I blew out a frustrated breath. Dug my fingernails into my palms. The training I had been promised had better start soon. I’d had it with being left in the dark.
I waited, propped on my shins. Tanner wasn’t coming back. At least not tonight, not via the path ahead of me. Nature, usually my ally, stood silent. My insides continued to hollow out.
Time to report to the others. I swung open the screen door and made a grand entrance of my own to the echoes of an empty hallway. At the kitchen table, I told River, Rose, and the others about the Apple Witch and what she’d done. Those words came easy.
Filling them in on Tanner’s apparent choice to follow her was not. Getting those words formed and out choked me. Wes offered to accompany me to the hospital, and when I couldn’t stop my face from contorting as I tried to moderate my emotions, he insisted. I washed off my hands, and we left.
The building was in after-hours mode so we had to be buzzed inside. When Wes and I stopped to speak with the nurse in charge, the man informed us the Pearmains were resting and could not have visitors until tomorrow at the earliest.
Relief tumbled through my limbs. Cliff and Abi were here, and they were safe. Wes’s hand on my lower back steadied me. I left my phone number.
As we made to leave, the nurse added, “The RCMP are involved in this case. You’ll have to clear any visits with the Chief Officer first.”
Jack had been promoted. Interesting. Soon, the Chief Officer was going to know more about my personal life than I wanted. Wes took the wheel. Our ride to my house was mostly silent until we pulled into the driveway. I teared up at the sight of my A-frame’s stone foundation.
Wes cut the engine and waited, resting his forearms across the top of the steering wheel. “Calliope, before we go in, there’s something I want to say about Tanner.”
“I’m listening.”
“For as long as I have known the man, he’s been in a tug of war with Jessamyne.”
“How long have you known him?” I asked, rolling against the back of the seat and headrest.
He squinted, got that look that said he was doing the math. “At least a century. Probably more.”
“That’s a long time for a lover’s quarrel.”
His snort was soft. “Anything involving a woman who’s beholden to a Norse Goddess is going to be epic,” he said. “I’ve never met Idunn, but I know the story. At least, I think I do. Our mutual friend can be a bit enigmatic.”
I side-eyed Wes. “And here I thought he was just moody.”
That got a laugh. Wes brushed his knuckles over my cheek and smiled. “I’m not going to tell you everything will work out.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“I will say, though, that I hope Tanner figures out how to extricate himself once and for all from whatever hold that woman has on him and moves on. For all our sakes. He’s a better man when he’s…” He stopped speaking and grabbed the door handle.
“When he’s what?”
“When he’s not with her.”
I gathered my bag and boots and closed my door. “I appreciate you sharing your thoughts, Wes. It’s obvious you guys all care for each other.”
“We care for you and the kids too.”
“I’ll be right in,” I said. “I just need to check on something.”
Wes waved me off and trudged up the porch steps. I scooted around the house. The total lack of light made locating the pouch’s hiding place a challenge. Once I found the patch of grass Tanner had coaxed into lushness, my palm found the loosened bit of plaster with ease.
Pouch secured around my neck, I tiptoed into a quiet house. Low voices drew me to the back porch. The screen door slid then stopped, its track jammed with blackened fir needles from the previous winter. I stooped, unjammed the slider, and popped my head out to let Rowan and Christoph know we were home.
“There’s a loaf of anadama bread on the counter,” Christoph said. “Would you like me to make you something to eat?”
I shook my head. “I’m showering first. Then I’ll make toast and fill you in. How are the kids?”
Rowan gave a half-smile. “Thatcher’s holding up well, and Sallie’s in a deep sleep. I had Shamaha come over. She was at your initiation ritual, Calli, and she’s good with analyzing magically-charged objects. Shama sped up the process of drawing the poison out of that poor girl’s system. We agreed the best thing for Sallie was a deep rest. The next step will be to support her body and mind as though she were going through withdrawal.”
“Thank you for everything.” I bent forward for the offered hug.
From the sound of water running through pipes, Wes was already using the boys’ shower. I ducked up the stairs, gave a quick peek into Thatcher’s room, and was rewarded with the sight of two sleeping bodies and a pervading sense of serenity. The same pink light I often conjured to surround my sons coated the walls, floor, and ceiling in shimmering bands. I closed the door, exhaled my held breath, and relied on the bannister to keep me on my feet.
The shower was life-affirming, clean clothes a gift, and two thick slabs of bread already in the toaster almost made me cry again. I composed myself while waiting then took the food onto the porch.
“I think I have about five minutes of consciousness left in me before I crash.” I snuggled into a corner of the swing, tucked a shawl around my legs, and brought the plate of toast into my lap. Commingled flavors of molasses and cornmeal kneaded into a base of whole wheat flour made my grandfather’s bread the panacea I didn’t know I needed. Slathered
