Jen squinted in bewilderment. “I’m not married.”
Tara smiled. “You will be,” she promised. “Kali, the goddess of fertility, wants you to know that she’s blessed you and your husband with a fine and healthy son. Now hurry! Go upstairs. This dwelling will soon erupt into flames.”
Before Jen could respond, the two women were surrounded in magnificent, glittering light and then they vanished, leaving behind a soft shimmer to help Jen find her way through the darkness.
Upstairs and out of the darkness, Jen was accosted by smothering smoke. Choking, gasping, coughing, she made her way into the living room and there he was…
According to authorities, it was all connected. The fire at the Provost home and the mysterious murder spree by an unknown assailant that took the lives of Carmen Diego, Doris Abramson, and young Ethan Provost. The public was not made aware that the DNA evidence in the rape kits of Carmen Diego and Doris Abramson was not human. And it was not animal. It was unknown. The DNA evidence taken from the puncture wounds of five-year-old Ethan Provost was also unidentifiable.
Romel Chavis was considered a hero. He didn’t get the weird glances or gasps of disbelief when, from his hospital bed and in a weakened, barely audible voice, he recounted the Sasquatch story.
That bizarre DNA discovery and Rome’s own injuries backed up his claim that the killer wasn’t human. Still, top brass in the department asked him to keep the information to himself.
According to the record, the assailant was still on the loose. There was a huge reward for any information that would lead to his arrest.
There was an outpouring of public sympathy for Catherine Provost, the brave mother, who refused to sit home and mourn, but instead campaigned mightily, vowing to wage a war against sexual predators and child abusers if Americans cast their votes for her. Her party was expected to win by a landslide.
Rome had lain on the Provosts’ lawn, shivering and bleeding. Jen had used practically all her strength dragging him out of the burning house. She wrapped her arms around him, keeping him warm with her body heat while they waited for the fire department.
During the first few hours of being in and out of consciousness, Rome repeatedly asked Jen to marry him, insisting that her engagement ring was in his coat pocket. Naturally, Jen thought he was talking out of his head. Even if his words were true, the ring, along with his coat, was gone—lost in the fire.
A week later, an infection set in. Jen didn’t know if Rome was going to make it. The doctors were trying everything. He had a rare blood type and needed a transfusion with the same rare blood type.
Jen had an idea. It was a gamble, but she was willing to take that risk.
Twyla Tanning was on tour, staying at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Jen walked up to the front desk and requested Twyla be called. With all that had transpired in the past week, Jen had grown up a great deal and was no longer timid and afraid to stand up for herself.
“She’s not staying here, ma’am,” the desk clerk said, trying to look earnest.
“Okay, why don’t you do this—”
“Ma’am,” he interrupted. “Ms. Tanning is not here. I’m asking you nicely to please leave or I’ll have to call security.”
Jen inhaled. “As I was saying,” she said, enunciating each word. “Call the room listed under the name that Twyla Tanning is using and inform her that Jennifer Darnell is in the lobby with a message from Romel. Tell her I think she should hear it.” Jen stood firm, staring the man down.
The bandages on Jen’s arms were concealed by the sleeves of her jacket. Both her arms were swollen and sore, but she refused to take her prescribed medication. She wanted to be alert for the showdown she was about to have. And there was another reason Jen was cautious about taking drugs—prescribed or otherwise. There was a chance that she was pregnant; Jen didn’t want to risk taking anything that might harm her unborn baby.
She tapped her finger on the desk while she waited and found herself growing anxious and increasingly impatient.
The flustered young man picked up the phone. Repeating Jen’s words, he spoke discreetly and then hung up. “Someone will be down in five minutes,” he said, looking relieved that he didn’t have to call security to have Jen removed from the lobby.
The elevator doors parted. Jen lifted her eyes, expecting to see beefy bodyguards, but instead, Twyla Tanning herself stepped out of the elevator.
Jen stood and watched as Twyla approached. As the international star grew closer, Jen could see that despite all the surgical procedures, Twyla still looked so much like Rome that it was startling.
“Jennifer?”
“Yes. I’m a friend of Romel’s.”
Twyla searched Jen’s face, waiting for her say more.
“I think we should sit down,” Jen said.
Twyla didn’t budge. “Has something happened to Romel?” There was fear in Twyla’s eyes.
Fighting back tears, Jen nodded. She really needed to sit down. Twyla ushered Jen to the nearest set of chairs.
Composing herself, Jen inhaled. “Rome’s a police officer—”
“I know. He’s been on the Philadelphia police force for two years,” Twyla responded softly.
An image of Rome lying in the hospital bed came into Jen’s mind. She couldn’t keep her lips from quivering. “Something happened—”
Twyla shook her head, her jaw tensed. “Please don’t tell me he’s dead!”
“He’s still alive…but he’s been badly injured.” Jen swallowed hard.
Twyla pressed a palm against her heart. “Oh, thank God.” Her lashes fluttered closed. “He’s going to be all right,” she murmured, as though speaking to herself. “It’s nothing life-threatening, is it?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Was he shot?” The words came out in a frantic whisper.
“No. He was off-duty and he tried to help…uh…it’s been all over the news,” Jen said, frustrated. The unbelievable atrocity Jen and Rome had endured was hard to put into words. She didn’t know where to begin. .
“I don’t listen to the news when I’m on tour,” Twyla explained.
“He was involved in a tragedy…trying to save lives,” Jen stammered. “He lost a lot of blood. And right now…he’s fighting for his life.”
Twyla covered her mouth. An anguished sound was muffled by her palm.
“He has a rare blood type,” Jen went on and noticed a flicker in Twyla’s eyes. God, please let her be a match. “He needs a transfusion but it has to be his exact rare blood type. His father can’t help him. So far, the hospital can’t find a donor that matches. Even his birth mother on record…”
“She’s not a match either. I have the same blood type as my son.” Twyla nodded, punctuating the fact that she’d finally claimed Rome as her son.
“I can help him.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I’m so ashamed of myself. Romel shouldn’t have had to send me such a desperate message. I should have been there for him. It’s this lie that I’ve been living—it’s like a cancer. It’s eating me alive. Of course, I’ll give my son my blood.”
“Rome didn’t send me here with that message,” Jen told her. “He’s not aware that I’m here with you. I came on my own, hoping you would help.”
“The front desk called and said you had a message from Romel.”
“I do.”
Sniffling, Twyla waited.
“His message is that despite everything…even that day when he met you and treated him like one of your fans—”
Twyla gasped. “I’m so sorry. I was worried about my career. Look what being ambitious did to me…”
Jen squinted, not knowing how to respond. The woman seated next to her was gorgeous, successful, sexy, and rich.
“My life is a mess—a living hell,” Twyla revealed.
A living hell? From the outside, Twyla’s life looked good. Most recently, the entertainment icon had launched her own fragrance line…Insatiable Woman and Insatiable for
Men. Twyla was getting paid, and after more than two decades, she was still at the top of her profession.
Jen wondered if the living hell Twyla mentioned was a reference to her five bad marriages or the constant scandals that plagued her family members. “Rome loves you,” Jen repeated. “He’s hoping that one day, when your career is over, you’ll be a grandmother to his son.”
“Romel has a child?”
“Not yet.”
“You’re more than a friend, aren’t you?” she said knowingly.
“We’re in a relationship; we were getting close before the… uh…accident.”
A shimmer of hope lit Twyla’s face. “Are you pregnant?”
Jen gave a wistful smile, thinking of Tara and Zeta, the two wondrous beings who had come from the heavens to rescue her and Rome. Those angelic women had promised that she and Rome would marry and have a son.
“No,” Jen finally said. Locating a blood match for Rome had precedence over getting a pregnancy test. She wondered if Tara’s and Zeta’s prediction was true. Actually, she had started to doubt herself and wondered if she’d imagined the encounter. A winged woman and a beautiful goddess armed with two swords… crazy!
With all she’d been through, it was possible she’d hallucinated being rescued by otherworldly beings. Had she hallucinated Eris and Boozer, as well? Hell no! Her aching arm and Rome’s critical condition was a testament to their biting and blood-sucking rampage.
As far as marrying Rome and having his child…well, time would tell. Right now, her only concern was saving her man’s life.
“Excuse me. I have to call the hospital and let them know Rome has a match.” Jen reached inside her purse, pulled out her cell, and looked at Twyla. “Don’t worry; your identity will be kept confidential.”
Twyla rose. “I’m sick of keeping secrets. I’m holding a press conference tomorrow. I’m telling the world that I’ve been blessed with a brave and forgiving son.”
Jen felt brave, also. Brave enough to face her parents, and admit she’d been expelled from school.
She had no idea what the future held for her and Rome. If her role in his life was to reunite him with his mother, then she would accept that. But on a deeper level, she knew that they’d be sharing a future together. It would all unfold in time.
In the meantime, no more secrets. The cost to the soul is too high.
SPRING, ROANOKE, VIRGINIA
Ajali frowned. The asparagus fern displayed to liven up the parlor was tinged with brown. Had she given it too much water? No! She’d done her research, followed the care instructions to a tee but still, the showpiece fern was dying.
Huffing and puffing, Ajali lifted the potted plant and struggled to carry the gargantuan fern next to the piano where there was indirect light.
Kali skipped into the room. “Why are you moving that big plant again, Mommy?”
“I think it’s getting too much sun. I’ve got to figure out a way to keep this plant alive, honey,” Ajali answered, distracted as she lowered the enormous ceramic pot to the floor. She lifted a billowing stalk and sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Kali skipped over to see what her mother was fretting about.
“This plant is in worse shape than I thought. It’s not going to make it.”
“I can save your plant.” Kali said with confidence.
Ajali looked up to smile at her sweet child, but noticing an unusual ring on Kali’s thumb, she made a tiny screech. “Where’d you get that ring?” she shouted, knowing that Bryce had donated every piece of that so-called buried treasure to charity.
“I found it.” Kali said, leaving out Mr. Bear’s involvement.
“Where?” Ajali was horrified. The ring looked ancient. It reminded Ajali of the Egyptian ankh, but with unique features of its own.
“This is a goddess ring. It was in the treasure box.”
“Your father gave those jewels to charity.”
Kali lowered her head. “He gave away the jewels and my musical jewelry box, but he didn’t donate the wooden box.”
“The wooden box was empty! I thought we threw it out a long time ago.”
Shaking her head, Kali held her thumb up, showing off the ring and waiting for her mother’s approval. “Don’t be mad, Mommy. This ring is magical. It was hiding all this time in a secret slot at the bottom of the box.”
“Oh, my God!” Ajali was beyond horrified. She couldn’t believe her child was wearing something that the evil Eris wanted.
“Watch! Look at what I can do.”
Kali touched Ajali’s plant and miraculously, it sprang to life, turning a vibrant green all over.”
“See. I can save things,” she said proudly.
“Have you brought any other plants back to life?”
She shook her head. “No, but I made a baby bird come back to life and put it back in its nest with the other birds.”
Ajali gasped, her eyes staring at the ring in horror. “Did you save anything else, honey?” she asked in a voice that trembled with fear.
“Uh-huh. A butterfly, a worm—”
“Just insects…birds…and uh, that worm?” Ajali asked her, brimming with hope.
“Can you keep a secret?” Kali whispered.
Her mother nodded, though her fingers were mentally crossed.
“Remember that day I had a play date with Marley? She was sad because her gerbil had died. And I brought it back to life.”
“Oh, Kali. Take that ring off. It looks strange…and evil.”
“It’s not evil. My godmother told me to wear it for protection.”
“Your godmother?”
“Her name is like mine, only she’s a goddess. Guess what, Mommy?”
“What, sweetie?” Ajali asked, distracted by thoughts of the goddess who’d saved her life—whom she’d named her daughter after. How did her daughter know about the goddess? She’d never shared that information with her.
“I’m going to be a goddess, too.”
Eyes roving fast from the ring to Kali’s face, Ajali could feel herself going into a fit of panic. What was her daughter telling her? Was Kali going to leave her and join the others on the Goddess Realm? Ajali almost collapsed; her fear was so profound. She’d always considered Kali to be a gift that was too good to be true. She’d harbored a hidden fear that one day she’d lose her precious child.
“She teaches me the lessons of the goddess at night. While I’m asleep.”
“Oh, God!” Fear gripped Ajali’s heart.
“She meets me in my dreams. That’s why I’m not afraid to sleep in my room. Kali says she will always protect me.”
Ajali nodded. “Okay, but when—specifically—did she say you’re going to become a goddess?” Motivated by fear and desperation, she clutched her daughter by her shoulders and shook her. “When?” Ajali screamed.
“Stop it, Mommy! You’re hurting me.”
Ajali looked at her own hands in shock and released her daughter. “I’m sorry.”
“Being a goddess is not a bad thing, Mommy. Kali said I’m going to make you proud.”
“I’m already proud.” Ajali began to sob. “You don’t have to leave me and become a goddess to make me proud.”
“But I’m not leaving you. The transition will be complete when I’m twelve years old,” Kali said proudly. “Kali is going to ascend to the heavens, but she’s going to sleep until I turn twelve. She said the goddess Gaia looks after the planet earth, but I’ll be the first goddess to actually live here. Our planet needs me.”
Ajali wanted to cry. She didn’t want her child burdened with the problems of the world. “It sounds like there might be a lot of responsibility. Is that what you want, honey?”
“I want to help all living things. The goddess Kali says it’s my calling.”
Brows drawn together, Ajali looked at her daughter. “Do you remember, Shanice…the little girl you met on last Halloween?”
“Shanice feels much better. Doesn’t she, Mommy?”
�
�Yes,” Ajali agreed softly. “I saw her last week. She was at the hospital for a routine visit. She’s back in school and doing great. No symptoms of sickle cell anemia. Did you have something to do with her recovery?”
Kali nodded and Ajali knew the role that she and Bryce would play. Anonymously, they’d donate money—build a new wing at the children’s hospital. She would continue to volunteer, bringing Kali along from time to time. The children Kali interacted with would heal.
Ajali and Bryce kept many of their various contributions, anonymous. They’d have to figure out a way to keep Kali’s gift of healing a secret, too.
SPRING, PHILADELPHIA, PA
The sound of their harsh breathing filled the room. Recovering from an extremely passionate lovemaking session, Jen and Rome lay side by side, panting. They were always good in bed together, but this time seemed like the best sex ever. Intense yet tender.
Still trying to catch her breath, Jen stared at the animal art that decorated Rome’s bedroom. As her heart rate returned to normal, a million thoughts whisked through her mind. She’d been so brave up to this point. But it was her last night with Rome until the end of summer. A sharp pang of regret knifed through her. Could she get through an entire summer without her man?
He had displayed such unabashed affection; there was no reason for her to doubt his love. But here she lay, taking in every aspect of his bedroom as if it might be the very last time she perused his personal space.
Suddenly she felt his finger touching her…tracing her stomach. His hand glided downward, fingers combing through the tangle of red hair that covered her mons. With the tip of his middle finger, he caressed her clit. Gently. Circularly. Determinedly. Until she released a tiny moan. That soft sound announced her arousal, and her temporary distraction from troubling thoughts.
“I can’t get enough of you,” Rome murmured.
Jen turned toward him, moving closer. She pressed her face against his chest, inhaling him. But a whiff of his fragrance, Twyla Tanning’s signature, Insatiable for Men, was a harsh reminder of their pending summer separation.
The Sorceress Page 28