“But you talk to him, don’t you? You’ve visited him…”
“We talk on the phone, but not frequently.” Moonbeam’s lips trembled. “Inconsequential things. Small talk, like strangers. We used to visit him whenever we could, but… several years ago…” Her voice faded into silence and Karma took over.
“He had been in a car accident and had to move shortly afterward,” he said. “We went to help him, but… it was as though we were intruding. He didn’t come out and say it, but…”
“But his aura was… in turmoil,” Moonbeam quavered. “Oh, my poor boy, he was so… so damaged. And the only time his aura calmed was when we mentioned leaving…”
“So we left,” Karma finished. “And we haven’t been back. We didn’t want to upset him further. We keep hoping he’ll find his way back to us…”
He trailed off and Moonbeam wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his shoulder before turning to me. “Before he left at eighteen, we had argued about the Earth Spirit. He didn’t… doesn’t believe. All these years we’ve tried to tell him that we love him regardless of his or our beliefs, but…” She seemed to fold in on herself, looking her age for the first time since I’d met her. “…perhaps it’s too late.”
My heart wrenched. “Oh, no, it’s not too late! He loves you! He wouldn’t have sent me out here if he didn’t!”
That hadn’t come out quite right, but the hope in their faces made me forge on. “He said you’re very dear to him. ‘Despite our ideological differences, they are dear to me’. That’s what he said.”
“Oh…” Tears overflowed Moonbeam’s eyes. “Oh, my boy…”
“And I know he was glad to have you there after his car accident,” I went on recklessly. “I know that meant a lot to him.”
I bit my tongue before I could blurt out that he’d actually been recovering from an attempt on his life and he’d just left the woman he loved an ocean away. No wonder he’d been in turmoil. He had probably been terrified that both Katya and his parents would be in the line of fire if his enemies found out he’d survived.
“I know he loves you,” I repeated as firmly as I could.
“That’s…” Karma cleared his throat and continued huskily. “You have no idea what that means to us. We thought… we used to send him little gifts and photos but when he moved, there was nothing of those things in his house. It was as though he’d erased us from his life.”
“I’m sure he didn’t want to do that,” I insisted.
He had done it, though, to protect them. And he couldn’t explain without breaching his cover. Sympathy for both Stemp and his parents tightened my chest, and I rummaged for any small crumb of comfort.
What could I say? They were right; except for his plants, Stemp’s house had been barren. No personal items at all except…
I sucked in a breath, remembering the single thing in the house that had seemed out of character. “Wait… did you make him a dreamcatcher?”
Fierce hope kindled in Moonbeam’s eyes. “Yes. Blue beads and an eagle feather…”
“He still has it.” My smile was so wide it hurt my cheeks. “It’s hanging over his bed.”
A different kind of hope lit Moonbeam’s face, and I barely resisted the urge to smack myself in the forehead.
Shit. What possible reason could I give for being in his bedroom? I couldn’t tell the truth about searching his house…
“We’re not…” I began.
“It’s all right, Storm Cloud Dancer, we’re delighted.” Moonbeam gave me a motherly smile.
“No, we’re really not lovers,” I repeated, cursing the heat rising in my cheeks.
“I wondered why you hadn’t found a young man here after all this time,” she mused. “It’s lovely that you’re being faithful to Cosmic River Stone, but I doubt if it’s necessary. Monogamy is an unnatural state, you know, and Cosmic River Stone was never sexually inhibited-”
“La-la-la-la-la-la!” I shouted, clapping my hands over my ears before I could be scarred by any more unwelcome revelations. “Sorry, I can’t hear you! La-la-la-la…”
I hopped off the table and made for the exit.
Karma’s laughter penetrated my barrier of humming as he gently pulled my hand away from my ear. “Don’t mind her,” he said. “We won’t pry. Moonbeam Meadow Sky sometimes gets carried away…”
“That’s true, I do,” Moonbeam interrupted. “But remember, Storm Cloud Dancer, regular sexual activity is normal and healthy, and it’s particularly important to engage in it through menopause and beyond because-”
“Uh, yeah right, thanks, good session,” I babbled as I backed toward the tent flap. “Thanks again for the energy work. I’ve got to go; I have to, um, do something… good night…”
I hurried out into the darkness.
Chapter 8
Scuttling away from Moonbeam and Karma’s tent, I gave quiet thanks to the stroke of luck or benevolent Spirit that had provided a full moon with no clouds for a change. The sky had been softening into evening twilight when I had left my tent, and I’d forgotten to bring my powerful flashlight.
Moonlight barely penetrated the forest canopy but it was still bright enough to keep me from running face-first into a tree or tripping over the many roots that crisscrossed the path, so I didn’t bother to extract the tiny LED light I always kept in my waist pouch. Instead I moved quietly through the darkness, regaining my composure.
After a few moments my discomfort over Moonbeam’s too-frank sex conversation faded into amusement, along with a sneaking sympathy for Stemp. No wonder he had clashed with his parents at a young age. His rigid reserve was so diametrically opposed to their laid-back hippy ways…
My steps slowed. Or maybe he was so buttoned-up because of their hippy ways. The corners of my mouth twitched. Most kids rebelled against a conservative upbringing by seeking out a dope-smoking promiscuous crowd. I guessed it made sense that a child of dope-smoking promiscuous parents would do exactly the opposite.
Although…
I trailed to a halt, frowning at the silvery lacing of moon-drenched ferns beside the path.
Now that I thought about it, I’d never seen any evidence that Karma and Moonbeam partook of either free love or dope. They dispensed hugs and parental affection generously to all the commune members, but it never seemed to go any farther than that.
Hmmm. Interesting.
I filed that away for future consideration and set a leisurely pace, enjoying the silent moonlight. I had just reached the path that led to my tent when the clanging of the Earth Spirit’s bells shattered the peace.
“Oh, for shit’s sake,” I muttered, and turned back toward the main building, my shoulders sagging.
A couple of commune members rushed by, beckoning me to hurry, but my feet dragged in stubborn resentment. Twice in a day? Screw this. I didn’t see how anybody could know if the so-called Earth Spirit wanted a ritual, anyway. It wasn’t like a bolt of lightning came down out of the blue.
I halted.
Wait a minute.
Who did decide when the Earth Spirit was calling?
I had assumed it was Moonbeam, but maybe I was wrong. And what ‘rituals’ did Moonbeam and Karma perform that were so uncomfortable, and why did Orion know more about it than I did if he was always humming in the main building with everybody else?
On impulse I stepped away from the main path and trod carefully through the undergrowth in the direction of Moonbeam and Karma’s tent.
A flash of light made me freeze in the shadow of a giant Douglas fir, and I pressed close to its deeply furrowed bark while I watched Moonbeam and Karma’s flashlight illuminate their rapid exit from their tent. Following them as silently as possible, I trailed them down to the main path. They had just turned in the opposite direction to the other commune members when they encountered another bobbing flashlight and halted.
Straining my ears, I heard what sounded like a soft greeting before Moonbeam and Karma hurried on and the othe
r flashlight continued its journey toward the main building. A patch of moonlight in the dappled shade illuminated Orion’s broad-shouldered figure.
I shrank closer to the tree. He was probably looking for me. He seemed to have appointed himself my keeper, dragging me off to the ritual every time the damn Spirit bells rang. Well, he could go by himself this time.
While I watched, he hesitated at the junction of the path, then turned off the main trail and headed for Moonbeam and Karma’s tent.
What the hell?
I followed him as silently as I could in the undergrowth. He should be rushing off to the ritual, not sneaking into a private tent.
And he was definitely sneaking. He paused outside their tent to cast a quick glance around as though making sure he was unobserved before ducking inside.
The glowing spot of his flashlight darted briefly around the canvas walls before settling into immobility as though he’d put it down. I held my breath, watching and listening with all my might.
Nothing. If he was searching their tent, he was doing it in absolute silence. A moment later the light moved again, flashing through the tent flap as he shouldered out.
“Storm!” His shout made me start guiltily and press closer to my tree. “Storm, where are you? Hurry, we have to go!”
The beam of his flashlight fingered through the forest and I scooted around to the other side of the tree.
Dammit, what the hell was he doing? Standing there yelling his head off, he didn’t seem too concerned about being caught right outside Karma and Moonbeam’s tent.
But then again, we’d be the only ones who weren’t at the ritual by now. Well, except Skidmark. Come to think of it, I’d never seen him there, either. But he was probably too stoned to stagger down from his garage.
“Storm!”
Orion’s approaching footsteps crackled through the undergrowth. Shit, what were the chances he’d take this particular shortcut? Now I was screwed. There was a miniscule chance that I could circle the tree while he went by on the other side, but it would be really embarrassing if he caught me.
I hissed out an irritable breath and stepped out of my concealment. “Over here, Orion!”
His flashlight blinded me and I flung up a hand to shade my eyes.
“Sorry.” He aimed the beam downward and hurried over. “Storm, where have you been? Didn’t you hear the Earth Spirit’s call?”
I couldn’t plausibly claim to have missed that cacophony, so I flung out the first excuse that came to mind. “I heard it, but…” I swallowed a growl as he gripped my hand and began to pull me toward the main building. “…but I’d forgotten my flashlight when I went to Moonbeam and Karma’s and… Ow! Shit, slow down!”
I stumbled over a root and Orion spared a moment to steady me before dragging me on again. “…and the moon was so bright I thought I’d take a shortcut, but I got lost…” I continued. We gained the main path and accelerated into a dead run, and I abandoned my explanation to concentrate on sucking air instead.
A moment later gunshots froze my feet to the path, my hand twitching toward my holster.
“Fireworks,” Orion panted. “Darn it, Storm, this is a special Calling! We hardly ever have fireworks. Hurry up, we’re missing it!” He hauled on my hand again.
My heart vibrated in my throat as another barrage of reports exploded behind us, but he was right. That was fireworks, not firearms.
I sucked in a deep breath, trying to dissipate the tidal wave of adrenaline. “But we won’t be able to see them; they’re behind us…” was all I managed before he dragged me into motion again.
“Yes, of course! Hurry up!”
That made no sense at all, but I let him herd me into the main building anyway.
Inside, Aurora Peace Rain’s eyes were wide with accusation, but she was mercifully silent as she pushed the mat into my hands and jabbed a finger toward my assigned patch of floor.
I hurried over and fell onto the mat to lie panting as quietly as possible while the other commune members hummed themselves into a blissed-out frenzy. Peeking through my lashes again, I saw that Aurora and Zen had lifted the glowing crystal down from the table to lie beside it on the floor. The fireworks continued at apparently random intervals, and I frowned and concentrated. It sounded as though they were being set off from different locations around the main building, and at varying distances. That would have taken quite a bit of advance preparation. And if Karma and Moonbeam were the ones setting them off, they’d have to rush from one place to another to do it.
Why bother? What was the point of fireworks if everybody was lying indoors with their eyes closed?
I sighed and gave up. This Earth Spirit thing was just plain weird, but whatever. Just go with the flow.
I hummed and tried to concentrate on my chakra.
It remained stubbornly elusive, and I returned to worrying over Orion’s snooping. Even though Karma and Moonbeam’s accommodations were decidedly spartan, Orion hadn’t been in their tent long enough to search it thoroughly. And anyway, if he had been searching for something his flashlight beam would have been moving around the tent.
So what the hell had he been doing in there? Especially since he’d acted as though he was in such a hurry to get to this ritual.
The sound of the gong startled me out of my reverie and I sat up along with everyone else. The fireworks were still exploding sporadically, and I surveyed the sky as we fell into single file behind Aurora outside. Even though the reports sounded close, I couldn’t see any sparkles up there. Maybe they were just setting off firecrackers at ground level. But firecrackers were usually rapid strings of explosions, and this rhythm seemed too sparse and uneven.
A chill tingled down my spine. That rhythm really did sound like weapons fire. A firefight, to be exact. Gunshots and return fire.
I shook off the thought. If there was one thing the past year had taught me, it was the noise of gunfire. This wasn’t it. The rhythm was right, but the sound quality wasn’t. No echoing crack, no whine of ricochets, just the flat bang of explosive without a projectile.
I sighed and tramped through the darkness. Stop looking for danger where there isn’t any. Think positive thoughts.
At least it wasn’t raining, so our sojourn in the field wouldn’t be quite so miserable.
Shivering on my knees a few minutes later, I defied the ‘heads bowed’ protocol to peep at the sky. I could see a few red and green spark trails in the sky, but they were disappointing. More like flares than fireworks. Probably cheaper. The commune likely didn’t have a lot of spare cash lying around to splurge on fancy fireworks.
A roaring sound swelled from the trees around us and other heads popped up around me as brilliant spotlights flared. Blinded by the glare, I shielded my eyes and blinked away afterimages. Four spotlights blazed at the cardinal points of the field, one for each of our groups.
I squinted at them, first puzzled, then annoyed. Karma and Moonbeam must have turned on the generator just for this. What a fucking waste. I could have been basking in a hot shower instead of freezing my butt off out here.
The lights abruptly extinguished, and the leaders’ shout of “The blessings of the Earth Spirit are upon you!” sounded slightly subdued.
“And upon you, too,” I mumbled along with the rest, and hauled myself to my feet.
“I’ll walk you back so you don’t get lost again.” Orion’s voice in my ear made me spin to face him, clutching my chest.
“Jeez, don’t sneak up on me like that!” I complained. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry.” His smile gleamed in the indirect glow from his downward-pointed flashlight. “I just didn’t want you walking back alone in the dark. If the cougar is prowling around tonight, we should travel together.”
“Mm.” I fell into step beside him, wondering if I really was safer with him than with a large nocturnal predator.
Probably. But I wasn’t quite as sure as I might have been before.
“You
seem really comfortable moving around out here in the dark,” Orion said conversationally. “Most newbies wouldn’t part with their flashlights for anything, and they’d never forget them. Do you normally do a lot of camping?”
“I’m not really a newbie anymore,” I objected. “But yeah, I’ve always spent a lot of time outdoors. How about you?” I nodded teasingly at his flashlight. “I see yours is glued to your hand.”
He laughed. “I’m a city boy. I like the outdoors, but I always feel as though something’s going to sneak up on me when it’s dark.”
I considered the irony in that statement and made no comment.
“You seemed a little spooked by the fireworks,” he went on. “Do they bother you?”
“No, I like fireworks.” I forced a laugh. “It’s just that where I come from, if you hear that sound coming from the woods you’d better get your blaze-orange on before some hunter mistakes you for a deer.”
“Oh. Yeah, I guess that’d spook, me, too.”
“So what brings a city boy out here into the sticks?” I bantered. “Most city boys I know wouldn’t venture anywhere there wasn’t a four-star hotel.”
“Oh, the Earth Spirit, of course,” he said earnestly. “That makes it all worthwhile.”
“How did you find out about the Earth Spirit, though? I’d never even heard of it until I came here.” I peered at his dimly-lit profile, wishing his flashlight was a little brighter so I could read his reaction.
“I found it online,” he said without hesitation. “I was searching for true meaning, and the Earth Spirit guided me here.”
That sounded a little too glib. And a little too weird.
“And have you found it?” I prodded.
“Oh, yes.” He glanced over at me, his eyes unreadable in the gloom. “What about you? You don’t seem to even believe in the Earth Spirit. Why are you here?”
I weighed the pros and cons. If he was one of Stemp’s enemies, maybe it was time to see what kind of a reaction I could get.
Spy High Page 7