 
225

Blackthorn

'In the Tween'

By Jamie Ott
Copyright © Jamie Ott 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used without written permission.

Passionate Prose Industries.

ISBN-13: 978-0615541648

ISBN-10: 061554164X

For all inquiries, please contact passionateprose@mail.com.
The Attacks
Chapter 1

Lin and the shop keeper stepped outside to see where the screams came from.

The sky was royal blue with white clouds moving in and squeezing out the last remnants of daylight. Up and down Blackthorn Street, wrought iron lamps shone orange through their glass boxes.

To her left and right, a few shop keepers were locking up, and rather early, too. Pumpkin jack-o-lanterns that lined the block were smashed and smeared into the pavement.

"Is the city under attack again?" asked Lin.

"I don't know, but I'd better close up, get home and check in with my family. Sorry, but I'll see you later."

Mara stepped back inside, and locked the door behind her.

Lin knew she should go straight home, but she was compelled to see what was making everyone go crazy.

She buttoned down her red velvet cloak, pulled the hood over her head, and turned left down Blackthorn Street.

A blast of ice cold air blew in her face, making her eyes squint.

"AAAAAAAaaaaaaghhhh!"

Lin flinched at the sound of the woman's screams. Perspiration broke out on her face and neck.

Keeping her head forward, she continued past the many little shops.

From somewhere she heard voices in chorus. What a strange time to be singing, she thought.

At the cross street, Maple Avenue, she looked right and saw most of the shops, there, were closed, too. Down on the next block, she spotted Mrs. Appley sticking a key into the door of her own shop; she turned it and ran down the street into the shadows of the sky reaching mountain, which was the backdrop to the town. Normally, scattered lights twinkled from the dozens of homes on the mountain's base, but now, it was like there had been a blackout. Were people hiding?

Lin turned left and breathed in, frightfully.

A chain of people in hooded cloaks, carrying torches in their hands, walked shoulder-to-shoulder, combing the street.

They chanted, "Blackthorn: In the Tween," over and over.

As they moved closer, Lin couldn't decide if she should run, or stay and make sure they caused no one else harm.

Suddenly, Mr. Jim, the town's shoe and leather repair man, stepped out of his shop across the way; it was a few yards ahead of the dark figured people. In a panic, he fumbled with his keys. His hands shook so violently that they slipped to the ground.

Just as he was about to bend over and pick them up, he stopped. His eyes bugged out at the sight of the robed figures; then he turned and ran.

The poor man didn't get very far. One of the hooded figures, from the center of the chain, flicked a brown rod that barely poked out of his long sleeve. Mr. Jim flung, feet over head, through the air. He made a pitiful yelp as he crunched face first into the ground.

Suddenly, a man and woman, she'd never seen before, came out of the next shop over and knelt next to Mr. Jim. They didn't have a chance to see if he was alright because a hooded figure at the end of the chain went rogue from the line. The man and woman stood, turned and ran; the robed figure chased after them.

Lin heard, by the laughter, that it was a man under the cloth. He, also, had a rod, which he pointed at them and shrieked as they screamed at the tops of their lungs.

Using her mind the way a sorceress does, Lin sent fire to the rod, obliterating the wand in the hood's hand.

The man roared in pain, shook his hand vigorously, and turned his head toward her. Several others, in secession, turned their heads, too.

Lin's eyes locked with the dark brown eyes of the tallest figure in the center of the line. In them, she saw murderous rage. Immediately, she commanded the molecules of air around her to form together. This kind of shield was invisible, and could only be spotted by glints of light, reflecting off the particles of solidified air.

The hoods sent a variety of spells that bounced off her shield, leaving Lin unharmed. As she'd trained herself, she called the wind by focusing her mind, and sent it streaming down the street as fast as she could imagine it.

Almost instantly, the wind came to her defense. Like a tornado, it blasted around her, but her shield kept her safe. It shattered the windows of the shops and the glass cages of the street lanterns; then blasted directly at the line of hooded figures. Like leaves, they were blown backward, rolling down the street and flying through the air.

She walked into the middle of the street and watched them crunch-land to the ground, several blocks away. They scattered as soon as they could stand again.

As she watched them, she thought about how things were getting worse. Perhaps it was time she thought about leaving Blackthorn for good.

~~~

Several months earlier, Lin came to Blackthorn to work in the university's museum. She wanted to study magic lore and artifacts. Her parents wanted her to stay and teach at the local college as a mortal. They warned her of the dangers of mixing with witches, calling them low class and malevolent, worse than humans because they were enlightened but chose to discriminate and hate. But Lin couldn't stay away. She was tired of hiding her magic, and imagined living in a world where she could be open about who she was. In Blackthorn, she could live that way. Besides, mixing in wasn't such a big deal. All she had to do was carry a rod and pretend to use it in a disconnected way. No one would ever see how the elements obeyed her; how wood was like a magnet to her flesh, and how nature bowed to her. Witches were shallow and superficial as humans were, near sighted, and not as enlightened as mother liked to think. A person can't be enlightened when they are consumed with concern for a material and physical world.

Work at the museum lead to her first teaching job just weeks after having arrived. Mother was extremely unhappy because she knew Lin wouldn't return. She wanted her to become a healer and run the family business: An herbal apothecary that, to many unknown, had cured everything from their cancers to genetic ailments. Mother believed it was their duty, as Matrons and Patrons of the earth, to help others. But teaching was helping, was it not?

She'd be safer at home under the guise of a mortal, her mother told her. The world was on the brink of war, but she just couldn't listen. Lin needed to get out of her simple town and explore the world before she could settle.

After she graduated college, Lin traveled, extensively, through many magical communities. None held her interest as much as Blackthorn. It had a history that included some of the most important witches and wizards of all time, the most important developments in magical relations, and rich family lines of witches dating back to the Middle Ages. Somehow, she felt like she could be as great as they, if she was near where their greatness once was.

Common witches and wizards weren't as bad as her mother said, though. They were just like anybody else, anywhere else with a small population. There were town snobs, town gossips, and small mindedness: nothing out of the ordinary.

Invisibly nestled on a side of the Rocky Mountains, its summit lay at nearly 10,000 feet. Normal people didn't know it was there, for it was camouflaged to look like trees and snow.

What she loved most about the town was its old world architecture. The honored founder, Nicolas Blackthorn who died in the early 1600s, didn't settle for new western design. He preferred castles of old; more specifically, the one he grew up in. Blackthorn Castle was now the post secondary school, Blackthorn academy. Later, those who came to town, built in brick rather than igneous stone like the castle, but they kept with the feel of sixteenth century architecture.

To Lin, every day in Blackthorn felt like Christmas, for it never seemed to stop snowing. She wondered how that was, since when she looked out of her apartment's tower window, she saw the bluest sky and sunshine. Surely, no witch or wizard could do such a powerful spell; even if they could, why would they want to? Not that it bothered her much, for she'd always preferred winter over summer. Her favorite thing to do was sip lattes on the patio of the Blackthorn Cafe, under the hazy yellow-orange light of the old fashioned, wrought iron street lamps. She'd watch the locals go in and out of the little shops, wrapped in luxury shawls and shearling jackets. Sometimes, she'd get lost in the beauty of the snowy mountain rise that towered right above their little settlement, right across the street from the café and behind Mara's dress shop. In short, there was no place cozier than Blackthorn; only internet graphics could mimic the beauty.

~~~

She woke in her apartment, on the top floor of the tallest tower in downtown Blackthorn.

A few moments, she lay in bed and considered the prior night's events. She should leave Blackthorn because the town had changed for the worse. Ever since the bank was reduced to rubble several weeks ago, killing all thirteen inside, the locals had become short tempered and mean. The other day, she ordered her usual latte from Stanley, the laid back barrister at the Blackthorn Café. When Lin dropped her keys, Stanley jumped a mile high, and dove to the floor behind the counter. Her coffee decorated the wall and the floor. Later, when she was walking to the Blackthorn Lodge for her usual Saturday morning breakfast, a woman bumped into Lin. Instead of saying excuse me, she punched her in the face and ran away.

The town folk weren't the only ones to go insane. Her mother started calling her, sometimes, three times a day. She'd make her do the tarot cards over the phone, saying, "Tell me when to stop, okay?" Then she'd tell her not to go outside, to pack her bags and come home.

She loved her mother, but everyone in the family knew she was terrible at tarot. When Lin was ten years old, her mother told her she couldn't go to her younger cousin's birthday party because she'd be attacked by colorful assailants who would cripple her for life. Lin's father ignored her, and dropped her off at the party, anyway.

As it turned out, the colorful assailants were clowns for hire, and the only thing she was in danger from was the violence of flying water balloons. When she walked into her aunt's house to get a towel, she slipped on the hallway floor and twister her ankle. Throughout the years, mother's predictions usually played out in similar ways: close, but not quite.

Looking at the clock beside her bed, she sighed and pushed back the covers. Telekinetically, she started the coffee brewing as she went for a shower and change.

Moments later, Lin sat down on the cushiony brown leather couch she purchased from Mara's older cousins, the Wickers. They had a shop that was down the street from her apartment.

The Wickers were a nice married couple with two young children. Barb Wicker originally owned Mara's Dress Shop, which was also just down the street, and across from the Blackthorn Café. Barb was slightly older, but she and Mara were really close while growing up. Since the shop wasn't doing too well at the time, Barb gave it to Mara for free, right before she married Bill Wicker.

Lin met Mara the same day she accepted her job at the museum. She sort of came to Lin's rescue after she'd had a terrible confrontation with the town's most arrogant and influential man.

She first noticed Golden Craig as strolled through the aisles of the furniture shop. There were others, there, who stared at her, likely for being a new face, but Craig's eyes were the most damning.

Upon bending over to inspect a small oak end table, she ran her hands through her long black hair, and looked up. He looked impressive in his long dark trench coat. He had the iciest blue eyes contrasted by a rich head of chocolate brown hair.

He strolled through the aisles with an air of importance.

She got the feeling he'd been watching her for some time.

Bill Wicker approached her.

"Can I help you?"

She continued to eye the man while she and Bill did business together.

He walked up to the counter, where Lin was paying Mr. Wicker, and waited, patiently.

"One moment, Mr. Craig."

"Sure," he said and nodded politely.

Lin could see him watch her out of the corner of her eye.

Twenty minutes later, she was sipping on a creamy cappuccino, down the street at the Blackthorn Café.

She was noticing, for the first time, how the snowy mountains towered right behind the shops across the street; it was almost too majestic to be real. She wasn't the only one to recognize the uniqueness of the view, for in every shop there was an attempt at paint or sketch of the street, shops and mountain.

Lin flinched when the man with the icy eyes sat down, suddenly.

"Good afternoon," he said.

"And to you."

He pulled his black leather gloves off,

"I'm Golden Craig."

He extended his hand to her. Immediately, she noticed the gold wedding band around his finger.

"Lin Helewise. I'm the new junior curator at the Blackthorn Historical Society."

"What?" His pupils widened, intensifying his stare. "When did they hire you?"

Offended by his tone, she asked, "What's the problem?"

"Have you had formal magical training?"

She didn't reply.

"How old are you, anyway?" he asked snidely and sipped his espresso.

Her temper flared like a match.

"Not that it's any of your business," she replied, "but my parents taught me. I have a degree in history and education. I'm well-traveled and know a lot about the history of magic."

"Yes," he said coolly. "Ms. Helewise, I wouldn't get too comfortable, if I were you. You may find your endeavors, here, short lived."

He took down the rest of his espresso.

"Well, I must be going, but it was nice to meet you."

He bowed to kiss her hand, but she yanked it back and smacked him across the cheek.

He hardly flinched, turned around casually, and strolled off.

She sat there confused, wishing she'd asked why he didn't want her there. The man took all the confidence she'd had and left her feeling dejected.

Her feelings must have shown on her face, for she turned her head and saw an elegant brunette in a black wool dress, standing across the street and staring at her.

She walked to her table and said, "You're the new curator, aren't you? I've heard of you. Do you have family here?"

"No."

"I saw you talking to Craig. I can imagine what he might have said to you. His wife stops in at my shop, frequently. They can be quite nasty, but she spends a lot."

"I don't think he liked me much; in fact, he was quite rude."

"Yeah, that's normal," she said and smiled.

Thinking it was a good opportunity to try and make a new friend, Lin asked, "Would you like to sit?"

"I can't," she said. "I'm working; that's my dress shop."

She hitched her thumb over her shoulder, indicating the little Danish A frame structure behind her; it's roof shingles extended low toward the ground.

"Okay," Lin smiled. "I'll finish my coffee and come take a look."

"Grab your cup and come over now. It's okay," she said as she signaled to a waiter who was sweeping the floor, inside. "We find coffee and shopping go hand-in-hand; we help each other out."

Lin looked behind her and the waiter nodded.

Like every other business on the street, the shop was a cute little house with dark wood slats that lined the lighter wood color frames. There was a bit of ivy growing on the bottom half. Inside was small but warmly lit with dim, yellow light. The walls were golden yellow with white trim, and racks of clothes were neatly built into the walls.

In the center of the room was a cream colored sofa and matching chair. On the coffee table were magazines and coasters.

"Please, sit."

After pleasant introductions, Mara brought out a few gorgeous articles of clothing; all names of which she'd never heard, yet of the finest quality.

Lin couldn't help herself when she bought three of the finest hooded capes in the shop; a preferred fashion in Blackthorn. Seeing that it was nearly freezing about nine months out of the year, they'd come in handy she thought.

Mara was ecstatic with Lin's purchase. For being so generous, she brought out the reserve Champagne and cake that was for high spending customers. In between sips from their glasses, Mara ran back and forth from the back room, bringing out her favorite dresses for Lin to try.

When they'd tired of clothes, they settled onto the couch, where Lin enjoyed hearing about Mara's upbringing in Blackthorn. She felt they weren't so different, despite being raised in completely different parts of the country. Mara was smart, logical, and very intuitive. Her family was wealthy working class. After college, she went into their family jewelry business. Shortly after, she found she couldn't stand working so close to her parents, which is why she went to work for her cousin, Barb.

It was a slow, long day for Mara, who felt like closing early since she'd made three big sales. She locked the door, turned the open sign to closed, and then they had a long intimate conversation, during which they finished off three more bottles of champagne.

Lin learned more about the social affairs of Blackthorn.

"It's just like any other small town," Mara told her. "We've got some really nosey people, like my best friend, Sally Minton. She owns the local tavern. Don't tell her anything if you don't want everyone to know; then we've got your typical statues of virtue, Jackie and Will Shoester who love telling other people how to live their lives and present the best face. Jackie is head of the town council, and Will is her loving husband and shadow."

"What about Golden Craig?" Lin interrupted.

"You like him don't you? All the ladies like him, even I like him but he's a creep. Stay away from him."

Lin shook her head and said, "I don't like him. I'm only asking because he mentioned something about my endeavors here being short lived. He seemed angry that I'm the new curator. What kind of person is he to the community? And can he have me fired?"

"Uhhh," she drawled, "maybe. Craig's cousin, Angel Craig, had your job last. He lost it because he can't control his drinking. The museum's staff gives many lectures at the college; some, as you know, work as part time teachers. A few months back, Angel showed up to class intoxicated and vomited all over the classroom floor. He was suspended indefinitely, pending he see the town psychiatrist, and get his drinking under control. We're a small town; we don't have A.A. He's been struggling with alcoholism for years, so it wasn't easy for him. Still, he promised your boss, chief of staff-Miles Finley, that he'd clean himself up. It was agreed that Angel would return after a short leave of absence."

Mara paused and took a sip of her champagne.

"A number of weeks passed. He was doing quite well, too. I had run into him and he looked clean and mild mannered, not all like he was when drunk, which was like a wild animal always on the attack. So he met with Miles, who agreed to allow him back to work, but he got drunk the night before his first day back. Some students found him passed out on the steps to the academy's castle. Needless to say, it was a terrible thing. A relapse is understandable, but on the eve of his return was inexcusable. Miles fired him and Golden Craig vowed revenge on the chief."

"How could he vow revenge on Miles? He can't possibly think the society can turn a cheek to that sort of behavior?"

"Craig feels responsible for Angel because he looked after him. He promised his mother, before she died, that he'd take care of him."

Mara's speech was becoming slurred.

There was a knock at the door.

Mara stood up, slowly, and sloppily walked to the door. When she opened it, a good looking guy with dark, shiny hair and luminous black eyes walked in.

They stood and whispered to each other.

Lin noticed him slip her a piece of paper. Briefly, his eyes flashed at Lin as he turned to leave the shop.

Mara stumbled her way back to the couch.

"Who was that? He was attractive."

"That's Milton Finley; Miles' nephew. We went to school together. Wasn't quite so cute growing up, but then he went away to college and came back a total hunk. He's a doctor and a professor – hi cough - at the academy, now."

"Are you alright?"

Not hearing her question, she continued, saying, "Ah he doesn't care. He thinks because he's got money he can get away with anything and control anyone. But my mother is on the school committee, and they head the historical society. She's a good friend with the chief of staff, so if he gives you any trouble, tell me." Her head wobbled a little. "I'll tell my mother about it."

"Thanks, Mara. Well, I'm gonna get going, Tomorrow is my first day. I'm on new employee probation, so I want to be fresh when I wake."

She stood up and stretched.

Mara didn't respond. Lin looked down and saw that she'd fallen asleep with her chin on her chest. Gently, she stretched her out on the couch and covered her with a blanket she found on a cot in back.

That was how she first met Mara.

~~~

Lin took a sip of her coffee and turned the television to Channel 10 local Blackthorn news. The station covered only magical news from magical communities around the world. Only those who lived in magical communities could tune into it.

Ever since the Blackthorn Bank explosion, the news had become especially ridiculous. The journalists fed the town's fear by reporting on locals' activities. Just the other day, anchor lady Mallory York said two teenage boys, who watched a pretty girl twirl in a dress through the window of Youthful Apparel – a dress shop for girls, were staking out the place for a potential bombing. After, the weather man, Chaney Wrinkle, reported that the past weekend's stormy weather was due to a group of sorcerers planning to help the Wackens put an end to Blackthorn through natural disaster. He predicted weeks of dreary rain and floods; that Blackthorns' should have bunkers installed in their homes. Naturally, the sun came out again, and they enjoyed a week's worth of sunny-snowy weather.

Lin didn't know why she kept watching the news. She guessed it was a good way of measuring the town's atmosphere. Right now, her measurements told her the town was scatter brained, scared and silly.

She sipped her coffee while listening out for any information briefing the incident from the prior evening, when, suddenly, there was a shot of Lin standing a few feet away from the hoods.

"Oh my gosh," she said, and sat up straight.

"... Few really know who this newcomer to Blackthorn is. According to an anonymous source, she's a professor-curator at the Blackthorn Historical Society and at the academy."

There was a sudden close up of Lin's face, shrouded by her hood.

"Peculiar, is this stranger. You can see the hoods go out of their way to torture this couple..."

There was another pan shot to the couple who tried to help Mr. Jim. "...and you can see that, somehow, his wand explodes into bits. Now, if you fast forward, you'll notice a rain of spells, but this witch survives with not a hair out of place."

Then the news lady forwarded to the part where Lin stood in the middle of the street as the hoods flew backward and scattered.

"Grateful, though the community of Blackthorn is, some good questions are, 'who's protecting her? Where does her power come from? Is she friend or foe? Wacken or someone with a secret agenda?'"

Lin's skin suddenly felt hot.

How could they ask if she was a Wacken? They were trying to destroy Blackthorn, and she was obviously trying to protect innocent people! Wackens were the ones in the robes; it was they who terrorized the town last night. And it was all because the people wouldn't give in to their leader, Golshem. He and his men wanted to create a magical kingdom, separating them from the earth, forever. Naturally, the town refused to join them, thinking them mad. Golshem promised that they would join him, even if by force.

. Golshem kept his promise, too. But to complicate things, no one really knew who Golshem was or how to find him or his followers. For that reason, the town's people were always suspect of anything or anyone who seemed a bit out of place.

One night, Mara told her that Billing - the bar keep who worked at the Tavern and who'd secretly been in love with Sally, the owner, for years - had to throw Mr. Lichen out. He was an old man who was known for being extremely superstitious, so people rarely took him seriously. Mr. Lichen claimed to talk to ghosts, and that Blackthorn was built in a shadow – a place between places. That night, Mr. Lichen told them he'd seen the Wackens doing a ritual up on the mountain. He claimed Golshem's men commanded the mists, and that when they stepped into the fog, it swallowed them up inside.

Naturally, no one listened to Mr. Lichen because he was always ranting about something. His stories were infamously fabricated.

"There was real fear in his eyes," said Mara.

All Wackens aside, in the future, Lin told herself she'd have to be more careful. Not even the magical peoples of Blackthorn would accept her, if they knew the truth. Throughout history, certain beings endured unjust persecution despite the countless contributions they'd made. Common witches and wizards were afraid of these beings whose power over spirits and the elements was ultimate. These beings had power that came from within; they needed no spells. Similar to the ways humans hunted witches during witch trials, witches and wizards pursued sorcerers. Humans didn't like witches who had power to dominate them, and likewise, witches and wizards didn't like sorcerers who had power enough to rule them all.

The history of sorcerers often ended in bloody stories of betrayal. Nicolas Blackthorn was one such sorcerer, though he gave all he had to the town. He turned his home into a school for the kids who wished to study there. Nicolas was credited with saving the lives of dozens who fled from persecution, from both Europe and the New World, for using magic. Later, he was betrayed by his witch coven, and by a warlock named Will Trust. Not that Will cared about Nicolas being a sorcerer; he only wanted to steal his gold, or so the story told. Nicolas had brought special artifacts from Europe; artifacts that were said to have been gifts from other worlds. Will knew that all he had to do was prove Nicolas a sorcerer, and the people would burn him while tied to a stake, and that was what they did.

She drained the remains of her cup, grabbed her red cloak and flew to school. This was another trick of being a sorceress. She could will herself to and from places, whereas most common witches and wizards would, certainly, need a spell or a familiar to transport their molecules through the air. Fortunately, this kind of travel, and how it was accomplished, was not obvious to others, so no one suspected her.

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Lin lectured in the mornings at the academy. Teaching was the largest part of her responsibilities as an agent of the Historical Society. To them, there was nothing more important than being proper and well presented, which was why she worried. She was still on probation, and today there was to be a final performance evaluation. She just hoped they didn't hold her actions against her. Hopefully, they saw that she was only trying to help.

Softly, she landed on the muddy road in front of the cold, black gate that opened and closed, automatically, behind her.

Cold fog enveloped her as she made her way along the soggy path. Her cloak billowed around her. Up the dozen stone steps to the castle doors, she went. Muddy footprints disappeared nearly the second she printed them in a trail through the entrance hall.

The castle was of the same construction as any other castle of that time period. On the left was a staircase wide enough to accommodate two elephants standing side by side. Above was a large skylight that allowed gray atmosphere to illuminate down all twelve floors that wound around in a square. To her right was a long walkway, down which were the great hall, ball rooms, music halls, and other types of rooms.

As usual, Lin went to the great hall where breakfast was served every morning. A dozen or so still adolescent boys observed her walking to her place at the dais, where she sat alongside the professors, the dean and his assistant.

Lin loved the castle because, despite its cold and foreboding look, it made her feel like she was living in another century. The stone walls and chunky chandeliers that held real candles were ancient; not to mention the thick whittled wooden furniture and faded rustic armory all about the castle. If it wasn't for her secret, she would have lived there.

"Good morning, Professors," she said.

"Morning," echoed Professors Milton and Ms. Crackwell. They were the history and advanced magic teachers.

Since they were a small university, many subjects were simplified. Milton was well versed in, both, magical and non magical world history. Ms. Crackwell taught a variety of day-to-day spells, all the way up to self defense. Then there was Doctor Mandel who was responsible for a mix of subjects, from biology to medical magic. That left Miles who taught mostly ethics and humanities, Riley who offered more practical subjects like English, accounting and art, and lastly, Lin who educated students on how to use magical artifacts in order to improve their own skill.

Lin sat down between them.

Halloween decorations made the room look gloomier than usual. There were enormous black candles every foot or so along all the tables. Gray cobwebs covered most of the walls.

She looked to her left and right and saw that none of the professors paid her any mind. Feeling relieved, she helped herself to more coffee and some eggs, and decided to put the news report from her mind.
Rumors
Chapter 2

Surprisingly enough, the day went by smoothly, until her last class which ended at noon.

Professor Milton walked in with a clipboard in his hand. The sun gleamed off his shiny, black hair as he gave Lin a friendly smile and nod. Then he walked to the back of the classroom and took a seat.

Lin tried to relax and hoped that everyone would behave. Sometimes, because she looked so young, the students would challenge her authority.

The last class of the day also had the most aggravating students. She wished he could have surprised her in another lecture. It was one thing to be evaluated by a fellow teacher, but she didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of Milton.

Figuring it would be better to delve right in, Lin began.

"Today we'll be discussing the element, air, and its components: nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and the others, and we'll look at the characteristics of water vapor.

When using the craft to influence air to make wind, we must remember to address the particular molecules..."

"Ms. Helewise?" her least favorite student interrupted. "We've studied this already."

Anna Macky was an obnoxious girl who liked to roll her hawk-like eyes, frequently, and to make Lin feel like an idiot in front of her class.

"Before Craig, our last professor, was fired, we were studying how to consolidate water across molecules, so as to move heavier objects for those who don't have natural telekinetic ability."

"Shut up, Anna," said Lucas Rent, a beefy dark-haired boy with a backward hat. "If you want, I'll catch you up later," he said, looking straight into Lin's eyes and making a slight kissing motion with his mouth.

Lucas was another local privileged kid, who liked to tell everyone he was named after the great Lucas Blackthorn, son of Nicolas.

"Screw you!" said Anna.

"Lucas," she said authoritatively.

He sat up in his chair.

"If you want to stay in this class, then you'll show me respect. If I ever see a gesture like that, from you, again, I'll have to ask you to leave. You're not kids anymore. I expect each of you to act like adults."

From then on, the lesson progressed without too much commotion, thankfully. Anna continued to sigh and roll her eyes, every few minutes, but it didn't make much difference to her lesson. Lin got the impression that Anna might have been jealous of Lucas' crush on her.

After the class was over and everyone filed out, Professor Milton came up and gave Lin a copy of the notes he'd taken.

"You did well. I liked the way you handled those kids at the beginning."

Milton had a tremulous voice that made the little hair follicles on her arms raise upward into goose bumps.

When she looked into his dark eyes, her heart picked up pace.

Picking up the copy of her report and glancing at the comments, she said, "Okay, thanks."

"Listen, I hate to mention this because it's probably just bad gossip, but the staff has been talking. You'll learn that's that what they do best here," he smiled and winked. "I was put to ask you about the news report from this morning. I didn't see it, but apparently, you were seen in the middle of last night's attacks. I must ask if there are any activities you're engaged in that could risk the lives of the students or put your reputation at risk?"

"No," she said defensively. "The only thing I'm guilty of is being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Well, I should advise you to be very careful. Do not get mixed up in trouble because the teachers and parents will hold your personal misfortunes against you, good intentioned or not."

Despite not really being in trouble, his words made her heart sink. Although she thanked the Professor, Lin was angry and indignant.

"Tell Mara I said 'hello' when you see her. Oh, and can you give this to her?"

He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket.

"It's blank."

"Yes, I would give it to her myself but I must leave on a trip, right after class. She seems to trust you, which is why I ask."

"Are you, two, secretly dating?"

His eyebrows rose just a little.

"No. We're simply good friends."

Later that evening, Lin was home grading papers when Mara came by.

"I was gonna to call you, but I didn't want to go home. How was your day?" Mara asked as she removed her coat.

"Great."

"I saw you on the news this morning."

Lin's face got hot.

Mara followed her into the kitchen. Lin pulled two glasses and a bottle of wine.

"Well?" asked Mara.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay."

They were silent, a moment, as Lin pulled the cork from the bottle.

"Do you want to hear what Stanley at the Blackthorn Café said to me?"

"Oh, Mara, I'm so sick of all the silly gossip about who's behind all the attacks. Who does Stanley say did it this time, a ring of psychotic clowns on unicycles?"

"No one really knows who's responsible," Mara said, and then sipped from her glass. "Stanley says the biggest problem is as soon as people appear, then they disappear. Blackthorn's never had crime, so we've never needed real law enforcement. We've always had Deputy Dennison, which until now, was always enough."

"Why don't they just hire more deputies?"

"He tried, but everyone's too scared."

"So he's underhanded. Still, where was he last night?"

"According to Stanley, Dennison got a call that someone had broken into the butcher shop. When he got there, he found the owners, Leslie and her son, out cold on the floor. He didn't know the town was under attack until the paramedics arrived."

"All the while, everyone cowered in their homes or ran," said Lin disgustedly.

"Not everyone is a coward. There are those who would have helped, but it was a surprise attack. Half the town didn't even realize what was going on. I'm sure if they did, they'd have helped out."

"Who would've helped out? Maybe those who would've helped out, could help Dennison?"

"Yeah, well, they're doing everything they can, plus they already have jobs and families."

"Who's doing everything they can?"

Mara stared at Lin a moment, and then said, "I don't know. It just sounded like the right thing to say."

"Okay," said Lin disbelieving. Sometimes Mara had a peculiar way of speaking, almost as if she knew something that Lin didn't. After many attempts to question her, Lin gave up because she only got naught for answers. Still, it was frustrating to know that her own friend was keeping important secrets from her.

"Milton told me to give you a piece of paper, today."

Mara looked perplexed.

"Why did he give this to you?"

"Is it important?"

Looking irritated, Mara shoved the blank piece of paper into her purse.

"Mara, what is going on with you? What is it with all the secrecy? Are you two involved in a relationship?"

"No," she laughed, but Lin wasn't entirely convinced.

After a little wine, Lin and Mara walked down to Sally's Tavern for a greasy bite. The night was quiet and all the shops were closed. All the damage from the evening prior had been cleaned and fixed. Fresh pumpkin jack-o-lanterns had been set out in front of some of the shops, but along the sidewalk, there were still orange stains that reminded Lin of the prior evening's attacks.

Upon entering the tavern they were greeted by Sally. She was looking pleasantly harried that evening and, despite the cold, sweat was leaking down the sides of her smiling face.

Lin looked around and noticed there were only three people in the tavern, so why did Sally look like she'd run a marathon?

A tall, muscular sandy-haired man by the name of Billing entered from the kitchen. He immediately started wiping down tables. Lin couldn't help but notice how he and Sally locked eyes for a moment, and then Sally looked quickly away.

Hmmm, thought Lin, as she made the connection.

Sally was particularly upbeat that evening. She beckoned them to the bar with a wide smile.

As they walked across the room, Lin whispered to Mara, "Looks like Billing has, finally, worked up some nerve."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," said Lin. Mara was never very observant.

They scooted into the tall chairs. To their right, was a middle-aged gray haired man in a faded suit. A few seats down from him, sat an older woman whose hair engulfed her face in a large, white hazy poof. On their left sat a scruffy man who looked like he'd been on a serious bender. He had messy hair, red eyes, and a scent of filth emanated from him.

Mara asked, "What happened to the usual crowd?"

"They're scared; staying home," said Sally, as she stacked glasses. She set three flutes on the bar and poured sparkling wine into them. "On me."

They lifted their glasses and said together, "Happy Halloween."

After clinks and sips, Lin asked, "Champagne on Halloween?"

"We take Halloween very seriously. Halloween is a magical night, as it is the celebration of Samhain; a tradition carried over from the first Blackthorn settlers. We have a huge celebration every year - except this year," Mara said sounding disappointed.

"Yeah," said Sally. "We don't dance naked under the moonlight and make animal sacrifices anymore, but we usually have a festival."

"Where are all the trick-or-treaters tonight?" asked Lin.

"All the parents are having a haunted house and candy give-away at the junior high. Given the events, everyone thinks it's safer to stay indoors. You two shouldn't be out either; me and Billing, we live around here."

Sally turned a little red when she said this.

"I say everyone should get the heck outta here," said the gray haired man to their right.

"Old man you're a coward and you've always been. Why should we give up Blackthorn? This is our home," said the scraggily haired woman.

She picked up her drink, downed it and slammed the glass back onto the counter.

"Yeah, this is our home. We don't want strangers coming and taking our jobs and forcing us out!" shouted the middle aged man to her left.

The man slammed his drink and stood up. They watched him scruff his feet as he walked out, slamming the door behind him.

"Who was that?" asked Lin.

"That's Angel Craig," said Mara. "He's crazy when he's drunk, but he can be just as scary sober. Be careful, if you ever see him when you're alone. He's been known to make threats and attack people."

"He's got a right to be angry. It isn't right, people forcing him from his home and his job!" said the man in the faded suit.

"Shut up, old man," said Sally. "You, both, ruined your own lives. Straighten up or deal with the consequences."

"Exactly," said Mara. "Why can't you realize that you're the reason for your problems?"

Silently, the gray haired man stepped off the stool and walked out, too. Lin wondered if she needed to be careful of him as well.

"Now who was that?" Lin asked.

"Markus Lancaster. Coward, fellow drunk to Angel, and father to Poppy Craig, Golden's wife," said the scraggily haired woman from across the bar.

"Two drunks in the same family? Mara, you might be right: they are a miserable bunch of people."

"Nearly everyone in their immediate family has turned out to have some sort of addiction, or has done terrible things," said Sally.

"Drugs and alcohol are the only way they can tolerate each other. It's one thing to be terrible amongst good people, but to be terrible amongst other terribles, well..." said the scraggily haired woman.

"Mark's been strange ever since someone burned down his home," said Sally.

"When did that happen?" asked Lin.

"Ten years ago. That's why he moved in with his daughter and son-in-law."

"He's not a likeable guy, normally. He's alienated his son, cost people their jobs, and cheated on his wife. Then when he got his girlfriend pregnant, he hexed her to miscarry. After six months in jail, that's when he picked up heavy drinking," the old woman told them.

Thinking back to the earlier part of their conversation, before Angel and Markus interrupted, Lin asked, "Wouldn't it be better if people went into hiding? Instead of fighting and dying? I mean, the Wackens are dangerous."

"I'm not going anywhere," said Sally calmly.

She poured another round of sparkling wine and continued with, "Even if we leave, who's to say they won't find us, round us up and stuff us into one of those warehouses?"

"What warehouses?" asked Mara with raised eyebrows.

"You didn't see them?"

"See what?" asked Lin.

"Go look outside."

Sally took another swig.

Lin and Mara looked at each other, quizzically, and then slid off their stools and went outside.

"I don't see anything," said Lin.

They did a full 360. Seeing nothing, they walked across the street. From there, they saw it far and behind the tavern. Sitting on the topmost of the base of the mountain, above all the houses, were two of the largest structures Lin had ever seen. At first, they looked like large black shadows, but then her eyes adjusted, taking in the way the starlight reflected off their large surfaces. The sight of them gave her an ominous feeling.

"Where do you suppose they came from? And how did they get them up there without us noticing?" asked Mara.

"No one knows," said Sally, surprising them from behind. "They appeared sometime last night, during or after the attacks. No one knows for sure because no one heard or saw anything. People are really freaked out though."

"Did the deputy try to remove them?"

"Billing was up there earlier. He says the Deputy and a couple guys tried spells, battering ram, wrecking ball, saws and even explosives but nothing worked. They can't be removed, and they can't be destroyed."

"I don't know about you gals, but that scares the living breath out of me," said Mara.

Not wanting to deprive Sally of the pleasure of an early evening off - a rare thing for her being that it was the only bar in town, Lin and Mara decided to leave early and return to the safety of their homes. However, Lin wasn't planning on returning home at all. Rather, she was going to see the warehouses up close.

After saying goodbye, Lin disappeared into the cool, night air. She circled the warehouses to make sure that no one was in the area. Then she landed on the soft ground in front of the warehouse to her right and walked around.

Up close, the aluminum structure was the size of a shopping mall. Slowly, she reached out a hand to touch the surface of one of them.

Lin shivered, deeply. The surface was extremely cold; colder then down in the streets of Blackthorn, and so cold that it hurt her fingers to touch.

Just as she yanked back her hand, a sudden draft of air blew around her. She looked around to make sure she was still alone. But she had a distinct feeling that she was being watched.

Not seeing anyone, Lin continued to walk around the warehouses, looking for any indication of how to open them.

Another draft of air engulfed her. She spun around. Behind her was a shadow some thirty feet away. Lin squint her eyes, trying to make out the details of the figure, but the moon behind the person made him or her appear as nothing more than blackness.

The person lifted his or her hand, as though to send a spell at her, but then, the figure flew, violently, backward through the air.

He landed on the ground.

Lin's jaw fell. She looked around for who sent the person flying.

She inhaled deeply. Behind her was a pearly figure of a girl. She had dark hair and white skin. The girl glittered in a way that made her think of angels, as depicted in movies.

The girl looked right at her while not saying anything.

Hoping she wasn't seeing things, she closed her eyes, but when she reopened them, the girl was gone.

Maybe it was bad idea to come, she thought to herself.

With that thought, she flew off into the sky.

~~~

That night, she had a hard time getting to sleep. The events at the warehouse kept replaying in her mind.

Lin wondered if she should tell Deputy Dennison.

No, he'd probably think she was crazy. A dark figure in a cloak and ghostly girl who saved her? Who would believe it?

She rolled over onto her belly. After a while, her mind settled and she started to drift off to sleep. But then, a cool draft blew across her body.

She opened her eyes, rolled over and sat up.

Frightened, her throat locked in a scream. What came out was a high pitched shriek. There, in the corner of the room, was a tall stranger in a long dark robe. The figure had pale white hands, and judging by their size, Lin knew it was a man.

He stood there and said nothing.

Though her heart pounded, she showed no fear. She said, "Leave, now, or I'll kill you."

The figure didn't move.

"Get out!" she shouted.

The figure stood there a moment longer, and then disappeared.

Lin looked around the room but couldn't tell if the figure had truly left. People had been fooled before, about this sort of thing, in the magical community.

She pulled back the covers and went to the trunk at the foot of her bed. Reaching into the bottom, she found the pink crystals her grandmother gave her, before she died, for protection.

In each corner of her room, she set one crystal before climbing back into bed. If bad energies try to cross the circle of stones, they'd be repelled like opposing polarities of a magnet.
Effects of Fear
Chapter 3

Over the next couple of days, people could be seen staring up at the mysterious warehouses. Sometimes, Lin couldn't help but stand and stare herself, even though she'd seen them many times already.

The mysterious warehouses inspired gossip like never before. Everywhere Lin went people either talked of leaving Blackthorn or complained that Deputy Dennison wasn't doing a good job of protecting the people.

Then there were all the theories about what the warehouses were for.

"Hey, Lacy," Lin said to the waitress that following Saturday at the Blackthorn Lodge.

Noticing a table of half a dozen people involved in a heated discussion, and one guy who mimed every word with his hands, Lin asked, "Are they talking about the warehouses?"

"Everyone's talking about them. I think the Wackens have a secret weapon hidden in them, like an enormous laser eye that can turn everyone into zombies."

"Why would they do that?"

"To force us to do their will; to brainwash us," she said in a matter-of-fact way. "You having your usual?"

After breakfast, Lin took her usual stroll through the business district of Blackthorn. Normally, it was less crowded at that time, except for a few open shops' visitors. She liked the feeling of the deserted buildings because it was peaceful. Lin loved to pop in to her favorite place, Lucy's Foot Footing, and chat with the owner. That day, however, the shop appeared to be closed. It was dark inside, and there wasn't any movement.

She was about to walk on, but then, Lin saw the familiar light at the back desk.

Lin placed her hands on the glass, and peered in. In the back, Lucy was doing something, paperwork, possibly. It was hard to see because it was so dark. She knocked furiously on the glass.

Lucy, a tall waifish blonde, looked up with wide eyes. She looked annoyed, as she waived her hands in a "go-away" gesture, and looked back down at her desk.

This hurt because Lin thought they were pretty chummy. Offended, she stood there, stubbornly. Finally, Lucy got up and came to the door.

"I'm closed," she said shortly.

"Why?"

"What do you mean, 'why'?' The town is going crazy. I'm leaving for my safety."

"The best thing to do, in a time of crisis, is to stay calm and not do anything irrational."

Lin felt awkward giving this advice, especially since she considered fleeing herself.

"I'm not being irrational. People are dying, here. I have family and friends in the human world that I want to see again. I'm sorry, but I must go. Excuse me."

She closed the shop door and walked back to her desk.

And as if things weren't bad enough, all over town, paranoia had struck like a virus. It first showed its symptoms at the Historical Society's staff meeting. Ms. Crackwell announced that secret Wacken operatives were there at the academy.

"Just ridiculous," said Minton. "If the Wackens were in our school, we'd know about it."

"Please, Madam," Miles pleaded, "there are plenty of people who could secretly be working for Golshem and his followers, but that doesn't warrant blacklisting. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, here."

"Yes, please, let's not encourage paranoid people to make outrageous accusations," said Doctor Mandel. "You could ruin people's lives, subject them to ridicule and other forms of alienation. And further, what if they aren't working for the Wackens, but instead, the contention?"

"What's the contention?" asked Lin.

"Please," Miles interrupted. "I'm not saying let's become a lynch mob, I'm just saying let's be vigilant. The Deputy is doing everything he can, but he is only one man. Now there has been talk of traitors before, and Dennison is more certain than ever that this is the case here. Since the Blackthorn Academy and the Society has the highest concentration of residents and tourists, it is likely that we could stumble onto an important clue. That is why Deputy Dennison has asked me to ask you to help out by looking for any unusual behaviors. You are not to do anything about it. You are only to report what you see to me. Thank you. "

Miles left looking disappointed in his staff.

Throughout Lin's classes of the day, she heard mention of the warehouses and the Wackens. Dutifully, she would listen and observe. But she didn't hear anything strange, and she didn't see anything strange.

Curious about how the witch, Golshem, came about, Lin asked the only person she'd become somewhat friendly with on the staff: Professor Milton.

"The Wackens first showed themselves at our International Mage Convention," he told her in the common room at break. "It was Golshem who preached to the council that they should unite under one government, and live in a place that would enhance our magic. He envisioned a land where we could walk about freely."

Half hearing him and half lost in his beautiful dark eyes, she asked, "What did he mean, exactly? And where did he learn such archaic thinking?"

Milton's eyes flickered a bit. His smile widened as he looked directly into her eyes. Lin knew he'd always found her attractive; she just didn't know if he knew she felt the same. At that moment, there was no doubt that he knew.

Nervously, Lin fidgeted and looked away.

"I'm not sure. I heard he has the typical villainous background, you know: broken home, no friends, angry, bullied as a child. That sort of thing."

Milton took a step closer to Lin. He towered over her. She looked up into his eyes.

"What are you doing Friday?" he asked.

"Nothing, yet."

"How about dinner?"

~~~

That Friday, Mara was really bummed that Lin wouldn't go to the tavern with her, but she wasn't jealous about her going out with Milton, so that was a relief.

At 8 p.m., Milton knocked on her door.

"You look gorgeous," he said, eyeing her in her purple skirt and white sleeveless tunic.

He took her to a chic restaurant called The Top Linen.

Inside was decorated with low lit candles, small bouquets of flowers on every table, and elegantly dressed diners. It was strange for Lin to see how everyone in the restaurant either nodded or said "hello" to Milton as they passed, including a lovely brunette in a long red dress.

Their hostess lead them to a table, Lin felt a breeze brush by her neck, and instinctively, looked around. The figure hadn't been back to her apartment since that night, because she protected her place with crystals and spells, but at that moment, she felt like he was there.

Then she spotted him. The tall hooded figure stood in the corner, motionless, in a black robe; the hood shadow his face, and all Lin saw were his white hands.

Lin felt tense all over.

Milton stopped talking, and asked, "Are you alright? What are you looking at?"

He turned in his seat, and Lin realized that she was the only one who could see the figure.

"Nothing."

Over dinner, Milton told her about his childhood. He'd grown up in Blackthorn and was passionate about art. Milton was an only child when both his parents died, leaving him enough money to take care of himself.

After he'd talked a bit about himself, Lin asked about something she'd heard again, earlier that day at the café.

"Do you think it's true that there is a group called the Blackthorn Contention?"

Milton's eyes flickered in the light. For the first time since they'd met, he seemed at a loss for words. Lin could see the wheels turning in his head. He was desperately trying to figure out what to say.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No. I was just wondering why you asked me that. The whole town has gone mad, talking about some contention group."

"I heard some students talking about it. In keeping with Miles request to stay vigilant, I was wondering if I should worry about the so called Contention. I asked you because you're knowledgeable about many things that happen in Blackthorn. I'm still relatively new here."

He took a sip from his wine glass and said, "I don't know anything about the Contention, but I hear it's a group of rivals whose aim is to stop the Wackens."

Lin took a bite of her bread, and then asked, "So why didn't they help when the city was being attacked the other night? Why don't they come out of hiding and help the deputy?"

"Because if anyone were to know who they are, then they could be a target for assassination," he said irritably.

"But people are dying."

"Are you really so short sighted? Can you not see the forest through the trees," he asked. His voice rose. "People are doing what they can. Maybe they aren't able to act as quickly as you'd like, but it seems to me that when trying to avoid assassination, the best way to go about an operation is in secret.

Yes, people are dying, but one can't help others when they, themselves, are dead, can they? Coming out too soon could cause more unnecessary deaths, and deterioration of any secret weapons or plans. That is why it is necessary for rebellious groups to remain anonymous. Groups like the contention only come about when an opposing force is too strong to fight head on; that's the situation that we're in right now, whether you realize it or not!"

Lin didn't mean to upset him, but she had to ask. "So you do believe in the Blackthorn Contention?"

"Yes, of course, I believe it. Who do you think has fought the Wackens off every time they've tried to take Blackthorn? Why do you think we still exist, here?"

Lin didn't respond.

The meal became uncomfortable after that. Milton shut down and barely said two words to her. She understood him wanting to defend his town folk, but she didn't understand why asking questions upset him.

When the meal ended, Milton looked almost relieved. He walked her up to the steps of her apartment building.

"I'm afraid this is where I must leave you."

"Oh," said Lin without much surprise that he didn't want to come up upstairs. "See ya."

She turned her back to him and stuck her key in the lock. The last thing she wanted was a kiss or a hug from from him.

As the lock clicked and she reached for the door knob, the bushes that lined both sides of the door rustled. The first thought that came to mind was the figure from the restaurant.

"Wait," she said and spun around, but Milton had gone.

Typically, witches and wizards couldn't disappear so silently, so she called out loud, "Milton?"

No one responded.

"AAhh!" she screamed as something jumped out at her.

A stinky man in a wrinkled suit stood out of the bushes. His arms flailed and spit sprayed from his mouth as he shouted, "You bitch! I warned you to leave this town. I told you, we don't like people coming here and taking our homes and jobs."

He walked menacingly toward her. She stepped backwards. When he stepped under the light of the street lamp, she recognized that it was Angel Craig, and he was drunk.

Quickly, Lin tried to calculate what Angel was going to do; if he was just talking or if he meant to get physical.

"Stay back," Lin warned, but he kept getting closer.

Angel talked belligerently. His voice continued to rise until he started to choke. His tongue protruded from his mouth and his eyes bulged.

"Mr. Craig?"

He put both hands around his throat and struggled for air. Angel, then, fell to the ground.

Lin knelt beside him and put her ear to his lips. Just barely, she could feel his breath tickle her ear. From her right side, she felt the presence from earlier at the restaurant. Lin couldn't see him in the dark shadows of the trees, but didn't have to in order to know it was the dark figure.

"Stop it! Now!" she yelled.

Suddenly, Angel was fully breathing again.

"And stop following me!"

The presence disappeared.

Angel was breathing regularly, but he'd passed out. She slapped him as hard as she could.

His eyes flung open.

Too drunk to realize he'd almost died, he pushed himself off the ground, and stumbled down the street.

Wanting to make sure he was alright, instead of going upstairs to her apartment, she turned around and followed Angel for a while. She wanted to make sure he made it somewhere safely. The last thing she needed was for the man, whom everyone knew had it in for her, to be found dead in her neighborhood.

As she walked, she kept her eyes roving all around her, wondering if the figure was still watching her. She didn't feel his presence but with magic, there were ways around that.

After some time, and to no surprise of Lin's, Angel led her straight to the tavern, where he clumsily opened the door and stumbled inside.

Lin watched from a few feet away, but then decided to go in.

Inside, she watched Angel struggle to sit on a stool without knocking it over. Repeatedly, he massaged his neck.

She smiled at Billing, and then sat in the only available seat at the bar.

Next to her, a woman she didn't know said, "I remember Golshem. He was a grubby little teenager. He spent a lot of time up on the mountain, and even claimed there were ghosts up there. He thought he could travel to other worlds. That was twenty years ago. The man hasn't changed a bit, since. He's crazy and needs to be locked up. I said it then, and I'm saying it now."

"How are you doing?" asked Billing.

"Alright, except that Angel Craig, who's drunk as a skunk, was hiding in my bushes, and tried to kill me."

"What?" he asked, sounding as if he didn't quite believe her.

"Yeah, just a few moments ago, he attacked me."

Billing poured her an Irish coffee and then went to help another customer. She sat there, listening to the other patrons babble. They were a pathetic and silly group of people.

Then as she took down the last of her coffee, the ground started to rumble. Blackthorn was not located in a place that was prone to earthquakes.

Lin looked around.

The patrons had gone silent. They all looked scared. Someone screamed shrilly.

Everyone ran outside.

Across the street, people stood in groups, talking and pointing up at the mountain. Lin and the bar patrons joined them, across the street. When they looked up, it was to see that the warehouses were ablaze.

"Who did that?" asked a man she'd never seen before.

"Nobody knows," said the scraggily haired woman from the other night. "It's probably the contention."

With nasty pitches, there were multiple explosions that sent up thick clouds of dust, highlighted brightly by the light of exploding flames. Then the sky rained ash, soot and soil down on them, yet the structures didn't melt and they didn't fall.

Something blasted upward into the atmosphere, from behind the structures. Lin couldn't tell what it was, until the thing fell downward, and blocked out the moonlight.

"Get out of the way," screamed a man, who turned and bolted down the street.

A mere second before it was too late she realized what she was seeing. Lin ran down the street, as did the others. The chunk of blasted boulder landed in the middle of the street; it broke through the tarmac and a foot deep crack extended down both sides of the street for half a mile.

The ground shook everyone to the ground. When the rumbling stopped, Billing asked, "Is everyone okay?"

"Where's the Deputy?" asked a woman.

No one answered.

Not wanting to wait for more boulders to smash up the town, Lin transported herself to the warehouses to see what was going on with her own eyes.

When she got to the base of the mountain, all was quiet. Seeing no one made her wary. She didn't want to be ambushed, so she landed in the barrage of trees a hundred yards up the base. There, she heard foot falls all around her. Turning around and around, she saw hooded figures running this way and that. Some were trying to curse one another.

Then, not more than fifty feet away, Lin saw and heard a woman muttering a death curse at a person who ran away from her. She could barely see the white of the woman's face through the shroud of her hood.

"NOOO!" a woman behind the one who muttered the death curse, screamed. She pulled out a wand of her own. A bright ray of light hit the woman in the back. She was knocked forward off her feet; she flew through the air and face forward into a tree trunk, as did her death curse.

.

"Mara?" asked Lin, thinking the woman who shouted, "No," sounded familiar. But she was too busy battling with another hooded figure.

All around her, there was fighting and screaming. Dark figures ran through the trees. Some were already injured while others tried to injure others.

Unsure of whom she should help, Lin stood and watched a moment longer, trying to think of what she could do to put a stop to the fighting. The only idea that came to mind was something she'd read about in one of her books: A wizard who wanted to stop a town from being slaughtered, without revealing who he was, brought a tornado that swept the attackers away. She'd never tried anything like that before. Would she be able to control a low pressure storm?

She closed her eyes, raised her hands and envisioned the dark night. The sky resonated within her and she felt its power. Using her mind, she envisioned herself as one with every particle in the sky, and she could feel the molecules moving within her. Lin imagined moisture soaking up the air, becoming more and more humid until she felt droplets splatter her face.

Within moments, it started to pour down, hard. A stroke of thunder blasted from all around them, but the people weren't scared. They continued to fight as if nothing happened.

Closing her eyes once more, she imagined the wind blowing down the mountain, fast, spinning out of control.

A few more moments, and the air blew so violently that the trees slanted. Lin, herself, could barely stand.

"DUCK," a woman shouted.

"Mara?" Lin called again.

A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders from behind and flung her to the ground. Spells flew back and forth above her. The woman who threw her to the ground struggled to stay standing as the wind got even more violent.

Next thing she knew, the woman was tugging her robe, miming that she should get up because the wind was too deafening to speak.

All around her, tree limbs broke off and flew like daggers. Then the tree to her right uprooted and flew through the sky, breaking other trees in half, some of which fell down so hard and fast that they planted themselves right back into the earth.

Suddenly, everyone was running away from the woods. Lin saw a few white faces and, although she couldn't hear them, their mouths formed silent O's as they fought to escape being carried away by the wind.

Shocked at what she'd done, Lin tried to ease back the wind. It was too late, though. Horrified, she watched a couple of the hooded figures get pulled up into the whirling air!

The woman who yelled at Lin to duck stood next to her. Her hood was down, and it was Mara.

"CAN YOU STOP IT?" she shouted.

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Lin tried to calm her nerves and focus, but she was distracted, for a moment, by the same hooded figure from earlier. It just stood there, across the way, facing her; a white chin gleaming under the moonlight.

Ignoring the figure, she raised her hand and mimed pulling those, who'd flown into the tornado, back down to the ground. Next, she closed her eyes and resonated with the wind, telling it to calm.

The tornado slowly, completely, dissipated. When she opened her eyes, the figure still stood, watching. As before, he disappeared without a word.

Lin never felt so horrible in all her life. As she looked around at the mess, it occurred to her that she might be arrested. She'd nearly destroyed the entire mountain forest, and likely killed several people.

To her right, at least a hundred yards of trees lay flat upon the ground, broken, bent and uprooted. Most of the people who fought had gone. Those who remained looked lifeless in the dirt and covered in debris.

Mara grabbed Lin's arm, said "Let's get out of here, now!"

Lin flew them back to Mara's apartment. Although Lin tried desperately to excuse herself, Mara insisted that she come in so they could talk.

"Coffee?"

She went off to put on a pot.

Lin pulled back the window curtain and peered down at Main Street. Although she'd extinguished the wind storm, the city rained on.

"What are you?" asked Mara, setting down a hot carafe and cups. "A warlock? A shaman? I've never seen anyone do anything like that before."

"It's just something that I was born with."

"Are you an elemental?"

"What? Some who controls the elements? No."

"Why have you never told me you have power, like that?"

"Mara, I have a secret, true. I'd rather keep it to myself, but don't make me feel bad about it. Let's face it, you have some secrets, too, like I know there is something going on with you and Milton. Also, I've noticed how you disappear sometimes and don't want to tell me what you're up to. I don't know if you're mixed up in something bad, but I'm willing to ignore all the curious things if you agree not to question me."

"I'm not hiding anything terrible, Lin," she said defensively. "If I could, I would tell you; in time, I probably will. Hopefully, then, you will tell me yours, too."

"Alright. Maybe in the future. For now, we're even," Lin said and then took a sip of coffee. "But what if people died tonight because of me? How am I to live with that?"
After the Storm
Chapter 4

After the incidents on the mountain, the town was a flurry of near pandemonium. If Lin thought people couldn't be any more paranoid than they already were, she was wrong. Everyone was on guard. Most of the shops in the town had been shut down indefinitely by the owners. Many residents had left town or barricaded themselves inside their homes.

The supermarkets were emptied as people stocked up on goods. Price gouging was a problem, but people didn't flinch to trade $100 for tiny two person tents, or $300 for sleeping bags with built in pillows. Lin didn't understand why they didn't simply leave town, but many of them had no intention of doing so. They'd rather go into hiding and barricade themselves in their homes, under spells and protection amulets, for extended periods of time. When she asked one couple how long they thought they could stay in their homes, they replied, "Years, if we have to."

Lin thought it was all pointless; spells would only last so long, and amulets always had a counter earthly element. It wouldn't be terribly hard for the Wackens to overcome their magic.

Even sadder was the fact that it was nearing Christmas. The happy spirit known to infect people during the holidays was replaced with rage, fear, and suspicion, especially towards those who were considered untrustworthy. People like Lin, who was not a native local, were treated poorly. Everywhere she went, people stared at her with steely regard.

Amid all the chaos, her mother called her every morning and every evening. "Yes, mom, I'm alright. I'm going to bed, now," she said impatiently. It was natural that she worried, but it was also annoying.

The only thing that offered relief, for Lin at least, was that all those who'd been injured on the mountain had fled - and as for all the uprooted and damaged trees, magic fixed it all as if nothing happened.

No dead bodies were found; no one came up missing or in irreparable condition. Even better was she hadn't seen the man in the cloak since that night. She had a feeling he'd be back, but there was a small hope, inside her, that maybe he'd lose interest.

And who was he, anyway? It was easy to assume he was a Wacken, but what if he wasn't? She had the feeling that the reason he didn't attack her was because he knew how powerful she was. Why else did he come around and merely observe her? And if he knew how powerful she was, should she be prepared for an ambush? After all, that's the way it was always done in the history books, when people faced powerful beings.

All these thoughts are why she started taking extra protection precautions. She'd buried several crystals around her apartment building. While she dug, she noticed that there were many small places of disturbed dirt, an indicator that she wasn't the only one concerned about protection. Lastly, wherever she went, she always had her invisibility shield up, and always watched for people behind her, and sudden blasts of air.

One week before the final holiday, the head of the town council, Mrs. Shoester, called a meeting. "In light of the holidays, let's try to be cheerful for, if anything, the children," she said.

The whole town agreed that it was time to put on smiles for the youngest of Blackthorn. Being afraid all the time was doing no one any good. People, even if falsely, changed their attitudes and smiled as they went about their business.

Lin, herself, was tired of feeling the gloom and doom, and so she embraced the infamous Blackthorn end-of-year celebrations with enthusiasm. Considering the nerves everyone ran high on, Lin thought festivities was just what the town needed.

Overnight, the town became a mountainside Christmas grotto. Blackthorn Street was lined with sparkling Christmas trees; strings of lights connected the wrought iron street lamps. People put festive, colorful displays in their windows and out on the streets; they hung ribbons, wreathes and bells on their doors. It was the most Christmas-y feeling she'd ever felt. Sure, it was one thing to go to the mall or downtown, in her home town, and see everyone had gone festive, but the people of Blackthorn conspired and turned the town into what Santa's Work Shop should be.

"Normally," Mara told her, "we make a big ceremony out of lighting the tree in the town center; then there's a parade and a big party. And of course, we honor La an Dreoilin; the kids have a blast! Ahh," she sighed sounding disappointed. "Christmas is usually the best time of year, here, so it's really sad that the Wackens had to go and spoil it. But my mom is still having her winter soiree. Did you get your invitation, yet?"

Every year, Mara's mother threw a big party for the entire town. It was held in their mansion on a hill, on the opposite side of town. Lin received an invitation weeks ago, and had already rsvp-ed single. Every night since then, she'd fantasized about what it would have been like to go with Minton.

Since the night Lin blew away most of the forest, Mara hadn't mentioned a word about their meeting on the mountain. They were still friends, and they went about things as usual, but Mara did look at her differently.

Lin, on the other hand, regretted not asking Mara what the hell she was doing there on the mountain, that night. The only thing that held her back was their agreement. More than anything, it was important that Lin keep her secret. She just hoped that whatever Mara's secret was, it wasn't that she was a Wacken. She'd spent many hours already considering what she'd do if she was one. The answer was simple: she'd bind her with magic, friend or no.

At the academy, she saw Professor Milton on countless occasions, but he overtly avoided her. He smiled and nodded, and shifted his eyes to some distant point beyond her head. Never did he stay in the same room or social circle with her for long. She hated that his dismissal hurt her so much, especially because they had only been on one date! Don't be ridiculous, she told herself when she felt down about it.

Mara continued to run her shop like normal but, like most patrons, closed up and was locked indoors by night fall. One strange thing she noticed about Mara, of late, was there seemed to be a lot of oddball strangers popping into her shop. They always wore shawls around their faces, and they always had something for her. Sometimes, she had things for them – usually blank pieces of paper. When she dared ask, Mara quickly reminded her of their agreement.

Fortunately, there were no new attacks that week. This made a lot of locals happy, but according to Sally Minton, inaction made Deputy Dennison more uneasy than ever.

"What's he uneasy about?" asked Mara. "He should be grateful that things are getting back to normal around here."

"Because, goof ball, they could be planning something bigger than ever before," said Sally.

"Or something to take the whole town by surprise," said Lin.

Dennison continued attempts to break into the mysterious warehouses that endured not even a single scratch from the explosions on the mountain. This time, he was reported to have brought in specialists from around the country, but that, too, didn't work out. Lin didn't know Deputy Dennison well, but just the time she'd spent listening to him talk in the tavern, she knew he was having the worst time of them all.

~~~

Despite the wreck of papers she needed to get to that Saturday, Lin decided to go shopping with Mara. That night was the winter soiree at Blesswell Court. Since the party required ball gowns and tuxedoes, everyone in town would be at the Glass Towers, that day, getting fitted.

Lin stood at the entrance to the quarry and looked about and, not seeing Mara, decided to go ahead inside.

The wind was all daggers that day. Many were already there having lunch under the umbrella tables. Heat lamps went full blast, here and there. People sat wrapped in shawls and thick coats and chatted. Some even held forks and knives and cups with their gloved hands. Waiters walked quickly about, shivering as they scribbled their orders onto pads.

The Glass Towers were so called because they were made out of thick enchanted glass that was more than bullet proof. Locals said that not even a comet could destroy them. It looked like an ice castle under the cloudy gray sky. A few sun rays glittered across the surface and spun the colors of a rainbow back out into the air. The center between the two towers was shaped like a large dome.

She walked the path through the quarry and up to the thick paned door which looked like it could weigh well over 300 pounds, yet opened with barely a push of the metal bar.

Inside the towers was a warm brightly lit entrance hall that looked like any mall across America, except that the walls were shiny thick glass. Lin was amazed at how even though the walls were glass, she couldn't completely see into the shops or straight through to the outside. Instead, she saw blurred shadows of people standing about. Above her, the color of gray bled through the ceilings and walls, making her feel like she was in the sky.

Lin was excited to finally get a chance to see the towers because she was tired of the same old shops in downtown Blackthorn.

On her walk through the right wing, she passed various shoes, dresses, and novelties shops. Everything she could possibly need was there, such as Shoes, Shoes, Shoes and Samuel's Fit for Formal, where Mara said they should look for dresses.

Lin was super relieved when she nearly walked past a coffee shop.

"Hallelujah," she said.

In need of a warm up, she took two steps back.

Lin always loved the fresh burst of coffee aroma in the air upon entering a shop. Eagerly, she followed the scent all the way to the register line.

In the shop, Lin noticed various faces she'd seen throughout the community but had never met. For instance, she saw the girl from the town meeting, Mrs. Shoester's daughter.

The girl was squirrely but cute with a tiny pointed nose and shiny brown hair. She looked ulzzang yet slightly odd as she sat there in her light blue skirt with white knee high socks and dirty brown Mary Jane shoes. She wore a thick, baggy dirty brown mohair sweater.

Something about the girl gave Lin a strange vibration. When she looked up and caught Lin looking at her, she felt like she'd seen the girl before. After a moment, it came to her: She looked just like her grandmother's childhood photos. She had the same squirrely nose, eyes slanted toward the outer corners, and red gradient lips. Come to think of it, her grandmother pretty much looked like this when she died. She had not a single wrinkle, and until the day she died at 165 years old, still managed her own garden, kept her house clean and made her own dinner. Of course, Lin never told anyone her grandmother lived so long, for they'd never believe her. Despite the girl looking a little off in the head, from her, she got the same impression she often got from her own grandmother, which was age beyond that of her face and agility.

The girl, quickly, looked back down at her magazine. Her hands shook as they turned the pages. Even with her head at a down turned angle, one could see her blood shot eyes and the dark circles beneath them.

Lin continued to observe the girl's features and, in a way, she reminded her of herself. She wondered what the possibilities of their being related were. But as the girl used the back of her hand to wipe her snotty nose, Lin brushed the thought from her mind.

When Lin finally made it to the register and ordered her drink, she took another look and caught the girl watching her back.

Lin decided it was time to try and make a friend out of this girl. Somehow, she felt sorry for her because she seemed a nervous wreck.

The girl watched Lin approach.

"Hey there," she said, trying to sound chipper.

"Hey," the girl said flatly.

"I thought I'd come and say hi. I noticed you at the town meeting, and I have to say that you look, incredibly, like my grandmother did when she was a child. You don't have any family in Buffalo, do you?"

The girl just stared at Lin with a dead pan look in her eyes and face.

"I'm Lin. I'm a curator at the Historical Society."

"Yes, I know. Everyone knows who you are."

The girl spoke through extremely stiff lips that hardly moved. Despite her extremely red eyes, she had the largest most piercing blue eyes.

She looked at Lin in such a way that kind of frightened her. Lin couldn't hold her smile which faded from her face. She wanted to walk away but she decided to try and friendly up to the girl one more time.

"I hope you've heard good things."

She tried to smile again.

The girl looked straight into Lin's eyes, wiped her sniveling nose with the back of her shaky hand. All the while she made a terrible suction noise as she tried to force air through her nostrils.

Repulsed, Lin beat back a grimace, and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're being watched."

"Excuse me?"

But the girl couldn't answer because she was distracted. Her eyes turned glassy and started to revolve around the room, like the eyes of an owl cuckoo clock.

Lin continued to watch the girl for a moment longer.

"Get out of here," she said to no one in particular.

The girl appeared to be staring at the wall to their left. Then she stood up from her seat. As she made to leave the café, a gust of wind blew into the shop. The girl's hair fluttered in the blast of air and revealed one of the girl's ears, which came to a funny little outward point.

Lin watched her walk out and didn't seem to hear the barista when he called her name.

A woman tapped her on the shoulder and said, "They're calling you, I think."

Feeling embarrassed, she simply said, "Sorry."

"Don't listen to the Shoester girl. She's a little strange."

"Poppy, Poppy Craig," the woman extended a black leather gloved hand.

Despite Mara telling her that Poppy was a rude and arrogant woman, Lin's first impression was that she was very polite. Also, she was a very pretty woman with tan skin and large, dark brown phoenix shaped glittery eyes.

The woman wore all black and her hair was twisted up into a neat bun.

"Lin Helewise."

"I know who you are," she said with a warm and even voice.

They looked at each other for a moment, "Well, it's nice to meet you."

Samuel's Fit for Formal was a nice shop with elegant silks, finely spun cashmere, lots of hand sewn rhinestones and sequins gowns.

Lin sifted through racks of dresses while trying to put the crazy girl from the café out of her mind. How did she know she was being watched? What was she looking at? Was she simply crazy, or was the figure in the room somewhere, unbeknownst to her?

She was closely examining the square pattern of a fuzzy, sheer light pink mohair dress with camisole straps and a sewn in slip when Poppy said, "That makes your complexion look really smooth."

Lin jumped.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you."

"It's okay," Lin said. "I was just a little deep in thought. Are you looking for a dress today?"

"I had mine custom made weeks ago. I'm here to pick it up."

"Well, I think I'm gonna try this one on, but it was nice to meet you."

"Wait a second. I want to ask you a question. How would you feel if I offered you a position?"

"A position?"

"Yes. My daughter, who also attends the academy, is having trouble with a few classes. I'm afraid she isn't doing work that is of her full potential. I'm prepared to offer you a decent salary, nearly double what you're making at the Historical Society. You can even move in with us."

"I don't want to seem ungrateful, but I'm going to have to say no. I love my job with the museum and at the school. If I went to work for you, it might stifle any future opportunities for advancement."

"If you're worried about working your way up, it's not a problem. We have all sorts of connections. You won't be limited because you work for a family instead of an institution. What kind of work is it you desire?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I don't feel that it's the right time for me to leave the Society just yet."

"... oh! There she is. Lin!" someone called.

She turned and saw Mara and a ginger-brown haired woman who looked much like Mara.

"I'm sorry but my friends are here."

Poppy walked off without saying goodbye.

Lin made her way across the store.

The ginger-brown haired woman looked at the dress in her hand and said, "Wow. That's pretty!"

She was about to say thank you when Mara interrupted. "Were you just talking to Poppy Craig?"

"Yes, try not to sound too disgusted, will you?" Lin whispered. "She offered me a job."

"What sort of job?"

"Tutoring her daughter."

"Hope Craig? I hope you turned her down."

"Well, yeah," she said with sarcasm, "I'm not stupid. She just wants me gone so she can help her brother-in-law. She should just hire her brother-in-law to tutor her daughter."

"Uh, yeah, would you want Angel working with your daughter?" Mara replied.

"Working for the Craigs might actually be a smart thing. They have a lot of connections," said the younger woman with excitement. "I would give anything for the job."

"Lin, meet my younger cousin, Blair," Mara said and rolled her eyes.

"Hi." She held out her hand to Lin.

Blair looked like a younger smaller version of Mara, except lighter hair and a straighter form. She was lightly freckled and had the same eyes and nose. Likewise, she had the same depth of brown eyes, but Blair's eyes were smaller and friendlier whereas Mara's were large, deep and penetrating.

"I saw you on the news a few weeks back." Lin flinched at her mention of this.

Blair must have noticed, for she said, "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"Well, let's get shopping because we're gonna need a few hours to get ready, and the party starts at 8 p.m." Mara interrupted.

The Party
Chapter 5

After shopping, they went to Lin's to get ready. She laid a sheet on the carpet of the living room floor, and then they spread their makeup all over and made themselves into winter queens. When they were done, the sheet looked like something between a collage and a mural.

Mara stepped out of the dressing room wearing a waxed linen emerald green gown.

"Woooow," said Lin.

"Darling, you look fabulous in that dress," said Blair.

"Don't use words like 'darling' and 'fabulous' because you sound like Poppy. You sound like a snob."

Blair turned fuchsia. She looked like she wanted to stab Mara. Mara didn't notice because she was checking herself out in the mirror.

Briefly, Lin thought back to the way Mara disregarded her at the Towers. Either Mara was oblivious to the effects of her words, or she just didn't care.

"You look lovely, Mara," Blair said with a subdued voice.

"Thank you," Mara said indifferent and cold.

Later, they all stepped out into the icy, dark blue night: Mara in her waxed green linen, Blair looking like a snow goddess in a white sleeveless gown, and Lin in her sheer, light pink mohair.

"Why do we have to walk in this cold weather?"

"On this night, it's tradition. Plus, isn't it beautiful, tonight?" asked Blair.

Beautiful, it was. Not a cloud was in sight, the moon was full and bright; the starts twinkled. Suddenly, the Christmas decorations along Main and Blackthorn appeared regal.

Up and down the street tuxedoed gentlemen escorted their richly gowned ladies. Their hems all nearly touched the salted-snow ground, and the air was rent with the sound of clopping noises that came from everybody's shoes.

"We all walk to the center of town, and then are taken by carriages to my mom's house," explained Mara.

Just as she said, in the middle of Blackthorn Street, in front of Mara's Dress Shop, was a half-mile long line of enormous decorative carriages. They gleamed white and were fitted with snow white Irish Cobs.

The line of guests waiting to board was just as long. Every few minutes, a carriage left while another arrived, having dropped off a group of people only moments before.

"I wish the carriages would go faster. I'm freezing and we're in heels. The longer we stand here, the shorter time I'll be able to stand at the party," Lin chattered.

"Tough it out," said Mara with irritation.

"Mara," yelled someone.

From ahead in the line, a white-blonde woman waived. She walked over with a man on her arm.

"Hi," she said excitedly. "It's been a long time!"

"Ashley," Mara said. She tried to sound happy, but was doing a poor job of it.

She and the blonde hugged, and mouthed kisses cheek-to-cheek.

"You've met my husband, Michael."

"Hello," she said.

Mara's mouth spread out in a wide clown-like stretch, as it often did when forcing a smile.

"How's the shop?"

"Good," she said.

"Did you get any new hats?" Ashley asked.

"No, but this is Lin. She's the new curator with the society."

Mara touched Lin's shoulders as she said this, and then turned her back on them all and pretended to look out for the coach men.

"Hello." Ashley hugged and kissed Blair on both cheeks.

"Good to see you," Blair said.

The woman asked her a few questions in an attempt to reconnect. Then her friends called from up ahead; they turned and saw they were climbing into a carriage.

"Well, it was nice to see you again, Blair and Mara," he said to her back.

Mara didn't turn around.

"We'll try to visit your shop, sometime," Ashley said loudly and shrugged her shoulders.

When they finally walked off, Lin said, "They're gone."

Mara turned around. Her face was red. Blair was trying not to look amused by her discomfort.

"Well?" asked Lin. "What was that about?"

Mara watched Michael and Ashley join the other couple in the carriage.

When Mara wasn't didn't answer, Blair said, "Ashley and Mara went to school together. They used to be best friends until Ashley stole Michael from her. I wanted to put a hex on them but Mara forbade me."

"Look, it's alright. I'm okay, just let it go. It's my fault anyway."

"It's not your fault that slut stole your guy! What is wrong with you? No self esteem, I swear."

At the corners of her mouth was a smirk, but given the way Mara tended to treat Blair, it was easy to understand why Blair rejoiced in her cousin's misery.

Eventually, they got a carriage with a couple and their kids, the Balkers. They owned the jewelry repair shop in the business district.

When they finally arrived at Mara's parent's house, Lin was even more aggravated by the sight of a ten foot wall of stone steps they were to take up to the Blesswell property.

"You grew up here?" asked Lin.

"Yes, but it's more impressive than it looks, and we usually drive around to the back rather than go up all these steps."

Mara bent over and started unbuckling her heels as did Blair.

"What are you doing?"

"We can't possibly go up all these steps in heels."

Lin looked around to see that, indeed, all the ladies were bent over to undo straps and buckles, and slipped off their shoes.

Barefoot and twenty minutes later, they panted over the last stone step to a large green hedged yard with stone statues. Strands of strung up lights twinkled all about the property while lit up water fountains glowed shiny against the dark blue night.

They walked a cemented path several yards into a white columned walkway where Mara's parents stood before a large double door entrance and greeted them.

Next to her parents stood Lucas, the kid from class who tried to flirt with her.

"Hi, Mother," said Mara and they hugged. "Hi, Dad."

"Hello Blair. You're Lin?" asked Mrs. Blesswell.

"Yes. Thank you for inviting me."

"I'm Maxie, this is my husband Rich, and this is Lucas."

Rich bowed to her, and Lucas said, "Hello, Ms. Helewise."

"Hey, little cousin," exclaimed Blair, who stepped up and gave him a tight hug.

"I didn't know you were cousins with that nightmare," Lin whispered into Mara's ear.

"Don't hate," she replied. "If he gives you a hard time, let me know. I'll whack him in the head for you."

They continued past the front landing with more stone benches, over the threshold of the house and into a large white entrance hall with pinkish-white marble floors. Two men stood near several large coat racks and several large white couches.

Lin and Mara checked their shawls, sat on the sofas and put on their shoes. After, they took a right into a hallway that was the size of Lin's apartment and lead them into a ball room that was larger than any room- anywhere she'd ever seen.

Directly across from the entrance was a large five foot high fire place, and the flames were roaring magically high. More pinkish-white marble floor shone under the large glittering crystal chandelier that hung down from the ceiling.

Statues and plants were placed variably along the walls, as were hung paintings. On the right, there were tables of food and drinks, and on the left were couches and tables.

Hardly anyone was there yet, so Lin, Mara and Blair were nearly first to the food tables where they grabbed glasses of wine and plates.

The middle of the room was completely bare for dancing and walking, and against the wall furthest from the room's entrance, a huge band was setting up.

The band began the evening by playing classical, jazz, and a couple of oldies tunes. Just when Lin said she wanted to throw up, Mara informed her that as the night progressed, the music would get better, as the older people would begin to leave.

Lin watched Michael and Ashley come in with the other couple from the carriage. She watched them get plates of food and drinks and sit. Mara and Blair watched them too.

The room gradually became louder and louder as more people came inside.

A few minutes into their meals, they were joined by Sally and Billing who arrived together; although pretending they were friends as usual. Lin wondered why when it was so obvious that they were together. As usual, they didn't touch or say much, but the way they looked at each other gave away their real relationship.

Sally cleaned up well. Instead of scraggily hair and a sweaty face, she was matted and polished with pink cheeks, lips and perfectly straight hair down her back with a pair of ivory combs neatly placed at each side of her temples.

Her dress was not as fancy as others, but it was a nice, basic black ankle length gown. Billing, instead of a tux, wore a shiny black shirt with black khakis and matching loafers.

Noticing Lin staring, Sally said, "We've done this so many times that we don't need to get all dressed up anymore."

"You still look amazing, the both of you -which is what I was, actually, thinking."

Sally smiled.

The tables filled up quickly and they were joined by two strangers whom Lin didn't recognize. Both had sour expressions on their faces, which was a complete contrast to everyone in the room who, for the most part, seemed to be enjoying themselves.

The woman, who had a face like the Wicked Witch of the West, was short with long unkempt black hair and an oversized black dress that pilled white balls in the front. Her man had sunken eyes and hadn't shaved.

The two bickered in whispers, and as they got closer to the table, the woman said, "Shut up, shut up, shut up," in a hush tone.

"Good evening," she said and they sat down with plates and started to eat. The two ate in silence.

The woman held her fork with a backwards hand, like a child, and disgustingly shoveled the food into her mouth. The man wasn't much better as he downed his glass of wine in a single gulp, and then pulled a flask from his pocket.

Lin looked around the table to see that Mara, Blair, Sally, and Billing were watching the two just as interestedly. Judging by the repulsion on their faces, Lin assumed they didn't know the strangers.

The band started playing some Frank Sinatra tune and people started to dance. Mara watched Ashley and Michael move across the floor, hand-in-hand. Michael threw glances at Mara every so often.

Sloppily, Lucas danced with a girl from the academy. The girl had a most annoyed look on her face when, suddenly, she tore herself away from him and walked back to a group of girls.

"Oh, look! There's Golden and Poppy Craig," said Blair whose eyes followed them across the room. Mara gave Blair a disgusted look but Blair was oblivious. "They look amazing! The best dressed, here."

A man in a white tuxedo approached them and asked Mara to dance. Although she didn't mind Blair, she had a tendency to blabber on about things that were uninteresting.

An hour passed, during which she tried her best to stay awake. The younger crowd that sat in a group of tables in the corner looked like they wanted to kill themselves.

Blair talked about her ambitions to become the best jewelry designer the world had ever seen. Not only did she want to run all of the Blesswell Jewelry boutique lines, but she wanted to become a household name. Then she talked about how Mara was a slut in high school, and how she didn't have any friends. Lin wondered if Mara knew that Blair spoke of her in such ways.

She almost excused herself for the evening, but then in walked Milton. Easily, he was the most gorgeous. His black hair, which had been smoothed over, was shiny and matched his black tuxedo perfectly. A white gleam, from the reflection of lights hanging from the ceiling, seemed permanently affixed to the top of his head.

Despite having told herself for weeks that she hated him, at that moment, she fell in love again.

He stood at the entrance for moment and scanned the room. Then he saw some people he wanted to greet, and made his way across the room.

Hoping to get closer to where Milton was, so he'd notice her, she said, "Let's get some more champagne."

"Okay," said Blair.

They moved across the room and stood by the tables.

A DJ set up a table on the platform next to the band members, who were packing up, thankfully. He started playing a mixture of classic rock and eighties pop music. Just like Mara said, some older people left the dance floor while middle aged people moved into their place, including Milton who danced with the same brunette she saw that night on their date. Her jaw clenched at the sight of them.

She watched Milton as she sipped, and Blair continued to twitter on and on, oblivious to the fact that Lin no longer paid attention to her.

She was thankful when Mara abandoned a group of old high school friends and joined them by the buffet.

"Hey, are you guys having fun?"

"No one's asked us to dance," said Blair.

Twenty minutes later, they were seated at their table again. A woman named Pinky joined them. She and Mara talked about fashion and accessories, as Pinky was a designer of purses and semi precious jewelry. Lin was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, and was trying hard to keep her eyes open.

A man in a white tuxedo came up and asked Mara to dance.

"Wow, she is a hot piece, isn't she?" asked Lin jealously.

"That's because she has a reputation. They all think she'll hook up with them."

She was gonna ask if her reputation was the result of high school, as she'd mentioned earlier, when Mara stood back and slapped her suitor across the face. His glasses flung across the floor and slid away beneath one of the buffet tables. The man ran after them.

Blair busted up laughing.

Mara walked back to their table.

"What happened?" asked Lin.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said and left the hall.

"She has a history of making bad choices when it comes to men. She's not like that anymore. I suppose you could say she's learned her lesson, but it's almost like her past still haunts her," Blair explained.

"What sort of bad choices? Mara never likes to talk about herself."

"Well, take George, for example," Blair motioned to the man in the white tuxedo who was down on his knees, looking for his glasses. "The town knows he's a jerk; everyone knows he can't stay faithful, yet Mara still fell for him. Then there was John, Marc, Brandon, Golden...,"

"Wait," Lin interrupted. "She had an affair with Golden Craig?"

"Yep."

"While married?"

"She was seventeen. That's why she and Poppy hate each other."

Over in another corner of the room, Lin saw the man from the bar, Markus Lancaster, Poppy's father. He sipped casually on a glass of wine as he danced alone on the spot in a shiny tuxedo and black house slippers instead of shoes.

Blair continued on and on about Mara's love affairs while Lin pretended to be interested. Sure, she was interested at first, and yes, she started the conversation, but as Blair delved into the darker parts of her life, it felt like a betrayal, to Mara, to listen.

Lin's eyes were starting to literally droop when Lucas walked up and asked her to dance. He was the last choice in the world, but no one else seemed interested.

The music they danced to sucked big time. Some eighties tune she'd never heard before. Then out of nowhere, a Nirvana song blasted across the floor. Middle aged people left the floor and younger ones move into their place.

The music was just what Lin needed to get her blood moving. For a few minutes during the song, Lin actually started to feel like she was having fun, but then Lucas grabbed her butt and tried to pretend it was an accident.

"I think it's time for you to sit until you learn the proper way to dance with a lady," said Milton, who'd appeared behind Lin.

Looking unashamed, he said "Yes, sir" and walked off with a smirk.

"Wanna dance?" he asked.

"I was wondering if you would show up," said Lin, pretending as though she hadn't noticed him come in.

"I had a few things I needed to take care of at the school."

She slipped her hand into his, and he led her in a circle. Lin tried to think of something to say, but the music was too loud.

The song came to an end.

"Want to sit for a moment?" she asked.

A new song had begun.

"Pardon?"

"Want to sit down?" she said louder.

Milton was looking at something behind her.

She turned and saw two men yelling at each other. One was the strange man who'd sat at her table earlier, and the other was Markus Lancaster.

Milton excused himself so he could diffuse the fight, but then the lights flickered on and off. People shouted on the dance floor, "Oh, come on!" and "Booo."

The lights in the room continued to flicker. Strange shadows across the ceiling caught her attention. Looking up, she saw several black figures fall, fast, down from the ceiling as though they surfed on the air.

A few people shrieked and dove out of the way.

The figures dropped black bags to the floor and quickly lifted upward again and disappeared into the ceiling.

Within a moment of the figures disappearance, the bags began to shriek, scream, and explode. Through flickering lights, and white streaks of smoke and sparks, Lin saw what appeared to be rockets exploding and flying out in every direction from the bags.

She put her hands over her ears to try and mute out the sounds.

Sulfur choked and burned her eyes. She tried to see where Blair and Mara were, but everyone was screaming and running about. In between flashes of light, she saw Milton run off the dance floor, and bend over to help a woman who been directly hit. Her back was on fire.

Lin realized there could be a bottle neck effect at the door, so she got out of there as fast as she could.

On her way to the door, she saw Poppy Craig get hit in the face by a wild rocket. Several others got sprayed with bright, hot, lit powder.

Outside on the front landing, Lin stopped and grabbed her knees and tried to catch a clean breath. Other people were doing the same.

"Is everyone alright?" asked a young woman.

Feeling crowded as more people rushed the landing, Lin backed away down the walk way and waited.

From inside, people screamed and cried. Then two men came out and said everything was under control, and that no one was seriously hurt.

"Did you catch the guys who dropped those bags?" asked someone from the crowd.

"They disappeared, but Deputy Dennison is looking for them. It's safe for everyone to come in and get their things. Ms. Blesswell has been badly burned, as have several others. Let's be respectful, and call it an evening."

She ran back inside, determined to find out if Mara and Blair were okay. Lin shoved and pushed against all the people, but a servant insisted that she go and would tell her nothing. Finally, she gave up and got her cloak from the coat check.

"Are you okay?"

Milton, suddenly, appeared behind her.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Come on," he said. He grabbed her hand and guided her out of the house by her elbow.

Down the hundred stone steps, they walked. They paused halfway to take off her shoes.

"Mara told me to make sure you got a carriage."

"So she's okay, then?"

"Yes, she's just tending to her mother."

Once at the bottom, he said, "The drivers will be down in a moment, as will other riders. I must go back up." He kissed her on the hand and said, "Watch your back."

He helped her up into a carriage and left.

When fifteen minutes had passed and no one arrived, not a passenger nor a driver, she stepped out of the carriage. It was there she saw the figure again.

This time, she wasn't frightened or angry.

"What do you want?" she asked calmly.

She didn't find out because the carriage driver finally appeared with a group of people in tow.
Running Scared
Chapter 6

The next morning, Lin didn't make her usual trip to the café for breakfast. Instead she pulled out her large suit case and bewitched it to hold all the possessions she'd acquired since moving to Blackthorn. This was not a trick of sorcery, but of common witch craft.

Like clockwork, her mother called at about 10 a.m., and when Lin told her she wanted to come home, she was thrilled. She just hoped she could get out of town quietly before anyone questioned her. Then she heard a loud banging noise from outside her apartment.

She opened her door and saw movers in the hallway. Several of her neighbors' doors were opened, up and down the hall. Lin walked down and peered inside; they were all fixing to leave, just like Lin.

It made her feel like less of a coward. If she could have, she would have left that very evening, but she at least owed her boss, Miles, an explanation. And so the next day at school, Lin shamefully stared at the floor as she handed him her written letter of resignation.

The rest of the day she couldn't even look into the face of her fellow teachers. She avoided the break room and barely spoke with anyone outside of her classroom. It was the same at the museum. No one looked at her, and she didn't look at them.

That evening, Milton came to her door.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I've come to speak with you."

"I don't have time right now."

She attempted to close the door. Milton put his hand up and stopped her.

"Please."

"Wow!" she said angrily. "You've been avoiding me for weeks. Now you want to talk and there's just no stopping you, is there?"

"Yes, I had to avoid you. You ask too many questions, Lin."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I haven't time for this. Please, go."

"Why are you afraid to fight?"

"What are you talking about?"

"What I'm saying is that you could help us. I know you're powerful. I saw you that night on the mountain. Stay and help us fight."

"I'm not sure who 'us' is, and I don't care. Good bye."

Lin shut the door and resumed her packing. There were a couple possible scenarios that crossed her mind, when considering his words and who "us" was, but she just didn't care. Whether he and Mara were Wackens or contention, she was leaving.

That evening, her clothes lay in a humungous pile on the living room floor. Halfway through rolling an expensive shearling, there was a knock at the door.

Lin allowed the shearling to unravel, sent up an invisible protection shield and slowly opened the door.

"Hi, Mara. I can't talk right now."

Mara didn't listen. She pushed past her into her apartment.

"What are you doing? I said I can't talk. Shouldn't you be looking after your family?"

"They're fine."

Mara removed her coat and hung it on the wall hook.

Upon seeing the suitcase in the living room, she said, "Milton called me. Are you really leaving?"

"Uh, yeah, something's come up and I can't explain. I just need to get home. Wine?"

Mara followed Lin into the kitchen.

"When are you leaving?"

"End of the week."

"You weren't going to say anything to me?"

"I tried to call several times this week already."

"I was with my mother."

"How is she?"

"She's fine. You know, I thought we were friends."

"We are friends, but I have family that I want to get back to."

"Well, this town needs you. After all you said about people sticking together, standing and fighting, I'm surprised at you. With what you did on the mountain, you could easily put an end to all of this."

"Mara, you know as well as I do that if anyone found out about my being a sorceress, they'd run me out of town. Why should I risk my neck for a town that is likely to crucify me or reject me? I can't help this town any more than you or someone else."

"So that's your secret?"

"Yes."

"Still, it's a poor excuse not to stay and fight. I'm staying, and I'm not half as powerful as you."

Her phone rang.

Lin sipped her wine a moment while Mara had a few words and then hung up.

"Come on," she said.

"I need to finish packing."

"It's my cousin. Something's going on at The Glass Towers."

"No, I can't go."

"Blair needs our help!" she snapped. "She was at the makeup counters when there was another attack. Apparently, she went to pick up her friend who was working. Now she's stuck under a fallen makeup counter and can't leave or call for help. No one knows she's there, except for us."

"Shouldn't you call the sheriff?"

"She did but no one's picking up."

"Alright," Lin said and set down her wine, "let's go."

When they got to the Tower's quarry, it was to see the ancient crystal windows on the lower level had been blown to bits. Large and small chunks of glass, strewn tables and chairs were scattered all over the ground.

A gust of wind blew in their direction. They covered their faces with their hands to protect them from flying shards of glass that made clinking noises which echoed through the quarry.

"I thought the towers were indestructible."

"I thought so, too," said Mara.

"Why are we the only ones here?"

"I don't know," Mara replied irritably. "Let's find Blair and go. We'll ask questions later."

They continued through the glass covered quarry and ducked under the bars of the double glass door, which had been shattered. Lin held her breath in shock, as the once neat and shiny dome entrance was now a clutter of chunks of glass wall.

Quietly, they walked further into the entrance.

The left wing had piles of glass and merchandise blown from the stores into the halls, and it was the same on the right. The entire coffee bar that was in the café, now, lay in the hall; the smell of coffee hung thick in the air. From Samuels Fit for Formal, she could see the familiar desk, register, and racks of clothes lying about the floor.

They went left toward the makeup counters. Mara pulled out her cell phone and began texting.

"Put that away!" whispered Lin.

"I'm texting Blair that we're here."

Shattered glass and merchandise made it difficult to walk. They stepped over piles of junk and climbed over a counter that stretched across their path.

Lin put out her hand and stopped Mara from continuing into the makeup counters shop.

"Why are we stopping?"

"Because it's black as pitch, in there. What if it's a trap?"

"Why would someone want to trap us?"

"You really can't tell that something is off here?" she replied sarcastically.

Lin brought up her protection shield. The moonlight through the ceiling made it glow light yellow.

"Grab my arm and stay close to me," she whispered.

"Why?" Mara asked.

"Shhhh... whisper!" she replied.

"Why?"

"Don't you think it's strange that we're the only ones here?"

"Blair is here."

"Why isn't she calling out to us? Did she text you back?"

"No, but maybe she fell asleep."

"What is this bubble? What did you do?"

"It's a protection shield."

"But you didn't even say a spell."

"I don't need one! I'm a sorceress; just stay close though because it will only reach so far. More importantly, stay quiet until I say it's okay to speak."

Every single makeup counter had been broken and blown apart. Shattered glass walls had been blown out, revealing the shops on the sides. Dummies, clothes, and displays were scattered everywhere. Mannequins were broken into pieces and a funny shimmery, perfumed dust hung, like a cloud, in the air, making Lin's nose twitch.

They stepped in through the busted window display because the doorway was barricaded by junk.

All the racks were torn from the walls; displays, and shelves were strewn helter skelter about the place. Ceiling lights had been blasted off, and the smell of a hundred bottles of shattered perfume made her gasp for fresher air.

"Blaaair," Lin whispered. "Are you hurt, Blair?"

They tried not to fall as they walked through scattered lipsticks rolling on the floor when, out of the corner of Lin's eye, a shadow disturbed the steady beam of moon light that bled through the ceiling.

She looked to her left and saw Mara was now over by the Sioux Falls counter. Angrily, she walked over and yanked her by the elbow.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she whispered. "I told you to stay close to me!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't see why you're so paranoid. Blair could be hurt, and you want to take your time about the place."

"Mara, why are you so thick in the head...?"

Lin didn't get to finish her question because Mara flinched. "What is it?"

"I think I saw someone."

"Where?"

"Over there," she said and pointed to the only standing rack on the other side of the room.

Lin couldn't see too clearly, but there appeared to be a shadow.

Once more, she grabbed Mara's arm and wrapped it around hers. "Don't let go of me, even if you get scared and want to run. Hold on tight and you'll be fine. I might have to use my hands, but whatever you do, don't let go."

She knew Mara was still defiant, but she continued toward the strange shadow with the hope that it was nothing.

As they stepped over junk, Lin scanned the room for any signs of movement, but the light from the moon was bleak, and there were too many shadows.

Lin pointed her hand at objects, and mimed lifting them, so as to make sure Blair wasn't lying under anything. Mara gasped in surprise when she lifted several counters at once.

"That is unbelievable power. You don't ever use a wand or spell?"

"Sometimes, like when I need a constant effect of something. Unlike sorcery, spells can be everlasting."

"I don't get it."

"Some sorcery requires concentration; once a sorcerer's attention waivers, so does the effect."

"But I thought you could change things at will, permanently?"

"Sure, tangible things, but if I want to bring a person good luck, or I want my towels to hang dry from the ceiling every day after a shower, for something like that, I'd need a spell. That's why a sorcerer invented the magic rod and discovered the usefulness of having a familiar - to assist in the magic that needed constant looking after."

"Is it true that you can make something from nothing?"

"Not for me, it isn't, but I'm sure for some, it could be. Since I've spent most of my life in non magical communities, I haven't really ever practiced." Lin sighed and said, "I'm sorry, but I don't think Blair is here. I think we should visit Deputy Dennison."

Then she felt a light air blow around her face.

"What was that?" asked Mara, tugging on her arm. She pointed at a shadow in the farthest corner toward the back wall.

"Who are you?" asked Lin.

At first, she thought it was the man who'd been following her, but then she realized the figure was too short.

They stood motionless, a moment; then the figure sent a rain of spells at her. Lin's shield lit up like fireworks, as they bounced off, one by one.

Her shield remained impenetrable, and so the figure extended its arms and, using a backward and forward thrusting motion, sent chunks of glass hurling at her. Instead of knocking them off their feet, they bounced off her shield, shattered against the walls and fell into pieces on the floor.

When that didn't work, he or she sent balls of fire that blasted into bright flames and clung to the shield, heating them on the inside and making them cover their faces.

The heat was unbearable, and there was no way Lin could fight the person and protect Mara at the same time. She needed to get her out, fast, because it was only a matter of minutes before her protection shield would waiver. A sorcerer's energy came from within, and each hit on her shield was a direct hit on her energy.

When their attacker tired of fire, it sent an entire makeup counter at them. Mara screamed and then hit the floor.

The counter bounced off her shield.

Lin focused her will, and sent it back at the figure.

He or she ducked and ran. The counter smashed into the wall and crumbled to the floor.

"Get up! Stay close to me!" Lin screamed, but Mara became hysterical.

Lin yanked her up off the ground.

"What do we do? What do we do?" she asked over and over.

"On the count of three, we turn and run out of here, but stay close to me or else I can't protect you."

"What about Blair?"

"She's not here, Mara! This was a setup, don't you get it? Wise up and act like soldier, like the woman you were that night on the mountain!"

She shook her head.

"What?"

"I can't, not without Blair."

Ignoring her, she said, "On the count of three: one, two, three."

They turned together, but Mara ran as fast as she could, letting go of Lin almost as if she didn't hear a word she'd just said.

"No, Mara! Stay close to me!"

But she'd streaked off, sloppily jumping over counters and other junk. Lin followed.

A ray of red light extended across the room and hit Mara in the back. She screamed and fell to the floor.

"Mara," she called and ran to her.

Her shield lit up like disco ball when the ray of light hit her, too.

Enraged, Lin turned and conjured a ball of fire that was the size of a basketball. Fast as a missile, it dashed the figure, but he or she had already disappeared. The fire ball blasted into the glass wall and shattered it; the force blew Lin back toward the dressing rooms on the other side of the room.

She lay there, stunned by back pain.

"Where are you?" she called.

When the pain in her back subsided a bit, she gently rose.

The figure she tried to blast reappeared.

"Hey," Lin yelled, but the figure ran at Mara and bent over her body.

With her hand, Lin mimicked sending the attacker flying back toward the wall on the opposite side of the store. As if by marionette string, the person's body followed.

As the figure flew through the air, it screamed like a woman. The figure hit the wall and fell, silently, onto the floor.

Lin gasped when the person's head was jerked forward upon smashing into the wall. The face revealed was Blair.

She went over and rolled Mara onto her back and checked her pulse. She was knocked out but still alive. Breathing a sigh of relief, she tried to revive her but she wouldn't wake. Lin knelt down and put her forearms under her shoulders and yanked her up.

She felt pity for both Mara and Blair. Lin knew there was bitterness between them, and it wasn't completely unreasonable because Mara wasn't exactly nice to her. Still, it was amazing that Blair could go so far.

She wrapped Mara's arm around her neck and dragged her outside while using her power to move objects in their path. Blocking the door to outside stood the figure that had been following her. Lin sent a speeding ball of fire but he disappeared too quickly.

The remaining top part of the doors blasted outward, making enough room for her to drag Mara through.

Once outside, Lin flew them through the air and landed, one minute later, in the waiting room of Blackthorn Medical.

"Hello?" she called as she set Mara's body into a chair.

She walked up to the empty counter and slammed the bell with her hand.

"Hello?" she yelled.

It dawned on her that it was very quiet. There were no patients waiting, and no sign of nurses.

Quickly, she ran through the admittance door and into the hallway. A few paces in, she tripped, face down, over a large copy machine that lay across the floor.

As she pushed herself up, she observed that the whole hall was a total wreck. White paper was strewn all over the floor. Inside the room to her right, the bed had been upturned and an I.V. bag laid leaking fluid onto the floor.

Slowly, she continued down the hall, keeping vigilant for the possibility that attackers were still there. And the sight didn't get any better, for the entire hospital had been trashed.

The hall tapered off into a roundabout shape that led her back in the direction from where she came. When she entered the waiting room again, it was to find that Mara had disappeared.

Lin was stunned. Someone really was messing with her, she realized.

"Mara," she called out.

No one answered. But Mara would never just leave her like that.

Thinking she must have walked into a different room, she ran back through the hallway and all the way around. She entered the exact same waiting room again. Mara wasn't there.

She called her name again.

"MARA!"

Lin went over every foot of the floor, calling her name but found no one. After verifying there was no upstairs or downstairs, she walked around the building.

After an hour of searching, Lin decided it was time to go to the Sheriff's office and report her missing. She hated to leave when she didn't know if she was safe, but there was nothing else she could do. No one was in the hospital, and it was apparent that some sort of struggle had taken place.

As she walked down the street to Deputy Dennison's office, she contemplated what had just happened. Obviously, someone had gone out of their way to take Mara. She couldn't have walked out herself. Did Blair follow them?

Upon crossing the street, she stopped in the middle of the crosswalk. Five cars were parked at the red light, all of which were still running but without the owners behind the steering wheels.

Lin's heart pounded as she realized the seriousness of the situation. She looked across the street and realized there were several empty cars there, too. Their engines were running; one must have been close to empty because it made sputtering noises.

Oh, well. She didn't have time to go around and turn peoples cars off. Instead, she continued across the street and walked up the corner steps into Dennison's office.

Like the hospital, the place looked awry.

"Hello?"

Panic made her heart pound.

File cabinets were upturned, paper was laying everywhere. The water fountain was over turned.

Upon noticing the scent of burnt coffee in the air, she decided to inspect the rest of the office. She'd hate for the deputy's place to go up in flames.

She tugged on the door to the back hall and offices. It was electronically locked, so she climbed over the front desk and pushed the red button under the counter.

The hall was completely empty yet clean. In the break room, she turned the coffee pot off. No one was there. The struggle seemed to have only taken place in the front.

Completely confounded and unsure of what to do, she walked back outside. It was like a zombie apocalypse, only without the dead bodies.

Night was coming fast but she didn't want to go home; she wanted to find someone. Down on Blackthorn Street, she peered through every window she passed and saw no one, not even at the cafe.

She turned left down Main Street and sat on a sidewalk bench, hoping to see someone – anyone.

The wind blew across her face and arms. The sky got darker. Lin rubbed her arms and shivered. She got up and walked past Youthful Apparel. On she continued, shop after shop but it was all the same.

She pulled back from the window and, turning around, saw the girl from the mall, the Shoester's peculiar daughter. "Hey," she called out.

The girl faded and disappeared like a trick mirage.

Confused, she walked on, even though she was extremely fatigued. She needed to go home and rest, and then figure out what to do next.

She took a step forward and stumbled to the ground. Lin tried to push herself up, but her arms were rubbery and weak, as was her body. Her breathing became slow and sluggish, and her brain completely useless.

All she needed was a nap.

A nap? I need to go, she said to herself.

But she was already lying on her side, and within seconds was asleep.
Heated Wakening
Chapter 7

Lin opened her eyes slowly. She felt like she'd had the best sleep ever. Her dreams were pleasant and she wanted to return to them.

Lin closed her eyes, rolled over and fell, with a thud, onto the floor.

"Ooooooo," she moaned.

Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes. When they focused, she realized she was looking at the wood floor in her apartment. Somehow, waking up that morning didn't make sense yet she couldn't think of why.

Groggily, she got up and made her way to the shower.

Lin turned the water on extra hot, hoping it would help her brain shake off the remnants of REM chemicals that wanted to drag her back down into the lofty layers of her mind.

Fifteen minutes later, and halfway through her first cup of coffee, Lin started to feel as though she were forgetting something.

She went to her calendar on the wall because she didn't remember what day it was; it was Saturday.

From her purse, she dug out her cell phone.

She was supposed to call someone, but whom? Lin decided to go out for her usual breakfast at the Lodge. A good breakfast was all she needed.

When she stepped outside of her apartment building, she immediately squeezed her eyes shut. The sun was out earlier than it normally was, and it shone directly in her face. It was just so bright and beamed right down onto the street. Normally, the mornings were shady and extremely cool. As one who took pleasure in observing her surroundings, she knew the sun didn't make its way to that position in the sky until about 3 p.m.

As she made her way downtown, she started to sweat excessively. She stopped in front of the café and looked up at the backdrop of the mountain. All the snow was gone. It was just dirt and trees.

One thing she loved about Blackthorn was its location meant cooler temperatures most of the year. Lin hated having to duck under the awnings to avoid the glare of the ravaging, bright yellow sun, as she did that morning. It was terrible for her complexion.

Before going to the Lodge, she stopped to peer into Lucy's shop, but it was empty. Lin banged on the door and called her name.

No one came.

She lingered for a moment. Another feeling of forgetting fell over her like a thick blanket. No matter, she thought. Just get something to eat.

She resumed her walk.

Lin did her best to avoid the glare of the hot sun. She walked along the walls of the buildings, under the shadows of awnings.

Even the atmosphere was strange; there was a yellow haze about, like a golden marine layer. It just looked odd to her because she was used to seeing glaring gray-white specks of mist against a crisp, cold blue sky. The air always felt on the brink of rain or dew, but now it was so dry, like a cold desert heat.

By the time she got to the Lodge, she was extremely thirsty.

"Water and coffee," she said to hostess.

The restaurant was emptier than usual.

"Close the door, dammit!" said the owner who was sitting behind the counter. "You're letting the cool air out!"

"Sorry," said a young woman who had come in behind her.

The crazy girl from the mall was there, too, sitting at the counter and eating a big bowel of ice cream.

Lin took her usual spot next to the front window where the light of day would slowly warm her, and she could look at the beautiful crisp mountains.

Fifteen minutes later, she was sitting in a booth on the opposite side. The glare of the sun made the table, by the window, too hot to touch.

Lin observed the fewer than usual diners. They looked tired and confused, just as she felt. Like her, they all sat on the other side of the restaurant. Normally, people opted for the best views, but altogether, they looked as if they were hiding in the little shade that the Lodge ceilings provided.

"Hi, Lin," said Lacy.

"Hey, there."

"Usual?"

"Yes, please," she said as she rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up.

But when Lacy made to write down her usual, she stopped, stared at the pad and asked, "What do you usually have?"

Funnily enough, Lin couldn't remember.

The rest of the weekend, Lin felt a little out of place. She tried to call Mara several times, but she must have been busy. She even stopped by her shop but there was no sign of anyone. Sunday, she pounded on her apartment door for fifteen minutes. Her parents seemed to be missing, too.

That night, as she got ready for bed, she wondered if Blackthorn was in more trouble than anyone realized.

She made sure the crystals were out, before settling for the night.

Monday morning arrived. After a cup of coffee and a shower, she was off to school as usual.

Another thing occurred to her, before she left: She couldn't remember if she had any papers for weekend grading. Very strange, considering the piles of work she'd gone home with every weekend since she'd started at the academy, and never could seem to finish.

Lin walked up the muddy trail to the doors. She stepped over the threshold and stopped in her tracks. She felt as though someone stunned her, or like she'd wakened from a drunken sleep. Her lungs seized up and she hyperventilated.

Breathing hard, she dropped down to her knees as many images crossed her mind. They were memories of just a few days before: Mara was missing, the deserted hospital, the sheriff's office and the deserted town. She was at the towers. Blair tried to kill her.

Several pairs of arms lifted her onto her feet and guided her to a couch that had been brought into the entrance hall. A hundred or so students milled about, whispering and talking, and some were crying.

The doors opened again. A girl walked in, froze mid step and fell to the floor. Two boys lifted her up onto her feet and guided her to the couch, and sat her next to Lin.

Milton, Riley, Doctor Mandel and Ms. Crackwell walked up to her.

"What's going on?" Lin asked breathlessly.

"We seem to be getting our memories back. What do you remember?" Milton said.

"Mara and I went to the Glass Towers to find Blair. We were attacked. She was hurt, so I took her to the hospital. When I left the towers, I found most of Blackthorn to be deserted. Mara went missing. Next I was downtown, which was also deserted, and that's all I remember. What do you think is going on? Why did I forget all these things?"

"We've determined that we have been put under some sort of spell," said Ms. Crackwell. "What I remember is having tea at the Botchers Room, downtown with Mrs. Waters, and then there were screams. Men pointing their wands and muttering curses everywhere."

Just then, they were joined by Doctor Mandel. He sighed and said, "I haven't felt right since I woke up Saturday. It's like we're not in Blackthorn anymore."

"That's because we're not in Blackthorn," said Lin.

The professors looked at her.

"What?" Lin said. "You haven't noticed the strange heat and the position of the sun?"

"Yes, I did," said the girl who sat next to her. "The sun is hot at the wrong time of day; it's in the wrong place. I live on Williams Street, the last block on the base of the mountain, and it's especially noticeable up there. Normally, it's very chilly, as draft and fog descend down the mountain most of the morning, and it doesn't get warm until later in the afternoon; that's when the sun is right above us. It's for that reason the snow never melts, because the sun appears there right when it's setting. But now, it's like it's there all day. We've all been dizzy and thirsty a lot, and I even had to put on sunscreen."

Professor Riley, a stout and dramatic witch, exclaimed, "But how could we not be in Blackthorn, that's silly!"

"It's not silly," said Lin defiantly. "The sun is the biggest clue that something is off! This is exactly what the Wackens wanted."

"What do we do?" asked Ms. Crackwell.

"Has anyone seen Miles? We should have a meeting right away," said Milton.

"We haven't seen him since last week," said Doctor Mandel.

"We should have a staff meeting in the dean's office as soon as everyone gets here," said Lin.

"Don't be surprised if he doesn't show," said the girl who sat next to Lin.

"What do mean?" asked Ms. Crackwell.

"Some people are missing; although it didn't occur to me until now, because I didn't have my memory. It might be possible that some people were eliminated prior to being brought over to wherever we are. For example, my neighbor, Alexander, has a gorgeous dog that was barking nonstop. Well, Alexander never came home, and we've been feeding the dog ever since. Then there is Shirley at the grocery store: I stopped in to get some things, and they said they hadn't seen her. She just didn't show up to work. It's been the same with others all over Blackthorn. People have simply gone missing."

"Now, come to think of it, I noticed the Lodge seemed rather empty this weekend," Lin thought aloud.

"Why do you suppose some people have gone missing?" Ms. Crackwell asked.

"Because they were rebels," said Milton.

"You mean contention?" asked Doctor Mandel.

"Yes," Milton replied.

They went quiet a moment, and then Mandel continued, "I have a feeling that we're only safe as long as Golshem and his followers don't think we're aware. If they learn that we've awakened, they will impose strong-arms to control us. Now if we can figure out how to stay secret about all this, we can have a head start."

"A head start to what?" asked Riley.

"To escape, of course. We'd be a sad bunch if we, a lot of witches and wizards, couldn't even figure out how to pull this off. Let's head to my office," said Doctor Mandel.

"What about the students?" asked Lin.

"This is ridiculous," cut in Professor Riley, her voice getting high.

"No, they're right," said Ms. Crackwell. "We're not in Blackthorn; it's the only thing that makes sense. They put us asleep and hijacked us. Why does it no longer snow? The soil on the mountain is like dust."

"I was walking the neighbor's dog and it was like I was in two places at once," the blonde cut in. "I was looking at this house on our street and I thought I had double vision because of the heat, but now I'm not so sure."

"Two places at once?" Milton repeated thoughtfully.

"Into the mists – that's what Lichen said when he came down from the hill top," said Lin. "He kept saying they went into the mist, and that there were ghosts up there."

"Right!" said Doctor Mandel. "He said they controlled the clouds. I think, whatever they did to us, it's got something to do with the mountain. I've been up there, and like others, have experience oddities as well."

"You have to be, really, the stupidest, most gullible group I've ever met," said Riley. "Lichen is insane. There has to be a more logical explanation than fog on a mountain."

"Avalon," said Lin.

"What?" asked Ms. Crackwell.

"It's just a story my grandmother told me. She said Avalon receded beyond the veil..."

"But it didn't," Milton interrupted. "Some say it's simply shifted with the earth, slowly and over time."

They all stared at him, and Lin could see the wheels inside his head were turning.

"Are you gonna continue, or just leave us hanging?" asked Ms. Crackwell shortly.

"What is Avalon?" asked Riley.

"It's an Earthly plane," said Milton, "that once coexisted with us, but receded into its own dimension as the world lost its magic, and its faith – right around the time when Christianity stamped out the last of Druids. The mists were a doorway to Avalon, an island that was itself a doorway into the fairy realm. It disappeared and was said to still exist, but only in places where magic still ruled; where magic still ruled, Avalon could be reached by going into the mists in the hours of the tweens."

"What is the tweens?" asked Riley.

"Tweens are what describe the half points of a day. Sunrise and sunset when the dimensions cross each other, creating shadows that look like fog or a marine layer, but are really a slip in space and time; and that is how it got its nickname, mists," said Lin. "Or so my grandmother told me."

"Maybe that's why there have been so many strange sightings up there," said the girl. "People are accidentally seeing through the mists into the other plane. My grandmother used to tell me stories about little girls and boys running and playing, and one who'd even stolen her brand new puppy when she was a child. She said the boy took the dog into mountain and disappeared."

Immediately, Lin flashed back to the ghostly girl she'd seen on the mountain just a few weeks ago.

"Think about it," said Doctor Mandel. "What if we are in Avalon, right now? What if, by magic, the Wackens created a copy of our town in order to trick us? That way he'd trap us, and before we'd wake up, he'd control us in the fairy realm. It'd be too late for us to escape back to Earth."

"Awesome," said the girl.

"No, not awesome, Sally," said Ms. Crackwell. "Fairies are dangerous people. Don't think for a moment that they won't impale you over a spit. We need to get home, now. If history shows us anything, it's that humans have pissed off every entity we've ever known. It's for that reason we're alone on the Earth. I wouldn't be surprised if fairies would enjoy the idea of taking revenge on stranded humans."

"While that's true, it's important not to over generalize. Others have met them, and it wasn't all bad," said Milton. "Remember the old lady Mackey who claimed a girl came to her garden and sang to her roses in order to keep them growing; then there was Mr. Blake who was visited by a boy every evening who sat and watched the stars while saying nothing."

"Yes," agreed Ms. Crackwell, "they might not all be out to destroy us, but still, we have a bloody history together. We should be concerned."

"Quick question," interrupted Lin. "Why are we waking up now?"

"If I had to guess," said Doctor Mandel, "I'd say the Wackens did not account for the enchantments of this castle; one of them being that any spells are automatically lifted whenever one passes the threshold. When this castle was built, rumor had it that Nicolas Blackthorn used anti enchantments spells at the entrance. Being a school of magic, people need to be sure all enchantments, spells, and hexes are lifted before returning to their homes, and returning to school."

"Okay," said Lin, "but how are we gonna keep all this secret? Like you said, as long as the Wackens think we're still oblivious, we're safe."

"Yes, how do we get everyone to agree to pretend nothing has happened? I doubt everyone will be able to resist telling their family and friends," said Ms. Crackwell.

"A powerful draught," said Doctor Mandel, "to go with their lunches; to bend their wills to us, for the time being."
Getting Home
Chapter 8

Professor Riley called the attention of all the students in the entrance hall. He ordered that everyone make their way into the Great Hall. As they filed in, Milton ran to Miles office to get the recipe for coercion which was a restricted substance.

Nearly everyone looked as though they could hardly believe that Riley should tell them to return to class as if nothing had happened. Despite the logic behind her and the rest of the faculty's request, they looked mutinous.

A tall boy stood and said, plainly, that there was no way he could sit while his family was unaware that they were under some sort of attack. The boy bounded for the door. Mandel waived his rod and it sealed shut, locking in all the students.

"But what about our families? What if the Wackens get to them?"

"Everyone is safe as long as they appear not to know anything," Ms. Crackwell reassured them. "In the meantime, we are coming up with a plan to get us all back home. If you run off and alert the masses, then you'll ruin any chance we have for escape. We need all of you to stay silent until we meet again."

"When will that be?" asked another student.

"Over lunch," said Milton, who'd just walked in with a thick wad of paper in his hand.

"So lunch is in a few hours, okay? We'll get back to you, then. Goodbye," she said abruptly and walked out.

"Seal the entrance hall door, Milton," Ms. Crackwell ordered, taking the recipe from him. "I'll go take care of this in time for lunch."

"We can't lock them in," Milton said.

"We have no choice."

She walked off toward the kitchen.

Lin made her way up the stairs to her classroom. A few students followed, but some were still defiant. One girl, instead of taking the stairs, turned left and sprinted for the castle door. When she realized it was sealed shut, she screamed, "Let me out!"

Professor Riley suddenly appeared and took out her wand and said, "Be still."

The girl did as she said. She didn't move or speak; she merely stood there staring at nothing with a blank look in her eyes.

A few students protested.

"Go to class or your next!" Professor Riley shouted.

Amazingly, they simply did as she said.

That afternoon, just as she approached the Great Hall, Doctor Mandel pulled her to the side.

"Don't eat any main courses."

"Oh, okay," she said. "I'm gonna go home and eat, then."

"No, we're meeting in Ms. Crackwell's office."

Together, they made their way past the hall to the offices. Inside, everyone ate sandwiches and drank ice cold tea.

"Don't we have air conditioning in the castle?" asked Professor Riley.

"Temperatures, year round here, are approximately 65 degrees, so there's the answer to your question."

"Let's get back to the heart of the matter," said Milton irritably. "What are we gonna do? We can't keep putting spells and potions on our students."

"We have to," said Ms. Crackwell. "They need to go on as if everything is normal. When we come up with a viable plan to get us back to our side of the Earth, then we'll call a parent teacher meeting, and we'll lure the entire town here. When they cross the threshold, they'll get their memories back. At that point, we'll let them all in on the plan for escape. The only problem we face is how to carry out this plan in a way that there won't mass hysteria."

"No matter what, there's gonna be some hysterics," Milton reasoned. "We'll just deal with it the best way we can. For now, we need to work out how we're gonna get home. For that, we need time and everyone's help."

"What exactly are you going to do? You can't exactly control the mists," said Lin, thinking she could try to call them herself.

"Doctor Mandel and I are working on a spell," Ms. Crackwell replied.

"A spell won't be strong enough. We'll need a ritual to help concentrate all our energy into one pool," said Milton. "It will take more power than any single one of us has. In fact, we may have to enlist the help of the newly awakened town's folk."

"I think there is something we need to realize, before we go through with this," said Lin.

"There is a chance that some will die if they come along with us on this plan. We know," Ms. Crackwell interrupted. "If some wish to remain, then we cannot force them to leave with us. We are, simply, offering an option. For those who still have family in the other world, it might be worth the risk. If not, then they know when and how to try and return home, which is through the mists. Unfortunately, it might be some time before they return, judging by the weather on this side."

"This is it. We are in a fight for our lives," said Doctor Mandel.

"So what do we do, now?" asked Riley.

Ms. Crackwell said, "Doctor Mandel and I will go to the dean's office and work on a spell and rite. You, three, will substitute for our classes. Normally, some of you would return to the Historical Society, but you must stay throughout the day. If need be, just go from class to class and check in."

"What if they try to leave?" asked Lin.

"We have reason to believe that it's only the front entrance threshold that's power lifting, so we've opened the garden gates, just outside of the Great Hall, to use in the meantime," said Doctor Mandel.

~~~

Throughout the day, Lin tried her best to act as though everything were normal. Unfortunately, it didn't go so smoothly because, like Lin, no one remembered their last assignment. She was just glad they'd all taken some potion, because now, they sat with glazed over eyes and were completely obedient. Lin instructed that they read for the hours, and then she, herself, stared out of windows at the strange new world.

Although the new world looked exactly the same, the sky didn't have its cool, glass like look; instead, it had a bright yellow haze from the sun. No longer did cool grey clouds constantly slide across the air space; now it was the clearest sky she'd ever seen. Counter to the nature of her surroundings, the trees on the mountain looked to be thriving. They were fresh, green and spry. Lin wondered if they were enchanted because, on Earth, they tended to look especially dry around the bark, when it was hot.

There was one thing that really bothered her: She still hadn't seen nor heard from Mara. Throughout the day, she left class to look for Lucas, but he was nowhere. Lin hoped she was okay.

At the end of the day, she decided to fly to Mara's once more and check on her. Right as she put her hand on the door, Doctor Mandel's voice called out, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to check on my friend."

"Ms. Riley is outside with the students, at the moment."

He led her to the window and they pulled back the curtain. Outside, all the students were creating a bottle neck effect at the gate.

Through the window, she heard one student ask, "How come we can't leave?"

"We have an important announcement," she lied.

"Well, can you hurry? I need to get home."

She pulled out her wand and waived it across the air a few times. Red sparks flew out of the tip and landed on the crowd.

"Go home," she said, "and act as if everything is normal. Don't think about today's events."

The red sparks, then, absorbed into their skin.

"Now, go," she said.

Ms. Riley opened the gate and the students flowed out. As soon as all the students were in the road, Ms. Riley walked back in.

"What was that about?" Lin asked.

"Well, it turns out that all the entrances have anti enchantments, which means we'll have to go through this again tomorrow. I'm afraid we can't go home. We need to seal up all the entrances, and then one of us will watch the front and stop everyone from entering or leaving," said Doctor Mandel.

"We've drawn up a schedule," Ms. Riley handed Lin a sheet.

"You're to stand at the entrance from seven to midnight. I suggest you have dinner and find a book to read."

She walked off.

At seven 'o'clock, Lin took her place at the entrance. If someone appeared, and it was a student, she hexed them and sent them away.

Lin tried to read her book but couldn't. Her mind was obsessed with all the details of the events. Over and over, her thoughts came back to the warehouses and the girl she'd seen up there. It seemed like she wanted to help her, and if she were a fairy, then maybe not all fairies were bad. In fact, the spell they'd need to send them home would need more power than even a handful of them could produce. What if she could enlist the help of fairies? It would certainly make things easier, and they could leave quicker. These thoughts convinced her, so at midnight, after Mandel came to replace her at the door, she pretended to need a night cap; then she walked through the kitchens and stepped out of the side door, quietly.

Lin flew through the warm night air. She forgot to consider, when she got there, that the warehouses might not be there. Disappointed, she walked around the location and looked for some clues for the whereabouts of other beings in the area. Since there were so many reports of sightings on the mountain, she figured they had to be near there. All she saw, however, was forest.

It was nearly three 'o' clock when she decided to return to the castle and sleep. She was just about to lift off when she noticed a line of impression in the dirt. Lin approached the line, slamming her head into an invisible wall and falling backward onto her butt. The sound of wavering aluminum, like a gong, rang.

She stood up. Rubbing her head, she approached the line again, and ran her fingers along the cool surface of an invisible wall. After 20 feet, her hand hit air, but she continued in the same direction and eventually, her hand hit more aluminum.

So, she thought to herself, they made the warehouses invisible.

Lin contemplated the large structures. One thing she noticed, on Earth, was there weren't any doors. And though she said many different spells, no door would appear. She even tried drawing one with the rock and dirt, but that didn't work, either.

This time, she tried speeding molecules, the way she'd read in the Sorcerer's Way. By speeding the molecules of an item, she could cause an explosion. Unfortunately, in the cases of the warehouses, they merely got hot.

She focused, hard, and miming with her hand, tried to command the metal to bend. This didn't work.

Finally, she was tired and decided to go home. She'd done all she could think of to get inside. Dawn was breaking, and no doubt, the professors would want to meet before students arrived. Feeling disappointed, she made to fly off, but when she tried to lift off the ground, something held her down.

She sensed someone near. Lin turned around and shrieked. There, watching was a small dark haired woman. She raised her finger to her lips and said, "Shhhh."

Lin didn't know if this was the same person she'd seen before, but she looked similar in features.

"Hello."

The little woman said nothing.

Her silence frightened Lin who saw she had the strangest, most expressionless face. The girl had the same elongated, dark tilted and watery onyx eyes. Her thin lipped mouth was popsicle red against her pale, marble-like skin. Her ears poked out of her hair just slightly, and her skin was milky white and sparkled lightly under the ray of moonlight. The gown she wore was of the freshest white. Her silver sandals had little jewels sewn onto them. Although her head was a little large for her tiny body, she was beautiful all the same, just like a porcelain doll.

The woman didn't say anything. Lin wanted to stay but it was getting lighter out, and she needed to get back.

"I'm sorry, but I've gotta go."

"Waaait," the girl said in mystical whisper. "I'm tryinnng to heeelp youuu."

The girl spoke without moving her lips.

She stared at something behind her. Lin turned and realized she was working magic on the warehouse. The surface, though invisible, bent and stretched in and outward as if the air, itself, was solid. She must have been powerful to do such a thing just by the will of her mind.

Then a small crack appeared in the invisible surface of the wall. It looked like a floating black line. The woman moved over to the second warehouse, and did the same.

Immediately, Lin applied her magic to further the crack. This time, the metal pulled back easily, now that there was a rip in the magic.

"Waaait," the girl whispered to her.

"You've got the wall to crack open. Once you ripped the fabric, you also ripped through the magic that held it solid. Thank you."

Lin was about to continue ripping the metal.

"Waaaaaaaait," she said again.

"Why?"

"If you go inside, you'll leave this world and not be able to come back."

"What do you mean by leave this world? It's just a warehouse."

"Inside are mists that will take you back to your side of the Earth. Golshem has figured a way to trap it. You must go back and tell the others first. To open the warehouses is to risk losing your way home."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Ilda; great, great, great, great, great, grand daughter of Queen Morrigaine."

"Why do you not move your mouth?"

"I can't speak your language, but I can communicate, telepathically, with you."

"Who is Queen Morrigaine?"

"She reigned, here, in Avalon for over 2,000 years. She was the last one to bless the Lady of the Lake, and to anoint the Excalibur for your King Arthur, before he betrayed us. And that's when we left the world for good."

"So the legends are true?"

She only stared.

"How did they trap mists in these warehouses?"

"Although fog helps the mists become visible to the human eye, acting like a window and giving particles a shining surface through which to look, the mists aren't entirely fog. They are the shadows of dimensions passing one another. One of the oldest tricks for the playthings of children is the trapping of shadows. Golshem figured out a way to take that child's play spell and make it capable of trapping the shadows of dimensions. However, if you open these metal boxes too soon, the shadows will escape."

"So the Wackens sent us all through these boxes and we didn't know it?"

"Have you ever heard of dancing shadows? Golshem, also, took this trick from child's play; they covered the town in dancing shadows. He danced them like marionettes over your homes at the time of tween. That is how you came, and that is how you will return, but you must not waste the shadows. In this world, the mists rarely allow opportunity for entry into the Earthly dimension, for that reason you must save what is inside the warehouses. We cannot predict when the mists will show themselves again; it could be weeks, months or years."

"I think I know why that is: In this world, the sun rises in the East. We are polar opposites, so when the shadows appear, it's likely due to other orbital anomalies. Thank you, Ilda. I must return and tell the professors."

"You must hurry."

"I agree."

"Wait. I have another message for you."

"Yes."

"The Queen Morgana, great, great, great, great, great, great, grandniece of Morrigaine, sends a message: 'You have two days to return your people to Earth, or we'll expel you.'"

"What does that mean?"

"It means our people will not tolerate humans in this realm. There will be war, and this time, your side will lose. As history shows, intermingling with humans has always ended in disaster. Avalonians do not like humans and do not wish to share territory. You don't remember this, but your people chased us into this world, and we will not allow you to chase us from this one as well. "

"That's impossible."

"Why do witches and wizards fear the sorcerers? Why do you keep your secret? Why would they feel differently about Fairy folk?"

"I don't mean that humans are incapable of what you suggested. I only thought Avalon receded because of religion."

Ilda must have tired of their conversation, because she disappeared without answering.

Lin returned to the school. When she entered the Great Hall from the side entrance, everyone was already there and they looked livid.

"I thought we agreed that everyone was to remain inside the castle," said Doctor Mandel.

"I had to try and find out if there really are fairies here. We're going to need all the magic we can muster, and it's a good thing I went and explored because I've got information. It's a matter of life and death to all those who remain in Avalon."

Lin explained about seeing the girl on the mountain, and her plan to return there and find a real fairy. Then she explained about how Ilda appeared and told her of Golshem and the Wackens, and how they transported them and how they could get back.

Despite the good information, Ms. Riley was still angry. "I can't believe you went out. What if something happened to you? Then we'd be down one person. Don't do it again!"

"You know," said Mandel, "for centuries, people have reported strange mists, and disappearing into them only to turn up years later, not having aged a single day, and with stories of other beings: Fairies – so called little people. Given what we know of history, that it's brutal and false, who knows what our ancestors really did."

Just then, the sound of voices traveled from the entrance hall.

"Okay," said Ms. Crackwell. "Here's today's plan: Doctor Mandel and I will work on the shadow trapping and dancing spells. We should have something ready to go by the end of today. You, three, are going to wait for all the students to arrive, and then enchant them into going about their days as if everything's normal."

"What if she lied?" asked Milton, still stuck on the prior conversation. "We're supposed to trap some shadows? That can be dangerous. Children have been swallowed by shadows, never to return."

"I don't think she's lying. She's giving us a chance to save ourselves. We don't have much time, either. There's something else. The Queen of this land has given us two days to leave, or else they will expel us. Ilda didn't explain what this meant, but I'm sure it's a euphemism for something terrible."

"Two days!" Milton exclaimed.

"This is gonna be messy," said Ms. Riley. "Some will surely die."

The sounds of voices got louder.

Ms. Crackwell said, "Alright, we'll meet here at 5 pm and you'll get updates then. There's no point in tainting the food because we still haven't figured out how to remove the anti enchantments features from around the castle perimeters. Just put spells on them, and then go about your days."

Just like the day before, the students came in and, one by one, fell to the floor and re received the memories they had lost. Doctor Mandel took them, in groups, into the office just to the side of the Great Hall. He put spells on them, and then they went for breakfast and to class.

The students looked even more dazed and confused than the day prior, as the constant enchanting and disenchanting seemed to be wearing them thin, even though they didn't realize they'd been tampered.

That day, Lin told them to do more of the same, which was read for each class. Funnily enough, none of them remembered that they'd done the exact same the day before. This made her feel extremely guilty. She just hoped that by the time they were ready to make their escape, their brains weren't completely addled.

After everyone left the grounds, they had a meeting just as Ms. Crackwell said.

"We got it," she said. "It was way easier than either of us imagined. I think we might just make it, after all. All we had to do was rewrite a simple child's rhyme!"

"That's great!" Lin exclaimed.

"What's the plan?" asked Professor Riley.

"Tomorrow, when everyone crosses the threshold, we let them recuperate from the exhaustion they're feeling, no doubt, from being worked over with magic repeatedly. Once they are feeling better, we all go from business to business, home to home, school to school, and demand an urgent town meeting. We'll say anything; we just need to get them to cross the school threshold. Once they do, they get their memories back. We explain that we've found the way home, and we make a run for it."

They all stared at her in silence. Finally, Milton spoke up. "Shouldn't we figure out something a little more covert; something less dangerous?"

"If you can, let me know, but this is the best that we've got. We can control the so called shadows, but we can't make them. They're only visible to us when on the mountain. Now, we could try slowly spreading out our return home, but the thing is the shadows, even inside the metal boxes, won't last more than a few weeks. Eventually, they, too, must die. Given our position on Avalon, and considering the fog that makes the mists visible to us, well, we might not get another chance at escape for quite some time. It won't take long for Golshem to be onto us, and that is why it's simply best that we make a run for it, now!"

"I agree," said Lin. "I don't like it, but remember, the fairies have only given us two days."

"Okay," said Ms. Riley. "Let's eat and rest up. Tomorrow is going to be one hell of a day."

~~~

The next morning, things went just as planned. Students came in, fell to the floor, and remembered for the third time. Only this time, they were sluggish and hung over by magic. Lin did her best to help them into the Great Hall where they handed out cups of orange juice that had been modified to give them a lift. Unfortunately, it did little good, and even the most obstinate students from the first day they received their memories were too exhausted to protest.

Eventually, the students realized the importance of the situation. Despite looking as if they'd just run a marathon, they gathered the little strength they had left and headed for town.

They split up and went to every door of every house, every business, and to the schools where they convinced them of a town meeting that everyone had to attend that evening at 7 pm. When they asked why, they said it was to review school policies, to have dinner, or to vote on town measures. Some, of course, didn't buy it, and those people were enchanted.

To Lin's surprise, there were no attacks, as she was thinking surely they were being closely watched. The others didn't say it, but she knew they thought the same.

Where were the Wackens, anyway? And, Golshem? It was strange that they brought the town over and then disappeared. The only explanation was they were working on another plot they had for them, like taking over Avalon.

After hours of knocking on doors, Lin was tired. She decided to return to the castle and rest.

Back in her office, she conjured a cot and took a nap.

Several hours later, she woke and saw that it was nearly 7 p.m. On her way down to the Great Hall, where the meeting was to be, she stepped into the ladies room. Carelessly, she opened the door but stopped when she heard whispering in the stall.

She stopped and listened curiously. Quietly, she shut the bathroom door and tip toed closer to the stall to hear what the girl was saying.

"...they know we're in Avalon. They say the fairies have given us two days to leave..."the girl said, and there was a pause. "Hold on."

The stall door swung open. Out came Blair.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Where's Mara?"

In her hand, Blair held a small gold bowl. Lin recognized it as a communication device known as the bowl of Amphitrite. There was one just like it at the Historical Society. One fills it with water and says the incantation etched around the bowl, and then can communicate across worlds. It was infamous in the days of the gods.

"I don't care what you're doing. Just tell me where Mara is?"

But she never got her answer because something stabbed her in the back. Pain shot down to her feet and all the way up to her neck. Lin did everything she could not to scream out, for the pain was terrible. How could she have forgotten to call her protection shield?

~~~

Sometime later, Lin opened her eyes.

She was lying on the cold, hard floor, and twilight was coming. The meeting might have already begun. She panicked. Lin tried to stand but her feet and hands had been tied.

Someone was pulling the ties off her; it was the girl from the mall.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm helping you. What do you think I'm doing?"

When she'd done, Lin said thanks and told her they needed to get to the meeting in the hall. Her heart sped as they ran past a grandfather clock that pointed to 7:30 p.m.

The Shoester girl followed her through the doors into the hall. It had been magically expanded to hold an arena sized amount of people, who were all listening closely to Professor Milton who was explaining the situation.

Lin ran in, pulled Mandel aside and told him what happened. Without delay, he yelled to the entire room, "We need to get everyone to the warehouses, NOW! The Wackens will be here shortly!"

"What? Why the rush?" asked Ms. Crackwell.

"We've been betrayed by a local, Blair Blesswell," said Lin. "There is no way we can do this clean and quietly. We need to get out before they stop us!"

It was like a 7.0 earthquake, with the way the grounds and walls shook as everyone made to exit the Great Hall. The doors magically expanded to allow them all to leave with ease.

Despite the expansion, there was pushing, shoving, shouting and screaming, but amazingly, they made it outside, down the mud path and out of the gates within minutes.

Those who could fly or transport themselves disappeared into the night, but Lin and the teachers remained behind to protect those who couldn't.

They ran as fast as they could down the dirt road. Lin straggled behind the slowest of them all. Every few minutes, she called the wind to her fingertips and blew them, harshly. The strength of the winds gave them gravitational lifts that pushed them a few feet along, causing them to shriek, periodically.

A shout came from ahead.

"They're coming," someone yelled.

Lin looked ahead. A row of hooded figures walked, fast, toward them.

Lin flew to the front of the crowd.

The person in the center of the hoods raised an arm, skyward, and the others stopped in their tracks.

"Everyone, stop!," shouted Doctor Mandel as he waved his arms, criss-cross. Then he turned to the on comers and asked, "What do you want?"

The man pulled down his hood.

To everyone's surprise, it wasn't Golshem, it was Angel Craig.

"Angel!" shouted Ms. Crackwell. "You traitor!"

Ignoring her, he said, "You are all to return to your homes. If you continue forward, we will stop you."

That was all he said.

Lin, Milton, Riley and Crackwell gathered.

"What do we do?" asked Ms. Crackwell.

"I propose we continue toward them, as if we're simply going home," said Professor Riley. "When we reach Blackthorn Street, we make a break for it."

"We can't do that! We are putting these people's lives at risk!" said Milton. "Do you really think everyone will be able to make it up that hill?"

"We have no choice, but to fight. It's either Golshem's men or the Fairies," said Doctor Mandel. "I'll stay back and make sure everyone gets there."

"Me, too," said Lin.

Doctor Mandel turned and shouted, "Okay, it's not worth it. We don't want to fight. Kindly let us pass. We'll return to our homes."

The chain of hoods broke to both sides of the road and allowed them all to walk by.

Behind Lin, she could hear people whispering the plan to each other.

The block was getting nearer and nearer. It was just a hundred feet away. Lin slowed her walking pace to allow others to pass her by, and then hung back and prepared to fight.

The hoods stood less than fifty feet behind her, and the sidewalk was a few paces away.

They reached the end of the road and turned onto the first paved street.

Mandel shouted, "RUN!" And everyone picked up, fast.

"STOOOP!" screamed Angel.

Lin turned around and sent up a shield large enough to cover the entire road, but it was hard to hold up because she'd never had to use her magic in such an immense way. If she could only give the students a few moments head start, because that was about as long as she'd be able to hold her position.

Spells flew from every one of Angel's comrade's wands. Suddenly, her shield flickered. Angel was muttering a counter curse against her, and it worked.

When her shield died down almost completely, Angel and the rest of them ran at Lin shouting a variety of incantations in English and Latin, but she lifted her hand and, calling the wind, forced them backward, along with all their spells. It took all of her energy, but she managed to hold them that way for a few more minutes, allowing all the students time to make it up the first incline to the base of the mountain.

Finally, when Lin could no longer hold them, she let go and ran for it. Unable to fully reignite her shield, she ducked and swayed as she dueled with Wackens along the way. None of which, not even in numbers, seemed able to match Lin's power of sorcery. Her magic was quicker and more powerful. Every time they sent a spell, she reflected it by redirecting it with the will of her mind.

As she ran, she tried to call a storm again, like she did the night on the mountain, but she was too emotional and too distracted.

Then, to her surprise, all the hoods had given up on trying to take her out, and ran past. Lin took the opportunity to shoot as many of them, with sleeping spells, in the back as she could. Some she missed, and others fell to the ground, snoring.

Up ahead, many students and adults fought the Wackens, and then helped one another further up the incline. Mandel dueled with a couple of hooded men she'd never seen before. Ahead of him, several students wrestled down a guy who'd knocked out Ms. Crackwell with his fist.

Out of thin air, more hooded figures had appeared. They lined the street in a row, in an attempt to stop them from making it to the second incline. Lin called the wind and flew through the air, and blew them away. They rolled across the sky in the direction of the horizon and landed in various places all over town.

Two students helped Ms. Crackwell limp up the second incline while Professor Riley helped a young girl fight off attackers. Milton fought with a dark haired woman whom Lin remembered from the restaurant when they went on their date.

Lin held her arms forward and sent a powerful stream of air that lifted the remaining stragglers up onto the second incline.

Someone flew down behind Lin, tackling her to the ground. She rolled over and stood up. Lin barely had time to register that it was Blair who attacked her, before she punched her square in the face several times. Lin stumbled backwards and fell to her knees. Blair jumped on top of her.

Lin barely gathered enough strength to give her a side hook, as she continued to pummel her in the face. Then she rolled Blair onto her back and climbed on top of her. Blood sprayed from her mouth as she screamed, "Where's Mara?"

Blair pulled a dagger, from under her sleeve, and swiped at her neck. Lin leapt off her and stood back. Blair ran, screaming at her. Lin stared at the knife, telling its molecule to speed up so that it got too hot for her to hold. As soon as she dropped it, Lin sent an axe kick to her face that knocked her out.

Up the road, most of the students had made it onto the third and final incline. Now they stood around, waiting and defending themselves from attackers.

Lin decided not to waste any more time. She gathered all of her strength and focus, and called the wind and floated the remaining students to the final incline.

On the hill, people panicked because it was so crowded and disorganized. Ms. Crackwell tried to tell everyone to be calm, but then Angel cursed her to sleep. Doctor Mandel conjured a serpent that bit Angel Craig in the leg. He ran off, screaming. Then Doctor Mandel bent over Ms. Crackwell and tried to wake her.

Milton ran to her side and said, "If she can't wake up, then we can't do the spell. It requires too much power."

"Then I'll open the warehouses so that as many as possible can go home."

Lin pushed through the hundreds of students between her and the warehouse. She tried to rip a doorway into the invisible wall. It was hard work and she was fatigued from the power she'd already used in getting them there. Milton seemed to understand, for he held her hand and gave her a blessing of strength with his wand.

Finally, she managed to get a door ripped in one of the warehouses. She sighed, feeling some relief, and began to work on the other. Milton gathered people and led them into the warehouse, into which they must have disappeared because there was no way a hundred students could have fit in there.

She finished carving a door into the second warehouse. Students, then, filed in as quickly as possible. Lin smiled because it felt like success, until a flurry of spells, red, white and blue, reminded her that they were still fighting. It was only because students were protecting her, so that she could do her work, that the fighting seemed to abate.

Just then, a tall man floated across the sky toward them. In his hands, he conjured two fireballs and sent them hurling at the warehouses. They exploded, blasting everyone back. Lin was blown a hundred feet down the mountain to the second incline. She was covered in dirt, blood and bits of aluminum.

Suddenly, the Shoester's daughter appeared. She helped Lin to her feet and flew her back to the base of the mountain. Then the girl held up her hand, and every single person, there, was frozen solid.

"What did you do?" asked Lin.

"Hurry," she shouted. "I don't know how long I can hold them all."

The mists were escaping the warehouses quickly. The only way to salvage the remaining was to try the spell. Lin ran to Ms. Crackwell, who was out cold on the ground, and pulled the paper from her pocket.

"Shadows of this planet, I command you

Like marionettes, I now bind you

Stay in your place

Until we've moved through your darkness

And entered our home, the Earthly plane."

At that moment, she felt the particles in the atmosphere surround her; they felt cold and dark, yet inviting. Just barely, their darkness was visible in the twilight of the evening; they were like black clouds of smoke, only friendlier to breathe. But then, it felt like the shadows were swallowing her, and it was too cold. Lin was drowning and didn't know what to do. The shadows required much more power to control them than she had.

The feeling started to lift when people ran from every angle, into the dark clouds and disappeared. This seemed to make the shadows evaporate, leaving Lin able to breathe once again.

Lin focused as hard as she could to telekinetically hold the shadows in their space, but it was almost like they had their own will to dissipate. No matter what, the shadows had to die and magic couldn't prevent that.

She groaned through gritted teeth as she fought to stay focused, but like sand through fingers, the darkened mists slowly slipped through her grip.

A few attackers rounded on Lin, who knew she was unable to hold the shadows and fight at the same time. Fortunately, Ilda appeared and fought for Lin. With one point of her finger, she obliterated her attackers.

"Help me, Ilda."

"I can't help you. Shadows and Fairies don't mix; it'll kill me."

Most of the Blackthorn residents had gone, and a hundred or so lingered, trying to find patches of shadow big enough to send them home.

Tears leaked from Lin's eyes because her power was ebbing, and she knew the rest of them were likely trapped there for good. She wanted to argue with Ilda but she hadn't the strength. Holding the shadows was taking all her concentration.

She felt faint. Then something wet was dripping down her front. Lin looked down and saw a brown handle poked out of her chest.

One Last Rescue
Chapter 9

Lin lay on the ground, bleeding to death. Blair stood some feet away from her, looking pleased. Ilda bent over Lin, blocking Blair from her view.

She tried to talk, but no sound came out.

Ilda grabbed her hand.

Her heart was giving out. Lin closed her eyes to the pain, knowing that she was about to die.

When she opened her eyes again, it was to find herself lying on the floor of a large white, sparkling hall with short ceilings and small sculptures and plants.

Lin tilted her head, and saw the Shoester girl out cold, just a few feet over from her.

Out of the farthest corner of the right side of the hall came two men who couldn't have been more than four and a half feet tall. They both had the same steely complexion that Ilda had, except theirs was tanner and they looked a little more like Pinocchio dolls.

"Relax," said the one who was carrying a green pillow with yellow fringe.

He placed the pillow on the floor. On top of it was a little crystal vial. He unscrewed its tiny top and squeezed it, pulling a few drops of the liquid out.

"Open your mouth," he said.

He put three drops under tongue. Next he did the same to the Shoester girl.

A moment later, Lin felt better than she had in years. She stood up as if she hadn't just been stabbed.

Ilda said, "This way."

"What about her?" Lin asked, indicating the Shoester girl.

"They will send her on."

"Back to Blackthorn? So then you can send me home, too?" she asked hopeful.

"She will be rewarded and then returned to her family, here."

"Her family is in Blackthorn, not here."

"Abbey, that is her name, is part Fairy. Her family is here."

"Abbey? Part fairy?"

But as she thought about it, she did have many similar features.

"I guess that makes sense, but does she want to stay? Did she grow up here?"

"No, she grew up with her human family."

"What if she wants to go home? Are you avoiding my question?"

"She knows how we feel about keeping our own from mixing with the humans. We cannot allow her to go back."

"But she is half human."

"It doesn't make any difference to us."

"So what will happen to her?"

"Her Fairy family will take good care of her. In fact, it'll be an honor for them. Not only has she lived on the Earth, but she fought the Wackens and protected you from harm for many years, though you didn't know it."

Lin didn't know what she meant by "protected her for many years." And she didn't get to ask because Ilda led her into a hall that was too small for her to walk by Ilda's side. She, then, led her through another door and into a throne room that was, thankfully, large enough for her to stand straight.

Inside, little soldiers stood along the walls, silent and still, fully dressed and with arms.

At the back, a little woman in a glistening gown and crusted, shimmering crown, sat on a gold throne. Like Ilda, she had pale shiny skin and glittering black eyes and hair.

She stood and walked down the carpeted steps to greet Lin who made to bow, but the queen stopped her.

"That's not necessary."

Lin noticed immediately that this fairy was moving her lips.

"I can speak your language."

She could obviously read minds, too, thought Lin.

"Are you the Queen?"

"Yes. I am Morgana, descended daughter of Queen Morrigaine and ruler of Avalon. Ever since I learned you were here, I've wanted to meet you."

"You have?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Come," the Queen said.

Lin followed her through another door, down a long small walkway. She was practically on her knees until they went into a large room full of portraits.

The room was set like a museum; the walls stretched for a mile with perfect paintings of doll like women, and a few men here and there, too.

Queen Morgana lead her to a photo of a woman who looked much like Lin with grey eyes, except hers were bluish like her grandmothers.

"This is Princess Mikhila, sister to Queen Morrigaine. She was the youngest of four princesses, but as is our custom, the throne went to the first born lady. In our world, matters of thinking go to the women while men handle matters of the physical."

Lin couldn't help but notice how they all looked alike, and yet, different.

"In our Avalonian year, 1257, Princess Mikhila met a man who wandered into the mists. He was a lost nobleman whom Queen Morrigaine invited to stay.

When Princess Mikhila ran away with him to Normandy, where they had a noble family for centuries, Morrigaine vowed that humans were no longer welcome. She was tired of them stealing our magic and our women.

Still, Princess Mikhila was always Morrigaine's best friend, favorite sister and favorite princess, and she was popular among the common folk, too. When she died, Mikhila was all she could ask for."

"What happened to the Princess Mikhila?"

"Togther, she and the human had a great line of nobility, until the Christians burned down their home, and vowed to crucify all Fairies, down to the last pixen dust. They went down a long, winding path that took them through Europe, and eventually, to the United States. In those days, she was known by the name of her husband's clan Olevant. Over the years, the name changed to Olevise. Later, in Middle Germanic, they became Alewise. The latest change in the family name was Helewise," she paused.

Lin didn't know what to say.

"Your grandfather, William, your father, William, and that leads to you, Lin."

Lin remained silent as she contemplated her words, and the chances of her going home.

"You've always known that you were different, and now you know why."

"Fairy blood runs in our family," said Lin, sounding disappointed.

"Now, you know why you are so powerful. Fairies are a nature race. That is why you have the ability to call the winds and fire without spells. You're not a sorceress."

The Queen paused.

"You look sad."

"I have a feeling that you're not gonna let me go home."

"We, Avalonians, have kept watch over your family for centuries, and with particular interest in you. You look so much like Princess Mikhila. We're prepared to offer you her revoked title and all that comes with it; it's what Queen Morrigaine would have wanted."

"Thank you, Queen, but I can't stay. My life is in Blackthorn."

Suddenly, the Queen became very serious, as spoke in a loud clear voice. "You have no choice." Just then, a blonde girlish Fairy woman walked in and bowed. "Now I have appointed Sherif to be your handmaiden. She will instruct you on how to dress properly, and how to conduct yourself in a royal household. Now, off you go!" she commanded, pointing her hand to the exit.

Just as Lin was about to argue, a short knight walked in and bowed on knee.

"My Queen," he said in an alto voice. "There are still people in the town. Golshem and his men are trying to use magic on them, to get them to fight for his cause against us."

"Very well," said the Queen. "You may proceed as planned."

"Proceed with what?" interrupted Lin.

"No longer will you will concern yourself with matters of war, unless you're specifically invited. In this case, you're not."

"This is my war; these are my people," Lin said urgently.

After looking at her a moment, she relented.

"You may go and help your human friends this one last time, but after, you must return. No excuses."

Although Lin agreed, she only did so to appease the queen. In her heart, she knew she couldn't just forget about her family and friends. She felt bad about lying, but her home was on Earth, not Avalon. It occurred to Lin that the queen probably heard these thoughts, too. No problem. She'd slip away when no one was looking.

She followed the little man, who identified himself as Rik the Warrior, out of the palace. They exited through a side door and made their way across a large green lawn, where they met up with a group of Fairy men on horses.

"You may ride her," Rik pointed his arm at a short black horse.

"Whoa! I'm not riding a horse."

Rik look at her with confusion.

"How do you expect to fight?"

"On foot and with magic, and with my hands. I don't know how to ride a horse."

Rik hopped onto his miniature connemara and held out his hand to Lin who simply scooted over the back of the horse and sat. Both her feet rested on the ground.

The horse leapt higher than any normal horse would, into the air and down onto the ground.

Traveling faster than a motorcycle, Lin held her feet up, scared that her ankles would break if they landed with too much force.
Time to Fight
Chapter 10

Rik said nothing as they galloped past trees so fast that they were a blur. Lin felt ridiculous with her large hands around his tiny waist. Still, Rik was strong and solid. They leapt over a fallen tree in their path, causing Lin to grip tightly, and it didn't hurt him at all.

Lin didn't realize how far off they were, until an hour later, they made it to the town center where it appeared that everything was wrecked. What was Mara's dress shop was now a pile of torn clothes; across the street, Stanley's café was a burnt crisp that smelled like a giant roasted coffee bean.

"They were here and still fighting only a short while ago," said Rik.

"So what, now?"asked Lin.

"We track them."

Lin slumped forward a few inches as Rik stepped off his horse and looked around.

Grabbing the horses reign he walked past the water fountain and down a street Lin had never been down before.

"They must've gone back to his castle. There are scorch marks here and there, as Golshem likes to travel by fire when he's in a hurry."

Rik leapt back onto the horse and they took off so fast that Lin felt dizzy. Just when she was hoping they'd slow down, Rik screamed, "We need to go faster!"

The horse ran even faster. It was like being tied to a comet. Then they stopped in a forest and waited for the others to catch up.

When the others caught up, Rik pointed to a spot just beyond the trees. Together, they moved ahead and stopped just short of a clearing and peeked through. In the front clearing of a castle, several men were sharpening swords and braiding rope. Blair, Angel and a few others were there, too.

Next to a fire, the remaining Blackthorn residents were bound by a magic rope. On the fire, a large cauldron boiled. Lin guessed it was for the hostages; to subdue or brainwash them.

"What's the plan?" asked Lin.

"You tell us, for you're the new Princess. Queen Morgana has ordered us to obey you," replied Rik's henchman.

"Great. Well, I'm no warrior, so the best I can come up with is we go in fighting."

She stepped off the horse and ran into the clearing.

Lin ran at the first person, a man, who dropped his rope in surprise. She flung her right arm, and as if by string, the man's body flew over the tops of trees.

Rik and the other Fairy's horses ran around her and towards the men in the center, who were preparing their spell potion. At that moment, arrows flew all around her, swords clinked, and spells blasted through the air.

Lin decided to focus on the hostages bonds. She tried a knife, but the magic melted it in half, leaving her with only a blade handle.

Someone kicked her in the back. She turned and blew him off his feet with her hands; then turned back to the hostages and tried think what kind of spell would counter such binds.

"Behind you!" one of the tied women screamed.

She spun around and, instantly, recognized his dark, raging brown eyes, and the stark white of his hands, just like all the nights he'd watched her. It was different seeing Golshem up close, even with his hood still up, his face was visible in the light.

"I know what you are," he said. "I knew the moment I saw you: Fairy woman. I wanted to offer you a place with my people, but I knew that I'd be wasting my time. And now, I see that I was right."

Before Lin could reply, droplets of rain spattered down in a funnel on his head. The funnel came down and pointed its tail in Lin's direction. Suddenly, water jetted forward, punching her in the chest with the strength of a fire hose. It sent her flying back. She smashed into the trunk of a tree and slid down to the ground.

He smirked and said, "Now that's how you control a storm."

Then he turned and walked back toward the fight.

She tried to stand but her back was seriously hurt. Lin looked around for Rik and the Queen's warriors. A man aimed a gun at one of the knights. Lin concentrated on it, telling it to heat and then he dropped it.

Golshem floated high up onto a tree branch, and then looked down to watch the men kill each other. One Fairy was out cold in the grass. Copious amounts of blood issued from his body.

Lin called his bow to her. It levitated across the air and landed in her grip.

She took careful aim at Golshem, who seemed none the wiser, and shot the magical arrow straight into his chest. His eyes turned up and locked with hers, before he lost his grip on the tree and fell, crashing, to the ground.

He lay there, stunned a moment; then managed to heave himself up from the ground. His front was completely smeared in blood.

He stumbled his way toward Lin, but suddenly, Rik appeared. His horse leapt through the air toward Golshem. As they landed, he swung his sword right to left. Golshem's head flung some feet away into the trees. His body fell, lifeless, to the ground.

Lin closed her eyes, "NO! Don't fall asleep!" she heard someone scream.

She wasn't sleeping but she was trying to remember a spell she'd learned in a book her parents had gotten her for Christmas one year. A spell to clear her enemies from her path: a great alternative to a mass vanquishing.

When parts of it came to her, she opened her eyes. Rik was fighting Angel Craig who had tossed out magic and preferred to do it vis-a-vis. He landed a punch on Rik's chin, and he flew through the air back into the trees. On the other side of the clearing, another Wacken shot a handgun at the warriors. He hit two of them, and they fell to ground in pools of blood.

Lin couldn't let him shoot them all. She said the spell over and over in her mind.

"Lecem, otem, eatem," she said over and over.

After repeating the spell for the twelfth time, she felt a change in the atmosphere, almost like the pressure was getting heavier.

There was a loud explosion.

Lin opened her eyes and saw that everyone had gone from the clearing.

Lin tried to stand but still couldn't.

"Hello?" she called out.

But there was only silence.

Again, she tried desperately to stand but the pain was too terrible. Then she passed out.

When she woke, Rik was lifting her up onto a small carriage.

"What happened?"

Rik ignored her. He brought her to another clearing of the forest where he told her to be quiet while he healed her.

Sitting in various sections of the clearing were the remaining hostages.

"I always thought Fairies were way more powerful than humans. But that was a terrible fight."

"Humans magic is much stronger here than it is on Earth," Rik explained.

"I tried a spell to get rid of my enemies, which would be all the Wackens," she said and sat up, slowly. "Did it work?"

"You got rid of the Wackens alright, but you almost got rid of us, too."

"How?"

"It's hard to explain. For a moment, I was back in the castle, but then I was here, again. Open up," he said, gesturing to her mouth. "I'm guessing the spell wasn't to destroy, but to displace us. I think you might have sent the Wackens home, to Earth, or to some other some other distant place. It's hard to say."

He screwed a cap back onto a little vial.

In his other hand, he held a purple velvet bag. He pulled the little gold string. Inside it were large granules of sand looking fibers. He passed one granule to each person, and with a quick spell, they'd gone in a poof.

"What about me?"

"You are to return with us."

"No! Give me that bag."

She tried to reach for it, but suddenly couldn't move again.

"What have you done to me? I demand that you let me go," she yelled.

Then Lin felt sleepy. Her eyes became heavy, like someone had shot her up with sedatives.

"Sleep," said Rik. "Sleep."
Princess Plea
Chapter 11

When she woke, Lin found herself in a large thin bed that was too close to the floor. Two women, whom Lin assumed to be maids, walked in. Lin remained where she was not wishing to be seen.

"Miss," said one in a squeaky soprano, "breakfast will be served in the Great Hall. It is advised you get ready and come down, now. You'll meet the rest of the royal family. I've laid out a proper dress for you."

After a moment, they left.

Lin pulled back the canopy and climbed out of bed. There, on a partition, hung a light pink gown and matching shoes that looked like they were made for a child, and then enlarged by magic.

Fifteen minutes later, feeling like a frosted cup cake, she sat down to breakfast at a table that could have seated a hundred. Uncomfortably, her torso faced the table while her legs face to the right. The seat on which she sat was like sitting on a bicycle seat at a table.

Sitting across from her were four others whom Lin supposed must be the royal family. Ilda was there, too; she sat at one head of the table.

They were silent as the servers went around, giving them tea and sugar and setting food on their plates. On Lin's sparkling porcelain, they set three of the tiniest eggs and biscuits she'd ever seen. If she really did stay in Avalon, she was always going to be hungry, she thought.

After the servers had done, they simply sat there with blank looks on their faces. She was going to ask what they were waiting for; then finally, the Queen made her appearance. She sat and said, "Good morning all. This is Lin; Lin this is Mot, Cris, Lida and Beka, and of course you know Ilda."

They were all pale and sparkly with the same deep onyx eyes. Lida had the reddest head of hair she'd ever seen, and Beka had the shiniest head of chocolate brown. Mot was golden tan with a bit of stubble upon his chin; Cris was refined and clean cut, which made him look even more puerile.

They were excited to meet her. They asked so many questions that she could barely take a bit of her eggs and cream, of which she had second and third helpings before she was full.

"What's it like in the human world?" asked Lida in her piccolo voice.

"It's a lot like here."

"Tell us about your mother, and her mother," said Cris. "What were they like?"

"Let her eat," said Mot. "We'll have time to ask questions later."

After breakfast, the Queen insisted they take a walk around the garden because it was her favorite place.

The garden was the most perfect, most colorful one she'd ever seen. Not a single flower had a single imperfection; even the soil was a strangely smooth and moist consistency that smelled slightly like chocolate.

Beautiful as it was, Lin was unable to show any interest. All she wanted was to go home.

Later, the Queen returned to business at the palace. Ilda called a carriage that took them to Milken, the neighboring Fairy town. There, Lin got to witness the daily lives of the common folk. It reminded her of all the Christmas movies she'd seen about the North Pole, except with less technology and more nature elements.

The carriage had been magically altered to fit Lin's large size. And through a town that was made entirely of wood, Lin witnessed the lives of the most cheerful people she'd ever seen.

"How could they all be so happy?" she asked.

"Not a single one of them have ever wanted," Cris replied. "There is no cold, no hunger and no exclusion."

"That's not true," said Lida. "Remember old man Wicker, who was beloved by many? Jealousy got the best of him, and was the end of him."

"Well, okay," said Cris, "but my point is there isn't as much of that sort of thing here. In the human world, there is nothing but misery, because humans love to hate."

"Don't listen," said Beka. "We love each other, big or small and flawed, and that's that."

The town could have been drawn from a story book. All the buildings were cut of the same golden-brown wood. Like Blackthorn, they had dress shops and coffee shops, restaurants and pubs. No one had to pay for anything. Each family was expected to work at something, and when others needed it, it was given, and vice versa.

They rode out to the far ends of the towns where the farmers and the lowest of the Avalonians lived and worked, but even they were happy and seemingly fulfilled. The spirit of the people was unlike that of any human. Everything she'd ever read about Fairies being a utopian society seemed true.

Lin thought it sounded great, never wanting for anything, but she still wanted her old world. She missed her family and wondered what ever happened to Mara.

Over lunch at the commoner's tavern, they proceeded with a million questions about her life on Earth. Lin was served a tiny serving of a pork and cheese sandwich and wine, which she finished in three bites.

"Who is that dark haired one?," Lida. "The one you went to dinner with and who works with you."

When Lin realized she was talking about Professor Miltion, she said, "How do you watch me from here?"

"We have a looking room," Ilda replied.

"How long have you been watching me?" Lin asked, trying not to sound angry.

"We've been watching you since you were a baby," said Ilda. "We try to make a trip to the viewing room at least once a week. It's good to keep up with human affairs."

"Yes," Mot. "You humans are too dangerous. Even after all these years, we look out for you, and here you are."

"That's enough!" said Beka.

Suddenly, Lin felt even more miserable than when she woke up that morning.

"Cheer up," said Cris. "Soon, you'll warm up to this place; everyone always does."

The immediate royal family seemed to think that calling for a party would make her happy, so they dragged her to the center of town. The locals ignited the pyre in the center of the square. Cris snapped his fingers, and a dozen spitted pigs appeared. Slowly, they turned over the flames.

Fairies appeared from all over the place. Some dressed like noblemen and others wore simple cotton tunics and braided leaves and flowers into their hair.

"They're wood nymphs," the Queen explained to her.

The town's people loved to celebrate: A fact they proved over the next several days during which the party never ended. Lin had to sneak off and sleep in the bushes because they wouldn't let her return to the palace.

The parties were a source of pride for them. People brought food and drink from homes. When they ran out, the Queen sent her servants to the palace to pillage.

Hours and hours, they'd sit on their little dais, as the people brought a thousand dishes for them sample. The Fairies could eat like no other and yet it was as if they'd never get full.

Only Ilda seemed to understand that the festivities were too much for her human body. So instead of allowing her to sleep, she put a spell on her that chased the tired from her body.

It was a neat spell, and it worked. However, it didn't relieve her from the irritation of having to deal with all the Fairy folk. They were simply too chipper for her, and their voices like the high pitches of oboes and clarinets and piccolos.

Watching the elves sing, dance, and play music was dizzying. Despite their sizes, they moved with the speed of a shot gunned bullet. They reminded her of the cartoon of the Tasmanian devil, with the way they loved to spin so fast. What was worse was the merrier they got, the faster they spun. In her drunkenness, she had to look away to keep from getting sick.

Many of the little men of the town asked Lin to dance. Although she managed to excuse herself, every time, the Queen warned her that she'd been expected to dance at the Winter Ball.

"Winter ball?"

"Yes, where we'll find you a husband. No offence, but you're getting on by our standards. Just look at those lines on your face, girl."

Lin's jaw dropped.

The Queen looked at her and said, "For goodness sake, marriage should be the happiest thing in your life."

"But Lida and Beka aren't married, neither is Ilda, my Queen!"

"Yes, but they're gonna live thousands of years longer than you will; they're also much younger than you, in our world. You must be married and quickly," she said, and paused for effect. "As a member of the royal family, it's not a choice, but it is your responsibility to deliver legitimate daughters of our race."

At that moment, Lin knew that the only way she was going to get home was by escape. But who would help her?

On the seventh and final night of celebrations, the Queen ordered that they prepare for the Winter Ball. Finally, Lin was allowed back to the palace where she slept for three days. When she woke, it was to find she'd been magically sealed in her room, "lest she runaway," quoted Sherif of the Queen.

Lin even contemplated jumping out of her window, which was still several stories high. But when she climbed up on the sill and leapt off, an invisible force bounced her back into through her window, across her room and landed on her bed.

The next morning, Lin made a violent protest over dinner, but the Queen snapped her finger. Then she was in her room, alone.

The Queen even used her magic to force Lin to get ready for the ball. It was a strange affair to feel her feet and arms move of their own accord, or rather, the Queen's.

On the night of the Winter Ball, adorned in a long silvery white dress that sparkled, she was ordered to stand in the greeting hall and bow to the guests.

She tried to smile but it was too hard. All that kept going through her mind was that she'd have children, one day, that would look like little dolls, and that she could crush with a fist.

Eventually, the Queen ordered her to sit on a throne beside her, as did the royal family.

Right as the Fairy orchestra began, a line of suitors gathered before Lin. It was then that Lin believed the Queen when she said that she was old for their species, for it was to be an open marriage; meaning that anyone could appeal to Lin's senses, if they wished. Well, what stood before her was a line of little male decrepit skeletons more ancient than dinosaurs.

"Aren't you going to dance?" asked the Queen.

"I'm gonna have a little drink first, or a lot..." she mumbled.

The wait staff brought them crystal glasses of sparkling elderberry wine and the tiniest pigs in blankets. Lin scooped her hand over the entire platter, gathering every single one; then dumped them all in her mouth as if eating crumbs.

An hour or so later, the Queen insisted she dance or else she'd marry her off to the richest suitor of her choice.

Lin sighed as she stepped down from her throne, and went to the line and offered the first man her hand. Fortunately, the dancing was slow at that moment, for if he'd spun her, she was sure he would have broken his hip.

The second Fairy man, whose head barely reached a few inches above her belly, was actually cute. He appeared to be the equivalent of a forty year old man, though Lin knew he was likely a hundred years or more older.

Then there was a snow white haired man who, nearly crippled and barely able to stand, bragged that he was 5,000 years old, and that if she picked him, he'd share his secret of life with her; that and his one ton gold treasure buried in some secret forest.

Lin was sure that whatever his secrets, she'd probably die of hunger despite them. All she wanted was a bacon cheeseburger with fries.

Halfway through the third dance, the ceiling rumbled.

Lin looked up, as did the others. There was another rumble and then the walls shook.

The doors to the ball room were blasted open.

In came a dozen hooded figures.

Lin couldn't believe it, and neither did the others, judging by the looks on their faces. She thought they'd all learned their lesson.

Several of the guests, including Lin were instantly bonded by ropes. Next, in ran Golshem who took aim at the Queen, and everyone around him.

An enormous fight broke out. Many of the Fairies were losing. Bodies flew, left and right, across the room. Seconds later, they were surrounded by the men in black hoods.

Golshem stood up near the Queens throne, talking to his henchmen. He looked about ready to turn and give a speech to the crowd. But Lin noticed, through the windows, that they were still in the tween hour with maybe ten minutes of shadow time left. She started chanting the spell.

Since she was distracted by the moaning of injured Fairies, her spell, which required much focus, was weak.

"Shadows of this planet, I command you

Like marionettes, I now bind you

Stay in your place

Until we've moved through your darkness

And entered our home, the Earthly plane."

"Hey, what is that?" asked her dance partner.

Black shadows appeared in their midst.

Lin commanded them to move in the direction of the Wackens that stood next to the Queen's throne. They barely turned before they swallowed them, including Golshem, Angel and Blair.

"What happened to them?" asked Ilda.

Lin couldn't respond because she went back to chanting and focusing all her strength on sending the shadows to swallow the remaining Wackens, but they died off too soon. To her surprise, the Fairies chanted with her, bringing back the last bit of shadow before it was fully dark.

The men ran to the door, but with the power of that many Fairies, they couldn't outrun them.

"It's working, it's working," said the Fairy man.

The next second, they were all gone.

"Where are they?" asked someone across the room.

"Earth, probably."

"You saved us!" said Lin's old dance partner.

Instantly, the ball room erupted in roars.

"You are a hero," said Mot, who stood and applauded.

"What will happen if there are other humans still here, in Avalon?"

"They will find their way home. I promise you," said Mot. "Eventually, they all do."

When everyone was untied, and all the bodies removed from the hall, the Queen said, "Let us continue."

"Wait!" Lin shouted.

"Yes?" asked the Queen.

"In return for my saving you and the people, maybe you should grant me a wish?"

"Yeah, yeah," the crowd murmured and cheered.

"Yes, my dear," she said, pulling a four inch long crystal with a silver handle from her hair. "One wish, you may have."

"I wish to return to Earth, to Blackthorn, my Queen."

The crowd fell silent.

"I love it here," Lin said to the crowd. "But I miss my family. Imagine if you were me. You'd never see your mothers again, never your fathers."

"I cannot let you leave, Lin, you know that."

"Heck with that," Cris spoke up. "One wish; a promise is a promise."

"Yes," said Ilda. "A promise is a promise."

"She's not happy," said Beka. "Is it right, us keeping her?"

The queen turned to the people and asked, "What do you think?"

"WoooHooo... a promise is a promise," they clapped and cheered.

She turned to Lin with a serious look on her face, and said, "If you leave, you can never come back. Do you understand? Once you abandon the Fairies, you are excommunicated for life. We will write you out of the history books, just like Princess Mikhail. That will be the end, and there will never be another future for you or your offspring."

"I understand," said Lin.

"Then," said Queen Morgana, as she suspended the crystal above her head, "Go."

She threw the crystal at her feet. It busted into little pieces and a white cloud enveloped her.

When the cloud cleared, she found herself standing in the middle of a street.
Ten Years Later
Chapter 12

One moment, she was standing in the dance hall, and the next, she was in the middle of Blackthorn Street.

All the shops were closed, and it was dark.

A large smile spread across her face. She was happy and relieved to be back. How strange she must look, standing in the middle of the street in a jewel encrusted ball gown.

Lifting the hem of her dress, she turned around to see her surroundings. It was amazing how clean the town looked, as though not a single attack had happened. The streets were clean, the shops looked as though they had new coats of paint, and there was new merchandise in many of the windows.

But, then, Lin got an eerie feeling. Something wasn't right with this Blackthorn. Why, right across from the Blackthorn cafe, Mara's dress shop had six window displays instead of the usual two.

Had Mara had time to expand the shop in just a few days?

Quickly, Lin walked up and examined the display. Her shop had been expanded greatly, and there was countless merchandise all over the shop. Had she really had time to do all this since the attacks?

Well, whatever. She would ask Mara what happened later. In the meantime, she wanted to get home and call her parents. She must have a million things to do, as it was nearing the end of the month. Rent was probably due, and her utilities needed to be paid.

She flew herself to her apartment building. On her way, she noticed a few new buildings were standing in downtown. This was a real surprise to her; so many changes in such a short time.

Lin didn't have a key to her apartment, naturally after everything she'd been through, so she used magic to open the door. But that didn't work. Using her will, she commanded the door to open.

And that's when she knew something really was wrong.

She walked inside and saw all of her furniture was gone. In place of the chocolate brown leather couches stood white corduroy looking sofa and a walnut rocking chair in a corner. On the coffee table lay a magazine with a yellow sports car on the front, and a glass decanter of a brownish liquid.

Someone had entered the room abruptly holding a wand in hand. Lin screamed and the gray haired man in white boxer shorts told her to get out or he'd hex her.

Scared, Lin left, immediately.

Could it be? she asked herself, remembering something the professor said to her back at the academy.

Tears ran down her face, as she ran down the stairs and left the apartment building.

The only thing Lin could think to do, at that moment, was to find Mara. She flew as fast as she could to her apartment.

It had to be really late, but she needed to find her. She was the only one who would help her.

She banged on her door several times, hoping that she still lived there. Finally, the door opened and Mara, thankfully, appeared at the door.

Lin's jaw dropped, for this wasn't her Mara, but this was an older Mara.

She didn't say anything, but she just stared.

Then recognition came over her face, and she asked, "Lin?"

"Yes, Mara, it's me," she said, and then the tears really came down.

Mara opened the door and beckoned her to come inside; however, this made Lin cry even more. The furniture, there, was different, too.

"Sit. I'll go make some coffee."

Looking around, Lin noticed there were new photos on the wall, and one was of Mara standing there with a dark haired man. That same dark haired man walked out of the bedroom.

Lin stared, and he stared back.

Milton was much older now. His hair was completely gray, and his forehead was distinctly higher.

Mara walked into the living with two mugs of coffee.

"Would you like to join us?"

"No. I'll let you two talk," he said, and left the room.

"I don't want to disturb you but I've nowhere else to go. My apartment; someone's in it and all my things are gone."

"Well, I should think so, Lin. You've been gone ten years."

It was a long and hard conversation laced with many more tears and lots of tissues.

Mara stayed up with Lin into the morning hours and explained how she and Milton were secretly part of the Blackthorn Contention, and how Blair had set them up the night at the Towers. She'd woken in a dungeon cell with half the other town's resistance until Abbey Shoester snuck in and released them.

"But I was just here not more than a few weeks ago."

"Time moves differently in Avalon."

Lin stood up and walked to the window. Dawn was starting to break. She turned and looked at Mara whose face, she couldn't quite get over. There were lines where there weren't before, and below her eyes was the shadowing that was common of aging women.

"I don't understand how this could happen."

"The Fairy people of Avalon are rumored to live thousands of our human years. It has happened many times, over the centuries, that people would go missing and turn up decades later un aged and confused. You are, now, one of them."

"What do I do, now?" she cried. "How do I start over with ten years absence?"

Mara sat in silence for a moment, and then said, "How about I take you home. Your parents will be glad to see you."
