“Cora really is an heiress,” Malia commented. “Her name is Clara Turner.”
An image of the blue helicopter that carried Cora, my Second Momma, and Tyra away materialized over the lake, still proudly boasting the words Turner Imports. I froze it so our picnic wouldn’t be ruined. When my sisters acknowledged the helicopter, I let it disappear.
“The Turner family has run their business for over a century,” Nadia explained. “They are quite prosperous, and power comes with such wealth. The mission I referred to earlier involves making good use of the vast empire of contacts available to the family.”
After a slight pause to digest the new information, I voiced a question I thought I knew the answer to.
“Are the two in need of healing Tyra and Ethan?”
I got two confirming nods.
“We will not know their fate for some time,” Nadia said, before I could ask if they thought the healing would work.
“Can’t we help?” I wondered.
“We will lend what support we can,” Nadia promised.
“Their problems aren’t solely physical, and my Gifts only provide temporary fixes to emotions.” Malia sighed deeply. “Perhaps one day I will have enough control to let me heal more thoroughly, but I’m not ready for a task like that yet.”
A new question popped into mind and out my mouth. That’s probably a good thing ’cause I mighta forced myself to hold the question in.
“Can Dr. Lanier be helped?”
“When the time is right, I will reach out to him again, but not everybody can be reasoned with.” Nadia kept the words gentle ’cause she wanted to lighten the weight of ’em. “See what his dreams tell you and draw your own conclusion, but be cautious. His waking mind holds some very dark thoughts.”
Absently rewarming and refilling my forgotten tea, I gazed out over the peaceful lake and let the scene cheer me. A couple of minutes passed while I sipped and studied the view. The mountains created deep shadows on the lake’s left side. The water looked like a glass sheet reflecting the lovely deep blue shade of the sky. Red patches formed blurry mirror images of more mountains on the water’s surface, making it look like somebody had spilled paint on the lake.
“We’ve got to get out more,” I muttered. Envy for Malia’s freedom to live with her new family and go to school like a normal kid sprang up, but I forced the feeling away and concentrated on finishing the cinnamon tea.
Nadia and Malia smiled agreement.
“The need to hide will not last forever,” Nadia promised. Standing, she said, “Come, let us explore this place before going to a deeper rest this night.” She walked to the edge of the deck. “Jillian, would you mind creating stairs? This is a very long jump.”
I really gotta pay more attention to finishing dream structures.
Epilogue:
ITEM 231: Carla Wittier’s eighth letter
Item Source: Dr. Carla M. Wittier
To Dr. Stephanie Sokolowski:
I am touched by how often these children seek to rehabilitate their foes. They really do have good hearts. Whether they succeed or not with Dr. Lanier, I hope the man spends much time behind bars. If they cannot hold him in prison, a mental hospital would be my next suggestion. I have dabbled some with interviewing violent criminals, but I must admit Dr. Lanier sounds like a much more chilling individual.
Thank you for keeping me appraised of the situation. Your news had multiple impacts upon me. I am pleased that Danielle has safely returned to college and started working with Nadia. I am also relieved to hear how well Malia has fared with the Davidsons. However, the part about keeping Jillian away from home is most upsetting. The danger facing these children seems not to have abated much.
Have you talked to Varick about these incidents? Despite everything, he took the time to check on my welfare. That says much about his sense of nobility. My discussions with him confirm that Danielle’s summary of Varick is fair and accurate. He seems to be taking the unexpected end to his quest for freeing Nadia well for now, but the distraction of other dangers will not last. Do what you can to encourage him to properly heal from the disappointment. I will do the same, and perhaps one of us will reach him.
The revelation of Cora as Clara Turner is intriguing. One hardly hears of a young lady leaving behind the sort of wealth most people would gladly ruin others over. I hope things go well for her, and I am glad Evelyn Carnasis stands with her through the re-integration with the Turner family. Friends are important through stressful situations.
Nadia reports that the younger children are comfortable in their current locations. She says the progress with Aiden’s training is slow but steady. She also announced that nobody has bothered the Connelly family or Anastasia. Michio recently referred to Mrs. Blairington as his mother. Varick says he delivered some paperwork to the Blairingtons that would allow them to enroll Michio in school. Both are indeed grand steps forward for the child’s wellbeing. The only conspicuous hole in Nadia’s report was Dustin. His close connection to Dr. Devya concerns me. Sooner or later he will be forced to choose between his siblings and his father.
Thank you once again for keeping me updated.
Warm regards,
Carla M. Wittier, Ph.D.
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Devya’s Children Series (YA Science Fiction):
The Dark Side of Science (Prequel)
Ashlynn’s Dreams (Book 1)
Nadia’s Tears (Book 2)
Malia’s Miracles (Book 3)
Short Stories:
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts: Helping Mr. Blairington and Other Misadventures
Heartfelt Cases Series (Christian Mystery):
The Quinn Case (novelette in the book Where the Light May Lead)
The Collins Case (Book 1) free novella
The Kiverson Case (Book 2)
The Davidson Case (Book 3)
The Keres Case (A Heartfelt Cases Novel)
Sydney Rye Kindle World Novella:
Ghost Girl Files 1: Fatal Interest
Lei Crime Series Kindle World Novellas:
Defining Moments Episode I: Never Again
Shadow Council Series Book 1: Money Makes it Deadlier
Shadow Council Series Book 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter
Shadow Council Series Book 3: Christmas Makes it Chaos
Shadow Council Series Book 4: Treachery Makes it Tense
Varick's Quest (Devya's Children Book 4) Page 25