Meg examined her hands for any signs of the bruising she saw earlier. Her skin was smooth and unbroken with no discoloration. She contemplated the fast recovery and thought, not for the first time, how everything was going to take a while to get used to.
“Here you go.” John dropped a soft drink in her hands and sat down in the chair beside her.
“Thanks.” Popping the cap on the can, Meg took a swig, savoring the sweet syrupy flavor of the carbonated liquid
“No problem. You sure you don’t want any chips or candy from the machine?” John asked again, poised to get back up if she changed her mind.
Meg waved off the offer and shook her head. “Nah, just give me my caffeine fix and I’m good.” It was many long hours since she ate or drank anything, so having a soft drink to sate her budding hunger pains was welcome.
John laughed and leaned back, propping his feet up on the chair opposite his. “Sounds like Susan. I swear, as much as she drinks, she must have caffeine running through her veins.”
Meg saw the fondness in his expression and smiled. John and Susan looked good together. She couldn’t begin to understand how difficult today was for him. The woman he loved almost died today. That must be hard to process. Add to that everything he learned about her and Nicole, and he was handling things remarkably well. “I can’t believe you aren’t the least bit weirded out by all this.”
“Why would I be weirded out?” John opened a bag of chips and tossed a couple into his mouth. She shot him an incredulous look. John laughed and set down the chips, turning to face her more. “Okay, I’ll admit, it is a little strange, but you’re my friend and you saved Susan’s life. So, you know what? I can live with strange.”
After a short, stunned silence, Meg shook her head. “You are an incredible individual.”
“What can I say?” John dusted off his knuckles on his shirt sleeve and blew on them in a show of exaggerated macho conceit. “I do what I can.”
Meg laughed and took another drink.
“Here are your shoes and your purse.” Nicole dropped the items into Meg’s lap and straddled a chair in the row of chairs behind them. “Any update?”
“No.” Meg pulled on her shoes and turned around in her seat to look at Nicole. “They’re still taking statements and going over the evidence.”
“And they still have to question that dirty cop who was covering for Robertson,” John added. “Mark said it could be a few hours.”
“Oh, well in that case, do you two want a ride home?”
“No,” they answered in unison.
Nicole sat back, hands held palm out. “Okay, forget I asked.” She didn’t blame them. If David were in there, she’d probably want to wait around, too. She imagined John wouldn’t be able to let Susan out of his sight for long for some time to come. Looking at their chips and drinks, Nicole sat forward again, leaning over their seat backs. “Hey, what else do they have to eat around here? I am starving.”
Meg laughed and grabbed her purse. “You stay here. I’ll get you something.” She patted Nicole’s shoulder and caught her eyes, the two of them sharing a brief look before Meg stood.
“You know?” Nicole looked up at Meg in surprise. Meg smiled and nodded. She squeezed Nicole’s hand, a tear coming to her eye despite her efforts to hold it back.
“Know what?” John looked between the two of them in confusion.
Nicole smiled broadly. “I’m pregnant.”
“What?!” John sat up and leaned over, hugging Nicole energetically. “Congratulations.”
Meg laughed and headed for the vending machines, trying to decide the best snack to get Nicole. There should be something semi-healthy. Maybe some peanuts or a granola bar would be good. Of course, Nicole would probably beat her if she didn’t bring back at least one thing with chocolate in it. She decided to get several things they both liked so she could eat whatever Nicole didn’t want. As she dropped the coins down the slot, ready to make her selections, the room got suddenly quiet. Whispered comments and footsteps were the only sounds that remained. The door to the room closed shut with a whoosh and a soft click behind the three officers who entered. A brief glance confirmed the silence was for them. The officer in center was led by the other two men. He was also missing his gun and badge. Although they did not have him in handcuffs, she knew he was the man who allegedly helped Gary Robertson. He looked around the room, meeting the looks of scorn and distaste head on. The scene around her slowed, every second sharpened in her awareness. The men walked past her, and his sneer turned into a grin. His eyes met hers, and she saw the intent in his gaze. Before anyone could react, he reached out to the side, grabbing a long, metal letter opener, and spun around, pulling Meghan between him and the other men. She felt the cold bite of the metal piercing the soft skin of her neck. Around the room, guns were leveled at them.
“Stay back!” he yelled in her ear. It sounded louder than normal due to her newly enhanced hearing. He pressed hard against her skin, and she felt a bead of warm blood run down her neck. The room was completely quiet, now. She closed her eyes and waited for the wave of panic to overtake her. It didn’t come. Opening her eyes, she saw Mark standing across the room. His eyes caught hers, searching. She smiled reassuringly, feeling strangely calm. Letting her instincts take control, she went limp, dropping through the man’s arms before he could tighten his hold. Once she was free of his grasp, she squatted low, hands on the floor, and swung her legs around in a low kick that swept his legs out from under him. He hit the floor with a loud thud, the letter opener clattering harmlessly on the tile beside him. Four sets of hands were on him before she had time to stand up. She backed away as they read him his rights and snapped a pair of handcuffs around his arms.
“Meg!” Nicole ran up behind her and placed a hand on her arm. “You didn’t freeze.
Meg watched them lead the man way. She hadn’t frozen. For the first time in her life, she wasn’t afraid.
“Are you okay?” Mark came around on her other side, a hand on her back.
Meg smiled serenely. “Yeah, I think I am.”
* * *
“I searched everywhere. I don’t see it.”
Billy looked up at the student placing books back on his shelf. “That’s okay, Angie. Thanks for helping me look.”
The girl shook her head, shaking her short brunette ponytail with the movement. “I don’t know where it could be.” She pushed her glasses up on her nose and continued to double check the book titles as she put them back in place.
Billy stood and walked over to her, taking the rest of the books from her hands. Angie was a good kid. She worked with him off and on during the course of the semester, looking for some guidance on where to focus her studies. In retrospect, he probably wasn’t the best choice for an academic advisor she could make. He hoped his problems didn’t adversely effect her education in the coming years. She was still just a sophomore literature major, so at least she could distance herself from him if that became necessary. It was looking increasingly like that might be the case, especially if he kept losing books. He noticed the shadows darken slightly and felt the absurd sensation of being watched. The room seemed to be filled with a mischievous gleeful emotion. Knowing the feeling wasn’t coming from him or Angie, Billy wondered where the feelings were originating from. He was no stranger to getting impressions from a room or object, but this was different. This was focused and new, not something he experienced in here before. He was probably picking up on the emotions of whoever stole this latest manuscript from his office. He was beyond thinking this could be one big mistake or coincidence. Someone was doing this to him on purpose.
“Mr. Cameron.” The department secretary stuck her head in the open doorway but didn’t enter his office.
Billy cringed at the omission of his doctor designation in favor of the more common “Mr.” title, but decided there was no point in saying anything about it. It was obviously a sign of her disrespect, and that wasn’t going to change as long as this scandal was hanging over his head. Besides, he didn’t want to cause a scene in front of his student. He still had some pride left. “Yes, Barbara?”
“Professor Douglas asked me to get a book from you. He said you would know the one.”
Billy stiffened. He could swear he felt laughter in the room, but no one was laughing. “I’ll have to call him about that.”
“Oh, why, is there a problem?” she didn’t bother hiding the hopeful, smug look on her face or in her tone.
“Not at all. Now, if that’s it, I have work to do.” He turned his side to the door, facing Angie again, a clear dismissal. The secretary gave a huff and stalked away.
Angie looked at the open doorway to make sure they were alone. “Is that the book we were looking for?” she asked in a hushed tone.
Billy sighed. She was a bright kid and very observant. That would serve her well during the remainder of her education. “I’m afraid so.”
She put the last of the books away, giving one final cursory glance over the shelves for good measure. “What are you going to do?”
Billy put down the remaining books in his hands and walked back over to his desk. “Well, first I’m going to get you a new advisor.”
Angie sat down with a defeated sigh in the chair in front of his desk. “So the rumors are true?”
“What rumors would that be?” He sat in his chair and leaned back. He was morbidly curious to know what people were saying about him. It didn’t matter, but he wanted to know, anyway.
Angie paused for a moment before continuing. “That you’re about to be fired because of a manuscript that was stolen.”
Billy gave a short, humorless laugh. “That is entirely possible. But that’s nothing for you to worry about. I’ve got a couple of ideas for a new advisor. I’m going to make some calls and see what I can do.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” and from the tone of her voice, he could tell she actually meant it. “I guess I’ll get going, then.” Angie stood and walked to the door. “Dr. Cameron,” she said looking back, “you’ve always been my favorite professor. I hope things work out.”
“Thanks, Angie.” Billy waited for her to leave and close the door behind her before he started calling around to a few professors he did favors for in the past. When that was done, he braced himself for the call he was dreading. He was obligated to tell Professor Douglas about the missing manuscript. Three minutes later, he replaced the receiver and sat back. “Well, that’s the end of that.” After a minute to let everything set in, Billy stood and pulled out some boxes. He might as well get a head start on the packing.
* * *
“Can I get you anything?” Mara motioned Meg to the couch and closed the front door. She smiled at the surprise Meg showed when she opened the door expecting her. She never got tired of doing that to people. It was one way she kept her abilities sharp and had a little fun in the process.
“No, thank you. I hope I’m not bothering you.” Meg smiled nervously and took a seat on the couch. Mara sat down in a nearby chair so, Meghan noted, she was facing Meg without sitting close. Meg looked around the room, taking in the candles and other simple décor. It reminded her of the room she found herself in after her kidnapping, after Nicole rescued her. Looking through an open doorway across the room, Meg recognized the dresser where she stood when she saw her second vision.
“Of course not. How can I help you?”
“Well, I know we don’t know each other well, but Nicole told me how you helped them find me. I wanted to thank you for that.” She owed Mara a lot for her role in the rescue. If they hadn’t removed her from that place, there was no telling what would have been done to her.
Mara shook her head. “Nicole did the hard part. I only gave her a little guidance.” Mara narrowed her eyes, clearly seeing more than normal perceptions allowed. “What else is on your mind?”
Meg sighed. Nicole warned her how insightful Mara could be. In a lot of ways, it was like talking to Nicole, but without the reciprocated familiarity on Meg’s part. “Ever since I . . . started to change, I’ve been having these visions. I mentioned them to Nicole, but she said she hasn’t experienced anything like it. She said I should talk to you, which I kind of wanted to do anyway. A couple of the visions were about you.”
Mara sat forward, pressing her fingertips together in her lap. She didn’t like to show outward signs of interest often, but Meg’s words interested her a great deal. Still, she kept her voice and face devoid of emotion when she responded. “What sort of visions?”
Meg tucked her hair away behind her ear. “I don’t know. They just sort of came to me.” Meg explained the visions that led her to Susan and the two visions she realized were both of Mara. “The reflection didn’t last long,” she left out the comment Mara made about her age, “but the one I experienced in your room was very detailed. It looked like it was a long time ago. And there was a man wearing Nicole’s pendant.”
Mara’s expression became haunted, her mind clearly lost in the memory Meg described. When she did speak again, her voice was distracted and hurried with a false casual tone inflected. “Yes, well, all natural borns are gifted with different abilities. Occasionally you will see it in someone who is turned, but that is very rare. For natural borns, visions are not uncommon, and you and Nicole do come from a powerful bloodline.” She stood and dusted off her hands on the sides of her skirt. “You should practice the meditation exercises I showed Nicole. For that matter, Mark or David could probably help you in that respect, with the basic exercises. They will help you get a better handle on your visions. Was there anything else?” Mara walked toward the door and placed a hand on the doorknob, pulling the door open.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Meg stood and walked over to the door. This visit did not go how she hoped. Then again, she would probably be equally disturbed if someone she didn’t know well started having visions about her past, so she could kind of sympathize with where Mara was coming from. Mara was obviously a very private person and didn’t like to talk about her past. Meg could respect that. “I figured there must be a reason I was seeing things about you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Mara waved away her concern and opened the door. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable. There are things I need to take care of. Let me know if you need anything else.” She closed the door behind Meg and leaned against it, a hand at her chest. She thought back on the day Meghan described and felt her throat constrict with emotion. Why would this be coming back to haunt her after all these years? Who could possibly benefit from the past being dredged up like this? She did what she thought was for the best, to save those lives, and she lived with the pain of her betrayal for over a thousand years. Hadn’t she sacrificed enough? Why would the Goddess send this vision to Meghan? She let herself get too close to them, overly involved in their lives, and now she was being warned to step back. She was being reminded of everything she lost when she made her bargain to save her people. Friends and family were not a luxury she was allowed, anymore. She was required to cut her ties here and hope it was enough.
* * *
“May I see your boarding pass?”
Billy handed his ticket to the flight attendant and made his way to his seat, near the back of the plane. He sat down with a huff, not bothering to set down his small carry on bag, and reflected on the mess that was his life. Things went as he expected they would. Once the Dean found out Billy lost another book, he was livid. It didn’t take him long to segue into how, as much as the university appreciated what he did and contributed over the years, he didn’t see them moving toward the future together. They were on different paths and needed to go their separate ways. It was like a bad breakup line, only without the mildly satisfying breakup sex that usually preceded it. The Dean didn’t bother to hide his smile. Billy was out, and the Dean couldn’t be happier. At least his landlady was sad to see him go. She actually gave him a fruit basket as a going away present. Sure, it was intended for a new tenant down the hall, but it was the thought that counted. Considering how little notice he gave before leaving, she was a tremendously good sport about everything.
He mindlessly flipped through the channels on his television monitor, more out of boredom than actual interest. He didn’t have any earphones, so anything he stopped on lost his attention fairly quickly. A few rows up, a small blonde woman tried in vain to calm down a very hyper infant. The gurgling child giggled and pointed at the empty aisle beside them. The woman grabbed a couple of toys from her bag and attempted to distract the child. The child jumped up and down, clapping her hands together, before finally taking one of the toys and plopping down on her seat. The woman buckled the child’s seat belt and sat back with and exhausted sigh. Billy laughed to himself and looked over at the spot the child pointed to, wondering what captivated her so much. There still wasn’t anyone in the aisle, and past that, the next row of seats was empty. As other passengers boarded, he noted with curiosity no one walked past that row. Oddly enough, people walking down that aisle diverted to the other aisle and back again to get to seats further back on that side. Half standing, Billy looked at the floor, but there was nothing blocking the path. In fact, no one appeared to realize what they were doing. It was as though that portion of the plane simply didn’t exist.
Checking the time, Billy stood and walked to the other aisle, walking toward the bathroom on that side. Slowly, he walked down the empty portion of aisle, eyes taking everything in. The hairs on his arm stood on end, and a strange sense of anxiety came over him, but he kept walking, pushing past the hesitation he felt. When he came even with the seats, he felt a mixture of curiosity and watchfulness come over him, as though he was being observed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement, but when he turned his gaze, there was nothing there.
“Excuse me.” A tall woman pushed past him and made her way to the back of the plane. She was quickly followed by more passengers coming down the aisle. Looking back to the seat, Billy felt nothing. Whatever was there before was gone now. Turning, Billy walked back to his seat and prepared for the flight. There was a long night ahead of him, and tomorrow, he would start over. More importantly, he’d be forced to tell Nicole about what happened. He’d be forced to tell her how he failed. He looked out the window as the plane began taxiing out to the runway. Knowing Nicole, she would probably tell him this was the universe’s way of telling him to move back near her and give up his teaching career to pursue his dream of writing. She always encouraged him to write. Maybe it was time. He was in for a career change now anyway. He might as well give his writing a shot, again. Around him, people groaned as the captain announced a delay to fix a part in the radar. He sighed. This was going to be long night.