to at least introduce myself. As of yet, we hadn’t managed to do that. Who could blame us though. There hadn’t really been time or occasion.

  The soft tap of shoes on the pavers came closer, then a goblet was stuck under my face along with a hunk of cheese. “Eat.”

  I took the offered food and beverage. The tone Rallie used had offered no refusal. Plus, I knew better. I needed to replenish what I’d lost. Take in energy by way of food.

  Rallie turned to Kells. “Welcome home, sweetheart. I was worried.”

  “So was I.” The women hugged for an extended moment then pulled away from each other.

  Kells looked down at me in confusion. “How did you come to be here?”

  Fuck me, I didn’t want her to know that I worked for the Convention. I hoped Rallie kept my secret. Agents—warrior mages—such as me operated within a cloak of anonymity. It made moving from one case to another easier, less obtrusive.

  Until Rallie. She’d nailed me for an agent the moment she’d looked at me. But how much would she tell her niece?

  I tore off a hunk of cheese and chewed as I studied her, waiting to find some reason other than the obvious as to why I was here and how I’d found her family. More importantly, why I’d made it my business to locate her.

  Because, damn it, it was my business.

  I took a sip of wine to wash down what proved to be a very good mild cheddar, then swallowed. “When you went missing, my sisters said you’d been at Kara’s shop. I went to see them, and they told me about the fluttering time wells. From there, it was easy. Your name and face were all over the local and national news. Rallie had been interviewed. It was a good place to start.”

  Colvin gave a small nod from behind Kells’ back. He took out his cellphone and walked to the front of the house. Calling Astrid to relay we’d found and pulled Kells back to our time, I imagined.

  Kells twirled her hand. “But that was beyond finding my family. You reopened a portal that had been used to abduct a witch only hours before.”

  “Which explains the smell.” I pushed to my feet and only then noticed the blush that rose to her cheeks.

  She held her shirt out. “Not my fault. Gemma poured herbed water on a dark entity and it exploded on me.”

  That name gave me pause. “As in your great-grandma Gemma?”

  Kells nodded. “Great-great-grandma technically, but yes. Shocked me when she showed up in the apothecary shop where I was working. She was part of the coven my friends Bea and Mathilda were members of.”

  I saw a circular pattern forming in front of me. Gemma knew Kells from the past, so she’d created the mosaic so I had a focus to use to bring her back. It all made so much sense. I really needed to interview Kells on the details of how it had all gone down. If for no other reason than to confirm.

  Before I could ask another question, Rallie gave Kells a gentle push. “Why don’t you go up and take a shower and change while we release the circle and clean up out here.”

  Kells gave her aunt a haughty expression then went into the house. I did the necessary release of the circle and started to gather up the tools we’d used. Colvin still hadn’t returned, which made me a bit nervous as to exactly what Astrid had to say about my method of finding the lost witch.

  Truthfully, I was a bit shaken. More than a bit. I’d brushed up against something evil that the Convention had been fighting in one form or another since the ancient Babylonians. We might not have been called the Convention of the Rose Hand back then, but the first vestiges of the organization had bloomed from necessity. We weren’t formally named until the Inquisition.

  Still, the evil we fought was the same.

  It wasn’t the first time I’d touched evil, and given my calling, I doubted it would be the last. However, this was a bit more insidious than the other times. It’s hard to explain. When evil comes at me full tilt, I know to defend or get out of the way. This was subtler. More of an acknowledgment that the shadow realms could get to any practitioner at any time, in any place by opening a well.

  Of course, we knew that before. Not a surprising revelation by any stretch. Any practitioner worth their weight in blessed salt did. I was more thinking along the lines of here was proof the shadow realms that had me shaking. They might have cleaved a mountain in front of me, but I’d been a bit overcome by trying to save Kara at the moment to pay attention to how the energy of the site felt. Not to mention, Cooper’s Mill is chock full of weird ass energy that made the hair on my arms stick up the entire time I was there.

  Oh, I’d glimpsed into the eddies of evil, and I can’t say I cared much for the experience. As a matter of fact, I downright hated it.

  As I finished picking up our tools, I vowed that, no matter what, I was going to bring them down or die trying. I owed it to not just my family, friends, or calling, but to all of humanity.

  A tall order to be sure, but I had to at least try. Balance between good and evil, light and dark, positive and negative was a foundation of life. Certain states or pillars were fundamental to all creation—even the lowest ameba—though they viewed it entirely different. Not that I’m saying amoebas are sentient. I’m not even talking about the little evils like taxes, parking tickets, and bad haircuts. I’m taking about the big ones: murder, greed, envy, not using a turn signal.

  The last item I picked up was the mosaic.

  Oh, yeah, Gemma had done an excellent job on the piece.

  Sixteen

  Kells

  Even the spray of extremely hot water couldn’t stop me from shaking. The cold of the well had permeated my body all the way down to my bones. I hadn’t mentioned that I felt something catch on me when I came through. A sensation very much like wearing a sweater when hiking in the woods and the fabric becomes tangled on a branch. Only this time the branch broke and came with me.

  It wasn’t in me. Not as far as I could tell. But it did freeze me.

  I worked the lather into my hair in an attempt to get rid of the stench he’d so kindly pointed out. As if I needed reminding I’d been doused with the bog of eternal stench.

  Malachi Sayer had come to my rescue. OMG! I’m not even kidding a little bit about the delayed reaction that had on my senses.

  Malachi Fucking Sayer.

  We had hugged. Actually hugged. Tight.

  Dearest Goddess, it was a moment straight out of Terminator. “Take my hand if you want to live.”

  My heart beat hard against my sternum. He was even better close up and personal. His hugs could cure any disease or woe. He had only to put his arms around a patient, and they’d feel safe and whole.

  Or maybe that was my future self talking. Either way, he was here and real. I couldn’t believe he’d gone out of his way to find me. Why? What was I to him other than someone who had sat in his sister’s shop and had tea after a bit of a breakdown? That’s not enough to warrant a search. Was it?

  Granted, his sisters had been worried about me when I’d left. To go missing after that was rather a big moment.

  Even if I had been ready to seek him out, I wouldn’t have used such a dangerous ploy to get it. I’d have just walked up and introduced myself and asked to interview him about his connection to the Doran family. Like I’d planned to all along.

  Another more exciting possibility existed. What if Malachi could see into the future as well?

  I rinsed then flipped the water indicator to the tub and put the plug in the drain. Bubble bath—oh, I deserved that after the time I’d had. No pun intended.

  I slid down and let the water and warmth fill in around me, chasing away the unbearable cold. Glorious. Nothing felt better to cure the bone-deep cold than a bubble bath.

  I lay my head back and closed my eyes.

  Unfortunately, my mind had other ideas than to let me relax for even a moment. I should have known it would start down a question trail as I tried to unwind.

 
; Why was Jane Porter taken? Where did she go? From the looks of it, she’d not gone quietly, happily, or willingly. Her shoes had actually left skid marks on the floor. Her landlady had been taken over by a dark entity, and Jane had notebooks with equations which amounted to time-space spells. I’d hate to think she’d come under the notice of dark witches because she’d been trying to figure out a better spell to send me home. If she had, it was my fault. I’d pretty much thrown down the gauntlet the night before when I mentioned the one we had used wasn’t working. Not that they’d failed to notice that as we all stood staring at candle flames and waiting for the trans-dimensional bus.

  How would I live with myself?

  I opened my eyes and sat up. This was no time to indulge in a bath no matter how badly I needed it, or how good it felt. What I needed was to get dressed and hope like hell Malachi hadn’t left yet.

  Quickly, I dried off and pinned my wet hair up in a clip then jumped into some clean clothes from my room. There was a certain chest at the back of the attic I needed to look through just in case my great-great-grandmother had kept it all these years.

  My talent, like those of the Doran witches, was hereditary, making it quite possible that Gemma had a gift for seeing the future. If so, she probably knew me as soon as we were introduced. Perhaps she’d even asked Bea and Mathilda to watch for my arrival. Anything was possible when magic was involved.

  Aunt Rallie’s attic is located on what would be considered the fourth floor of the house. Used for storage, the room was vast and organized. Aunt Rallie maintained that anything worth saving was worth preserving. That did not include throwing it into the attic willy-nilly. She’d placed shelves on the walls to hold seasonal collections, and things that might be used throughout the year. Trunks and storage boxes were used for treasured items left from ancestors who had passed.

  I moved through the aisles of shelves to the steamer trunk marked with Gemma’s name. Since only Aunt Rallie and I ever came up here, she never kept any of the trunks locked.