Raina looked at Lady Doreen in surprise, she had never seen the lady of the elven people so angry and had never heard her voice so full of venom. The man quickly sat and sank back into the room.
****
The coven was called, and all arrived at the Fairbairn house within the hour. Reba had them meet her in the green room while she worked on some herbs. It took about an hour to give every detail of the situation to them all, catching them up with what the others were doing and then left the words to hang in the air while they thought of what their next step could be.
Zachary spoke up first, “What do you want us to do?”
Reba smiled, “find my niece!”
Zachary nodded and left the room; one by one each member of the coven did the same. They all went their own directions in search of the missing witch and those who took her.
CHAPTER 20
Day four of Elizabeth missing: With less than three hours sleep, Wesley, Sari, Reba, and Raina met up once again in town to search for Elizabeth. Jewel had nearly recovered fully and had the fairies searching one half of the town and they would take the other. The elves, outside of Wesley, would cover the mountain and woods and the coven would cover the area outside of town where Edom had once worked to overthrow them.
They started by researching the owner of the home that Keenan led them to the day before. “He went to school with Elizabeth and inherited the house from his grandparents. His name is Joseph Wilson. According to social media, he is friends with Jeremy and loves to party…apparently too much. There are also some posts that seem to suggest he has a dark side.”
“A dark side?” Sari asked.
“Yeah, here let me show you…” Wesley pulled up a page that Joseph shared many posts from. The page spoke about torture, murder, and ways to do it without getting caught. Sari gasped, Raina tried to comfort her sister. “It’s not any better with the other things he visited on the internet. Seems like this young party boy likes to hurt others for pure enjoyment and right now Elizabeth is his newest plaything.”
“You and that boy, Keenan, couldn’t reach her? Feel her? Nothing?” Raina fired off her questions rapidly.
Wesley shook his head, “Someone came in and messed with the scents, with magic, and he couldn’t get a clear picture of anything once he was inside here. As for the link, I don’t know why but I can’t feel her…it’s like she is asleep. I can never feel her when she is sleeping or… blocking me.”
“Well, she wouldn’t block you! She can’t be asleep for four days!” Reba growled, “unless,” she quieted down quickly, “they sedated her.” She turned to Sari.
Sari stood there solemnly. Her thoughts racing, her heart thumping hard in her ears. She felt the power inside her swell and threaten to overflow if she didn’t control it. “Sedated. It’s the only way she’d sleep this long. But that would also mean anything can happen to her and she couldn’t do anything about it.”
Just then Wesley’s phone rang, quickly he pulled it out and answered, “Hello. Yeah. Oh? Okay. Be right there then!” he hung up the phone and looked up to see the women waiting impatiently to fill them in. “Jewels father. They found Jeremy.”
Reba turned to leave, “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go. I have a nephew to talk to.” Raina, Sari and Wesley jogged to catch up with the oldest sister. They all got into Sari’s SUV and drove to the destination Wesley gave them.
The address took them to the outskirts of a town away, forty-three minutes was the length of a long silent drive. When Sari turned into a dirt drive and arrived at a run-down mobile home with overgrown grass and weeds, she looked at Wesley. “Are you sure?”
“This is the address they sent me,” he replied as he climbed out, the women followed quickly.
Sari and her sisters stopped short a few yards of the trailer, stood side by side using their gifts to determine the safety of the trailer. “No wards. No … nothing. No one is here,” Reba spoke slowly as they worked together to assess the situation.
“Well if no one is here, then I guess no one will mind if I take a look around and see what is going on!” Wesley made quick work of the door lock and entered the trailer. Inside the air was musky and rank. “Smells like it rained and sat in here for weeks. I can’t imagine the Jeremy I knew would live here.”
Raina held her hand over her nose, “This is just bad. Sari, can you clear the air?” Sari nodded, shook her hands at her said and began to whisper. The wind outside picked up and started to blow through the trailer allowing the old, rancid air to escape its captivity.
“Back here!” Reba called out from the furthest point in the trailer. The three in the front of the trailer turned quickly to find Reba and what she had found. What they discovered disturbed them all. Sari covered her mouth in shock. Raina propped herself up on the wall to support her as she took in the view in the room.
The walls were covered with photos of them all - Elizabeth, Sari, Reba, Raina, Wesley, the coven members and their families, the elves, the fairies, and the humans helping them. Strings attached to photos led to sheets of papers with intricate details of their schedules, places of work, and frequented businesses. The most shocking part of all was the center of this chaos. A scattering of at least ten photos of Elizabeth with information on her gifts, who she talks to, her school schedule, information on her car, and so much more. Her life was listed out like a stats report for whoever was in this room to see. They could find her or any of them anywhere, anytime.
“There’s no sign of Jeremy but this is his writing. I’d recognize it anywhere!” Sari growled as she turned to the wall on her right to discover newspaper clippings about Edom and his death.
Raina began taking pictures of everything. Hearing the click, click, click of the phone’s camera rang loudly in Wesley’s ear. The elf stood in the middle of the three women, anger building up, fear threatening to escape him. Suddenly he roared and began tearing everything down from the wall. “No! Stop! We need all this. Don’t destroy it!” Yelled Raina.
Reba and Sari tried to pull Wesley back. He knew he had to escape. In his anger he shook them off, throwing them to the side and ran out. His anger made him see red. In human form, he couldn’t track, but in animal form his panther could track his prey for miles. Before the two women made it outside, Wesley had shifted and got a scent and was off. “Come on, he’s gone. Let him go. Let’s help Raina get all this and take it home,” Reba said as she turned to go back inside.
Sari overwhelmed with emotion, sat on the aging stairs of the trailer and stared into nothing. Her worry for Elizabeth was now compounded with her concern for Wesley but knowing a mother’s worry she quickly called Lady Doreen to fill her in on the details of the day so far.
“I think we have it all. Let’s get home. We’ll call the coven members on the way and get them to meet us there. We have work to do,” Raina said as she focused on solving the mystery of what was going on and what was happening to her family. She couldn’t let fear override her thoughts or she’d be lost in this and wouldn’t be of any use to her sisters or niece.
CHAPTER 21
Waking to a terrible headache, Elizabeth jolted upright. Well, as upright as someone who is tied up on a dirty concrete floor can jolt. The room was dirty and musty, like an old boiler room that hadn’t been used in decades. She could hear water dripping from somewhere in the shadows. The amount of light that trickled off dirty lightbulb swinging from the ceiling was just enough to see that no one was near her. Realizing her hands and feet were tied, Elizabeth struggled against her restraints. Her head wasn’t clear enough to cast a spell or bring her fire forward, she was in danger and had nothing more than her smarts to get her out of this. As a slight breeze wafted through, she could feel the cuts on her arms and legs, shuddering in pain without control.
Knowing she was in real danger, she knew she had to take control of the situation and had to stay calm to do that. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths and slowly released them. As each breath was
released, Elizabeth could feel the tension easing up, but the pains of her injuries were rising to the top. Keeping her mind clear, she had to figure out what was happening. What happened, was all she kept asking herself. The last thing she remembered was her vision going blurry in the cafe and Wesley’s head on the table. The cafe was nearly empty and the waitress, along with her friend Jewel, was missing. Who could have done this? Why?
Opening her eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, she could make out the outlines of the mechanical equipment around her. It was a boiler room, in the old school across town that shut down more than thirty years ago was her best guess. The air was rank and musty, the concrete cold and wet. Her pants were now moist from soaking in the condensation from the concrete. A chill came over her as she became more aware of her surroundings. Her legs were out straight in front of her with her ankles tied tightly with rope. She wriggled her legs to see if there was any leeway, none. Her hands were tied behind her back with rope and more rope around her chest, this should be simple enough to wriggle out of.
Squirming the ropes upward around her chest, they soon gave way allowing her to move her arms a bit more. She remembered taking a self-defense class where they taught the girls to bring their arms from behind their backs through their feet, so that they would now be in front instead of behind them. This took time and energy Elizabeth was afraid to waist, so she took it slowly. Lying on the floor on her side she wriggled her hands under her butt and then bent her knees upward. Once her hands were behind her knees, she could reach the rope at her feet. Instead of trying to manipulate her body any more than that, she worked on the knot at her ankles. Every few moments she’d stop to listen to see if anyone was coming, silence other than that annoying dripping water.
Finally pulling apart the final part of the knot, Elizabeth freed her feet, one by one she pulled them through her arms and was now able to stand. Standing too fast, she fell against the wall grasping her head with both hands, Elizabeth struggled to regain herself. What did they give her? Her head throbbed and ached along with her stomach. What time was it? She patted her pockets for her phone but no luck. She was completely and utterly alone. Able to see the knot holding her wrists together Elizabeth knew she could get it loose, but it’d take some work and time, of which there was none to spare.
She decided to start walking and working the knot at the same time. Looking down the long hall towards the left there was a tiny spec of a light that she hoped would lead her out. She thought of the horror movie that said not to go into the light and laughed at herself. In this time of horror, she was truly living in, she managed to find humor to lighten her mood. Her feet were cold and just starting to warm up with the little bit movement, now she still longed for her shoes even more. Why did they take her shoes? So many questions popped into her head and she couldn’t figure it out. Still unable to conjure her magic she continued to walk. She needed to clear her head.
Clang! A loud noise made her stop still, frozen to the spot she was in. Her eyes darted side to side. Nothing. The corridor was just a long block wall on her left and decrepit equipment on her right, so she ducked in between the equipment for cover. She could hear what sounded like light footsteps but no voices. After what seemed like an eternity, she figured the noise must’ve been the equipment and started to move, just as she did, she heard the footsteps again.
Crouching low beneath the large machinery, Elizabeth could see the legs of someone walking through. Still too dark to see too much she could only tell they were very masculine, and they didn’t work there, their footwear was a pair of tennis shoes.
“I don’t see her. Are you sure she is here?” A voice said softly as it passed her by. They had a phone held up to their ear, the light was dull, but she could see it was definitely a man. “I’ve walked nearly the whole length, she’s not here!” The voice said more annoyed this time. “I don’t know where she went but damn it, she’s NOT HERE!”
Elizabeth didn’t recognize the voice right away, but she knew it sounded familiar. If only she could clear her mind and send out a message for help or conjure her fire! Either would save her right now. She stayed where she was and barely breathed. Tirelessly working the knot on her wrists, her teeth even ached now. Slowly, bit-by-bit the rope loosened and her hands were free. The man didn’t return so she figured if she went the direction he did, there was a way out! Looking around, she heard the water dripping again.
Calling up a small flame in her hand, Elizabeth looked at her surroundings and that is when she saw it…a faucet! She smelled the water at first then lightly tasted it on the tip of her tongue, once she felt it was safe enough to take a chance on, she drank heavily. Moments later her mind began to clear, and she was ready to discover who had taken her and why! She washed her face and hands thoroughly and the tops of her feet. Even though the water was freezing, she gave it a little warmth to make it bearable.
Slowly creeping from the shadows, Elizabeth peeped out from behind the equipment. She was alone. Standing tall she took a step out and turned down the direction of the man who sought her out! She held her palms up out in front of her and smiled just a bit as the flames came to life. The entire area became a battlefield of light and shadow dancing around as she walked through each section.
Hearing a voice ahead, she let her fire dwindle down to mere specks in her palms. There was no equipment to hide behind this time, it was just the two walls until the opening where the man stood with his back to her. Her steps were silent with no shoes on, his words were loud enough to cover any sounds they would have made.
“No. I didn’t find her,” his voice shaky as he ran his hand through his hair, “I really have no idea. Yeah. I know. Alright!” Pressing the end call button, the man froze. He felt the heat coming from behind him and could see the shadows that his body cast sent a chill through him. Slowly turning around his face paled as he saw his missing captive standing there with two large balls of fire erupting from her palms.
“Well hello there…” was all Elizabeth said.
CHAPTER 22
“I remember you…high school chemistry class. What was your name?” Elizabeth asked as she paced side to side. The muscular young man, looking visibly worried, only stood there with his mouth open. He had long black hair pulled back into a ponytail and wore small diamond earrings. Elizabeth never broke eye contact as she measured him up. “Not talking now? Who was on the phone?”
The young man looked at his phone then back at her. Holding the phone out to her so she could see the caller ID, she could read the name. Jeremy. He pulled the phone back and slid it into his back pocket. Swallowing hard as his eyes fixed on the fire dancing in the beautiful young witches hands. “He didn’t tell me you…were…um, what are you?” He didn’t even know how to ask the question on whether she was a witch or not. He had heard rumors but never believed, now he did and worried for his life.
Elizabeth watched him thinking, she didn’t try to read his mind as she focused on creating an atmosphere of fear with the flames and intimidation. If she were honest with herself, her own fear kept her mind cloudy enough to not use all her gifts. Only her most natural one came to life instantly and instinctively. She was growing tired of waiting for him to answer her question, so a little louder she asked… “Name?”
He rolled his eyes, “He told me I shouldn’t tell you anything personal about me. Paid me a lot to bring you down here and have fun.” His eyes began to dance as the devious thoughts swam through his head.
Elizabeth noticed how the young man’s demeanor changed when he spoke about what he was supposed to do so she decided to take it up a notch. With her left hand still holding the flames, she turned her right palm down and spread her fingers with a soft whisper, her mind was as sharp as it was going to get, one just loud enough for him to hear her chant. She directed her powers to tremble the ground beneath the concrete just under the man’s feet. A slow vibration began to tingle at his feet causing him to look down just long enough for their stare to bre
ak. Knowing she had got his full attention, she smiled while inside she felt relief.
“Was that you too?” His voice trembled.
Instead of replying Elizabeth amped up the vibration in the earth until the concrete began to crack under his feet and dirt rose up. He started to hop side to side as if the concrete would somehow melt his shoes. Elizabeth smiled again and pushed the ground to obey her will even harder. Rock formations slowly crept up from the ground and the young witch enjoyed what she saw. Her captor shaking in fear from such minor threats when only moments ago the devil danced in his eyes.
The guy looked back and forth from her to the ground beneath him, “Okay. Okay. I’m Joseph. Now stop with… that … whatever that is. What the hell is going on?”
“I should be asking what’s going on!” Elizabeth yelled. “I should be making demands. So, tell me,” she faced him and let the fire climb up her arms, taking a small step closer to him the flames flared, “tell me now, everything! Who told you to take me?”
He tried to step back as she came forward but stumbled before right himself. Elizabeth only smiled and let the fire flare towards him, as if tasting the air near him before trying to engulf him. Stuttering, “I. I. Well, Jeremy. Jeremy. Paid me. I wasn’t. Going. To hurt you of course. I. Um. Well, I can get you out of here,” he pleaded with her.
She sidestepped him, allowing him to pass by her and choose a direction down the corridor. She held a flaming hand out gesturing for him to lead the way. “Go ahead, get us out of here. What time is it?”
Joseph looked slipped his phone out and then stopped. Quickly glanced at her, “you realize it’s been days since you’ve been gone. Days!”
Awakening Fate (The Chronicles of Elizabeth Fairbairn Book 4) Page 9