Surrounded by Darkness

by Rachel Dylan

  “The partners have discussed it, and good news. We think it’s a great idea.”

  Olivia had to hold back a screech of joy. “That’s amazing.”

  “We’re giving you the green light to open your legal clinic there in the suburbs outside Chicago.”

  Olivia thought she might cry tears of joy, but she held it back because that wouldn’t be professional. “I am so thankful for this opportunity.”

  Julia lifted up her hand. “There is a catch.”

  And just like that her balloon deflated. Wasn’t there always a catch when it came to the firm? “And that is?”

  “This is a pilot program. You’ve got six months to get it up and running. The clinic will be your full-time job. You’ll be posted onsite at the clinic and only come into the BCR office as needed. After the six months, we’ll do a full evaluation of the program and community impact. If you want to keep it going, we need to make sure the firm resources are being well spent and victims are getting the results they need.”

  “I completely understand. I’m willing to put the hard work into this to make the program a success.” For Olivia, it wasn’t about the metrics. It was about positively impacting the lives of women. This had been a dream laid on her heart for a long time, and it was hard to imagine it was actually about to be a reality.

  “We would expect nothing but the best from you, Olivia. Get to work and keep me and Chet updated on your progress.”

  “Absolutely.” Chet was the managing partner in the DC office of BCR where Olivia used to work. She’d been tasked with being one of the lawyers to start up the Chicago office, and it was a job she had fully embraced. The firm didn’t do pro bono purely out of the goodness of their hearts. For BCR, it was all about the good publicity and high-profile programs the elite law firms wanted. It wasn’t enough to be great lawyers on big cases. They needed to also be seen as committed to the community and giving back, and that’s where Olivia came in.

  Olivia listened attentively as the rest of the meeting took place. It was hard for her not to be thinking about her own project, but she wanted to be courteous and give everyone her full attention.

  But the moment the meeting ended, she jumped out of her chair and did a victory lap around her office in excitement. Lord, thank you for letting this happen. I really want to help people.

  She wanted to share her good news with Grant, so she walked over and dialed his number from her office phone. She stood because she was too excited to sit down.

  He answered on the second ring. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” she said. “I’ve got good news.”

  “I could use some of that,” he said quietly.

  She immediately knew something was wrong, and she deflated. “What’s wrong?”

  “The meeting with my lawyer didn’t go that great.”

  Her heart broke for him as he gave her the high points. He told her he didn’t want to share specific details because of attorney-client privilege. “I’m sorry, Grant, but remember this was the first meeting, and I’m sure the plaintiff will be interested in talking settlement. That’s guaranteed money. The bar for winning on a legal malpractice suit in the state of Illinois is quite high.”

  Grant sighed. “I know all of that logically, but in my head, I’m a disaster. I’m also a selfish pig wallowing in my own mess. You called to tell me something. Please let me hear it.”

  She hoped she could do a little to brighten his day. “My clinic program proposal got approved for a six-month pilot.”

  “That’s amazing news!” His voice filled with enthusiasm. “I am so proud of you, Olivia. You knew what you wanted to do, and you’re making it happen.”

  “You’re sweet, Grant. Thank you for all your support and input on my proposal. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “Oh, yes, you could have. This was all you.”

  Grant had played a role and, even more importantly, been there for her emotionally as she poured her heart into figuring out the structure of the clinic. “Can we see each other tonight?” she asked expectantly.

  “You sure you want to hang out with a downer?”

  “I’m positive.” She refused to let him shut her out. He was going through a rough time, and she feared he might retreat into his own little hole. “I’ll come to your place after work, and I’ll bring takeout with me.” That way he couldn’t bail on her.

  “You’re too good to me, Olivia.”

  She refused to let him go.

  True to her word, Olivia showed up at his place that night armed with some of their favorite Thai takeout. If anything could give him a boost, it would be a big plate of spicy noodles.

  After Grant had devoured his food, they watched a movie. It was at moments like this he wished he could hit pause. He had the woman he loved next to him and everything seemed right. It was when he hit the play button, and was forced to go out into the big, bad world, that things started to go off the rails.

  “Grant, are you actually watching the movie?” Olivia turned to him.

  “Yeah. Why do you think I’m not?”

  She placed her hand on his cheek. “Because you’re staring off to the side of the TV.”

  He hadn’t even realized he’d been doing that. He had been in his own world. “Maybe I got distracted for a bit.”

  “Is it the lawsuit?” she asked.

  “No. Yes.” He paused, struggling. “I mean, there’s not a moment that goes by that the lawsuit isn’t on my mind—even if it’s just a nagging thought.”

  She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. “It’s natural to be concerned, but you shouldn’t let it overtake your life. You have other work, important cases that need your attention.”

  “Is that it?”

  “And me too.” Olivia smiled.

  “You’re always on my mind.” He’d thought about moving their relationship to the next phase, but that was before he’d gotten served those papers. If his entire legal career was going to go up in flames, how could he saddle her with that burden?

  “You’re doing it again. What’s on your mind? Tell me.”

  “I want it to be over so I can get back to business as usual.”

  She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Nothing is ever going to be easy for us in this town, Grant. Ultimately, are you going to be okay with that? Knowing what we face in Windy Ridge.”

  He didn’t immediately answer. “It would be much easier to leave and start over somewhere without the extreme negative influences we have here, but I’ve seen firsthand what’s at stake. The hearts and minds of this town. I can’t turn my eyes away and pretend like I don’t see it. That I don’t know what a danger Layton and Optimism are to this town. To the church. To you.”

  Olivia shifted and looked directly at him. “We have God on our side, Grant. He’s stronger than Layton or any demonic influences in Windy Ridge. Our faith is what sustains us. What gives us hope for tomorrow. The promise the Lord has given us.”

  Her words flowed through him. She always had such a strong perspective on faith. He was the one that needed to get stronger. When he’d first found Christ last year, he’d been passionate about reading the Bible and learning and questioning. But if he was being honest with himself, for the past few months, he’d started coasting. It was easier to focus on work and the daily routine and not as much on growing his faith and tackling such weighty issues. “Sometimes it’s a lot to deal with on a daily basis. Maybe you don’t feel that way, but it is for me.” There, he’d said it. Put it out on the table.

  She tilted her head and a strand of dark hair fell across her shoulders. “Grant, I struggle too. I think there’s this perception that I have this perpetual strength.” She took a breath. “I’m weak. Without God’s love and protection, I’m nothing. There are some days I’d like to get out of here. Go back to DC. But then I realize this is bigger than me.”

  Olivia was so much better than he was at putting others first. He was a genius at making himself number one, but once Olivia had
come into his life, suddenly he’d wanted to put her above him. It was a welcome change and made him want to grow that side of himself, but it wasn’t an easy task.

  “You don’t have to be a superhero, Grant. Just be you. The Lord will do the rest if you put your faith and trust in him.”

  He grabbed her hands in his. “Please pray with me, Olivia.”

  Her eyes widened for a second. Probably not because he was asking for prayer but because she must’ve sensed he really needed this.

  As they held hands and prayed, he hoped he would be strong enough to get through this trial. Not for himself, but for the woman he loved.

  On Saturday afternoon, Stacey walked through the Windy Ridge summer festival with Morena by her side. It was a perfect, sunny day with a light, warm breeze. She loved the festival and visiting all the various local artists and vendors.

  What she liked even more was that Optimism was sponsoring a social in the park that was bound to bring in some interesting people who wanted to learn more about New Age ideas.

  “Be on the lookout for people we can invite to the social.” Morena was armed with lavender flyers.

  There had been something Stacey wanted to ask her. “Hey, I’ve got a question for you.”

  “Shoot.” The two of them kept walking down the street and looking at the booths.

  “I talked to a woman in the bookstore Indigo the other day, and she said there was a growing Wiccan presence in Windy Ridge. She was a member of the group herself, but they don’t have any connection to Astral Tech or Optimism. It’s a completely separate coven of witches who do their own thing.”

  Morena turned toward her. “Are you wondering whether we should try to bring them in?”

  Stacey nodded. “Yeah, I told her about Optimism, but she seemed to think she liked what her group had going. I got the feeling she might even be in charge, even though she didn’t say it.”

  Morena picked up a shiny piece of aqua crystal and held it up to catch the sunlight. “This is a good conversation for us to have.”

  Stacey waited patiently for Morena to enlighten her.

  “Wiccans aren’t necessarily on board with all of our teachings and practices. They definitely believe in magic and witchcraft but, depending on the group, they may reject our beliefs regarding the Prince of Darkness—and God, for that matter.”

  Stacey found that interesting. “You’re saying they operate outside of that sphere?”

  “Yeah. Think of them as being more into the elements. Some of them worship the mother goddess and the horned god. It’s a different belief system than ours. They like to be one with nature and everything in it. They also believe in peaceful coexistence.”

  Stacey wasn’t familiar with any of that. “You don’t think it’s worth the time to talk to them?”

  Morena shook her head. “No, I didn’t say that. They can be powerful allies and useful when we need them, but they can also be a big thorn in our side if they get too territorial about how they want this town to be. Their god and goddess worship is not something that interests our group. But whether they want to believe it or not, their devotion to witchcraft opens the door to what we know as the true forces of power in this world—and beyond. Their members would totally discount that though.”

  Stacey examined another type of crystal and picked it up. “It was interesting to hear her talk about the elements and how dedicated they were to peace and all that.”

  “Exactly. That’s the tension. They claim they want peace, and we want a battle because we know we are in a cosmic war. Make no mistake about it, Stace, this is a war, and you have to choose sides. If they don’t get in our way, then I’m fine with them, but if they do, then they will have to come to our side or be our enemy.”

  “She did say that she only practiced white magic.”

  “What was her name?” Morena asked.

  “Eliza. I didn’t get a last name. She’s tall with light brown wavy hair.”

  Morena frowned. “Doesn’t sound familiar.”

  Stacey glanced around. “She said she would be here. Maybe you’ll get to meet her and make your own assessment.”

  Morena grabbed onto her arm. “You aren’t seriously considering becoming one of them, are you?”

  Stacey felt her eyes widen. “No way. I’m interested in what they think and do, but that’s not my path. I know where my allegiance lies and who my power comes from.”

  Morena took her hand and squeezed tightly. “I know it’s tempting to want to experiment and see what’s out there, but we serve a very jealous master, and he will not allow for flirting with other ways if he believes it doesn’t serve his greater purpose.”

  She wondered why Morena had such a strong reaction to this conversation. If Morena knew about her side activities, she really would flip. But Stacey had to look out for herself. The more she learned, the more powerful she became. There were bigger things in her future. “You don’t have anything to worry about.” There had to be more to this story than Morena was letting on, and that only made Stacey more intrigued.

  Chapter Four

  Eliza Fitzpatrick took in a deep breath of the summer air and closed her eyes—in full meditation mode as she sat in the warm grass at the summer festival. She was surrounded by her friends and spiritual sisters from her coven, and it was turning out to be a great day.

  She had spotted Stacey Malone, the young woman she’d met at the bookstore, walking with one of her friends. Eliza felt drawn to Stacey, but she also knew better than trying to get into a tussle with Optimism. The last thing she wanted was to create a rift. She would much prefer peaceful coexistence, and she didn’t understand why Optimism members were filled with such a desire for the darkness. She thought it best not to approach Stacey and wait and see if she reached out. Stacey seemed awfully deep and well versed in the dark arts, given her age. It made Eliza wonder what all Stacey was into.

  Eliza stood and picked the pieces of grass off her shorts, and that’s when she noticed another woman approaching her. The petite brunette with big dark eyes locked onto her and approached with a pile of flyers in her hands. There was a lot of that at the festival. But Eliza liked to be nice to everyone, even if she didn’t want to attend every single person’s event or buy each person’s product.

  “Hi there, how are you today?” The pretty brunette gave her a bright smile.

  Eliza couldn’t help but smile back. “I’m doing fine. It’s such a beautiful day, especially nice after a long and miserable winter. I was enjoying some meditation.”

  For a brief moment, something troubling flashed across the woman’s face, but she quickly changed her expression. “I don’t want to bother you, but I did want to share some information. I’m a lawyer, and I’m going to be opening a domestic violence clinic in Windy Ridge. I’m trying to get the word out so that people know there is a resource in town for those who need it. I think we’ve all known someone, even if it’s not ourselves, who has been touched by this issue.”

  Immediately Eliza softened toward her. She was doing important and good work. “Definitely. You said you’re just starting it up?”

  “Yes. I work for the law firm of Brown, Carter, and Reed. We’re a big firm nationally, but our Chicago office opened recently. I’ve taken on this project pro bono because it’s close to my heart, and I want to be able to give something back. So here I am going around the festival in hopes of helping spread the word and get it out to those who may need it.”

  Eliza instantly liked this woman. “I’m Eliza by the way. What’s your name?”

  The woman stretched out her hand. “I’m Olivia Murray.”

  Eliza took Olivia’s hand and held onto it firmly. There was something special about this woman—she radiated with positive energy. “Your name sounds familiar.”

  Olivia nodded. “Yeah, you might’ve seen it in the news at some point. I was working on the defense of Pastor Dan Light some months ago.”

  Now it was all starting to make sense. This woman w
as a believer. But unlike her Optimism counterparts, Eliza didn’t see Olivia as the enemy—at least not yet. She would give her a chance because she hated when people made prejudgments about her and her Wiccan lifestyle. “Yes, I bet that’s it. I did follow the case closely. I found it was very interesting.”

  “Dan is a dear friend of mine, and that was how I started working in the pro bono area.”

  Eliza laughed. “At some point isn’t the firm going to make you do billable work?”

  Olivia brushed a lock of dark hair out of her eyes. “I’ve done my fair share of billable work, but pro bono is really my passion. So, you know law firm lingo?”

  “Yeah. My dad’s a lawyer. I know about billable hours all too well.” Growing up, Eliza rarely saw her father because he’d been chained to his office, but she also knew he was trying to do the best he could to provide for the family.

  “Can I ask you something?” Olivia moved a little closer to her.

  “Sure.”

  “You said you were out here meditating. Is that something you do often?”

  Eliza weighed her answer. In the end, she decided to put it out there because that’s what she felt Olivia was probably trying to get at. “Yes, it is. I’m a practicing Wiccan. I don’t know how much you know about what we do and who we are, but given your experience on that case, you have to know about Optimism. And I can assure you that I’m nothing like them. I do meditate a lot because it’s important. It centers me and allows me to connect with my surroundings and the earth.”

  Olivia cocked her head to the side. “You’re right that I’m not an expert on Wicca, but I know Optimism and its beliefs all too well. I would caution anyone not to get involved with them.”

  Eliza placed her hands on her hips. “I’m assuming you would also caution me about my beliefs. You did defend a pastor.”

  “I’d be happy to talk to you about it anytime, but I find that people don’t react well to having their beliefs questioned in the first five minutes of getting to know someone.” Olivia’s eyes warmed.