The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga by Taliesin Govannon (important books to read .txt) 📕

                “Weeks?”  She looked at me sheepishly.  “Months?”  She didn’t move.  “Years?!?”

                “Only once.” she replied, hand held up.  “Right after you became the Sorceress.”

                I remembered back, and shrugged.  “So that’s how you got so good, so fast, at Fae magick.”  I lit the bowl on the bong and took a deep hit.  The thought of having lived years more than everyone else made me need one.

                “And that’s the source of our problems.” she continued.  “She’s worried that I’m hungry for power for power’s own sake.  I keep telling her that it’s to help me protect my friends… you, Jack.  Even Trevor and Evelyn.”

                At that moment the door opened and Evelyn walked in.  She glanced at me, raising her eyebrows.

                “Info dump meeting in an hour, loves, okay?” she said.

                My response was to cough out my hit.  As my face turned red, I heard Raina say “We’ll be there.”

                Evelyn smiled at her.  “Okay.  See you then.”

                I passed the bong, but couldn’t stop staring at her.  After she took her hit, she exhaled and asked “What?”

                “Did I just see that?”

                “See what?”

                “She likes you.”

                “Bullshit.”

                “I know flirting when I see it.”

                “You told me you could never see flirting!”

                “That’s just at me.  I never miss it when it’s directed at someone else.” I insisted, shaking my head.

                “You know Rini and I aren’t broken up yet, right?” She asked, reflexively taking another hit.  “I do not cheat!” she choked out, holding her breath.

                “And I’m not saying you should.” I replied, taking my turn.  “It’s just that it looks like you could have a soft landing if things do go badly.”

                She grinned.  “I would have thought that you would be one of those ‘I’m sure it’ll work out!’ types.”

                “I’ve remembered forty-eight incarnations where Vincent and I have been  lovers.” I said.  “And now I’ve remembered two where I was lovers with Angelique!  It kind of takes the sting out of a ‘forever’ break-up.”

                “That calls for a fresh bowl!” she declared, getting out her bag.

                I couldn’t have agreed more.

                                                                                                *                *                *

                I knew the place.

                As I walked along, the mist covering my feet seemed to stretch out forever.  The horizon was unbroken by hill or structure, and the only light was from the billions of stars shining down all around me.

                I had been there once before, during a ritual to meet a Deity.  I had met a Goddess, a very particular Welsh Goddess..

                “Come Annabelle...” the familiar voice of Arianrhod said.  “Come to somewhere more comfortable.”

                I turned and found a door standing by itself on the plane.  I opened it and stepped through.

                I found myself in the finished basement of my Mother’s house.  It looked just like it did when I lived there.

                Exactly.

                “This sofa is in Jack's computer room." I said, running my hand along the top of the faux-leather sofa.  "I fell asleep there one-night last week while we were watching movies on the big monitor."

                “I thought that you might be more comfortable here.” the woman said.  Her hair was as fair as ever, and the gown she wore still flowed over her like liquid moonlight… even though she was sitting on a futon by the sofa in question.

                “Arianrhod, is it?” I asked, sitting down on the sofa.

                “Looking like this? Yes.” She said, looking down at herself.

                “So what’s the occasion?  You initiated contact this time.”

                “Can’t I just check in with you from time to time?”

                “You’re a Goddess.  You can see what’s happening at all times.”

                She chuckled.  "If I'm so all-powerful, then why can't I play coy like you humans do?"

                “Because lying isn’t in your nature.” I said simply.

                “Well that’s true.” she replied, folding her hands on her lap.  “If I don’t want you to know something, I’ll just say ‘you have no need to know that’, and leave it at that.”

                “You also suck at avoidance.” I said.  “You still haven’t told me the whys of this meeting.”

                “Most of the time, I communicate indirectly.” she explained.  “I send signs through the actions of the world, and others.  But some things are difficult to communicate in metaphors.”

                So say it! I screamed inside.  Arianrhod winced.

                “Okay, okay… you don’t have to shout!”  She looked me directly in the eyes.

“The greatest evil is often done in the name of good.”

                I tried to process what she said, but the whole scene started to fade.  I struggled to stay with her, but I could hear a familiar voice calling my name.

                Annabelle… Annie…

                I opened my eyes and saw Raina looking down at me.

                “Hey there sleepyhead...” she said, smiling.  “You fell asleep doing bong-hits.  It’s time for the meeting.”

                I sat up as she left the room.  The greatest evil is often done in the name of good.”  Her words echoed in my head.  And she thought that was clear?

                                                                                                *                *                *

                The usual suspects sat around the room with two notable exceptions: One, Starr was present.  He’d been patrolling in his cat form, and his presence meant that he had news.

                The other exception was Rini.  I hadn't seen the blue-haired Fae woman for some time, but she was still as striking as ever.  Her skin had a slight greenish tint in our world, but her hair seemed to be a more electric blue than ever. The pointed tips of her ears poked out of her flowing locks, topping her ethereal appearance.

                Evelyn took her seat by the display board while Trevor stood beside her, signaling the beginning of the meeting.

                “Okay everyone,” Trevor began, “Let’s get this going.  I would like to introduce all of you to the blue-haired vixen to my left… “

                Raina put her hand over her eyes and groaned.  Evelyn rolled her eyes, and even Rini, though normally as reserved in crowds as any Fae,