HJ wrinkles her nose and leans in for a closer look before taking a step back. "Don't you think that would bother her? To be sexualized like that? I mean she was one of the strongest Magical Practitioners in the Kingdom. That kind of thing demands respect, and this almost seems like it's a caricature, or poking fun at her."
Before Narcissa can do anything beyond groan, Bandit slams his sleeve back into place. He leans in imposingly, using his almost foot height difference on HJ to intimidate her as much as possible. He slides his sunglasses partially down his nose so the venom in his eyes can’t be missed, though the eyes are red rimmed and he is clearly in pain, the daggers unmistakably pointed at the woman Narcissa knows will someday be his mate.
"That sort of ignorance shows how little you know about Narcissa as a person. Why don't you run along, little white witch. Go back to whatever goody two shoes magic you waste your time with and let those of us who knew Narcissa mourn for her." He slides the glasses back up his nose and takes his time standing up straight again before giving her one last snarl and turning, heading straight for Buccaneer several yards away.
HJ stands stunned where he left her. She watches after him with her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide. A moment later her sisters surround her clucking at her with questions. With a deep sigh, Narcissa takes two steps back; Harold follows.
"Well, that went extremely well," Harold jokes, trying to make light.
Narcissa gives him a blank look before rolling her eyes. "I can't leave knowing they’re like this. Buccaneer and Bandit have been my family for most of my life. I can't just abandon one of them before he has a chance to start the mating process. Although I didn't quite understand it at first I think they'll be really good for each other if someone would just give him and HJ a little nudge."
"Maybe," Harold responds thoughtfully. "But you're not there to do it and I don't know of any other MPs, at least not near your caliber, who can do any kind of love magic the way you do."
Narcissa scans the crowd at the MPs still milling around at the gravesite. They are waiting until everybody else leaves to have their own mini ceremony as is done with honored members of the Magical Practitioner community. It won’t be much, a spell here or there since she was buried and not cremated as was usually custom. The spells will be so nobody can use her body or her magic to do anything nefarious. As she is scanning her eyes lock on Lucia.
The younger woman is dabbing at her violet eyes with a tissue, standing between Barrett and Marco. An idea strikes her and she slowly turns to Harold.
"Oh, I don't like that look. That look gets us into trouble every single time." He frowns, taking a step back and folding his arms across his chest.
"You're right, there aren't any strong Magical Practitioners who can do the kind of magic I can do when it comes to matchmaking. But that doesn't mean we can't transfer my ability to somebody else. I'm dead. I will not be using it and even if it still worked for me at this point there's nothing I can do about it, as most people can't see the spirit world. But if we give it to somebody else she can continue the work." As she says it out loud Narcissa knows it sounds insane but she also knows it can work if she and Harold work together. "I'm pretty sure if you and I put our heads together we can figure this out."
The groan that rolls up next to her is so loud and so frustrated it end on a whine. "Why do I think you already have someone in mind for this?" Harold asks in a voice one usually reserves for speaking to a toddler throwing a tantrum.
Narcissa's attention is drawn away from both Lucia and Harold a moment as she watches members of the spirit world in the area. Drawn by all the Magical Practitioners concentrated in one spot, they seem to have made a ring around the part of the cemetery they are in. None of them seem brave enough to get close enough to cause any issues and Narcissa promises herself she will stay put until the last of the MPs leaves just to make sure nobody gets into any trouble.
She shakes her head to clear it then turns her attention back to Harold. "Yes, I do. I think it's about time Lucia take up the mantle of being the MP I know she can be if she only sets her mind to it and stops thinking about herself."
Her longtime friend seems to think about that a moment, slowly he nods. "I could see that working actually. It would work on both ends. But I think first and foremost we need to reach out to Clara. She's the only one I can think of, off the top of my head, who might be able to hear us in this form. If we can get her to contact Rex maybe the four of us can think of something with some kind of expedience. I don't know about you but I would really like to get off this plane as fast as possible. I do not want to be stuck wandering around in the spirit world when trouble is brewing."
Narcissa refrains from comment. If remaining in the spirit world helps others she’ll do it, hands down, with no further thought. But now isn’t the time for that kind of discussion. So she nods and the two of them watch as the MPs still at her gravesite perform the kind of sending off that befits a leader of the community.
Chapter 8
"No! I want nothing to do with what you're talking about," Lucia barks at Narcissa and Harold. "I do not want the kind of responsibility that comes with meddling in people's love lives."
Narcissa's head is shaking. It took Clara, Rex, Harold, and herself only a few hours to come up with a plan they were all fairly certain would work. It took both Harold and Narcissa reciting the spell to get enough juice to make it happen. After all, they are more or less forcing this on Lucia, meaning they needed to magically overpower her shields, which were luckily already low since they see her in a dream.
The more Lucia continues backing away in protest, the more Narcissa is positive this was the right thing to do. Lucia has skated on her abilities and strength for a long time. She has the standing in the community to really be a pillar they’ll need in this coming battle if only she would step up and take that place. Being able to see people's love lives will connect her to the community in a stronger, more individual manner. It will put her in people's lives, out of her comfort zone, in undeniable ways.
"It's the right thing to do, Lucia. This is the kind of ability that can't go dormant waiting for somebody to be born with it. The men and women of the Night World need someone on the lookout to give them a gentle nudge in the right direction when the time comes. I really believe that person needs to be you. I've been telling you for years I thought you could be more than you are giving yourself credit for. I also let several key people know I am giving you my seat on the Council."
That last statement makes Lucia stop, her arms drop to her sides, her mouth opens and eyes widen. "You… You did what? I'm not the right sort of person to be on the Council. There are so many other people that could do it…" Her words trail off and as Narcissa watches, Lucia searches her head for somebody who qualifies enough to take that spot.
Other than the two men she lives with, who she isn’t about to volunteer for such a job, Narcissa knows she isn’t able to come up with anyone. Someone on the Council needs to have connections, power, and be able to stand up for themselves against all odds. MPs might have one or two of those things but it is rare to get all three.
The young woman in front of them wilts. "But why love lives? I know you have many different abilities, why is this one so important to you?"
Narcissa takes a step forward, seeing that they are finally making headway. "Because, as I know you're well aware, love can be the rock you hold onto in a storm. It can rip you apart and put you back together. With what we've seen coming down the pike, love is pretty much the one thing I think is going to help you guys out. It's the one thing I can do anyway." She can’t very well say her main motivation is selfish, or reveal she wants to look out for Bandit and HJ because she knows that argument won’t convince anyone.
But as she speaks she feels threads of truth in her statements. For whatever reason the cosmos are letting her know that her words aren’t lies, or an exaggeration to get what she wants. They may have started o
ut that way but in the end, this is really something that will make a difference. Normally Narcissa would to take the time to explore that feeling and find out just exactly what is happening but there isn’t time for that. So she concentrates on the younger woman in front of them who is being forced to take up a mantle she might not be quite ready for.
"It's not an easy ability to have. Coming into a new ability as an adult is rare. So it's harder to deal with. Not to mention the way this works is once you know of a pair you have to do what you can to put them together. If you ignore it—and trust me I know this from first-hand experience—the ability will grow like a headache and eventually you'll even see pairings amongst mundane couples and not just Night Worlders. You see the pairs everywhere and you itch uncontrollably to set them up. It is incredibly unpleasant, so I don't recommend you let it get that far."
Though he has been standing farther back, letting Narcissa do all the talking, Harold now steps forward to stand next to Narcissa on her right, gaining Lucia's attention. "Look, I don't want to force this on you if you're adamantly against it. But Lucia, one of the strongest Magical Practitioners I know is dead set on this happening and she doesn't make up her mind on something this quickly unless it's important."
Lucia bites her lower lip, her violet eyes shifting from one of them to the other and back again. "What are the side effects?"
It takes everything in Narcissa not to celebrate and cheer at Lucia's words; she concentrates on keeping herself a pleasant blank. "We don't know. Neither of us or the people we consulted have done this before. This is a first experience for everyone."
"Oh, well that always ends well." Lucia scrubs her forehead with both hands before making an aggravated noise and slamming her hands to fists by her side. "Fine, do it before I reconsider if you are convinced this is necessary. From the looks on your faces I don't like what you see in the future of the Night World. I'm worried for all of us, especially considering all the stuff you sent me in the mail already. Let's just do it before I think too much about it."
Harold and Narcissa exchange glances and they both shrug. It isn't exactly an enthusiastic agreement. Both of them walk to the younger woman, each putting out a hand, clasping just above each of Lucia's elbows then hold hands.
They got the words from an old spell they memorized from one of the books Narcissa sent Rex when all of this nonsense started.
After a few seconds Narcissa feels a glow in her chest. It is odd, her eyes are closed so she can see the energy over her heart turning brighter than the rest of her energy and coming alive. It looks like if she could touch it, it would be warm and soft like a cat. Slowly that one section moves forward. It separates from the rest of her energy, slowly and painfully. It feels like someone is yanking her hair out from the root. The ball of energy is about the size of her palm and glows brightly. Once it's separated Narcissa can feel a hole in her energy where it used to be. While the gap fills quickly from what she sees with her mind’s eye, she feels a hollow spot in her chest. The ball rolls down her arm, slowly growing brighter and picking up speed. After a moment it crashes through her palm and into Lucia.
Narcissa can tell Harold knows the exact moment the power hits Lucia because he lets go of her arm with a start. He doesn’t want to touch her as Narcissa's power merges with the younger woman's in case something backfires.
As they chant, the power rolls up Lucia’s arm. Narcissa feels her stiffen; she clearly isn’t comfortable with somebody else's power rolling along her own. The ball settles, that glowing orb stops moving in much the same place as it did on Narcissa. It reaches out, the fuzzy outside becomes like tendrils ripping at Lucia's power, forcing it upon the rest of her energy, worming and digging its way into her chest. Making her energy accept it and intertwining with Lucia as if it were a patch on a rug.
After several minutes they finally finish. Although if you look hard enough you can see the outline of the ability that doesn’t belong in Lucia's energy, it doesn’t stand out. Narcissa hopes eventually that hole heals and her energy absorbs the particular ability fully. A very powerful MP, with the right spell, could rip it from her; that is the last thing any of them want. She is almost positive that once Lucia fully accepts the gift it will begin to meld into her, but she doesn’t know how long that will be and is certainly not confident it will be anytime soon.
Once it becomes clear that’s the best they can do to connect it, Narcissa lets go of Lucia’s arm and steps back, dropping their hands.
After a few moments of Harold and Narcissa watching her, Lucia opens her eyes. She looks weary, as if the weight of the world is on her shoulders. "I can already tell I'm not going to like this ability. I figured I wouldn't. But I'm going to hate it."
Her tone sounds much like a young child who's accepted the fact Santa Claus doesn't exist. It makes Narcissa wonder if in transferring that specific ability she or Harold transferred something else, some knowledge only they possess, or some other ability, or some kind of information from beyond the veil that Lucia shouldn't have in the first place. There is no way to be sure as energies aren’t easy to identify. Looking at the younger woman Narcissa is positive that even though it was relatively effortless, something about it isn’t right. She doesn’t know what, but something didn’t go according to plan. If they had more time maybe she could ferret out what it is.
There is a whoosh and Narcissa turns to see a glowing light with two figures standing in it.
"Ha, well it seems this was meant to happen after all; it looks like your ride is here," Lucia mutters, scoffing from behind Narcissa and Harold.
"You can see that?" Harold asks over their shoulder at the younger woman.
"Oddly enough you two are not the first I've seen crossover. Narcissa, for what it's worth, I'm going to miss you nagging me and trying to feed me when I come to visit you. I'm sorry I didn't come as much as you asked me to."
At the younger woman's last words Narcissa turns and looks at her. Those violet eyes are glassy and Narcissa's heart cracks. She takes Lucia, although Lucia is taller than Narcissa by several inches, and engulfs the younger woman in a tight hug. After a beat Lucia embraces her back. Narcissa remembers being young and skyrocketing into center stage. It is a hard journey ahead of Lucia but Narcissa would not have pushed it if she didn't think the other woman could rise to the challenge.
"It'll be hard for a while. And I can't guarantee everything will turn out all right. Keep a lookout and try to stay on top of things. Don't let the King of the American Warriors railroad you; he is prone to do that. Try to keep the Magical Practitioners involved. I'm pretty sure we can't afford to isolate ourselves with what's coming," Narcissa whispers in the younger woman's ears before giving one last squeeze and taking a step back.
Lucia gazes at her and folds her arms across her own chest in a self-comforting gesture. "Come back and pay us a visit if you see something coming down the line we need to know, okay?" The younger woman's voice comes out quiet and meek.
"We'll do what we can," Narcissa answers.
The two women look at each other a second more before Narcissa turns and stands again beside Harold, both of them looking into the light.
"I think that's my Jane waiting in that light. Which means, though I never met him, I'm willing to put money on the taller one is Lloyd." Her long-time friend’s voice was chokes up as he says it.
Odds are one of the people waiting in the light is Lloyd but she tried not to hope because she needed to make sure she said those parting words to Lucia before she went.
"All right then. Best not to keep them waiting any longer than they already have."
Taking a deep breath, Narcissa strides toward the bright glowing light and to the tall, thin male standing in it. It takes less than a moment for Harold to catch up with her. The two of them briskly stride the last few yards. Not that they are paying close attention to each other. Narcissa barely registers that he is walking beside her as the tall, thin silhouette in front
of her comes more and more into view, and that view is of Lloyd. Her heart races and tears sting her eyes at the site of her long lost love.
She's seen him in dreams over the years but this, this is different. This is the reunion they always knew they had coming and have been waiting for. As she steps into that bright light, she feels her clothing change and glances down to see the light changed her into a late teen, in her favorite yellow sundress, the one she wore when she and Lloyd went down to the courthouse to get married.
Her heart feels as if it is growing in her chest. She runs the last few blurry steps to Lloyd, whose arms are open. Narcissa leaps into his arms, crying freely, happier than ever.
She hears the masculine chuckle in her ear as his arms enclose around her tightly and lift her off the ground, twirling them both in a circle. Her arms are like a vice around his neck and she can’t bring herself to let go, only holding tighter when the spinning stops, worried if she lets go he’ll fade away. That if she stops touching him he’ll disappear from her life again, making this reunion a lie.
"You always were my little troublemaker. Always doing things your own way," comes a low chuckle in her left ear.
Lloyd sets her down after he speaks but keeps his arms around her waist, which is fine by Narcissa as she slides her hands down onto his chest, not quite ready to break contact yet.
"What do you mean by that?" She can’t help her curiosity at the first words he says to her.
One arm lets go of her waist and comes up to her face to push back some wayward black curls behind her ear. The gentleness he does it with and the love shining on his face make her eyes sting again.
"Sending your matchmaking ability elsewhere. Nobody saw that coming. That wasn't even in any of the options anyone saw. You really threw a curveball. And the funny thing is the MPs I know over across the veil say they are seeing the same thing I am. New branches are growing off of what you did and most of them are vastly more pleasant than any of the options were before." He turns slightly to encompass Harold and his wife Jane, whom Narcissa hasn't seen for ten years, when the other woman passed from cancer.
Visions Across the Veil Page 8