by Phil Stern
“Young love?” Marissa could only shake her head. “Tiff, is this true?”
“I met this Blake once at the Earth apartment,” Keri muttered, flinching away from the midate bag. “He’s not even that good looking.”
“Really?” Eyes going wide, Tiffany gave the strawberry blonde a hard stare. “So I guess he’s not up to your standards?”
Shrugging, Kerri turned away.
“Oh, he’s good looking enough,” Valensa giggled. “The problem is...”
“He’s fine. Look, everyone just needs to shut up about Blake!” Now bestowing her sibling with a withering glare, Tiffany could only sigh. “And that’s enough comedy from you. Okay, sis?”
Smiling, Valensa looked away.
*****
Morosely staring down at a table, Blake held his head in his hands. He knew nothing useful about Valensa’s conversion, or magical stones, or anything else. Once this Claire chick realized that, she could well make good on her threat to just throw him from the building. Or worse.
Thus, when a hand closed on the outside door handle of the smallish conference room where he was being held prisoner, Blake stoically looked up. If this was the end, he intended to meet it with dignity. It was just such a shame that he and Tiffany didn’t have more time together...
Right on cue, his beautiful girlfriend came sweeping into the room, staring at him in stunned wonder. “Blake!” his love cried out.
“Tiffany?” Hesitantly standing, he didn’t know what to think. “What on earth is going on here?”
Rushing around the table, she gave him a big hug. Letting his arms fall about her shoulders, Blake found all his tension seeping away. When she was gone, it was so easy to get wound up in things. But when Tiffany was with him? Nothing else mattered.
“Blake, I’m so sorry!” Now drawing back to give him a long kiss, Tiffany tearfully looked up into face. “I never thought it would come to this!”
“To what?” he wearily replied. “Getting kidnaped by witches and taken to an alternate dimension?”
Wordlessly nodding, her lovely face was a mask of concern.
“No problem.” Laughing, he hugged her close again. “As long as we have a way out of here.”
“We do.” Giving him a final squeeze, Tiffany then led her love out of the conference room. “But it might get a little crazy,” she warned. “And you’re going to have to trust me. Big time.”
“It can’t get any crazier than it already is,” he replied, following close behind.
*****
Five minutes later the four Haven witches and Blake were standing on the building roof. It was a fine view of Varley and the surrounding area, the alternate-world Pacific Ocean gleaming on the horizon. Was it still called the Pacific here? Tiffany wasn’t sure.
Of more immediate concern, though, was the great airship laboring towards them. The winds were against the craft, and even piloted by two sorceresses, the going was obviously tough. Shifting from foot to foot, they all anxiously watched two other government blimps hanging about on the city’s perimeter, with three additional biplanes buzzing angrily about.
“How long will your blocks on the stairs and elevators hold?” Tiffany asked, trying to corral her hair on the windswept roof.
“Not forever, that’s for sure.” Frowning, Marissa glanced uncomfortably at Blake. “This is really weird, Tiff.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Blake pleasantly replied. Despite their harrowing circumstances, he was clearly trying to make a good impression. “How long have you known Tiffany?”
“Much longer than you.” Frowning, Marissa pointedly looked away to study their purloined zeppelin, inching ever closer. “They better hurry up.”
Despite this obvious rebuff, Blake smiled at them all one by one. “So you’re all witches, I take it?”
“Blake, it’s okay,” Tiffany sighed. “The girls just need to...”
“Wow, he really is a detective, isn’t he?” Marissa acidly observed. “What clued you in there, Sherlock?”
“Does he have to talk so much?” Rolling her eyes, Keri gave Tiffany an imploring look. “It’s getting annoying.”
“Well, I like Blake,” Valensa offered. “As guys go, he’s okay.”
“Enough small talk, please.” Looking about, Tiffany sensed the first ruby witches hitting the sealed door leading out to the roof itself. Time was clearly running out. “Valensa, can you help here?”
Shrugging, she walked forward several paces, earth stone glowing. Instantly the airship surged forward, magically lunging into position directly overhead only moments later.
Ignoring her Coven-mates shocked stares, Tiffany grabbed the rope dropped down from the craft’s passenger cabin. “Everyone up.”
One by one, Blake, Keri, and Marissa were quickly hauled into the waiting airship. Still, that all took another two minutes, during which Tiffany was excruciatingly aware of the large ruby contingent gathering just below. Even now they were openly banging on the raised metal door located across the rooftop some fifty feet away. She was amazed they hadn’t broken through by now.
As if that wasn’t enough, Tiffany again looked out at the other government ships and planes. For some reason, they were still hanging about some distance off. “Any idea why they’re holding back?”
“Because we’re over the city,” her sister explained, expertly snatching the rope as it dropped from the airship yet again. “Once we clear Varley airspace, all bets are off.”
“Well, one problem at a time,” Tiffany said, urging Valensa upwards. “Go.”
Sticking a booted foot into the end loop, her sister was promptly dragged up into the hovering airship. For the moment, Tiffany was alone on the exposed, windy roof.
Just as her sister disappeared into the passenger compartment some fifty feet above, Tiffany heard the roof doorway finally give way. Glancing back, she was unsurprised to see four ruby witches pour through the entranceway and charge towards her.
Without Valensa’s intense magic anchoring it in place from the building, the airship now slewed off in the heavy wind. Drifting out past the edge of the roof, it would be mere seconds before the craft was out of range entirely.
Well, it was now or never. Ignoring the posse sprinting straight at her, Tiffany turned and ran, full speed, in the other direction. Hoping her Coven-mates were on the ball, the enchantress confidently raced right off the roof itself, launching herself out into open space.
Sailing wildly through the chilly air, the yawning city streets far below, she was vastly relieved to see the swaying, darting rope drop down right before her eyes. Deftly snagging it with both hands, Tiffany’s weight jerked the rope taunt. Arms fully extended, dangling about at the end of this plunging, buffeting lifeline, she was nevertheless safe.
Gathering her strength, Tiffany pumped her legs and body back and forth, like a circus performer, creating a half-dozen gradually longer swings. Hitting the end of this final arc, at that brief moment where gravity and inertia negated one another, the athletic young woman nimbly hauled herself up to stick a foot in the loop. Thus “standing” on the end of the rope, an arm safely hooked around the sturdy cord itself, she was firmly anchored in place.
As the lumbering craft careened crazily out to sea, and the natural back swing carried her once more towards the roof, the Haven enchantress made a point of blowing a kiss at Claire. The last Tiffany saw of the ruby leader, she was standing on her building, surrounded by her befuddled minions, helplessly waving a fist into the air.
*****
A half-minute later Tiffany was hauled through the narrow blimp door and unceremoniously dumped onto the middle of the oddly empty passenger cabin.
“You’ve got to be kidding!” Her arm pointing straight at Blake, now sitting against the bulkhead in the corner, Barbara glared down at her. “By the stone, how did he even get here?”
“It’s a long story,” Tiffany wearily replied, rising to her feet in the bucking, swaying craft. “And I’d
be happy to tell you all about it when we’re back in Haven.”
“Tiffany, even by your standards, this is completely...”
“If I could interject here.” Rising himself, Blake stumbled over to stand beside Tiffany, slipping an arm around her waist. “It wasn’t her fault. If anything...”
“Are you fucking serious?” Earth stone pulsing, Barbara looked from Blake to Tiffany. “Your sex toy feels he can directly address me? While fondling you, no less?”
“Sex toy!” he exclaimed. “Who are you...”
“Please, not now!” Firmly disentangling herself from his arm, Tiffany stepped between them. “You don’t have to worry about him,” she assured Barbara. “I’ll get Blake through the contact point myself.”
A burst of machine gun fire ripped through the air close by, one bullet clipping the outside of the passenger area.
“Well, we do have to worry about them.” Jerking her head to their rear, Marissa indicated the two other airships and three biplanes closing in.
“Man the rear machine gun,” Barbara ordered. “Keri, go up front and tell Rayna to step on it.”
“What about me?” Anxiously stepping forward, Valensa smiled at the Deputy Coven Leader. “I can help too.”
“She can,” Tiffany confirmed. “Valensa, can you pump energy directly into the engines? Give them a little boost?”
“Sure.” Walking over to the bulkhead, she placed her hands on a metal strut. Moments later the engines roared even louder, thrusting the craft forward with additional power.
“Wow. That’s tricky work.” Despite herself, Barbara was impressed. “If only the boyfriend there was as useful.”
Two minutes later they swung past the coastline and sailed out over open water. Between Marissa’s accurate gunfire and Valensa’s engine boost, they’d opened a small gap between the blimp and their various pursuers.
“Tell Rayna to shut down the engines,” Barbara now commanded. “And get Marissa back in here. It’s time to jump.”
“Jump?” Having drifted over to the corner, Blake shook his head. “Jump where?”
“Honey, it’s okay.” Smiling reassuringly, Tiffany walked over and took his hands. “I’ll be with you.”
“But I can’t survive that!” Looking out through the dirty window, the ocean seemed far, far below. “I mean, can you? And what’s down there, anyway?”
“There’s a direct contact point, a portal back to Earth, underneath us,” Tiffany explained. “That’s how we’re getting home.”
“That’s crazy! I can’t...”
“No time for chitchat.” Barbara yanked open the cabin door, cold air flooding in. “Keri, you still have the midate? Good, then you go first.”
“See you guys on the other side!” With her patented wiggle-fingered wave, Keri walked over and out through the open doorway, immediately dropping from view.
Valensa was next, followed by Rayna and Valensa. Soon only Barbara, Tiffany, and Blake were left on the craft.
“Now!” Barbara urged, waving at the door. “Unless you’d rather be shot down here.”
Right on cue, another machine gun burst raked the large blimp holding them aloft.
“You go.” Turning to Barbara, Tiffany smiled. “We’ll be right there.”
The older woman shook her head. “Be quick. Time’s running out.” Taking a running start, Barbara confidently leapt out into space, instantly dropping from view.
Alone together in the bucking, drifting zeppelin, Tiffany looked right into her lover’s eyes. “Blake, do you trust me?”
Despite himself, he found himself nodding. “The crazy thing is, I do.”
First kissing him fully on the lips, Tiffany drew back with a soft smile. “Then let’s go.”
Walking over to the open cabin door, hand in hand, they stopped to admire the stunning view.
By now the ship had slewed about, framing the pursuing vessels against a glorious evening sky. Despite their malevolent intent, the government blimps and biplanes made for a wondrous display, as if an exotic air show put on for their personal enjoyment. The amazing Pacific coastline was laid out below, the strong waves casting themselves up on an oddly natural shore. Just out to sea was a fully-rigged sailing schooner, surging lustily in the strong breeze. The visual images were both familiar and alien all at once, seamlessly juxtaposing once-permanent aspects of time and space.
“So this is your life,” he breathed. “Astounding wonders on a daily basis. It’s almost more than I can believe.”
Squeezing Blake’s hand, Tiffany turned to look up at her man’s strong profile. “Yeah, it’s pretty neat. Most days, anyway.”
Buzzing like an angry bee, the nearest biplane began swooping in on an attack run. Time was clearly running out.
Smiling, he gave her another quick kiss. “Let’s do it, baby.”
“All right, together now.” Taking a deep breath, she tentatively let just a tiny amount of magic flow directly into his body. Though normal for her, this was quite shocking to the uninitiated. Tiffany found herself immensely pleased that Blake didn’t object.
Without another word, the two young lovers leapt from the wounded, spiraling ship into open space. Careening downwards, Tiffany’s soothing magic caressing them both, they plunged right through the horizontal universal rupture directly below.
*****
Hitting the inter-dimensional portal head on, Blake was only vaguely aware of tumbling from one world into another. By now hopelessly disoriented from the rough passage, his hand was jerked out from Tiffany’s grasp. Completely alone, bright lights and numbing shocks seemingly came from every direction. On the verge of full-blown panic, Blake was utterly unprepared to plunge straight down into the ocean.
Instantly, Blake’s lungs filled with water. Flailing about, he tried to swim back to the surface, but his brain just wouldn’t function. Everything was murky and dark, his confusion nearly complete. Maybe it would be best just to stay here, and not struggle...
Suddenly a strong hand grabbed Blake’s arm, the glow of an earth stone hovering before his eyes. Seconds later he was hauled out into the air once more, gasping and breathing yet again.
Holding his face out of the gentle surf, Tiffany let him cough out all the water. Finally kissing his cheek, Blake’s love gave him a gentle shake.
“You did it!” Laughing, she now hugged him close, wet hair pasted to her head. “I’m so proud of you!”
“Tiffany...
“I’m so, so sorry!” Almost crying once more, Tiffany suddenly looked like a little girl. “I never meant for this to happen.”
“But Tiff...”
“I’ll never involved you in Coven business again,” she promised, shaking her head for good measure. “Even if...”
“Marry me.” Urgently holding Tiffany’s gaze, Blake’s hands grasped her slender waist. “I want to be with you forever and ever.”
Gasping, her mouth nearly dropped open. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.” Nodding, his relief poured forth. “I want you to be my wife.”
“Oh Blake! Yes!” Laughing, she hugged her love close, nearly drowning him again in her joy.
All around them sea otters in two’s and three’s cautiously swam up, studying the young humans in wonder. Soon they were joined by several seals and sea lions, along with a family of dolphins. Forming a loose circle about Tiffany and Blake, the aquatic mammals happily drifted about on the ocean surface, drinking in the loving aura put out by the joyous couple.
EPILOGUE
PUSHING THROUGH THE Coven Leader’s door unannounced, Tiffany Smith stalked into the middle of the small office, the innocuous looking bag of midate carried in her right hand. Looking up from her desk in surprise, Eleanor bitterly contemplated her wayward operative.
“Tiffany, this is outrageous!” Slowly standing, the elderly sorceress was beside herself with fury. “You were ordered to stay in Haven...”
“Here.” Tossing the bag onto the desk, it landed with a shar
p, ugly thud. “That’s all of the Zarth coven’s midate. We just stole it from Claire’s headquarters in Vanington.”
A very awkward moment went by. “Indeed,” she frostily replied, making no move to inspect the bag. “And who is we?”
“A group of loyal Coven-mates, who saw the necessity of blunting the ruby coven’s inertia and offensive power before it was too late.” Tiffany smiled. “We also decided it was time to expose a treasonous plot within the Coven itself. Some of your oldest associates were going to depose you, violently if necessary, and cede control of the entire universe to Claire. The only thing they asked in return was to be left alone, unmolested, in Haven.”
Yanking the crumpled letter from her back pocket, the tall brunette now flung that down beside the midate. With a final, bitter glare, Eleanor then stiffly opened the folded sheet of paper and began reading. Stunned, all her hostility began fading away. “By the stone,” she breathed. “How could this possibly...”
“That letter is authored by Susan, who is the leader of this treacherous clique.” Unrelenting, Tiffany advanced to stand right before the desk. “She was always lazy and ineffective as your lead sorceress on Earth. Frankly, I never understood how you could leave her in such an important position.”
“That’s, uh, why she was recalled a year ago.” Shaking her head, Eleanor now looked up from the letter. “I thought that by sending Susan to Burlain...”
“She didn’t want to go to Burlain, or Earth, or anywhere where she might have to actually stand up for her sisters!” Tiffany snapped. “So she decided to sell us all out!”
“But Susan has always championed our principles!” Clearly, Eleanor’s entire world had been turned upside down. “Protecting women and children! Fighting for those who can’t...”
“Fifteen years ago, maybe!” Not backing down, Tiffany put her hands on the desk’s surface, leaning forward. “Now she’s a drunk and a coward! Along with the other ten witches who are in on this with her!”