Missing powers, p.5
Missing Powers, page 5
“If this is a service thing, where the leader is supposed to be doing things for the other members, then how is Corvin going to do that?”
Sarah raised her brows, shaking her head slightly. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… he isn’t going to serve anyone else. He isn’t going to do anything for anyone else. All he wants is his own glory.”
“Well, that’s not the way it works. And Corvin has been of service to others. As much as it pains me to say it, he has been helpful at times. To me, when I lost my emerald. Fighting the Witch Doctor. Helping you with your… various things. I would not recommend relying on someone like him and trusting that he will do the right thing, but he is capable of serving others.”
“And do you think he would? He’s been so grumpy lately.”
Sarah made a motion as if to sweep this away. “You cannot go by a few days or weeks. A person’s character is established over time. Years, decades, centuries. I know what kind of a person he has been. A few grumpy days does not make him incapable of leading a coven.”
Reg opened the fridge and looked for something to eat with her coffee, but she didn’t know what she wanted and there was too much to go through.
“What happens when a coven gets a leader who is… evil? What if he tells them to do things they shouldn’t? Or hurts people? Takes their powers?”
“Other covens have worried about this, but the groups that have experimented with allowing his kind to lead them have had favorable results so far. They are clearly able to control themselves. To differentiate between hunting and leading. So far, the experiments have been positive.”
Reg wasn’t at all sure that Corvin leading the coven would prove to be a positive thing.
“Maybe those other covens have just been lucky. Are all of the warlocks who are like Corvin the same? Maybe some of them are… more enlightened?”
Sarah chuckled. “I can’t imagine that they are all that different from Corvin. Their needs are still the same. They can’t control their… hunger. All they can do is… choose where and when to satisfy it.”
“By not consuming the powers of their coven members.”
Sarah nodded. “Well, yes.”
“So maybe it’s actually safer to be in their coven than anywhere else.”
“I hadn’t thought about it that way. Perhaps you are right. But as you are not a warlock, you will not be able to join his coven.”
“No gender equality in covens?” Reg asked. “Aren’t you supposed to be open to all seekers?”
“No. Certainly not. We are quite selective about who we allow in our coven. Not just gender, but personalities. We don’t accept just anyone.”
“Then Corvin’s coven didn’t have to accept him? They could have denied him membership?” Reg was surprised by this. She had assumed that they weren’t allowed to turn him away. Otherwise, who would agree to accept a power drinker into the coven? Maybe they hadn’t known.
“No. It took him a long time to be accepted. There were a lot of the old guard who did not want him in the coven. It wasn’t until recently that they agreed to allow him membership. There was talk about whether they would allow him to be reinstated. They could agree that his sentence was complete and he would no longer be shunned, but still not allow him to rejoin them.”
“Why didn’t they do that?”
Sarah patted at her hair like she was getting ready to go out somewhere and had to make sure she was presentable. “I imagine that it has to do with the powers he holds. They would prefer that power to be held by the coven. For them to have the ability to access it.”
“He has to share?”
“He is expected to serve, even if he is not the leader of the coven. If someone has need of his gifts, he is expected to be selfless and to use them for the good of the coven and its members.”
“He has to? Can they make him?”
“No, they can’t make him. But I would imagine that he has already demonstrated the aptitude to be selfless. They would perhaps not be so quick to allow him back in if he had refused to help before.”
Reg’s mind was whirling with all of the new information. She wasn’t sure how to take any of it. She needed to talk to Davyn, to ask him how—Reg stopped herself and shook her head. Davyn wasn’t there to answer any more questions about Corvin and how the coven worked. Davyn was missing. And he wouldn’t even answer her call if she tried to reach him on the phone, because his phone was at home and he was not.
CHAPTER NINE
After Sarah was on her way to a lunch date with a friend, Reg wandered out to the garden. She was feeling out of sorts and hoped that the peace and tranquility of the garden would boost her spirits and help to clear her mind. She didn’t know if the elves’ presence made the garden so peaceful or whether it was just because of the green plants, sweet-smelling flowers, and the breeze blowing through the wind chimes. Forst, Sarah’s garden gnome, had made the garden a paradise in the time he had been working on it. Maybe the calming feeling she got from the garden was just the natural result of all the work he had done.
She sat with her coffee on one of the benches, dappled leaves shifting overhead and the wind chimes tinkling gently.
There was no reason for her to be so worried about what had happened to Davyn or what was going to happen with Corvin and his bid to become the leader of the coven. It had nothing to do with her. Sarah was undoubtedly right, and Davyn would return after a few wild days and resume his position until Corvin beat him out. Corvin would serve as he was expected to and would be so wrapped up in the management of the coven that he wouldn’t bother Reg. It would all work out to her good.
Unless, of course, something had happened to Davyn and he wouldn’t return, and Reg would not have a mentor in firecasting. Corvin would gain control of the coven unopposed and then would proceed to do all of the things he had been planning to, sucking power from the other members of the coven until he was strong enough not just to attack Reg, but to overwhelm her defenses and take her powers.
Does Reg Rawlins bring the thunderclouds?
Reg looked around for Forst, hearing his “inside words” in her head. He stood nearby, resting his arms across the handle of a shovel. The cheeks that showed above his beard were rosy red. He was dressed in drab browns and greens, with a red cap.
What? Reg looked up at the sky, expecting to see gathering clouds, but it was clear, bright and sunny.
Not those thunderclouds, Forst told her with amusement. The ones on thy face.
Oh. Reg rubbed her face with both hands, trying to relax her muscles and lose the scowl. I’m sorry. I’m sitting here thinking negative thoughts. Reg looked around at the garden. That’s probably not very good for the plants, is it?
Forst gave a grave nod. He patted the trunk of the big tree like he might a close human—or gnomen—friend. They are strong now. You will not hurt them.
Good. Yeah, I don’t want to make them sick with all my negativity.
Why so thunderous? Forst inquired.
Reg sighed. Davyn, my mentor, is missing, and I want to ask him questions. About Corvin—the one who is a power drinker.
Reg Rawlins should not associate with that one.
I know. I’m just worried about what he might do.
Forst stroked his beard, thinking about that. What is coming is coming, he told her finally. Reg Rawlins cannot change that.
You’re right.
Reg tried to keep the scowl and worry lines from tightening across her face again. I came here to feel better.
The living always help, Forst agreed sagely, looking around with satisfaction at the garden bursting with life. They are real friends. He reached out to touch and stroke the leaves of one of the nearby shrubs.
A year or two ago, Reg might have scoffed at anyone taking such a personal interest in plants and claiming that they were his friends. But things had changed a lot in that time. Reg herself could feel emotions and sensations from gemstones. Was it really any different from being able to communicate with the dead, who were also inanimate? She knew how dearly the dwarfs treasured gemstones and gnomes their living plants. The plants were just as alive as Starlight, and Reg had no trouble communicating with him. Why not plants?
Reg leaned forward to bury her nose in a large yellow flower nearby. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent, then sat back again.
Do you communicate with other creatures in the yard? she asked Forst.
He rubbed his brown, lined forehead. At times.
Orri, the elf, he said that I need to protect the creatures in the garden. Reg looked around. I suppose he meant the birds and the bees. Maybe the elves, even though I can’t usually see them. Are there other things? Other creatures he was talking about?
He gave her a big smile, his eyes twinkling. There is much Reg Rawlins does not see.
I guess human eyes are not very quick.
No, he agreed. Not very good. Many times, you do not even see Forst.
And look how big you are. I assume you’re the biggest creature in the garden. Tell me there aren’t any panthers or crocs in there. Reg peered at the thickly growing foliage around her.
Nothing that eats humans, Forst assured her. Then he frowned and cocked his head, thinking about it. No, he confirmed. not that eats humans.
Reg got goosebumps on her arms. She put down her coffee mug and tried to rub them away. Forst was just teasing her, she was sure. There were no large predators in the little garden. She would know if there were. And Sarah had even performed a spell to help keep venomous snakes away so Reg wouldn’t have to worry about running into any of them again. The garden was perfectly safe, guarded by magical wards and by the garden gnome. There wasn’t anything there that could hurt her.
Why can’t I see any of these other creatures? Reg asked. Do they hide from me?
There are many things unseen. Especially for humans.
Reg really didn’t like the sound of that. It was fine if they were things like butterflies or elves, but she didn’t like the idea of any dark creatures lurking in the garden.
Reg’s phone rang, making Reg jump. She grabbed it from her pocket and turned it to look at the screen. It had better not be Corvin again. She didn’t have anything to say to him.
Instead, she saw Marta Jessup’s name on the screen. Detective Marta Jessup. I-have-to-follow-the-law Marta Jessup. Reg considered not answering the call but, after a couple more vibrations, decided that she’d better. Jessup would keep calling or would show up on her doorstep. And, unlike Corvin, Jessup was not specifically barred from the cottage. No one could enter who intended harm but, as a peacekeeper and law-abiding citizen, she was sure that the wards would not keep Jessup away.
She swiped the call and put her phone up to her ear.
“This is Reg.”
CHAPTER TEN
Reg, it’s good to hear your voice,” Jessup said pleasantly. “It’s been too long since we talked last.”
“What do you want?” Reg asked. Not in an angry or demanding voice. Just straightforward and to-the-point. She was not going to be friendly toward Jessup. She had answered the call as a courtesy and to ensure that Jessup didn’t show up at her house, not because they were friends.
“Well… I was wondering if we could get together and have a visit. I could bring takeout if you like and we could sit down and chat.”
“No.”
There was silence as Jessup considered this. “Is there a better time?” she asked. “It doesn’t have to be right now. Later in the day, maybe…”
“I’m not interested in a chat. It seems like too many of our chats end up with me at the police station.”
“Oh, this is nothing like that.” Jessup tried to laugh, but it sounded nervous. “You are not a suspect in any case, not even a person of interest. I was just hoping…” she trailed off and didn’t finish.
“Hoping what?”
“To tell the truth, I am looking for a consultant on a case. It’s right up your alley.” When Reg didn’t reply, Jessup tried again. “I could pay you as a consultant.”
“I have enough jobs right now. I’m not looking to pick up any new clients. Especially the police department.”
“Well,” Jessup cleared her throat. “I thought you might be interested in this one. I don’t know if you have heard yet, but…”
Reg hoped she wouldn’t say that it was something to do with Corvin. Corvin acted as some kind of consultant or informant for the police department now and then. Reg assumed that it was off the books, since most of the police didn’t have a magical bone in their bodies, and it would be difficult to explain hiring someone for magical purposes.
“Did you know… that Davyn Smithy is missing?”
“Sarah mentioned that, yes.”
“Oh. Okay. So you know. Well, there isn’t very much evidence, and I would like to get some outside help. Sometimes… well, I know usually it is just a TV thing, but sometimes psychics do contact the police department with insight on a case.”
“I didn’t call you, so you don’t have anything to worry about. Nothing to explain away.”
Jessup cleared her throat again. “Reg, you’re making this really difficult. I know you have some powerful gifts and I was hoping that you would be able to give me some help on Davyn’s disappearance. I’m quite concerned about him.”
“Sarah said that he probably just got overworked and burned out. Took some time off for a few days to recover.”
“If that was the case, then I would expect him to be at home. Wouldn’t you?”
“Not if he didn’t want to have to talk to anyone.”
“Well, no, I suppose not. Is that what you feel about this case? That he doesn’t want to talk to anyone?”
“I don’t feel anything about it. How about I give you a call if I have any thoughts about it?”
“That would be really good! Maybe I could come over this afternoon and we could talk things over? Just to make sure that you have all of the pertinent details. Then if you see or feel anything, I can take immediate action…”
“No. I said I’ll call you. If I think of anything.”
“Well, yes. But you don’t know anything about the case, and you would be more likely to have an insight on it if you knew all of the details, wouldn’t you? Maybe if you had something of his to touch.”
“I don’t want anything of Davyn’s. If he wanted me to have something of his, he would have given it to me.”
“Maybe later this evening or tomorrow morning?” Jessup pressed desperately.
“No,” Reg told her firmly. “Don’t call me back. And don’t come over here. If you do, you’ll be trespassing and I’ll call your boss.”
There was a hurt silence from Jessup. Maybe she was trying to think of a comeback. Or any other way that she could make Reg help her with the case. Reg tapped the end call button on her screen and lowered the phone to her lap.
Forst was still there, watching her and taking it all in. Apparently, gnomes did not have any prohibition against eavesdropping on other people’s calls. Forst smiled at her. Reg Rawlins has very strong outside words, he told her admiringly.
Gnomes had a difficult time speaking aloud with humans. Which was why they were often silent around humans or were perceived as terse or uneducated when they did manage a few short “outside words.”
Reg chuckled. Yes, she could be very strong with her outside words. She hoped that she had been clear enough that Jessup would not dare bother her any further with requests to help with Davyn’s missing person case.
Reg thanked Forst for spending the time with her and for taking such good care of the garden and returned to the cottage. She was still in her pajamas, though the shirt and shorts that she wore for sleep were not obviously sleepwear, and probably no one else could have told whether she was still dressed for sleep or ready for the day. But she knew, and she needed a hot shower before she did anything else.
After a nice long shower, Reg changed Starlight’s kitty litter box and decided it was time to tackle the problem with the fridge. It was still earlier in the day than she usually got up, and she wouldn’t have any appointments with clients until the evening. Maybe if she worked hard for an hour or two, she could completely straighten out the kitchen, and would be so tired that she would be ready for an afternoon nap and catch up on the rest of her sleep before any clients showed up.
The part about making herself tired cleaning up the kitchen certainly worked. Reg went through the fridge, emptying half of what was in there into the garbage and taking it out to the bins behind the fence. She went through the cupboards, which were not quite as full as the fridge, and at least most of what was there was in cans and would not go bad if she didn’t get to it right away. There was quite a bit of tuna, which was becoming a staple for both Reg and Starlight. It was nice not to have to go to the grocery store to buy supplies, but she felt guilty knowing that she had probably called those items to her home from the store without the store being compensated for them. But it hadn’t been intentional, so it wasn’t exactly stealing. Was it?
She washed and put away all the dishes and scrubbed down the counters and sink until everything gleamed.
Then she felt ready to drop.
But she was also famished.
Reg had cupboards and a fridge full of food, but she didn’t have the energy to warm anything up. And she didn’t want more dirty dishes in the sink she had just cleaned, or to have to wash and dry them and put them away. Reg sighed tiredly and shook her head at her own silliness. All the food she could want, and she couldn’t bring herself to eat it.
She could try to force herself or talk herself into it, but why bother with that? She would just end up cranky and out of sorts when she had her readings and seance. It wouldn’t do to be grumpy with paying customers. And she didn’t want to channel angry spirits. Clients paid for comforting messages from their loved ones, not negativity.
