Surrounded by Darkness

by Rachel Dylan

  “We’re just paying attention to one of ours, and you should remember that, Othan. He’s no longer the world’s. He’s a child of God.”

  Othan huffed. “If you say so, but he’s certainly not acting like one.”

  “Stay away from him.” Ben moved toward Othan.

  “Or what? We all know you two won’t touch me, so stop it with your idle threats.”

  Micah grabbed onto Othan, and Othan shrieked before disappearing.

  “I couldn’t let him linger here,” Micah said.

  “I agree with you. Better you than me. I wouldn’t have been as lenient.”

  “I think there’s a concerted effort to go after Grant. They sense his weakness, and they won’t let this go. That means we have to redouble our efforts.”

  Nina Marie sat on her back porch with a large glass of lemonade. Abe sat beside her playing his guitar.

  It was at moments like this Nina Marie couldn’t believe the turn of events in her life, and it was all because of the love of the Lord. He had pulled her out of the jaws of death and given her a new life.

  Abe strummed on the guitar. “I invited Grant and Olivia over tonight.”

  “That’s great.” Nina Marie loved spending time with them.

  Abe shook his head. “Grant couldn’t make it. I told him we could do it another time.”

  “Was he busy?”

  Abe kept playing. “Yeah, that’s what he said, but honestly, I get the sense it’s more than that. I know he has this lawsuit that got filed against him. He didn’t want to talk much about it, though.”

  Nina Marie frowned. “What’s it about?”

  “One of his former clients is suing him for malpractice.”

  “That’s awful. No wonder he doesn’t want to socialize.” That seemed perfectly reasonable to her. “And I bet that’s why he seemed a little preoccupied the other day at church.”

  Abe mumbled something in Spanish.

  “What?”

  “Sorry. Just saying that I think he’s having a hard time. Sometimes when people tell you no, you still have to keep trying. He needs his friends and support around him right now.”

  “I’ll do whatever I can to help.” Then something else occurred to her. “I wonder how Olivia is handling things. Maybe I’ll give her a call.”

  “I think that’s a great idea. I’m going inside to start on dinner.” He leaned down and kissed her.

  Before Abe, a kiss wouldn’t have meant anything to her. But now, every kiss he gave her seemed special. Thank you, Jesus, that I’m alive. She closed her eyes and took a moment to let the warm sun wash over her. Then she picked up her cell and called Olivia.

  “Nina Marie, hey.”

  “Do you have a minute?”

  “Sure. What’s going on?” Olivia asked.

  Nina Marie wondered the best way to go about this. “Did Grant tell you about Abe’s dinner invite for tonight?”

  Silence.

  “No,” Olivia said. “I haven’t talked to Grant today.”

  And it was at that moment Nina Marie knew something was really wrong. “Olivia, what’s going on with you two?”

  “Grant told me he wants to take a break.”

  “Seriously?” Nina Marie couldn’t believe that. Grant was making a big mistake. “I’m sorry.” She figured Olivia didn’t want to hear her other thoughts.

  “Thanks. It’s tough. He’s having a rough time.”

  “Abe told me about the malpractice suit.”

  “Yeah. That’s a big piece of it. It could really impact his career and his business.”

  “But?” Nina Marie sensed there was more.

  “I think he’s depressed, and nothing I seem to do helps. I only make it worse the harder I try. I’m at a loss. He has asked for space.”

  “Are you going to give him the space he wants?”

  “Yes, but we’re still bound to see each other.” Olivia paused. “It’s just hard not to text and call him all the time. We’d gotten into such a routine, and now it’s all gone.”

  Nina Marie’s heart hurt for her friend. “Olivia, why don’t you come over anyway?”

  “I was ravenous when I got home, so I already ate, but thank you for the invite.”

  Nina Marie wanted to be able to help. “Is there anything else I can do?”

  “Just knowing that you’re there for me means a lot.”

  Nina Marie decided to open up a bit more. “Olivia, I’m not used to having real friends, especially girlfriends. It hurts me to see you hurting. You’ve done so much for me. If you need me, anytime, day or night, let me know.”

  “That means a lot to me,” Olivia said softly.

  “I can even bring over a tub of ice cream. Or two.”

  Oliva let out a little laugh. “I might take you up on that one day. Double fudge is my favorite.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  “Nina Marie, we’ve been through a lot together, and knowing now that you’re in my life as a friend does give me great hope.”

  “Me too. More than you could know. And I’ll be praying for you and Grant. You’ll make it through this. If anyone can, it’s you.”

  “Thank you. Call me tomorrow if you have time.”

  “Will do.” Nina Marie ended the call. Olivia had helped her out so much. It was now time for her to step up and be the friend she’d never been before.

  Eliza still felt shaky after what had happened at her house. She was meeting Stacey for coffee and hoped that she could calm herself down.

  When Stacey arrived, instead of feeling more at ease, Eliza felt worse.

  Stacey gave her a quick hug, but Eliza didn’t linger. Something was terribly off with this young woman, and now she was somehow in the middle of it all.

  “Thanks for meeting me,” Stacey said.

  “Sure. What’s on your mind?” Eliza tried to act nonchalant as she sipped her chai tea latte.

  Stacey tied her hair up in a quick bun. “Honestly, I wanted to check on you. Saturday night was super intense.”

  “Can I ask you something?” Eliza couldn’t hold back.

  “Sure.”

  “Why did you really come over to my house?” Eliza asked.

  “I wanted to see what you were all about.”

  Recognition hit her. “You were trying to see if we were for real or not.”

  “I’ll admit, that was one of the things I was doing, but I also sincerely wanted to use it as a learning experience. I’d like to expand my horizons and learn as much as I can about developing the gifts I have.”

  “And you think I can help you with that?” Eliza asked.

  Stacey shrugged. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

  Stacey perplexed Eliza. She didn’t know how someone in college could wield such power, but she had seen it with her own eyes—and it scared her to death. “I am still in a bit of shock over what I saw, and I was hoping you could help me.”

  “You’re telling me you’ve never seen anything like that before?”

  This was a completely different playing field for her. “No. I’ve felt various spirit presences multiple times. Especially when we reach out to the other side, use our Ouija board, or cast other spells. But the creatures I saw around you were almost unexplainable. In a way they were majestic, but they were also frightening. Does that make sense?”

  “Absolutely. I’ve seen them before. At first, I was frightened, but then I got over it because I realized that I’m on their team. They wouldn’t want to truly hurt me.”

  Eliza tightly gripped her cup. “But I’m not!”

  “And you’re worried they’re going to come back?” Stacey asked.

  It was even worse than that. “I don’t even know if they’ve left. I haven’t felt the same since that night.”

  “What do you say we make a deal?”

  The hair on Eliza’s neck stood up because she wasn’t sure she was going to like Stacey’s bargain. “Let’s hear it.”

  “I’ll get them to b
ack off of you if you help me expand my spiritual repertoire.”

  Eliza couldn’t believe Stacey’s offer. “You want me to teach you? Just a minute ago you said you didn’t even know if I was for real.”

  “I still don’t, but I think you have skills I could use. Even if you aren’t the proper vessel for them, I might be. I need to unlock my full potential, and what I’m learning from Morena and those at Optimism is only one piece. They’re all cut from the same cloth. You, on the other hand, bring something fresh and unique, and I think I could capitalize on that.”

  “But I don’t want any part of the demons or evil spirits or anything like that. Whatever they are, I want them to leave me alone. If you can assure me that will happen, then I will help you. But the moment they pop back up, we’re done. That’s the only way I’ll do it.” And Eliza meant it.

  Stacey smiled. “Don’t you worry about them. I’ll get them in line. They’ll listen to me.”

  Eliza wasn’t so sure. “And how can you be confident that you can control them? No offense, Stacey, but you’re a young woman who hasn’t even been on this playing field for that long.”

  Stacey beamed. “Because I know for a fact I’m special. I’m destined for greatness.”

  Eliza feared that Stacey’s ambition would prove dangerous. “I’d give you a friendly word of caution. I’m not sure exactly what those things were in my house, but I can tell you this. I’d be more careful if I were you. You may get lulled into a false sense of security, and the next thing you know, it’s all over.”

  Stacey scoffed. “I promise you that is not going to happen. Don’t worry another thought about me. I’m perfectly fine. You’re the one we need to deal with.”

  “All right. Please come to my house and make sure that nothing is there. I haven’t even been able to sleep at home. I had to go spend the night at Randi’s.”

  “That bad?” Stacey asked.

  “Yes. Which is why I need you to stop it.”

  Stacey nodded. “I can do that.”

  “And why would they keep bothering me?” Eliza asked.

  “Maybe they realize that you do actually have potential too, and they want you on our side.”

  “Or maybe they don’t want us to be friends.”

  “I don’t think they care that much about our friendship,” Stacey said.

  “I’m not taking any chances. Please come back to my place and help me out.” Eliza was convinced she really needed Stacey’s help.

  Stacey frowned. “I’m sorry. I never wanted you to be harassed like this.”

  “Just make it stop and we’ll be all good.” Eliza needed some peace of mind and hoped she’d be able to get it. But she couldn’t help feeling her life had been forever changed the day she invited Stacey into her home.

  Chapter Seven

  On Sunday morning, Olivia walked into Windy Ridge Community Church with an unease that wasn’t familiar. Usually, church was her safe space, but she knew she might see Grant for the first time since their breakup. If he even showed up. There was a part of her that wondered if he would come to the service today.

  She walked into the atrium and immediately saw Pastor Dan. She went over and gave him a hug, and she could see the concern in his eyes.

  “How’re you holding up?” Dan asked.

  “I’ve been better. Do you think Grant is going to show today?” she couldn’t help but ask.

  Dan looked away. “I’m not sure. I hope he does. I told him breaking away from the church wasn’t going to solve his problems.”

  That was the truth. But sometimes it was easier to bail in the short term. “You’ve got others to talk to. I won’t keep you.”

  He placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’m there for Grant, but I’m also here for you too, Olivia. I hope you don’t think you’d be imposing. Those in this flock are never imposing when they seek help. My door is always open.”

  And she knew that, but it was good to hear it. “Thank you. Looking forward to your message today.” She made her way into the chapel and sat in her normal seat in her regular row, wondering if Grant was going to show up.

  Olivia tapped her foot as she waited for the service to start. She thought Grant had probably decided not to come today, but right when the worship team walked onto the stage, Grant came and sat down beside her in his normal seat.

  She looked over at him, but he avoided eye contact. At least he was there. That said something to her. He hadn’t completely shut down. Maybe Dan had gotten through to him, but she wouldn’t get her hopes up. And besides, this was the Lord’s time, not hers. She tried to refocus and get in the right mind-set for worship.

  Olivia stood as the music began to play. She loved singing, so she had no problem pouring herself into the worship set. Then she listened attentively while Dan delivered the sermon, but she had to remind herself every few minutes not to get derailed and start thinking about Grant. It was hard with him sitting right there next to her. Lord, please help Grant. Give him peace and strength.

  As Dan said the closing prayer, she peeked over at Grant, and her heart broke. He had his head down in his hands, clearly in pain. Lord, what can I do? She wanted to reach out and touch him, to provide him with a show of affection, but she held back.

  When the service ended, it was the moment of truth. Was he going to speak to her? What would he say? What would she say?

  One thing for sure, she couldn’t let him get up and walk out of there without her saying something to him.

  “Hey,” she said.

  Grant turned toward her. “Hey.”

  “Glad you made it today.” As the words came out, she realized how cheesy she sounded. She hated this awkwardness between them.

  “I figured it could only help.”

  They would normally go eat together after church, but that wasn’t going to happen today. She could accept that, though. Even if she didn’t like it. “Well, hopefully it did help.”

  Grant shrugged. “Maybe so.”

  This was going nowhere fast. “Anything new on your case?”

  “Nothing major. We have the mediation coming up.” He stared off in the distance.

  It hurt her that he didn’t make eye contact, but she pushed forward. “If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.”

  Grant nodded. “My lawyer has things under control for now.” He paused. “Well, I’m going to get out of here.”

  “It was good to see you,” she said softly.

  “Yeah.” For a moment he locked eyes with her, but he didn’t say anything else before turning and walking away.

  Layton sat in his office at Optimism across from Morena. She had quickly become his right-hand woman, and he relied on her. So when she’d requested a meeting, he’d immediately obliged. The curly haired blonde was beautiful, but they had a very familial relationship. He’d never considered making a move on her. He was an only child, but Morena felt like his little sister.

  “What’s on your mind?” he asked.

  “A few things I need to update you on.”

  There was none of the usual lightness in her voice. That got his attention. Something must be wrong. “Give it to me straight.”

  “It’s a mixed bag actually. The good news is I found out we have a new neighbor in our complex.”

  “Who?”

  Morena smiled. “We got lucky this time. Olivia’s legal clinic has opened right here on our turf.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “I am,” Morena responded.

  “Did she do that on purpose?”

  “From the digging I’ve been able to do, it looks like the lease was negotiated between BCR and the owner, so I have no idea if Olivia was involved or if the firm took care of the real estate angle.”

  “Well, this could be good, right? Keep your enemies close. We’ll be able to track what she’s doing and see if she’s just providing legal services or something more.” Layton didn’t care about Olivia’s legal work, per se. What he did care abo
ut was if Olivia was using the clinic to promote her beliefs and try to turn unsuspecting women to her ways.

  “We’ll be keeping close tabs and will report back.”

  Another idea struck him. “I’ll also pop in and pay her a visit. I’m sure she’ll love that.”

  “Good.” Morena made some notes. “Next item, I spoke to Louise, and Grant’s lawsuit is about to heat up.”

  “Do we have details on the allegations?” He would like to know that.

  “A woman is suing him for malpractice over a slip and fall case. Basically saying that she lost the jury trial because of his incompetence. We’re still working on getting specifics, but Louise thinks there’s going to be an initial mediation. The insurance company has provided a lawyer for Grant.”

  “Do we know who the woman’s lawyer is?”

  Morena kept taking notes. “I can find out. What’re you thinking?”

  “Depending on how good of a lawyer they are, maybe we could assist with additional representation.”

  Morena smiled. “Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

  Layton nodded. “Grant had every opportunity to walk away from all of this and go on with his life. I would’ve left him alone, but when he aligned with Olivia, he gave me no choice.”

  “I think it’s a great idea. I’ll circle back with Louise and get right on it.”

  Layton lifted up his hand. “Wait a minute. Wasn’t Stacey going to be doing the leg work on this one?”

  “That’s the last thing I wanted to talk to you about. I offered to take it off her plate, but I had an ulterior motive.”

  He didn’t like the sound of where this might be heading. “Tell me.”

  “Something is up with her. She met Eliza Fitzpatrick at Indigo, and I think she’s been seeing her even though I told her not to.”

  “And remind me, who is Eliza?”

  “The newest head witch of the local Wiccans.”

  He blew out a breath. “Stacey deliberately defied you?”

  Morena nodded. “Stacey is a handful. She’s determined and headstrong. Plus, she has a strong craving for learning and is curious. I think she wanted to check out what the Wiccans in Windy Ridge were all about.”